A question about board games.
Between 2001-2009, I was deep into board games. I was organizing board game nights in much the same way I presently organize RPG nights. But, at a certain point, RPGs kind of took over, and my knowledge of what’s hot in board games has dimmed.
Lately, I’ve had some cool board games introduced to me by Steve Mains (One Night, Witness!, and some others), and it is starting to re-kindle my passion for them. So, my question: what are some games I should check out? I keep hearing about Dead of Winter, but are there any others I should keep an eye out for?
What are you looking for out of a game? Production value? Tight mechanics? Doing things that haven’t been done before? Probably all of them, but which are most important?
What are you looking for out of a game? Production value? Tight mechanics? Doing things that haven’t been done before? Probably all of them, but which are most important?
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David LaFreniere That’s a very good question. I think high production values are table stakes at this point. Gameplay trumps all. Fantasy Flight games are not really my jam, though I have enjoyed them on occasion. Some “recent” favorites of mine include Space Alert and Letters from Whitechapel. My all-time favorites: Agricola, Power Grid, Pandemic, and Puerto Rico.
David LaFreniere That’s a very good question. I think high production values are table stakes at this point. Gameplay trumps all. Fantasy Flight games are not really my jam, though I have enjoyed them on occasion. Some “recent” favorites of mine include Space Alert and Letters from Whitechapel. My all-time favorites: Agricola, Power Grid, Pandemic, and Puerto Rico.
What interests you in boardgames? I’ll try and throw out a sampling of games from 2010 onwards…
7 Wonders is a cool game about building up an ancient civilization by drafting cards one at a time. The big trick is that it’s a draft in the truest sense of the word: every turn, you add one card to your civilization and then pass the rest of your cards to the next player. There’s resource-building, a little bit of the “tech tree” effect, and it’s pretty simple to grasp. Also, with a group that knows how to play, it goes in 30 minutes.
Coup is technically a remake, but it’s a very fun game. Everyone has secret characters that give different powers, but you probably have to lie about your characters in order to win. Don’t get caught.
The Resistance: Avalon takes the gameplay of The Resistance (Mafia/Werewolf, but no deaths) and adds some roles that give out information at the start of the game. Really great revisiting of the game.
Puzzle Strike is much more niche, but it’s my favorite deckbuilder. It’s a deckbuilder with actual aggression, where you’re trying to fill up your opponents’ damage meters by playing certain cards. (The catch is, those damage meters also let you draw more cards…and they provide you with the ammo you need to fill up your opponents’ damage meters!) Also, each player gets a unique character who beefs up your starting deck with three unique cards. Well, chips, technically, because it’s a game that uses chips instead of cards. (Instead of shuffling a deck, you throw chips into a bag and shake it up.)
Space Cadets: Dice Duel is the most amazingly hilarious team-based hecticness I’ve ever seen. Two teams of 3-4 players each are commanding spaceships that fly around the board trying to shoot one another. Each team is rolling dice in real time, trying to prioritize properly and work in harmony. Generally, terrible and hilarious mistakes happen.
Risk: Legacy has some much-needed tweaks to the gameplay (it’s SHORT!), and from there totally revamps the game. Each different faction gets a unique power, the game is meant to be played as a “campaign mode”, and the game actively, permanently changes over the course of play. It’s awesome. Unless you have no tolerance whatsoever of Risk, you should get a group together and play this. (If it helps, my group got through the first three games in under 2 hours IIRC.)
What interests you in boardgames? I’ll try and throw out a sampling of games from 2010 onwards…
7 Wonders is a cool game about building up an ancient civilization by drafting cards one at a time. The big trick is that it’s a draft in the truest sense of the word: every turn, you add one card to your civilization and then pass the rest of your cards to the next player. There’s resource-building, a little bit of the “tech tree” effect, and it’s pretty simple to grasp. Also, with a group that knows how to play, it goes in 30 minutes.
Coup is technically a remake, but it’s a very fun game. Everyone has secret characters that give different powers, but you probably have to lie about your characters in order to win. Don’t get caught.
The Resistance: Avalon takes the gameplay of The Resistance (Mafia/Werewolf, but no deaths) and adds some roles that give out information at the start of the game. Really great revisiting of the game.
Puzzle Strike is much more niche, but it’s my favorite deckbuilder. It’s a deckbuilder with actual aggression, where you’re trying to fill up your opponents’ damage meters by playing certain cards. (The catch is, those damage meters also let you draw more cards…and they provide you with the ammo you need to fill up your opponents’ damage meters!) Also, each player gets a unique character who beefs up your starting deck with three unique cards. Well, chips, technically, because it’s a game that uses chips instead of cards. (Instead of shuffling a deck, you throw chips into a bag and shake it up.)
Space Cadets: Dice Duel is the most amazingly hilarious team-based hecticness I’ve ever seen. Two teams of 3-4 players each are commanding spaceships that fly around the board trying to shoot one another. Each team is rolling dice in real time, trying to prioritize properly and work in harmony. Generally, terrible and hilarious mistakes happen.
Risk: Legacy has some much-needed tweaks to the gameplay (it’s SHORT!), and from there totally revamps the game. Each different faction gets a unique power, the game is meant to be played as a “campaign mode”, and the game actively, permanently changes over the course of play. It’s awesome. Unless you have no tolerance whatsoever of Risk, you should get a group together and play this. (If it helps, my group got through the first three games in under 2 hours IIRC.)
Oh, y’know, if you can get a group together, I bet you’d really enjoy Terra Mystica. It’s a fantasy 4X boardgame that, though it seems daunting at first, has a lot of really cool moving parts that work together as you try to build your civilization across the map. Rich gameplay.
If you’ve never played Railroad Tycoon/Railways of the World (first published in ’05, republished in ’10), it’s fantastic. Rather like Power Grid in many ways.
Oh, y’know, if you can get a group together, I bet you’d really enjoy Terra Mystica. It’s a fantasy 4X boardgame that, though it seems daunting at first, has a lot of really cool moving parts that work together as you try to build your civilization across the map. Rich gameplay.
If you’ve never played Railroad Tycoon/Railways of the World (first published in ’05, republished in ’10), it’s fantastic. Rather like Power Grid in many ways.
Cosmic Encounter- one of the oldest and still one of the best.
Cosmic Encounter- one of the oldest and still one of the best.
+1000 to Cosmic Encounter. Goofy, ridiculous, and super-fun to play, even when losing.
+1000 to Cosmic Encounter. Goofy, ridiculous, and super-fun to play, even when losing.
I’ve had a similar trajectory. Recent favorites include:
Robinson Crusoe
Mice ahs Mystics
Star Realms
Keyflower
COIN games
1775: Rebellion
Kingdom Builder
I’ve had a similar trajectory. Recent favorites include:
Robinson Crusoe
Mice ahs Mystics
Star Realms
Keyflower
COIN games
1775: Rebellion
Kingdom Builder
My current new fav is Harbor which is a great strategy game with great fantasy art (Goblins and stuff which you may like) that comes in a small package which makes it easy to bring places.
My current new fav is Harbor which is a great strategy game with great fantasy art (Goblins and stuff which you may like) that comes in a small package which makes it easy to bring places.
I’d chuck Liberatalia in the mix – possibly sentinels of the multiverse if you like supers stuff and co-ops
I’d chuck Liberatalia in the mix – possibly sentinels of the multiverse if you like supers stuff and co-ops
I’ve been playing Roll for the Galaxy a lot lately. Quick, space themed, civilization building game.
I’ve been playing Roll for the Galaxy a lot lately. Quick, space themed, civilization building game.
Oh Tammany Hall is excellent as well.
Oh Tammany Hall is excellent as well.
Kind of old, out of print in fact, but I really miss Shanghai trader. the construction is very old fashion, a lot of cardboard chits and monopoly money. I really loved the rampant negotiation, alliance making and even threatening that went on in each game. closest thing to it today is “I’m the Boss” (board game) which is a much faster, simpler way to get almost the same effect. anyone else played these and know of another in the same category?
I haven’t tried the card game version of I’m the boss. considering that the game consisted of the cards and a monopoly style map, it is probably very similar.
Kind of old, out of print in fact, but I really miss Shanghai trader. the construction is very old fashion, a lot of cardboard chits and monopoly money. I really loved the rampant negotiation, alliance making and even threatening that went on in each game. closest thing to it today is “I’m the Boss” (board game) which is a much faster, simpler way to get almost the same effect. anyone else played these and know of another in the same category?
I haven’t tried the card game version of I’m the boss. considering that the game consisted of the cards and a monopoly style map, it is probably very similar.
Daniel Fowler “I really loved the rampant negotiation, alliance making and even threatening that went on in each game.” I still say you’ve just described Cosmic Encounter (the current edition doesn’t have money- a past one did).
Daniel Fowler “I really loved the rampant negotiation, alliance making and even threatening that went on in each game.” I still say you’ve just described Cosmic Encounter (the current edition doesn’t have money- a past one did).
Android: net runner. Very interesting asymmetrical card game
Android: net runner. Very interesting asymmetrical card game