Not sure if I posted this here or not, but Sagrada is a neat little game. You are building stained glass windows for a church. There are three scoring cards that vary from game to game and are public. Every one has a secret scoring card that is based upon the value of a single color of dice on their board. Everyone picks a window that they are attempting to complete. The window is a 5x4 grid with restrictions on die value and color.

Each turn, the starting player rolls dice equal to 2x the number of players plus 2. They then do a Settler’s style draft of the dice. After you draft a die, you can opt to use a tool using favor tokens (given at start based upon the difficulty of your window) to manipulate your board. Restrictions on die placement is all dice must be adjacent, dice orthogonal adjacent cannot be the same value or color, plus any window restrictions.

The beauty of the game is it works for both gamers and non-gamers. For non-gamers, you are looking at completing out your board. For gamers, it is a cutthroat game of screwing over the competition by taking the dice they need when they come up. Depending upon your board, it can be difficult to just complete your window due to placement restrictions so proper planning is necessary.

My wife is a huge stained glass fan, so this interests me.

How "beautiful" is the game? Is it a building strategy game that happens to have stained glass as the thing you build? Or is the stained glass artwork really amazing and/or central to the appeal of the game?

Rising Sun is my favorite current game. I like it lots. Everything about it is top shelf class and quality.

The main (only?) gripe I hear about the game in reviews seems to be a potential faction imbalance issue. I hate hearing that, because:
Most reviewers have far too few plays of the game to know whether or not this is truly an issue.
See Quik's Dominion thread about Dominion - even after plenty of playthroughs it can be easy to incorrectly dismiss the game as one-dimensional because of the "obvious" dominant strategy.
Does this actually matter? Few games will make it to production and distribution with a truly game-breaking imbalance; if one group/faction/strategy is slightly overpowered, does it make that much of a difference?

Anyhow, with all that being said what's your take on the faction balance in Rising Sun?

Rising Sun looks so great. I don't really have room for a new game like that now, but maybe someday.

I picked up Battle for Rokugan (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/234477/battle-rokugan) awhile back and have played it a couple times now. It's a really fun area control game with just the right amount of strategy for my game group. It's not so deep that it is intimidating or takes too long for a new player to become competitive, but there is enough there to keep it interesting and to allow for various strategies (it seems... only two plays isn't really enough to actually know for sure). You get a lot of 'stuff' for a pretty competitive price, too, so it feels like good value to me.

My wife is a huge stained glass fan, so this interests me.

How "beautiful" is the game? Is it a building strategy game that happens to have stained glass as the thing you build? Or is the stained glass artwork really amazing and/or central to the appeal of the game?

The images I've seen indicate that there is some (but not much) static art of stained glass, but that you "build" using translucent colored dice to represent your stained glass. Looks fairly clever, if not exactly "beautiful."

https://goo.gl/images/5ChG4E

So I was starting to build a collection of X-Wing Miniatures ships and then this drops:

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/5/1/x-wing-second-edition/

So to make my old ships compatible with the new rules I would have to buy two conversion kits that cost $50 apiece.

Luckily I haven't spent too much yet (About $125). Maybe I'll try to find people who play Armada.

So I was starting to build a collection of X-Wing Miniatures ships and then this drops:

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/5/1/x-wing-second-edition/

So to make my old ships compatible with the new rules I would have to buy two conversion kits that cost $50 apiece.

Luckily I haven't spent too much yet (About $125). Maybe I'll try to find people who play Armada.

If you piece it out and have the millennium falcon, I will take it

I am reading about this as well. I have about $300 worth of ships. The thought of investing another $100 to keep playing is worrisome, especially since I play just solo or with one other friend.

If you piece it out and have the millennium falcon, I will take it

I'll have to think about it. I have the "Heroes of the Resistance" set which contains the Falcon and Poe Dameron's black X-Wing.

I'll have to think about it. I have the "Heroes of the Resistance" set which contains the Falcon and Poe Dameron's black X-Wing.

Awesome. Those are good looking ships

I am reading about this as well. I have about $300 worth of ships. The thought of investing another $100 to keep playing is worrisome, especially since I play just solo or with one other friend.

If you're just playing solo, what's to stop you from continuing to play as-is? I guess new ships won't conform, but it's not as if what you have is completely useless.

Edit: I don't mean to sound harsh at all; I think it's ludicrous that they are changing the rules for a collectible game of this nature such that old versions are incompatible.

I get FFG's position behind the whole thing. They believe the original design has become unwieldy in since the release of 50+ ships. It has been hard to balance and keep ships from becoming irrelevant. So far they've tried this with duct tape worthy design modifications. I mean even the X-Wing ship is not even used much in the current meta of the game that bears it's name.

When X-Wing 2.0 releases I might jump in further as it seems like a good "starting" point.

My wife is a huge stained glass fan, so this interests me.

How "beautiful" is the game? Is it a building strategy game that happens to have stained glass as the thing you build? Or is the stained glass artwork really amazing and/or central to the appeal of the game?

Sorry, haven't checked the thread, closer to the first. You certainly could try to make it prettier as well on your own, but that would be a personal challenge, not on the game.

Played Thurn and Taxis yesterday. Very fun (though I got my ass kicked :-))

It is a route building game, but it has a couple of mechanics that make it different than normal route building games.

First, once you complete a route, you discard all of your cards, and your next route is completely unrelated to your past ones. So you may start the game building on the left half of the board, but once that's done, you don't build off of it or anything. It isn't like you start with a powerbase somewhere and build from there.

Also, there are rewards for building long routes, but there are a lot of other goals that you need to consider. So the game requires a bit more strategy than just "build as long as you can."

If you are looking for a Euro with not-overly-complex rules and game play under two hours, this is a pretty good option.

Edit--the guy who owned the game said that the expansions were not as good and he does not recommend them over the base game.

Played Thurn and Taxis yesterday. Very fun (though I got my ass kicked :-))

It is a route building game, but it has a couple of mechanics that make it different than normal route building games.

First, once you complete a route, you discard all of your cards, and your next route is completely unrelated to your past ones. So you may start the game building on the left half of the board, but once that's done, you don't build off of it or anything. It isn't like you start with a powerbase somewhere and build from there.

Also, there are rewards for building long routes, but there are a lot of other goals that you need to consider. So the game requires a bit more strategy than just "build as long as you can."

If you are looking for a Euro with not-overly-complex rules and game play under two hours, this is a pretty good option.

Edit--the guy who owned the game said that the expansions were not as good and he does not recommend them over the base game.

I have never played any of the expansions, but the base game is very good. My old game group would play this in about an hour.

I have never played any of the expansions, but the base game is very good. My old game group would play this in about an hour.

3 of the 4 of us were new, and we finished in about 90 minutes. I think with 4 people who all knew the game, 60 minutes is about right.

Paradox is working on a bunch of board games, for...Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, and...Cities Skylines.

Went to Geekway to the West.

Great con. Relaxed. 300 players. Some vendors. Outstanding library and play and win. Great venue.

If you ever get a chance, I recommend this one.

Big (annual) family reunion 2 weeks ago. I can't remember having played that many games or time spent playing games in the 4 1/2 days there. Three Catan sessions on three different days (all with 5 or 6 players), a long Codenames session with 9, three 'trees' of Klaverjassen, several Pickomino plays, and finally Rockband Manager got to the table. It didn't bother me that we didn't get a chance to play Risk Legacy again, which we did last year. Coincidentally, I ended up looking around in 4 different board game stores in Utrecht, all within less than 3 minutes walking from each other, quite unique, I think.

From those games played, the only one that I hadn't played before was Rockband Manager. It had been high on my 'want to play' list, but turned out to be a bit so-so with the 5 of us, all new to the game. It took quite some time to explain the rules (compared to most games I bring to the table, I prefer games easy to learn, hard to master).

Unrelated, I picked up Flamme Rouge this week.

I like playing Exploding Kittens, it's very easy to learn with simple rules and a lot of fun playing with family and friends.

After having this game sitting on my shelf for about a year, I learned and played Race for the Galaxy (with solo rules from The Gathering Storm expansion). My God, this game is awesome. The biggest barrier, of course, was learning the many icons that come with the game. But as everyone on the internet say, once you get familiar with them, playing the game goes much smoother.

I'm a convert. I've been playing 1 or 2 sessions nightly for the past week. It's so easy to get a new game started and ready to go. And oh, my record against the robot is currently 1-10 or so...

You might already be aware of it but there's an AI version of RFTG if you want to practice. I have only played the base game but some of the expansions are included as well. Link (http://keldon.net/rftg/)

I've heard about it, but haven't checked it out. Thanks for the link.

Dang,

I accidentally ordered white sleeves instead of clear sleeves :banghead:

Played Sonar, which is the smaller version of Captain Sonar. It plays 2-4. What a fun game. Easier to get tot he table. Easier to play. It is turn based, which isnt a bad thing.

Im going to buy two games and play the game with 4 players. 3 v.1 or 2 v. 2 or a royal rumble.

So I now have 11 of the 12 total games of the Charterstone campaign under my belt. I will try to put up another detailed review soon; the reader's digest version:
Really, really enjoyed the campaign a ton. While it didn't have quite the impact that Risk: Legacy did to me from a paradigm shift standpoint, I think it is excellently implemented and is a fantastic group experience.
We kept the same 5-player group for all 11 games and never once used the Automatic, so I unfortunately still can't speak to a solo-variant.
Once the game gets fleshed out (I'd say by game 5-ish), the strategic depth of the game becomes more apparent. This is still a far cry from a grand strategy game, but I think it has more depth than I gave it credit for in my initial impressions.
The mechanic I was most wary of in my initial review changes game-by-game, and you don't know the impact it will have until after it is decided. I'm still not sure if I love or hate that, though I know that it will be deal-breakingly frustrating for a not-insignificant amount of gaming groups.
There were multiple times throughout the campaign when I said "that is an awesome mechanic" or "that's a brilliant concept."
There is a story that is told from game to game within the campaign...but unfortunately it isn't very engaging. While you make decisions throughout the campaign and they each have a clear-cut short-term result, you have very little (typically none, if I'm being honest) in the way of information to determine how much or little impact they will have later on. While the uncertainty adds a little intrigue to the decision-making process, the payout is delayed to the point that you've forgotten the choice by the time the impact is felt, and it didn't really connect well with our group. I feel like there was a missed opportunity there.

I'll see about adding more detail later.

Your legacy game experience reminds me: there's a legacy edition of one of my favorite games coming this November: Betrayal at the House on the Hill. Apparently a 13 chapter story will be told spanning hundreds of years, with 50 new haunts - I'm assuming that the haunts not used in the campaign can still be used with the personalized set at the end of the campaign.

I should go back and play more Betrayal. My group and I completely overdosed on it our first weekend, playing about 8 games in a row. We tired of it, and I've never really gone back.

Unrelated, I picked up Flamme Rouge this week.Bought it together with the expansion. Solo played this game pretty much all weekend. This quickly jumped into my top5 games all-time. Hooked I am.

this is a good game in summer camp

I should go back and play more Betrayal. My group and I completely overdosed on it our first weekend, playing about 8 games in a row. We tired of it, and I've never really gone back.

Just got word from the publisher that Scythe the digital edition, will soon be available on Steam. So add it to your wishlist :)


Scythe is now available on Steam for $20.

Looking for some opinions on a pair of popular older over land fantasy adventure games and which folks might recommend : Talisman 4th revised and rune bound 3rd edition. I get they both are fairly long but not overly complicated fantasy games. Looking for something to play with one or two kids that is not overly complicated and is fun.

Talisman was probably the first "adult" game I owned (and still have it). Taught it to teen-aged nephews too. It can be a tough game for younger kids to enjoy because it can take so long sometimes and they might not have enough patience to finish it before their attention drifts elsewhere. You might try to shorten it for them by doing things like only playing the outer level, kill a certain # of creatures,etc. There is also a digital version available that kids might find more palatable/fun.


I have not played Runebound sadly.

Talisman was probably the first "adult" game I owned (and still have it). Taught it to teen-aged nephews too. It can be a tough game for younger kids to enjoy because it can take so long sometimes and they might not have enough patience to finish it before their attention drifts elsewhere. You might try to shorten it for them by doing things like only playing the outer level, kill a certain # of creatures,etc. There is also a digital version available that kids might find more palatable/fun.


I have not played Runebound sadly.

Thanks for the info. Any estimate if your playtime with 2 to 3 players?

Just finished the first scenario in TIME Stories. I have to say this cooperative deckspoloration game was a blast for the kids (25, 18,17,15) and I. The basis being you are part of a group in the future that has discovered time travel. You travel in time to prevent temporal faults. Very clever game that we binge played today and ordered the next scenario for.

Played an interesting new game this evening called "The Mind." It's a cooperative game with a deck of cards numbered 1 to 100. For the first round, everyone is dealt one card. In any order they would like, players play cards to the middle of the table with the goal of playing all cards in ascending order. If anyone ever plays a card out of order (that is, lower than the last played card), the team loses one of their four lives and play continues with the out of order card being the current card. The only exception to this is the "throwing star" - the team starts with one, and at any time a player can raise their hand, indicating they want to use it. If all other players agree and raise their hands as well, everyone discards their lowest numbered card. Once everyone is out of cards, if the team has any lives left the round is over and you proceed to the next round - whereupon each player gets two cards (round three is three cards, etc). After successfully beating certain rounds you earn additional lives (I think 2 and 5) and other rounds earn you additional throwing stars (1 and 6, I believe). If you make it through 8 rounds, you win.

The catch is that you cannot communicate while you play the game.

It was fascinating to play; while you could easily make up some method of non-verbal communication to cheese it, playing naturally was a hell of a lot of fun. The moments when everyone is staring at one another for 30 seconds after a 24 was thrown before anyone even moves toward playing another card are tense; can it really be possible that my 52 is the next lowest card at the table?!!?

After wiping out in round 5 the first time, our group of 5 players was able to make it to the eighth round on our last life with no throwing stars available. We managed to make it all the way through the 40 dealt cards in proper order to take down the win, and it was a damned satisfying feeling!

Thanks for the info. Any estimate if your playtime with 2 to 3 players?


It really depends on luck. It takes time to build a character up enough to get to the Crown of Command at the center. And the leader becomes a target where he/she might be forced to start a new character and build up again. Can be frustrating for younger players. More than an hour I'd say in a normal game. And longer the more players you have.

Played an interesting new game this evening called "The Mind."

Great summary. Love the concept. Buying it today.

Played an interesting new game this evening called "The Mind."

Have you played "Hanabi"? Sounds like this scratches the same itch.

Great summary. Love the concept. Buying it today.

Glad you thought so! Looked it up after the fact a little and the game seems to be incredibly polarizing. Our group loved it, obviously.
Have you played "Hanabi"? Sounds like this scratches the same itch.

I have heard OF Hanabi, but have never played it.

It really depends on luck. It takes time to build a character up enough to get to the Crown of Command at the center. And the leader becomes a target where he/she might be forced to start a new character and build up again. Can be frustrating for younger players. More than an hour I'd say in a normal game. And longer the more players you have.

I broke down and bought the main game and the reaper expansion that doubles the adventure deck. Will see how I like it. I might also consider the spin off games in the Warhammer 40k universe-Relic.

I broken Daniel wn and bought the main game and the reaper expansion that doubles the adventure deck. Will see how I like it. I might also consider the spin off games in the Warhammer 40k set Relic.


Great!

Not a NASCAR fan at all, but Red White and Blue Racin' from Plaay.com is one of the most fun sports boards games I have played.

The conclusion of a race I played today to give you an idea of game play.
Red White and Blue Racin' 2018 Pro Grip Power Tools 400 - Part 2 - YouTube (https://youtu.be/kom_2VNd4EY)

Putting this out there because I thought there'd be some interest in this type of board game. If this isn't allowed, I'll delete this post.

It's a football (soccer) management game called Club Stories. Apparently, the designer only puts out limited runs (just 100 copies in this coming second edition!) as he's doing this just for his own enjoyment.

You can find details about it here (http://www.elveneargames.nl/ClubStories.html).

Looks like the second edition print will be released in the second half of July. You might be able to reserve your copy in advance by emailing the designer (on their contact page).

Has anyone here played "Champions of Midgard"?

My group loved "Lords of Waterdeep" and this sounds similar with a twist. Just wondering if it's worth picking up.

Also, I just got "Gloomhaven" and the "Big Trouble In Little China" board game and just pre-ordered "U-Boat" a co-op submarine sim.

I can't stop myself!

Not a NASCAR fan at all, but Red White and Blue Racin' from Plaay.com is one of the most fun sports boards games I have played.

The conclusion of a race I played today to give you an idea of game play.
Red White and Blue Racin' 2018 Pro Grip Power Tools 400 - Part 2 - YouTube (https://youtu.be/kom_2VNd4EY)

Great video, your "broadcasting" style really ramps up the excitement. Always great to see PLAAY games getting some attention.

In case anyone missed this which is very possible as Gameworkshops only mentioned this on a mention on there website related to new Gen con releases. But a streamlined more accessible faster,playing Blood bowl game is coming: Blitz Bowl.

Here is a play thru of it:
Blitz Bowl - How To Play, by Watch It Play | Video | BoardGameGeek (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/video/184741)
$45 out on August 24.

https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/toys-games-blitz-bowl-the-gam...

I pretty ordered it just now. They als have a few other new simplified games coming out including a Warhammer adventure quest game and a Lord of the rings race type game.
https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/07/31/gencon-carnage-on-the-pitchgw-homepage-post-3/

Steam having a weekend sale on many of their digital board games

A digital version of Gloomhaven is coming from Asmodee in the first quarter of 2019:


Gloomhaven Teaser Trailer - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzaR_VcnTAQ)

In case anyone missed this which is very possible as Gameworkshops only mentioned this on a mention on there website related to new Gen con releases. But a streamlined more accessible faster,playing Blood bowl game is coming: Blitz Bowl.

Here is a play thru of it:
Blitz Bowl - How To Play, by Watch It Play | Video | BoardGameGeek (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/video/184741)
$45 out on August 24.

https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/toys-games-blitz-bowl-the-gam...

I pretty ordered it just now. They als have a few other new simplified games coming out including a Warhammer adventure quest game and a Lord of the rings race type game.
GenCon: Carnage on the Pitch - Warhammer Community (https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/07/31/gencon-carnage-on-the-pitchgw-homepage-post-3/)Sounds to me like a spin off, rather than Blood Bowl light. Not to say it's better or worse, just that it's not just about scoring touchdown to win a game.

(Unrelated, as I realize now, I feel similarly about Blood Bowl Team Manager, which isn't about scoring touchdowns at all.)

Curious what everyone's take is on Discover: Lands Unknown:

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/discover-landing-page/

Apart from the game itself, the "selling" point is that every copy of the game is unique. From their website:

"While mechanics and some common components like meeples will be the same in every copy of the game, the vast majority of the cards, tiles, and tokens in your box will be randomized, selected from a vast pool of possible components. When you open your copy of Discover: Lands Unknown, you can never be sure what you'll find inside, and the combination will be different from every other copy in the world. In other words, Unique Games aren't like Legacy Games, which start with identical components, but become unique through gameplay. Unique Games have their own distinct mix of components in every box!"

Seems to me like a way to try to get people to buy multiple copies.

Curious what everyone's take is on Discover: Lands Unknown:

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/discover-landing-page/

Apart from the game itself, the "selling" point is that every copy of the game is unique. From their website:

"While mechanics and some common components like meeples will be the same in every copy of the game, the vast majority of the cards, tiles, and tokens in your box will be randomized, selected from a vast pool of possible components. When you open your copy of Discover: Lands Unknown, you can never be sure what you'll find inside, and the combination will be different from every other copy in the world. In other words, Unique Games aren't like Legacy Games, which start with identical components, but become unique through gameplay. Unique Games have their own distinct mix of components in every box!"

Seems to me like a way to try to get people to buy multiple copies.

I'd also worry about balance. It is hard enough to get good balance in a limited/controlled universe. One overpowered card/piece combo can easily break a game.

It seems pretty impossible to design a game that would have necessary balance when you are randomly putting in pieces/cards/tiles from a huge pool.

Curious what everyone's take is on Discover: Lands Unknown:

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/discover-landing-page/

Apart from the game itself, the "selling" point is that every copy of the game is unique. From their website:

"While mechanics and some common components like meeples will be the same in every copy of the game, the vast majority of the cards, tiles, and tokens in your box will be randomized, selected from a vast pool of possible components. When you open your copy of Discover: Lands Unknown, you can never be sure what you'll find inside, and the combination will be different from every other copy in the world. In other words, Unique Games aren't like Legacy Games, which start with identical components, but become unique through gameplay. Unique Games have their own distinct mix of components in every box!"

Seems to me like a way to try to get people to buy multiple copies.


Like legacy this past year, unique seems to be the keyword for upcoming products. Dice Tower has talked a lot about Keyforge, a collectible card game with uniquely named characters in each deck. Seems more like a money grab to me than an twist on board game rules, but we shall see.



KeyForge First Impressions - with Tom Vasel | The Dice Tower (http://www.dicetower.com/game-video/keyforge-first-impressions-tom-vasel)


Sam vs. Tom: Keyforge | The Dice Tower (http://www.dicetower.com/game-video/sam-vs-tom-keyforge)

Curious what everyone's take is on Discover: Lands Unknown:

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/discover-landing-page/

Apart from the game itself, the "selling" point is that every copy of the game is unique. From their website:

"While mechanics and some common components like meeples will be the same in every copy of the game, the vast majority of the cards, tiles, and tokens in your box will be randomized, selected from a vast pool of possible components. When you open your copy of Discover: Lands Unknown, you can never be sure what you'll find inside, and the combination will be different from every other copy in the world. In other words, Unique Games aren't like Legacy Games, which start with identical components, but become unique through gameplay. Unique Games have their own distinct mix of components in every box!"

Seems to me like a way to try to get people to buy multiple copies.
I'll just have to shake my head at this and move on without taking a serious look at it.

Pandemic now available on Steam for $10.

If you are around St Louis today, Miniature Market is having a garage sale at their Manchester location. 10-10 today and 10-5 tomorrow.

I'll just have to shake my head at this and move on without taking a serious look at it.

My impression as well.

Humble Bumble has a Digital Tabletop Bundle for the next couple weeks. Includes Talisman and a couple of expansions, Pathfinder, Carcassone, Armello (if you pay $10), Sentinels of the Multiverse and a expansion, Ticket To Ride pack with several DLC's, Mysterium. Pretty good deal for $10 or less.

Any thoughts on Stockpile? The app version came out today and seems like a game I would like.

One game I really enjoy is Star Trek: Fleet Captains. Lots of fun in that game. It uses the hero clix system, so you get some fantastic miniatures.
It is OOP and costs around $130 for the base (Federation and Klingons) and 2 expansions (Romulans and Dominion)

It is card assisted.

The other game I played recently and really liked was Brass: LanLancashire. It is a pure economic game. Fun game also.

I've got a Kickstarter game arriving in a couple months that I backed. It's a new retro version of the Fireball Island game from the '80s.

Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/restorationgames/fireball-island-80s-board-game-reignited-and-resto)

I've got a Kickstarter game arriving in a couple months that I backed. It's a new retro version of the Fireball Island game from the '80s.

Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/restorationgames/fireball-island-80s-board-game-reignited-and-resto)

Let me know how it is. I wavered back and forth quite a bit on that. I'm not sure what the game play will be like and whether the nostalgia factor where where off quickly. I'll probably pick it up eventually.

Sentinels of the Multiverse is on sale at Steam for $0.99 (99% off)

I screwed up and bought a 5-pack, thinking I was getting a bundle that included some ex-pacs. Instead, I found myself with 5 copies of the base game.

Since I'm still getting a good price on this game, I'm letting others benefit from my error. I'll gift away my other 4 copies to whomever PMs me their email address or Steam account.

PM sent


My message sent prematurely. You can use my steam of Topper too.

PM sent


My message sent prematurely. You can use my steam of Topper too.

Let me know if you got it. I sent it to the email address on the PM.

Yep got it. Thanks

So I was thinking of getting a board game for mostly solo play. Between Mage Knight and Gloomhaven which do you recommended? I was thinking of maybe Imperial Assault as well.

Also feel free to make any recommendations.

So I was thinking of getting a board game for mostly solo play. Between Mage Knight and Gloomhaven which do you recommended? I was thinking of maybe Imperial Assault as well.

Star Trek: Frontiers re-implements Mage Knight. I've never played it, but it gives you options as far as themes go.

So I was thinking of getting a board game for mostly solo play. Between Mage Knight and Gloomhaven which do you recommended? I was thinking of maybe Imperial Assault as well.

Also feel free to make any recommendations.

Gloomhaven. Hands down.

So I was thinking of getting a board game for mostly solo play. Between Mage Knight and Gloomhaven which do you recommended? I was thinking of maybe Imperial Assault as well.

Also feel free to make any recommendations.


How often will you be playing? Gloomhaven is a game I'd only recommend if you're going to play it regularly and get into the campaign

Gloomhaven I have not played, would love to, but I have heard it works better with a group. I can definitely vouch for Mage Knight being a very good solo game.

One of the things I like about Mage Knight, even if you know how to play it, it can still be tough to win due to luck of the draw and the map. Many other solo games, once you figure out the system you can crank out wins.

Another good solo game is Agricola. Yes, it is like old arcade games in which you try to beat your high score, but it is still very good.

I don't normally listen to this podcast, so I'm not sure how good their takes normally are, but So Very Wrong About Games was pretty brutal with its review of Discover Lands Unknown.

Anyone get their hands on Arkham Horror Third Edition Board Game yet?

Anyone get their hands on Arkham Horror Third Edition Board Game yet?

I did! I actually got two by accident.

I haven't had a chance to play it yet, but I did read through the rules. To me, it looks like it's a combination of Akrham 2.0, Mansions of Madness, and Eldritch Horror. It borrows elements from all three games and combines them.

I'm really looking forward to playing it. Arkham 2.0 remains my favorite board game of all time. For all of its fiddliness and everything, I still love it and have played it over 40+ times.

I don't normally listen to this podcast, so I'm not sure how good their takes normally are, but So Very Wrong About Games was pretty brutal with its review of Discover Lands Unknown.


I'm waiting for the Dice Tower to review it-what did the podcast say about it?

I don't normally listen to this podcast, so I'm not sure how good their takes normally are, but So Very Wrong About Games was pretty brutal with its review of Discover Lands Unknown.

They probably just got the wrong cards in their set.

I picked up Spirit Island yesterday, looking forward to trying it out soon solo.

I'm waiting for the Dice Tower to review it-what did the podcast say about it?

They did go out of their way to not spoil for those that care, but among their complaints:

No real narrative
Each terrain gets two scenarios, but they were very similar so the 2nd scenario felt pointless, so end result was not enough game for the price
The 5th scenario that is competitive was really awful
None of main parts of the game (resource management, crafting, combat) was any good
The unique thing didn't add to the game at all, and they speculated that it may have just been done as a trial run for piecing together unique games prior to the release of keyforge, which they expect to be a big money maker.


The other two things they said is their most fun was during scenario 5 because that meant they would never have to play this game again, and it receives their "Seafall of the Year" award.

"Seafall of the Year"That's enough reason to go watch that review.
YouTube gives it as the #1 suggestion to watch.

Dice Tower was not a fan.

And Fantasy Flight is having to recall some KeyForge decks for unfortunate generated names.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/11/9/archon-names/

The whole unique mechanic in Discover seems like it makes the game basically play out like a legacy game that skips past the part where the gaming group customizes their play components. As though the developers could have shipped the game with all the cards and tiles, and let the first few plays of the game determine which subset of components the purchasers end up with in the final post-legacy set, but they didn't want to spend the extra cash to ship all those components.

Speaking of Legacy games, Betrayal was released today, apparently. IGN has a walkthrough of the prologue and first chapter up on YouTube, and Amazon is offering the game for $60. I never upgraded from the first edition to the second, so I've got this coming Tuesday. Hopefully, It's something my brother in law and wife will enjoy playing more than once a year.

I've seen the Dice Tower review on Discover now, disappointed to see how it plays after so much hype. Ah well maybe Keyforge will be good...

Dice Tower was not a fan.

And Fantasy Flight is having to recall some KeyForge decks for unfortunate generated names.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/11/9/archon-names/That's just plain horrible. With both games.

Tom Vasel's review didn't even go deep into the random content bit (going in, I expected that to be the disappointing element)), it sounded like his/their main complaints made it sound like this game is just as random as the Game of Goose, Chutes & Ladders, or whatever there is no decision making involved as randomness is the only factor that determines what happens.

Randomness of events during play should be determined by a combination of the decision making of the players and standard randomizer elements inside a game: dice, a deck of cards, a bag with tokens, or whatever it is, as long as it's exactly the same in every copy of the game.
A board game that's designed as a pack of Panini stickers, a Pokémon Go egg or some such where you don't know in advance what you will get, that's either designed to milk the customer in buying a gazillion of copies or is bound to be a major disappointment for people that end up with inferior games compared to others, or feel like they didn't get the full experience with their sole copy.

* shake head, again, again, again, and yet one more time *

Discover lands unknown looks like a super mediocre game made worse by trying to make every game unique.

Keyforge looks like a very good game and the unique system works pretty wrll for that. The recall doesnt seem like a big deal as its only not allowed in tournament play (you can keep it and probably should, it may be valuable if the game really takes off).

I took my sons (8 and 9) to a Keyforge pre-release event yesterday and we each picked up an archon deck. We all really enjoy it, and have played several times since. I'm still not really able to evaluate the relative strength of the random decks, since I'm playing with kids. They've picked up the game quite well, but I still like to think that I can out-play them :)

Dice Tower reviews Keyforge-Starter Set


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uujnHrxYV4

Yesterday I went to the biggest board games fair of the Netherlands.

Actually noticed Discover Lands Unknown at one of the demo tables. It looked as much as a prototype as it did in the Dice Tower review. I didn't have any desire to try it though.

Another hyped game did blow me and the rest of the gang away. The Mind was, well, mindblowing. Shockingly it was the only purchase I made.

How to Rob a Bank was okay and we had a lot of fun with Just One (which was the only other purchase in our group). Other games that we tried were either "meh" (Dixit, Anchors Aweigh), plain horrible (Conex, Forbidden City) or "hilarious now, but will it stand the test of times?" (Shit Happens: 50 Shades of Shit).

Well don't leave us hanging MIJB, tell us about the Mind :)

Well don't leave us hanging MIJB, tell us about the Mind :)

I don't want to steal MIJB's thunder, but from the last page of this thread:

Played an interesting new game this evening called "The Mind." It's a cooperative game with a deck of cards numbered 1 to 100. For the first round, everyone is dealt one card. In any order they would like, players play cards to the middle of the table with the goal of playing all cards in ascending order. If anyone ever plays a card out of order (that is, lower than the last played card), the team loses one of their four lives and play continues with the out of order card being the current card. The only exception to this is the "throwing star" - the team starts with one, and at any time a player can raise their hand, indicating they want to use it. If all other players agree and raise their hands as well, everyone discards their lowest numbered card. Once everyone is out of cards, if the team has any lives left the round is over and you proceed to the next round - whereupon each player gets two cards (round three is three cards, etc). After successfully beating certain rounds you earn additional lives (I think 2 and 5) and other rounds earn you additional throwing stars (1 and 6, I believe). If you make it through 8 rounds, you win.

The catch is that you cannot communicate while you play the game.

It was fascinating to play; while you could easily make up some method of non-verbal communication to cheese it, playing naturally was a hell of a lot of fun. The moments when everyone is staring at one another for 30 seconds after a 24 was thrown before anyone even moves toward playing another card are tense; can it really be possible that my 52 is the next lowest card at the table?!!?

After wiping out in round 5 the first time, our group of 5 players was able to make it to the eighth round on our last life with no throwing stars available. We managed to make it all the way through the 40 dealt cards in proper order to take down the win, and it was a damned satisfying feeling!

Well don't leave us hanging MIJB, tell us about the Mind :)Vince nailed it, really. :D

We played The Mind with four (my two sisters, brother-in-law and I). Our first hand (ever) was immediately a crazy stare off. The person explaining the game to us reacted like he hadn't seen that in the previous day and a half of explaining the game. For good reason, though. While I was dealt the 100 and obviously sat back and tried to make clear there was no way I would ever throw my card on the table first, the three others were all convinced that with numbers from 1 to 100, theirs couldn't be the lowest...
Time likes to really stop in such a situation, so I think it was at most 45 seconds, but eventually one of my sisters decided to throw (I think) the 73 card on the table, which turned out to be the wrong play. We hit 1 in 125 odds of having 4 cards all of 70 or higher.

But shook it off as the test play. Attempt number two at level 1 went smoothly. Then on the second level with 2 cards (so 8 in total) we ran into another steep odds situation. I was dealt the 3 and decided to give the others a quick "going once, going twice, sold" (without realizing that could hint at having the 3), only to find out my brother-in-law forgot to check his cards before play started and was actually dealt the 1, in my enthusiasm, I went too fast before looking at what he was doing. In retrospect I overestimated the situation, the odds of not having any lower cards in play were just 1 in 8).

On the second play, in Level 3 or 4 we had one awesome swing where we somehow manage to pick up on each other that we still had 6 cards left, all in the 75+ range and we managed to get them laid down in the correct order, with no consecutive numbers, but mostly gaps of just 2 or 3 in between.

So, we started to get a good knack for what numbers would be the correct play after what kind of pauses and with what number of cards remaining. We stumbled on situations where we went from like 50 to 70 and the 72 was a split-second faster than the 70.

We didn't get deeper than Level 5 and decided to not overplay this while we too had to wait to get an opportunity to test the game. You can hint the others with your body language and eye contact, reaching out with your lowest card to lure the others into making the right play. And I do fear that it eventually may end up being basically everybody counting to 100 on their own. All in all, getting to the same state of mind was a cool experience.



Just One was on a whole different, yet somewhat similar level. It's a co-op party game, where one by one all the players get a card with 5 words and have to pick a number (1 through 5). The other players all have to write down 1 word on their own. After writing, all duplicates are wiped out and the remaining words form the hint for the player with the card. Play continues with everybody taking turn for picking a card and a number. Goal is to get as much correct cards as possible.

Interesting re-skinning (plus more I’m sure) of V-Commandos in the Assassins Creed universe, just ass expensive due to the miniatures:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/135116486/assassins-creed-brotherhood-of-venice/description

That’s a lot to invest for something not coming until 2020. And I liked V-Commandos.

https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/023/259/442/6a04b1c1020fb783470b1d10b8e7f60a_original.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=680&fit=max&v=1542193235&auto=format&gif-q=50&q=92&

I've read a bunch more reviews* for Discover Lands Unknown and it seems to break down into two camps:

1. Experienced Gamer - doesn't like the game because its too light and lots of other games do similar things better. Basically, they've seen too much else to enjoy this.

2. Lightweight Gamer - has fun with it precisely because its lightweight and they haven't played anything similar.

So take that for what its worth. And while the theme is similar, I'm not sure the super critical comparisons of Discover Lands Unknown against 7th Continent are fair given that that game is much more expensive and basically unpurchasable at this point. Its not like you can read a review, decide 7th Continent sounds better, and buy that instead. Its a bit like comparing a Honda Accord with a Rolls Royce - the Rolls Royce might be a much better car, but if I can't buy it, who cares.

* - Note, these are player reviews, not critics. I think most critics fall into camp #1 above.

And Fantasy Flight is having to recall some KeyForge decks for unfortunate generated names.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/11/9/archon-names/

Here's a link that shows so oddly named cards:

Amazing KeyForge Decks – Heavy Punch Games (https://heavypunch.com/amazing-keyforge-decks/)

I can see why something like "Titanflyer, the Farmer of Racism" was recalled. Conspiracy theory (there's one for everything) is they did this intentionally to get more press and buyers buying new cards looking for rare set names.

Any opinions on the junior versions of carcassonne and catan for a smart.6 year old? We play junior ticket to ride and it is perfect for him but i.thought carcassonne might be simple enough (rules wise not strategy) to not have to do the junior version. Anyone ever play either of them?

Any other recommendations up the same alley so to speak?

Catan junior was good for our six year old.

I picked up My Little Scythe. I'm hoping my 7yo will pick up the rules pretty easily.

Catan junior was good for our six year old.

Thanks. Might get my first carcassonne as it looks like our 4 year olds might be able to play it as well. My wife loves Ticket to Ride: Journey. We may have a group of five gaming group when the boys get a little older that doesn't require me to leave the house. :)

Thanks. Might get my first carcassonne as it looks like our 4 year olds might be able to play it as well. My wife loves Ticket to Ride: Journey. We may have a group of five gaming group when the boys get a little older that doesn't require me to leave the house. :)

I would not be afraid to roll with full blown Carcassonne with kids.

I would not be afraid to roll with full blown Carcassonne with kids.

+1

So, this year for Christmas, I decided to do something different, and a bit risky. I went to my FLGS and bought a gift-wrapped blind box of games to open on Xmas day. But it wasn't completely blind. On the box was a label with clues showing the type of game, what mechanisms the game uses. I selected the box of what I thought contained something for the whole family, games I'm fairly certain I don't have, and at a price point I wouldn't (shouldn't) feel remorse spending.

Here's where you come in. Read below, and take some guesses what games might be in this box. I'll report after we open it on Christmas day (or soon after).

Retail Value: $152.00
Sale Price: $85.00

Game 1: 2-4 Players
Type: Family
Category: City Building, Environmental
Mechanisms: Hand Management, Pattern Building, Set Collection, Tile Placement

Game 2: 2-4 Players
Category: Fighting, Territory Building
Mechanisms: Modular Board, Pattern Building, Rock-Paper-Scissors

Game 3: 2-5 Players
Category: Animals, Children's Game, Dice
Mechanisms: Dice Rolling

Game 4: 2-5 Players
Category: Card Game, Fantasy
Mechanisms: Cooperative Play, Deck/Pool Building, Hand Management

Hmm... after running a couple of searches through BGG, I think this blind box might be between "meh" and "not bad"

Anyone know which version of Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective is best for beginners?

Start with The Thames Murders (If buying the Space Cowboys/Asmodee edition, the yellow box), as it was historically the "base" game. If you have all three rereleased sets, it might be fun to mix and match them according to chronological order, but as long as you're playing the cases in each box in order, you're fine.

Game 1: 2-4 Players
Type: Family
Category: City Building, Environmental
Mechanisms: Hand Management, Pattern Building, Set Collection, Tile Placement

Game 2: 2-4 Players
Category: Fighting, Territory Building
Mechanisms: Modular Board, Pattern Building, Rock-Paper-Scissors

Game 3: 2-5 Players
Category: Animals, Children's Game, Dice
Mechanisms: Dice Rolling

Game 4: 2-5 Players
Category: Card Game, Fantasy
Mechanisms: Cooperative Play, Deck/Pool Building, Hand Management

So based on the advanced search feature on BGG, I came up with the following games:

Game 1: Quadropolis
Game 2: Kaiju Crush
Game 3: Pass the Pandas (or possibly Animal Upon Animal, but PtP is a 100% match on the search)
Game 4: The Big Book of Madness

Would like your opinions on these!

Quadropolis is a lot of fun. Better with 3 or 4 but still good with two. A lot of fun moments where someone screws up your plans and you have to adjust on the fly. The inlay is also pure pornography the way all the tiles fit. I would recommend just playing the advanced version

Gloomhaven. Hands down.

I just pulled the trigger on this. Amazon has it for $107 which is probably the lowest I've seen it for.

I just pulled the trigger on this. Amazon has it for $107 which is probably the lowest I've seen it for.


Nice. But I'm waiting for the digital version, hopefully cheaper, coming next year :)

I've got the digital port of Gloomhaven on my wishlist as well, but deep down inside I know it's going to be horribly reviewbombed in Early Access, and I hope the dev team knows it, too, and that they'll be ready to pour money into the port if EA sales estimates are affected by the forthcoming negative reviews. It isn't immediately going to have campaign or multiplayer, and I don't think it's going to be priced under $20 like everyone wants. Given the shitstorm that Terraforming Mars got for merely delaying hand drafting and a $25 price point, I'm anticipating a bloodbath when Gloomhaven finally hits EA.

On the bright side, my Broken Token inserts for my board copy of Gloomhaven came in, and next week staining and assembling them will make a neat little winter project for my father and I.

I've got the digital port of Gloomhaven on my wishlist as well, but deep down inside I know it's going to be horribly reviewbombed in Early Access, and I hope the dev team knows it, too, and that they'll be ready to pour money into the port if EA sales estimates are affected by the forthcoming negative reviews. It isn't immediately going to have campaign or multiplayer, and I don't think it's going to be priced under $20 like everyone wants. Given the shitstorm that Terraforming Mars got for merely delaying hand drafting and a $25 price point, I'm anticipating a bloodbath when Gloomhaven finally hits EA.

On the bright side, my Broken Token inserts for my board copy of Gloomhaven came in, and next week staining and assembling them will make a neat little winter project for my father and I.


The good news on the price point is that Asmodee is doing the Digital port, and they seem to have a sale somewhere almost every week. The initial price will probably be higher than their other digital games, but sales could make it "do-able" (I hope)

I got two games for my birthday: Above and Below and Hoplomachus: Origins. I haven't played Above and Below yet, but I've had a couple solo games and a PvP game of Hoplo and it is really fun. Nice, tight tactical battles that can be played in like 15 minutes. Super fun!

Jenn and I have been digging into an "oldie but goodie," playing the absolute hell out of Agricola recently; I love that it seems to be very well balanced for just about every player count. Certain resources are more scarce depending upon the player count, but it doesn't seem to imbalance the game at all. While we also love Rosenburg's follow-up game Caverna, I think the insane variation that the cards add to Agricola make me appreciate it more.

Jenn and I have been digging into an "oldie but goodie," playing the absolute hell out of Agricola recently; I love that it seems to be very well balanced for just about every player count. Certain resources are more scarce depending upon the player count, but it doesn't seem to imbalance the game at all. While we also love Rosenburg's follow-up game Caverna, I think the insane variation that the cards add to Agricola make me appreciate it more.

I think many of the older Euros are under appreciated now. Just because a game is more complex, does not mean it is a better game. Agricola to me is a nearly perfect worker placement game.

My only quibble with it, is it can be won at the card draw at the beginning, but there are different draw/draft methods that can mitigate this. It is a great game. I have also used this as an intro game for new players (believe it or not). The beauty is you can tell people to run a balanced farm and they get it. Unlike other "easier" games which people may not understand what they are supposed to be doing.

Wife and I are still full on with Scythe, we love the game. Recently purchased both of expansions and will be playing through those.

We just dove into Anachrony, which seems promising so far.

I think many of the older Euros are under appreciated now. Just because a game is more complex, does not mean it is a better game. Agricola to me is a nearly perfect worker placement game.

My only quibble with it, is it can be won at the card draw at the beginning, but there are different draw/draft methods that can mitigate this. It is a great game. I have also used this as an intro game for new players (believe it or not). The beauty is you can tell people to run a balanced farm and they get it. Unlike other "easier" games which people may not understand what they are supposed to be doing.

What draw/draft methods do you use? I've been trying to work this into our games, but my group doesn't like the full draft method because it takes too long, and I chafe at our draw 10 discard three compromise as I feel it doesn't give enough control.

What draw/draft methods do you use? I've been trying to work this into our games, but my group doesn't like the full draft method because it takes too long, and I chafe at our draw 10 discard three compromise as I feel it doesn't give enough control.

I have not played this in a group setting in ages, but I believe we did a draw 7, pick one, pass to the left. Do that until you have 7 cards. That tended to keep things moving.

So based on the advanced search feature on BGG, I came up with the following games:

Game 1: Quadropolis
Game 2: Kaiju Crush
Game 3: Pass the Pandas (or possibly Animal Upon Animal, but PtP is a 100% match on the search)
Game 4: The Big Book of Madness

Would like your opinions on these!

I forgot to report the games I got from the Blind Box. Looks like I was correct in 3 of the 4 games.

Game 1: Quadropolis
Game 2: Kaiju Crush
Game 3: Pass the Pandas
Game 4: Shadowrift

I was surprised about Shadowrift, because Big Book of Madness was a closer match on the search. But not too disappointed, as I already had a copy of Big Book. :rolleyes:

I forgot to report the games I got from the Blind Box. Looks like I was correct in 3 of the 4 games.

Game 1: Quadropolis
Game 2: Kaiju Crush
Game 3: Pass the Pandas
Game 4: Shadowrift

I was surprised about Shadowrift, because Big Book of Madness was a closer match on the search. But not too disappointed, as I already had a copy of Big Book. :rolleyes:

Any favourites from the bunch?

Picked up the Mother of Dragons expansion for Game of Thrones.

It turns the game into an 8 player game adding the houses of Arryn and Targyen, And dragons. And a Vassai system And the Iron bank. And a 4th Westeros card. And HOLY SMOKES!

And I just bought the 3x3 play mat that incorporates the entire board.

Well, I pre-ordered it.

Have been playing some Chronicles of Crime last weekend. Received it as a birthday gift from my sisters and brothers. It's been a puzzling (no pun intended) experience. I'm flipflopping between "awesome" and "I don't get it". I'm honestly not a fan of having to use my smartphone all the time to be able to play this (I honestly can't see this being any better with a tablet). I tried to approach this like good old Lucas Arts' adventure games, but investigating witnesses actually wastes too much time to solve the puzzle. You have to get into the thinking of whomever made the scenario to take the right guess at what the solution is. Hence being torn between "I don't get it" and "awesome". Right now, I'm sensing I'll end up rating this about 6 out of 10, barely recommend it to others and have it end up on the pile of games that looked too promising.

ping: QuikSand

Birds Star In One of This Year's Hottest Board Games | Audubon (https://www.audubon.org/news/birds-star-one-years-hottest-board-games-wingspan)

She Invented a Board Game With Scientific Integrity. It’s Taking Off. (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/11/science/wingspan-board-game-elizabeth-hargrave.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share)

Going to Geekway to the West again. Great gamers con. This year I invited my nephews to join me. One lives in DC the other Orlando, they are both coming.

Really excited about this

ping: QuikSand

Birds Star In One of This Year's Hottest Board Games | Audubon (https://www.audubon.org/news/birds-star-one-years-hottest-board-games-wingspan)

She Invented a Board Game With Scientific Integrity. It’s Taking Off. (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/11/science/wingspan-board-game-elizabeth-hargrave.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share)

Whoa...bullseye.

My daughters and I have been playing Azul lately, it’s clever.

Played The Mind for the first time, and I see solid potential as a side-item game for casual fans, like my work colleagues. Not a hardcore game, but it definitely has a serious appeal.

The Mind had lost its appeal after one session with a certain group of mine. Everyone had been in high school band growing up, so we knew how to maintain rhythm in their heads. So once we all matched up rhythms, it was easy to play our cards when the numbers came. Each level gave little to no additional challenge to us, and we completed the game with no lives lost.

There are other groups I can introduce this game to, but I don't think I would participate in the game myself. It would be too frustrating to play with anyone else, after that one session where my internal clock was so beautifully in sync with the others.

The Mind had lost its appeal after one session with a certain group of mine. Everyone had been in high school band growing up, so we knew how to maintain rhythm in their heads. So once we all matched up rhythms, it was easy to play our cards when the numbers came. Each level gave little to no additional challenge to us, and we completed the game with no lives lost.

There are other groups I can introduce this game to, but I don't think I would participate in the game myself. It would be too frustrating to play with anyone else, after that one session where my internal clock was so beautifully in sync with the others.

The black eyed peas tried this but they lost the first round

The black eyed peas tried this but they lost the first round

I imagine the problem was that everybody in the band starts counting in their heads, "1, 2, 3, 4,..." and them will.i.am starts up in his head with some shit like, "1, 2, 3, 4, 1 1 1 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 111, 7. (beat) (beat) (beat)" and the whole thing is lost.

I have lost a lot of luster off The Mind personally, but it is still an absolute blast to teach and watch people play the game for the first time.

I have lost a lot of luster off The Mind personally, but it is still an absolute blast to teach and watch people play the game for the first time.

I played it a couple times, seemed kind of pointless to me. Not my cup of tea, I guess.

I have lost a lot of luster off The Mind personally, but it is still an absolute blast to teach and watch people play the game for the first time.I think I'll be in that camp, soon. It's mind blowing at first, but once the newness wears off, it tends to lose it's charm.

With Game of Thrones Season 8 upon us, I'll be inviting some family to a viewing party. I have some GoT themed games to play during the day while we wait for the premier that evening.

GoT: Board Game 2e (will pick up the Mother of Dragons expansion)
GoT: Catan
GoT: Hand of the King
and a GoT skinned version of Love Letter Premium that I created.

With Game of Thrones Season 8 upon us, I'll be inviting some family to a viewing party. I have some GoT themed games to play during the day while we wait for the premier that evening.

GoT: Board Game 2e (will pick up the Mother of Dragons expansion)
GoT: Catan
GoT: Hand of the King
and a GoT skinned version of Love Letter Premium that I created.


awesome

With Game of Thrones Season 8 upon us, I'll be inviting some family to a viewing party. I have some GoT themed games to play during the day while we wait for the premier that evening.

GoT: Board Game 2e (will pick up the Mother of Dragons expansion)
GoT: Catan
GoT: Hand of the King
and a GoT skinned version of Love Letter Premium that I created.

Can I come over?! ;) This sounds amazingly fun....

Going to cross-post this to the werewolf forums (does anyone go there anymore?), but I am extremely excited about the Blood on the Clocktower Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/pandemoniuminstitute/blood-on-the-clocktower) that has about two weeks left.

It's basically a souped-up version of werewolf (or mafia, if you are unfamiliar with Werewolf) that you play in person. It's a hidden role social deduction game where every single person has a secret role with a special power. There is one bad guy (demon) with a couple accomplices, a lot of good guys, and one storyteller, who is the moderator. Every day, the whole group votes to hang someone in an effort to root out the bad guy. Every night (typically), the bad guys get to kill someone. What's nice about this game is that players who die are still playing the game as opinionated ghosts. They lose their special powers, but get exactly one vote that they can use on any single vote for the rest of the game; this typically leads to a supercharged final night vote where all the ghosts cash in their votes to sway things a certain way.

The Kickstarter is pretty damned pricey, but the components are top notch, and the reviews I have read (https://storyboardgamer.com/2017/08/30/blood-on-the-clocktower/) or have watched (https://youtu.be/ImcG8sC7qT4) for the game are absolutely glowing with how much they enjoyed it. I am extremely intrigued by the complexity of some of the roles, and it sounds like playing the Storyteller is a hell of a good time as well.

Some of the interesting roles:
Washerwoman: Start the game knowing that a specific role is in play, and that the role is being played by one of two players...but they don't know which one.
Fortune Teller: Each night, pick two players and learn whether there is an evil player among the two you picked. Unfortunately, you sometimes register good players as evil... (Mechanically, one specific player registers incorrectly for them. It's the same player all game)
Juggler: On the first day, publicly guess the roles of up to 5 players out loud. That night - if you survive - learn how many of your guesses were correct.
Poisoner (Evil Minion): Each night, poison one player. That player has no role or special abilities for the remainder of that night and the following day. They do not know this, and the Storyteller is encouraged to give them false information while they are poisoned if they try to use their abilities.
Beggar: Cannot vote unless dead players donate their last vote token to him. Whenever a dead player donates their token to him, the Beggar learns whether or not they were good or evil. The Beggar can only use each token one time. This character is a Traveller, and can be either good or evil.

Played Between Two Cities (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/168435/between-two-cities) the other day. The premise is that the players sit around the table, and there is a city built between each player. So you build the city to the left in collaboration with the player to your left and the one to your right in collaboration with the player to your right. At the end, the cities are each scored on various criteria. You get the score of your lowest-scoring city (to keep players from just overbuilding one city).

It is a nice light game, but with enough strategy to keep it interesting. I think it would be great to introduce folks to strategy gaming (because it is not very intimidating) or as a lunch break if you have gaming-inclined co-workers (because once everyone knows what they are doing, a game takes about 20-25 minutes).

ping: QuikSand

Birds Star In One of This Year's Hottest Board Games | Audubon (https://www.audubon.org/news/birds-star-one-years-hottest-board-games-wingspan)

She Invented a Board Game With Scientific Integrity. It’s Taking Off. (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/11/science/wingspan-board-game-elizabeth-hargrave.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share)

HBTM, opened this up and played a few times this weekend.

Excellent game... I think. There's a little bit of "whatever you do is good" which I find to be subtly depressing in some games, but there's a definite gulf
between good and weak strategies.

It is aesthetically beautiful, a lot of very nice art and a few trimmings that add value. The birds on the cards, incidentally, have a variety of game-relevant characteristics that match very, very well to the appropriate real-world characteristics, which is a nice plus for the bird-inclined but may be invisible to others.


To try to describe the genre, it's something of an engine/building type. The things you do in the game are essentially play bird cards, lay eggs, gain food, and get more bird cards. The more you do of each of those things, you more effective they become and the more spillover benefits might accrue from them.

Very good, well thought-out game. Will introduce it to friends, and will put some shoulder into firing it up.

Going to play Caverna for the first time this weekend. Any tips/strategies people want to share?

From what I can tell, part of what makes the game good is that there is no one dominating strategy, but if there's a "rookies often make this mistake" aspect to it, then I'd love to know what that mistake is :-)

Soooo many thoughts.

Expanding your family is HUUUUUGE. It's still not as big as in Agricola (extra dwarves aren't worth as many points), but it's a big deal. Extra actions are awesome, and food is much easier to come by, so feeding the little buggers isn't nearly as difficult.
The game is mostly about relative value and scarcity. As you mentioned, you can go a lot of different ways, so if you can zig while others are zagging, you will have an easier time of it.
To expand on that a little - don't underestimate weapons and adventures. Free stuff is great, and being able to get an early cow or vegetable can be crucial. That being said, if two or three people are all angling for the ore needed to craft weapons, then you might be better off punting on weapons and taking advantage of the fact that the farming / gathering spaces are yours for the taking.
The furnished caves (that is, the non-housing rooms) are all one-and-done; the first person to get them gets them, and that's all she wrote. With that in mind, if you're looking for a particular synergy beware of having a room taken off the board out from under you.
You will definitely feel like you didn't have enough time / moves by the time the game is over, so don't get too cute or complicated with the planning.
Love Caverna - though I prefer Agricola, it is an excellent game.

More thoughts: don't overlook the idea that Donkeys can live in Mines; there's a furnished cavern that you can get that will provide you with food for every donkey in a mine, and that can be a killer combination on some often-overlooked worker placement spaces.

Other thoughts:
Prayer Cavern and Peaceful Cave make a great combination - convert all your weapons to food at the end, your last harvest is covered AND you get the no weapons bonus.
Along the lines of the Donkey tip above, Animal housing rules are probably the easiest to screw up - Dogs can herd sheep on unfenced tiles at a rate of Sheep = Total Dogs + 1 (so two dogs can herd three sheep), and Donkeys can live in Mines (1 Donkey per mine). You can't really "take advantage" of that, but it'll help you not screw your strategy up.
Likewise, once you have "weaponized" dwarves, you MUST play your dwarf with the highest valued weapon FIRST. Since the Blacksmith is typically a hotly contested space, this makes it much, much more difficult to arm your dwarves once you already have one weapon. This rule can be ignored only if you spend a ruby. Rubies are awesome by default, but this little twist makes them even better to have.
To emphasize the point in my first post above: your first goal should be to secure the materials you are going to need to furnish a dwelling so you are ready to have a baby dwarf the very first round it becomes available. Snagging the first player space the round BEFORE Wish for Children becomes available is a huge part of this strategy - though this is situational. If no one else has an additional dwelling yet, they can't take that space from you and you can wait them out.

Final thoughts, now that I'm not on my phone...

Random new player warnings: Mines can only be placed upon tunnels, and you can only place Furnishing tiles on caverns. Furnished caverns are only a single tile, but Mines are on twin tiles...which means you need two tunnels adjacent to one another to play them.
Similarly, you can only place pastures (fenced areas for holding animals) on open meadows. So if you want to use the larger (and more efficient) two-tiled pastures, you need to have your meadows aligned.
Typically the placement of your Excavation / Drift Mining / Clearing / Sustenance tiles doesn't matter, but don't overlook the bonuses printed on your player board; especially in the early rounds when you don't have much going on, the free food tiles for building on water sources can be huge. Also, be careful that grabbing the wild boar from the forest doesn't torpedo a strategy you have to get animals later. Animal housing rules are probably the most common misunderstanding I've seen while teaching this game.

One of the major decision points in the game comes down to how you build your "food engine." Typically, you have two choices: Animals or Crops.
Animals: cost a little more investment up front in terms of actions (you need to clear land, acquire wood, build fences to house them, then acquire the animals), but once you get enough animals, they are nearly self-sustaining and won't require re-investment. Don't underestimate the cost that this requires resources (wood) that you could otherwise be putting aside to build a new dwelling.
Farming: more straightforward (clear land, acquire crops, plant them), but after a few harvests you will have to re-plant.
Neither is stronger than the other in a vacuum; it'll be up to you to decide based upon what your opponents are doing what is the best strategy to follow. There are many Furnishing tiles that will improve one or more aspects of either of these; finding a combination that enhances what you are currently doing can be a huge boon.

Concordia is a fantastic game.

Concordia is a fantastic game.

I will also heartily approve of this. Just a very well-designed game.

Thanks, Vince! I came in a very close second in a 4 player game. I ended up having no expeditions or armed dwarves whatsoever. I focused on building the family, so I kept having babies and getting furnishings that made feeding them easier.

I was behind, I think, for most of the game. But the last few turns, I was able to just spam victory points with my extra turns. It almost worked. Overall, it is a really fun game.

Thanks, Vince! I came in a very close second in a 4 player game. I ended up having no expeditions or armed dwarves whatsoever. I focused on building the family, so I kept having babies and getting furnishings that made feeding them easier.

I was behind, I think, for most of the game. But the last few turns, I was able to just spam victory points with my extra turns. It almost worked. Overall, it is a really fun game.

Glad you enjoyed it, and more than happy to have helped! Caverna and Agricola get more table time than anything else I own, and I really enjoy both of them a ton. Excellent games.

Above and Below is a really good game. The story telling really adds a really awesome element. I wish ot was longer. I think there are some fan made rules that extend it.

Really like this one.

My game group got together after a year hiatus.
We had 5 hours.
One of the guys just started the Game of Thrones series and wanted to play again.
we got together at my house Thursday.

We played Game of Thrones with the Mother of Dragons expansion. WOW.

This expansion is fantastic. Incredible. Great.

The vassal system was the best addition to the game. We had 5 with 3 vassals. and it made the game so much better. Who controlled who was important. Deals were made to keep the vassal off your butt. Or to attck someone.

I was the Taragyen(sp?). And everyone went after me right away. My navy was bottled up and didnt help. I sacrificed a dragon early to improve their power. Then sent 2 to grab a victory point. Then lost both of them when 2 guys teamed up on me and crushed my dragons. This was ny turn 4.

lots of wheeling and dealing. And a great story developed.

We didnt get a full game in. I think we made it to turn 7 then had to quit.

I got an army of 3 nights on the main land by the last utrn of our game and claimed another loyalty token. Played the Drago card. WOW. thats a powerful card. use it wisely. It goes away.

That tied me for 1st place. Which I too after o losing my dragons.

Great expansion to a great game. I pre-ordered the 3x3 foot game mat. Cant wait to get that and play this game again.

This is easily one of my favorite games.

Game of Thrones is pretty awesome, but it can be a pretty slow game. And if you get screwed early (or at any time, really), it can be a really bad time for a really long time.

When it works, though, good lord is it a good game. The orders mechanic is just superb - secretly setting them is awesome enough, but the fact that they are all revealed simultaneously, only resolved one at a time, and each order's target is only set as they are resolved makes for some amazing "oh, shit" moments.

I have never understood why people love GoT so much, but many of these same people refuse to play Diplomacy. The strategic portion of the game is mostly the same, the main difference is the Dune style combat in GoT. Backstabbing is appreciated in GoT, in Diplomacy it is grounds for breaking off a friendship.

I have never played diplomacy. Want to, but havent.

I wonder if the theme is the difference. In GoT, backstabbing is part of the story. So it is expected.

I have never understood why people love GoT so much, but many of these same people refuse to play Diplomacy. The strategic portion of the game is mostly the same, the main difference is the Dune style combat in GoT. Backstabbing is appreciated in GoT, in Diplomacy it is grounds for breaking off a friendship.

I have never played diplomacy. Want to, but havent.

I wonder if the theme is the difference. In GoT, backstabbing is part of the story. So it is expected.

I'm with tarcone on this one. I own Diplomacy and want to play, but have never been able to get it to the table. Part of that is the reputation of the game making me hesitant to work too hard at getting it to the table, but a significant part is also the length of the game.

I'm with tarcone on this one. I own Diplomacy and want to play, but have never been able to get it to the table. Part of that is the reputation of the game making me hesitant to work too hard at getting it to the table, but a significant part is also the length of the game.

Getting 7 people who enjoy that style of game is *hard*.

Isnt diplomacy a game you can play over email?
There is there a Vassal module for it. Not sure, but you can save games as you go I imagine.

I bet we could scare up 7 to play it.

There used to be online judges for Diplomacy that worked quite well. I used them on occasion to play with friends around the country. I'm sure a quick Google would find something still out there.

Found a HS football game with a real system of game play that is based on real HS teams.

It is originally $55, bit with the code PRIME you get it half off. indiovidual teams are $10.

It is called Friday Night Lights.

Friday Night Legends | Fall's Mightiest Heroes (http://www.fridaynightlegends.com/)

The digital version of Gloomhaven is now in Early Access on Steam for $24.99. Still more than I want to pay, but when the actual board game is $80+....


Gloomhaven on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/780290/Gloomhaven/)

The digital version of Gloomhaven is now in Early Access on Steam for $24.99. Still more than I want to pay, but when the actual board game is $80+....


Gloomhaven on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/780290/Gloomhaven/)

I’ll definitely follow the PC version of this game. I have the board game and it’s definitely one of my favorites.

The digital version of Gloomhaven is now in Early Access on Steam for $24.99. Still more than I want to pay, but when the actual board game is $80+....


Gloomhaven on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/780290/Gloomhaven/)

I am fascinated to see if this works. The board game (after my three hour immersion) seems super deep and very complex. On one level that sounds like a great port to computer - let all the dice-rolling happen automagically, etc. But the flip side is (I'm guessing) that all the tedium is actually part of the immersion, which would make the rewards more substantive.

I could see this becoming a thing where I play the game for 15 hours and like it. The other guy who did the same tasks on an actual table top over the course of 300 hours LOVES it. (c.f. online RPGs where you can skip the "grind" and just create an already-developed character)

Isnt diplomacy a game you can play over email?
There is there a Vassal module for it. Not sure, but you can save games as you go I imagine.

I bet we could scare up 7 to play it.

We played an FOFC Diplomacy game here once, many many moons ago. Dunno if it was ever finished.

I'd be kinda interested in joining one if we did it.

I am fascinated to see if this works. The board game (after my three hour immersion) seems super deep and very complex. On one level that sounds like a great port to computer - let all the dice-rolling happen automagically, etc. But the flip side is (I'm guessing) that all the tedium is actually part of the immersion, which would make the rewards more substantive.

I could see this becoming a thing where I play the game for 15 hours and like it. The other guy who did the same tasks on an actual table top over the course of 300 hours LOVES it. (c.f. online RPGs where you can skip the "grind" and just create an already-developed character)


Yeah I simply cannot afford the box version, so I'm hoping the digital version comes somewhat close at least by the time early access is over. Here's a quick look at someone first try at the digital version. Not much in the way of strategizing or explaining what's going on, but gives you a good look at what is in the game right now:


GloomHaven Early Access First Impressions and Gameplay - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1aASZYI4nE)

7th Continent Extra Kickstarter copies now available (USA)

Link: Serious Poulp (https://shop.seriouspoulp.com/us/)

For those of you that missed the kickstarters for this. Website is getting hammered and it took me trying my credit card a bunch before it actually went through.

I feel bad for Catalyst Game Labs, they partnered with someone to do a worker placement shadowrun game (Shadowrun: Sprawl Ops) on kickstarter, and hoo boy have things gone sideways for them (not their fault!)

The campaign went great (nearly $300K from about 2800 backers). The game had a relatively smooth path to release, until it got in the hand of the distributors that Catalyst used.

First off, they screwed up the most popular backing option (the Legendary edition with the 5-6 player expansion). The United States Backers of this didn't get the 5-6 player expansion, they instead got a different Catalyst game (Jarl, a Vikings-themed tile laying game). That would be bad enough (probably a small loss, Jarl is not a big selling game), but the distributor in trying to fix it, made things 100% worse.

In trying to set up a second round of mailing to get everyone the 5-6 player expansion, they sent all the US backers at that level a SECOND copy of Legendary Edition along with it. (That's a $100 backer level)

So, there's not really much they can do to recover the extra copies out there,
and not only that, but now they don't have copies to send their EU-AU backers forcing a reprint (causing several months of delay). Some folks have volunteered to bring them back the extra copies (there's a thread of folks who are dropping it off at GenCon or Origins)

This has caused something like $30,000 in losses of extra copies out there and reprints, and caused them strife with their EU/AU customers). Now, they're going to be recovering it one way or another from the distributor (either through a settlement or lawsuits), but still, talk about a comedy of errors.)

(fake edit:) Oh, it gets better, this was sent out recently

And yet another error on PSI's part. Some of you may have seen retail versions of the game Sprawl Ops in LGS's. (Local Game Stores). I was asking people about it and noticed that retail versions were released to stores by PSI. Catalyst did not sanction that release. Their instructions were to wait until all or the majority of Kickstarter backers got their product.

real edit: That's retail copies of the game, not the legendary edition that people backed, but still, follks are in pitchfork and torches mode, despite CGL not having anything to do with it

Dola: Just to give you an idea of the size of the box (and remember, I actually got TWO of them instead of one)

Shared album - David Yellope - Google Photos (https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPNwQafLhpRyWXiKr5q7U-pc6DrgFLTpx1Lo9dAZCG99AAhtfN2omHdUOStesXhRA?key=eFBXZE8yQnp0QVQxaXFTVzc5aXgySjd1bTNIZU5R)

wow glad I don't work in customer service for that company Foz-that's a whole lot of screwing up.

7th Continent Extra Kickstarter copies now available (USA)

Link: Serious Poulp (https://shop.seriouspoulp.com/us/)

For those of you that missed the kickstarters for this. Website is getting hammered and it took me trying my credit card a bunch before it actually went through.

If anyone else is interested I have the whole set - original and kickstarted expansion - and I'm looking to sell. For whatever reason hasn't really tripped my trigger. The expansion isn't even out of the shrink wrap.

Catalyst has a new kickstarter today (for a new box set in their battletech universe, focusing on the clan invasion).

Funded in 7 minutes.

500K in less than a day.

(Now here's hoping they keep PSI far far away from the product)

Yeah I simply cannot afford the box version, so I'm hoping the digital version comes somewhat close at least by the time early access is over. Here's a quick look at someone first try at the digital version. Not much in the way of strategizing or explaining what's going on, but gives you a good look at what is in the game right now:


GloomHaven Early Access First Impressions and Gameplay - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1aASZYI4nE)


quill18 plays gloomhaven:


Let's Try Gloomhaven -- Dungeon-Crawling, Tactical-RPG - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78oo6w8vglU)

I have been itching to pull the trigger on the digital gloomhaven but haven’t yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I have been itching to pull the trigger on the digital gloomhaven but haven’t yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


I think I eventually will. $25 for eventually a large (full?) portion of what the board game has to offer for $100+ And you don't have to find table space for all the parts/keep track of what you need going forward. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

I couldn't resist and picked up Wacky Races The Boardgame.
It sounds close to as crazy as the cartoon was.

I've always been intrigued by Gloomhaven but felt that I would never realistically get it on the table just due to the sheer magnitude of the thing. So I pulled the trigger on digital Gloomhaven yesterday and do not regret it. Spent a few hours going through the rules and running my first few adventures and had a blast.

I've always been intrigued by Gloomhaven but felt that I would never realistically get it on the table just due to the sheer magnitude of the thing. So I pulled the trigger on digital Gloomhaven yesterday and do not regret it. Spent a few hours going through the rules and running my first few adventures and had a blast.


I gave in and got it today. When the board game is going for $80+ and will likely never come down to the $25 for the digital version which will have most of the same stuff, I just couldn't resist. I do worry about DLC's down the road that I will have to pay for, but that seems a long way off right now.

I personally really want the GoT game (and Mother of Dragon expansion because Daenerys is love, Daenerys is life), but it'd be quite an expense with no one to play with and would just sit unused.

I personally really want the GoT game (and Mother of Dragon expansion because Daenerys is love, Daenerys is life), but it'd be quite an expense with no one to play with and would just sit unused.

Look for gaming meet ups. Or go to cons. Always a great time to play it.

My group rarely gets together anymore, but I am looking to pimp my game out with plastic minis and there are iron thrones and 3 eyed ravens for purchase.

This is a fantastic game. Very much worth owning. Very thematic and tells a story when played.

I also pre-ordered the 3 x 3 playmat that FFG is putting out. I have dropped a lot money into this game and it rarely gets played, but I love it.

I gave in and got it today. When the board game is going for $80+ and will likely never come down to the $25 for the digital version which will have most of the same stuff, I just couldn't resist. I do worry about DLC's down the road that I will have to pay for, but that seems a long way off right now.


So lesson #1-remember that running out of cards burns (kills) your adventurer until the next dungeon. Lost one of my two halfway through the first dungeon, still nearly pulled off the last room thanks to Cragheart's retaliate ability.



Lesson #2-remember my characters have items that might have helped me survive.

Steam having a Digital Board Game sale through the weekend. Bunch of Games there ones that stood out were Slay the Spire for 50% off, Hand of Fate I for $5 (and 40% off II), Mysterium for $3, and Elder Sign: Omens for a $1. Sadly no Gloomhaven sale yet. :(

FFG announced their newest LCG, Marvel Champions: The Card Game.

Just as I decide to cease spending money on Arhkam Horror LCG after The Circle Undone expansion, this comes out.

And yes, I do have almost all of the Legendary Marvel collection too.

I bought Axis and Allies 1942. Hope its great.

I take it our Diplomacy Vassal game is a no go?

What kind of time commitment would we be looking at? My availability lately is super scattershot, and I wouldn't want to hold up the game.

Okay so I’ve been trying to remember the name of this game for weeks. It’s a historical game where you manage a fallen gentry family’s estate and try to restore their social standing- I seem to recall a pair of twins as suitors who could save everything if you get to marry one of them

Obsession | Board Game | BoardGameGeek (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/231733/obsession)


Obsession? Came out last year, not sure if its older than that

Obsession | Board Game | BoardGameGeek (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/231733/obsession)


Obsession? Came out last year, not sure if its older than that

Yes, that’s it! Thanks! Now I just have to find where to buy it because it’s perfect for a solo game dynasty

Yes, that’s it! Thanks! Now I just have to find where to buy it because it’s perfect for a solo game dynasty

It’s on Kickstarter right now(second printing) about 2 days left.

It’s on Kickstarter right now(second printing) about 2 days left.

Perfect timing! Just backed it to get the base game and both expansions in March. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Planning to play Tapestry this weekend. Anyone played it? Any tips/hints on good strategies?

The Family and I have been playing "Wingspan" a bird collecting engine building game. I admit the first time I ever played it I was like "Bird watching? dafuq?" but I really love the game. Its quick, its strategic and extremely replayable. There are expansions to make it even moreso.

Picked up Marvel Champions, the new solo/co-op LCG from Fantasy Flight Games. I'm a sucker for card games, and this one hits a lot of great notes for me. The mechanics share a lot of similarities with previous co-op LCG's like Lord of the Rings and Arkham Horror, but this one is set apart in a couple of key ways.


First, the theme is obviously a huge draw, but also the way they have tied that into the mechanics via the alter-ego/hero card flipping is pretty cool.



Second, the match times are fantastic. I've played 5 times now and by the last match I was able to setup, play, and tear down in 30 minutes. Yet in those 30 minutes I had to make a bunch of interesting decisions and had a bunch of fun.



The only thing missing at this point is a larger campaign mode to tie the fights together, but hopefully that is something they can add on via expansions down the road. For now I'm having a blast with what's in the box.

:+1: The Family and I have been playing "Wingspan" a bird collecting engine building game. I admit the first time I ever played it I was like "Bird watching? dafuq?" but I really love the game. Its quick, its strategic and extremely replayable. There are expansions to make it even moreso.

I've played Wingspan about 10 times and each game seems more fun!

I have heard wonderful things about Marvel Champions.

I'll have to skip Marvel Champions for now, FFG is sucking up enough of my money with LotR LCG and I'm thinking of getting the Super Star Destroyer for Armada.

Very interested in both Wingspan and Tapestry. Curious how their solo play works.



Albion, BoardGameGeek has a "let's play" of Tapestry on their you tube channel-GameNight crew. I've not watched it yet, but it may help develop some strategies.

I'm excited for Marvel Champions. I just picked this up but haven't played yet. I've stopped buying AH:LCG after the Circle Undone cycle for this one, so most likely I'll go all-in as the expansions keep coming.

Much like I do for Legendary Marvel.

Picked up Marvel Champions, the new solo/co-op LCG from Fantasy Flight Games. I'm a sucker for card games, and this one hits a lot of great notes for me. The mechanics share a lot of similarities with previous co-op LCG's like Lord of the Rings and Arkham Horror, but this one is set apart in a couple of key ways.

First, the theme is obviously a huge draw, but also the way they have tied that into the mechanics via the alter-ego/hero card flipping is pretty cool.

Second, the match times are fantastic. I've played 5 times now and by the last match I was able to setup, play, and tear down in 30 minutes. Yet in those 30 minutes I had to make a bunch of interesting decisions and had a bunch of fun.

The only thing missing at this point is a larger campaign mode to tie the fights together, but hopefully that is something they can add on via expansions down the road. For now I'm having a blast with what's in the box.
Just picked this up. How does the Coop work (thinking about playing with my two sons)?

Very interested in both Wingspan and Tapestry. Curious how their solo play works.



Albion, BoardGameGeek has a "let's play" of Tapestry on their you tube channel-GameNight crew. I've not watched it yet, but it may help develop some strategies.

They both use the Automa system that other Stonemaier games have used. Haven't played Wingspan solo, but Tapestry solo is pretty good.

Thanks Rock

They both use the Automa system that other Stonemaier games have used. Haven't played Wingspan solo, but Tapestry solo is pretty good.

I was interested in Tapestry until I read a few reviews that mentioned you can have technologies/innovations like space travel before you discover written language for example. That killed it for me.

Yeah, I'm a huge Stonemaier Games fanboy, and I've also cooled on Tapestry. The imbalance between factions and the random nature of the deck can make for hugely imbalanced games, from reviews I have read. It probably doesn't happen often, but I'm reading accounts of certain games being over basically by turn two or three simply because someone drew the exact card that combos perfectly with their faction. Or someone who just has a miserable time because they never draw any good cards for their faction. Combine that with the jarring possibility that Galaril described of randomized technologies, and the game really doesn't let it sit in that Civilization-style game space in my head, so it loses another point with me there. One of my two go-to review teams (No Pun Included) had a somewhat scathing review of it as a game that obviously needed more playtesting and balancing before release. Even with all that being said there's a ton about the game that I like, so I'm still interested...but probably won't get it unless someone in my family gifts it to me for Christmas.

On the other hand, Wingspan is fantastic. Finally got my copy about two weeks ago, and we've put in a handful of games with two players, and a single game with three players. It's an excellent blend of simplicity (four actions, period, that don't ever change throughout the game) and tactical/strategic decision-making. Combine that with just superb quality components, and you have a quick to teach, quick to play, interesting game. Each of our games so far have been close (< 10 points 1st to Last, with scores in the 70-80 range), and my preliminary and anecdotal feel is that player agency has as much to do with the outcome as the random card draw does.

It's pretty early, but this feels like a game that is going to be on my shortlist for a long time.

In an effort to bring up things we all may have been doing during this crazy time, I've leaned full on into my board gaming hobby with my wife. Apologies for the wall of text incoming!

Planning to play Tapestry this weekend. Anyone played it? Any tips/hints on good strategies?

Did you get to play it? What did you think?

I've managed to get a bunch of new board games to my table in the last few weeks; between a lot of gifts for Christmas of board games and with the baby on the way, the wife and I have been downsizing a ton, so I've been using it as an excuse to get games she hasn't played to the table to determine whether they stay in our collection or not.

Games that made the cut:

I did end up getting Tapestry, and we've played it three times at the 2 player count. I am a sucker, and love it; that being said, we haven't seen any of the runaway card combinations yet, and I'm sure the game plays much differently at higher player counts. Jury is still out long-term; we need many more plays to get a real feel for it. I love the interplay of building both combinations in your actions and building your capital city to maximize bonuses and build your engine.

Everdell has been a big hit as a medium-weight Worker Placement game (we typically roll out Agricola or Caverna, which seem...more demanding). Played it a handful of times at both 2 and 4 players. Card combinations can be pretty amazing, and the large variety of cards that are freely visible at almost all times (8) helps reduce getting randomly screwed by the deck - though it can definitely still happen. The art is awesome, though the Evertree kind of blocks visibility for some of the people at the table.

Uwe Rosenburg is a big hit in our house (in case the Agricola and Caverna drops before didn't register), and we recently got to play A Feast For Odin. This is a monster of a worker placement game to digest with 61 options to place your workers on every turn. That being said, it simplifies the hell out of a lot of mechanics from Agricola and Caverna - feeding your people, housing livestock, housing workers, and getting more workers are all done practically automatically, so you get to focus on the polyomino Tetris-like mini-game of getting all your stuff in places. It's fascinating how many different ways you can go with your vikings, and I'm looking forward to getting it to the table more.

We also tried out Viticulture: Essential Edition and like the simple nature of it compared to the huge sprawling complexities of the Rosenburgs and Everdell. You're just making wine, there are 12 total action spaces, and make it happen. Can you tell that worker placement is our jam over here? Anyhow, just because there are only 12 action spaces, that doesn't mean this can't get juicy quickly; having access to only half the actions in each season and knowing that once placed, a worker is generally lost to you for the opposing season, you really get a wonderful puzzle of optimizing your placements. Combine that with the first player taking a space getting a significant bonus (in the 3+ player count versions of the game) and you really have to think about not only what you are doing, but in what order you are doing it to make sure you don't end up with sour grapes. Unfortunately, the 2 player game seems like a poor vintage because each space can only handle one worker and there is no bonus; it's still a fun, thinky puzzle, but I vastly prefer the higher player count after our 6 or so games.

Breaking the worker-placement mold, I was able to convince my wife to play The Silver River, a space-themed 4X game that I kickstarted a while back. The draw of the game is "a 4X that can be played in 90 minutes" - which seemed amazing to someone who counts Eclipse as one of his favorite board games of all time. It also seemed pretty far-fetched, and over the course of waiting for the Kickstarter to be fulfilled, I started regretting my investment. After a single 2-player game, I am cautiously optimistic that not only will it work as a shorter game (our game took 2 hours and we were learning everything as we went), but it will also do a decent enough job of scratching that 4X itch. There are several clever mechanics that reward quick play without breaking the theme or immersion. Obviously we need a few more plays, but my wife - who is not a big fan of area control / dudes on a map games - admitted that she liked it a lot more than she thought she would after our one playthrough so far.

Similarly, I picked up A War of Whispers in an effort to get a lighter / quicker version of the backstabbing trickery of the "A Game of Thrones, 2nd Edition" board game. We played this one with my parents and it didn't land particularly well; this game is more suited to my old gaming group as opposed to my current group, and the abstract-ness of the pieces on the board not really "belonging" to any of the people playing the game was a little hard to get used to for the group. The main thrust of the game is that you play the role of the sly spymasters who work behind the scenes to really determine what happens in the realm - much like the characters Varys and Littlefinger from A Game of Thrones. Personally, I was very intrigued by the mechanics, and would love to give it a try with a group more suited to this style of game.

Betrayal at House on the Hill is not a new game to me, but I had yet to bring it to the table with my wife. We had a pretty great time with it, as my brutish football star Ox Bellows decided that he needed to abduct a little girl we found in the mansion and teach all his former friends a lesson by locking them in and blowing up the mansion. Good old professor Longfellow sacrificed himself on the second floor to an enraged Ox while Madam Zostra defeated the wraith in the basement to rescue the little girl. Zoe Ingstrom tried unsuccessfully to pick the lock on the front door, and by the time Zostra was up in the foyer with the little girl, Ox was barreling down the stairs at all of them. In the nick of time, they were able to break down the front door and escape before Ox was able to complete his revenge!

In the Year of the Dragon is a Stefan Feld (Trajan, Castles of Burgundy, many, many others) game that I somehow got a hold of on a huge online sale one time. We finally played a bit of it, and it's a tight little near-perfect information game. Everyone starts with the same resources, and each of the challenges that you will face is randomized fro each game, but the order they will appear is known so you can plan for each of them. I would call this game good but not great; I was actually ready to put it into the cut pile, but my wife convinced me that we should keep it around.

Finally, another oldie but goodie that my wife hadn't played was Galaxy Trucker. I've owned this game forever, but never really had a chance to play it with my old gaming group because one member of the group hated it with a fiery passion. He just had a hard time watching all his hard work get destroyed on the run at the end of things. Personally, the craziness and destruction is one of the best parts, so I do not suffer from his issue. A lot of it is random (card draw and dice rolling), though proper ship construction can help mitigate a lot of the damage. Strangely enough, even though I heavily lean against randomness and toward strategy/tactics I do enjoy the heck out of this game, mostly for the absurdity factor.

Games that did not make the cut:

Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn is a living card game that is a duel game like Magic: The Gathering. This was a Christmas gift that was not on my list, nor was it on my radar. Having played Magic back in the 90's, I am not unfamiliar with these types of games...but I am mostly disinterested at this point. While there were some interesting mechanics - this involved dice as your "mana pool" so you start ready to rock rather than having to build up your strength - there was nothing here to push me into the interested camp.

Letters from Whitechapel this hidden-movement game is a beefed up version of the classic Scotland Yard, where one player plays Jack the Ripper, and the remaining players form a team of constables trying to track him down. Each round, Jack secretly marks one of several targets to be his kill for the evening, while the police spread throughout Whitechapel utilizing dummy patrols as well as real constables in an attempt to form a net that Jack can't escape. I enjoyed this one, but both my wife and my dad were not at all impressed. We didn't even make it through the playthrough, just the first round of the game.

Other cut games that we didn't bother playing and I put on the list to clear space: Fortress America
Dominion (for some reason I had two copies of the base game; kept one)
Dominion: Prosperity
Dominion: Seaside
Arkham Horror (sigh...just never able to get this to the table. Ever.)
Five Tribes (this one was maybe the hardest to put on the list. I really like it, but if I wanted something like this I think I'd reach for a handful of other games first)
Shadows Over Camelot (too many other hidden role / social deduction games in my collection I'd play over this one)
Android: Netrunner (another one I was sad to get rid of, but the wife can't stand the style, and I have no one else I would ever play this with)

If you want a filler game similar to Betrayal on the House on the Hill, check out Grindhouse.

This is a quick "dungeon crawler". Takes about 30 minutes.

Is better with more than 2. But it is very different and brutal. The rules all appear on the room cards and persona cards. Its a good time. Worth the buy in my opinion.

Daughters really liked it. Wife not so much.

I got in on the recent MM but $200 worth of games to get a chnace to get a $1000 gift card. I pulled a $15 gift card. But I got Brass: Birmingham, Combat Commander: Pacific, Near and Far and a few expansions.

Im looking forward to learning these games, but am thinking of breaking out my old Title Bout game and having a Heavy weight 32 boxer tournament. Which I will do a Dynasty report. I also, just bought Pacific Tide from COmpass games. A WW2 Pacific Theater game. Its set up on the table and the rules are ready to be digested. Though I tend to fall asleep reading rules.

Solo is the word for me. So many games to play.

Arkham Horror (sigh...just never able to get this to the table. Ever.

My Bro-in-Law is a huge Halloween guy. Biggest day of the year for him, etc.

And so sometime in the season, he'll have a Halloween party that centers around Arkham Horror. Makes a playlist, serves themed snacks, etc. It's a grand time.

I've also, however, played a game of Eldrich Horror where we all got our ass kicked so hard and so quickly that we decided that the game was really the scene in the first ten minutes of an adventure movie showing how the Earth fell, and then the screen goes to black and you see the words "500 years later . . ."

I guess what I am saying is that they are amazing games, but I think of them almost more as interactive stories than board games.

I should really get into solo gaming...I just can't for some reason. I have a ton of great options even without going out to purchase more (Tapestry, Scythe, Gloomhaven, Terraforming Mars, Mage Knight, The 7th Continent, Spirit Island), but I just have a hard time getting into them playing by myself.

My Bro-in-Law is a huge Halloween guy. Biggest day of the year for him, etc.

And so sometime in the season, he'll have a Halloween party that centers around Arkham Horror. Makes a playlist, serves themed snacks, etc. It's a grand time.

I've also, however, played a game of Eldrich Horror where we all got our ass kicked so hard and so quickly that we decided that the game was really the scene in the first ten minutes of an adventure movie showing how the Earth fell, and then the screen goes to black and you see the words "500 years later . . ."

I guess what I am saying is that they are amazing games, but I think of them almost more as interactive stories than board games.

This is how I feel about Nemesis, the new Alien hidden-role game. The Shut Up & Sit Down review of it was spot on, and made me wish I had a friend that owned the game: 15% or so of people are going to actively hate this game, and you might spend two hours being frustrated at not being able to get what you want to get done, done...but at the end, it will make for an incredible story.

I would love to play that game...not sure I want to own or teach that game.

Arkham Horror is a fun game. Though my friend and my first play was too easy.

We need to play a tougher scenario. Fun game though.

Vince when this virus is over with, I'm coming to your house to play board games :) I play board games solo, and am very happy to see a lot of them go digital cause the price for most I'm interested in are just way too expensive and there's no setup/cleanup. Have you tried any to play solo?


I just saw that Charterstone, which I didn't even know was going digital, now has a digital version. Have you played that?

I will ask this and am not expecting a whole lot, but, hey, you never know.

Anyone want to get together on VASSAL and play a game? Id be down for a game of Arkham Horror, or anything really. I am isolating myself because of my medical issue and am getting bored.

LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN

Vince when this virus is over with, I'm coming to your house to play board games :) I play board games solo, and am very happy to see a lot of them go digital cause the price for most I'm interested in are just way too expensive and there's no setup/cleanup. Have you tried any to play solo?


I just saw that Charterstone, which I didn't even know was going digital, now has a digital version. Have you played that?

Would love to have you over, Thomkal! I've managed to amass quite a collection, even after the culling I've been through recently.

I have played through an entire campaign of Charterstone. It's...decent. It has a few parts that I absolutely love, and one mechanic in particular that made one of our 10 games incredible - like, I'm going to talk about it for years incredible - but overall it's just kinda ok. The story is a let-down, the gameplay is good-but-not-great, and there was really only one moment of "oh, wow!" in the entire box. A lot of the decision-making during the campaign (so between games) feels like it's building up to a nice, juicy payoff...and it fell really flat in the end for our group. Of the Legacy games I've played (Risk: Legacy an almost embarrassing number of times and we're halfway through our first play of Pandemic: Legacy Season 1) it's easily the weakest.

Overall, I think I'd still probably recommend it as a fun time for the legacy version. I think the let-down is less that it was a bad ending and more that it didn't meet its own expectations that were built up during play.

If you were looking just to play it for the game itself, and not the campaign/Legacy aspect, I'd say you can do much better for a light-to-medium weight worker placement game.

I will ask this and am not expecting a whole lot, but, hey, you never know.

Anyone want to get together on VASSAL and play a game? Id be down for a game of Arkham Horror, or anything really. I am isolating myself because of my medical issue and am getting bored.

LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN

As mentioned before - I'd love to, but my schedule is still all over the place. Fortunately/unfortunately I'm still working during the quarantine, so I wouldn't be available during the day.

For the triple-dola, I have a hard time even setting one up to play solo; I feel like when I'm by myself, a video game is a much better time. I really need to give some of my games a whirl solo just to see if I like it once I start actually playing them.

Just picked up a game called Campaign Trail from Cosmic Wombat Games.

Reviewers loved it.

Its a card driven presidential campaign game. Plays 1-6.

$55 with free shipping to USA.

Home | cosmicwombatgames (https://www.cosmicwombatgames.com/)

I will ask this and am not expecting a whole lot, but, hey, you never know.

Anyone want to get together on VASSAL and play a game? Id be down for a game of Arkham Horror, or anything really. I am isolating myself because of my medical issue and am getting bored.

LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN

only game I played via vassal was Thunder alley and I loved it! Is there a mechanism to play it live?

I will ask this and am not expecting a whole lot, but, hey, you never know.

Anyone want to get together on VASSAL and play a game? Id be down for a game of Arkham Horror, or anything really. I am isolating myself because of my medical issue and am getting bored.

LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN
I've never done VASSAL. But consider me curious.

only game I played via vassal was Thunder alley and I loved it! Is there a mechanism to play it live?

I played with you, remember?

There is a way to play games live. I played a game of Lincoln against a guy once.

I have not been on VASSAL since those Thunder ALley games, but we could figure it out.

I played with you, remember?

There is a way to play games live. I played a game of Lincoln against a guy once.

I have not been on VASSAL since those Thunder ALley games, but we could figure it out.

If we could do it live count me in.

Post details here

Does it have to be a game we all own? Or is it all done online?

Online. We need to discuss what game we want to play. VASSAL has a ton of board games.

If one owns it and can explain the rules that is our best bet.

Sounds like we have 4.

So it comes down to what game we want to play, when we want to meet to play and who can teach it.

Count me in.

Let me check with Mrs. A about availability. Evening will work best for me because I am fortunate enough to still be able to work full time from home

I'll kick around VASSAL and see what's there.

i vote thunder alley of course, my fave

Count me in.

Let me check with Mrs. A about availability. Evening will work best for me because I am fortunate enough to still be able to work full time from home

I'll kick around VASSAL and see what's there.

+1. Happy to teach if I know the game.

Another option is games with a digital conversion:

D&D Lords of Waterdeep on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/644390/DD_Lords_of_Waterdeep/)

Perhaps this one (5 player?)

Hey guys. I am looking for some suggestions since we are under a stay-at-home order I thought maybe it was a good time to get into a more complex board game. I have no idea what I am doing here.

I want a board game or two that I can play with my wife and daughter. Some background on them.

My daughter is up for a little strategy gaming. She's not afraid to play a game that makes you think too much.

My wife on the other hand hates Monopoly, Risk, etc. She won't even play Clue with me because of the 'strategy' involved.

So, I am looking for a game that the 3 of us could play together. Maybe something that is co-op?

I would love to play a game that is simple that doesn't take a ton of strategy and the game changes as you play it.

Looking for any suggestions.

Hey guys. I am looking for some suggestions since we are under a stay-at-home order I thought maybe it was a good time to get into a more complex board game. I have no idea what I am doing here.

I want a board game or two that I can play with my wife and daughter. Some background on them.

My daughter is up for a little strategy gaming. She's not afraid to play a game that makes you think too much.

My wife on the other hand hates Monopoly, Risk, etc. She won't even play Clue with me because of the 'strategy' involved.

So, I am looking for a game that the 3 of us could play together. Maybe something that is co-op?

I would love to play a game that is simple that doesn't take a ton of strategy and the game changes as you play it.

Looking for any suggestions.

While this may be a little on the nose, Pandemic is a great co-op game that doesn't take a lot of strategy and has a lot of re-playability. It tends to be my go-to for people who haven't played a lot of board games as an intro to co-op games.

Heroes of the Multi-verse is a fun, co-op super hero card game.

Hey guys. I am looking for some suggestions since we are under a stay-at-home order I thought maybe it was a good time to get into a more complex board game. I have no idea what I am doing here.

I want a board game or two that I can play with my wife and daughter. Some background on them.

My daughter is up for a little strategy gaming. She's not afraid to play a game that makes you think too much.

My wife on the other hand hates Monopoly, Risk, etc. She won't even play Clue with me because of the 'strategy' involved.

So, I am looking for a game that the 3 of us could play together. Maybe something that is co-op?

I would love to play a game that is simple that doesn't take a ton of strategy and the game changes as you play it.

Looking for any suggestions.

I honestly don't see a game that could be called a strategy game that would have less strategy than Clue or Monopoly.

But one that might fit the bill would be Ticket to Ride. The overall strategy is pretty simple (every player is a railroad tycoon. You collect cards that let you build train routes, and you get points for completing certain routes, building longer routes, etc). It has enough strategy to keep people engaged, but it is considered a light strategy game.

It is also available on Steam, and you can play it pass-and-play, so you don't have to deal with all the pieces, etc.

Settlers of Catan is another great introduction strategy game, but it has a bit more going on that Ticket to Ride, and it might be a bit much for your wife.

Exploding Kittens is another fun family game by the guy who writes The Oatmeal. It is very easy to pick up, and we've enjoyed it the last couple of weeks.

dola: neither of the ones I suggested are co-op.

While this may be a little on the nose, Pandemic is a great co-op game that doesn't take a lot of strategy and has a lot of re-playability. It tends to be my go-to for people who haven't played a lot of board games as an intro to co-op games.

Heroes of the Multi-verse is a fun, co-op super hero card game.

Both excellent suggestions.

I will also shill for Wingspan here - it's deceptively simple (on your turn, do one of four very simple actions) but there is a lot of depth to how you can make it work.

While this may be a little on the nose, Pandemic is a great co-op game that doesn't take a lot of strategy and has a lot of re-playability. It tends to be my go-to for people who haven't played a lot of board games as an intro to co-op games.

Heroes of the Multi-verse is a fun, co-op super hero card game.

I agree about pandemic. And I have the first version if you want it. Played a few times. But not so much in the last few years. I will send it to you.

I didnt like Heroes of the multi-verse. It was way to mathy for me.

But I would say the DC deck building game is a real good game. Lots of different ways to win. Very fun and easy game. Not coop, but has expansions that allow it to be. Card game by the way.
This is also a super hero game set in the CD comic world.

Another option is games with a digital conversion:

D&D Lords of Waterdeep on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/644390/DD_Lords_of_Waterdeep/)

Perhaps this one (5 player?)

I think I have this one sitting around unplayed in my steam library somewhere.

Several months ago I went to an antique store and found the original Sports Illustrated College Football flat box game. The game was later released as Bowl Bound. Last night Bear finally played a game with me. I liked it. The teams we had to choose from were the first set teams, I'm sure I'll enjoy it more when I play more modern teams.

Hey guys. I am looking for some suggestions since we are under a stay-at-home order I thought maybe it was a good time to get into a more complex board game. I have no idea what I am doing here.

I want a board game or two that I can play with my wife and daughter. Some background on them.

My daughter is up for a little strategy gaming. She's not afraid to play a game that makes you think too much.

My wife on the other hand hates Monopoly, Risk, etc. She won't even play Clue with me because of the 'strategy' involved.

So, I am looking for a game that the 3 of us could play together. Maybe something that is co-op?

I would love to play a game that is simple that doesn't take a ton of strategy and the game changes as you play it.

Looking for any suggestions.

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle is a good co-op deckbuilder with theme. The initial gameplay offers the basic deckbuilder mechanics, and as you progress into later games, new cards and more complex mechanics are introduced.

I just got my shipping notice that my Everdell kickstarter collectors edition with Pearlbrook Expansion, Base Game Collector's Edition with solo variant and Spirecrest Expansion are on the way with delvery expected tomorrow

I will recommend for any sports fans to check out the excellent sports board games at Plaay.com. They are most well known for Second Season Football and History Maker Baseball but they have an excellent NASCAR game with historical real and fictional driver sets, a soccer game, lacrosse, game , bowling game, and excellent ice hockey games. They even have a hybrid cricket/ baseball game and a rollerball meets the XFL game.
They also have a new free game that just came out called Averix 37 that is a free thru today for download version. It is a simple game that allows you to play out the Amelia Earhart global flight and see if you can finish it.

Welcome to PLAAY.com Sports Simulation Board Games (https://plaay.com/)

Several months ago I went to an antique store and found the original Sports Illustrated College Football flat box game. The game was later released as Bowl Bound. Last night Bear finally played a game with me. I liked it. The teams we had to choose from were the first set teams, I'm sure I'll enjoy it more when I play more modern teams.

I just bought a copy of Bowl Bound of a guy on BGG. Should be here soon.

Want to get together over Skype or Zoom and play a game?

And do you know there is a guy who put together sets of teams. About $25-$35 per set. He also has a digital version available on his site.

BOWL BOUND/PAYDIRT ITEMS (http://www.oddmangames.com/BOWL_BOUND_PAYDIRT_ITEMS.html)

Another option is games with a digital conversion:

D&D Lords of Waterdeep on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/644390/DD_Lords_of_Waterdeep/)

Perhaps this one (5 player?)

I would be down for this. Have to purchase the game.

Hey guys. I am looking for some suggestions since we are under a stay-at-home order I thought maybe it was a good time to get into a more complex board game. I have no idea what I am doing here.

I want a board game or two that I can play with my wife and daughter. Some background on them.

My daughter is up for a little strategy gaming. She's not afraid to play a game that makes you think too much.

My wife on the other hand hates Monopoly, Risk, etc. She won't even play Clue with me because of the 'strategy' involved.

So, I am looking for a game that the 3 of us could play together. Maybe something that is co-op?

I would love to play a game that is simple that doesn't take a ton of strategy and the game changes as you play it.

Looking for any suggestions.

Dont know if you saw my post or not. But I have the 1st edition of pandemic played a few times that I will give to you. Just PM if interested.

I saw all of the replies. I appreciate it, everyone.

I'll PM you tarcone.

I just bought a copy of Bowl Bound of a guy on BGG. Should be here soon.

Want to get together over Skype or Zoom and play a game?

And do you know there is a guy who put together sets of teams. About $25-$35 per set. He also has a digital version available on his site.

BOWL BOUND/PAYDIRT ITEMS (http://www.oddmangames.com/BOWL_BOUND_PAYDIRT_ITEMS.html)

Hey thanks for the link. I'll check it out. And we can absolutely set up a game at some point...

I saw all of the replies. I appreciate it, everyone.

I'll PM you tarcone.

I'll add Carcassonne. It is inexpensive and is as strategic as you want to make it. It plays 3, and there are additional expansions if you want to add to the fun. It was my youngest's first real game and he started playing at 3. It is a tile laying game, city tile next to another city tile, road needs to connect to a road, etc. Controlling each board type is where you score points, and how to take control of someone else's city, road, etc., is where the strategy comes in.

Anyone ready for a sequel to Gloomhaven?

Frosthaven Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/frosthaven/frosthaven?ref=backer_frosthaven_just_launched90_Mar3120&utm_medium=email-mgb&utm_source=bdev&utm_campaign=frosthaven-03312020&utm_content=button&bridge=437aeed30ccb7e77e2ab89f264742b811e0acb1b3fd8e4e4a6031b77c0d20914)

I've been meaning to get to Gloomhaven but I'm working through Journeys in Middle Earth at the moment

I'll add Carcassonne. It is inexpensive and is as strategic as you want to make it. It plays 3, and there are additional expansions if you want to add to the fun. It was my youngest's first real game and he started playing at 3. It is a tile laying game, city tile next to another city tile, road needs to connect to a road, etc. Controlling each board type is where you score points, and how to take control of someone else's city, road, etc., is where the strategy comes in.

Carcassone is another fantastic suggestion.

Spleen

My family and I have been playing a lot of quacks of quedlinburg. It is simple accessible family friendly push your luck game that offers a bit of strategy to boot.

While this may be a little on the nose, Pandemic is a great co-op game that doesn't take a lot of strategy and has a lot of re-playability. It tends to be my go-to for people who haven't played a lot of board games as an intro to co-op games.

Heroes of the Multi-verse is a fun, co-op super hero card game.

If his wife is really as strategy-averse as he says she is, I would fear Pandemic is too deep (though playing it on the easy level might alleviate some of that).

However, Pandemic does have a simpler, "little brother" in the co-op game Forbidden Island. It's quicker, easier, the map changes every time you play. More kid friendly. And it doesn't have the whole disease thing, which might be a little sensitive to some at this time. Plus, you can get it for $15-$20.

If the fam likes it and wants more of a challenge, then you could step up to Pandemic.

Thanks everyone again for their suggestions.

Tarcone sent me a copy of Pandemic that I received today. We're going to play it tonight.

I think with the game being co-op, my wife will be okay. :D

You guys are awesome.

Played 2 games of Pandemic. We figured out that we weren't trading cards enough. We were too focused on keeping spots low on disease.

Played 2 games of Pandemic. We figured out that we weren't trading cards enough. We were too focused on keeping spots low on disease.

Did you like it?

I love pandemic. That's very cool of you tarcone.

I like it, the daughter likes it. Not sure about my wife. She'll play it with us some more though. Gonna play tomorrow.

So I finally got to play some Gloomhaven; been using Tabletop Simulator with the Gloomhaven Fantasy mod. The UI and controls for Tabletop Simulator are a little bit wonky, but the fact that it has scripting to set up the scenarios and manage the monsters and initiative is a huge advantage.

The game is incredible; it hits on a bunch of different sweet spots for me. The hand management / action selection is an amazing puzzle, and the dynamic nature of the game means that the puzzle isn't finished once you've chosen your cards because the situation has likely changed by the time it's your turn. The imperfect information between the group really captures the feeling of a band of mercenaries working loosely together while keeping their own personal goals in mind. It's also a fun dungeon crawl type romp!

I'm intrigued by both the overarching story and the character progression built in through customizing my character while leveling up and working to unlock new classes. I've actually got two campaigns going concurrently, so I'm delving into two of the starter classes right off the bat. The Cragheart is an interesting hybrid who has a very versatile starting deck; I can stand back at ranged and hurl boulders at people, step up into melee range and soak up some damage, an even support my teammates with some heals here or there. The Mindthief, on the other hand, is a melee glass cannon; I have very little health, but I hit very hard and have a nice mix of both high and low initiative cards so I can hang back and act last in one round, then act first in the next round. This lets me get off four consecutive actions to scurry in, attack a couple of times, then scurry back away to safety so the monsters can't squash me.

If I had more time, I'd recommend a campaign here...unfortunately the baby is due next Friday, so I might have to hold off a bit until things settle down to try and run yet another campaign :)

So will the baby be named Cragheart then Vince? :) Congrats on the upcoming birth! I have the digital version on Steam, which has a ways to go still to duplicate the board game. It started out with 4 starter classes, and added a couple more since including the mindthief, the one I was most interested in when I heard about the board game.

Both excellent suggestions.

I will also shill for Wingspan here - it's deceptively simple (on your turn, do one of four very simple actions) but there is a lot of depth to how you can make it work.

Mrs. Bobble is big into bird watching so I got her Wingspan for a birthday present. We haven't gotten to play yet. I think I'm more excited to get into it than she is.

My plan is to claim her favorite birds and hold them hostage for an exorbitant amount of Power Pellets (or whatever -- we haven't read the rules yet). :devil:

So I finally got to play some Gloomhaven; been using Tabletop Simulator with the Gloomhaven Fantasy mod. The UI and controls for Tabletop Simulator are a little bit wonky, but the fact that it has scripting to set up the scenarios and manage the monsters and initiative is a huge advantage.

The game is incredible; it hits on a bunch of different sweet spots for me. The hand management / action selection is an amazing puzzle, and the dynamic nature of the game means that the puzzle isn't finished once you've chosen your cards because the situation has likely changed by the time it's your turn. The imperfect information between the group really captures the feeling of a band of mercenaries working loosely together while keeping their own personal goals in mind. It's also a fun dungeon crawl type romp!

I'm intrigued by both the overarching story and the character progression built in through customizing my character while leveling up and working to unlock new classes. I've actually got two campaigns going concurrently, so I'm delving into two of the starter classes right off the bat. The Cragheart is an interesting hybrid who has a very versatile starting deck; I can stand back at ranged and hurl boulders at people, step up into melee range and soak up some damage, an even support my teammates with some heals here or there. The Mindthief, on the other hand, is a melee glass cannon; I have very little health, but I hit very hard and have a nice mix of both high and low initiative cards so I can hang back and act last in one round, then act first in the next round. This lets me get off four consecutive actions to scurry in, attack a couple of times, then scurry back away to safety so the monsters can't squash me.

If I had more time, I'd recommend a campaign here...unfortunately the baby is due next Friday, so I might have to hold off a bit until things settle down to try and run yet another campaign :)

Good stuff! I love this game. So, so good.

Good luck with the baby!

Mrs. Bobble is big into bird watching so I got her Wingspan for a birthday present. We haven't gotten to play yet. I think I'm more excited to get into it than she is.

My plan is to claim her favorite birds and hold them hostage for an exorbitant amount of Power Pellets (or whatever -- we haven't read the rules yet). :devil:

Sounds like a divorce is heading your way, sorry about that. :devil:

So I finally got to play some Gloomhaven; been using Tabletop Simulator with the Gloomhaven Fantasy mod. The UI and controls for Tabletop Simulator are a little bit wonky, but the fact that it has scripting to set up the scenarios and manage the monsters and initiative is a huge advantage.
I never played the Board game, but I picked up the Early Access version of it on Steam. Currently, it has the Brute, Scoundrel, Cragheart, Tinkerer, Mindthief, Spellweaver, and most recently the Elementalist.

Also, it just has a random dungeon crawler. No campaign has been added into the game yet, but will before the full launch.

But what little I've played seems very interesting. Certainly some additional layers of complexity then what it initially appears.