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March 28, 2024, 08:47:26 AM

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Any board gamers here?

Started by Stigdu, June 24, 2022, 05:06:50 PM

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Stigdu

I wondered whether there are any board gamers here? I've been board gaming for about 3-and-a-half years, got a fairly sizeable collection of mainly light- to medium-weight games. Favourites are party-type games like The Resistance, Wavelength but I also like family games like Camel Up, Villainous, Horrified, Isle of Cats etc.

Apologies if there's already a discussion about board games on here - I couldn't see a search function.

Pink Gregory

Had 2x each very good games of Flamme Rouge and Mysterium, but it's so hard to get people together that are a bit arsed about it.  I'm not a very good rules teacher, admittedly.

Should try to do more social gaming stuff, but...eh.  Meeting people. 

I like following Shut Up & Sit Down anyway, it's like the potential outstrips the actuality.

Stigdu

I love the SU&SD guys. Bought a few games based on their recommendations.

Crenners

Mea culpa, Anne!

The video board game Atmosfear was great.

Replies From View

Couple of good Back to the Future games and a Jurassic Park game as well.  Bought them after the lockdown period and was always slightly aggrieved that we never got more lockdowns to force us to get used to them.  As it is we played them all once - they're good but it's hard work remembering what all the dice throws and character cards and all that shit is meant to do.

letsgobrian

Used to get together once a month for board games before the pandemic, since then I've played more digitally via Tabletop Simulator, Boardgame Arena and individual game apps.

Great Western Trail, Root & Wingspan are probably my favourites right now.

For a party game, I go with Wits & Wagers, Telestrations or Insider.

Pavlov`s Dog`s Dad`s Dead

Good idea for a thread, @Stigdu! I used to play quite a few more decades ago than I care to count. Games Workshop had some belters before they went all-in on Warhammer: Battlecars was good silly fun, and a lot more actually playable than the unwieldy behemoth that Car Wars became; Talisman was another great way to pass an evening (and the Android version is surprisingly faithful to the original); the best of the bunch by quite some distance, was Warrior Knights: the diplomacy mechanics in that worked really well, as I recall, lifting the game way above the on-board action.

30 years down the line and I'm playing Cluedo and Monopoly with my kids. Well, usually with my twelve-year-old, to be honest. Their uncle gifted them Ticket to Ride for Christmas, which they enjoy. We're now ready for more alternatives, though, so what should we be looking at?

Pink Gregory

Quote from: Pavlov`s Dog`s Dad`s Dead on June 25, 2022, 08:14:16 PM30 years down the line and I'm playing Cluedo and Monopoly with my kids. Well, usually with my twelve-year-old, to be honest. Their uncle gifted them Ticket to Ride for Christmas, which they enjoy. We're now ready for more alternatives, though, so what should we be looking at?

Mysterium is quite Cluedo-alike, but the idea is that the clues are very abstract, and can be interpreted in many different ways.  I think kids would get it though, with some guidance.

You could try the classics like Settlers of Catan or Carcassone, but I think they're probably a bit dry for younger kids.

Have a look on the Shut Up and Sit Down youtube channel, you get a good idea of how teachable the games are as well as everything else, which is very useful.

At least three of the presenters have videos of their collections as well, which is a useful resource because they're usually quick overviews of genre etc, but it's also telling in which games that people who review board games for a living hold on to.

GoblinAhFuckScary

Bingo bongle i'm ready for Boggle

Stigdu

Quote from: Pavlov`s Dog`s Dad`s Dead on June 25, 2022, 08:14:16 PMGood idea for a thread, @Stigdu! We're now ready for more alternatives, though, so what should we be looking at?

Cheers, mate.

Well, there have been some good suggestions already, particularly by Pink Gregory. Ticket to Ride and Catan (and Carcassonne) are considered very much 'gateway games', that is, easy to pick up and learn.

Next step up you could go for Mysterium or The Resistance (social deduction, better with 5+ players), Isle of Cats (polyomino game fitting Tetris-type pieces on a boat in the guise of rescuing cats. Very cute), family games like Wingspan or Imhotep.

There are so many great board games out there nowadays with a ton of themes, so whether your tastes are trains, birds or classic Universal horror films (one of my favourites, Horrified has you covered here), then there's usually something for everyone.

BoardGameGeek.com is the biggest board game website out there and will certainly guide you in the right direction. :)

Any questions, fire away. I'm more than happy to help.

Pink Gregory


Crenners

In board of game's let me tell you 😅😅😅

letsgobrian

Catan is really showing its age at this point compared to the likes of Carcassonne & Ticket to Ride. I'd give it a wide berth if you have no nostalgia for it.

But not as wide a berth as Talisman. I used to love that back in the 80s, and picked up the 4th edition when it came back in 2007. But once I started buying modern games in 2015, I realised that it still is very much a game from 1983 and any game that makes a player "miss a go" is awful. Let alone one that frequently will wipe out 2+ hours of a player's progress with a roll of a 1 on a six sided dice.

If you want a good family level game involving a lot of dice rolling, I still recommend King of Tokyo. It's a Yahtzee-based game where each player controls a giant monster trying to be the titular King of Tokyo.

Glyn

There is a big thread from a few year back that helped me find some good games but some of the recommendations (especially for families) are :

Dixit - not my personal favourite to be honest (no imagination it turns out) but the kids love this. I think the above mentioned Mysterium has a similar concept but with a more gothic twist. 

Takenoko - Feed the Emperor's panda the requisite amount of bamboo. Nice gentle theme and often a close finish as there are a few different tactics you can take to win.

Colt Express - Wild West themed card turn game. Really nice to setup on the table as it includes a 3d locomotive.

Camel Up - Closest you'll get to greyhound racing in board game form. Great fun and both a pyramid and 3d palm tree make this another impressive playing board.

Quacks of Quedlingburg - Push your luck game where you pull ingredients out of a bag and try to avoid your pot blowing up.

Werewolf - Card based bluffing game. Works best with large groups but the kids like playing this with the app (which does all of the coordinating for you). Games last less than 5mins a time.

Santorini - 2 player game (although can be done with 3 ,and 4 with an expansion pack). Surprisingly deep tactics for a simple tower building concept and the 'god powers' add a great twist each game.

Outfoxed - excellent one for little kids (5years and up I'd say). Co-operative game which feels a bit like a mix of Cluedo and Guess Who.

Stigdu

Quote from: Glyn on June 26, 2022, 04:29:44 PMThere is a big thread from a few year back that helped me find some good games but some of the recommendations (especially for families) are :

Dixit - not my personal favourite to be honest (no imagination it turns out) but the kids love this. I think the above mentioned Mysterium has a similar concept but with a more gothic twist. 

Takenoko - Feed the Emperor's panda the requisite amount of bamboo. Nice gentle theme and often a close finish as there are a few different tactics you can take to win.

Colt Express - Wild West themed card turn game. Really nice to setup on the table as it includes a 3d locomotive.

Camel Up - Closest you'll get to greyhound racing in board game form. Great fun and both a pyramid and 3d palm tree make this another impressive playing board.

Quacks of Quedlingburg - Push your luck game where you pull ingredients out of a bag and try to avoid your pot blowing up.

Werewolf - Card based bluffing game. Works best with large groups but the kids like playing this with the app (which does all of the coordinating for you). Games last less than 5mins a time.

Santorini - 2 player game (although can be done with 3 ,and 4 with an expansion pack). Surprisingly deep tactics for a simple tower building concept and the 'god powers' add a great twist each game.

Outfoxed - excellent one for little kids (5years and up I'd say). Co-operative game which feels a bit like a mix of Cluedo and Guess Who.

Got most of those. Good selection. I'm selling Colt Express at the moment (along with some others).

Pavlov`s Dog`s Dad`s Dead

@Pink Gregory , @Stigdu , thanks for the suggestions - I'll look into those.
Quote from: letsgobrian on June 25, 2022, 11:48:35 PMTalisman ... is very much a game from 1983 and any game that makes a player "miss a go" is awful.
Excellent point - I have plenty of nostalgia for Talisman, and I guess I just never really thought about how game mechanics might have moved on since.

@Glyn, we have Imaginarium, which I think is essentially Dixit by another name, and Outfoxed. I also really rate the latter, but in my experience the games end too quickly. Very interested in other collaborative games, too.

All in all, it sounds like Mysterium could be a good bet for us.

Norton Canes

Hello yes I like board games. Which board game is your life most like? Settlers of Catan, you constantly have to squabble with people for everything you want? Dominion, where you get to trash anything that doesn't help you win? Ticket to Ride, where you're in a constant anxiety-inducing rush to claim your space before the other fuckers? I think mine's most like Carcassonne except all I ever place is fields

Norton Canes

I find board games really relaxing

dontpaintyourteeth

I wish I was into board games. I feel like everyone I know irl would just make a face if I suggested a board game.

Robot DeNiro

Here are a couple of previous board game threads:

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=38418.0

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=59870.0

My current favourite is The Quest For El Dorado, which is a racing game.  The board depicts a jungle, the player pieces are explorers moving through that jungle, and the first explorer to reach the end of the map and the legendary city of gold wins.  Each player has their own deck of cards, and they play cards to either move their explorer over different types of terrain, or to purchase better cards to make their deck more powerful.  It's fairly straightforward once you've played a few turns, and there is lots of variablity with different map layouts and different strategies to be explored depending on which new cards you add to your deck.  Best of all, it often ends with a very close finish, with the winner just a fraction ahead of the rest.

This is a handy price comparision site for board games - https://boardgameprices.co.uk/

An unbelievable amount of new board games are published every year.  I could talk about board games all day.

Stigdu

Quote from: Robot DeNiro on June 28, 2022, 03:02:50 PMHere are a couple of previous board game threads:

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=38418.0

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=59870.0

My current favourite is The Quest For El Dorado, which is a racing game.  The board depicts a jungle, the player pieces are explorers moving through that jungle, and the first explorer to reach the end of the map and the legendary city of gold wins.  Each player has their own deck of cards, and they play cards to either move their explorer over different types of terrain, or to purchase better cards to make their deck more powerful.  It's fairly straightforward once you've played a few turns, and there is lots of variablity with different map layouts and different strategies to be explored depending on which new cards you add to your deck.  Best of all, it often ends with a very close finish, with the winner just a fraction ahead of the rest.

This is a handy price comparision site for board games - https://boardgameprices.co.uk/

An unbelievable amount of new board games are published every year.  I could talk about board games all day.

Thanks for the links! Yeah, me too. I'm trying to get back into gaming with my local group here in Sutton but social anxiety can cause issues, unfortunately. Road to El Dorado is good. I've backed way too many on Kickstarter, so am trying to give that a rest for a bit. I have a dozen still to come, but some of my recent acquisitions (Return to Dark Tower - excellent, The Thing - looks great, in the middle of painting the minis) I've been well pleased with.

Norton Canes

Took delivery of Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest a few days ago, can thoroughly recommend. Light rules, lots of attempts to predict other players' strategy, and a spicy soupçon of take that.

Stigdu

Quote from: Norton Canes on June 28, 2022, 04:02:33 PMTook delivery of Libertalia: Winds of Galecrest a few days ago, can thoroughly recommend. Light rules, lots of attempts to predict other players' strategy, and a spicy soupçon of take that.

My wife says I have too many games, and Libertalia is one of the ones on my potential sales pile.  :(

Robot DeNiro

Where are you selling your games?  There's a good group on Facebook (Board Game Trading and Chat UK) that I've sold some games through.  I also participate in the BGG Maths Trade every two months, which is a good way of swapping games, though not so good for reducing your collection!

I've managed to resist Kickstarter for the most part, apart from a few reprints of older games.

Stigdu

Quote from: Robot DeNiro on June 28, 2022, 05:09:29 PMWhere are you selling your games?  There's a good group on Facebook (Board Game Trading and Chat UK) that I've sold some games through.  I also participate in the BGG Maths Trade every two months, which is a good way of swapping games, though not so good for reducing your collection!

I've managed to resist Kickstarter for the most part, apart from a few reprints of older games.

Yup, that very same group. I post on there a lot too.

Also, Board Game and Roleplaying Buy and Sell UK and EU.

Red Lantern

I am, and so's my wife!

We moved to a new town last year, and have built up a good social life by throwing ourselves into the local board gaming community.

Favourite games are:

Scythe
Ark Nova
Brass: Birmingham
Obsession
Terraforming Mars

Also play turn-based games on Board Game Arena quite a bit.

Robot DeNiro

Yes, I also play turn based on BGA.  What are your favourite games for that?  I find that sort of play suits a particular kind of game, one where your turn can be quite involved, with several things going on.  My BGA group can be quite slow, so I don't like waiting all day for a turn then just choosing a card for example.  I've been enjoying Castles of Burgundy, Kingdom Builder and Chocolate Factory on there recently, as well as Lost Ruins of Arnak.

Robot DeNiro

Quote from: Pavlov`s Dog`s Dad`s Dead on June 25, 2022, 08:14:16 PM30 years down the line and I'm playing Cluedo and Monopoly with my kids. Well, usually with my twelve-year-old, to be honest. Their uncle gifted them Ticket to Ride for Christmas, which they enjoy. We're now ready for more alternatives, though, so what should we be looking at?

Forbidden Island is a fantastic introductory co-op game.  It's essentially a simplified version of Pandemic, with a more appealing theme.  You are adventurers, working together to find treasure and get off an island before it sinks. 

Stigdu

Quote from: Robot DeNiro on June 28, 2022, 09:13:48 PMForbidden Island is a fantastic introductory co-op game.  It's essentially a simplified version of Pandemic, with a more appealing theme.  You are adventurers, working together to find treasure and get off an island before it sinks. 

It's excellent. The next one in the series, Desert, is also really good. Not a fan of Sky though...

Red Lantern

Quote from: Robot DeNiro on June 28, 2022, 09:10:02 PMYes, I also play turn based on BGA.  What are your favourite games for that?  I find that sort of play suits a particular kind of game, one where your turn can be quite involved, with several things going on.  My BGA group can be quite slow, so I don't like waiting all day for a turn then just choosing a card for example.  I've been enjoying Castles of Burgundy, Kingdom Builder and Chocolate Factory on there recently, as well as Lost Ruins of Arnak.

I use it to repeatedly play games that I know the rules for, so that I'm ready and able to play them in person, without being rusty and not recalling the rules.

From playing on there, it turns out that I'm really good at a game called Happy City (much better than I am at any other game). I enjoy playing Castles of Burgundy, although I'm not very good at it. I play Arnak too, although I don't like the game much, and sold my physical copy of it. I enjoy 7 Wonders Duel on there a lot. I haven't played the other two that you mention, because I've not played them in person yet.

For games where you have to plan several moves ahead, I just write out my future moves and save them into the Notes section.