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[Emerson]

Two questions:

1) I'm sure this is a long shot, but if there is anyone who would be willing to sell their Game of Thrones board game to a fellow GAFfer for a halfway reasonable price, please PM me. I'm not asking anybody to give it up, but if there's somebody who has it and doesn't use it or wouldn't mind selling it, I'd love to buy it. The eBay and Amazon prices are just nuts.

2) You know that party game Mafia (or the Werewolf variant, which I always preferred)? Is there any board game along this theme?

edit: fuck me, I missed the actual Werewolf game listed in honorable mentions in the OP. Well, any other similar games would be appreciated or opinions of that one.

 

[Cathcart]

liked the giant dice. I should get 10 more for Arkham and put giant elder signs on the 5s and 6s

I love me some Carson City; doesn't get to the table enough. I think the number of turns is just right - the last turn is usually a bloodbath of expansion & attacks, I don't think another turn would help, just make the rich, richer.

Yeah, I'm sure you're right. This was based on one play so I can't really make judgements. Now that I think about it the last turn was pretty intense and the lead changed a couple of times in final scoring. Good stuff.

 

[StoOgE]

2) You know that party game Mafia (or the Werewolf variant, which I always preferred)? Is there any board game along this theme?

If you are looking for a "hidden player" mechanic where you don't know who is who there are really two decent card game options:

1) The Resistance: it's a version of werewolf without player elimination and some nice flare cards that make it more of a deduction game and less of a wild guessing game. It's really ace.

2) Bang! This is more of a beer and pretzels game, but one I enjoy a good bit. One person is the sheriff, a number of players are the deputies and a number are outlaws (and 1 is the renegade). No one knows who anyone is other than the sheriff so it's a fun bit of "well, this guy isn't shooting the sheriff, maybe he's friendly". It's not what I would call a great game but it's fun. You also get variable player powers so everyone has a special ability that lets them break the rules in fun ways.

There is some other game called Shadow Hunter I played once that was Werewolf with a direct confrontation mechanic that was pretty good. I've only played it once (see no point in owning it since I own 1 and 2 above).

For board game variants there are really two main options.

1) Shadows over Camelot - fun co-op game where everyone is a knight of the round table playing against the board itself to try and win. One player may (or may not be) a traitor but no one knows who (or if) it is. Really fun game.

2) Battlestar Gallactica. It's like Shadows, but everything is better. It's everyone versus the Cylons (the game itself). Except someone might be a cylon, and you can put people in prison. Oh, and everything comes down to a vote system so there is less losing because my cards sucked that you can get in Shadows. The vote system also means you don't have the "30 minutes until I do something again" in an 8 player game of shadows. Then again, it only supports 5 players well.

Both are fun games that have a hidden traitor mechanic. I like and play them both in different circumstances.. Shadows is the lighter game and is much easier to explain. BSG is the better game.

 

[platypotamus]

Soooooooooo, finally got a chance to try the Famers of the Moor expansion to Agricola (couple pictures on my google+!). I promised to post some thoughts for someone(?) forever ago when I mentioned I got it, and so here they are:

1. I hate Agricola
2. I love Agricola
3. Famers of the Moor makes both of the above more true.

So there's a couple ways to play (family game, only using minor improvements from the expansion, or using occupations and minor improvements from base + expansion). We opted for the middle (standard) choice, and it was just a two player game.

Horses are powerful. Worth the most points per animal, and available as early as turn 1. Also, a lot of my minor improvements relied on or rewarded me for horses.

How are the available turn 1? Well, there's new "special actions" that you don't have to use a family member for (different mechanic, still limited availability). There are cards with a collection of these actions, you choose a card and do one of the actions. Other actions include interactions with the forests/moors, free food, or extra improvement building (improvements, both major and minor, are even more important in this expansion, it seems).

Speaking of which, there are a bunch of new Major Improvements too. These go UNDER the base major improvements, and aren't available until the improvement on top of them is purchased. I think they maybe would have gotten more involved in a game with more people, or a game where my wife didn't keep sharking all the resources before I could >:\

Here's a rough chronology of my thoughts on the expansion as I played:

1. Seriously? I've got to clear forests and moors and heat my home now? As if I don't have enough shit to do already!
2. Wait, I don't need to use a dude to take special actions, I totally will be able to accomplish all my objectives.
3. Why the hell aren't I able to accomplish all my objectives?

 

[Neverfade]

Soooooooooo, finally got a chance to try the Famers of the Moor expansion to Agricola (couple pictures on my google+!). I promised to post some thoughts for someone(?) forever ago when I mentioned I got it, and so here they are:

1. I hate Agricola
2. I love Agricola
3. Famers of the Moor makes both of the above more true.

So there's a couple ways to play (family game, only using minor improvements from the expansion, or using occupations and minor improvements from base + expansion). We opted for the middle (standard) choice, and it was just a two player game.

Horses are powerful. Worth the most points per animal, and available as early as turn 1. Also, a lot of my minor improvements relied on or rewarded me for horses.

How are the available turn 1? Well, there's new "special actions" that you don't have to use a family member for (different mechanic, still limited availability). There are cards with a collection of these actions, you choose a card and do one of the actions. Other actions include interactions with the forests/moors, free food, or extra improvement building (improvements, both major and minor, are even more important in this expansion, it seems).

Speaking of which, there are a bunch of new Major Improvements too. These go UNDER the base major improvements, and aren't available until the improvement on top of them is purchased. I think they maybe would have gotten more involved in a game with more people, or a game where my wife didn't keep sharking all the resources before I could >:\

Here's a rough chronology of my thoughts on the expansion as I played:

1. Seriously? I've got to clear forests and moors and heat my home now? As if I don't have enough shit to do already!
2. Wait, I don't need to use a dude to take special actions, I totally will be able to accomplish all my objectives.
3. Why the hell aren't I able to accomplish all my objectives?

 

[AstroLad]

1. Seriously? I've got to clear forests and moors and heat my home now? As if I don't have enough shit to do already!
2. Wait, I don't need to use a dude to take special actions, I totally will be able to accomplish all my objectives.
3. Why the hell aren't I able to accomplish all my objectives?

Yeah, after a few plays with it I feel like the challenges posed by heating are a bit overstated. They're certainly more than counterbalanced by the additional options given with horses and special actions.

 

[platypotamus]

Yeah, after a few plays with it I feel like the challenges posed by heating are a bit overstated. They're certainly more than counterbalanced by the additional options given with horses and special actions.

Neither of us ended up with sick folk, but I had to waste some precious precious wood on fuel. If you don't get any help from improvements, you only get a total of 9 fuel, which isn't enough to heat without wood.

Wood was by far the most scarce resource in our game, for whatever reason, so that really made me sad.

 

[AstroLad]

I am always short on wood, but then again I play a lot of 3P Gric.

 

[antiquegamer]

Hi, long time lurker here so first time posting.

I introduced my family to Dominion, while it's fun mechanic, the idea of collecting wealth have some limited appeal to them (they are young). So a local game store told me to try Thunderstone. We play a game today and it seems very difficult to get the right card to battle the monster. Are we suppose to be constantly shedding card. Dominion allow for constant drawing and playing card while Thunderstone you are stuck with the card you draw pretty much. Unless we are doing it wrong....

So far I can see me and may be my son have fun with it once we figure out what to do.

Also want to try Formula D but no one in my family care for driving and racing do you guys think they could still enjoy it as strategy game?

 

[AstroLad]

Also want to try Formula D but no one in my family care for driving and racing do you guys think they could still enjoy it as strategy game?

I used to own Formula D but I really soured on it -- I just don't think it's a very fun game unless you're playing with 5+ and they all know how to play (the game isn't complex but the mechanics are a bit wonky and there are lots and lots of corner cases). Snow Tails has a similar mechanic but plays much more quickly and is a bit simpler and plays well with smaller numbers, which Formula D does not. imo though RoboRally is well above any other racing-mechanic games though.

 

[AstroLad]

i've got a bunch of invites out on yucata -- check your inboxes peeps

 

[Zalasta]

So a local game store told me to try Thunderstone. We play a game today and it seems very difficult to get the right card to battle the monster. Are we suppose to be constantly shedding card. Dominion allow for constant drawing and playing card while Thunderstone you are stuck with the card you draw pretty much. Unless we are doing it wrong....

No, it's possible to get stuck with the same monsters for a while if nobody draws the right combination of cards to be able to beat them. However, if I remember correctly, even if you cannot win the battle, the targeted monster still goes back to the deck after the attempt and a new one is drawn to replace it. Since there is no penalty in losing (except a loss of a turn), you could do that to force new monsters into the dungeon, but you don't reap the possible benefit immediately.

If you like the mechanics of Dominion and Thunderstone but prefer a more fantasy setting, I'd say look into Ascension. Of the 3 games I myself prefer Ascension much more (I'm also probably the only person on this forum who don't care for Dominion, and I was one of the original playtesters for the game 3 years ago).

124 is a pretty high ranking on boardgamegeek but unless it really breaks down after several plays I'm surprised Carson City isn't ranked even higher. I guess cathedrals > the old west on BGG.

I'm no fan of Caylus, but when it came out the mechanics it featured were still fairly fresh. Now a days worker placement games are a dime a dozen. Furthermore, dice usually mean randomness and that doesn't sit well with a lot of boardgamers. There are many people out there who are strong proponents of no luck factors. So that may give you an idea why Caylus is still ranked fairly high.

 

[Chorazin]

Hi, long time lurker here so first time posting.

I introduced my family to Dominion, while it's fun mechanic, the idea of collecting wealth have some limited appeal to them (they are young). So a local game store told me to try Thunderstone. We play a game today and it seems very difficult to get the right card to battle the monster. Are we suppose to be constantly shedding card. Dominion allow for constant drawing and playing card while Thunderstone you are stuck with the card you draw pretty much. Unless we are doing it wrong....

And this is EXACTLY why I hate Thunderstone. Hate it with a burning passion. Sell it to someone and buy ANY OTHER deck building game. If you like the idea of killing monsters, give Ascension a try!

 

[MichaelBD]

Anybody else looking into Battleship Galaxies? My impulses got the best of me again this past weekend and snagged a copy from my local FGS (mistake considering the price).

Reading over the rules it looks pretty awesome. Kind of like a love child between Heroscape, Chaos in the Old World, Battleship, and an awesome space theme.

Haven't had the chance to play it yet, but hopefully I'll have an opponent lined up soon.

 

[Neverfade]

Anybody else looking into Battleship Galaxies? My impulses got the best of me again this past weekend and snagged a copy from my local FGS (mistake considering the price).

I'm interested.

Reading over the rules it looks pretty awesome. Kind of like a love child between Heroscape, Chaos in the Old World, Battleship, and an awesome space theme.

HNNNNGGGG

 

[StoOgE]

I introduced my family to Dominion, while it's fun mechanic, the idea of collecting wealth have some limited appeal to them (they are young). So a local game store told me to try Thunderstone. We play a game today and it seems very difficult to get the right card to battle the monster. Are we suppose to be constantly shedding card. Dominion allow for constant drawing and playing card while Thunderstone you are stuck with the card you draw pretty much. Unless we are doing it wrong....

So far I can see me and may be my son have fun with it once we figure out what to do.

Welcome to Thunderstone. The game where you might have 3 monsters in a row that require magic to kill and the only magic attack card costs more money than you'll have for like 10 turns. Oh, and no one wants to sacrifice themselves for the monster.

Thunderstone is a good idea. The problem is, with a system like Dominion you are always trying to accomplish 1 thing: get enough money and buys in your hand to get VPs. No matter what cards come up, there is some way to do this, because all of the cards are in some way related to helping you do this basic thing.

Thunderstone is about killing monsters to get VPs. And there are multiple ways that monsters need to be killed. Which means you can't construct a hand with a single minded focus, and if the wrong monsters come up, you may not have the ability to kill them with your hand or village deck without a very ineffecient change of strategy.

It's like they wanted to make a thematic game that was all about exploring a dungeon and leveling up characters. But they built it on the chasis of a Euro that requires an effecient engine to work... and instead of getting either (a good Dominion clone, or a fun dungeon exploring light RPG card game) we get this bastard child that has a tendency to get in it's own way.

I've played it twice. Once it took about 45 minutes and was a ton of fun. The next game was over 2 hours long so we moved the thunderstone further up the deck to end it. Needed magic, too hard to get it.

 

[StoOgE]

even if you cannot win the battle, the targeted monster still goes back to the deck after the attempt and a new one is drawn to replace it. Since there is no penalty in losing (except a loss of a turn)

If only that were true.

The problem is, it then brings the next monster closer to the light and/or might bring out a new monster on step 3 that can easily be fought.

Taking one for the team is all well and good if this were a co-op game, but it essentially removes the road block for everyone that isn't you.

 

[antiquegamer]

No, it's possible to get stuck with the same monsters for a while if nobody draws the right combination of cards to be able to beat them. However, if I remember correctly, even if you cannot win the battle, the targeted monster still goes back to the deck after the attempt and a new one is drawn to replace it. Since there is no penalty in losing (except a loss of a turn), you could do that to force new monsters into the dungeon, but you don't reap the possible benefit immediately.

If you like the mechanics of Dominion and Thunderstone but prefer a more fantasy setting, I'd say look into Ascension. Of the 3 games I myself prefer Ascension much more (I'm also probably the only person on this forum who don't care for Dominion, and I was one of the original playtesters for the game 3 years ago).

Thank you guys for the input. I do like the theme and idea of dungeon crawling in Thunderstone but the lack of card drawing / discarding ability make the hand building very hard to do. My son went an interesting route he just buy up all the fireball and blast all the monster to oblivion. I kill bunch of little one and thus they end up clogging my hands ...

Going to give the game another go before I get rid of it. Play just a 2 player game with my son and it was surprisingly fun (but long).

I also forgot about the mechanic where monster go back to the dungeon if you are defeat (and I think a lot of people do forgot about this) that is probably a way to cycle through the monster deck. We did run into problem of all monster require magic to kill and immune to edge weapon and we were pretty much stuck on the three monsters.

Also while randomizer card seems like a good idea, I can see where it could be problematic if you get certain combo of card that just don't work together well.

I try Ascension on iOS and like it well enough but local store doesn't have them. Though I find Ascension game to end way to quick just as you get your hand/theme going the point ran out.

 

[MichaelBD]

I'm interested.



HNNNNGGGG

I liken it to Chaos in that each faction has it's own tactic's deck with heroes and actions specific to the faction, and you need to expend energy to launch (i.e. summon) ships, activate them, play tactics cards, etc.

 

[Chorazin]

I try Ascension on iOS and like it well enough but local store doesn't have them. Though I find Ascension game to end way to quick just as you get your hand/theme going the point ran out.

Ascension does go very quickly with only two people, I totally agree. Three or four is the real sweet spot for the game, although it scales just fine with up to six (once you add in the expansion).

You can always do pass and play with the iOS version of Ascension, just fire up a single player game and set the opponents to human. The physical product is much nicer, but at least you can demo how well it would work with your family!

 

[Unison]

I've been out of this thread for a while, but I figured I'd offer some quick impressions of some things I've played recently for the first time, in rough order of preference...

Saboteur 2 - This terrific expansion seems to fix a lot of the shortcomings of Saboteur (which I liked just fine before this). The added roles are designed so there is even more backstabbing and second-guessing of motives. It's really a giant leap forward for the game, and something I feel comfortable pulling out with almost any group.

The Castles of Burgundy - A Euro with dice, where the dice determine your possible actions. The game takes place over 25 turns, each of which gives you at least two actions, so you end up doing a lot of stuff in this game, giving you a greater feeling that you're accomplishing something than is usual in this sort of game. There's an interesting VP mechanism that sees you scoring more bonus points for completing areas early on, but scoring more points for scoring bigger areas (which naturally will take more turns). On top of that, the number of different tile types, each with different bonuses creates a huge number of paths to victory. Still, because of the way the game limits the number of options available to you at a given time, it's very easy to teach. I suspect this will only grow on me.

Skull & Roses - Not that Liar's Dice needed to be boiled down further, but this does just that and succeeds admirably. The more you play, the more strategies begin to emerge, and the level of metagaming is pretty impressive. It's tough to imagine this not going over well with most groups.

Asara - A light worker placement game that might be the best introduction to the genre yet. It's a simple game, but I still find it engaging, even though I enjoy heavier games of its type. The novelty here is that one is dealt a hand of worker cards of different colors. Once a player plays a card of a color to an area, subsequent actions of that type can only be performed with a card of that same color. More than the sum of its parts.

Fairy Tale - Going back to play this after 7 Wonders was not really disappointing at all. This is a solid game. The iconography seemed intimidating at first, but it's really quite simple. I am not sure that it scales very well, as your odds of getting a given card (many of which there are only 1 in the entire deck) will be directly related to the number of players, but I like the way that the cards interact with one another and like the breeziness of the drafting play.

That's Life! - A simple roll & move game that forces one to take positive or negative scoring tiles when one is the last pawn to leave a given tile. The simple rules offer a great mix of press-you-luck tension, screwage and surprising outcomes. Good fun.

Mr. Jack Pocket - I've only played a few times, but this seems as good as the board game versions, even though it plays entirely differently. The Jack side seems to have a slight advantage and the random tile setups might swing the game, but it plays quickly enough that that hardly seems to be a problem.

Keltis: The Card Game - This is essentially an improved two-to-four-player version of Lost Cities with multiple paths to victory (though those multiple paths to victory do reduce tension a bit). It's better than the board game it's based on and really needs to come out in America in some form.

Bits - Solid sequel to the excellent, superior Fits. This is basically a solitaire puzzle game where you arrange tiles in a randomly determined sequence, then compare against others to see how you did. The tiles are blocks of colors, which must be put into shapes that are specified by rule cards. People generally like this game, and seem to like Fits even more. Either are casual as can be but a decent way to socialize while playing a game.

Lifeboats - A pure negotiation game that would likely be amazing with the right group. I played twice with a group who were surprisingly willing to let me talk them into anything, so I'm not sure that I have a solid take on the game yet, but I can see how this could be a blast.

Star Trek: Expeditions is a decent co-op game with a lot of expansion potential, but it feels a bit underdeveloped at the moment. Certainly some better artwork would help a lot. As a game it's fine (though Uhura's ability seems overpowered), but I'd suggest waiting for an expansion or two to come out before picking it up.

Safranito - An oddball dexterity game with a simple economic engine. It has seemed somewhat counterintuitive to people I've taught it to and the dexterity element, which has you tossing small clay discs onto a board seems really, really difficult for some people. I thought it was reasonably entertaining, but I think a lot of people just won't "get" it.

Los Banditos - Essentially Battle Line with dice rolling added. It's decent, but the random nature of it makes it less tense, oddly, and I can't imagine why I'd opt for this when I have Battle Line already.

Pergamon is an archaeology game that left me a bit cold in my one play. The central mechanic has you simultaneously bidding for turn order / money / digging rights, in hopes of building sets that you can exhibit for victory points. All in all, it was too dry for my liking, and while I am not a huge fan of Thebes, at least pulling tiles from the bag in that game provides a little bit of excitement.

 

[narcosis219]

Saboteur 2 - This terrific expansion seems to fix a lot of the shortcomings of Saboteur (which I liked just fine before this). The added roles are designed so there is even more backstabbing and second-guessing of motives. It's really a giant leap forward for the game, and something I feel comfortable pulling out with almost any group.

I felt that there was just too much added in. I noticed very quickly that my games of Saboteur 2 always lasted longer and ended up drawing larger and convoluted maps. My group didn't like it too much.

 

[Unison]

I felt that there was just too much added in. I noticed very quickly that my games of Saboteur 2 always lasted longer and ended up drawing larger and convoluted maps. My group didn't like it too much.

There are definitely a few roles that have incentives to draw things out... the Saboteurs, if they're trying to run the deck out, the Geologists, who want crystals, and the Profiteers, if they suspect there are more Miners than Saboteurs... so hearing that games sometimes run longer makes sense (though it really depends on the roles in play in a given round).

I really like how the added roles free up the Saboteurs to be evil from the start, if they so choose. In the base game, if you were a Saboteur, you essentially had to hope you were in the right place at the right time, upon which you would play a card that immediately would make it obvious that you were a Saboteur to everyone else, but that's not really the case at all any longer. Saboteurs lose less by being found out now, overall, which makes them more interesting to play. Adding that to the two teams of Miner dwarfs really ups the overall level of suspicion, which to me is what the game's really about.

 

[superrobot]

Thanks for the CM 2008 game AstroLad.
Hoped to get a big state in before the end to make the score less embarrassing.
Top tip everyone - always draft a media card.

 

[antiquegamer]

Ascension does go very quickly with only two people, I totally agree. Three or four is the real sweet spot for the game, although it scales just fine with up to six (once you add in the expansion).

You can always do pass and play with the iOS version of Ascension, just fire up a single player game and set the opponents to human. The physical product is much nicer, but at least you can demo how well it would work with your family!

Yeah, I discover that mode by accident the other day ... duh I was like wtf why is this thing asking me that it's my turn.

I introduce my in-law to the game and he enjoy it so we are looking to get one to play while we are on the road trip to Comic Con.

 

[sneaky77]

Thanks for the CM 2008 game AstroLad.
Hoped to get a big state in before the end to make the score less embarrassing.
Top tip everyone - always draft a media card.

Astro is a CM savant.

 

[StoOgE]

Astro is a CM savant.

I remember one time I got him down to the last state.. and managed to get it to last 5-6 cards before he finally took the game from me.

I consider that a moral victory to this day.

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

Cross-posting from G+, I need a game priced around $9.02 to hit the $100 threshold at CSI. Thoughts?

 

[BomberMouse]

Cross-posting from G+, I need a game priced around $9.02 to hit the $100 threshold at CSI. Thoughts?

Some suggestions:
- Leonardo Da Vinci ($10), It's quite cheap at CSI and nowhere else (I have yet to try it but has a good rank on the geek).
- Felix the cat in the sack (also $10) if you like blind bidding and the tipical F. Friese humour
- Agricola Gamer's Deck ($13) seems good too
- Hellas ($15) is a like a euroish 2P Cyclades
- Trias ($15) if you like hexes and dinomeeples, it's on yucata too

 

[Flynn]

Kard Combat (Richard Garfield + Hothead) is free on iOS today.

 

[seattle7997]

Hello guys, I'm hoping to get some insight from board gamers as to a few games I've become interested in. I was first introduced to Munchkins by a post over in the July Pick-Ups thread and was immediately intrigued. Since then, I've found this thread and have found more than a few games that have piqued my interest. I'm hoping you guys can enlighten a new comer as to a few I should start with.

Btw, I have a soon-to-be 9 yr old son that will be playing as well, so games that he would enjoy would be a + as well.

The games I've found on Amazon are:

Memoir '44, Campaign Manager, 1960: The Making of the President, Puerto Rico, Ticket to Ride, The Settlers of Catan, Munchkins and a few of the expansions i.e The Good, the Bad, & the Munchkin and Munchkin Zombies, Mansions of Madness, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Arkham Horror, Citadels, Guillotine, Dominion, and finally Small World.

Also, what is the difference between Mansions of Madness, Betrayal at House on the Hill, and Arkham Horror?

Thanks...

 

[Cathcart]

The difference between Mansions of Madness, Betrayal at blah blah and Arkham Horror is that you should get Arkham Horror. Not for a 9 year old, though. It kind of requires adult level attention span and patience, especially in the beginning. Possibly if you got to know the rules really well you could bring him in, though, but I think there are better choices to start with (a few of which you mentioned). If you were thinking of it for you and Mr/Mrs Seattle7997, then it's a great Lovecraft RPG-in-a-box. Tons of little pieces, tons of dice rolling and a really cool setting to go with it. And it's co-operative so if you lose (and you will) at least everyone loses together (most of the time). The expansions ensure you can get years out of the game and you'll be the super coolest when you invite a couple of gamer friends over to try it out.

It's not that Mansions is bad, it's just that I can't imagine a situation where it's better to get that before Arkham. Maybe if you get bored of Arkham but still want to do something kind of like it.

I assume you are considering Munchkin because you need to balance out some table legs or something. Those games are fun for about ten minutes and then you're done with them forever. Most of the other games you've listed are solid. Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride are generally considered excellent starting games. Those two along with Carcassonne are like the boardgaming gateway trinity. A lot of people get over Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride eventually but it takes a while and you'll have a lot of fun with them. Settlers will last pretty much forever.

Citadels is a very easy to learn card game that you can play with just about anyone. It's not my go-to game when I have a bunch of gamers around but it is fun and versatile and can work in almost any situation where you want to play a game with 1-6 other people. Plus it's cheap so it's good to have around.

Puerto Rico is like the end of the line. That's when you've become a human spreadsheet and want to stare at wooden cubes for the rest of your life. But in a good way. I mean it's a great game but jeez. You really have to like optimizing stuff. Maybe save it for later.

 

[seattle7997]

The difference between Mansions of Madness, Betrayal at blah blah and Arkham Horror is that you should get Arkham Horror. Not for a 9 year old, though. It kind of requires adult level attention span and patience, especially in the beginning. Possibly if you got to know the rules really well you could bring him in, though, but I think there are better choices to start with (a few of which you mentioned). If you were thinking of it for you and Mr/Mrs Seattle7997, then it's a great Lovecraft RPG-in-a-box. Tons of little pieces, tons of dice rolling and a really cool setting to go with it. And it's co-operative so if you lose (and you will) at least everyone loses together (most of the time). The expansions ensure you can get years out of the game and you'll be the super coolest when you invite a couple of gamer friends over to try it out.

It's not that Mansions is bad, it's just that I can't imagine a situation where it's better to get that before Arkham. Maybe if you get bored of Arkham but still want to do something kind of like it.

I assume you are considering Munchkin because you need to balance out some table legs or something. Those games are fun for about ten minutes and then you're done with them forever. Most of the other games you've listed are solid. Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride are generally considered excellent starting games. Those two along with Carcassonne are like the boardgaming gateway trinity. A lot of people get over Carcassonne and Ticket to Ride eventually but it takes a while and you'll have a lot of fun with them. Settlers will last pretty much forever.

Citadels is a very easy to learn card game that you can play with just about anyone. It's not my go-to game when I have a bunch of gamers around but it is fun and versatile and can work in almost any situation where you want to play a game with 1-6 other people. Plus it's cheap so it's good to have around.

Puerto Rico is like the end of the line. That's when you've become a human spreadsheet and want to stare at wooden cubes for the rest of your life. But in a good way. I mean it's a great game but jeez. You really have to like optimizing stuff. Maybe save it for later.

wow, thanks alot Cathcart

What do you think about the games with the little army dudes, planes and tanks (i.e Memoir '44)

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

Hello guys, I'm hoping to get some insight from board gamers as to a few games I've become interested in. I was first introduced to Munchkins by a post over in the July Pick-Ups thread and was immediately intrigued. Since then, I've found this thread and have found more than a few games that have piqued my interest. I'm hoping you guys can enlighten a new comer as to a few I should start with.

Btw, I have a soon-to-be 9 yr old son that will be playing as well, so games that he would enjoy would be a + as well.

The games I've found on Amazon are:

Memoir '44, Campaign Manager, 1960: The Making of the President, Puerto Rico, Ticket to Ride, The Settlers of Catan, Munchkins and a few of the expansions i.e The Good, the Bad, & the Munchkin and Munchkin Zombies, Mansions of Madness, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Arkham Horror, Citadels, Guillotine, Dominion, and finally Small World.

Also, what is the difference between Mansions of Madness, Betrayal at House on the Hill, and Arkham Horror?

Thanks...

All really good games. If you are planning on making a huge order take a look at Coolstuffinc.com. Sometimes their prices beat Amazon's and if you have a $100+ order you get free shipping.

Mansions and Madness and Arkham Horror share the same universe but are completely different games. Mansions is a semi co-op game where one players plays the "Keeper" (think dungeon master in D&D) and the rest of the players play investigators. The game contains 5 scenarios and each scenario contains three possible outcomes. The Keeper choses which scenario people will play as well as they are responsible for moving the monsters. The Keeper isn't passive at all and is actively trying to beat the players. The players on the other hand are trying to figure out the end goal and complete it before the Keeper does.

Arkham Horror is a straight co-op game. Each player plays an investigator and you are trying to seal enough gates before the ancient one awakens. If he does you have a boss battle of sorts where you will probably die. Arkham is a kick in the nads with it's difficulty while Mansions is a beat easier on the investigators. Like I said both take place in the same universe so you will see characters in both games as well as fight the same monsters.

Betrayal at House on the Hill is sort of like Mansions but it is completely light-hearted and campy. With Betrayal it starts out as a full co-op, you are running around the mansion gathering different items. At some point the betrayal phase gets kicked off and depending on certain conditions one player turns evil and everybody is against that person.

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

wow, thanks alot Cathcart

What do you think about the games with the little army dudes, planes and tanks (i.e Memoir '44)

Memoir is easily playable by a 9 year old. It's a lighter war game and something easily taught to anyone, really. The rules only get tricky in regards to line of sight.

 

[seattle7997]

Memoir is easily playable by a 9 year old. It's a lighter war game and something easily taught to anyone, really. The rules only get tricky in regards to line of sight.

Thanks buddy

 

[Neverfade]

Puerto Rico is like the end of the line. That's when you've become a human spreadsheet and want to stare at wooden cubes for the rest of your life. But in a good way. I mean it's a great game but jeez. You really have to like optimizing stuff. Maybe save it for later.

Theres about to be a fight in here! Haha

 

[Flynn]

Theres about to be a fight in here! Haha

I know! Puerto Rico is for when you're sick of getting fucked by dice.

 

[StoOgE]

The games I've found on Amazon are:

Memoir '44, Campaign Manager, 1960: The Making of the President, Puerto Rico, Ticket to Ride, The Settlers of Catan, Munchkins and a few of the expansions i.e The Good, the Bad, & the Munchkin and Munchkin Zombies, Mansions of Madness, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Arkham Horror, Citadels, Guillotine, Dominion, and finally Small World.

Also, what is the difference between Mansions of Madness, Betrayal at House on the Hill, and Arkham Horror?

Thanks...

Munchkin should be avoided at pretty much all costs. Munchkin is a fun game the first two or three times you play it because it's kind of funny. The problem is, there isn't really much of a game there, and the funny cards stop being funny the 3rd or 4th time you've seen them. So you are forced to keep buying more and more cards to keep it slightly entertaining at all.

If you want something that is light, funny and actually has some meat on it's bones (a fun game) look at Small World (which you mentioned), Cosmic Encounter, Citadels (you mentioned) or if you are looking for a light role playing ish game maybe look at one of the D&D board games like Castle Ravenloft.

Games I can comment on:

Memoir '44 - not my cup of tea due to randomness, but most people really like it. Simple game + plastic army men = perfect for a 9 year old.

Campaign Manager, 1960: The Making of the President - I'll address these at the same time. 1960 is a better game in almost every way. It's also a more complicated and longer game and more expensive. That said, 1960 is a game I would play at almost any time someone wanted to play it. Campaign Manager I have to be in the mood for. To start a collection, I would probably only get one since they are so similar in gameplay. Both are like torture to a 9 year old, but they are 2p games so you could play them when he is up to something else.

Puerto Rico - in my top 5 games. Wouldn't start with this one though. It's pretty complicated and could turn people off before you've built your group up to it's level. 9 year old might be able to play it, but not well and there is a real advantage to the player sitting to the bad players left.

Ticket to Ride - great game, very easy to teach/get into. One of the "gateway games" everyone should own. Plastic trains + rules = great for a 9 year old. 2 players works, 3 is much better.

, The Settlers of Catan - another of the holy trinity of gateway games and something everyone should own. Needs 3 players to be playable at all. Probably a bit too much for a 9 year old, though I'm sure he could enjoy some of the aspects of making sets. The issue is it's a heavily trade based game and kids tend to not make very strategic trades.

Munchkins and a few of the expansions i.e The Good, the Bad, & the Munchkin and Munchkin Zombies - No.

Betrayal at House on the Hill - soured on this one. Liked it the first time.. but you have the problem of it being entirely possible for a new player to get stuck being the trader and then messing up the rules completely. This happened at BGG and sucked any fun to be had out of the game. Its too rough on the new player by possibly stranding them on there own.

Citadels - fun party game, can be pretty cutthroat

Dominion - fun simple game, 9 year old could play it easily, though how well is another question.


Small World - great game, great for kids. Played it with an 11 year old who loved it to death. Super simple, really fun. Fun theme for kids too.

stuff to look into

Forbidden Island - great game for a 9 year old, really fun co-op game that is also like 12 bucks.

Cosmic Encounter - if you use the green "simple" aliens it could be a very good game for a 9 year old as the rules are simple and the green aliens aren't too complicated. the yellow and red could be brought out for adult parties pretty easily, and the 9 year old could work his way up to them pretty quickly I would think. the game uses an expansion system that allows you to really ramp up or tone down the rule complexity. There is a level of cut-throatness to this game as well, but the "destiny" deck decides who you will attack so it really blunts some of the meanness you get out of attacking someone in a game like Citadels.

 

[Neverfade]

It's time to pay the piper! Which one of you has the spotify invites?

 

[AstroLad]

i like memoir. definitely would be a really fun game to play with a smart 9-year-old what with the figures and the dice rolling

 

[Cathcart]

Theres about to be a fight in here! Haha

Haha, I was laughing as I typed it. Couldn't resist. I gotta say I prefer Power Grid if I'm going to optimize little wooden pieces but they're both great games (and obviously very different). I totally get why people love PR.

Looks like you've got a pretty decent shopping list, Seattle. Make sure you let us know what you think after you play 'em!

Time to go take my turn in like a billion games of Ascension.

 

[seattle7997]

thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it. I'll definitely be picking up a couple of these games. Time to put the PS3 controller down a little more and break out the board games and spend some quality family time together.

Thanks again.

Oh btw, should I try the Carcassonne: 10 Year Special Edition?

Does anyone have any thoughts on Ghost Storiesor the expansion Ghost Stories: White Moon Expansion?

 

[Flynn]

thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it. I'll definitely be picking up a couple of these games. Time to put the PS3 controller down a little more and break out the board games and spend some quality family time together.

Thanks again.

Oh btw, should I try the Carcassonne: 10 Year Special Edition?

Does anyone have any thoughts on Ghost Storiesor the expansion Ghost Stories: White Moon Expansion?

The Carcasonne Big Box is a pretty good value if you can find it.

 

[BomberMouse]

thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it. I'll definitely be picking up a couple of these games. Time to put the PS3 controller down a little more and break out the board games and spend some quality family time together.

Thanks again.

Oh btw, should I try the Carcassonne: 10 Year Special Edition?

Does anyone have any thoughts on Ghost Storiesor the expansion Ghost Stories: White Moon Expansion?

GS is supposed to be really hard.

IMHO, for your first games, you have to get Ticket to Ride.

 

[seattle7997]

GS is supposed to be really hard.

IMHO, for your first games, you have to get Ticket to Ride.

ok. lol I don't know if I'll ever be able to play all these games. They all look fun and interesting.

 

[superrobot]

ok. lol I don't know if I'll ever be able to play all these games. They all look fun and interesting.

One other thing to consider before 'pulling the trigger' who will you be playing with. If solely with your son then also consider the length of time that you'll have to play them (and with him).

Arkham Horror can be 2-3 hours, much longer for the first few times as you get familiar with the turns and the rules.
As has been said many times here before learn it on your own first then introduce it to friends and family.
On the other hand Something like Castle Ravenloft or Ashardalon should play quicker and have a more immediate hook than Arkham Horror for a 9 year old.

Ticket to ride should be a quicker game 1 hr - (though the few times I've played it with family it seemed to take 4 hours due to people forgetting rules, going to make tea and sandwiches, putting elderly relatives to bed, going to the toilet just before their turn, making more tea - but that was just us - every game takes 4 hours).

Carcassonne is fun and get the 10 year version only if it is the same price (or near enough) as the vanilla version. On amazon UK - Carc is £14.39 where the 10 year version is £23.60. 9 pounds isn't worth it.
Looking on amazon USA it's actually cheaper.

Dominion is also great and easy to pick up. Tons of replayability.

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

Last night I finally got to play a 5 player game of Cyclades. I still really dig this game but 5 players may be a bit much. It takes a hair too long to play while four and (believe it or not) 2 players seem to be the sweet spot.

After Cyclades I go to try out the Leaders expansion for 7 Wonders. I like it and don't see a reason not to include it every time I play but it's not something one needs to rush out and buy. A couple things that are a bummer, if you have the first edition of the game the new guild's (Age 3 cards) back the color is completely off from the base game. Also the naming of the new wonder is the new way they do it, as to say, stupid. Instead of giving the wonder name they changed the name to the city it comes from. So the new board doesn't match my game. Super minor quibbles but still kind of sloppy.

Finally I played a quick game of Mr. Jack in New York. I'm not a fan of the original Mr. Jack so I was a bit hesitant to play. I do like this version a bit better than the original. The powers are more interesting with more opportunities to manipulate the board. It also feels a bit more balanced. I would definitely recommend MJiNY over the original.

Ticket to ride should be a quicker game 1 hr - (though the few times I've played it with family it seemed to take 4 hours due to people forgetting rules, going to make tea and sandwiches, putting elderly relatives to bed, going to the toilet just before their turn, making more tea - but that was just us - every game takes 4 hours).

I would put a bullet in my head if I was in a 4 hour game of Ticket to Ride. Love TTR, but fuck that.

Oh btw, should I try the Carcassonne: 10 Year Special Edition?

Meh. If it's the same price as the base game go for it otherwise it's not really necessary.

 

[MichaelBD]

ok. lol I don't know if I'll ever be able to play all these games. They all look fun and interesting.

I echo the Memoir 44 recommendation. It can be as simple or as complex as you'd like and they even have modified rules in the rule book for play with children:

If needed, young children can play a simplified version of the game and still have a lot of fun with it. Young children often
count better than they read, so we suggest the following modifications:
◆ Remove all Tactic cards from the deck – just keep the Section cards
◆ If needed, you can choose not to play the Take Ground and the Armor Overrun rules
◆ Every time the deck is exhausted, remember to shuffle the Section cards before making a new deck
It is easier if an adult introduces the children to the game, and plays a couple of games with them. It is also a good opportunity
for a parent or a teacher to use the game as an introduction to the Allied involvement during WWII and draw their interest into
the battles that shaped our modern history.

Plus with all the expansions and free scenarios available online if it's a hit at home you can build upon the core set.

 

[seattle7997]

I echo the Memoir 44 recommendation. It can be as simple or as complex as you'd like and they even have modified rules in the rule book for play with children:

If needed, young children can play a simplified version of the game and still have a lot of fun with it. Young children often
count better than they read, so we suggest the following modifications:
◆ Remove all Tactic cards from the deck – just keep the Section cards
◆ If needed, you can choose not to play the Take Ground and the Armor Overrun rules
◆ Every time the deck is exhausted, remember to shuffle the Section cards before making a new deck
It is easier if an adult introduces the children to the game, and plays a couple of games with them. It is also a good opportunity
for a parent or a teacher to use the game as an introduction to the Allied involvement during WWII and draw their interest into
the battles that shaped our modern history.

Plus with all the expansions and free scenarios available online if it's a hit at home you can build upon the core set.

I did notice there were quite a few expansions for Memoir. I think he would enjoy it. I definitely have it on my list as well as Ticket to Ride.