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[RMI]

Can anyone recommend a complex game for at least two people that doesn't require knowing English?

That means, no cards with text, basically.

Ticket to Ride, for example, is perfect, but I'd like something more complex.

I can think of a lot of games more complex than Ticket to Ride which fit this requirement. These are some of my favorite games, btw.

Galaxy Trucker
Dominant Species
Ra
Zooloretto
Hansa
Acquire
Alhambra
Shogun (the Queen Games one, not the Milton Bradley one)
Tigris & Euphrates

the world of boardgames is really vast and there is something for everyone. I think in terms of complexity it can get pretty crazy. There are some games that nearly broke our group (High Frontier, I'm thinking of you you crazy fucking diamond) but we eventually figured them out, and then other stuff that no amount of playing would ever make clear to me (Advanced Squad Leader, Napoleon's Triumph). If you want to talk about super complex nonsense it is out there and you can play Campaign for North Africa or stuff like that where you need to make sure your Italian soldiers have enough fresh water to boil pasta (or so i've heard, not sure if that's apocryphal).

Anyway I love board games haha.

Top Games for me are:

Shogun
Command and Colors: Ancients
Twilight Struggle
Combat Commander
Puerto Rico

these games are basically perfect IMO

 

[TatteredHat]

I'm lucky to have a group of friends who are all into playing complex boardgames, so it's not much of a problem. But yes, we have had instances where we've had to sit down and spend a good 20 minutes reading how to set up a board.

Last one we played was T.I.M.E Adventures, which is still pretty easy to play even with first timers.

Also, try Scythe if you enjoy Risk.

 

[Excelsior]

if we're talking games that are easy to understand and fun, I gotta recommend Superfight.

Superfight: a game where you combine character and attribute cards to make ridiculous fights and argue over who would win. Imagine having to justify which of these characters would win, and convincing your whole group of the same:

Good fun in groups, potentially as a drinking game. Plenty of expansions, some that ass more cards (family-friendly, R-rated, history-based, 90's, horror) and some that add more mechanics (special challenges, locations for the fights) - but the underlying mechanic is simple and easy to pick up, and the core deck has plenty of cards to stand on its own. The creator has a few other similar games (e.g. Red Flags, same concept but with dating), and with the right group (i.e. willing to commit to being silly), they are a ton of fun.

can pick it up for cheaper on eBay, but also on Amazon.

 

[Neoweee]

I'm lucky to have a group of friends who are all into playing complex boardgames, so it's not much of a problem. But yes, we have had instances where we've had to sit down and spend a good 20 minutes reading how to set up a board.

Last one we played was T.I.M.E Adventures, which is still pretty easy to play even with first timers.

Also, try Scythe if you enjoy Risk.

Scythe is awesome, but wildly too complex for most fans of Risk. It isn't even really a war game, with combat only happening a few times per game, usually.

 

[DeathoftheEndless]

Be careful with expansions, don't do what I did and just get ALL the expansions (that are out for Carc 2.0) and then jumble them together and try to play with them all. It turns fun, light, fast Carc into a three hour slog constantly arguing and referencing rules.

We tried that once and ended up quitting mid-game lol. Now we almost always just play with Princess and Dragon and a couple of the mini-expansions.

 

[Ceallach]

I like some board games, but it's tough to convince anyone to play. Like Android is my favorite and the Arkham Horror games, but they can be intimidating.

 

[echoshifting]

Can anyone recommend a complex game for at least two people that doesn't require knowing English?

That means, no cards with text, basically.

Ticket to Ride, for example, is perfect, but I'd like something more complex.

Race for the Galaxy was recommended, but that game does have a lot of text, and both players would need to be able to understand it for the game to work. I guess you could constantly reference the rulebook, but since each player would need to do so privately, this could be a problem. I have played dozens of times and I still have to read the text on the cards or reference the rules all the time.

Splendor is a good rec though. So is Alhambra. I will add Castles of Mad King Ludwig, which is a really cool game. The room names are printed on each room tile, but they are not relevant to the gameplay. I'm 99% sure that's the only text. I think you would find the complexity satisfying without being overwhelming.

I saw Galaxy Trucker got a mention and I know that game has some text too. Not as much as RftG and it might be just the expansion as I've only ever played with that mixed in, but it's there.

 

[karnage10]

i didn't know there were so many board games fans here on GAF.
Can i hijack this thread to ask for CO-OP games (must be playable with 2 players)?

There are 2 games i enjoyed a lot which were eldritch horror and XCOM. The only person i can play with is my GF and she doesn't like competitive games.

I wanted to play board games with my friends but the distance we are from each other makes it impossible to play them. I'm hoping to get them to buy tabletop simulator so we can bypass the distance for now.

 

[DeathoftheEndless]

Can i hijack this thread to ask for CO-OP games (must be playable with 2 players)?

My favorite is Ghost Stories. Its not that complicated, but its hard to win.

 

[Deadstar]

I have noticed that numerous board games are created every year. Howewer, most of people i know play a specific small amount of well known, old board games, like monopoly, scrabble,etc.

Board games with complex rules seem to ask a lot of involvement and time, and it is much harder to get people to play them-at least, this is how i experienced it-.

Risk for example needs some time to be played, while shorter games like abbalone, pyraos,cluedo, are easy to jump in.

Do you face same issues when playing board games?

There are PLENTY of easy to learn board games that are incredibly fun that absolutely destroy the trash you mentioned above.

Do you want party games? Wits & Wagers, Say Anything, Concept, Love Letter: Batman, Cosmic Encounter (I consider this a party game but it's heavier than the others here) etc.

Do you want strategy games? Blood Rage, Pyramid Arcade, Kemet, Hive, Splendor, Evolution etc.

The main thing is that SOMEONE has to know the rules to the game fairly well. Read the rules beforehand and get a handle on them and go watch a few youtube videos for the game. Get some Esoteric Order of Gamers summary sheets and print those out. There are many resources available to you in order to get into modern board games.

i didn't know there were so many board games fans here on GAF.
Can i hijack this thread to ask for CO-OP games (must be playable with 2 players)?

Have you played Forbidden Island? That one is really fun but it's more on the lighter side of things. Descent 2nd Edition has coop modules and coop campaigns if you buy the app on ios.

 

[Chozoman]

Chess is the perfect board game.

 

[Excelsior]

i didn't know there were so many board games fans here on GAF.
Can i hijack this thread to ask for CO-OP games (must be playable with 2 players)?

There are 2 games i enjoyed a lot which were eldritch horror and XCOM. The only person i can play with is my GF and she doesn't like competitive games.

I wanted to play board games with my friends but the distance we are from each other makes it impossible to play them. I'm hoping to get them to buy tabletop simulator so we can bypass the distance for now.

someone rec'd Patchwork, and they are spot on. Great 2-player game, but not co-op. Dang. Missed that part of your request. I just love Patchwork.

 

[echoshifting]

someone rec'd Patchwork, and they are spot on. Great 2-player game.

I love Patchwork, but it is not a co-op game.

 

[KDR_11k]

The Spiel des Jahres award was split into two for this very reason, now there's the red default one and a black "advanced game of the year" mark.

Though this year's advanced GOTY is entry level friendly IMO since it's a card-based escape room and there are practically no rules (only "don't look at cards you didn't get yet"). The advanced part is the level of logic required to solve the puzzles but it comes with a hint system that can even give out solutions if you're really stuck. It's all coop in that you sit in front of the puzzles together and more eyes and brains can see and think more.

If you like games like the Zero Escape series for the puzzles it should be a good fit.

Other super simple favorites include Carcassonne and Quirkle. Just place tiles that match.

Agricola is a fun little game that has a similar premise to Catan in that it's a resource management game. The rules are fairly simple and it's considered to be one of the better board games for people trying to break out from the norm.

Not sure if you can read German, it says "game of the year, special award for complex games" on that box.

 

[Jims]

It's funny Terra Mystica was brought up in this thread, because that was the game where I kinda hit my crossroads for how complex I want when playing board games. Just every aspect of that game has an underlying system to it, deeply connected to something else. That kind of thing is really appealing for a lot, but the sheer number of systems made the strategy a little unwieldy to me. The first time playing the game was such as slog for me. I kept thinking, "Why did they make the power system so weird to manage?" After a few plays, I definitely appreciate how deep the game is and how interesting the different races play. But every time it gets brought out, it kinda feels like I should be playing a video game. There's a lot of little things to manage in a physical space. I get the appeal of a game like this one, and do enjoy it myself at a certain level, it's just a little too heavy for me.

One of my friend introduced me to Imhotep awhile back, and I really enjoyed it. Pretty elegant game about building pyramids in ancient Egypt. Most of the decision making it just about putting cubes on boats and then moving them. A lot of interesting logic decisions. Although by the end, we were starting to develop a dominant strategy, so not sure how balanced it is.

My list of "standard" gateway games (+ denotes slightly more advanced, - denotes a bit simpler):

1. Catan
2. Carcassone
3. Ticket to Ride
4. Dominion
5. Splendor
6. King of Tokyo -
7. Pandemic (Co-op)
8. Forbidden Island (Co-op)
9. Alhambra +
10. Stone Age +
11. Love Letter -
12. Hanabi + (Co-op, but has a weird strategic nuance).
13. Sushi Go Party

This is really great list, although I would argue for maybe calling Pandemic a (+) game. Played this with a group of friends and they were a little intimidated by all the different roles and the various different kinds of things that could be done (as well as the various play phases). Was really impressed with Stone Age when I first tried it... It looks kind of intimidating at first, but the resource accumulation is pretty intuitive and neat.

 

[Rabid Dwarf 76]

I love Concordia and probably my favorite game (that no one seem to want to play even my die-hard board game group) but I have to agree with Stooge here. Concordia while easy to learn and to teach the game is really unforgiving for newcomer let alone those that are brand new to hobby board gaming. You have to keep in mind that people that are new to this style of board game has no concept of end game scoring, how to expand, how to build efficiency engine etc. We played Concordia couple weeks ago and the person new to the game (but not to this hobby) came in dead last because he has no idea how scoring would be. We ask him at the end what he think and he said he didn't like the game that much because end game scoring. I recommended the group before we played to do scoring round but the owner of the game and another experience players were against it. Poor guy probably not going to try Concordia again.

I also mention earlier that my regular game group shun Concordia because the games that they played, they had similar experience where they got completely destroyed by season Concordia players and they never want to play it again. The few times that I get people to play Concordia, I always make sure to do scoring round so people will see how the scoring will go at the end and that cards you buy is as important as expanding your territory.

Anyway, yeah, I admire you excitement for the hobby but living with non-gaming wife and family, I have learn my lesson of teaching them super-heavy complex game. I luck out into finding Ticket to Ride (from Xbox 360 arcade many years ago) and discovered gateway games for people in my family that are not into heavy gaming. Also keep in mind many people even after several gateway games are also never going to move up to anything more complex. My wife is a prime example, she is happy staying at Splendor, Five Tribes complexity and have no desire to play anything more complicate.

Thank you for your wonderful response. I find your experience with it and new players very interesting. Concordia is one of my favorite games to teach people new to the hobby. Your point about the end game scoring is spot on and the game doesn't really click to after the first play. I've never had anyone turned off by the game and it's scoring, during their first play, so it never occurred to me that would rub some the wrong way. Most have just said,"Ah! I get it now" and ask to play it again. But your experiences have given me a new perspective and I can see now how it might rub some the wrong way. As a poster above pointed out I need to really stop and think from a new players perspective more. I sometimes have blinders on and the last thing I want to do is get someone turned off of a game or the hobby due to my poor recommendation.

 

[DeathoftheEndless]

Though this year's advanced GOTY is entry level friendly IMO since it's a card-based escape room and there are practically no rules (only "don't look at cards you didn't get yet"). The advanced part is the level of logic required to solve the puzzles but it comes with a hint system that can even give out solutions if you're really stuck. It's all coop in that you sit in front of the puzzles together and more eyes and brains can see and think more.

When you bring up the Exit games though, you have to mention that you can only play them one time.

 

[Staccat0]

A lot of the classics are classics for a reason like Taboo.

Other classics are classics mostly due to marketing reasons.

Many (perhaps most) new games are both better and simpler than stuff like Monopoly.

I help develop games for several big hobby game companies, have a huge collection, go to board game cons and make a web series about board games. I would say I am the "hardcore" tabletop market and I still mostly play simple short games with clean design because I'm more into the hobby as a social lubricant.

My favorite game of all time is No Thanks, which costs $12 and can be played in 15 minutes. I also really like Via Nebula which is just a shorter and cleaner version of Brass a long/complex game I love.

 

[SoRuffShoNuff]

These game creators need to hire someone who can actually give the games titles that infer a sense of familiarity and draw your interest. When browsing an area looking at board games if I can't reasonably guess what the game is about from its title and artwork most likely I'm not going to touch the box. Some of these names might as well be a different language.

 

[KDR_11k]

When you bring up the Exit games though, you have to mention that you can only play them one time.

True, at least they're cheap and disposable.

 

[Affeinvasion]

This is really great list, although I would argue for maybe calling Pandemic a (+) game. Played this with a group of friends and they were a little intimidated by all the different roles and the various different kinds of things that could be done (as well as the various play phases).

It's only slightly more complicated than Forbidden Island. Set up in Pandemic is probably the most complicated part, but otherwise it's pretty much do 4 things, draw two cards, put cubes on the board, repeat.

These game creators need to hire someone who can actually give the games titles that infer a sense of familiarity and draw your interest. When browsing an area looking at board games if I can't reasonably guess what the game is about from its title and artwork most likely I'm not going to touch the box. Some of these names might as well be a different language.

Well I mean a lot of them are literally in other languages or from some fantasy universe. There's also thousands and thousands of games. A lot of names have been taken.

 

[Excelsior]

These game creators need to hire someone who can actually give the games titles that infer a sense of familiarity and draw your interest. When browsing an area looking at board games if I can't reasonably guess what the game is about from its title and artwork most likely I'm not going to touch the box. Some of these names might as well be a different language.

for this reason, it'd be great if people giving game recs could expand upon them with a little bit of information as to the main mechanic of the game, # of players, time per round, etc.

e.g.

Patchwork
2 players
20-30 minutes
build the best quilt, collect buttons to buy patches for your quilt

 

[ultron87]

These game creators need to hire someone who can actually give the games titles that infer a sense of familiarity and draw your interest. When browsing an area looking at board games if I can't reasonably guess what the game is about from its title and artwork most likely I'm not going to touch the box. Some of these names might as well be a different language.

If you're new to the hobby you'll probably be better off if you avoid anything that sounds like the name of a town or the name of an industry.

 

[echoshifting]

i didn't know there were so many board games fans here on GAF.
Can i hijack this thread to ask for CO-OP games (must be playable with 2 players)?

Fair warning, I almost always play co-op games in a group of three...I checked, and these are all playable with two, but if any of them sound interesting you might want to look into how they scale...

-Big Book of Madness: I have only played this a couple of times but I thought it was really fun. It is on the easy side, which could be good or bad for you. It's kind of a Lovecraft/Harry Potter hybrid in which you play a group of apprentice wizards and have to defeat a series of monsters to win. The spell acquisition and casting systems are really fun and the game has a great board and art.

-Forbidden Desert: I much prefer this to Forbidden Island. I think it's just an outright better version. You play a group of stranded explorers and have to build this wild ship to escape before you perish in the desert. This is one of my group's favorite games. I love all of the components. I am a little iffy on how well it would work with two people.

-Pandemic: moderately complex game in which you work as a team to eradicate a global plague. It can get really intense. It does kind of have the problem where one player can dominate the decision making, so it's not a good idea if most of the group is pretty passive. But if you do like it, you can upgrade to Pandemic Legacy, which is my favorite co-op game of all time. (Of the three, this is the one I have played most with two people, and I think it works very well. If you find it too difficult, it is pretty easy for each player to run two characters.)

One other thing...have you tried "solitaire games," like Dominion or Race/Roll for the Galaxy? My wife was very averse to competitive games a few years ago, but she never had a problem with these sorts of games. Each player basically does their own thing until someone hits an objective and you compare scores. Both of those games have light competitive aspects that are easily excised. You don't even have to modify the rules to do so in Dominion's case.

 

[SwiftDeath]

It's actually funny when I think more on the possible complexity of some of the more demanding games I play.

My main game group plays quite a lot of Eldritch Horror, something like 2 games a month for the past 2 years

And just this last weekend, I realized we had been playing a main aspect of the game wrong and had slightly given us an edge the whole time.

 

[Jims]

It's only slightly more complicated than Forbidden Island. Set up in Pandemic is probably the most complicated part, but otherwise it's pretty much do 4 things, draw two cards, put cubes on the board, repeat.

I'd argue it's more complicated because the decision making process is so much more nuanced in identifying problem situations and how to effectively deal with it. The accumulation of cubes and how they multiply versus just flipping tiles over in Forbidden Island. Since everyone is trying to make good decisions as a team, I find new players at Pandemic to feel kinda paralyzed by analysis sometimes.

You make a fair point that the actual play structure is really simple, though. It always looks like there is more actively going on than there is.

 

[SillyEskimo]

i didn't know there were so many board games fans here on GAF.
Can i hijack this thread to ask for CO-OP games (must be playable with 2 players)?

There are 2 games i enjoyed a lot which were eldritch horror and XCOM. The only person i can play with is my GF and she doesn't like competitive games.

I wanted to play board games with my friends but the distance we are from each other makes it impossible to play them. I'm hoping to get them to buy tabletop simulator so we can bypass the distance for now.

We actually have an active OT here. I'm kind of shocked it hasn't been linked yet.


http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=825268

 

[Timeaisis]

Boardgames have become more and more complex lately, which I absolutely detest. It takes longer to explain the rules and set up the game than to actually play it. And when you do play it, play takes forever because no one knows what exactly they are doing yet. They are great for dedicated groups that have the time to invest in learning the game (and playing it more than once), but are terrible for casual boardgame sessions (which, let's be honest, most boardgame sessions are casual).

The best games can be explained in the course of a few minutes and picked up almost immediately, but still have the depth and intrigue of their complex counterparts. Depth and complexity are two different things, remember.

I think something like Cosmic Encounter is the complexity line for me. That game, while complex, can be explained relatively easily and quickly and players can grasp the rest of the rules while playing. Anything more than that, and it's too much for new groups.

 

[BrightLightLava]

I don't think I saw anyone recommend Secret Hitler, but Secret Hitler is freaking great.

The first time you play it, it can seem a bit complicated, but as long as the Liberals realize that there's no reason at all for them to lie then it gets a bit easier (though it's usually easier for the Fascists to win in general).

Also, it's maybe the best looking board game I've played.

 

[echoshifting]

I don't think I saw anyone recommend Secret Hitler, but Secret Hitler is freaking great.

The first time you play it, it can seem a bit complicated, but as long as the Liberals realize that there's no reason at all for them to lie then it gets a bit easier (though it's usually easier for the Fascists to win in general).

Also, it's maybe the best looking board game I've played.

omg I love Secret Hitler

 

[BrightLightLava]

omg I love Secret Hitler

It's the only game I've played that I instantly felt the need to play again.

 

[ultron87]

Boardgames have become more and more complex lately, which I absolutely detest. It takes longer to explain the rules and set up the game than to actually play it. And when you do play it, play takes forever because no one knows what exactly they are doing yet. They are great for dedicated groups that have the time to invest in learning the game (and playing it more than once), but are terrible for casual boardgame sessions (which, let's be honest, most boardgame sessions are casual).

The best games can be explained in the course of a few minutes and picked up almost immediately, but still have the depth and intrigue of their complex counterparts. Depth and complexity are two different things, remember.

I think something like Cosmic Encounter is the complexity line for me. That game, while complex, can be explained relatively easily and quickly and players can grasp the rest of the rules while playing. Anything more than that, and it's too much for new groups.

I don't think there's been any increase in the number of complex games vs simple games coming out. More games are coming out these days with the expansion of the hobby for sure, but every year there's plenty of really good games that you can teach in 5 minutes and play for a very long time.

 

[elyetis]

I didn't check if anyone else gave the same advise, but watching boardgame being played to choose which one you should buy is still the best way to engage in the hobby imho.

The first season of TableTop on youtube is what made me want to play boardgame ( after having only played scrrable/monopoly/Clue when I was a child ), and it was easy to spot the games I wanted to play, and were "light" enough to play with my family ( ticket to ride is the one which worked best ).

I then went for heavier game afterward, even thought I have less opportunity to play them.

 

[Timeaisis]

I don't think there's been any increase in the number of complex games vs simple games coming out. More games are coming out these days with the expansion of the hobby for sure, but every year there's plenty of really good games that you can teach in 5 minutes and play for a very long time.

Maybe it just seems that way with the folks I typically play with. Always coming to our game nights with the most complex stuff imaginable.

I do agree there is a really cool new market of quick-play stuff. It was mentioned earlier but Secret Hitler is super easy to learn, so are lots of those hidden role games, honestly. Codenames and that interpretive abstract picture on (I forget what it's called) are all really good games for groups that are interesting without being overly complciated.

In other news, Skull is my jam right now, I can't get enough of that game, and it's so damn simple.

 

[Excelsior]

Maybe it just seems that way with the folks I typically play with. Always coming to our game nights with the most complex stuff imaginable.

I do agree there is a really cool new market of quick-play stuff. It was mentioned earlier but Secret Hitler is super easy to learn, so are lots of those hidden role games, honestly. Codenames and that interpretive abstract picture on (I forget what it's called) are all really good games for groups that are interesting without being overly complciated.

In other news, Skull is my jam right now, I can't get enough of that game, and it's so damn simple.

what's skull about? is this the same as Skull & Roses?

 

[ultron87]

Maybe it just seems that way with the folks I typically play with. Always coming to our game nights with the most complex stuff imaginable.

I do agree there is a really cool new market of quick-play stuff. It was mentioned earlier but Secret Hitler is super easy to learn, so are lots of those hidden role games, honestly. Codenames and that interpretive abstract picture on (I forget what it's called) are all really good games for groups that are interesting without being overly complciated.

In other news, Skull is my jam right now, I can't get enough of that game, and it's so damn simple.

Ah I gotcha. That increasing complexity could just be the result of a particular ongoing game group and the evolving tastes of whoever is buying the games than the hobby as a whole. I know I definitely went through that as I got more and more into the hobby, trying to get people into the tougher stuff until realizing I barely got to play a lot of the games I'd bought because of it.

And yeah, Skull is so good! I love the little arc of teaching people that game where it seems so simple, and then they get got by someone running a bluff and realize everything you can do in it. Also, it's so pretty!

The picture game you mentioned was probably Dixit or Mysterium. Both good ones.

 

[fuzzyset]

Ah I gotcha. That increasing complexity could just be the result of a particular ongoing game group and the evolving tastes of whoever is buying the games than the hobby as a whole. I know I definitely went through that as I got more and more into the hobby, trying to get people into the tougher stuff until realizing I barely got to play a lot of the games I'd bought because of it.

And yeah, Skull is so good! I love the little arc of teaching people that game where it seems so simple, and then they get got by someone running a bluff and realize everything you can do in it. Also, it's so pretty!

The picture game you mentioned was probably Dixit or Mysterium. Both good ones.

Could be Concept as well.

I think the complexity thing is partially due to the echo chamber of things like Boardgamegeek. Looking at the Top 100, few of the games have sub-60min playtimes. Don't get me wrong, I really like games like Scythe, Agricola, and others, but the more games I play (our house has 2 Ikea bookshelves filled with em), the more I appreciate tight, 15-30 play times, because those games actually hit the table.

 

[silver.tongue]

Do you guys consider Cyclades complex? Because thats possibly my favorite board game.. the Titans expansion is awesome too..

Edit: I think its a good mix of simple repetition and complex strategy..

 

[Z3M0G]

My circle of friends and I are into more "complex" modern board games. I don't think any of us play "classic" family board games.

I like keeping a variety available (board games, dice games, card games):

>> simple games for large number of players, for parties, etc.
- Roll For It [dice/cards]
- Camel Cup (ie Camel Up) [board]
- Dixit [cards]

>> slightly complex games for smaller groups that typically play over a number of rounds:
- Smallworld [board]
- Dice Forge [board/dice]
- Oh My Goods [cards]
- Carcasone [tiles]
Not mine:
- 7 Wonders [cards]

>> More complex games, for the select few that are interested, when we are in the mood for something deeper:
- Quarriors [dice/cards]
- Hero Realms [cards]
- Pathfinder [cards]
- D&D Adventure [tiles/dice]

We enjoy the Apples to Apples / Cards Against Humanity / Choking Hazard etc genre as well, in short bursts.

I'll take a moment to plug my latest obsession, Dice Forge:

 

[Any Questions]

There are plenty of great boardgames that are not complex. Even the "complex" ones as rated by archaic communities such as bgg can be easily understood by a six year old with half a clue.

The enemy of board games is time, not complexity. While complexity does somewhat feed into explanation time this is swallowed by playing time, setup time, clean up time and organisation time. This is a lot of investment in the time when people would probably rather be just chilling out and not engaging in strategic thought.

Nobody really has time for all that so if they do play something it has to be brain dead.

I agree. Rule explanation. Set up. Administration. Swallow time.


Then you need space. Getting a satisfactory die role without using an app is more complicated then you may first think. Space hurts.

 

[karnage10]

So many recommendations. Thank you, i'll enjoy going through them with my GF and choosing a few to play.

My favorite is Ghost Stories. Its not that complicated, but its hard to win.

thank you i'll check it out!

Have you played Forbidden Island? That one is really fun but it's more on the lighter side of things. Descent 2nd Edition has coop modules and coop campaigns if you buy the app on ios.

No i haven't played forbidden island. I'll check it out.
I don't have ios, only android. Is this the app? I'm asking because it is free on android.

someone rec'd Patchwork, and they are spot on. Great 2-player game, but not co-op. Dang. Missed that part of your request. I just love Patchwork.

I'll ask my GF but she doesn't seem to have fun when we play against each other.

The Spiel des Jahres award was split into two for this very reason, now there's the red default one and a black "advanced game of the year" mark.

Though this year's advanced GOTY is entry level friendly IMO since it's a card-based escape room and there are practically no rules (only "don't look at cards you didn't get yet"). The advanced part is the level of logic required to solve the puzzles but it comes with a hint system that can even give out solutions if you're really stuck. It's all coop in that you sit in front of the puzzles together and more eyes and brains can see and think more.


Not sure if you can read German, it says "game of the year, special award for complex games" on that box.

Unfortunately i can't read german but i'll probably try to learn it next year. As a Portuguese, i'd enjoy having the opportunity to work on germany/swiss/benelux countries.

Not sure about buying a game you can only use once. May i ask why we can only play a game once? (no spoilers obviously)

Fair warning, I almost always play co-op games in a group of three...I checked, and these are all playable with two, but if any of them sound interesting you might want to look into how they scale...

-Big Book of Madness: I have only played this a couple of times but I thought it was really fun. It is on the easy side, which could be good or bad for you. It's kind of a Lovecraft/Harry Potter hybrid in which you play a group of apprentice wizards and have to defeat a series of monsters to win. The spell acquisition and casting systems are really fun and the game has a great board and art.

-Forbidden Desert: I much prefer this to Forbidden Island. I think it's just an outright better version. You play a group of stranded explorers and have to build this wild ship to escape before you perish in the desert. This is one of my group's favorite games. I love all of the components. I am a little iffy on how well it would work with two people.

-Pandemic: moderately complex game in which you work as a team to eradicate a global plague. It can get really intense. It does kind of have the problem where one player can dominate the decision making, so it's not a good idea if most of the group is pretty passive. But if you do like it, you can upgrade to Pandemic Legacy, which is my favorite co-op game of all time. (Of the three, this is the one I have played most with two people, and I think it works very well. If you find it too difficult, it is pretty easy for each player to run two characters.)

One other thing...have you tried "solitaire games," like Dominion or Race/Roll for the Galaxy? My wife was very averse to competitive games a few years ago, but she never had a problem with these sorts of games. Each player basically does their own thing until someone hits an objective and you compare scores. Both of those games have light competitive aspects that are easily excised. You don't even have to modify the rules to do so in Dominion's case.

those games sound great. I'll check them out with my GF. I think we don't mind difficult games because we mostly play for fun (for example in eldritch horror i think we win 1 out of 7 campaigns). Generally I learn/study the rules and she does the set up. The first couple of games we generally keep the rulebook nearby to check if i'm forgetting something. We don't mind long, complex or simple games; it is all about having a good time.

Our "problem" is more on finding board games that can draws us in since the stores we have around here mostly sell competitive games. we live in a small town in Portugal so there aren't (to our knowledge) dedicated boardgames store where a clerk knows what to recommend to us.

I have never tried "solitaire games". Since we are not directly playing against each other maybe my GF will enjoy them. I'll check those out

We actually have an active OT here. I'm kind of shocked it hasn't been linked yet.


http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=825268

thank you.

 

[Deadstar]

No i haven't played forbidden island. I'll check it out.
I don't have ios, only android. Is this the app? I'm asking because it is free on android.

That is the app yes. I think you have to pay for the campaigns and to be clear, this is a companion app. You need to own certain Descent products in order to play these coop missions. There are also standalone coop missions that they sell that are not related to the app. I own them but haven't tried them yet. Descent is a somewhat heavy dungeon crawl so it may not be a good fit with you and your girlfriend, but you can watch some videos to see if it's something you'll like.

Forbidden Island should be right up your alley. It's simple, but fun. It's not something I'd want to play every day but every once in a while it's a good time.

Mice & Mystics is another coop game by Plaid Hat Games. It's supposedly fun and I own it, but haven't been able to play it yet.

 

[antiquegamer]

Boardgames have become more and more complex lately, which I absolutely detest. It takes longer to explain the rules and set up the game than to actually play it. And when you do play it, play takes forever because no one knows what exactly they are doing yet. They are great for dedicated groups that have the time to invest in learning the game (and playing it more than once), but are terrible for casual boardgame sessions (which, let's be honest, most boardgame sessions are casual).

The best games can be explained in the course of a few minutes and picked up almost immediately, but still have the depth and intrigue of their complex counterparts. Depth and complexity are two different things, remember.

I think something like Cosmic Encounter is the complexity line for me. That game, while complex, can be explained relatively easily and quickly and players can grasp the rest of the rules while playing. Anything more than that, and it's too much for new groups.

Actually this is not true. I think there is a trend in hobby board games to make rule light and reduce complexity. There are still heavy game being put out but the trend is toward lighter and faster game. As Todd point out the biggest enemy for this hobby is time investment vs other hobby.

 

[Paquete_PT]

There are a ton of games more accessible to the general audience that still manage to be unique, fun and challenging. Try ticket to ride, Munchkin and Smallworld. Me and my group of friends started with those

 

[Excelsior]

There are a ton of games more accessible to the general audience that still manage to be unique, fun and challenging. Try ticket to ride, Munchkin and Smallworld. Me and my group of friends started with those

Munchkin has a billion expansions - are there any you'd recommend? Only have the base game atm

 

[-tetsuo-]

Try

Very little setup
Plays quickly AND simultaneously so no one is sitting waiting for their turn
Easy to learn and teach
Up to 7 players
Great expansions
Cheap

Boardgames have become more and more complex lately, which I absolutely detest. It takes longer to explain the rules and set up the game than to actually play it. And when you do play it, play takes forever because no one knows what exactly they are doing yet. They are great for dedicated groups that have the time to invest in learning the game (and playing it more than once), but are terrible for casual boardgame sessions (which, let's be honest, most boardgame sessions are casual).

The best games can be explained in the course of a few minutes and picked up almost immediately, but still have the depth and intrigue of their complex counterparts. Depth and complexity are two different things, remember.

I think something like Cosmic Encounter is the complexity line for me. That game, while complex, can be explained relatively easily and quickly and players can grasp the rest of the rules while playing. Anything more than that, and it's too much for new groups.

Cosmic Encounter isn't complex at all lol

 

[Shadybiz]

Chess is the perfect board game.

For 2 players, I would agree. I've spent a lot of relaxing evenings with a good friend of mine, playing some chess and talking about life, in between moves. It's definitely not for everybody, though.

 

[SwiftDeath]

Other accessible games are the Werewolf type games such as Secret Hitler already mentioned although I haven't played that. Bang which I have played is pretty good, very flexible (plays okay with 4 ppl, better with more) and super easy to learn

Munchkin has a billion expansions - are there any you'd recommend? Only have the base game atm

Superhero Munchkin is my favorite followed by Adventure Time Munchkin but they're all pretty good.

I wouldn't get more than 3 or so sets as you really don't need too many

 

[StrategyFan]

this is basically the fundamental design tradeoff of every game

if you want more interesting things to happen (without relying on social interactions), the cost is going to be increased complexity

the "simple, but deep" stuff (eg. chess) is basically just replacing complex rules with complex calculations. it works fine if you just want to play, but then you get into the whole problem of the game not being fun if one player is just better than the other

you can try games that put rules on cards. it doesn't completely fix the problem, but it simplifies the 'what can you do on your turn' to a handful of options (literally)

 

[Deadstar]

this is basically the fundamental design tradeoff of every game

if you want more interesting things to happen (without relying on social interactions), the cost is going to be increased complexity

the "simple, but deep" stuff (eg. chess) is basically just replacing complex rules with complex calculations. it works fine if you just want to play, but then you get into the whole problem of the game not being fun if one player is just better than the other

you can try games that put rules on cards. it doesn't completely fix the problem, but it simplifies the 'what can you do on your turn' to a handful of options (literally)

This is really well said. Simple games are easy to learn and play however they don't always have the best longevity. If a game is too simple ie Exploding Kittens, it can get boring extremely quickly. Something deeper with more meat is going to last you a lot longer and it will really get your creative juices flowing.