I thought Hall of the Mountain King was great. I actually bought two kickstarter editions and never got around to listing or giving the second copy away. It has an interesting mechanic of resource gathering. I love polynomial placement games too. I thought it was a solid game.

Cockroach Poker - cheap card game that works well with 4 or more people. My new friends get a good laugh and the rules are fairly simple. New people still make mistakes but you laugh and move on

Camel Up - horse racing but with camels. Make short term and long term bets. Easy rules. One action on your turn means the game moves along quickly. Big hit with my noob group.

Sheriff of Nottingham - good beginner game with funny interactions. You take turns being the sheriff. Meanwhile everyone is attempting to bring goods into Nottingham. There are illegal items that are fun to sneak passed the sheriff but don't get caught or you'll pay the fines.

Fake Artist Goes to New York, Modern Art, Parks, Century Spice Road, Coup are some others that come to mind.

I will add.. If your friends actually have a desire to learn a game then you don't have to limit your choice to beginner games. Find a good theme and watch some how to play videos. If you are brave and want what's best, I'd suggest Too Many Bones or Kingdom Death Monster for an all in start to the hobby. Blood Rage might be a hit for you if you're group is eager to jump into modern games.

Every game you play gives you added knowledge of mechanics you haven't seen before and thereby makes learning new games quicker. The problem for me is most people don't care to sit through rules. I like games with short rules explanations for new players.
Catan is good. Dominion has great replay ability with diverse cards.
The bigger reason to not buy Dark Tower right away is you really don't know if you will get it played. You can learn it but will your friends even want to learn it?

Codenames: Duet
Pandemic
Flashpoint
Mechs vs Minions
Sherlock Holmes
Forbidden Desert
The Mind
Kitchen Rush

other reason might be if a different noble of more value is also available but you don't have the requirements. You can't just wait to get the requirements for the other noble, you have to take whatever is qualified. Without this rule you could also sandbag and the end the game with one play.

My guess anyway.

I'm about to start a new KDM campaign. I think I'll try the People of the Sun. Have you tried any other than the original Lantern campaign?

On sale. Only 14.99. I find the game fun and a good entry level for new players but enough meat for experienced people. It has a twist compared with the original.

Marvel Splendor Board Game - Strategy Game for Kids and Adults, Fun Family Game Night Entertainment, Ages 10+, 2-4 Players, 30-Minute Playtime, Made by Space Cowboys https://a.co/d/0DIF7WW

Ok you've inspired me to get KD:Monster going again.