Post by: EK on July 11, 2013, 11:37:55 AM
Some favorites at my house are Settlers of catan, Ticket to ride, and Pandemic.
We like some fluffy social games when friends are around too like Cranium and Cards against humanity.
Post by: prodarwin on July 11, 2013, 11:40:15 AM
Taboo
Scattergories
Boggle
Mad Gab
and of course, Trivial Pursuit
Post by: GreenGuava on July 11, 2013, 12:29:04 PM
Settlers of Catan
Cards Against Humanity and/or Apples to Apples (depending on crowd - the former has caused some arguments with some friends as of late)
Fluxx and variations thereof (Star Fluxx is my favorite)
Munchkin
Shogun and/or Axis Allies (much better than Risk, although the latter isn't very balanced)
Bang!
Guillotine
Unexploded Cow (and just about anything from CheapAss Games; I hope they're still around)
Post by: spider1204 on July 11, 2013, 12:30:23 PM
Eclipse - We used to play this a bunch during lunch at work until the guy that owned it got a new job.
Wits and Wagers - Great party game for people that aren't going to be into the super strategic options. Trivia + Betting
Post by: Fletch on July 11, 2013, 12:36:01 PM
Bananagrams
Arkham horror/mansions of madness
Betrayal of the house on the hill
Go
Chess
Spades/ hearts
Post by: xocotl on July 11, 2013, 12:47:27 PM
Settlers of Catan
Arkham Horror
Munchkin
Spades
Hearts
Of which only Dixit hasn't already been mentioned :)
Post by: arebelspy on July 11, 2013, 12:47:40 PM
This thread has some good discussion of the topic: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/off-topic/catan-for-christmas-is-it-worth-it/
Dixit is a good one, but has limited replayability. I just googled though and it looks like there's expansions now, which wasn't the case last time I looked.
Post by: Lans Holman on July 11, 2013, 01:13:15 PM
Post by: prodarwin on July 11, 2013, 01:31:33 PM
Bananagrams
Ah, yes any form of anagrams is fun. To be mustachian, you can play with the letters from your scrabble game.
Post by: EK on July 11, 2013, 01:40:00 PM
Does anyone have any recommendations for really good, strategic games that aren't competitive? Pandemic is a favorite because its a cooperative game-everyone is on the same team trying to save the world from being wiped out by a pandemic disease. But it's still fun because the game is pretty hard to win.
The problem is none of the people that play games with me are really, um, all that good at games. So then I always win and no one will play those games with me anymore. :P Any suggestions where it's harder for one decent player to dominate/ less intense players aren't going to feel bad and not have any fun? (But still a fun, smart, non-baby-ish game)
Post by: workwheniwantto on July 11, 2013, 01:45:20 PM
Dominion ....
Dixit is a good one, but has limited replayability. I just googled though and it looks like there's expansions now, which wasn't the case last time I looked.
I am a fan of Dominion as well, except for the Alchemy expansion.
Dixit at least has two expansions, which I have played. It may not be repeatable in a small group of constrained thinkers, though four of us have gone through each pile several times with it still being fresh.
I have an avowed socialist friend who always wants to play USSR in Twilight Struggle. I think the game is awesome, but I usually don't want to plop the time into it often.
I think Dixit is next on my list.
Does anyone have any recommendations for really good, strategic games that aren't competitive?
I think one of the LotR games is cooperative, but I don't play it often since making unified decisions can be a power struggle in my play group.
I much prefer Dixit (and other similar ones, like headbands, a variant on 20-questions) since it is inherently non-competitive, yet you can still try to win, and the tension for shared decisions is not there.
Post by: Rebecca Stapler on July 11, 2013, 01:46:29 PM
Scrabble
Spot It (great game to play with kids, who have just as much of a chance of winning as the adults!)
Post by: Inevitable on July 11, 2013, 01:49:21 PM
I think Dixit is next on my list.
Does anyone have any recommendations for really good, strategic games that aren't competitive? Pandemic is a favorite because its a cooperative game-everyone is on the same team trying to save the world from being wiped out by a pandemic disease. But it's still fun because the game is pretty hard to win.
The problem is none of the people that play games with me are really, um, all that good at games. So then I always win and no one will play those games with me anymore. :P Any suggestions where it's harder for one decent player to dominate/ less intense players aren't going to feel bad and not have any fun? (But still a fun, smart, non-baby-ish game)
The Dungeons and Dragons Castle Ravenloft board game is a very fun, cooperative game.
Forbidden Island is an easier game that is similar to Pandemic.
Zombicide is a great cooperative game, but it's not exactly easy.
Dominion is lots of fun, however the better player will win most of the time. (Great husband and wife game)
Escape: The Curse of the Temple is a great cooperative game that anyone can learn to play.
I just got Battue recently and while strategy helps alot, there is also a lot of luck so both novices and experts can have a decent amount of fun.
Also....I may spend a lot of money on board games :-D
Post by: Lans Holman on July 11, 2013, 02:30:21 PM
The problem is none of the people that play games with me are really, um, all that good at games. So then I always win and no one will play those games with me anymore. :P Any suggestions where it's harder for one decent player to dominate/ less intense players aren't going to feel bad and not have any fun? (But still a fun, smart, non-baby-ish game)
Scotland Yard is great for this, the one decent player can be the criminal and the rest of the players try to track him.
Post by: Beaker on July 11, 2013, 02:46:26 PM
Chess - For those of us that prefer strategy to shiny bits of plastic ;)
Mr Jack - we've got the travel version. Great two player game, reminds me of chess in that it takes a lot of planning and forethought to play well.
Hive - still not sure I love it, but it's interesting and portable
Fluxx - just kind of silly fun. Though some of the expansions (eg, Zombies) seem to lead to a near-endless game.
Cards Against Humanity - but only if you're drinking. And definitely not with your mother (yes, I did that once. And she played the "Oedipus Complex" card...)
Pandemic - A cooperative game, so it's good if you have some non-gamers or non-competitive types in the group (like your mom)
Traders of Carthage - a good optimization game. Plays well even with just two players.
Of course, if you want to get all Mustachian about it, just get a deck of cards. You can play dozens (hundreds?) of games with just that one deck. Personally, I'm a fan of euchre or spades if you can get four players.
Post by: N on July 11, 2013, 08:04:45 PM
ones that have not been mentioned yet:
Strategy:
Quoridor. can be played by almost any age, simple board and pieces. Can be infuriating! :) 2 or 4 players
Quirkle Cubes.
Blokus
Wordy:
Wise and Otherwise (super fun for groups. I have literally peed my pants playing this)
In a Pickle
Tribond
Cards:
Set
Anomia (great fun multiplayer)
Skip-bo (this is a classic fave from when I was young. Still fun, and you can still chat and talk while you play)
I also really like this game called Lost Cities. Its a 2 player card game. The edition I have is really pretty.
Yahtzee! :)
(trivial pursuit editions are pretty much always at the thrift store around me. we have several sets of cards/editions-for that matter, you can find some real gems at the thrift store in terms of games. I got a beautiful 1970s version of Risk with the old wooden armies. for 1$)
Post by: EK on July 11, 2013, 08:23:41 PM
Post by: destron on July 11, 2013, 08:29:27 PM
The problem is none of the people that play games with me are really, um, all that good at games. So then I always win and no one will play those games with me anymore. :P
I have this problem as well, although I also have a group of friends (back in L.A., though, none yet in my 6-weeks new home) who were very serious. I think some people just don't care and you can't make them care about board games, so I do other activities with them.
My FAVORITE game is Agricola, the German game of agriculture. Really, really fun. And complicated.
I also enjoy:
* Dominion (card game similar to Magic The Gathering but everyone uses the same set of cards)
* Hive (1 on 1 strategy game)
* Neuroshima Hex (strategy)
* Bang! (Italian card game. I still don't get why the Italians are so obsessed with the old west, they have stores all over the place specializing in this stuff. Any Italian mustachians care to explain?)
* Carcassonne, but mostly I'll play it with children
More casually, I play Backgammon quite a bit, go and chess.
Post by: ender on July 11, 2013, 08:44:40 PM
* Agricola
* Puerto Rico
* Catan
* Power Grid
* Euro Rails
* Almost all card games (whist, pinochle, 500, spades, etc). Except hearts. @#%#@ that game
* Dominion
* Cribbage
* Tsuro
* Seven Wonders
Post by: Inevitable on July 11, 2013, 09:38:32 PM
Apparently I need to get dominion! Seems like that's a big favorite. I've almost bought it on a couple times, but my husband thinks it seems too "dweeby" and wasn't interested. How complicated would you Dominion players say the rules of the game are? (If they are terribly complicated my chances of getting any of the family or friends I see on a regular basis to play it with me are very slim unfortunately.)
It took 10 minutes to teach my wife's parents (in their 60s) to play. Her dad even won one game.
It's not very dweeby, although anyone who doesn't play a game because it's "dweeby" is really missing out on some fun :)
The entire game really boils down to a few simple rules and the rest is written on the cards.
Post by: EK on July 11, 2013, 09:57:29 PM
It took 10 minutes to teach my wife's parents (in their 60s) to play. Her dad even won one game.
It's not very dweeby, although anyone who doesn't play a game because it's "dweeby" is really missing out on some fun :)
The entire game really boils down to a few simple rules and the rest is written on the cards.
10 minutes to explain sounds ideal!! Now to spend a few months agonizing over whether I should spend the money or not.
Haha I try to convince him all the time that a grown man worrying about doing something that might seem a little "dweeby" is ridiculous, but we all have our quirks I suppose.
Maybe what I really need is more game playing friends who will play the dweebier games with me (and who have games that I don't have so I don't have to buy them). If only I weren't such a dweeby hermit maybe I could find some. :P
Post by: FrugalZony on July 11, 2013, 10:53:51 PM
Actually going to another game night Saturday.
I also like Carcassonne (both board game and online version) and Civilisation
I had so many that I had to give away to friends or sold for very cheap, before our move.
My heart was bleeding! But I also know I can probably replace them cheaply if I want to.
I still have a good stack left, including Clue, Talisman and a bunch of others
My friends have been successful at picking up board games at goodwill and savers
I need to go look. I'd definitely like my own catan and am hoping to find Taboo as well!
Post by: Soccermom2b on July 12, 2013, 12:03:50 AM
My favorites are:
Power Grid
Tigris and Euphrates
Medici
Die Macher (great for teaching negotiation skills)
Rail Baron (another great game for kids - just enough luck involved that anyone can win)
Old School, no Free Parking bonus, no calculators, make your kids do the math/accounting themselves Monopoly
Advanced Civilization
Post by: jrs on July 12, 2013, 11:07:14 AM
Post by: spider1204 on July 14, 2013, 06:23:55 PM
Feel free to try it out before you buy it, they have single player mode too so you can learn how to play before playing people online that might not have as much patience. Dominion can get expensive though because it gets exponentially better with each expansion... judging the game by only the base set may leave you a little disappointed.
Post by: Micheal on July 15, 2013, 11:23:16 PM
Dungeons and Dragons, nothing like killing a few party members to get the blood moving ^^
Munchkin
Cards against Humanity (only play with the not easily offended)
Risk
Risk: 2210 A.D.
Good ole Monopoly
Poker, preferably Omaha or Stud but sadly most only play Texas Hold'Em
Warhammer 40k (I scratch build most of my armies and terrain)
Many other Pen and Paper RPGs (if you can't find a group i reccomend roll20.net it's free and easy to find a group playing your game)
Post by: Rural on July 16, 2013, 06:19:12 AM
Dungeons and Dragons, nothing like killing a few party members to get the blood moving ^^
If you're killing party members, then you're doing it wrong. Unless you're evil. :-)
Post by: grantmeaname on July 16, 2013, 06:26:21 AM
Post by: matchewed on July 16, 2013, 08:02:44 AM
Very fun and never quite the same game each time.
Post by: grantmeaname on July 16, 2013, 08:13:27 AM
Post by: Russ on July 16, 2013, 08:25:47 AM
Dominion was fun when I played it but seems kinda pricey if you get really into it.
Post by: acc7x3 on July 16, 2013, 08:34:09 AM
Settlers
Munchkin
Risk
Rummy
Battleship (try the salvo rules)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship_(game)#Variations
And Battleship is also best if you have the movie on in the background.
Post by: LightTripper on July 16, 2013, 08:53:22 AM
Carcassonne
Pandemic (great with friends who don't usually like board games!)
Escape from Colditz
Tsuro (really easy to learn)
Blokus
Will have to return to this list at Christmas!
Post by: spider1204 on July 16, 2013, 10:40:12 AM
Quote
Dominion was fun when I played it but seems kinda pricey if you get really into it.
Agreed, I wouldn't play it if my friend didn't already have it. To get everything would probably set you back a couple hundred dollars.
Post by: arebelspy on July 16, 2013, 11:00:59 AM
QuoteDominion was fun when I played it but seems kinda pricey if you get really into it.
Agreed, I wouldn't play it if my friend didn't already have it. To get everything would probably set you back a couple hundred dollars.
When you struggle when people ask you "What do you want for Christmas/Birthday" it's great to hand them a list of Dominion expansions.
Post by: hybrid on July 16, 2013, 11:11:56 AM
I think Dixit is next on my list.
Does anyone have any recommendations for really good, strategic games that aren't competitive? Pandemic is a favorite because its a cooperative game-everyone is on the same team trying to save the world from being wiped out by a pandemic disease. But it's still fun because the game is pretty hard to win.
The problem is none of the people that play games with me are really, um, all that good at games. So then I always win and no one will play those games with me anymore. :P Any suggestions where it's harder for one decent player to dominate/ less intense players aren't going to feel bad and not have any fun? (But still a fun, smart, non-baby-ish game)
You need to choose Eurogames / Party Games with a significant luck element to give less experienced or weaker players an opportunity to win. Good examples of this include
Settlers of Catan
Can't Stop
Roll Through the Ages
Ra
Wits and Wagers
Just For Fun
Poor choices would include the following, because they are optimization games with very little luck involved. But great games all the same, and I enjoy all of them.
Puerto Rico
Stone Age
Saint Petersburg
El Grande
Power Grid
Post by: arebelspy on July 16, 2013, 11:40:22 AM
You need to choose Eurogames / Party Games with a significant luck element to give less experienced or weaker players an opportunity to win. Good examples of this include
Settlers of Catan
Can't Stop
Roll Through the Ages
Ra
Wits and Wagers
Just For Fun
I haven't played any of the others on the list, but based on the two I bolded that I have played, those aren't good examples of games with lots of luck for everyone to have a shot to win.
I don't lose at Settlers. Nor do good players (see discussion with Sol in the thread I linked to in my first post in this thread.)
And wits and wagers nearly always goes to the best players as well. After 10 questions the bad players are left with their initial starting chips, the good players have had to break out poker chips for higher denominations because all the blue and red chips that came with the set are out (setting them at 1 and 5 denominations).
"War" is a card game everyone has a shot at. Hearts is not. Crazy 8s is in the middle (there's tons of strategy to Crazy 8s).
Settlers is Hearts. Wits and wagers is between crazy 8s and hearts.
YMMV, apparently.
Post by: TLV on July 16, 2013, 12:13:24 PM
QuoteDominion was fun when I played it but seems kinda pricey if you get really into it.
Agreed, I wouldn't play it if my friend didn't already have it. To get everything would probably set you back a couple hundred dollars.
When you struggle when people ask you "What do you want for Christmas/Birthday" it's great to hand them a list of Dominion expansions.
I did exactly that. Only two more expansions to go, so after this year I'll have to come up with something else...
Post by: spider1204 on July 16, 2013, 12:43:49 PM
Quote
And wits and wagers nearly always goes to the best players as well. After 10 questions the bad players are left with their initial starting chips, the good players have had to break out poker chips for higher denominations because all the blue and red chips that came with the set are out (setting them at 1 and 5 denominations).
Indeed, I usually win and I'm pretty bad at trivia, most people don't understand that you should use all of your chips each round and split them up, the expected value is positive even if you can't eliminate any choices. Also, you really even need more than two good players, otherwise whoever gets ahead within the first couple rounds can just match exactly the bets of whomever they perceive to be the biggest threat and they will always be ahead. We've had to implement a blind betting system to solve that problem but it can become a pain.
Post by: EK on July 16, 2013, 12:58:26 PM
I haven't played any of the others on the list, but based on the two I bolded that I have played, those aren't good examples of games with lots of luck for everyone to have a shot to win.
I don't lose at Settlers. Nor do good players (see discussion with Sol in the thread I linked to in my first post in this thread.)
I agree that settlers doesn't have enough of a luck element to keep a good player from winning all the time. I NEVER lose (even with terrible luck of the dice, and against my best game playing friends), and I'm not THAT good. With settlers, once you figure out how it works, it's actually pretty hard to lose.
Post by: arebelspy on July 16, 2013, 01:08:27 PM
QuoteAnd wits and wagers nearly always goes to the best players as well. After 10 questions the bad players are left with their initial starting chips, the good players have had to break out poker chips for higher denominations because all the blue and red chips that came with the set are out (setting them at 1 and 5 denominations).
Indeed, I usually win and I'm pretty bad at trivia, most people don't understand that you should use all of your chips each round and split them up, the expected value is positive even if you can't eliminate any choices. Also, you really even need more than two good players, otherwise whoever gets ahead within the first couple rounds can just match exactly the bets of whomever they perceive to be the biggest threat and they will always be ahead. We've had to implement a blind betting system to solve that problem but it can become a pain.
We do a timing bet system, you can bet and move your chips around til the buzzer goes off (like in Roulette), so there is still some gamesmanship to the betting, but you can't completely Jeopardy it.
Post by: spider1204 on July 16, 2013, 01:47:59 PM
Quote
We do a timing bet system, you can bet and move your chips around til the buzzer goes off (like in Roulette), so there is still some gamesmanship to the betting, but you can't completely Jeopardy it.
Ya, but then it would just be a staredown during the last couple seconds while the second place player tried to move his chips before the first place player could follow him. Maybe, we're too competitive but that's what would happen. Thinking a good solution though would be to just place bets in order from first place to last.
Post by: arebelspy on July 16, 2013, 02:06:58 PM
QuoteWe do a timing bet system, you can bet and move your chips around til the buzzer goes off (like in Roulette), so there is still some gamesmanship to the betting, but you can't completely Jeopardy it.
Ya, but then it would just be a staredown during the last couple seconds while the second place player tried to move his chips before the first place player could follow him. Maybe, we're too competitive but that's what would happen. Thinking a good solution though would be to just place bets in order from first place to last.
Yes, it is like that at times. We also have done the first bets first, then second, and so on, as you suggested. People get hints as to what to bet if they have no idea, but it is a handicap for those behind, which isn't bad.
Post by: N on July 16, 2013, 02:10:59 PM
Apples to Apples and Dixit are similar, I think, and I think those are good for groups. Wise and Otherwise is like the last two I mentioned as well. Its about havning answers that other people pick.
Post by: Kriegsspiel on July 16, 2013, 04:58:08 PM
Stratego
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Stratego.png)
It's a Capture the Flag kind of game, really awesome.
Post by: swick on July 16, 2013, 09:53:37 PM
I think Dixit is next on my list.
Does anyone have any recommendations for really good, strategic games that aren't competitive? Pandemic is a favorite because its a cooperative game-everyone is on the same team trying to save the world from being wiped out by a pandemic disease. But it's still fun because the game is pretty hard to win.
The problem is none of the people that play games with me are really, um, all that good at games. So then I always win and no one will play those games with me anymore. :P Any suggestions where it's harder for one decent player to dominate/ less intense players aren't going to feel bad and not have any fun? (But still a fun, smart, non-baby-ish game)
We have been making a shift to more cooperative style board games (Like Pandemic) A couple of our favorites are Castle Panic (and Wizards Tower expansion) and Elder Signs.
Wil Wheaton has a channel on youtube called TableTop where they play different games, In true Wheaton fashion - you'll either love it or hate it, but it is great for being introduced to new games and at least getting the idea if you will like it without spending a lot. Here is his Castle Panic Episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpuTGWFkBYs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpuTGWFkBYs)
Post by: swick on July 16, 2013, 09:57:13 PM
The Dungeons and Dragons Castle Ravenloft board game is a very fun, cooperative game.
Forbidden Island is an easier game that is similar to Pandemic.
Zombicide is a great cooperative game, but it's not exactly easy.
Dominion is lots of fun, however the better player will win most of the time. (Great husband and wife game)
Escape: The Curse of the Temple is a great cooperative game that anyone can learn to play.
I just got Battue recently and while strategy helps alot, there is also a lot of luck so both novices and experts can have a decent amount of fun.
Also....I may spend a lot of money on board games :-D
Do you have any suggestion for cards sets for Dominion that work especially well with two people? Hubby and I play all the time, but more often then not we'll find we have chosen a set-up with cards that seem really unbalanced for two people and then it seems like a slaughter, which really isn't too much fun.
Post by: Micheal on July 16, 2013, 10:14:57 PM
Post by: Villanelle on July 17, 2013, 08:43:39 AM
If you aren't familiar with it, check out Will Wheaton's TableTop Youtube channel, where you can watch it, and other games, be played. It's a good resource for checking out a game before you buy because it allows you to see it played and get a sense for whether it would be a good fit for you.
As was mentioned, Forbidden Island is another good 2-person cooperative game, though it plays much faster.
ETA: I guess I should have read the rest of the thread, as I see there is a nearly identical post already.
Post by: swick on July 17, 2013, 10:20:35 AM
ETA: I guess I should have read the rest of the thread, as I see there is a nearly identical post already.
You know what they say about great minds ;)
Post by: LightTripper on July 17, 2013, 11:28:27 AM
Post by: swick on July 17, 2013, 12:03:15 PM
Post by: EK on July 17, 2013, 12:57:14 PM
We have been making a shift to more cooperative style board games (Like Pandemic) A couple of our favorites are Castle Panic (and Wizards Tower expansion) and Elder Signs.
Wil Wheaton has a channel on youtube called TableTop where they play different games, In true Wheaton fashion - you'll either love it or hate it, but it is great for being introduced to new games and at least getting the idea if you will like it without spending a lot. Here is his Castle Panic Episode: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpuTGWFkBYs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpuTGWFkBYs)
Okay I just watched that castle panic episode! The game looks sooooo fun!!! Now off to watch more episodes... Here goes the next, oh, 10 hours of my life. O.O
Post by: Villanelle on July 17, 2013, 01:03:14 PM
Should probably mention, Hubs and I have not won the Wizard's Tower expansion yet. If you accept the fact you probably won't it will be more fun. There is a reason "panic" is in the name :)
We have it and we still win nearly every time.
I do agree that it makes things more challenging though, and more interesting. it is so easy to go from a perfectly lovely board, to everything spiraling out of control in just one or two turns. It makes the game take longer as well, if that matters. We play with the expansion far more often than without.
Post by: swick on July 17, 2013, 01:16:18 PM
Post by: Micheal on July 17, 2013, 10:47:52 PM
They all live in the same gutter?ETA: I guess I should have read the rest of the thread, as I see there is a nearly identical post already.
You know what they say about great minds ;)
Imma have to check out this castle panic thing, looks like fun. We do need a game to break up the monotony of the group on occasion.
Post by: MrsPete on July 18, 2013, 06:47:04 PM
Post by: LightTripper on July 19, 2013, 04:11:53 AM
http://www.davegorman.com/projects_vs_the_rest_of_the_world.html
http://www.amazon.com/Dave-Gorman-vs-Rest-World/dp/0091928486/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374228630&sr=8-2&keywords=dave+gorman+vs+the+world
Dave Gorman has written a bunch of funny books, several of which are based around basically completely invented and pointless challenges. In this one he is essentially just playing games with a lot of strangers. I am a bit biased about this one because my friend is one of the strangers he plays - but genuinely it's a nice book and covers a big range of different kinds of games and gamers.
Post by: MrsPete on July 19, 2013, 07:58:33 AM
We love board games, and I see many of our favorites listed here already, though our current favorite hasn't been mentioned: Citadels. It's a great little game but best played with four or more people.
Post by: Villanelle on July 19, 2013, 08:57:53 AM
Post by: Rebecca Stapler on July 19, 2013, 02:28:41 PM
Does anyone have any ideas or sources for getting games cheaper? They are extremely expensive. I rationalize by figuring that in a per hour basis, they end up being very inexpensive since we will use one game for dozens and dozens of hours of entertainment. But they still seem so pricey!
Depends on who sells it. If it's Toys R Us, they sometimes have groupon deals where you pay $10 for a $20 gift card. Or they will have a coupon for 20% off a full-price item. (though, their prices are generally high as it is) TRU sales are usually designed simply to get you to spend more, so they will have "buy one get one 50% off" sales frequently. It's hard to get a good "deal" there if you're not willing to spend more. But occasionally you'll see the groupon deals.
TRU does have an annual or semi-annual board game sale at some point in the 3 months leading up to Christmas (I forget exactly when). They will pick a game or two that they sell for like $1 or $2 and if you get there early enough, you luck out. It's usually a pretty simple game though. One year I got Operation (Toy Story version), and another year I got Candyland and Don't Break the Ice -- I found out about the deals on www.hip2save.com. (the latter deal required a coupon to get the maximum discount).
I have snagged a few games at Target because they were on a loss leader kind of sale, but you would need to luck out or browse deal sites like www.hip2save.com to grab those deals while they last. And what are the odds they would have your game?
A service I haven't used too much, but has potential, is www.trackif.com -- you input the page that lists the product you want and it will notify you if that product's price changes. So, go to walmart.com, toysrus.com, target.com, etc. and add those pages to your trackif.com account. It will notify you if the price goes down.
Post by: swick on July 19, 2013, 04:06:38 PM
Also thrift stores sometimes will surprise you with what turns up. I have made friends with our Thrift store ladies so if a game comes in, they'll save it for me to look at. I usually offer them a buck or two more then they would get if they put it on the shelf and still get an amazing deal.
The risk to buying used is there is always the possibility of missing pieces - if you can trade or swap in person this isn't usually a problem.
Post by: FriendlyLibrarian on July 24, 2013, 08:46:41 AM
Also I definitely second visiting boardgamegeek.com and watching Wheaton's TableTop games. I recommend visiting an area gaming convention as well. I'm super excited to attend GenCon again this year.
All right, my list of party, strategy, and just plain fun games (in no particular order):
-My husband swears by anything created by Rosenberg and really you can't go wrong with the quality of those games
-Pig Pile
-Balloon Cup (2 player only)
-Ticket to Ride
-Agricola
-All Creatures Big and Small (2 player only)
-Pandemic
-Carcassonne
-Elder Sign
-Curses
-Cards Against Humanity (know your group!)
-Smash Up
-7 Wonders
-Le Havre
-Dominion
-7 Deadly Sins (know your group!)
-Dixit
-Tsuro
-Incan Gold
-Morels (2 player only)
-Takenoko
-King of Tokyo
There's a bunch more that aren't coming to mind because they aren't right in front of me. We have a really good group of friends that are also gamers and we get together regularly to play games. This can help lessen the financial cost of games because they are crazy expensive.
Post by: anastrophe on July 24, 2013, 10:38:26 AM
Does anyone have any ideas or sources for getting games cheaper? They are extremely expensive. I rationalize by figuring that in a per hour basis, they end up being very inexpensive since we will use one game for dozens and dozens of hours of entertainment. But they still seem so pricey!
Swap games with your friends. If you don't have that kind of friends, go to your local gaming shop and see if there are board game people there, and become friends with them;)
Or, I think boardgamegeek.com has a place where people sell their used games, significantly discounted from new.
Post by: Albert on July 24, 2013, 04:38:18 PM
Then there are some games we play with dices. One is Yahtzee, but lately it has been supplanted with another which I learned from a Columbian friend. Unfortunately I don't remember what name if any he had for it. The basic principle is that each player starts with 5 dices and throws them in such a way that other players (up to 6) don't see it and then the person who has the first hand announces, for example, that there are four sixes thrown together by all players. The next player has a choice to either claim a larger amount (say five sixes or five threes) or challenge the first player. If the challenger is right then the first player loses one dice, if not then the challenger loses one. The eventual winner is the only player with dices left. Of course the game is intensely competitive and some understanding of mathematical probability is desirable. Anyone familiar with it?
And then of course there are card games. It's unlikely that you would know any of our games, but the two most popular are called simply Jokers and Zole. The last one is our national game (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zole) and requires a significant amount of skill. I play it online from time to time as well.
Post by: nktokyo on July 24, 2013, 05:40:16 PM
Post by: Joshin on July 24, 2013, 09:11:44 PM
Post by: BuildingFrugalHabits on July 24, 2013, 09:28:21 PM
Other than some that have been mentioned:
Stratego
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Stratego.png)
It's a Capture the Flag kind of game, really awesome.
I'm surprised nobody had mentioned it earlier. This game's one of my favorites!
Post by: Osprey on July 25, 2013, 03:26:06 AM
This is slightly OT but I really enjoy playing Magic: The Gathering in its casual formats. It gets expensive if you want to be competitive and it's not a good idea for acquisitive personalities, but I feel that the small amount of money that I spend on it is definitely worth the intellectual stimulation, hours of recreation and social interaction.
Post by: grantmeaname on July 25, 2013, 04:20:13 PM
Post by: spider1204 on July 25, 2013, 05:42:53 PM
Post by: hybrid on July 27, 2013, 06:49:40 PM
A box of shitty magic cards from ebay for a night of peasant magic is a lot of fun for five bucks.
That's a great idea....
Post by: arebelspy on July 27, 2013, 07:12:22 PM
Post by: hybrid on July 27, 2013, 07:30:50 PM
You need to choose Eurogames / Party Games with a significant luck element to give less experienced or weaker players an opportunity to win. Good examples of this include
Settlers of Catan
Can't Stop
Roll Through the Ages
Ra
Wits and Wagers
Just For Fun
I haven't played any of the others on the list, but based on the two I bolded that I have played, those aren't good examples of games with lots of luck for everyone to have a shot to win.
I don't lose at Settlers. Nor do good players (see discussion with Sol in the thread I linked to in my first post in this thread.)
And wits and wagers nearly always goes to the best players as well. After 10 questions the bad players are left with their initial starting chips, the good players have had to break out poker chips for higher denominations because all the blue and red chips that came with the set are out (setting them at 1 and 5 denominations).
"War" is a card game everyone has a shot at. Hearts is not. Crazy 8s is in the middle (there's tons of strategy to Crazy 8s).
Settlers is Hearts. Wits and wagers is between crazy 8s and hearts.
YMMV, apparently.
Um, yes indeed, my Settlers MV quite a bit apparently!
I have won a Settlers of Catan tournament at a gaming convention, played hundreds of games over the years. I'll submit I'm a good enough player, perhaps even as good as you on my better days.... ;-) So while I can hold my own at any table I cannot approach dominating this game. There is a HUGE amount of luck involved (especially in a single elimination tournament). It's a game whose engine is powered by unmodified die rolls, and not enough of them to form a consistent bell curve. Therefore, since a consistent bell curve does not exist you can have a perfectly sound strategy - an optimum strategy even - that allows you to win a greater % of the time and still lose handily to the person whose 4s and 9s hit disproportionately while your 6s and 8s didn't get much love. Also, how many times have you accumulated a boatload of cards only to lose them to an ill-timed 7 that you had no control over. That's another big luck element. Oh wait, and then there are the card draws, the third big luck element.
I submit that if you don't lose at Settlers the reason is you deserve much better competition. My gaming crowd is mostly long term gamers, many tournament winners in their own right, and none of us can possibly dominate the rest of us at Settlers, it's impossible because there are just too many random elements. And therefore I resubmit that its a good game for experienced players to play with inexperienced players. Yes, you as the experienced gamer will win more often, but still lose enough so your company feels like they have a good chance.
Post by: nktokyo on July 27, 2013, 08:10:51 PM
Thanks for the Cards Against Humanity recommendation. I just printed up the free version. This will be perfect to play with my visiting father-in-law and his wife while we sit on the back porch drinking homebrews next week! Free entertainment is the best entertainment.
Hilarious game!
Post by: arebelspy on July 27, 2013, 09:39:56 PM
I submit that if you don't lose at Settlers the reason is you deserve much better competition. My gaming crowd is mostly long term gamers, many tournament winners in their own right, and none of us can possibly dominate the rest of us at Settlers, it's impossible because there are just too many random elements. And therefore I resubmit that its a good game for experienced players to play with inexperienced players. Yes, you as the experienced gamer will win more often, but still lose enough so your company feels like they have a good chance.
I don't know how you reconcile the first and last sentence of this paragraph. Yes, likely I need better competition so I could lose. However it is precisely because a good player will dominate poor ones that it's not good for that use. New players won't have much of a chance.
Apparently we'll have to agree to disagree.
Post by: kkbmustang on July 27, 2013, 09:45:06 PM
Also really like Balderdash and Fact or Crap.
Post by: hybrid on July 29, 2013, 06:29:47 AM
I submit that if you don't lose at Settlers the reason is you deserve much better competition. My gaming crowd is mostly long term gamers, many tournament winners in their own right, and none of us can possibly dominate the rest of us at Settlers, it's impossible because there are just too many random elements. And therefore I resubmit that its a good game for experienced players to play with inexperienced players. Yes, you as the experienced gamer will win more often, but still lose enough so your company feels like they have a good chance.
I don't know how you reconcile the first and last sentence of this paragraph. Yes, likely I need better competition so I could lose. However it is precisely because a good player will dominate poor ones that it's not good for that use. New players won't have much of a chance.
Apparently we'll have to agree to disagree.
New players will certainly have a chance, a much better one than the optimization games I mentioned. Settlers is all about probabilities. I would expect an experienced player to win more than his fair share of games, significantly so even. But blind-ass luck will take down the best players now and then. If that's not happening to you on occasion, then yeah, I would stick to fun party games like charades and the like if the goal is to have a good time and even out the odds as much as practical. If your gaming friends can't ever beat you at Settlers then sorry to say it, but they are just not very good.
On a more pleasant note, take a few moments to wander over to this fabulous online game site.
http://www.yucata.de/en/
I would be very happy to teach you a few of the games I mentioned above. This is a wonderful online gaming portal, and it is absolutely free. (Free like NPR is free, and I choose to support them, I've played almost 800 games here and it is well worth it.). Sorry, no Settlers here though..... :)
Post by: Luck better Skill on July 29, 2013, 09:00:57 PM
Star Wars -Queens Gambit, one of the best ever and unfortunately out of print. If you see copies for $120 or less please contact me I know 3 people looking for a copy of the game.
War of the Ring (Lord of the rings game)
family Euro games:
Lords of Water-deep
Castles of Burgundy
Asara
Ascension
Great games for new, young or casual players:
RA
Pickomino
Cartagena
Lost Cities - 2 player game.
Post by: Fletch on August 01, 2013, 12:13:25 PM
Post by: hybrid on August 01, 2013, 02:33:35 PM
FYI to fellow DC-ers (and surrounding area): there is a really great game store called Labyrinth in the Eastern Market neighborhood that is having a used game sale this weekend. If you are looking for discounted games, it's a great place to start.
Also, check out Games Club of Maryland. They are a pretty good lot, I see many of them at Prezcon (Charlottesville VA) and World Boardgaming Championships (Lancaster PA). They also set up Euroquest (Baltimore).
http://www.gamesclubofmd.org/
Post by: hybrid on August 01, 2013, 02:38:13 PM
Does anyone have any ideas or sources for getting games cheaper? They are extremely expensive. I rationalize by figuring that in a per hour basis, they end up being very inexpensive since we will use one game for dozens and dozens of hours of entertainment. But they still seem so pricey!
Swap games with your friends. If you don't have that kind of friends, go to your local gaming shop and see if there are board game people there, and become friends with them;)
Or, I think boardgamegeek.com has a place where people sell their used games, significantly discounted from new.
eBay is a good place too, and if you have a friend that owns a game, no sense your getting it too if you tend to play with that friend. Our gaming circle has started limiting that duplication of effort.
Post by: Fletch on August 01, 2013, 02:52:30 PM
FYI to fellow DC-ers (and surrounding area): there is a really great game store called Labyrinth in the Eastern Market neighborhood that is having a used game sale this weekend. If you are looking for discounted games, it's a great place to start.
Also, check out Games Club of Maryland. They are a pretty good lot, I see many of them at Prezcon (Charlottesville VA) and World Boardgaming Championships (Lancaster PA). They also set up Euroquest (Baltimore).
http://www.gamesclubofmd.org/
Haha great minds think alike, the GCOM goes to Labyrinth the first tuesday of every month for a game night.
Post by: Inevitable on August 02, 2013, 10:38:06 PM
I don't know if I remembered to say it in my first post or not, but Escape: The Curse Of The Temple is a great husband and wife game (or more people for that matter)
For the people asking where to get games cheaper, www.miniaturemarket.com clearances games sometimes. I got 5 games for 40 dollars a month ago. They weren't any of the games listed so far though. Those games usually don't go down in price.
I know many people have an aversion to the name Dungeons And Dragons, but the Dungeons And Dragons: Castle Ravenloft game is one of me and my wife's favorite games. Neither one of us had ever played DnD before we bought that game. It has a lot of the mechanics without all of the roleplaying.
A lot of couples really like lost cities. I hate it, but my wife loves it.
Also, I despise Munchkin, but that's just my personal opinion :-D
Post by: grantmeaname on August 03, 2013, 05:24:29 AM
Also, I despise Munchkin, but that's just my personal opinion :-DIt's my opinion too. Worst game ever made.
Post by: hybrid on August 04, 2013, 09:06:46 AM
Also, I despise Munchkin, but that's just my personal opinion :-DIt's my opinion too. Worst game ever made.
Now that would be an interesting, if not terribly, optimistic thread.
For my money Monopoly is by far the worst game ever made. Start with the fact that Monopoly is long, tedious, luck-based, and based on the notion that to win you need to grind your fellow players into bankruptcy. Ack! That is bad enough, but there are lots and lots of poorly designed games. What sets Monopoly apart is the fact that damn near everyone has played it, so a lot of non-gamers exposure to gaming is based on a truly crappy game. Small wonder gaming is much more popular in Germany than the States. Monopoly is to gaming as Barry Bonds or Alex Rodrigues are as an ambassador to Major League Baseball. It's hard to think of a more famous player more ill-suited to the task of promoting MLB, and that is exactly how I feel about Monopoly.
Post by: arebelspy on August 04, 2013, 09:17:39 AM
For example, I'd disagree with almost every part of this:
Start with the fact that Monopoly is long, tedious, luck-based, and based on the notion that to win you need to grind your fellow players into bankruptcy.
We seem to have quite different opinions on some games (Settlers and Monotony), so I'm wondering if that pattern holds true for other games. :D
It's certainly not the best game, but so many people rag on it. I think there is quite a bit of skill (though sure, someone can get real lucky and get all the orange fast or something), and it can go pretty quick.
There are certainly a lot better games, but playing it is better than sitting in front of a TV.
Post by: hybrid on August 06, 2013, 01:00:29 PM
I'm not so down on Monotony as you are.
For example, I'd disagree with almost every part of this:Start with the fact that Monopoly is long, tedious, luck-based, and based on the notion that to win you need to grind your fellow players into bankruptcy.
We seem to have quite different opinions on some games (Settlers and Monotony), so I'm wondering if that pattern holds true for other games. :D
It's certainly not the best game, but so many people rag on it. I think there is quite a bit of skill (though sure, someone can get real lucky and get all the orange fast or something), and it can go pretty quick.
I get that impression as well! ;D
My beef with Monopoly really boils down to the fact that it is the one game everyone in America knows (and doesn't love), and that has kept so many folks ignorant of the gaming hobby as a whole. It's sort of like biking. I was walking downtown during my lunch hour and I witness asshole courier du jour riding the wrong way on Main Street against moving traffic. There are lots of responsible cyclists people never meet, but everyone downtown is regularly exposed to these idiot couriers and their blatant disregard for traffic laws, and so they give the rest of us cyclists a bad reputation. Monopoly is the asshole courier of the gaming world (IMO). Had it been designed and released today it would never get off the ground.
Post by: arebelspy on August 06, 2013, 01:31:15 PM
My beef with Monopoly really boils down to the fact that it is the one game everyone in America knows (and doesn't love), and that has kept so many folks ignorant of the gaming hobby as a whole. It's sort of like biking. I was walking downtown during my lunch hour and I witness asshole courier du jour riding the wrong way on Main Street against moving traffic. There are lots of responsible cyclists people never meet, but everyone downtown is regularly exposed to these idiot couriers and their blatant disregard for traffic laws, and so they give the rest of us cyclists a bad reputation. Monopoly is the asshole courier of the gaming world (IMO). Had it been designed and released today it would never get off the ground.
That's fair. Can't argue with that.
Post by: Lans Holman on August 06, 2013, 03:30:41 PM
Post by: Bakari on August 06, 2013, 10:26:15 PM
Which is basically like regular stratego, except that (almost) all the pieces have special powers
1 and 2 are powerful enough already
3 (kamikaze) sacrifice it plus a bomb to take out any opponents piece on the board from anywhere
4 (air lift) can switch places with a bomb or flag (once per 4)
5 (marine) can walk over lake squares
6 (paratrooper) can jump over another piece (of either team)
7 (guerrilla) can move/attack diagonal
8 (bomb squad) can dismantle bombs (as in original rules)
9 (stealth scout) can move and strike on same turn
S (cia assassin) if it reaches last row (closest to opponent) beats all number pieces - but only if it strikes first. It loses to everyone when defending
Post by: arebelspy on August 07, 2013, 07:09:22 AM
Super Stratego
Which is basically like regular stratego, except that (almost) all the pieces have special powers
1 and 2 are powerful enough already
3 (kamikaze) sacrifice it plus a bomb to take out any opponents piece on the board from anywhere
4 (air lift) can switch places with a bomb or flag (once per 4)
5 (marine) can walk over lake squares
6 (paratrooper) can jump over another piece (of either team)
7 (guerrilla) can move/attack diagonal
8 (bomb squad) can dismantle bombs (as in original rules)
9 (stealth scout) can move and strike on same turn
S (cia assassin) if it reaches last row (closest to opponent) beats all number pieces - but only if it strikes first. It loses to everyone when defending
That sounds amazing.
Post by: hybrid on August 07, 2013, 09:27:07 AM
Super Stratego
Which is basically like regular stratego, except that (almost) all the pieces have special powers
1 and 2 are powerful enough already
3 (kamikaze) sacrifice it plus a bomb to take out any opponents piece on the board from anywhere
4 (air lift) can switch places with a bomb or flag (once per 4)
5 (marine) can walk over lake squares
6 (paratrooper) can jump over another piece (of either team)
7 (guerrilla) can move/attack diagonal
8 (bomb squad) can dismantle bombs (as in original rules)
9 (stealth scout) can move and strike on same turn
S (cia assassin) if it reaches last row (closest to opponent) beats all number pieces - but only if it strikes first. It loses to everyone when defending
That sounds amazing.
+1. Take the original game, which is pretty decent already, and spice it up. I like it. The big advantage I see is that a lot of non-gamers will already know the rules, so it's an intro into the less common Eurogaming and Wargaming genres.
Post by: hybrid on August 07, 2013, 09:43:05 AM
Thanks for the recommendations! I am one of those people who never wins board games and I loved Pandemic. Problem is, my SO and some of my friends who are really into board games didn't enjoy it - probably because they couldn't be the one true winner? Haha. I'm excited to try out Scotland Yard, it looks like a good game to placate those egos.
I have played more games of Pandemic with the missus - easily 300, and probably a lot more - since it came three years ago. We get our morning coffee and play a game (about 30-40 minutes), we average at least two games a week. Here are some things to try with the SO to spice it up that really worked well for us.
First, get the expansion pack if you don't have it already. It takes a good game and makes it much better.
Second, play with your cards on the table face up. It's a puzzle game at heart, better if both of you can see all the pieces of the puzzle together. The memory component adds nothing to the game IMO. Scrap it.
Third, play two roles each. Randomly draw your roles. As you get better play with both the virulent strain and the mutant strain simultaneously. It's a great challenge, and you will only win half the time so it feels good when you do.
Fourth, be mindful not to play for the other person. Give the other person ample time to come up with their move, and live with it if you don't agree. You learn the game by making mistakes.
Pandemic (with the expansion) is by far the best puzzle game I have played. It's a perfect couples game (pay close attention here gaming guys) because it is cooperative rather than directly competitive. In my experience women really enjoy the cooperative games, they often want to play on the same side as their SO. I think it's a must have on any game shelf.
Post by: Villanelle on August 07, 2013, 12:27:43 PM
Thanks for the recommendations! I am one of those people who never wins board games and I loved Pandemic. Problem is, my SO and some of my friends who are really into board games didn't enjoy it - probably because they couldn't be the one true winner? Haha. I'm excited to try out Scotland Yard, it looks like a good game to placate those egos.
I have played more games of Pandemic with the missus - easily 300, and probably a lot more - since it came three years ago. We get our morning coffee and play a game (about 30-40 minutes), we average at least two games a week. Here are some things to try with the SO to spice it up that really worked well for us.
First, get the expansion pack if you don't have it already. It takes a good game and makes it much better.
Second, play with your cards on the table face up. It's a puzzle game at heart, better if both of you can see all the pieces of the puzzle together. The memory component adds nothing to the game IMO. Scrap it.
Third, play two roles each. Randomly draw your roles. As you get better play with both the virulent strain and the mutant strain simultaneously. It's a great challenge, and you will only win half the time so it feels good when you do.
Fourth, be mindful not to play for the other person. Give the other person ample time to come up with their move, and live with it if you don't agree. You learn the game by making mistakes.
Pandemic (with the expansion) is by far the best puzzle game I have played. It's a perfect couples game (pay close attention here gaming guys) because it is cooperative rather than directly competitive. In my experience women really enjoy the cooperative games, they often want to play on the same side as their SO. I think it's a must have on any game shelf.
Have you played Forbidden Island? How does it compare to Pandemic? I keep hearing that they are similar. We have FB and like it, but don't love it. It isn't especially challenging or mentally stimulating. I've read that Pandemic is similar but more complex. The "more complex" part appeals to me, but the "similar to Forbidden Island", a game we find only okay, is off putting. I can't decide whether to pull the trigger on Pandemic, but we are looking for a new game and cooperative games work really well for us (as I tend to get freakishly competitive so games where I have no urge to squash Husband are better for me, and for him).
Post by: EK on August 07, 2013, 02:51:08 PM
Have you played Forbidden Island? How does it compare to Pandemic? I keep hearing that they are similar. We have FB and like it, but don't love it. It isn't especially challenging or mentally stimulating. I've read that Pandemic is similar but more complex. The "more complex" part appeals to me, but the "similar to Forbidden Island", a game we find only okay, is off putting. I can't decide whether to pull the trigger on Pandemic, but we are looking for a new game and cooperative games work really well for us (as I tend to get freakishly competitive so games where I have no urge to squash Husband are better for me, and for him).
I don't have forbidden island, but what makes Pandemic fun for someone who is competitive (I am very competitive too) is that it is actually hard to win and you won't win every time. If you play with all the extra epidemic cards, or throw in some of the variations in the expansion like hybrid suggested, it's possible to lose just as often as you win. The game still triggers my competitive urge to win, it's just aimed at beating the game itself instead of squashing my husband or my friends into the dust. ;) I don't know if I would describe it as complex- the rules are pretty simple really, it's just a matter of being clever to figure out how to win.
If you do decide to get it, the expansion is a must have! (I don't usually buy expansions, but pandemic is much better with the expansion.)
Post by: hybrid on August 07, 2013, 03:00:44 PM
Post by: Inevitable on August 07, 2013, 03:43:49 PM
Quote
Have you played Forbidden Island? How does it compare to Pandemic? I keep hearing that they are similar. We have FB and like it, but don't love it. It isn't especially challenging or mentally stimulating. I've read that Pandemic is similar but more complex. The "more complex" part appeals to me, but the "similar to Forbidden Island", a game we find only okay, is off putting. I can't decide whether to pull the trigger on Pandemic, but we are looking for a new game and cooperative games work really well for us (as I tend to get freakishly competitive so games where I have no urge to squash Husband are better for me, and for him).
I own both games. Forbidden Island is to Pandemic what a cube steak is to a porterhouse. You start with similar ingredients, but the outcomes are completely different.
That is to say that Pandemic is much better than Forbidden Island (more challenging as well) :)
Post by: Villanelle on August 07, 2013, 04:56:31 PM
QuoteHave you played Forbidden Island? How does it compare to Pandemic? I keep hearing that they are similar. We have FB and like it, but don't love it. It isn't especially challenging or mentally stimulating. I've read that Pandemic is similar but more complex. The "more complex" part appeals to me, but the "similar to Forbidden Island", a game we find only okay, is off putting. I can't decide whether to pull the trigger on Pandemic, but we are looking for a new game and cooperative games work really well for us (as I tend to get freakishly competitive so games where I have no urge to squash Husband are better for me, and for him).
I own both games. Forbidden Island is to Pandemic what a cube steak is to a porterhouse. You start with similar ingredients, but the outcomes are completely different.
That is to say that Pandemic is much better than Forbidden Island (more challenging as well) :)
Thanks. I think that's what I needed to hear. I think FB would be a great game for kids, but the level of the critical thinking skills it requires just doesn't hold our interests.
Post by: twbird18 on August 07, 2013, 07:55:42 PM
Ascension - deck building game - my personal favorite game
Mage Wars - a sort of cross between a minis game, card game & board game.
Netrunner - a living card game
Acquire - an old tile hotel stock game
Star Trek: Expeditions - one of the better star trek games IMO
Arkham Horror
The Game of Thones: Board Game
Settlers of Catan - resource management
Ticket to Ride - build train tracks - I prefer the USA map
Besides yards sales, thrift shops & flea markets to get things cheap - you can look around for a local game store. Although games will be expensive there, many of the game stores have yearly sales where things are a great price because they need to clean out their inventory. Also, trollandtoad.com - has a pretty fantastic black Friday sale on board games most years. My favorite place to get stuff cheap is at GenCon (a board game convention) - I would imagine there are other local cons that do something similar - they have a consignment store during the convention where people sell their old games for low prices. This is a great way to pick up a bunch of games for a few dollars.
Post by: Villanelle on August 08, 2013, 09:25:20 AM
Guess I'm mostly stuck with either high prices new, or taking a chance on ebay or Amazon used and hoping all the pieces are there.
Post by: spider1204 on August 08, 2013, 10:53:54 AM
I'm in Germany so sadly, none of the standard options work for me. You'd think that this would be a great place to buy games, but I have yet to find a used game store of any kind, and even if I did, it would have to be a good deal for me to deal with translating the game into English.
Guess I'm mostly stuck with either high prices new, or taking a chance on ebay or Amazon used and hoping all the pieces are there.
People probably appreciate them too much to sell em cheaply : p
Post by: Simple Abundant Living on August 08, 2013, 11:21:51 AM
I'm in Germany so sadly, none of the standard options work for me. You'd think that this would be a great place to buy games, but I have yet to find a used game store of any kind, and even if I did, it would have to be a good deal for me to deal with translating the game into English.
Guess I'm mostly stuck with either high prices new, or taking a chance on ebay or Amazon used and hoping all the pieces are there.
Ticket to Ride is one of our all-time favorites, and I believe it was made in Germany. "Zug um Zug" In fact the Marklin edition (Germany) is our favorite one to play!. USA (with 1910? expansion pack) is fun, as well as Europe and Switzerland.
Post by: Simple Abundant Living on August 08, 2013, 01:19:33 PM
Post by: odput on January 28, 2014, 08:37:25 AM
1. Wizard - card game that is kind of a mixture of bid euchre and war
2. Quarto - AWESOME puzzle game for two people
And just to add my two-cents:
Also, I despise Munchkin, but that's just my personal opinion :-D
Munchkin very much depends on who you play it with...a couple of my friends introduced it to me and we had a great time playing. When I tried to teach my in-laws how to play, it was absolutely miserable
Post by: SwordGuy on January 29, 2014, 09:03:48 PM
"The Fall of Rome and the Rise of the Barbarians"
"Macchiavelli"
Post by: sheepstache on January 29, 2014, 09:20:23 PM
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000J0JF
It's a visual strategy game with a maze that changes. Might be too easy for an adult crowd.
Post by: markbrynn on February 06, 2014, 09:02:18 AM
Agricola - I think it's a brilliant game. I play it more on the app than in person, though not by choice; just not enough friends willing to put in the time.
Settlers - played it more than any. Is hands down the best social game that I've ever played, as long as you play with people that you won't get mad/hold a grudge with. When it's not your turn it's still kind of your turn.
One that nobody mentioned (from what I can tell):
Werewolves (could be called something else in other countries) - basically it's one of those murder mystery party games. Some people are villagers, some werewolves. Close your eyes (it's night), someone dies, try to figure out who it is. Not quite a board game, but still good fun for bigger groups (works best with 10+ people).
A couple comments to add:
Variant on Settlers: place villages and roads with the resource tiles turned upside down, then flip them over. Place numbers on the board by picking out of a hat with various rules about where you can put them (no 6 and 8 next to each other, must place numbers next to your own villages first, etc.). If you've played 100's of times it's a way to shake things up.
Regarding games in Europe: If you play them in the original language there are probably more copies available. If you're living there (like I am), learning at least a bit of the language is a good plan. Plus, with most games you'll recognise the cards soon enough and won't need to read them. Even my mother plays with a Dutch version of Settlers and has figure out what the 5 possible cards are on sight.
On price of games: I know this site is all about spending less money, but games are not really that expensive when you consider the amount of use you get out of them (if you get a lot of use out of them). Netflix is $8 every month. For a year's worth of Netflix you can get 2-4 (or more) good games and play them for years and years. [Note: if you don't have Netflix, pick something else that you spend money on for entertainment and reapply the logic.]
My introduction to eurogames was one of the great days in my life.
Post by: warfreak2 on February 06, 2014, 12:33:44 PM
I also play Dominion.
Post by: hybrid on March 04, 2014, 02:40:16 PM
One other thing interesting about Terra Mystica is that the 14 races seem dramatically unbalanced. Some are just plain much easier to win with than others. What I like about that is the experienced player can teach the game, deliberately choose a hard race, and the newbies at the table will have a decent chance at being competitive in their first game. This game was very ppopular at Prezcon in Charlottesville, which just concluded over the weekend.
Post by: Big Boots Buddha on March 16, 2014, 02:55:39 AM
My favourites:
Agricola - I think it's a brilliant game.
Variant on Settlers: place villages and roads with the resource tiles turned upside down, then flip them over. Place numbers on the board by picking out of a hat with various rules about where you can put them (no 6 and 8 next to each other, must place numbers next to your own villages first, etc.). If you've played 100's of times it's a way to shake things up.
Its hard for me to wrap my head around these two things being true at the same time. Settlers is so bad and Argicola so good. Settlers, for me at least, is hardly a game at all. Almost every action a person would take, such as building a road or building a dwelling, is clearly the best move. Anyone in the same position would do the same thing. Its just a matter of who gets the resources from the dice. A better game would be to roll dice a hundred times, each person choosing some numbers, and then find the winner. =) As you can see, I'm a big Settlers downer.
Recently played A LOT of Terra Mystica. Play online here against AI (probbaly should play a real game first, to know whats up)
http://lodev.org/tmai/
I like Euros plenty, such as Village, Power Grid, etc.
But there is "more" to a minatures games with battles, terrain, etc. I like one called Battles of Westeros. I use to dream about it!
Post by: grantmeaname on March 16, 2014, 06:12:20 AM
Its hard for me to wrap my head around these two things being true at the same time. Settlers is so bad and Argicola so good. Settlers, for me at least, is hardly a game at all. Almost every action a person would take, such as building a road or building a dwelling, is clearly the best move. Anyone in the same position would do the same thing. Its just a matter of who gets the resources from the dice. A better game would be to roll dice a hundred times, each person choosing some numbers, and then find the winner. =) As you can see, I'm a big Settlers downer.Okay, fine. But what makes Agricola better? As somebody who plays and enjoys Settlers and has never seen Agricola, what can you tell me to convince me to give it a shot?
Post by: arebelspy on March 16, 2014, 09:35:22 AM
Post by: Metta on March 16, 2014, 10:30:26 AM
"Junta"
"The Fall of Rome and the Rise of the Barbarians"
"Macchiavelli"
Machiavelli and Diplomacy are also my favorites. Another favorite lately is Eclipse.
I suppose that given the MMM crowd, I shouldn't be that surprised that games with financial systems or that simulate income-building are popular.
Post by: markbrynn on March 17, 2014, 06:33:44 AM
You seem to like Agricola, so I don't need to convince you of why I really like it.
Regarding Settlers. It's a complicated one, but here goes. It is (or can be) an immensely social game. The whole negotiating/trading thing was completely ground breaking for me and is still available in only a small number of games. It keeps you involved even when it's not your turn. I also love to play Settlers with my friends but find it excruciating with my parents. That's because with friends its part of a whole social event of drinking, chatting, joking, (arguing), etc. that makes for a fun evening. With my parents it's a recipe for getting into arguments, and not the good kind. Other advantage that it's extremely easy to learn and fun for a wide range of types (of people). Purely as an intellectual challenge it's not a great game (and Agricola is better), but if I wanted that I would play only games like chess. It's much harder for me to get friends to play Agricola than Settlers, which is a shame, but the truth.
Post by: TinyLightsBelow on March 23, 2014, 09:39:22 AM
Munchkin
Scrabble
Scattegories
Cranium
Cards Against Humanity
Pandemic
The 'Game of Thrones' card game
1313 Dead End Drive
Oh, and someone mentioned Skip-Bo; that game is great! :D
Post by: Big Boots Buddha on March 25, 2014, 10:30:13 PM
In response to Big Boots of Buddha
You seem to like Agricola, so I don't need to convince you of why I really like it.
Regarding Settlers. It's a complicated one, but here goes. It is (or can be) an immensely social game. The whole negotiating/trading thing was completely ground breaking for me and is still available in only a small number of games. It keeps you involved even when it's not your turn. I also love to play Settlers with my friends but find it excruciating with my parents. That's because with friends its part of a whole social event of drinking, chatting, joking, (arguing), etc. that makes for a fun evening. With my parents it's a recipe for getting into arguments, and not the good kind. Other advantage that it's extremely easy to learn and fun for a wide range of types (of people). Purely as an intellectual challenge it's not a great game (and Agricola is better), but if I wanted that I would play only games like chess. It's much harder for me to get friends to play Agricola than Settlers, which is a shame, but the truth.
I live in a backwater Chinese city and have two different board game groups that play medium to heavy weight games. Not just Euro, but minatures (Battles of Westeros is my favorite, low buy in price for the core set and nearly unlimited game play) and lots of Ameritrash like Chaos in the old world, which is just a terrific roller coaster ride.
You can find board gamers if you live in the USA, easy peasy.
Agricola is a good heavyish game, but I much prefer Martin Wallace, like Brass or Steam. Those are good old brain burners.
Post by: Big Boots Buddha on March 25, 2014, 10:36:28 PM
As you can see, I'm a big Settlers downer.Okay, fine. But what makes Agricola better? As somebody who plays and enjoys Settlers and has never seen Agricola, what can you tell me to convince me to give it a shot?
If you've only played Settlers, dont jump into Agricola. Im sure you'd enjoy it if you like the idea of a more complex, strategy game, but there are hundreds of great games in between. Settlers is just above Shutes and Ladders on the strategy and complexity range, which isnt such a bad thing, I played some Candyland when I was younger. Settlers is good as an eye-opener, "of this is what a board game is". After that, its all up hill from there.
In Agricola there are meaningful decisions that must be made. In Settlers, the dice god favors you, so you get wood and stone, then you build roads. Thats not very nunaced. I would try Village (great as a 2, 3, or 4) player game. Or perhaphs Castles of Burgandy. Both are medium weight, low luck, high replayability games. If you like those, go to www.boardgamegeek.com and ask for recommendations about other games. Very friendly people there. =)
Post by: homehandymum on March 25, 2014, 11:19:18 PM
It's a similar game to Puerto Rico - and I found Puerto Rico easier to pick up and play.
My current favourite is Dominion - this has high replayability, plays out in less than an hour, so you can hit the "oh, i get it" stage in the first evening of play, and works as well for 2 players as it does for more.
Post by: swick on March 25, 2014, 11:29:30 PM
Agricola is a game to play if you intend to play it at least half a dozen times. The first time i played it was so complex I had no idea what I was doing. Didn't care enough to persevere.
This makes me feel better, I have been asking myself all week what is wrong with us! Got together with another couple for a marathon game day last weekend, ended up pulling it out as it had been given to our friends to figure out how to play by a family who couldn't figure it out and even between the 4 of us, who have been gaming for years...we gave up on it. It started with "Take out the grey tokens" and us scratching our head for 10 minutes and comparing every single piece in the box as there are no grey ones and trying to figure out what everything was, and the rules kept saying to refer to instructions that are on the back of board x..when the boards didn't seem to match. Or pull out the "Blue Cards" when there are three different types of blue cards. An hour and a half in, we gave up.
I think it would be much easier if one of us already knew the game - but the instruction book is so huge and not very well laid out, there are so many pieces that it just struck us as not worth the time investment to stumble through it even more. Might have to wait to find someone who already knows how to play.
Post by: JPinDC on March 26, 2014, 07:14:00 AM
Post by: swick on March 26, 2014, 07:24:44 AM
Hubby and I have been playing Mr. Jack Pocket as well which is great for a two player brain burner.
Post by: wortdog on March 26, 2014, 10:37:24 AM
(https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t31.0-8/1085081_10102730669837570_303884701_o.jpg)
Post by: Simple Abundant Living on March 26, 2014, 04:45:22 PM
My coworkers and I built a digital Catan board with an Amazon scratch-and-dent wide-angle TV and a Raspberry Pi. We play 1 or two games every day at lunch and keep stats. It is amazing how much of an advantage going placing your settlements last in a five player game is.
(https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t31.0-8/1085081_10102730669837570_303884701_o.jpg)
when we play, the highest roll gets to place their first settlement last, then first for their second settlement. That's a huge advantage.
Post by: arebelspy on March 26, 2014, 06:11:24 PM
My coworkers and I built a digital Catan board with an Amazon scratch-and-dent wide-angle TV and a Raspberry Pi. We play 1 or two games every day at lunch and keep stats. It is amazing how much of an advantage going placing your settlements last in a five player game is.
(https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t31.0-8/1085081_10102730669837570_303884701_o.jpg)
when we play, the highest roll gets to place their first settlement last, then first for their second settlement. That's a huge advantage.
Depends on how many people and the board setup. Sometimes placing first is best.
Post by: newguy88 on March 30, 2014, 01:26:10 AM
It's worth it! :)
Post by: Davin on April 16, 2014, 11:09:24 AM
My favourites:
Agricola - I think it's a brilliant game.
Variant on Settlers: place villages and roads with the resource tiles turned upside down, then flip them over. Place numbers on the board by picking out of a hat with various rules about where you can put them (no 6 and 8 next to each other, must place numbers next to your own villages first, etc.). If you've played 100's of times it's a way to shake things up.
Its hard for me to wrap my head around these two things being true at the same time. Settlers is so bad and Argicola so good. Settlers, for me at least, is hardly a game at all. Almost every action a person would take, such as building a road or building a dwelling, is clearly the best move. Anyone in the same position would do the same thing. Its just a matter of who gets the resources from the dice. A better game would be to roll dice a hundred times, each person choosing some numbers, and then find the winner. =) As you can see, I'm a big Settlers downer.
Recently played A LOT of Terra Mystica. Play online here against AI (probbaly should play a real game first, to know whats up)
http://lodev.org/tmai/
I like Euros plenty, such as Village, Power Grid, etc.
But there is "more" to a minatures games with battles, terrain, etc. I like one called Battles of Westeros. I use to dream about it!
Agricola is my S.O.'s favorite, but I have to be in the right mood or it just feels like doing chores, or even worse, stressful chores.
Dominion is my favorite; we have all the expansions, although I think Alchemy is a little weak.
Settlers of Catan is often our compromise game, but we never play the base version unless we are playing with little kids, teaching someone how to play, or using the expansion tiles to play with 6-7 people. We find it a lot more entertaining to play the Cities and Knights expansion with the Harbormaster and Fishermen thrown in to make it more strategic.
We both love Cosmic Encounter, Dungeon Petz, and Illuminati, but you really need more than two people to make these work.
When it is just the two of us and we want a quick game, we often play Jambo.
When there is serious drinking going on or younger players we usually go with Citadels, Muchkin, Carcassone, or Cards Against Humanity, depending on who is playing.
For us, what makes the difference in game quality is situational, not so absolute as your Agricola yes - Catan no.
Post by: Kierun on April 16, 2014, 04:09:16 PM
Bang! The Bullet
7 Wonders
Power Grid
and many of the others that have already been mentioned.
Post by: Davin on January 13, 2015, 06:33:08 PM
Post by: riverffashion on January 14, 2015, 12:23:07 AM
Post by: riverffashion on January 14, 2015, 12:25:12 AM
Post by: vern on January 14, 2015, 12:46:28 AM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-3r3UAMz48
Post by: riverffashion on January 14, 2015, 12:58:42 AM
Post by: LadyStache on January 14, 2015, 03:33:34 PM
Pentago
Post by: riverffashion on January 14, 2015, 03:39:43 PM
Post by: Beric01 on January 14, 2015, 03:46:30 PM
The other game I really like is Eclipse. It's basically a Space 4X boardgame that takes about half the time of Twilight Imperium 3. Also very Euro-ey, but it can be hard to get a group together willing to play its 4 hours. Rated #8 on BGG (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/72125/eclipse) though, and for good reason.
Edit: I played my first game of Settlers over 15 years ago (I think I was 8 at the time). It really introduced Euro gaming to the US, and I enjoyed it a lot at the time. But there's really no reason to play it anymore. So many games have improved on its mechanics. A couple specific criticisms:
- Once the board is laid out and the starting player determined, the game can basically be calculated. Any variations are due to lucky rolls of the dice.
- Bargaining skills are key (and I'm good at this), but this is where the meta-game starts. Becuase I'm good at the game and frequently win, others would simply refuse to trade with me. Additionally, once a player get ~8 points, everyone will refuse to trade with them, meaning that the dice determine the winner.
Settlers was great for it's time, but nowadays there's always a better game to play.
Post by: Davin on January 14, 2015, 04:12:47 PM
I've been playing Caverna with family lately. Made by the same guy as Agricola. IMO it's Agricola 2.0. Really fixes most of the problems with Agricola. It's not longer a frustrating experience just to feed your family, and you don't have a ton of cards to look through (or get screwed if you are dealt a bad hand).
...
I'll have to try Caverna, it sounds way better than Agricola! By the way, you are a unicorn. I lived in the bay area for 3 years and am pretty sure I never saw a single law abiding cyclist, although I did quite a bit of riding myself.
Post by: Beric01 on January 14, 2015, 04:33:26 PM
I've been playing Caverna with family lately. Made by the same guy as Agricola. IMO it's Agricola 2.0. Really fixes most of the problems with Agricola. It's not longer a frustrating experience just to feed your family, and you don't have a ton of cards to look through (or get screwed if you are dealt a bad hand).
...
I'll have to try Caverna, it sounds way better than Agricola! By the way, you are a unicorn. I lived in the bay area for 3 years and am pretty sure I never saw a single law abiding cyclist, although I did quite a bit of riding myself.
I definitely recommend Caverna! There's also a lot more interesting strategies to try than simply "bake bread" vs "rancher". And the expeditions are a nice touch.
Yeah, it's pretty lonely out here in the Bay Area. Had a cyclist riding the wrong way in the bike lane almost slam headlong into me this morning. I have stuff like this every day. :(
Post by: Inevitable on March 26, 2015, 07:32:32 AM
My coworkers and I built a digital Catan board with an Amazon scratch-and-dent wide-angle TV and a Raspberry Pi. We play 1 or two games every day at lunch and keep stats. It is amazing how much of an advantage going placing your settlements last in a five player game is.
Awesome project. Not my favorite game, but the project is awesome.
I just tried Ticket To Ride recently. It's fun, but extremely easy. It's probably a good game to play with less geeky game players.
Post by: MooseOutFront on March 30, 2015, 01:52:17 PM
Post by: MashedBanana on April 14, 2015, 04:23:33 AM
Post by: bauhauss on November 01, 2015, 11:12:43 PM
Board Games
Settlers of Catan
Scrabble
Chess
Risk (Last time was about 10 years ago)
Card Games
Tichu
Hearts (Digital version only, hardly known here)
Spades (Digital version only, hardly known here)
Truco (brazilian game)
Caxeta (brazilian game)
Canastra
Bridge
Post by: Lski'stash on November 08, 2015, 07:38:13 AM
I'm really into 'Ticket to Ride' right now. There's a lot more strategy involved than first meets the eye, especially if your playing two player. It's also makes for a great dinner party game to if you have a few people over.
'Cards Against Humanity' is a lot of fun. I wouldn't get it or play it with anyone who is easily offended though...
Post by: mrpercentage on November 08, 2015, 07:46:19 AM
Chess
Monopoly
Rail Barron
Post by: Fbeyer on November 17, 2015, 01:28:20 AM
If you want lifetime bang for your buck in a non-abstract game, look into the 18xx series. You'll be amazed at the stock market shenanigans you get to pull off.
Personal favorites being:
Android; netrunner (money sink, just stopped buying more cards)
American Rails (10 minutes of rules, 13 games later, the decision tree is still incredibly opaque)
Imperial (1st world war, players are Swiss investors betting on the warring nations, manipulating the actions of the warring nations)
Chess
Hex (world simplest rules, ridiculously deep)
Age of Industry
Commands & Colors; Ancients
Panic on Wall Street (a party game actually. check it out)
Keyflower
Agricola
Post by: Playing with Fire UK on November 17, 2015, 02:01:54 AM
Then there are some games we play with dices. One is Yahtzee, but lately it has been supplanted with another which I learned from a Columbian friend. Unfortunately I don't remember what name if any he had for it. The basic principle is that each player starts with 5 dices and throws them in such a way that other players (up to 6) don't see it and then the person who has the first hand announces, for example, that there are four sixes thrown together by all players. The next player has a choice to either claim a larger amount (say five sixes or five threes) or challenge the first player. If the challenger is right then the first player loses one dice, if not then the challenger loses one. The eventual winner is the only player with dices left. Of course the game is intensely competitive and some understanding of mathematical probability is desirable. Anyone familiar with it?
This sounds like Perudo, you can buy it as a game in a tin, but really easy to make up with sets of coloured dice and cups. It is played in one of the Pirate of the Carribean films. Happy to send you a copy of the published version's rules if you want to make your own copy (there are a couple of rule variants that add to the fun. Makes an excellent drinking game.
Post by: arebelspy on November 17, 2015, 03:56:44 AM
Post by: Lizzy B. on December 03, 2015, 06:21:04 PM
I also love Dominion. In fact, hubby is getting another expansion for Christmas
Not a huge fan of Settlers or of Pandemic. Settlers gets vicious fast and doesn't work well for 2 players. Pandemic is just epically stressful. Too much pressure!
Post by: YogiKitti on December 03, 2015, 08:21:55 PM
Post by: Beaker on December 04, 2015, 08:22:51 AM
I just got Agricola! I love dominion as well. But really I'm so eager to play any board game, anything will do. How does one find board gamers?
Meetup.com groups, local game stores (many run events or game days), game cafes/coffee shops in some cities, conventions. Or just put out the word to your friends and see if anybody bites.
Post by: birdman2003 on December 04, 2015, 10:30:57 AM
Power Grid
Acquire > > > favorite
Catan (straight up Catan or the 5-6 player expansion. don't like the add on packs)
7 Wonders
Battleship (as long as your older brother doesn't cheat and move his ships around mid-game)
Monopoly (as long as your older brother doesn't cheat and steal $500 bills from the bank)
Card Games:
Canasta Caliente, Rook, 10 point Pitch, Up and Down the River (with lots of people)
Post by: flan on December 04, 2015, 12:36:09 PM
Good for 3+: Acquire, Dixit, King of New York, Tumblin' Dice, Thunderstone, Blokus, Settlers - Star Trek edition (with cool character properties!)
Party games: The Resistance (or The Resistance Avalon), Time's Up
(some of these cross over, I know, but it seemed easier to organize them into these 3 groups)
Keeps us pretty entertained :)
Post by: Lizzy B. on December 04, 2015, 02:41:26 PM
Good for 2: Netrunner, Mage Wars, Twilight Struggle, Catacombs
Good for 3+: Acquire, Dixit, King of New York, Tumblin' Dice, Thunderstone, Blokus, Settlers - Star Trek edition (with cool character properties!)
Party games: The Resistance (or The Resistance Avalon), Time's Up
(some of these cross over, I know, but it seemed easier to organize them into these 3 groups)
Keeps us pretty entertained :)
Thanks for the 2 player suggestions. We've tried Twilight Struggle but haven't come up the learning curve yet, so it's not super fun yet.
Post by: flan on December 07, 2015, 12:04:02 PM
Thanks for the 2 player suggestions. We've tried Twilight Struggle but haven't come up the learning curve yet, so it's not super fun yet.
Watch out, Netrunner has a crazy learning curve but has SO much replayability.
Some two player games with smaller curves but are still fun: Stratego, Mr. Jack Pocket, and Thunderstone are good ones. Catacombs (3rd edition) is my current fav dexterity game and plays as well with 2 players as 5 players.
Post by: Beaker on December 07, 2015, 12:18:46 PM
Thanks for the 2 player suggestions. We've tried Twilight Struggle but haven't come up the learning curve yet, so it's not super fun yet.
Watch out, Netrunner has a crazy learning curve but has SO much replayability.
Some two player games with smaller curves but are still fun: Stratego, Mr. Jack Pocket, and Thunderstone are good ones. Catacombs (3rd edition) is my current fav dexterity game and plays as well with 2 players as 5 players.
Probably these have been mentioned in this thread before, but other good 2 player games:
- Lost Cities
- Splendor (can go up to 5...?)
- Battle Line (learning curve isn't bad, but can take a lot of brainpower)
- Star Realms
Post by: pbkmaine on December 07, 2015, 12:35:24 PM
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Post by: imaprogrammer on December 10, 2015, 11:30:47 AM
Caverna
Ora et Labora
Power Grid
Eclipse
Dominion
Star Wars Imperial Assault
Just picked up Android Netrunner
Post by: Cyaphas on May 11, 2016, 02:06:23 PM
I don't lose at Settlers.
That's a bold statement. If you're ever in Fort Worth I'd be happy to prove it wrong.
Has anyone else played Splendor?
Relic is a lot of fun if you have 3-4 hours to kill. Very chance based.
Post by: Jappe on May 13, 2016, 07:12:32 AM
Has anyone else played Splendor?
Yes! Very good and quite quick game. Only played it with 2 so far though. It's one of those games everyone I've played it with wants to have a go at it again.
Another great game for 2 is patchwork. Also quick, quite unique and while the theme might not be appealing, it's good fun!
Besides that most of my games are a bit heavier though :-)
Post by: Blissful Biker on May 13, 2016, 05:48:55 PM
The kids like Munchins, but I find it frustrating as rules are complicated and subjective, thus encouraging fighting.
Post by: ender on May 14, 2016, 06:19:37 AM
Has anyone else played Splendor?
We like it because it's an easy game to teach people and plays fast.
Kind of like Seven Wonders, you can teach/play in a short period of time.
Post by: Dmoneyzzz on May 15, 2016, 10:09:42 AM
Post by: Sharon Richard on October 05, 2017, 03:08:42 AM
Post by: birdman2003 on October 05, 2017, 07:47:12 AM
Post by: flan on October 05, 2017, 07:55:07 AM
Has anybody played a game called "Secret Hitler" ? An acquaintance recommended it to me but I haven't played it.
Yeah! It's a similar style to Resistance / Resistance Avalon if you've ever played those. It's a mafia/Werewolf-style game where you have to guess what side people are on.
Post by: simonsez on October 05, 2017, 09:23:54 AM
Super StrategoSounds cool with the exception of the kamikaze rule which seems too strong. Does it apply to any opponent piece (humans, bombs, and flag)? Which bomb gets removed from the attacker? Does the attacker get to choose or is it randomly assigned (number your bombs 1 to 6, roll a die)?
Which is basically like regular stratego, except that (almost) all the pieces have special powers
1 and 2 are powerful enough already
3 (kamikaze) sacrifice it plus a bomb to take out any opponents piece on the board from anywhere
4 (air lift) can switch places with a bomb or flag (once per 4)
5 (marine) can walk over lake squares
6 (paratrooper) can jump over another piece (of either team)
7 (guerrilla) can move/attack diagonal
8 (bomb squad) can dismantle bombs (as in original rules)
9 (stealth scout) can move and strike on same turn
S (cia assassin) if it reaches last row (closest to opponent) beats all number pieces - but only if it strikes first. It loses to everyone when defending
What if you had to have a "runway" of three consecutive empty land spaces (and/or water spaces if they were occupied by marines and in the runway path) in any cardinal direction for the kamikaze pilot to have room to take off?
Post by: CptCool on October 06, 2017, 08:49:28 AM
Has anybody played a game called "Secret Hitler" ? An acquaintance recommended it to me but I haven't played it.
It's a great larger group game and easy to learn/teach. It's a social deception & deduction game that is a lot of fun to play, as long as people don't take it to personally when others lie to their face. Overall, I like it better than the resistance as it adds some randomness mechanics that tend to make it more fair who actually wins the game.
Post by: Scortius on October 06, 2017, 11:36:21 AM
Heavy Euro
Keyflower
Ora et Labora
Agricola
Le Havre
(all other Uwe Games)
Caylus
Puerto Rico
Age of Steam
4X
Through the Ages
Eclipse
Medium
Castles of Burgundy
Troyes
Pandemic
Five Tribes
Race for the Galaxy
Dominion
Endeavor
Stone Age
Lighter Euros / Intro Games
7 Wonders
Carcassonne
Love Letter
Ricochet Robots
Blockus
RoboRally
Area Control
Terra Mystica
El Grande
Wallenstein / Samurai
Small World
Tigris & Euphrates (kind of)
Post by: Big Boots Buddha on October 06, 2017, 08:32:36 PM
Also been playing so much Clans of Caledonia. Really excellent engine/economic/living market game. I highly recommend this. Its a mix between Brass and Terra Mystica, but faster than both and much easier to play. In the top 10, solidly. Plays really well with 2,3 and 4.
Another that has hit the table a lot has been Troyes and its a little weird for me, clawing out those points, each game is so different.
My job is a bit stale so I like thinking games. But nothing too long. 2 hours including setup is my limit.
Post by: arebelspy on October 10, 2017, 04:25:10 PM
Post by: Bakari on October 17, 2017, 06:32:09 PM
Super StrategoSounds cool with the exception of the kamikaze rule which seems too strong. Does it apply to any opponent piece (humans, bombs, and flag)? Which bomb gets removed from the attacker? Does the attacker get to choose or is it randomly assigned (number your bombs 1 to 6, roll a die)?
Which is basically like regular stratego, except that (almost) all the pieces have special powers
1 and 2 are powerful enough already
3 (kamikaze) sacrifice it plus a bomb to take out any opponents piece on the board from anywhere
4 (air lift) can switch places with a bomb or flag (once per 4)
5 (marine) can walk over lake squares
6 (paratrooper) can jump over another piece (of either team)
7 (guerrilla) can move/attack diagonal
8 (bomb squad) can dismantle bombs (as in original rules)
9 (stealth scout) can move and strike on same turn
S (cia assassin) if it reaches last row (closest to opponent) beats all number pieces - but only if it strikes first. It loses to everyone when defending
What if you had to have a "runway" of three consecutive empty land spaces (and/or water spaces if they were occupied by marines and in the runway path) in any cardinal direction for the kamikaze pilot to have room to take off?
Thus far its been that attacker picks a bomb. It seems like it would be too strong, but in practice it doesn't seem to have changed many games too significantly. Often takes out a '1' as soon as it is revealed. 8 is immune to it. Wasted them on guessing 8s more than once. One time I successfully guessed the flag (out of maybe 5-10 pieces it could possibly have been) using a kamikaze when I was one move away from losing.
Post by: AnaAnka on October 19, 2017, 05:24:11 AM
Post by: hadabeardonce on October 30, 2017, 05:10:29 PM
D&D 3.5 - During a family vacation my wife and I played it with her brother and his kids(Age 7-13). The kids really enjoyed the freedom within the game to do whatever they chose on their turn. Role playing was really a hit for one of the older kids, who played an extremely apathetic elf/wizard. I really liked the paper based element of it. The game seemed like it had aged well. I hear fifth edition is good, but I don't see a reason to buy it. Salespeople were also trying to pitch me Pathfinder, but it's easier to stick with the version the rest of your friends/family had. D&D doesn't require many accessories: Dice, paper, game board(optional), player's handbook... I would say it's pretty mustachian overall. Used 3.5e PHBs pop up on eBay regularly or you can find searchable PDFs online if you look hard enough.
Post by: JMoney777 on October 30, 2017, 09:58:36 PM
Has anybody played a game called "Secret Hitler" ? An acquaintance recommended it to me but I haven't played it.
It's a great larger group game and easy to learn/teach. It's a social deception & deduction game that is a lot of fun to play, as long as people don't take it to personally when others lie to their face. Overall, I like it better than the resistance as it adds some randomness mechanics that tend to make it more fair who actually wins the game.
I played this for the first time the other night with a group of 8 friends and it was a blast. Only one person had played before, but the rest of us were able to immediately pick it up and have exciting, competitive games.
Post by: Grog on October 31, 2017, 02:53:47 PM
Sent from my YD201 using Tapatalk
Post by: gentmach on October 31, 2017, 03:21:57 PM
Warhammer 40k.
There are quite a few games I own but getting my friends together to play is like herding cats. Finally said "screw it" and started going to the hobby shop.
Post by: hadabeardonce on October 31, 2017, 11:46:12 PM
Legendary : Marvel. (Cost a lot but I enjoy it.)boardgamegeek.com has some fan made custom Legendary expansions you can download than lowers the cost of ownership.
Legendary starts to suffer from bloat after you get too many cards. I like the game, but the completionist in me is disappointed that I can't have it all... and then having all of them makes for way too many card boxes and penny sleeves.
It's a cool game though. I like the cooperative gameplay.
Post by: AccidentialMustache on November 03, 2017, 12:25:41 PM
Post by: GnomeErcy on November 03, 2017, 01:49:27 PM
Carcasonne
Settlers of Catan
Ticket to Ride
If we're going for a co-op game...
Pandemic
Flash Point
Post by: DeskJockey2028 on November 17, 2017, 08:27:29 AM
Post by: DailyCream on November 23, 2017, 12:00:03 AM
Post by: Playing with Fire UK on November 25, 2017, 01:23:36 AM
My Pandemic Legacy Season 2 has just arrived. I am excited about this, loved the first season. This is not a mustachian game (you mark the board and tear up cards, so not replayable). I'm not sorry.
Post by: arebelspy on November 25, 2017, 05:20:16 AM
Anti-Mustachian Confession:
My Pandemic Legacy Season 2 has just arrived. I am excited about this, loved the first season. This is not a mustachian game (you mark the board and tear up cards, so not replayable). I'm not sorry.
I soooo want to do Pandemic Legacy. Not in a place long enough, with the right people, to be ad to do so.
The $/hour seems totally worth it.
Enjoy! :D
Post by: Metta on November 25, 2017, 06:14:10 AM
Post by: WhiteTrashCash on November 25, 2017, 06:36:17 AM
D&D 3.5 - During a family vacation my wife and I played it with her brother and his kids(Age 7-13). The kids really enjoyed the freedom within the game to do whatever they chose on their turn. Role playing was really a hit for one of the older kids, who played an extremely apathetic elf/wizard. I really liked the paper based element of it. The game seemed like it had aged well. I hear fifth edition is good, but I don't see a reason to buy it. Salespeople were also trying to pitch me Pathfinder, but it's easier to stick with the version the rest of your friends/family had. D&D doesn't require many accessories: Dice, paper, game board(optional), player's handbook... I would say it's pretty mustachian overall. Used 3.5e PHBs pop up on eBay regularly or you can find searchable PDFs online if you look hard enough.
I have a weekly D&D game night and the game is very much Mustachian. After you own the rulebooks and dice, there is pretty much nothing else to buy ever again unless you choose to purchase some pre-made campaign settings/game modules. Every week, I get together with friends and we have a potluck and play the game for a few hours. A lot of fun and a lot of laughter. I recommend this game to everybody.
Post by: arebelspy on November 25, 2017, 06:51:28 AM
We've been playing a new favorite game: Firefly The Game. It is surprisingly good.
I found it disappointing. Not very complex, and very straightforward on the correct action to take at all times. And much longer than necessary for not much benefit to the length.
I've heard the expansion makes it quite a bit better though.
Post by: Playing with Fire UK on November 26, 2017, 12:43:52 AM
Anti-Mustachian Confession:I soooo want to do Pandemic Legacy. Not in a place long enough, with the right people, to be ad to do so.
My Pandemic Legacy Season 2 has just arrived. I am excited about this, loved the first season. This is not a mustachian game (you mark the board and tear up cards, so not replayable). I'm not sorry.
The $/hour seems totally worth it.
Enjoy! :D
Just played the first game, it is very good. Totally impractical for a nomadic lifestyle. You know there is a pandemic app? Works better on a tablet sized screen.
Post by: arebelspy on November 26, 2017, 03:12:45 AM
Post by: Metta on November 26, 2017, 10:14:16 AM
We've been playing a new favorite game: Firefly The Game. It is surprisingly good.
I found it disappointing. Not very complex, and very straightforward on the correct action to take at all times. And much longer than necessary for not much benefit to the length.
I've heard the expansion makes it quite a bit better though.
It is fairly new to us and we also have the expansion so we may be in the still fun phase of the game. Buying games is my husband's unmustachian habit but he buys them out of his allowance so all is well financially. (My unmustachian habit is ebooks.)
To me the game seems like a typical trading/railroad game and I don't mind the lack of complexity. It reminds me of Empire Builder, which is a game I enjoy.
Another game we've found to be a lot of fun but we can't get our friends to play with us is Sails of Glory, which is a tactical game using miniature ships.
Post by: flan on November 26, 2017, 08:16:27 PM
Anti-Mustachian Confession:
My Pandemic Legacy Season 2 has just arrived. I am excited about this, loved the first season. This is not a mustachian game (you mark the board and tear up cards, so not replayable). I'm not sorry.
I soooo want to do Pandemic Legacy. Not in a place long enough, with the right people, to be ad to do so.
The $/hour seems totally worth it.
Enjoy! :D
I also want to do Pandemic Legacy!!! The kicker is that, of course, it's basically impossible to buy used due to the destruction being part of the gameplay. I did see Season 1 being on sale at $32 on Coolstuffinc.com last Christmas (but didn't pull the trigger), so I'm hoping it drops to $32 again this year!
Post by: Playing with Fire UK on November 27, 2017, 12:40:44 AM
Post by: arebelspy on November 27, 2017, 12:45:50 AM
Post by: A Definite Beta Guy on November 27, 2017, 12:28:15 PM
Legendary : Marvel. (Cost a lot but I enjoy it.)
Warhammer 40k.
There are quite a few games I own but getting my friends together to play is like herding cats. Finally said "screw it" and started going to the hobby shop.
WH40k seems like the most anti-mustachian game you could pick, hahahaha.
I still have a lot of figures from my teenage years, but I have no painting ability whatsoever.
Post by: marielle on November 27, 2017, 12:54:58 PM
It seems well worth the money, it's $50 but comes with a lot of pieces and cards. It has 50 different scenarios and each game is an hour so that's $1/hour before you even repeat a scenario. That's a lot more replay value than compared to say, Settlers of Catan (which I'm kinda bored with now to be honest even with 3 expansions). I started going to a couple board game meetups so hopefully I find some more good board games other than the standard Catan, Monopoly, etc.
I also got Seikatsu on a whim because I must have bird-themed everything but that may not be everyone's cup of tea. It's only really a 2-3 player game. Similar to Connect 4 but a lot more challenging.
Post by: A Definite Beta Guy on November 27, 2017, 01:20:14 PM
Post by: lemonlyman on November 28, 2017, 07:36:07 AM
Kemet is an excellent area control war game. You buy powers from 3 different types of skillsets so over time everyone's army becomes unique. It's really cool.
Twilight Imperium 3rd Edition is just a monster of a game. I've heard the 4th is better, but I haven't played it. I was out of town when my friends gave it a shot.
Codenames is great for a party.
Arctic Scavengers is really fun for a small group.
I played season one of Pandemic Legacy. It was really good, but coop games aren't my thing.
Post by: flan on November 28, 2017, 01:21:25 PM
If someone notices a price drop, please post it here! :)
BLOOD PACT MADE!
Post by: arebelspy on November 28, 2017, 01:46:28 PM
If someone notices a price drop, please post it here! :)
BLOOD PACT MADE!
Someone smarter/less lazy than us is just gonna use CamelCamelCamel to set up an email alert.
(On my phone, but if I remember later I will do so.)
Post by: Scortius on November 28, 2017, 02:09:39 PM
Post by: Big Boots Buddha on November 28, 2017, 10:56:07 PM
I was just reading on /r/boardgames a post about Inis. I hadn't heard of it but it seemed intriguing. Further examination showed that people either refer to it as their all-time favorite board game _ever_ or a complete waste of time not worth the cardboard it's printed on. I was wondering if anyone here had a chance to play it yet and what their thoughts were.
Im a big fan of Inis. It really needs 4 people the play well. Its a dudes on a map game but there is a lot of intrigue as the round goes on, as players can pass on their turn, waiting to see what others do first. There are 3 winning conditions that allow for different types of victories. Will be lots of fighting but peace can always be asked for and arranged between parties.
There is a clear issue of king attacking. When a person has the winning conditions they say so, and pass on their turn, then get a marker. If they still hold onto the winning condition at the end of the round when all have passed they win, so everyone attacks that person. Its a clever game and I play it with my group.
My group has a list of games we play, only these:
Keyflower
Troyes
Clans of Caledonia
Tigris and Euphrates
The Great Zimbabwe
Inis
and two more that are in flux right now.
I really like Inis and will play it happily. Being the Brenn or leader at the beginning is a big advantage but it usually works itself out since they are attacked more at the beginning.
Its a dudes on a map game, but there is a lot of deception and tactics, not just Risk and dice rolling, In fact all combat is done in a different way, where attacking results in a hit or the person has to give up a card that round (cards are actions). Very clever game, well designed.
My favorite game now is Keyflower and then perhaps Inis is in a tie with many of the others above.
Post by: lemonlyman on November 29, 2017, 06:09:06 AM
Post by: gentmach on December 03, 2017, 08:57:03 AM
Legendary : Marvel. (Cost a lot but I enjoy it.)
Warhammer 40k.
There are quite a few games I own but getting my friends together to play is like herding cats. Finally said "screw it" and started going to the hobby shop.
WH40k seems like the most anti-mustachian game you could pick, hahahaha.
I still have a lot of figures from my teenage years, but I have no painting ability whatsoever.
Yeah. I understand that. It feels like home though. I haven't bought models in a year or so because my backlog is so big. One day though.
Anyone here have suggestions on how to make game nights run smoothly? I'm making note cards for setting up games so everyone can do something without needing the main book.
Post by: flan on December 04, 2017, 11:54:24 AM
Anyone here have suggestions on how to make game nights run smoothly? I'm making note cards for setting up games so everyone can do something without needing the main book.
What types of issues are you currently running into? How long and how many people are usually at your board game nights?
Post by: Scortius on December 04, 2017, 04:14:51 PM
Legendary : Marvel. (Cost a lot but I enjoy it.)
Warhammer 40k.
There are quite a few games I own but getting my friends together to play is like herding cats. Finally said "screw it" and started going to the hobby shop.
WH40k seems like the most anti-mustachian game you could pick, hahahaha.
I still have a lot of figures from my teenage years, but I have no painting ability whatsoever.
Yeah. I understand that. It feels like home though. I haven't bought models in a year or so because my backlog is so big. One day though.
Anyone here have suggestions on how to make game nights run smoothly? I'm making note cards for setting up games so everyone can do something without needing the main book.
I have a few quick rules of thumb for running larger groups. If it's small enough for a single game, you probably don't need a ton of advice so let's assume it's for multiple games.
- I try and have a selection of a limited number of light games and a limited number of medium games, and maybe one heavy game pre-selected.
- If large enough, I try and assign one regular as a 'leader' for each game.
- We order pizza and I don't really ask for suggestions, I just order a bunch otherwise it takes forever.
- Most important, when introducing a game to new players don't explain it, just call the first game a practice round and start immediately. Explain rules as necessary but only in context of when they apply. Don't go through a summary of the rules beforehand, just start.
Post by: Penn42 on January 25, 2018, 06:34:12 PM
I've found that I really gravitate toward heavier games. I like the challenge of figuring out the rules and how best to approach the game. More strategy, less chance. Playing lighter weight games is still lots of fun though and it gives me more options of people to play with.
Here's some of my favorite games.
Puerto Rico - Got this off CL for 10 bucks a couple years ago. Probably my second most played game behind Catan. I love a game where there are so many viable roads to victory. I'm much better at 3 player than 4 or 5 though.
Twilight Struggle - Another CL score. Mostly played with my brother. It's just so stupidly intense and amazing. It's like you're both drowning in lava while attempting to push the others head under. So brutal.
Terra Mystica - This is the newest game I've acquired. Only played it a dozen times so far. I'm in love. Another game with many roads to victory. I'm starting to learn that I shouldn't become addicted to the income favor tiles because you have to give up lots of points for not picking the point favor tiles.
Tales of the Arabian Nights - This is the one giant exception when it comes to my favorite games because there's absolutely zero strategy to it at all. It's a choose your own adventure book in board game form. The art is very pretty and it's always a hit even if it took some coaxing to get someone to play it.
Super Motherload - This is a little known medium weight gem. It's a deck builder meets tile layer. You're mining for minerals on mars and using the profits from those minerals to hire more pilots (cards in your deck) to fly the ships you mine with. It's a go-to for it's shorter play length and general level of fun. Also my current favorite deck builder since I've played Dominion and it's expansions to death.
Those games would be my choices for any given game night. Other games I'll gladly play are:
Dominion
Dead of Winter
Memoir '44 (haven't dipped my toes into some of the heavier war games, but I think Axis & Allies and Commands & Colors: Napoleonics will eventually enter my repertoire)
Stone Age
Catan (with a variation)
Games I'd like to try:
Agricola
Istanbul
Scythe
Post by: marielle on January 26, 2018, 09:23:10 AM
Puerto Rico - Got this off CL for 10 bucks a couple years ago. Probably my second most played game behind Catan. I love a game where there are so many viable roads to victory. I'm much better at 3 player than 4 or 5 though.
Have you played this with only 2 people? Some boxes say 3-5, but you can just print the rules for 2. I heard it wasn't the best for 2 but I still considered getting it since the game shop has a copy for $30 because of damage on the box. Getting 3 isn't typically too difficult but I prefer to buy games with 2 minimums.
Post by: Meowmalade on January 26, 2018, 09:43:35 AM
My cousin just introduced us to Monopoly Deal. It’s a card game loosely based on Monopoly concepts, but it only takes a few minutes to learn and the fun part is that there’s no change! Everything’s in millions of dollars and say if you owe someone $3 million but only have a $10 million card then you have to give it to them. Or if you run out of cash, you start paying in properties. It’s a fun game that moves fast and only costs $5 to buy— totally worth it!
We just started Pandemic Legacy Season 1 a few weeks ago and got to the first card-tearing moment. I handed it to my board game-loving friend, and he was like “I can’t do it”. Then I gave it to his wife, and she couldn’t either. I gave it to my husband (who is not so much into board games) and he casually tore it in half. It is such an amazing game. Can’t wait to play it again with them when we meet up in Feb!
By the way, Season 2 is on sale at Think Geek for $55. Last week it was a steal at $45 and I picked up a copy along with some other crazy good board game deals. $55 is still better than the price elsewhere though.
Post by: Penn42 on January 27, 2018, 07:53:38 AM
Puerto Rico - Got this off CL for 10 bucks a couple years ago. Probably my second most played game behind Catan. I love a game where there are so many viable roads to victory. I'm much better at 3 player than 4 or 5 though.
Have you played this with only 2 people? Some boxes say 3-5, but you can just print the rules for 2. I heard it wasn't the best for 2 but I still considered getting it since the game shop has a copy for $30 because of damage on the box. Getting 3 isn't typically too difficult but I prefer to buy games with 2 minimums.
Unfortunately I'm no help here. I'm aware there's a two player variation, but I've never tied it.
Post by: jengod on January 27, 2018, 02:22:26 PM
Post by: WhiteTrashCash on January 28, 2018, 10:09:05 AM
Post by: Scortius on January 29, 2018, 11:25:54 AM
I just got Star Trek Panic, which has turned out to be a lot of fun. It's a cooperative game where you play out the 5 year mission of the Enterprise from the original series. There are many possible missions and you really do have to plan your actions as a crew to keep the ship operational and achieve your goals.
Have you tried Space Alert? If not, it might be another one you would enjoy. If you have, I'd be curious to hear how the two compare.
Post by: flan on January 30, 2018, 03:44:48 PM
Post by: Will on January 31, 2018, 12:14:23 AM
Here is my current Top 10:
#1: Istanbul
#2: Caylus
#3: Bootleggers
#4: The Voyages of Marco Polo
#5: Village
#6: Power Grid
#7: Lorenzo il Magnifico
#8: Mechs vs. Minions
#9: Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game
#10: Airlines Europe
I did finally get a copy of The Pillars of the Earth, and Rajas of the Ganges. There is a good chance one or both might end up on this list.
Post by: Bakari on February 01, 2018, 12:31:27 PM
I just got Star Trek Panic, which has turned out to be a lot of fun. It's a cooperative game where you play out the 5 year mission of the Enterprise from the original series. There are many possible missions and you really do have to plan your actions as a crew to keep the ship operational and achieve your goals.
Have you tried Space Alert? If not, it might be another one you would enjoy. If you have, I'd be curious to hear how the two compare.
We liked Space Alert, played a decent number of times before Pandemic took the place as defacto coop game.
Marginally related: I found Lovers in a Dangerous SpaceTime (video game, for the switch) felt very much like Space Alert, except in videogame format: you and 3 others are piloting a spaceship through fields of asteroids and hostile aliens, and there are more control stations than there are players - steering, navigation, 4 guns, a super gun, and a shield, so twice as many places needing control as people to man them. Lots of changing positions and yelling and chaos. But everything happens in real time, and there are no cards to mess with
Post by: e34bb098 on February 01, 2018, 05:56:26 PM
Re: 2p Puerto Rico. I've played 2p any number of times. It's good although if it's just me and someone else, there are things I'd rather play. Twilight Struggle, Hammer of the Scots, or others designed for 2p.
If you want the PR experience but primarily play 2p, check out San Juan. It's the card game version but feels pretty similar. Plays fast, scales from 2-4. Came out in a 2nd edition a couple of years ago that folded in an expansion and made some tweaks for balance.
Currently I'm not in a regular board game group, but I am in an RPG one. D&D 1e -- nothing more frugal than getting battered hardbacks from 1979 for $3 at the thrift store. I don't think the rules have aged well, but I'm having fun, so there you go.
Post by: DragonSlayer on February 02, 2018, 08:13:41 AM
I'm on BGG. I commissioned a Mustachian microbadge but it's not popular. Unsurprising considering the crazy amount of money people drop on games there.
I didn't know it existed! Purchased!
Post by: TheWifeHalf on February 02, 2018, 01:27:33 PM
My oldest son, 32, brought this over one night and I guess the reason it's my favorite is because of the way he actually acted like he was having fun.
I guess Bob Ross is a much bigger deal now that he's dead. My son, when he was 1-2 loved to sit on the rocking chair, rock, and watch Bob Ross!!!!!!!
This man was my babysitter.
I told him it's probably best if he doesn't tell the people he works with. His comment, "That's where I got it!"
Post by: Will on February 03, 2018, 01:40:55 AM
I'm on BGG. I commissioned a Mustachian microbadge but it's not popular. Unsurprising considering the crazy amount of money people drop on games there.
I didn't know it existed! Purchased!
How does one even go about searching for microbadges there? I still have 2 promo codes left for a free one; seems like a Mustachian thing to do.
Post by: Penn42 on February 03, 2018, 08:32:11 AM
@Penn42 from your list, I bet you would like Terraforming Mars!
I've heard of that one, but don't know much other than it's name. I'll add it to the list, thanks!
Post by: e34bb098 on February 03, 2018, 08:27:48 PM
How does one even go about searching for microbadges there? I still have 2 promo codes left for a free one; seems like a Mustachian thing to do.
My Geek ->
Profile ->
Buy microbadges (middle of the page, near the avatar)
That’ll take you to the main MB page, with a search bar at the top.
Or here’s the link:
https://rpggeek.com/microbadge/42128
Post by: WhiteTrashCash on February 03, 2018, 08:42:07 PM
I just got Star Trek Panic, which has turned out to be a lot of fun. It's a cooperative game where you play out the 5 year mission of the Enterprise from the original series. There are many possible missions and you really do have to plan your actions as a crew to keep the ship operational and achieve your goals.
Have you tried Space Alert? If not, it might be another one you would enjoy. If you have, I'd be curious to hear how the two compare.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll take a look at some reviews and maybe a playthrough video and see what it's like.
Star Trek Panic is based on the game Castle Panic, if you are familiar with that one.
Post by: Will on February 03, 2018, 10:01:59 PM
How does one even go about searching for microbadges there? I still have 2 promo codes left for a free one; seems like a Mustachian thing to do.
My Geek ->
Profile ->
Buy microbadges (middle of the page, near the avatar)
That’ll take you to the main MB page, with a search bar at the top.
Or here’s the link:
https://rpggeek.com/microbadge/42128
Thanks! Done! Now there are three of us there that own it.
Post by: patriciawest on February 08, 2018, 11:23:12 PM
Post by: neo von retorch on April 10, 2018, 03:27:35 PM
I went through the thread and noticed that Keyflower was only mentioned once. For those of you who like the Uwe-style Eurotrash econ engine games (my personal favorite along with 4X), Keyflower is pretty much on the top of my list. As for 4X, it's damned hard to beat Through the Ages, though Eclipse certainly does a great job as well. For lighter games that can be taught quickly, I really like Carcassone or 7 Wonders, but one that often gets overlooked is Endeavor.
Heavy Euro
Keyflower *
Ora et Labora
Agricola
Le Havre
(all other Uwe Games)
Caylus
Puerto Rico *
Age of Steam
4X
Through the Ages *
Eclipse
Medium
Castles of Burgundy
Troyes
Pandemic
Five Tribes
Race for the Galaxy
Dominion
Endeavor
Stone Age *
Lighter Euros / Intro Games
7 Wonders
Carcassonne
Love Letter
Ricochet Robots
Blokus
RoboRally
Area Control
Terra Mystica *
El Grande
Wallenstein / Samurai
Small World
Tigris & Euphrates (kind of)
Own
Played/enjoyed
* WANT
Other favorites are Lords of Waterdeep, Roll for the Galaxy, Scythe (heavy!), Brew Crafters
2 player -> Hive, 7 Wonders: Duel, Caverna Cave-To-Cave.
Also for lighter / family friendly, Lanterns. King Domino!
We recently got Agricola - excellent game.
Post by: Scortius on April 15, 2018, 10:27:40 PM
Robinson Crusoe - I like the idea of a cooperative survival game I can play with my wife (and eventually kids). Wife is a big fan of the books and primitive survivalist fantasy in general.
Clash of Cultures - I've read very good things about this as a more mid-weight 4X, but I hear the discontinued Civilizations expansion is required to really make it click. Unfortunately, the game + expansion seems to be going for about $250 online right now due to it being out of print.
Jaipur - Always looking for good and relatively short 2 player games I can play with my wife (and hopefully my daughter soon). This one seems to blend complexity and ease of play very well.
7 Wonders: Duel - Same as above, I'm a big fan of 7 Wonders for how well it does exactly what it tries to do. I keep hearing good things about this adaptation.
Clans of Caledonia - Another relatively recent Euro that seems to be getting a lot of buzz. Mid-weight Euros are my favorite so this seems like a perfect fit.
Inis - Same as above, but this one seems to be a bit more controversial and maybe a bit more fiddly. Would love to give a run to see for myself though.
Fields of Arle and Feast for Odin - What can I say, I'm a Uwe fanboy and I haven't tried either of these two. For reference my wife's favorite Uwe is Le Havre and mine is Ora et Labora.
Patchwork - A 2 player Uwe game that I might be able to try with my daughter soon? This seems almost like I have to buy it (see honey, it's not my fault this time)!
Post by: Will on April 16, 2018, 01:01:54 AM
Hey Scortius-
You should get on boardgamegeek.com
It is such an amazing board game website.
Anyhow, I've replied to what I can in BOLD below:
Oh man, now I can't stop thinking of all the newer games I want to play. Unfortunately, I'm on a self-enforced hiatus while I wait for my toddlers to grow up to the point where I can play mid and heavy weighted games again. Until then, I'm keeping my eyes on a few of the new Euros. I'd be curious if anyone has any opinions on the following:
Robinson Crusoe - I like the idea of a cooperative survival game I can play with my wife (and eventually kids). Wife is a big fan of the books and primitive survivalist fantasy in general. I've yet to play this, but one bad thing I've heard about it is how incredibly difficult it is to win. By experienced gamers. Who have played it a lot and still not won.
Clash of Cultures - I've read very good things about this as a more mid-weight 4X, but I hear the discontinued Civilizations expansion is required to really make it click. Unfortunately, the game + expansion seems to be going for about $250 online right now due to it being out of print. Got nothing for you on this one. $250? Yikes!
Jaipur - Always looking for good and relatively short 2 player games I can play with my wife (and hopefully my daughter soon). This one seems to blend complexity and ease of play very well. This game is pretty solid. I play it with my Mom who is almost 80. It is fairly quick and has some nice decision-making to it.
7 Wonders: Duel - Same as above, I'm a big fan of 7 Wonders for how well it does exactly what it tries to do. I keep hearing good things about this adaptation. I'm not a fan of 7 Wonders, but I was talked into trying Duel. Unfortunately for me, it was too much like 7 Wonders. I guess that is fortunate for you though.
Clans of Caledonia - Another relatively recent Euro that seems to be getting a lot of buzz. Mid-weight Euros are my favorite so this seems like a perfect fit. I just played this for the first time on Friday. I somehow finished in last (I think there were some scoring shenanigans). I still enjoyed it though and would like to play it again.
Inis - Same as above, but this one seems to be a bit more controversial and maybe a bit more fiddly. Would love to give a run to see for myself though. I played this once. Too "confrontational" for me, and while most people love the artwork, I find it to be off-putting (but that is just me).
Fields of Arle and Feast for Odin - What can I say, I'm a Uwe fanboy and I haven't tried either of these two. For reference my wife's favorite Uwe is Le Havre and mine is Ora et Labora. I haven't played either of those, but I do enjoy Le Havre. If you want a solid quick Uwe game (yes, it is pretty quick, but still pretty heavy) you should look into Glass Road.
Patchwork - A 2 player Uwe game that I might be able to try with my daughter soon? This seems almost like I have to buy it (see honey, it's not my fault this time)! Patchwork is a lot of fun! How old is your daughter?
There are SO MANY great games out there! I could go on and on (and usually do).
Post by: Scortius on April 16, 2018, 10:24:40 AM
Hey Scortius-
You should get on boardgamegeek.com
It is such an amazing board game website.
Anyhow, I've replied to what I can in BOLD below:Oh man, now I can't stop thinking of all the newer games I want to play. Unfortunately, I'm on a self-enforced hiatus while I wait for my toddlers to grow up to the point where I can play mid and heavy weighted games again. Until then, I'm keeping my eyes on a few of the new Euros. I'd be curious if anyone has any opinions on the following:
Robinson Crusoe - I like the idea of a cooperative survival game I can play with my wife (and eventually kids). Wife is a big fan of the books and primitive survivalist fantasy in general. I've yet to play this, but one bad thing I've heard about it is how incredibly difficult it is to win. By experienced gamers. Who have played it a lot and still not won.
Clash of Cultures - I've read very good things about this as a more mid-weight 4X, but I hear the discontinued Civilizations expansion is required to really make it click. Unfortunately, the game + expansion seems to be going for about $250 online right now due to it being out of print. Got nothing for you on this one. $250? Yikes!
Jaipur - Always looking for good and relatively short 2 player games I can play with my wife (and hopefully my daughter soon). This one seems to blend complexity and ease of play very well. This game is pretty solid. I play it with my Mom who is almost 80. It is fairly quick and has some nice decision-making to it.
7 Wonders: Duel - Same as above, I'm a big fan of 7 Wonders for how well it does exactly what it tries to do. I keep hearing good things about this adaptation. I'm not a fan of 7 Wonders, but I was talked into trying Duel. Unfortunately for me, it was too much like 7 Wonders. I guess that is fortunate for you though.
Clans of Caledonia - Another relatively recent Euro that seems to be getting a lot of buzz. Mid-weight Euros are my favorite so this seems like a perfect fit. I just played this for the first time on Friday. I somehow finished in last (I think there were some scoring shenanigans). I still enjoyed it though and would like to play it again.
Inis - Same as above, but this one seems to be a bit more controversial and maybe a bit more fiddly. Would love to give a run to see for myself though. I played this once. Too "confrontational" for me, and while most people love the artwork, I find it to be off-putting (but that is just me).
Fields of Arle and Feast for Odin - What can I say, I'm a Uwe fanboy and I haven't tried either of these two. For reference my wife's favorite Uwe is Le Havre and mine is Ora et Labora. I haven't played either of those, but I do enjoy Le Havre. If you want a solid quick Uwe game (yes, it is pretty quick, but still pretty heavy) you should look into Glass Road.
Patchwork - A 2 player Uwe game that I might be able to try with my daughter soon? This seems almost like I have to buy it (see honey, it's not my fault this time)! Patchwork is a lot of fun! How old is your daughter?
There are SO MANY great games out there! I could go on and on (and usually do).
Thanks for the responses Will, that does help a bit. For reference, my daughter is five and getting to the point where we can play some of the lighter games in our collection (RTTA: Bronze Age, Ticket to Ride, Tiny Epic Galaxies).
As for boardgamegeek, my account there is 'Moozh'.
Post by: Will on April 16, 2018, 11:26:39 AM
Hey Scortius-
You should get on boardgamegeek.com
It is such an amazing board game website.
Anyhow, I've replied to what I can in BOLD below:Oh man, now I can't stop thinking of all the newer games I want to play. Unfortunately, I'm on a self-enforced hiatus while I wait for my toddlers to grow up to the point where I can play mid and heavy weighted games again. Until then, I'm keeping my eyes on a few of the new Euros. I'd be curious if anyone has any opinions on the following:
Robinson Crusoe - I like the idea of a cooperative survival game I can play with my wife (and eventually kids). Wife is a big fan of the books and primitive survivalist fantasy in general. I've yet to play this, but one bad thing I've heard about it is how incredibly difficult it is to win. By experienced gamers. Who have played it a lot and still not won.
Clash of Cultures - I've read very good things about this as a more mid-weight 4X, but I hear the discontinued Civilizations expansion is required to really make it click. Unfortunately, the game + expansion seems to be going for about $250 online right now due to it being out of print. Got nothing for you on this one. $250? Yikes!
Jaipur - Always looking for good and relatively short 2 player games I can play with my wife (and hopefully my daughter soon). This one seems to blend complexity and ease of play very well. This game is pretty solid. I play it with my Mom who is almost 80. It is fairly quick and has some nice decision-making to it.
7 Wonders: Duel - Same as above, I'm a big fan of 7 Wonders for how well it does exactly what it tries to do. I keep hearing good things about this adaptation. I'm not a fan of 7 Wonders, but I was talked into trying Duel. Unfortunately for me, it was too much like 7 Wonders. I guess that is fortunate for you though.
Clans of Caledonia - Another relatively recent Euro that seems to be getting a lot of buzz. Mid-weight Euros are my favorite so this seems like a perfect fit. I just played this for the first time on Friday. I somehow finished in last (I think there were some scoring shenanigans). I still enjoyed it though and would like to play it again.
Inis - Same as above, but this one seems to be a bit more controversial and maybe a bit more fiddly. Would love to give a run to see for myself though. I played this once. Too "confrontational" for me, and while most people love the artwork, I find it to be off-putting (but that is just me).
Fields of Arle and Feast for Odin - What can I say, I'm a Uwe fanboy and I haven't tried either of these two. For reference my wife's favorite Uwe is Le Havre and mine is Ora et Labora. I haven't played either of those, but I do enjoy Le Havre. If you want a solid quick Uwe game (yes, it is pretty quick, but still pretty heavy) you should look into Glass Road.
Patchwork - A 2 player Uwe game that I might be able to try with my daughter soon? This seems almost like I have to buy it (see honey, it's not my fault this time)! Patchwork is a lot of fun! How old is your daughter?
There are SO MANY great games out there! I could go on and on (and usually do).
Thanks for the responses Will, that does help a bit. For reference, my daughter is five and getting to the point where we can play some of the lighter games in our collection (RTTA: Bronze Age, Ticket to Ride, Tiny Epic Galaxies).
As for boardgamegeek, my account there is 'Moozh'.
No problem. I'm sure you are probably aware of it already, but Azul is a game I would recommend for you and your family.
I kinda figured you were on BGG somewhere, but I looked for Scortius instead of Moozh.
Post by: DouglasFir on April 24, 2018, 03:11:50 PM
Post by: e34bb098 on April 24, 2018, 03:48:20 PM
It's very tightly designed, but overall it is way too bland to get excited about.
Post by: Michael in ABQ on June 10, 2018, 07:38:11 PM
FYI my boys are almost 10, 8, and 6. The youngest of those three often quits after a while anyways so something that the 8- and 9-year old could handle would be nice.
Post by: ender on June 10, 2018, 08:45:14 PM
I've never expanded much outside Monopoly and Risk but I'm interested in something different, especially that I can play with my kids. We started a game of Axis and Allies with one of their older cousins and they really want me to buy that. I've looked into a few games like Ticket to Ride and Catan but I'm trying to find them for a bit cheaper. I found Ticket to Ride on eBay in the $25-30 range for a brand new copy. Since Amazon, Target, and Walmart all charge $40-50 I suspect theses are counterfeit versions. Anyone ever buy new games of eBay and have good luck or should I just spend the extra $15 to make sure I get an authentic copy that won't fall apart after a few plays.
FYI my boys are almost 10, 8, and 6. The youngest of those three often quits after a while anyways so something that the 8- and 9-year old could handle would be nice.
Ticket to Ride goes on sale around $25 every once in a while on Amazon.
Post by: neo von retorch on June 11, 2018, 07:12:40 AM
https://camelcamelcamel.com/Days-Wonder-DOW-7201-Ticket/product/0975277324?context=search
Catan gets close to $30 pretty often.
https://camelcamelcamel.com/Catan-Studios-CN3071/product/B00U26V4VQ?context=search
Post by: Will on June 11, 2018, 07:47:25 AM
I've never expanded much outside Monopoly and Risk but I'm interested in something different, especially that I can play with my kids. We started a game of Axis and Allies with one of their older cousins and they really want me to buy that. I've looked into a few games like Ticket to Ride and Catan but I'm trying to find them for a bit cheaper. I found Ticket to Ride on eBay in the $25-30 range for a brand new copy. Since Amazon, Target, and Walmart all charge $40-50 I suspect theses are counterfeit versions. Anyone ever buy new games of eBay and have good luck or should I just spend the extra $15 to make sure I get an authentic copy that won't fall apart after a few plays.
FYI my boys are almost 10, 8, and 6. The youngest of those three often quits after a while anyways so something that the 8- and 9-year old could handle would be nice.
Check out this video from The Dice Tower:
http://www.dicetower.com/game-video/12-games-christmas-family-games-0
Post by: Scortius on June 11, 2018, 10:20:10 AM
Post by: Will on June 11, 2018, 11:49:48 AM
Ticket to Ride and Catan are good choices. Other recommendations for that age group would be Dominion and Carcassonne. A few more if you're interested: Stone Age, Castles of Burgundy, Lords of Waterdeep, 7 Wonders, and Glass Road.
CoB and Glass Road might be a little heavy for an 8 y/o. Glancing over at my own collection, I would recommend Azul, Bang! the Dice Game, Libertalia, Cash 'n Guns, Escape: The Curse of the Temple, Spyfall, Shadow Hunters, Sonar, Blokus, Dixit, Coloretto/Zooloretto, Glux, and Happy Salmon.
Post by: Michael in ABQ on June 11, 2018, 09:02:14 PM
I've never expanded much outside Monopoly and Risk but I'm interested in something different, especially that I can play with my kids. We started a game of Axis and Allies with one of their older cousins and they really want me to buy that. I've looked into a few games like Ticket to Ride and Catan but I'm trying to find them for a bit cheaper. I found Ticket to Ride on eBay in the $25-30 range for a brand new copy. Since Amazon, Target, and Walmart all charge $40-50 I suspect theses are counterfeit versions. Anyone ever buy new games of eBay and have good luck or should I just spend the extra $15 to make sure I get an authentic copy that won't fall apart after a few plays.
FYI my boys are almost 10, 8, and 6. The youngest of those three often quits after a while anyways so something that the 8- and 9-year old could handle would be nice.
I just decided to spend the $44 and buy it on Amazon. I can see that the price was $40 for the last several months and just jumped up in the last few days. Oh well.
I also found someone on Craigslist selling several board games as a lot for $40. Pandemic, Risk Godstorm, Forbidden Island, Forbidden Desert, and a D&D starter set. Pandemic looked interesting (though might need to wait a couple of years for the kids to play it) and by itself would be $35 +/- new. I've got to drive about 45 minutes out of my way home to pick them up but it seems like an excellent deal.
Post by: e34bb098 on June 11, 2018, 09:51:37 PM
A great game of backstabbing and wheeling-n-dealing. Being a fan of the show is not required.
Post by: Scortius on June 12, 2018, 10:51:53 AM
I've never expanded much outside Monopoly and Risk but I'm interested in something different, especially that I can play with my kids. We started a game of Axis and Allies with one of their older cousins and they really want me to buy that. I've looked into a few games like Ticket to Ride and Catan but I'm trying to find them for a bit cheaper. I found Ticket to Ride on eBay in the $25-30 range for a brand new copy. Since Amazon, Target, and Walmart all charge $40-50 I suspect theses are counterfeit versions. Anyone ever buy new games of eBay and have good luck or should I just spend the extra $15 to make sure I get an authentic copy that won't fall apart after a few plays.
FYI my boys are almost 10, 8, and 6. The youngest of those three often quits after a while anyways so something that the 8- and 9-year old could handle would be nice.
I just decided to spend the $44 and buy it on Amazon. I can see that the price was $40 for the last several months and just jumped up in the last few days. Oh well.
I also found someone on Craigslist selling several board games as a lot for $40. Pandemic, Risk Godstorm, Forbidden Island, Forbidden Desert, and a D&D starter set. Pandemic looked interesting (though might need to wait a couple of years for the kids to play it) and by itself would be $35 +/- new. I've got to drive about 45 minutes out of my way home to pick them up but it seems like an excellent deal.
That's a decent haul, just know that the two Forbidden games are updates on Pandemic itself (I'd still buy them all for $40).
Post by: Grog on June 12, 2018, 01:49:56 PM
Sent from my YD201 using Tapatalk
Post by: nkt0 on June 22, 2018, 06:17:18 AM
As for board games, some of my favorites are:
Imperial (only with 3 or 6 players)
Ora et Labora (same designer as Agricola, but a much better game imo)
Samurai (simple rules, deep strategy)
Fury of Dracula (semi-cooperative)
Camel Up (supports up to 8 players)
Scythe
It's really the golden age of board games. If only i had more friends! :D
Post by: Penn42 on August 02, 2018, 08:36:43 PM
Not a board game, but i love Tichu. It's Chinese spades, but the differences make it really stand out.
As for board games, some of my favorites are:
Imperial (only with 3 or 6 players)
Ora et Labora (same designer as Agricola, but a much better game imo)
Samurai (simple rules, deep strategy)
Fury of Dracula (semi-cooperative)
Camel Up (supports up to 8 players)
Scythe
It's really the golden age of board games. If only i had more friends! :D
I might've mentioned this upthread, but I've been interested in Agricola for some time. I know some prefer Le Havre, but I haven't heard of Ora et Labora before. Any thoughts on the comparison of those three?
I just got Scythe as a birthday gift from my brother last week. I haven't had a chance to play yet because we were going on a trip the next day, but I'm stoked on it. He got it brand new for only 20 bucks because one bottom corner of the box is pretty banged up. Hearing that made the mustache in me proud!
Post by: Will on August 03, 2018, 12:16:24 AM
Not a board game, but i love Tichu. It's Chinese spades, but the differences make it really stand out.
As for board games, some of my favorites are:
Imperial (only with 3 or 6 players)
Ora et Labora (same designer as Agricola, but a much better game imo)
Samurai (simple rules, deep strategy)
Fury of Dracula (semi-cooperative)
Camel Up (supports up to 8 players)
Scythe
It's really the golden age of board games. If only i had more friends! :D
I might've mentioned this upthread, but I've been interested in Agricola for some time. I know some prefer Le Havre, but I haven't heard of Ora et Labora before. Any thoughts on the comparison of those three?
I just got Scythe as a birthday gift from my brother last week. I haven't had a chance to play yet because we were going on a trip the next day, but I'm stoked on it. He got it brand new for only 20 bucks because one bottom corner of the box is pretty banged up. Hearing that made the mustache in me proud!
Just to mix things up more: I have played Le Havre and did prefer it to Agricola, but an Uwe game that I like even better is Glass Road. Complexity and all the other good Uwe stuff, all in about an hour! That's right, even with teaching it can be played in an hour. And it is satisfying.
I still don't get all the love for Scythe. I've given it two chances and it severely disappointed both times.
Post by: ReginaD. on August 03, 2018, 04:53:31 AM
Post by: Bakari on August 06, 2018, 08:23:43 AM
It addresses both the two things that always annoyed me about Agricola - the random element of the cards, and the accelerating years with fewer seasons over time.
Post by: nkt0 on August 06, 2018, 08:38:18 AM
I might've mentioned this upthread, but I've been interested in Agricola for some time. I know some prefer Le Havre, but I haven't heard of Ora et Labora before. Any thoughts on the comparison of those three?
I have not played much of Le Havre (i only have the iPad version and i don't really play board games on iPad). Ora et Labora is similar to Agricola in play (it's a worker-placement style game), but instead of building a farm, you're building a monastery and village. The theme really shines and there are multiple play modes (French and Irish) that change the gameplay in thoughtful and interesting ways. It also doesn't overwhelm the way Agricola does (once you get beyond the family game). The only drawbacks are a) I believe Ora is out of print and b) the components in the version i have are printed on poor-ish quality materials.
Post by: Scortius on August 06, 2018, 02:09:34 PM
On the other hand, my wife's favorite is Le Havre. I think it plays a little faster and has a more focused set of goods. It's fun upgrading your fleet of ships and/or putting together a collection of compatible buildings for extra bonuses. I definitely enjoy it as well.
We both like Agricola, although I'd argue that it's biggest strength is the variety that the minor improvement and occupation cards bring. If you don't like dealing with that randomness, I'd stick to one of the previous two or Caverna (which is essentially Agricola 2.0).
I haven't tried Glass Road or Patchwork, nor Feast for Odin or Fields of Arle. Definitely interested in trying those last two, but life has precluded those opportunities for now. Hopefully soon!
Post by: neo von retorch on August 06, 2018, 02:17:56 PM
I'm so glad we have Agricola. So many of the games you listed are quite expensive (out of print), though I imagine you can do... a little better if you can find people selling them in decent condition. (Seems most "game boarders" are game hoarders though...)
I enjoy Caverna: Cave to Cave (since we mostly play 2 player) and I think I'd LOVE Caverna, but I rarely see it for less than $80...
The most we've paid for a game was when my wife got me Scythe for Christmas. And it is a game we really like, though I don't know if we like it enough for the price. We certainly haven't played it enough yet to justify it!
Post by: Scortius on August 08, 2018, 10:14:27 AM
Post by: ender on August 11, 2018, 08:10:47 AM
It helps to get a feel for historical prices (at least on Amazon) too. The extension shows a graph over time.
For example @neo von retorch caverna has hit ~$50 twice in the past year on Amazon:
(https://i.imgur.com/UgEYEsll.png)
Post by: e34bb098 on August 13, 2018, 12:38:05 PM
1. Terraforming Mars. Medium-weight Euro with a ton of replayability. Plays fast with multiple paths to victory.
2. Street Masters. The board game version of Double Dragon, Final Fight, and every other 80s-video game beat-em-up. Delightfully corny.
3. Seal Team Flix. A tactical dexterity game of special ops forces breaking down doors and shooting bad guys with little disks that you have to flick across the table to hit targets.
4. Cosmic Encounter. The venerable classic of wheeling and dealing.
5. Deep Sea Adventure. A little push-your-luck game of diving for treasure with limited air. Simple with lovely opportunities to screw your opponents.
6. Twilight Struggle. A tense and gripping game about the Cold War.
7. Puerto Rico. After all these years, still not tired of it. A modern classic.
8. Railways of the World. Ticket to Ride is too lightweight for my tastes; the 18XX games are too heavy. ROTW is the Goldilocks of rail games and looks great.
Post by: nkt0 on August 13, 2018, 12:57:26 PM
1. Terraforming Mars. Medium-weight Euro with a ton of replayability. Plays fast with multiple paths to victory.
I've played this one a few times, but i don't like how the corporations telegraph your in-game goals. I prefer it without the corporation cards.
6. Twilight Struggle. A tense and gripping game about the Cold War.
Great game. Pretty hardcore and long, but totally worth it if you're a cold war nerd.
7. Puerto Rico. After all these years, still not tired of it. A modern classic.
Agreed.
Post by: e34bb098 on August 13, 2018, 02:04:35 PM
1. Terraforming Mars. Medium-weight Euro with a ton of replayability. Plays fast with multiple paths to victory.
I've played this one a few times, but i don't like how the corporations telegraph your in-game goals. I prefer it without the corporation cards.
Yeah, I think that's valid, but I share the common opinion that the corporate era is easier for beginners, since without them the options can be overwhelming. With experienced players I like the base game -- it's a lot shorter, as a bonus.
Post by: Playing with Fire UK on November 11, 2018, 01:55:14 AM
Season 3 of Pandemic Legacy has been announced, but no release date yet.
Post by: nkt0 on November 13, 2018, 05:58:52 AM
Post by: flan on November 29, 2018, 08:36:01 PM
Best part: I grabbed a used copy (the game isn't big) for just $5!
Post by: soccerluvof4 on November 30, 2018, 11:22:11 AM
Monopoly
Clue
Trivia Pursuit
Battle Ship
Post by: DeskJockey2028 on December 02, 2018, 05:25:39 PM
I just discovered a really intuitive 2-player deckbuilding game: Star Realms. It scratches that Dominion/Ascension itches with just 2 players and 15-20 minutes.
Best part: I grabbed a used copy (the game isn't big) for just $5!
Post by: Penn42 on December 02, 2018, 08:58:12 PM
I just discovered a really intuitive 2-player deckbuilding game: Star Realms. It scratches that Dominion/Ascension itches with just 2 players and 15-20 minutes.
Best part: I grabbed a used copy (the game isn't big) for just $5!
I consider myself a competitive board gamer in that I like optimizing strategies and winning. I win Dominion about half the time in our regular having group and Terra Mystical probably 75% (those are my two best games so I'll use them to humble brag about). However, I have never once won Star Realms. I've played it well over 50 times now with a variety of people and not once. It's become a running joke.
Post by: flan on December 05, 2018, 09:25:11 AM
I just discovered a really intuitive 2-player deckbuilding game: Star Realms. It scratches that Dominion/Ascension itches with just 2 players and 15-20 minutes.
Best part: I grabbed a used copy (the game isn't big) for just $5!
I consider myself a competitive board gamer in that I like optimizing strategies and winning. I win Dominion about half the time in our regular having group and Terra Mystical probably 75% (those are my two best games so I'll use them to humble brag about). However, I have never once won Star Realms. I've played it well over 50 times now with a variety of people and not once. It's become a running joke.
Interesting! My spouse and I have a fair split of wins for Star Realms. When we play Dominion, it depends on the card set that's out.
Post by: smileyface on December 30, 2018, 09:30:07 AM
Coincidentally, we had friends over for a game night on Friday, and they brought over Ticket to Ride: Europe. We own the American version and love it, so it was fun to learn this variation. Still not sure how I feel about train stations, though.........
Post by: grantmeaname on February 24, 2019, 06:50:26 AM
Post by: Will on February 25, 2019, 12:15:32 AM
I am visiting some friends for the weekend and we spent all of yesterday playing Tales of the Arabian Nights. The mechanics are unique but the really stand-out aspect of the game is the theme and writing. Each turn your character has an encounter - from a Roc or a lovesick thief to an efreet or the City of Brass. I'd highly recommend it if the theme sounds interesting to you.
If you want to hear a good story, pick out a classic novel and have someone read it to you. Or read it out loud yourself. Maybe try reading "One Thousand and One Nights" or something. My biggest issue with ToAN is that what you choose for your character has some random result. You think "Hey, if I do A, then B or C might happen." But instead, some completely unrelated thing happens. The one time I played this, a buddy of mine decided to have his character help an elderly woman he meets on the city streets. The result: he falls to his death! Really?
There are so many great games out there. ToAN is NOT one of them. It is awesome that you enjoyed it, Grant, but it is far too random for me.
Post by: grantmeaname on February 25, 2019, 05:52:17 AM
The game isn't an RPG, where you always succeed if you have the relevant skills and often succeed even if you don't. It's a collaborative, sometimes random story where you can accidentally get sex-changed by enchanted water, getting married to the wrong person makes you too grief-stricken to be sneaky or beguiling, and sometimes when you rob a sick beggar he ends up being the sultan's son. The goal isn't to win quickly by taking a bunch of 'correct' actions - it's to disappear into another world for an hour or two.
Post by: neo von retorch on February 25, 2019, 07:43:50 AM
ETA: So we house-ruled that every round (each player goes once) we rotate between morning, noon and night. Because previously we have never made it past morning, even once. (It's a big deck of cards you have to get through in the official rules.) This is a nice plus and resolves the above issue of always seeing the same stories on repeat.
Post by: StockBeard on March 04, 2019, 12:37:49 AM
I've also developed an addiction to Gloomhaven. I've sunk about 150 hours in that game so far with friends.
Post by: Dr Kidstache on March 04, 2019, 01:24:46 PM
Post by: Nick_Miller on May 31, 2019, 10:32:41 AM
My family loves board games/card games, and really even if you buy them new, I think they're pretty Mustachian, as a good board game can keep you from many nights of going out and spending more money elsewhere on dinners, movies, mini-golf, etc. (we do those things too, but I'm very mindful of how we $ money on nights we stay in).
The two newest games we've discovered are Blokus (which was like $11 on Amazon I think), and MegaLand, which was $16 (on sale) at Target. I recommend both!
Blokus: This one is 100% strategy, although obviously if your opponents team up on you, you're pretty screwed. Each player has a set number of pieces, and each player starts in a corner of the board. The goal is to place a piece each turn, always connecting the new piece to one of the corners of an existing piece. It is VERY easy to pick up and very fun! We've played twice so far, and my oldest DD has won both. She is a visual learner for sure. Game just takes about 15-20 minutes even with 4 players (which is recommended).
MegaLand: Oh my goodness, this one is so fun! We've played three times in the week or so we've owned it. From 2-5 players. A fantasy card game that's a mix of "adventure/press your luck/play the odds" and city building to earn coins. We've already gotten our money's worth from it! It's a lot to take in at the beginning, but after a few rounds, you'll get the hang of it. I love that it encourages players to pursue different strategies in earning coins. There are dozens of way to play. And I've won 2/3 times so yay me. Game has taken us about 45 minutes to play with 4 players.
Post by: spoonman on June 04, 2019, 03:24:44 PM
I also love losing at Settlers of Catan =P
Post by: vern on June 07, 2019, 05:55:05 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxbMzZ5a2Zg
Post by: spoonman on June 07, 2019, 07:08:28 PM
Post by: arebelspy on June 08, 2019, 11:35:39 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxbMzZ5a2Zg
That was fun to watch!
Post by: Will on October 06, 2019, 09:17:30 PM
#1: Istanbul Still my favorite. Modular board layout provides nice variability from one game to the next. Pick up and deliver. Best with the Mocha & Baksheesh expansion.
#2: Caylus A classic for a reason. Worker placement for the win!
#3: The Voyages of Marco Polo Dice as workers, and always ends before people are ready for it to.
#4: Lorenzo il Magnifico Everybody uses the same roll of the dice to place family members to get cards or favors, ultimately scoring points.
#5: Tichu Ladder climbing, card shedding, partnership card game of awesomeness!
#6: Crokinole The only dexterity game I really like, and I like it a lot! Flick your discs, sink it in the center for points, or knock your oppenents off. So good!
#7: Village Family members you work to death! But that can be good, if you are scoring points for their dying.
#8: Rajas of the Ganges Fame? Fortune? Both? They need to cross at some point or you won't win.
#9: Bootleggers Make some whisky, deliver whisky, mess with the other bootleggers before they mess with you. One of the few games with confrontation I enjoy.
#10: Power Grid An economic game; build cities and power them. Power more than others at the game end and you win.
Post by: LaineyAZ on October 07, 2019, 07:18:18 AM
Some examples: "Something you know today that you wish you could tell your past self."
Or, "A Gift You'd give to everyone if money was no object." Or, "Whether you believe in karma."
Everyone enjoyed that it was an easy way to find out more about people who are even long-time friends or family members, without any awkward or embarrassing stuff. No time constraints either because you can do as many or as few cards as you'd like.
Post by: neo von retorch on October 07, 2019, 08:41:45 AM
Post by: DadJokes on October 07, 2019, 09:37:45 AM
Everdell - worker placement, building a village through the seasons in a forest with cute critters
Champions of Midgard - worker placement, battling monsters to win the favor of a Viking village
Clank - deck builder, go into a dungeon and get stuff before the dragon wakes up and kills you
Ticket to Ride - all-time classic, lots of variations, and great family game
Istanbul - Will has a good description
Root - compete to be the new ruler of the forest, different factions that all have different rules, so there is a lot of variety
Scythe - build mechs and battle to control the map
Dead of Winter - cooperative, work together to fight off zombies before being overtaken, potential for a traitor
Betrayal at House on the Hill - cooperative, explore a haunted mansion until the betrayal event is triggered, turning one of the players into a monster
I struggled to come up with a 10th that I really love right now, so I'll just leave it at 9.
Post by: spoonman on October 07, 2019, 10:42:26 AM
I haven't posted in a while and I have a new Top 10, so here it is:
#1: Istanbul Still my favorite. Modular board layout provides nice variability from one game to the next. Pick up and deliver. Best with the Mocha & Baksheesh expansion.
#2: Caylus A classic for a reason. Worker placement for the win!
#3: The Voyages of Marco Polo Dice as workers, and always ends before people are ready for it to.
#4: Lorenzo il Magnifico Everybody uses the same roll of the dice to place family members to get cards or favors, ultimately scoring points.
#5: Tichu Ladder climbing, card shedding, partnership card game of awesomeness!
#6: Crokinole The only dexterity game I really like, and I like it a lot! Flick your discs, sink it in the center for points, or knock your oppenents off. So good!
#7: Village Family members you work to death! But that can be good, if you are scoring points for their dying.
#8: Rajas of the Ganges Fame? Fortune? Both? They need to cross at some point or you won't win.
#9: Bootleggers Make some whisky, deliver whisky, mess with the other bootleggers before they mess with you. One of the few games with confrontation I enjoy.
#10: Power Grid An economic game; build cities and power them. Power more than others at the game end and you win.
Wow indeed! I've never heard of any of those games, you are in a totally different league from me =P Now I won't have to think too hard when I need to give a friend a birthday gift, tons of great ideas here =)
This is the sort of list that makes me question the rankings in Board Game Geek.
Post by: Dr Kidstache on October 07, 2019, 11:52:24 AM
e roll of the dice to place family members to get cards or favors, ultimately scoring points.
#5: Tichu Ladder climbing, card shedding, partnership card game of awesomeness!
I've been playing Fight the Landlord quite a bit which I think is basically Tichu with a regular card deck. Great game for 3 players.
Post by: Will on October 07, 2019, 12:00:51 PM
e roll of the dice to place family members to get cards or favors, ultimately scoring points.
#5: Tichu Ladder climbing, card shedding, partnership card game of awesomeness!
I've been playing Fight the Landlord quite a bit which I think is basically Tichu with a regular card deck. Great game for 3 players.
I haven't heard of that, so I will need to look that up!
Have you ever heard of/played Haggis? It is essentially a Tichu-type game that plays well with 3.
Post by: Lews Therin on April 03, 2020, 01:48:52 PM
"There once was a person who installed zoom. Not having paid for the upgrade, was limited to 40min meetings. But the person was frugal, and knew that you could simply create a 2nd meeting after 40min, and so on and so forth.
To talk and chat with others, all that was required was click "invite others and copy link" and the others could join the meetings.
When the desire to play Jackbox (of which Drawful 2, the simplest and one of the most fun games, is currently free on Google Play), which required everyone to see the main screen, using the Share Screen button was the secret technique that made it possible.
As a crafty one, the importance of closing people's videos was not lost on that person, and it made everything run smoother.
During game cards, the creator invited people to the game created on this site: http://playingcards.io/ ; which allows for Cards against Humanity, checkers, chess, card games, and could even create specific desks for any game that requires cards! The person would create a game, invite others and the fun continued.
But sometimes.... the person was lonely, and didn't have many friends, and for some GD reason, people weren't always available.... but a SAVIOR APPEARED.
PICTIONNARY WITH STRANGERS: https://skribbl.io/
Our lovable protagonist lived isolated ever after, and rumors have it that at some point..... Was finally able to leave the house."
This is a tale passed down for generations in my family, feel free to share with others.
Reviving this for those who love board / card games, and could use the info.
Post by: Playing with Fire UK on April 04, 2020, 02:01:19 AM
Post by: Villanelle on April 05, 2020, 03:09:30 PM
I would think older kids could play it. It's a strategy game. Basically, you don't see your own cards and other players give you hints about what is in your hand so that you hopefully know what moves to make. You are trying to create a fireworks display. ("Hababi" is Japanese for "fireworks", literally meaning "fire flower".) To do so, you have to play cards in the correct color in numerical order. It's not high level strategy but younger kids would likely struggle. It's listed as age 8+, which I think is about right, especially if you chat with the kiddos about some of the strategy ahead of time or during a first cheater-round of play.
Post by: spoonman on April 05, 2020, 05:30:28 PM
Post by: DadJokes on April 07, 2020, 07:21:47 AM
We've played a fair bit of Ecos and One Night Ultimate Werewolf at home or with wife's family. I've also played a lot of Azul, Ticket to Ride, Tokaido, and Pandemic via apps/internet.