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[Gaming Truth]

I played Splendor with my wife at a local game night and we liked it a lot more than Century Spice Road. We only played three rounds, so maybe it's not enough time to judge, but it was a lot more engaging for us. Not sure why...

Is Palace a separate game from Castles? I'll have to look into it. Does it update or iterate on Castles or is it totally different?

Thank you for the recommendations and advice! I'll take all the help I can get, I'm out if my element here for sure.

Splendor feels more engaging because you can do anything you want on your turn. Century & Concodia use the card mechanic to dictate what you can do (is there a term for this?), and while that's cool, it feels more restrictive.

Since only a few of us have gotten to try Palace, I'll try to high-level summarize it. These are the major points for each game:

Castles: Each player builds their own castle, buys from a common pool, sets the market prices
Palace: Each player contributes to the same castle, buys from a common pool, there is no price setting. Palaces has individual player power development, a different scoring system, and an interesting game-end mechanic (player-driven)

More or less, they both share partly, the same scoring mechanism, room completion bonus system, etc. It feels mechanically the same, but they play very differently. I like Palace a lot and plan on buying it (I skipped Castles; I like Suburbia more)

 

[Karkador]

Castles has way more appeal for me because you build a more varied floorplan that has to take size and shape into consideration. Palace is just square tiles?

 

[zeeaykay]

Would you say the exp is a must?
Have the base game and while very fun my group isn't to fond of it.

I wouldn't say it's a must, but it's very nice. Adds some difficult decisions. Also gives players three small secret hallways to use that doubles the point bonus when selecting rooms. Lately some of the new rooms have swans on them, and if you take that room you get a random swan tile. Having swan tiles of different colors gets you more points at the end of the game. Adds a dash of push your luck and another decision on if you'll go for them or not.

 

[Izayoi]

Wow, lots of praise for Castles. Maybe we will try to play both 7 Wonders and Castles tonight. We've got 3-4 hours of playtime, so I'm hoping that will be enough to get a feel for both (I see that Castles is a lot longer than 7 Wonders, though...)

I would love to give Blood Rage a shot but I'm pretty sure this place doesn't have a copy in their library to check out.

 

[zeeaykay]

Castles is fun because no matter what happens at the end of the game you have your own unique castle you made. I always start the game by saying whoever can the tell the best story about their castle at the end of the game is the moral victor or something like that haha.

Castles CAN run long. Make sure you use the proper amount of room cards, the first time I played I thought you just use all of them. It can get bad if someone gets AP when setting the room pricing. If this happens it's not a horrible idea to use a minute timer - you could even justify it by saying that the mad king goes crazy if he things about money too long. No matter what you do you'll probably end up giving someone a really good room for cheap.

 

[-tetsuo-]

I don't mind Castles but I like 7 wonders a lot more. After like 3 games or so you can get plays of 7 wonders in about 30 minutes, setup and all.

 

[Lyng]

I don't mind Castles but I like 7 wonders a lot more. After like 3 games or so you can get plays of 7 wonders in about 30 minutes, setup and all.

Yeah I agree. For me and my wife castles got old real quick. The speed of 7 wonders, even with larger groups is so impressive.

 

[emag]

Wow, lots of praise for Castles. Maybe we will try to play both 7 Wonders and Castles tonight. We've got 3-4 hours of playtime, so I'm hoping that will be enough to get a feel for both (I see that Castles is a lot longer than 7 Wonders, though...)

I would love to give Blood Rage a shot but I'm pretty sure this place doesn't have a copy in their library to check out.

Blood Rage has minis, but the core of the game is drafting card combos, much like 7 Wonders. That said, using said combos (via minis) involves a tactical/timing element not mirrored in 7W. Hope that helps to inform your opinion.

 

[ultron87]

I like 7 Wonders except for the whole science thing. Scoring methods in games with that kind of exponential scoring always bother me, since it usually means that that's the one thing at the table that everyone has to be aware of and police so that one person doesn't just run away with it.

 

[Blizzard]

I like 7 Wonders except for the whole science thing. Scoring methods in games with that kind of exponential scoring always bother me, since it usually means that that's the one thing at the table that everyone has to be aware of and police so that one person doesn't just run away with it.

It's also the most fiddly part of the scoring, which is one reason I like that 7 Wonders Duel got rid of it.

7 Wonders Duel also gets rid of the "can't build duplicate cards" thing which is easy for somebody to miss when 6 people are at the table.

 

[BassForever]

I've wanted to play 7 wonders leaders since I've heard that expansions helps to give better focus on how you should draft on any particular turn.

 

[Blizzard]

I've wanted to play 7 wonders leaders since I've heard that expansions helps to give better focus on how you should draft on any particular turn.

That's my favorite expansion. I really didn't like the expansion where you steal money from your neighbors.

 

[BassForever]

Hey Tetsuo if we're still doing MK teaching game on table top sim which version of the game do you use? I'm not too familiar with TTS.

 

[-tetsuo-]

Hey Tetsuo if we're still doing MK teaching game on table top sim which version of the game do you use? I'm not too familiar with TTS.

There is one with scripting that I use that has all the expansions. I forget the name, can't look right now I am on my way home from work lol

 

[BassForever]

There is one with scripting that I use that has all the expansions. I forget the name, can't look right now I am on my way home from work lol

I'm gonna PM you my steam name, add me and pm what it is when you're ready

 

[KJ869]

Good to know! Any idea when that will be out? I can wait I guess.

No firm date but concidering all the changes shoul hit by 1st of november or earlier november would not be that far off

 

[Excelsior]

Massdrop has king of tokyo for $25 with free us shipping if anyone is looking to pick it up

do you have a link to this? and what is massdrop

 

[BassForever]

do you have a link to this? and what is massdrop

http://dro.ps/b/a7wzMcF/t

Basically its a store that'll do big bundles of stuff where if a bunch of people buy you get a discounted price

As an example I got all the smash up expansions* for $100 as opposed to paying like $250 retail

 

[sasimirobot]

That's my favorite expansion. I really didn't like the expansion where you steal money from your neighbors.

Hello rahdo.


Holy shit new 7 wonders and small world expansions! Life is good in the board game world right now!

 

[Blizzard]

Hello rahdo.


Holy shit new 7 wonders and small world expansions! Life is good in the board game world right now!

I don't like high conflict games a ton in general like Rahdo, but I do like 7 Wonders Duel which is about as confrontational as you can get. So your suggestion doesn't quite hold.

I didn't like that expansion not just because of stealing money, but because it also slowed the game for the people who couldn't do anything because of bad luck with money. It just felt like a miserable and unnecessary mechanic.

 

[Lyng]

So I am selling most of my collection. Due to having a child and number 2 on the way, and having my own business now, I simply dont have the time for that many games anymore.
And I have forced myself out of the whole "look at my collection mindset".

But still keeping my favourite 20 or so.

And ordered Brass Birmingham Deluxe edition. That game looks so great.

 

[mercviper]

Played a couple games of Great Western Trail today. I know people have been talking about it in the thread but I've been trying to stay unhyped about anything to save my wallet.

Game is really good. Lots of interaction and always a plus for me is deckbuilding. We played two 4-player games over 4 hours and my first game I ended up going cowboys which kinda feels like big money honestly. Ended up 3rd with 88 points vs 118, 108, 77; The 118 score also being a cow strat. I made a lot of mistakes among which included taking 3 rounds before being able to trade a cow hand worth 10 points, not valuing extra action property spaces, and taking low value turns.

The second game I understood the engine a bit more and scored an early property I could make use of every route to dump Jerseys and gain certs. This time I went more of a craftsmen/engineer focus and built tolls for income and spammed buildings to slow down opposition. Kinda sleeper hit on the forest building since I was able to bank on that every round and finished 1st at 90 points vs 78,70,67 going heavy recruitment and buliding.

 

[Blizzard]

Played a couple games of Great Western Trail today. I know people have been talking about it in the thread but I've been trying to stay unhyped about anything to save my wallet.

Game is really good. Lots of interaction and always a plus for me is deckbuilding. We played two 4-player games over 4 hours and my first game I ended up going cowboys which kinda feels like big money honestly. Ended up 3rd with 88 points vs 118, 108, 77; The 118 score also being a cow strat. I made a lot of mistakes among which included taking 3 rounds before being able to trade a cow hand worth 10 points, not valuing extra action property spaces, and taking low value turns.

The second game I understood the engine a bit more and scored an early property I could make use of every route to dump Jerseys and gain certs. This time I went more of a craftsmen/engineer focus and built tolls for income and spammed buildings to slow down opposition. Kinda sleeper hit on the forest building since I was able to bank on that every round and finished 1st at 90 points vs 78,70,67 going heavy recruitment and buliding.

It seems like there definitely have to be other strategies depending on what worker tiles come up, but thus far I've never had a game where any player beats the cowboys + expensive cows + whatever else is convenient strategy. I've tried to avoid looking up specifics since I'd like to think I can figure out something.

 

[antiquegamer]

It seems like there definitely have to be other strategies depending on what worker tiles come up, but thus far I've never had a game where any player beats the cowboys + expensive cows + whatever else is convenient strategy. I've tried to avoid looking up specifics since I'd like to think I can figure out something.

My daughter won in a 4 player fame with conductor strategy, she only deliver cows when she needed to and got her train track to the end of the route but the cowboy + high value cows is probably the easiest to achieve. There was a guy won using builder but I remember that was also a long game and benefit him more.

 

[SCHUEY F1]

Been really mulling over getting Great Western Trail

 

[Mr. Lemming]

Why my wife is mad at me.

 

[BassForever]

Why my wife is mad at me.

I'd be mad at you too

How hard is it to recycle the empty priority shipping box?

 

[Blizzard]

My daughter won in a 4 player fame with conductor strategy, she only deliver cows when she needed to and got her train track to the end of the route but the cowboy + high value cows is probably the easiest to achieve. There was a guy won using builder but I remember that was also a long game and benefit him more.

I really didn't think it would be so easy and effective with how highly the game is rated as a strategy game. I've tried builder and engineer games as well, but without lucky tile draws it's a losing proposition as far as I can tell. I guess if I come to terms and always get 1 or 2 cowboys plus some high value cows I could still have some fun.

The worst part is I could see a high Indian or high hazard strategy working...except those are exactly what you get for free if you mass cowboys.

 

[Mr. Lemming]

I'd be mad at you too

How hard is it to recycle the empty priority shipping box?

It has a game going out in it!

 

[AstroLad]

Are those Restoration Games pretty good? Actually quite impressed at how much of a market presence they've gotten in just a few months. Remember when they talked about it in The Dice Tower way back.

 

[BassForever]

Are those Restoration Games pretty good? Actually quite impressed at how much of a market presence they've gotten in just a few months. Remember when they talked about it in The Dice Tower way back.

They better be cause they're doing fireball island next

 

[joelseph]

Are those Restoration Games pretty good? Actually quite impressed at how much of a market presence they've gotten in just a few months. Remember when they talked about it in The Dice Tower way back.

I have really enjoyed my time with Downforce. Plus the board is freaking gorgeous.

 

[yayaba]

Been getting into solo board gaming lately. I've always been a big LOTR LCG nut for over a year but diverged into competitive LCGs for awhile after that.

Got a new baby in the house now and it means my days of playing tournaments are over for now at least. So I started researching some solo games that I can play and let them sit on my table so I can walk away easily so I don't have to finish them in the same session.

Some games I got:

Pathfinder ACG: Mummy's Mask - I actually played the shit out of this when I got it. Not much depth but I found it to be mindless fun. Bought 3 adventure packs out of 5 so far and I'm on the third and still enjoying it. I wish that the progression happened quicker though. Some of the quests are kind of a slog and aren't even that hard so I spend a ton of time setting up and book keeping with upgrading my party between quests. And the game is a bit easy. I'm almost always rolling 5-10+ above what I need. I heard Wrath was a lot harder but not sure if I'm ever going to invest in that.

Mistfall: Heart of the Mists - Just got this last week and wow, this game is hard and time consuming. I love how puzzle like each battle is. I basically sprawl all my cards and out and take 30 minutes to figure out how I can attempt to one shot each encounter using the tools at my disposal and what I can buy during combat. Super fun so hard but I wish it didn't take so long for me to puzzle through. Each game takes me like 3 days to complete lol.

I have Gloomhaven coming soon'ish (second KS). But I've been doing some more research and does anyone have any opinions on:

Too Many Bones - looks cool but super $$$ :-/

Sword and Sorcery - I'm a bit miffed that the retail version is missing so much content compared to the KS but the AI system looks interesting

Descent with Road to Legend app - Looks like a lot of content just out of the box. How is gameplay? I watched a few videos and it just seemed like roll attack and move with not much more than that?

Perdition's Mouth - Love how puzzly it looks but also wish it wasn't $100 to get. The theme turns me off a bit but I think I can look past that

Runebound with latest co-op expansion - Might be able to get my wife to play this but again wish it didn't cost almost $100 for the base game plus expansion. Only 4 quests also. Any thoughts on how fun this is?

 

[Mr. Lemming]

Downforce is great. I used to have Daytona 500 years ago which is the same game system, but this has variable powers, a more interesting track and a better scoring system. Haven't had a chance to try stop thief yet, but the production values are awesome.

 

[joelseph]

I played Unearth at work yesterday and really enjoyed it. That and Dice Forge have really surprised me recently.

 

[AstroLad]

They better be cause they're doing fireball island next

Yeah at this rate that game is going to be freaking huge. Looks goty type hit marketwise potentially.

 

[elyetis]

Why my wife is mad at me.

Lucky you, I'm still waiting for my Stop Thief delivery.

 

[EYEL1NER]

Amazon has TtR: Europe right now for $25, so I finally jumped on that. I've played it digitally and greatly prefer the Euro map and rules to that of USA, so I'm glad to finally have it.
I finally ordered another copy of Strike, since the seller I ordered from last time reported that the box was damaged and cancelled the order. Here's hoping it shows up in great condition.
Nothing much else on the radar for me, except at the end of the month when I'll make another day trip down to Jacksonville. I've already made up a list of games to order from CSI and pick up while there (so far on the list I have: NMBR 9, Flip Ships, Codenames Duet, The Resistance: Plot Thickens, and Potion Explosion 5th Ingrediant).
I did add Wasteland Express Delivery Service to my Dinosaur Island pledge though. I spent a while agonizing over whether the exclusive promo pack was worth about $25 more to me over some online prices I've seen and then decided that I'd rather get the promos and regret it now than get the game later, want the promos, and have no way to get them.

I did play Go Nuts for Donuts last night for the first time and I liked it. It fell flat with my wife, despite her winning. My daughter just liked the cute donut art though. We played Rhino Hero after and my wife and daughter seemed bored with it (and were super-tired) until it fell, and then they wanted to play more times. We only played that one game of it though.

 

[TerminalDogma]

Hey Guys, I've got Race for the Galaxy and the first expansion for it (Gathering Storm). Me and my group have never played it before, is it safe to just play immediately with the Gathering Storm cards mixed in or does the expansion add anything that's just too crazy and we should play the regular version first? I mostly got Gathering Storm since it added in another player, and it seems like my play group is going to be 4-5 people.

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

I played Unearth at work yesterday and really enjoyed it. That and Dice Forge have really surprised me recently.

Unearth is neat. I could use some more die manipulation in the game, but it's a short breezy game that's fun.

Hey Guys, I've got Race for the Galaxy and the first expansion for it (Gathering Storm). Me and my group have never played it before, is it safe to just play immediately with the Gathering Storm cards mixed in or does the expansion add anything that's just too crazy and we should play the regular version first? I mostly got Gathering Storm since it added in another player, and it seems like my play group is going to be 4-5 people.

You should be ok adding in the new cards and goals. Nothing it adds is vastly different from the base game.

 

[zulux21]

You should be ok adding in the new cards and goals. Nothing it adds is vastly different from the base game.

yeah I mean there isn't much difference from a symbol learning curve of 9.25 to 9.3

on the flip side, I would perhaps recommend picking up the race for the galaxy app. it is on ios, android and steam (it's $7 on steam not sure about the others) and does a decent job of teaching you how to play the game. it's not exactly known as an easy to pick up and play game so having an app teach you before trying to teach it to a group might not be a bad idea.

 

[Blizzard]

Hey Guys, I've got Race for the Galaxy and the first expansion for it (Gathering Storm). Me and my group have never played it before, is it safe to just play immediately with the Gathering Storm cards mixed in or does the expansion add anything that's just too crazy and we should play the regular version first? I mostly got Gathering Storm since it added in another player, and it seems like my play group is going to be 4-5 people.

As Joey said, just add it in. It makes things more balanced and the goals are easy to understand. Just make sure you emphasize that in a tie, the "most" goals go back to the center, and I think the tied players get a smaller bonus at the end.

Also note that the gambling world card is completely swapped out, and with more than 2 players you don't use the duplicate Develop and Settle action cards.

Lastly, make sure you review the rules and symbols on say, 20 cards, before playing. It will help you teach if you don't have to constantly look up symbols. You'll still look them up often enough.

 

[SCHUEY F1]

Finally got all my Mansions of Madness minis painted and based. Took a while, but they look great. Also thanks to however mentioned the large 3700 Plano for mini storage for the game, it is perfect.

 

[XShagrath]

Finally got all my Mansions of Madness minis painted and based. Took a while, but they look great. Also thanks to however mentioned the large 3700 Plano for mini storage for the game, it is perfect.

Pics? I'm still working on mine.

 

[SCHUEY F1]

Pics? I'm still working on mine.

When I get a chance I'll have to lay them all out and take a pic. Still need to buy the new scenario. Also the next expansion will be out soon so there will be some new ones to paint.

 

[cooltrainer]

Coolstuff has Robinson Crusoe for $32.99 right now. I've been kind of on the fence about it but that's a damn good price.

 

[Karkador]

Nobody mentioned Pandemic: Rising Tide? A new spinoff scenario on Pandemic, similar to Iberia

https://www.zmangames.com/en/news/2017/8/29/announcing-pandemic-rising-tide/

Looks like this time, rather than fighting diseases, you're fighting off flood waters in Industrial Age Netherlands.

As the next game in the Survival Series, Pandemic: Rising Tide continues the hallmarks of the series. Each game enjoys a strong resemblance to the original Pandemic while uniquely adapting them to a new locale. On the lakes and polders of the Netherlands, the threat is not from diseases but from the water itself. With land becoming more and more scarce and water levels rising by the day, a modern system is needed to stem the rising tide.

In Pandemic: Rising Tide, it is your goal to avert tragedy by constructing four modern hydraulic structures in strategic locations that will help you defend the country from being reclaimed by the ocean. Storms are brewing and the seas are restless. It will take all your guile to control the flow of water long enough to usher in the future of the Netherlands. It’s time to get to work.

The most promising part is that this one is designed by the Splotter guy.

 

[zulux21]

Nobody mentioned Pandemic: Rising Tide? A new spinoff scenario on Pandemic, similar to Iberia

https://www.zmangames.com/en/news/2017/8/29/announcing-pandemic-rising-tide/

Looks like this time, rather than fighting diseases, you're fighting off flood waters in Industrial Age Netherlands.



The most promising part is that this one is designed by the Splotter guy.

I didn't see them reannounce it.

when they first announced it it was just after Harvey and they pulled the announcement due to blacklash to it being insensitive.

 

[Karkador]

I didn't see them reannounce it.

when they first announced it it was just after Harvey and they pulled the announcement due to blacklash to it being insensitive.

Oh really? I didn't know that. Interestingly enough, Z-Man says they're donating $5 of each pre-order to Harvey relief.

 

[AstroLad]

Did they pull due to "backlash?" I thought they just decided to hold off but I didn't follow it closely. I am probably maxed out on Pandemic stuff, especially with Legacy Season 2 coming out soon but so far I pretty much love all the offshoots so wouldn't be surprised of it was worth it especially with the Splotter guy mixing things up.