The Board Game Thread
- Thread starter Diakonov
- Start date
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Tom Vasel preview of Codenames finally made the concept click in my head:
That looks like a fun game!
That looks like a fun game!
I played CodeNames the other day for the first time and honestly I loved it!
It's great in that basically any number of people can play, its simple for people to pick up, but has some challenging word-play to it (which I personally enjoy a LOT!). Overall great fun and I would recommend giving it a try if you haven't.
It's great in that basically any number of people can play, its simple for people to pick up, but has some challenging word-play to it (which I personally enjoy a LOT!). Overall great fun and I would recommend giving it a try if you haven't.
Sirlin is a bit of a Kanye West type of figure.
Above and Below still great. I want to buy 504 but I know I'm the only person who'll enjoy it.
A splotter game of some kind is still on the to-buy list.
Long time no see / log in here... we moved to a town so small that there's no gaming store. Thinking about purchasing Tabletop Simulator so we can game with other people again. Any of you played it? How's the community, how's the business model if so?
I thought if i should get 504, but i feared that it would only be a "one size fits all" -kind of game where no one hates the game, but no one likes it either.
Tom Vasel's review of 504 did confirm that issue for me.
I'd rather invest on a game that people really LOVE, not just invest on an expensive game that uses a gimmick but probably no one really wants to play that game.
If someone would buy the game i would definitely want to try it out and make up my mind for good, but i wouldn't buy it blindly, waaaaay too risky
Did you see the Rahdo Runs Through review? I get the feeling I would be every bit as excited as Rahdo, and my partner would be as bored as Rahdo's.
Well i tend to trust Tom Vasel a lot more than Rahdo, although i really like Rahdo's videos.
Vasel introduced me (through his reviews) to Cosmic Encounter that is now my 3rd favourite boardgame right after MTG and Blood Bowl.
Vasel is an "omnigamer" that plays basically any genre, but he still to me seems to be more on the amerithrash side of things.
Rahdo seems to be a total eurogamer. No theme is fine for him.
I think Rahdo also plays a lot with only his wife, so his reviewes might be a little skewed when considering that he can't see the game working with the full compliment of players.
This might have changed, but when i wanted to learn Through the Ages from his video, i got the impression that he only played it with 2 players and with no wars (which is ludicrous).
I'm fine with eurogames, but 504 felt like a bowl of mechanics where you would pull 3 and combine them, then play without any story, just enjoy the mechanics and see who has the most points at the end.
Vasel introduced me (through his reviews) to Cosmic Encounter that is now my 3rd favourite boardgame right after MTG and Blood Bowl.
Vasel is an "omnigamer" that plays basically any genre, but he still to me seems to be more on the amerithrash side of things.
Rahdo seems to be a total eurogamer. No theme is fine for him.
I think Rahdo also plays a lot with only his wife, so his reviewes might be a little skewed when considering that he can't see the game working with the full compliment of players.
This might have changed, but when i wanted to learn Through the Ages from his video, i got the impression that he only played it with 2 players and with no wars (which is ludicrous).
I'm fine with eurogames, but 504 felt like a bowl of mechanics where you would pull 3 and combine them, then play without any story, just enjoy the mechanics and see who has the most points at the end.
Heh, well I'm a eurogamer and an armchair designer who mostly plays games with one person, so I align a lot with rahdo. They definitely have a gaming group, but they also aren't able to bring that group to bear each time they play a game. Plus Vasel and co remind me a little too much of the "spilled soda and sweaty cheese"-smelling types I used to play D&D with. Though I do like using him as a tiebreaker when Rahdo and SUSD disagree on something! (and boy do they disagree on 504)
If only I had gotten the $70 pre order of 504, it would be a pretty solid collection of quality pieces for print&play or playtesting endeavors, but I just can't justify ~$100 for it. Could grab a lotta stuff on Tabletop Simulator for that price.
If only I had gotten the $70 pre order of 504, it would be a pretty solid collection of quality pieces for print&play or playtesting endeavors, but I just can't justify ~$100 for it. Could grab a lotta stuff on Tabletop Simulator for that price.
Heh, well I'm a eurogamer and an armchair designer who mostly plays games with one person, so I align a lot with rahdo. They definitely have a gaming group, but they also aren't able to bring that group to bear each time they play a game. Plus Vasel and co remind me a little too much of the "spilled soda and sweaty cheese"-smelling types I used to play D&D with. Though I do like using him as a tiebreaker when Rahdo and SUSD disagree on something! (and boy do they disagree on 504)
If only I had gotten the $70 pre order of 504, it would be a pretty solid collection of quality pieces for print&play or playtesting endeavors, but I just can't justify ~$100 for it. Could grab a lotta stuff on Tabletop Simulator for that price.
You sound a lot like the sort of table top gamer I've become. I definitely tend toward the eurogame side of the spectrum.
I like Rahdo generally but I'm skeptical of his argument in the 504 video review. He says that his favorite thing about 504 is the number of "light bulb moments" that you can have, and then goes on to say that with most other games there is just a single light bulb moment. The best games I've played have many layers to be uncovered through multiple plays, and IMO each layer has its own light bulb moment.
Also, I enjoy playing a game where I have to hone my skills and master what I've learned previously in addition to looking forward. It seems like 504 would have almost none of that, which Rahdo doesn't bring up at all.
If I were to categorize it without having played it, I think 504 belongs with Two Rooms and a Boom as a fascinating experience to ponder rather than a regular game.
I'm waiting impatiently for my Splotter preorders to arrive (The Great Zimbabwe and Food Chain Magnate). It might not be until October...
What should I get next? Here's what I've been considering, but I'm open to any recommendations.
Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization
Cosmic Encounter
Le Havre
Vinhos (or something else by Vital Lacerda)
Through the Ages is my 4th favorite boardgame. It's time consuming, but totally worth it.
With 4 player it seems to be at its best for me.
That game has a lot of hard decisions that might come back to haunt you later if you chose wrong, but the new rules has made it a little more forgiving.
The game is really satisfying when you get your engine running and you happen to hit your event cards perfectly.. oh man i feel like i want to play it now that i talked about it..
Its definitely a euro, but it's not that dry because of the semi-random things the game offers. Drafting plays a huge part of the game, but everyone sees what has been picked.
Events are kind of random, but the events are cards that players can play from their hand and bascially if no one plays an event card, 0 events happens in a game.
This will never happen though, because the winning player almost always wants to play events
I highly recommend TTA, just go for it if you have the time to play for 4-6h in one sitting.
Cosmic Encounter, oh man.
I've had 0 friends who didn't like the game after they played the game the first time with us.
The game can be really random at times, but don't be fooled by that.
There are ways to work around the random that can and will happen.
When to play your best cards, when to play your worst cards, when to ask for the opponents help in the encounters (attack or negotiation), when to talk other players to screw with a player who is leading etc..
Every game is really different even with the base game, because the aliens and their special flare cards mix up the game every time.
I have laughed the most in Cosmic Encounter, i will play it forever really, i don't see myself selling it ever.
So I'm not a board game kind of guy
I know a board game guy and he's always trying to get me to play weird German stuff and that's cool and all it just isn't my scene
but I bought Cosmic Encounter many years ago on a lark, and had forgotten about it until just this moment. Meltyman (great show btw) is right the game can be pretty random, especially if someone gets Virus and just runs train on every other player, but most of it is of some comparable power level, even if some of them aren't quite so obvious like Philanthropist. I can't recommend the game on the basis of discerning board game taste because I have none but as a casual board gamer it's provided a lot of silliness and I appreciate it for that. I'm going to go look for my copy now...
I know a board game guy and he's always trying to get me to play weird German stuff and that's cool and all it just isn't my scene
but I bought Cosmic Encounter many years ago on a lark, and had forgotten about it until just this moment. Meltyman (great show btw) is right the game can be pretty random, especially if someone gets Virus and just runs train on every other player, but most of it is of some comparable power level, even if some of them aren't quite so obvious like Philanthropist. I can't recommend the game on the basis of discerning board game taste because I have none but as a casual board gamer it's provided a lot of silliness and I appreciate it for that. I'm going to go look for my copy now...
Cosmic Encounter is one of the best games of all time.
TTA is also pretty great, but can be much harder to get to the table. It's like playing sid meier's civ but with more focus on pushing workers around and no map squares/hexes to fight over.
Dunno the other two!
TTA is also pretty great, but can be much harder to get to the table. It's like playing sid meier's civ but with more focus on pushing workers around and no map squares/hexes to fight over.
Dunno the other two!
I've only played Cosmic Encounter twice, and it was a while ago, but I can vouch for it being an instant hit over here. I agree that there's about as much balance to the alien races as there is in a random, pick-up game of EDH, but at least the nature of the multiplayer politics helps level the playing field. It's actually not unlike multiplayer, free-for-all Magic, in that on your turn you often need to choose who to attack, and whether to waste your 'spells' helping some tenuous allies. The face down 'dueling' mechanic is also pretty awesome, and adds some much needed-tension to the battles. I remember there being lots of yelling, probably from the surprising outcomes after the reveal of the duel cards.
You know, I think I just talked myself into wanting to play another game of Cosmic Encounter.
You know, I think I just talked myself into wanting to play another game of Cosmic Encounter.
It's easy to get addicted to purchasing games. Sometimes your less enthusiastic friends can be a help... are they actually interested in learning a new game, or do they still see some of the games in your collection as having lofs of fun play left in em? If you play one out, you can make room for the next dream game!
I think you're gonna have a blast, those games hold up well despite their age. CE is a much cooler gateway game to play with family than Cataan is, imo. Not least because it's still fun even when you know what you're doing!
My last order whetted my appetite to make another order, but cooler heads helped me wait for the urge to pass. It's all in my cart for later though!
I think you're gonna have a blast, those games hold up well despite their age. CE is a much cooler gateway game to play with family than Cataan is, imo. Not least because it's still fun even when you know what you're doing!
Yesterday we finished our endevour with Pandemic Legacy. It took us 18 games (out of 24) to finish the game. There haven't been too many games where i am overly excited if we are to win a game or not, this game did it.. after we were done we yelled like crazy people since we won the campaign, barely.. just barely, but we did it !
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING PANDEMIC LEGACY! get 4 people, buy the game sharing the cost and play from start to finish with the same 4 people. This game is a blast !
Usually when i played Pandemic, i would just play 1 game and change to something else afterwards, but with the Legacy element we one time played 4 games in a row and probably would have played even more had it not been that late in the evening.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING PANDEMIC LEGACY! get 4 people, buy the game sharing the cost and play from start to finish with the same 4 people. This game is a blast !
Usually when i played Pandemic, i would just play 1 game and change to something else afterwards, but with the Legacy element we one time played 4 games in a row and probably would have played even more had it not been that late in the evening.
Since people know Codenames: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/198773/codenames-pictures
There will be a new version of Codenames. Not sure if i need this version, but i will probably buy it since it's so cheap.
There will be a new version of Codenames. Not sure if i need this version, but i will probably buy it since it's so cheap.
Yeah, I think that will be a definite purchase given the success of regular Codenames.
I've heard of someone who made their own Codenames: Movies version, which sounds like it would be really awesome.
Chris Taylor
Contributor
Is this some combo deck? I feel like someone's deff published a tournament report under "New Tech: Food Chain Magnate"
Onderzeeboot
Ecstatic Orb
Anybody tried out Paperback? I just installed in on iPad this morning, and it's quite fun, but turns out it's originally a board game.
I've heard very good things.
Also, Codenames: Pictures just came out! I picked up a copy but haven't had a chance to try it yet.
I finally received The Great Zimbabwe a couple months ago and have played it about 5 times so far. Thank you for the advice FSR, it really is fantastic. I wish more games could pack in so much interesting gameplay in 90 minutes.
I decided to pick up Imperial after that, but we haven't gotten to that one yet.
The other game I've played recently that's worth noting is Skull. I'll be damned if this isn't a nearly perfect pub game. The rules are dead simple and the strategy is fairly deep with wonderful bluffing and push-your-luck elements. Last time we played, there were many eruptions of excitement when someone would successfully manage to flip a number of discs and then hit a skull on the very last one.
I decided to pick up Imperial after that, but we haven't gotten to that one yet.
The other game I've played recently that's worth noting is Skull. I'll be damned if this isn't a nearly perfect pub game. The rules are dead simple and the strategy is fairly deep with wonderful bluffing and push-your-luck elements. Last time we played, there were many eruptions of excitement when someone would successfully manage to flip a number of discs and then hit a skull on the very last one.