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[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

Sounds awesome.


:O

Yeah, it's unusually long for what the game has you doing. You are essentially just playing 6 cards and adding up the numbers of standing players. I think the game is lengthened quite a bit by the modifier cards. If you have a game where people have a ton of upgrades the game will slow down as each player checks to see what they have. I played a game last night that lasted about an 90 minutes with three players. Two of us played before and we had one newbie who was relatively quick. Even with the long play time the game doesn't drag. Players are constantly involved in what's going on and individual turns are pretty quick.

Thanks Astro. It's $20 on Amazon right now and I was thinking of grabbing it.

That's a good price. I'd also recommend getting it, especially for $20. Right now, it's a game I wouldn't say no to if someone wanted to play.

 

[LProtag]

Has anyone played the Blood Bowl: Team Manager card game? Thoughts?

Only one two player game so far. I liked it, but I'm not sure if I really like it or if I'd find flaws later on with repeated plays.

There's plenty of random stuff that can put you ahead so it's not entirely deeply strategic, but it's fun, there's no doubt about that. That's not saying there's no room for strategy, but it's often sometimes deciding what sort of upgrades to pursue and then only getting your choice between picking from 1-3 random upgrades of that type.

What I mean to say is, if you're expecting an elegant eurogame well... I don't think you would with that title on the box anyway, haha.

Thanks Astro. It's $20 on Amazon right now and I was thinking of grabbing it.

Oh, jeeze, just saw this. Yeah, at that price I'd grab it right away. I got it for 26 and used some Amazon credit I got from surveys so it was only 6 dollars out of pocket, I probably would have just purchased it right away if it was 20 at the time even if I didn't have credit.

 

[Screaming_Gremlin]

Fantasy Flight will be updating and reprinting Fortress America. Didn't really see that one coming.

Edit - While it seems to be limited to just a few people, it does amuse me that there are people already refusing to buy it since the background fluff has the America as the bad guy in this version.

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

Fantasy Flight will be updating and reprinting Fortress America. Didn't really see that one coming.

Edit - While it seems to be limited to just a few people, it does amuse me that there are people already refusing to buy it since the background fluff has the America as the bad guy in this version.

Nice! I was wondering if this was ever going to be reprinted after the Samurai Swords reprint came out.

 

[besada]

Looking for recommendations:

My RPG gaming group has started doing every other week board game sessions, because we can't get our shit together enough to play our regular RPG (Champions). We usually have between three and five players, with six at th outside. We usually have about three to four hours to play.

These are the games we've been playing and a brief explanation of what we like about them:

Ticket to Ride - We love it, although playing often means it's the only game we get to play. It appeals to our natural RPG'ers obsession with building things and screwing each other over.

Kill Dr. Lucky - Strategy and screwing each other over.

Gloom - Quick, funny, and screwing each other over.

BTTF - Quick, funny, appeals to our geekiness, and, well, you know.

Heimlich and Co - New on our roster but becoming a favorite because of the quick play and the guessing game of who is controlling which agent.

Catan - because it's Catan.

So, we're looking for new games. Ideally quick set ups. We don't mind a game with a four hour play time, but that would be the exception, rather than the norm, since we like to do more than one game a night. Clearly we enjoy screwing each other over. Science fiction, super hero, or western themes would be a bonus. No clicks or pre made deck collectible card games need apply.

Any suggestions?

 

[Slacker]

Looking for recommendations:

We usually have about three to four hours to play.

Ticket to Ride - We love it, although playing often means it's the only game we get to play. It appeals to our natural RPG'ers obsession with building things and screwing each other over.

BTTF - Quick, funny, appeals to our geekiness, and, well, you know.

No clicks or pre made deck collectible card games need apply.

Any suggestions?

If you can only get through one game of Ticket To Ride in four hours you guys must have some serious strategy lockups going on. Also, BTTF = Back To The Future? And what's a "click?" And now suggestions:

If you like Ticket To Ride, the new Ticket To Ride: Asia map pack may interest you, especially Team Asia, which allows 4 or 6 players to play in teams of 2. I haven't played it yet against others (only against myself to check it out), but it looks interesting, and involves a little more decision-making than the standard game.

Ever look into Battlestar Galactica? You can play with up to six, and there is a good amount of screwing your neighbor in the form of sabotage if you're the cylon (the enemy race from the show) or if you're accusing someone of being the cylon. This one would be a one-game-night most likely.

And how about good ol' Carcassonne? Some people are pretty passive when playing this game, but everyone in my group goes out of their way to screw each other to the wall. Good times. Snag the Inns & Cathedrals expansion to add a little depth to the strategy and allow for a sixth player. If it catches on, read up on the Tower and Princess & Dragon expansions to up the screw factor even higher (not a fan of either of these myself, but diff'rent strokes).

 

[besada]

BTTF is indeed Back to the Future. I meant to type Clix, as in Heroclix, MageClix, etc. No one's looking for collectibles. (Well, that's not entirely true, but we don't want to encourage our friend's miniature obsession.)

I love Carcassone on a computer, which is the only place I've played it, but it seems like keeping score would be a giant pain. Maybe I'm wrong about that.

As for the time it takes us to play TTR, that probably has more to do with us wasting time talking. I'll look into Asia and BSG. Thanks!

 

[AstroLad]

This is an interesting group because you obviously have a hardcore RPG background but seem to prefer light boardgames (at least for now). It does give you a ton of flexibility though. Let me throw out a potpourri spread of options:

-Game of Thrones 2d Edition: So I've only played this once so far but spent a lot of time learning it. It probably does take a solid hour to teach, and plays in 3-4 hours, but it's actually a fairly straightforward game rules-wise (still heavy though, no question, would not recommend this if you guys weren't RPGers) and just has tons of awesome backstabbing and screwage.

-Citadels: Really think your group will like this one. It plays 2-7 in about 45-60. Actually a fairly light game that is totally based on bluffing and guessing what roles other people have selected so that you can kill/steal from them.

-RoboRally: Plays well 3-8 in about 60-90. Robot racing game with tons of chaos. Really a great party game.

-King of Tokyo: Another great party-type game that plays well with 3-6 in 45m or so. Total dicefest with lots of cute references to monster movies and lots of OHHHH responses to rolls and such.

-Dice Town: Now this is really a pure dicefest. Not quite as much direct conflict, but the theme and the dice are tons of fun. Wild west theme where everyone shakes up and rolls cups of dice that have 9-A. 4-6p, about 75m.

Sorry didn't full describe all of those but you should check them out on boardgamegeek if they sound interesting or I'd be happy to answer questions too.

 

[Staccat0]

Had a really successful night last weekend considering we had 10 people.

We did werewolf. It was everyone's first time playing. ended up doing 3 rounds. Big hit. Absolutely free.

We played Cards Against humanity for the second time. I'm already over it. It's like if you let the writer's of Family Guy rewrite Apples to Apples. The joke grows thin, but everyopne else really enjoyed it.

Firebal Island with out house rules and too many people on the board is always a hilarious and exhausting way to end the night.

Did some others... I'm realizing I really need to just bite the bullet and buy formula D. I rarely get FEW enough people coming to my parties to play half my games and I don't want to cut anyone from the team of regulars.
Citadels seems like a good way to get a game for lots of people too, without spending a ton.

 

[platypotamus]

I was going to go with Citadels, Carc, and Roborally. :\

Maybe Galaxy Trucker? Build space ships that get destroyed by the game's random events. Your goal is to get destroyed the least by building quickly but still making a well engineered ship. Tile placey, but timed and simultaneous, goes decently quick.

Same designer: Dungeon Lords - a heavier game, and only plays with 2-4, but it's pretty much the old PC game Dungeon Keeper in board game form. You guys each build dungeons that get explored by heroes. Use traps/monsters to kill the heroes and defend your evil lair.

Or maybe, since you're an RPG group, a dungeon crawl game? Only one I have much experience with is Descent, which is long, has a huge set up time, and is complicated, but is pretty fun. One player is the Overlord (an adversarial DM), and the rest are the party. One of the expansions adds a campaign mode to carry over sessions. There's other dungeon crawls as well, including a couple D&D branded ones. There's also other non-dungeon crawly co-op stuff that you guys may want to do... Arkham Horror maybe? This is not a side of board gaming I do much of :\


I honestly think Astrolad's suggestion of Citadels is probably the best one for your group. Cheap, light, plays well with any number, and offers GREAT screwage opportunities.

 

[besada]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll be a big local game shop tomorrow, so now I know what to be looking for.

We used to really enjoy some of the big games like Supremacy, but they just run too long for the time we have. I miss being able to drop eight hours into a mega game.

Also, if you guys haven't played Kill Dr. Lucky, you should try it. You can download the whole thing - including board and cards - from cheapassgames.

 

[MichaelBD]

Only one two player game so far. I liked it, but I'm not sure if I really like it or if I'd find flaws later on with repeated plays.

There's plenty of random stuff that can put you ahead so it's not entirely deeply strategic, but it's fun, there's no doubt about that. That's not saying there's no room for strategy, but it's often sometimes deciding what sort of upgrades to pursue and then only getting your choice between picking from 1-3 random upgrades of that type.

What I mean to say is, if you're expecting an elegant eurogame well... I don't think you would with that title on the box anyway, haha.



Oh, jeeze, just saw this. Yeah, at that price I'd grab it right away. I got it for 26 and used some Amazon credit I got from surveys so it was only 6 dollars out of pocket, I probably would have just purchased it right away if it was 20 at the time even if I didn't have credit.

I've been holding off on BBTM only because I have too many games already. It sounds like it is up my alley but time has been scarce lately so I didn't want another box sitting on a shelf that only gets taken down every couple of months.

However...BBTM showed up in my amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day today for $17. That was just too hard to pass up. Now I'm looking forward to playing it.

 

[MichaelBD]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll be a big local game shop tomorrow, so now I know what to be looking for.

We used to really enjoy some of the big games like Supremacy, but they just run too long for the time we have. I miss being able to drop eight hours into a mega game.

Also, if you guys haven't played Kill Dr. Lucky, you should try it. You can download the whole thing - including board and cards - from cheapassgames.

Galaxy Trucker is great and I don't get to play it nearly enough. It's not a game where there is a lot of screwage between players, but there is definitely some based on the choices you can make when going through your cargo runs. But it is awesome if you can sit back and just laugh when your ship ends up being sheared in half by a meteor storm just as you cross the finish line (a reason why my daughter won't play the game).

I'd also throw out a game called Mission: Red Planet. It's by the guy who did Citadels and it uses a similar role selection mechanic. Basically it's steam-punk habitation of Mars. Each round ships are placed on launch pads and you are trying to get your guys onto the ships and into specific regions of Mars. Each player has a set of role cards they secretly choose at the beginning of a round and then they are revealed, in order (similar to Citadels), and you carry out the action on the card. You place astronauts, move astronauts, sabotage rocket ships, kill astronauts--all kinds of fun messing with your opponents. And it plays surprisingly quick as the game only lasts 8 rounds. I'm a sucker for area control games and it's a good one. It will accommodate 3 to 5.

And lastly I'd also recommend Chaos in the Old World. That game is pure messing with your opponents. It's another area control game where you each play a demon lord from the Warhammer universe trying to seed the Old World with your own special brand of corruption. The neat idea about the game is each demon lord plays vastly different than the others and each has his own corruption dial represented on the board. By meeting certain criteria you can advance your dial each turn, giving you power upgrades, etc. It's an awesome game that also plays surprisingly quick. It's one of my favorites. The base game only goes up to 4 but there is a recent expansion that adds a 5th player. This is one where they say you should only play if you have at least 4 and I agree. The couple of times I've tried it with 3 it's fallen flat.

 

[barnone]

My family is doing a $25 gift exchange and I wanted to get a board game. Any recommendations? Something age friendly (16-70) would be perfect. I'm thinking Say Anything but I would love to consider more ideas.

 

[LProtag]

Just got in Eclipse and AGoT and I've been staring fondly at them all day.

Also Amazon is having some pretty crazy prices. TI3 + both expansions for under 100 dollars, crazy!

 

[Neverfade]

My family is doing a $25 gift exchange and I wanted to get a board game. Any recommendations? Something age friendly (16-70) would be perfect. I'm thinking Say Anything but I would love to consider more ideas.

That ones good, and Time's Up Title Recall is always a hit. It turned me around on gesture-based gaming.

 

[Keasar]

Hey guys, I am looking for a strategy boardgame, and wonder what you people recommend. The games I am currently looking at are Twilight Imperium, Eclipse and Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring. War of the Ring I have played before and thought was entertaining, but I am also very interested in the other two. They are just very pricy at the moment so its hard to make a choice.

 

[Flynn]

My family is doing a $25 gift exchange and I wanted to get a board game. Any recommendations? Something age friendly (16-70) would be perfect. I'm thinking Say Anything but I would love to consider more ideas.

I found that Dominion appeals to all ages. Have you considered For Sale? Everybody knows how an auction works.

 

[platypotamus]

My family is doing a $25 gift exchange and I wanted to get a board game. Any recommendations? Something age friendly (16-70) would be perfect. I'm thinking Say Anything but I would love to consider more ideas.

Dixit is wonderful. Beautiful illustrated cards with surreal pictures on them. You choose one from your hand, and make up a sentence based on it. Everyone secretly selects a card from their own hand that they think matches your sentence, and gives it to you. You arrange the cards on the table, and everyone tries to guess which card was actually yours, scoring points if they are right, or if other people pick their cards. You score so long as at least one person picks yours correctly, but NOT if everyone does.

 

[LProtag]

Hey guys, I am looking for a strategy boardgame, and wonder what you people recommend. The games I am currently looking at are Twilight Imperium, Eclipse and Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring. War of the Ring I have played before and thought was entertaining, but I am also very interested in the other two. They are just very pricy at the moment so its hard to make a choice.

TI3 is great fun, though it's long and can be hard to find a good amount of people to play it with because of the playtime. Prices on Amazon right now are crazy low, 40 dollars for the base game, 20 dollars for the expansion that makes it great, and 26 for the new one. Really, if you want it, now is the time to get it as who knows how long this sale will last.

Eclipse looks fun, I just unpackaged it and read through the rules today. I'm excited to play. It's pretty much sold out everywhere though. Second printing is expected in April at the earliest.

War of the Ring, while I haven't played, is genuinely agreed as a good game. One of my friends has it and when I get the chance I want to play it.


But really, if you have any interest in TI3 now is the time to get it, as those prices are pretty awesome.

 

[besada]

We all rolled out to Madness Games and Comics in Plano today. We picked up TtR:Asia and Carcasonne and then ate amazing Pork Montana.

While I was there, I saw a game called Tannhauser, and it excited me. I'm a sucker for alternate universes, and loved the occult WWII backstory. It also looked very much like an RPG combat without all the RPG overhead, which appeals to me. Anyone play it and have a review? It's a little pricey to dive in blind. I'll check other places, but I trust my GAF brethren.

Also, unbeknownst to me until this afternoon, I apparently desperately want to play a pirate board game. There were a bunch to choose from. Anyone have a favorite they want to hype.

Again, thanks for the reviews and suggestions.

 

[LProtag]

Also, unbeknownst to me until this afternoon, I apparently desperately want to play a pirate board game. There were a bunch to choose from. Anyone have a favorite they want to hype.

I love Merchants and Marauders. If you've played Sid Meyer's Pirates! it's essentially that in board game form. Quite fun. Variable stats/abilities for the different captains there are, ship upgrades to seek out, different ships to look into buying. Hell, you can even just try to win by making an honest living as a merchant ship.

 

[fenners]

But really, if you have any interest in TI3 now is the time to get it, as those prices are pretty awesome.

Yep, if you want to dive into TI3, buy it from Amazon right now. Great prices.

War of the Ring is one of my favourite games ever, but it's definitely a long-ish thematic two player game that's not going to work with everyone. I love it.

 

[KingHenrik30]

Sooo sat down tonight to try to teach myself GOT 2nd ed. Wow am I lost haha. Any videos/sites out there that can help break it down? I'd love to actually see the game being played.

 

[AstroLad]

Sooo sat down tonight to try to teach myself GOT 2nd ed. Wow am I lost haha. Any videos/sites out there that can help break it down? I'd love to actually see the game being played.

this is a pretty good quick reference: http://files.boardgamegeek.com/file/download/83wzcpy0yh/GoT2_Quick_Reference_v4.pdf?. it really isn't too bad, but yeah you do have to read through the rules a couple times. actually i need to re-read them again before i play again (stupid wonky ports rules) but happy to try to answer questions

 

[KingHenrik30]

this is a pretty good quick reference: http://files.boardgamegeek.com/file/download/83wzcpy0yh/GoT2_Quick_Reference_v4.pdf?. it really isn't too bad, but yeah you do have to read through the rules a couple times. actually i need to re-read them again before i play again (stupid wonky ports rules) but happy to try to answer questions

Thanks. I think one of the problems is that i'm hung over haha so i'm gonna give it a whirl again tomorrow. I'll check this out.

 

[AstroLad]

Thanks. I think one of the problems is that i'm hung over haha so i'm gonna give it a whirl again tomorrow. I'll check this out.

that is more like a nice thing to look at once you've digested the rules. not aware of too many tutorials specific to this edition since it's so new

 

[KingHenrik30]

that is more like a nice thing to look at once you've digested the rules. not aware of too many tutorials specific to this edition since it's so new

It actually clears up a lot of confusion I was having RE: The Orders. This is helpful thanks.

 

[joeyjoejoeshabadoo]

I love Merchants and Marauders. If you've played Sid Meyer's Pirates! it's essentially that in board game form. Quite fun. Variable stats/abilities for the different captains there are, ship upgrades to seek out, different ships to look into buying. Hell, you can even just try to win by making an honest living as a merchant ship.

There is no better pirate game, than Merchants and Marauders. The game has a number of different things you can do. Take on tasks, upgrade your ship, recruit crew and specialists. Hell, you don't even need to play a pirate. You can just be a merchant shuttling goods back and forth. The game is amazing and well worth playing it at least once.

 

[AstroLad]

There is no better pirate game, than Merchants and Marauders. The game has a number of different things you can do. Take on tasks, upgrade your ship, recruit crew and specialists. Hell, you don't even need to play a pirate. You can just be a merchant shuttling goods back and forth. The game is amazing and well worth playing it at least once.

I read through the rules some months back but have not had the chance to bust it out. I've been hindered by the fact that it actually takes quite a while to teach and has a lot of rules corner cases. Totally got a Pirates! vibe from it though, which I loved.

 

[MichaelBD]

Yep, if you want to dive into TI3, buy it from Amazon right now. Great prices.

War of the Ring is one of my favourite games ever, but it's definitely a long-ish thematic two player game that's not going to work with everyone. I love it.

Actually played TI3 today. For the first time we went with just the base set and no additions/variations. Cut at least 2 hours from our normal play time (but still came in around 6 hours with 4 players - one being new). It's a really great experience if you can get people to play and I'm amazed at the prices amazon is selling it for right now.

 

[AstroLad]

omg omg omg yucata just got A Few Acres of Snow

 

[superrobot]

omg omg omg yucata just got A Few Acres of Snow

Wow - there were hints about another deck building game on their forums a while back.

 

[Keasar]

TI3 is great fun, though it's long and can be hard to find a good amount of people to play it with because of the playtime. Prices on Amazon right now are crazy low, 40 dollars for the base game, 20 dollars for the expansion that makes it great, and 26 for the new one. Really, if you want it, now is the time to get it as who knows how long this sale will last.

Wow, just 40? Here in sweden the few stores that seem to sell it takes about 110 dollars or so. Thanks guys, Ill look it up.

And perhaps Eclipse later, seems pretty cool that game.

Edit: So the european Amazon page costs about double the american Amazon, do Amazom.com deliver internationally? Also, any of the expansions you recommend while at it?
Edit: Nevermind, turns out with the shipping costs it becomes way more expensive to order from Amazon.com.

 

[LProtag]

Wow, just 40? Here in sweden the few stores that seem to sell it takes about 110 dollars or so. Thanks guys, Ill look it up.

And perhaps Eclipse later, seems pretty cool that game.

Edit: So the european Amazon page costs about double the american Amazon, do Amazom.com deliver internationally? Also, any of the expansions you recommend while at it?
Edit: Nevermind, turns out with the shipping costs it becomes way more expensive to order from Amazon.com.

Aw, sorry, didn't realize you lived in Sweden!

I would download the TI3 rules from the Fantasy Flight webpage, have some of your friends do that as well, and not buy it unless you get a group of at least 4 people interested and willing to spend a good portion of a day trying out your first game together. It is a big money/time investment.

 

[protonion]

I bought Twilight Struggle yesterday. The 2011 edition.
I've read the rules 3 times (they are simple enough, I just wanted to remember every little detail) and now I'm waiting for some friends to try it out.

Man just reading the rules and thinking the game flow makes me excited. I hope it plays as good as it sounds. Everything about the game is amazing. Theme,cards,rules,art...
The board has to be one of the best I've seen.

 

[LProtag]

Reading through Eclipse's rules seemed as daunting as a FFG rulebook at first, but as I went through and started seeing everything, things kinda just clicked really easily. I mean, I think I'm still going to have to consult the rulebook about little minor things the first time or two I play, but the system seems extremely elegant. You guys were right. That really clunky looking playerboard really seems to show you exactly all you need to know about how your civilization is doing, how many resources they're bringing in, their upkeep, what they can develop. Really really nice. The whole placing a population from a track which reveals your current income and putting it on the board is just... so simple yet so genius.

It's one of those large games that I'd almost feel confident about playing without my friends having read the rulebook as I think I could explain it... though it's such an easy read that I don't see why they shouldn't read it, haha.

Hopefully I'll get a game in next weekend!

 

[fenners]

Reading through Eclipse's rules seemed as daunting as a FFG rulebook at first, but as I went through and started seeing everything, things kinda just clicked really easily. I mean, I think I'm still going to have to consult the rulebook about little minor things the first time or two I play, but the system seems extremely elegant. You guys were right. That really clunky looking playerboard really seems to show you exactly all you need to know about how your civilization is doing, how many resources they're bringing in, their upkeep, what they can develop. Really really nice. The whole placing a population from a track which reveals your current income and putting it on the board is just... so simple yet so genius.

I think maybe the thing that's easiest to forget/mess up is the initiative for combat. Super important to remember, especially if you have missiles...

One other key thing is you do upkeep *before* getting income. That's super important as you *need* to pay for your upkeep, exchanging two-for-one if needed, regardless of what your upcoming income is. Most times, wont' matter, but sometimes it does.

My copy arrived yesterday but I can't get at it until Christmas Day. Hopefully get a game with a friend's copy this week.

 

[Drey1082]

I bought Twilight Struggle yesterday. The 2011 edition.
I've read the rules 3 times (they are simple enough, I just wanted to remember every little detail) and now I'm waiting for some friends to try it out.

Man just reading the rules and thinking the game flow makes me excited. I hope it plays as good as it sounds. Everything about the game is amazing. Theme,cards,rules,art...
The board has to be one of the best I've seen.

I'm in the same boat. Bought a copy a month ago. A bit of a tough sale to get the girlfriend to play.

 

[LProtag]

I think maybe the thing that's easiest to forget/mess up is the initiative for combat. Super important to remember, especially if you have missiles...

One other key thing is you do upkeep *before* getting income. That's super important as you *need* to pay for your upkeep, exchanging two-for-one if needed, regardless of what your upcoming income is. Most times, wont' matter, but sometimes it does.

My copy arrived yesterday but I can't get at it until Christmas Day. Hopefully get a game with a friend's copy this week.

Yeah, I could see figuring out initiative for a battle being the hardest to keep track of, probably just going through and writing down the order on a piece of paper at the beginning of a battle would make that easy though.

I do need to take a look at the upkeep once more, just to remember what steps everything happens in. That's also something that is good to keep in mind while you're expanding and taking actions, that you won't get all that money until after you have to pay.

 

[platypotamus]

omg omg omg yucata just got A Few Acres of Snow

I assume when I head over there, I'm going to have some game invites, yes?

I'm in the same boat. Bought a copy a month ago. A bit of a tough sale to get the girlfriend to play.

It took a ton of effort to convince my wife to try Twilight Struggle, but she totally loved it once she did.

 

[Drazgul]

What board game would you guys recommend to play with the family (youngest is 8 - something for ~4-6 players) over the holidays? Something that's quick to pick up even for someone with not much experience - apart from the likes of Monopoly of course - would be ideal. Read the awesome OP of course, but would like to hear of everyone's personal experiences.

 

[AstroLad]

I bought Twilight Struggle yesterday. The 2011 edition.
I've read the rules 3 times (they are simple enough, I just wanted to remember every little detail) and now I'm waiting for some friends to try it out.

Man just reading the rules and thinking the game flow makes me excited. I hope it plays as good as it sounds. Everything about the game is amazing. Theme,cards,rules,art...
The board has to be one of the best I've seen.

Yup it's an awesome game. Good reason why it's always at or near the top spot on boardgamegeek. Even better if you can play with someone pretty consistently because the only time I've ever had issues with the game is when there are just huge discrepancies in experience (which is true of most games I suppose), but if you play with someone you can all sort of discover the cards together as you play which is the most fun way to learn.

 

[BomberMouse]

What board game would you guys recommend to play with the family (youngest is 8 - something for ~4-6 players) over the holidays? Something that's quick to pick up even for someone with not much experience - apart from the likes of Monopoly of course - would be ideal. Read the awesome OP of course, but would like to hear of everyone's personal experiences.

I'd say For Sale and Ticket to Ride are very family friendly, cute and always a hit. Otherwise Wits & Wagers Family Edition if you like trivia. Fearsome Floors is another favorite of mine that supports up to 7, although it's not for everyone.

 

[Drazgul]

I'd say For Sale and Ticket to Ride are very family friendly, cute and always a hit. Otherwise Wits & Wagers Family Edition if you like trivia. Fearsome Floors is another favorite of mine that supports up to 7, although it's not for everyone.

Great suggestions, thanks (Fearsome Floors sounds hilarious) - guess I'll go see tomorrow whether the local game shop has some of these.

 

[Neverfade]

Played Kingdom Builder last night. Enjoyable, but it didn't blow my mind. Also, Hermits suck. Blew the competition out the water with one settlement area + citizens and also happened to claim an entire row with knights. I find it odd that citizens is so much easier to score seeing how adjacency rules work. Hermits should be at LEAST two gold per area.

 

[AstroLad]

I assume when I head over there, I'm going to have some game invites, yes?



It took a ton of effort to convince my wife to try Twilight Struggle, but she totally loved it once she did.

Just did it.

I need to go back and read the rules again but this is going to be an awesome way to learn. <3 yucata

 

[BattleMonkey]

I read through the rules some months back but have not had the chance to bust it out. I've been hindered by the fact that it actually takes quite a while to teach and has a lot of rules corner cases. Totally got a Pirates! vibe from it though, which I loved.

Really? I found it super quick to teach, it wasn't really that rule heavy.

 

[AstroLad]

Really? I found it super quick to teach, it wasn't really that rule heavy.

you say that about everything though.

http://www.zmangames.com/boardgames/files/merchants_marauders/MM-Rules.pdf

 

[Neverfade]

+1 to M&M being kind of a tough teach.