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The New Board Game Thread (Newcomer Friendly)
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platypotamus
Member
One would think that the names Martin Wallace and Neil Gaiman plus Lovecraft/Sherlock wouldn't necessitate a kickstarter and such a limited print run. Wonder what gives there...
Martin Wallace has traditionally run preorder campaigns for his own Treefrog games over years. This is effectively the replacement for it.
OrangeYouGlad
Banned
That last part is coming true for me, but I can't help myself. This has probably been the most enjoyable board game my girlfriend and I have played in awhile. It also helps that we can play just the two of us without it feeling redundant.
I wish it was easier to get some of the characters from the original KS for Zombicide though. CMON and Guillotine don't show up to many conventions, so it's hard to grab the stuff they're willing to sell.
Is anyone going to the CMON expo?
Been out of the board game loop for around two years now and I'm looking to pick up a new one to compliment my current collection, which is:
Agricola (worker placement)
7 Wonders (drafting)
Smallworld (casual, mp wargame)
Tigris and Euphrates (area control)
Power Grid (auction/network building)
Friends have Dominion, Ticket to Ride, Catan, and Carcassone. What would be the best game (maybe best recent game?) that would fulfill a niche I currently don't have that can scale from 3 - 5, 6 players? (Thinking of trying a dungeon delve title, but I'm not sure how replayable those are compared to mechanics oriented titles. Also considering 4x/Civ titles, but I need to be able to fit it in under 4 hours.) Or if that's too much to ask, what were some of the highlights from the second half of 2011 through the present?
Agricola (worker placement)
7 Wonders (drafting)
Smallworld (casual, mp wargame)
Tigris and Euphrates (area control)
Power Grid (auction/network building)
Friends have Dominion, Ticket to Ride, Catan, and Carcassone. What would be the best game (maybe best recent game?) that would fulfill a niche I currently don't have that can scale from 3 - 5, 6 players? (Thinking of trying a dungeon delve title, but I'm not sure how replayable those are compared to mechanics oriented titles. Also considering 4x/Civ titles, but I need to be able to fit it in under 4 hours.) Or if that's too much to ask, what were some of the highlights from the second half of 2011 through the present?
joeyjoejoeshabadoo
Member
Eclipse might be what you are looking for, it's a euro game in 4x clothing. Sid Meier's Civilization from Fantasy Flight Games is also a good 4x (sort of game). For a more hardcore 4X game is Space Empires 4X from GMT. I've only played it once like a year ago and it took me a long time to get in the groove. It looks more lo-fi than the other two games I mentioned but it does a really good job of being a cardboard version of something like Masters of Orion.
As for other non-4X games I really like CO2 and Vinhos. Both games are from the same designer and they are both more heavier euros. CO2 is a semi co-op game (but not really) where people are building green power plants in order to reverse the effects of carbon emissions. Let too many polluting plants on the board and everyone loses. It's less preachy than it sounds and it's a ton of fun. Nice meaty and cut throat decisions that need to be made through out the game.
Vinhos is a game where you are producing wine. At it's heart it's an engine building game where you are putting the pieces of your winery together to try and produce the best wine. Points are awarded at a wine fair, exporting the wine, and the person who successfully makes enough money from selling wine. You only get 12 actions to do things so decisions are really tight game that doesn't leave too much room for screwing around.
Castef
Banned
Never read the original short story.
In the past weeks I left like 300$ on Kickstarter for pledging Myth and Galaxy Defenders.
I'm out for a while...
Prophet Steve
Member
Hi everybody,
I think I am going to dabble in some boardgames with friends, but I live in The Netherlands, and was wondering if somebody knew good places to order games here. Right now I use Amazon UK, prices of the boardgames seem quite a bit higher than in the US, but that is the case with many things.
Does somebody know a better alternative? The webshops linked in the OP have a huge amount of shipping costs for the EU, so maybe I'll have more luck here. Otherwise I'll just stay at Amazon.
I think I am going to dabble in some boardgames with friends, but I live in The Netherlands, and was wondering if somebody knew good places to order games here. Right now I use Amazon UK, prices of the boardgames seem quite a bit higher than in the US, but that is the case with many things.
Does somebody know a better alternative? The webshops linked in the OP have a huge amount of shipping costs for the EU, so maybe I'll have more luck here. Otherwise I'll just stay at Amazon.
anonymous_abc
Member
I would suggest you try and find a local game shop, there are some awesome little game stores hidden away all over the place.
superrobot
Member
Amazon.de is often cheaper for the same game, postage might be free to benelux.
Board Games generally are a fair bit cheaper in Europe than the US since most of them are originally printed there.
I met with Eggertspiele a few weeks ago and they were shocked to learn what games cost here.
Prophet Steve
Member
Ah, this helps. I should see if shipping costs are free (and also see if amazon.fr is a good choice) but the prices do seem cheaper. The games probably are in their native language though not? The rules and such. My German and French is not very good (shit).
Then I maybe am looking at the wrong places, but when converting dollars into euros it is a bit cheaper. It may also be the case that the exchange rate with the pound is screwing me over.
I'll try, but I am a lazy person.
It might also be that I am just looking at the wrong games to compare.
http://boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Online_Gaming_Vendors#toc19
This is probably a good place to start.
This is probably a good place to start.
superrobot
Member
I think that given the German market is much more developed there's more deals on .de.
Especially for kids games.
It's also worth checking BGG. Each game usually has a entry indicating how much language is an issue. I've ordered games which were fine.
Worth working out the how to tell the difference between German specific versions and US English ones
Firenze for example, topical
German 29.99
http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0040QE4PC/
US/ENGLISH 24.99
http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B005TG6QVC/
Games with text on cards are probably a lot trickier to gauge.
Prophet Steve
Member
Prices seem to be around the same in all the stores, which basically seems like dollar = euro type of prices. But it is nice to have Dutch alternatives, maybe would save on additional costs.
I think I'd prefer to just have the Dutch or English version so to easily read rules that come with it. I will check it out though.I think that given the German market is much more developed there's more deals on .de.
Especially for kids games.
It's also worth checking BGG. Each game usually has a entry indicating how much language is an issue. I've ordered games which were fine.
Worth working out the how to tell the difference between German specific versions and US English ones
Firenze for example, topical
German 29.99€
http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0040QE4PC/
US/ENGLISH 24.99€
http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B005TG6QVC/
Games with text on cards are probably a lot trickier to gauge.
And I do not really have a specific interest in kids games, but more an interest in games with my (nerdy) friends.
Thank you all for the advice.
Hey fellow board gaffers. My missus just picked up Carcassonne yesterday (I'd played it years ago on XBLA) and was surprised to learn how well it played with two people. My question is, can you recommend other games that work well with two people (but obviously cater for more)? Was looking at Catan next (another I played on XBLA) but says minimum three people.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Catan doesn't work for two players. Ticket To Ride is likely perfect for you.
joeyjoejoeshabadoo
Member
Regular Catan is a three or four player game. Is you want the feel of Catan for just two, Rivals for Catan works really well. It's a two player only game and they have made some rules tweaks to accommodate two players but it still feels like Catan.
RaySpencer
Member
Weird question, but what are some of the good, really big, lots of pieces games out there? All the ones I can of are, Twilight Imperium 3E, Descent (first edition is big anyway), Rune Bound, Eclipse has a pretty decent amount of bits too.
I want more big stupid games like that! haha
I want more big stupid games like that! haha
SillyEskimo
Member
Ticket to Ride I've seen pop up a few times here and there so it may be the next purchase.
I am aware Catan doesn't work with two players though, hence my closing sentence.
Anyone played Zombies!!! ? impressions?
Zombies!!! seems to come up every other page or so. Personally, I love it. However it is a very simple "beer and pretzels" type of game. It is also a "screw your neighbor" type of game which is a con for some people and a massive pro for others. I believe it's simplicity is it's strength, at least when non-regular board game players are concerned. If people are used to playing much more advanced games then they will tire of it quickly. If you start playing with 3-4 expansions the area required to play gets pretty crazy.
It's less than $25 so it's not even that much of a risk. If you take the plunge, I would also recommend the 6th expansion "6 Feet Under" because it adds sewers and "guts" tokens which adds a bit more depth to the game. All the other expansions are theme based and play on popular tropes within the zombie genre with the 4th and 11th expansions being able to be played as stand alone or they can be integrated into the main set. You can add or subtract any expansion or mix and match. The game itself is also very home rule friendly if you're into that type of thing.
You can even grab a copy of Humans!!! (a stand alone game) and it's 2 expansions and integrate them into Zombies!!!, adding a whole other dimension to both games.
All in all it's a simple, entry level game that may hook people into more complex games. We went from Zombies!!! to Last Night on Earth. Betrayal At House On The Hill, Mansions of Madness, and other horror themed games quickly followed. We still have several more zombie themed games to get for the collection like Zombicide and Zpocolypse. It's a fun genre for my friends and family and plays up there with the large amount of fantasy based games I own.
@ Prophet Steve:
I also live in The Netherland, Utrecht to be specific and usually buy my games in a 'real' store here in Utrecht. It's called subcultures and also has an online shop: http://www.subcultures.nl/
You could also try bol.com, it has most of the big boardgames and isn't that expensive.
But most bigger cities have a store completely dedicated to boardgames, you should find one.
I also live in The Netherland, Utrecht to be specific and usually buy my games in a 'real' store here in Utrecht. It's called subcultures and also has an online shop: http://www.subcultures.nl/
You could also try bol.com, it has most of the big boardgames and isn't that expensive.
But most bigger cities have a store completely dedicated to boardgames, you should find one.
There are actually official rules for Settlers of Catan for 2 players. Changes are basically NPCs that you build roads/settlements for whenever you place your own and to enable trade coins you can spend to force a trade. They are also included in the third expansion Traders & Barbarians.
Prophet Steve
Member
Yeah, I have found a couple of ones now, but the main issue still remain the prices that seem way more expensive than their US or German equivalents. At least it is cheaper than UK counterparts though.
For example something like the Carcassonne big box that I am checking out now is 37,50, the US version for $48 and here in The Netherlands I can only find it for 48.
I hesitate to buy the German version, even when I know the game can be played without text I still need the rulebook, and it would be uncomfortable reading that from a computer screen.
It still is worth it, but the prices seem higher, also with different titles. But again, I might be looking at the wrong titles.
platypotamus
Member
Mage Knight has a fair bit of bits. Most of them are cardboard discs, not figures like descent though. There are the heroclix type heroes though...
This is a trap.
Alcotholic
Banned
Nah, I work at a board game cafe. But if anyone has any suggestions for some unusual and cool games, I'd always suggest them to my boss to add to our collection.
Recently I've been playing Ghoooooost by Richard Garfield. It's actually pretty fun despite being very basic in design.
RaySpencer
Member
Hehe, yeah, I dont think Mage Knight would work.
THe problem has been solved though I think, bought Galaxy Trucker and all the expansions, fuck load of bits!!
We had an issue come up with Galaxy Trucker though, Solar Panels + the Systems Test card. We werent sure if the solar panel counts as a battery or not in that situation, and if it does, can you split up the power to 2 different things attached to the solar panel??
Galaxy Trucker is fucking awesome though, ass loads of fun. Im not a huge fan of games that allow people to easily get knocked out early in the game/round and then cant participate, but it was still lots of fun.
THe problem has been solved though I think, bought Galaxy Trucker and all the expansions, fuck load of bits!!
We had an issue come up with Galaxy Trucker though, Solar Panels + the Systems Test card. We werent sure if the solar panel counts as a battery or not in that situation, and if it does, can you split up the power to 2 different things attached to the solar panel??
Galaxy Trucker is fucking awesome though, ass loads of fun. Im not a huge fan of games that allow people to easily get knocked out early in the game/round and then cant participate, but it was still lots of fun.
Alcotholic
Banned
Whats the general opinion on GMT Games?
Twilight Struggle is absolutely brilliant.
I wish they cared more about production/visual design.
superrobot
Member
Yay - Jaipur on yucata!
They have added Vinci recently too (forerunner to Small World)
They have added Vinci recently too (forerunner to Small World)
Alcotholic
Banned
I suppose this is my main issue with them. Their games look so dull to me. I have Command and Colors : Ancients and ugh. So drab. Also you have to place 600 tiny stickers on 300 tiny wooden blocks.
I've been meaning to give that game a shot. Have you played Dominant Species?
DS is fantastic and an incredibly well put together worker placement game. Probably my favorite out there. The only 'downside' there is, is its length. A full compliment of players can run near 4 hours your first game and/or if your players aren't snappy about moving things along.
My girlfriend just played a game of Ticket to Ride with me and loved it. She wants to play it all the time.
She's totally not into anything nerdy...yet. She thinks gaming is dumb, but I can tell she could be really into it if she opened up her mind a little bit. What would you guys recommend for a second, maybe more complicated game? Competitive only, she isn't into co-op. Two player preferred. Again, for now.
She's totally not into anything nerdy...yet. She thinks gaming is dumb, but I can tell she could be really into it if she opened up her mind a little bit. What would you guys recommend for a second, maybe more complicated game? Competitive only, she isn't into co-op. Two player preferred. Again, for now.
I have it available on my Ipad, just have to try and dig into the rules harder and actually understand them but definitely going to play it after been hearing so much about it.
Also, another fun thing with GMT Games, do love their care for the final product. With Twilight Struggle you even get a signed certificate that the box was personally packed and controlled by a person over at their office for quality purposes. Its a neat little touch.
Alcotholic
Banned
Takenoko is something I would recommend. It's kinda basic among eurodesigner games, but its still fun and easy for someone to pick up.
There is also Dominion, a deck building game, a lot of fun, but not much player interaction.
Or you could always teach her the Settlers of Catan. Thats sort of a basic that everyone should try once since it had such a huge influence on the board game industry.
I've played it before, I just like to gauge other's opinions on it. But I agree on the length.
I'd liken the game to Agricola in terms of gameplay, but just 3 steps up in difficulty and impact on other player's decisions.
But I hadn't known that quality thing about GMT. Twilight Struggle and Dominant Species are the only ones that really stand out to me in terms of high quality production values compared to their other games.
Alcotholic
Banned
I love them. I am a wargamer though and thus don't have issues with wargame style components. My buddies that eat up FF stuff don't like playing games that don't come with toy men.
BattleMonkey
Member
So got and enjoy both Twilight Imperium and Eclipse. Is there any reason to get Exodus? Kinda feels like it might get redundant with both those previous games scratching two different itches in the genre already wth such similar themes.
Alcotholic
Banned
Probably not unless you really want more galaxy conquest games. I suggest just play more of the ones you already have. They are both fantastic games.
I've been playing board games for a few years now and I'm noticing a new trend lately that seems to be getting bigger in the 'cardboard' world:
Microgames.
A few 'microgames' released in the past weeks/months gained a lot of attention, namely Love Letter and Coup. These are small games that have very few components (15-20 cards, a few tokens) with simple rules and short play time. I'm falling in love with these myself as they make for very good fillers to play with the regular game group, but also with friends that are not too much into board gaming. The games are very easy to explain, and are done in a few minutes.
There's currently a Kickstarter for a revised version of Coup that is themed after the Resistance universe. The original version of the game is/was only sold from a mom & pop game shop in Maine and lacked the distribution/availability despite being an excellent game. While I'm not too keen on the new look, it's great that more people will be able to enjoy the game.
This past weekend was Spring Game Market 2013 in Tokyo and I kept an eye on the popular games that were being sold (and introduced) at the show. Most of them sold out in minutes, and were mostly all 'microgames'. They have very low price points (500 JPY ~ 1,200 JPY on average, $5-$12 USD), which surely helps with their popularity.
There's a new game coming up from the same designer as Lover Letter called "Lost Legacy". It uses the same mechanics, but improves on it for the end game, and include different cards to have differents decks or to play with up to 6 players. I was able to pre-order a copy before the craze started and it should be shipping anytime now.
Another one that caught my eye is "Kabayakawa" (小早川. I don't even know how the game plays other than it has 15 cards and a bunch of nice metal tokens. It seems to use simple mechanics where you pick a card, discard/trade one and hope to have the highest number at the end of the round to get a token. It's so stylish and nice to look at, I think I want it just for that reason.
Then there's this weird one called "Hoshilympics". each player has a clothesline that can hold three cards and you have to play them on relation to the weather cards in effect. Again, I don't have specifics on the rules, but it looks so unique that I want a copy.
There's so many of these 'microgames' being released in Japan lately, I can't wait for them to make their way to US/Europe. I hope they do anyway. The problem with these small publishers in Japan is that they print so few of their games it's almost impossible to get them out of Game Market.
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Anyone else is hooked on these game lately?
Microgames.
A few 'microgames' released in the past weeks/months gained a lot of attention, namely Love Letter and Coup. These are small games that have very few components (15-20 cards, a few tokens) with simple rules and short play time. I'm falling in love with these myself as they make for very good fillers to play with the regular game group, but also with friends that are not too much into board gaming. The games are very easy to explain, and are done in a few minutes.
There's currently a Kickstarter for a revised version of Coup that is themed after the Resistance universe. The original version of the game is/was only sold from a mom & pop game shop in Maine and lacked the distribution/availability despite being an excellent game. While I'm not too keen on the new look, it's great that more people will be able to enjoy the game.
This past weekend was Spring Game Market 2013 in Tokyo and I kept an eye on the popular games that were being sold (and introduced) at the show. Most of them sold out in minutes, and were mostly all 'microgames'. They have very low price points (500 JPY ~ 1,200 JPY on average, $5-$12 USD), which surely helps with their popularity.
There's a new game coming up from the same designer as Lover Letter called "Lost Legacy". It uses the same mechanics, but improves on it for the end game, and include different cards to have differents decks or to play with up to 6 players. I was able to pre-order a copy before the craze started and it should be shipping anytime now.
Another one that caught my eye is "Kabayakawa" (小早川
. I don't even know how the game plays other than it has 15 cards and a bunch of nice metal tokens. It seems to use simple mechanics where you pick a card, discard/trade one and hope to have the highest number at the end of the round to get a token. It's so stylish and nice to look at, I think I want it just for that reason. Then there's this weird one called "Hoshilympics". each player has a clothesline that can hold three cards and you have to play them on relation to the weather cards in effect. Again, I don't have specifics on the rules, but it looks so unique that I want a copy.
There's so many of these 'microgames' being released in Japan lately, I can't wait for them to make their way to US/Europe. I hope they do anyway. The problem with these small publishers in Japan is that they print so few of their games it's almost impossible to get them out of Game Market.
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Anyone else is hooked on these game lately?
BomberMouse
Member
I love microgames. Sincerely, most games are too big, too expensive and too complicated for it's own good.
Some of my favorite games are small games or card games like For Sale or Bottle Imp. Thanks for the recommendations, will keep an eye on those two.
Some of my favorite games are small games or card games like For Sale or Bottle Imp. Thanks for the recommendations, will keep an eye on those two.
VindictiveGnome
Member
After picking up Ticket To Ride on Steam, I decided to get the physical game. Should arrive tomorrow. I went to my local comic/game shop and he only had the Europe version in stock. I was about to walk out when he asked what I was looking for. I told him the original Ticket To Ride and he replied that he didn't have it. I said I might be interested in the Europe verison, but $49.99 seemed rather expensive to me, so I asked if he would lower it a bit to meet Amazon's price and he snapped back, "This isn't Amazon." I get how what I said could be annoying to him because he's right. He isn't Amazon, but at the same time he needs to move his boardgames. The same games are always there and never sell.
$50 seems pretty reasonable to me... :/
Trying to get a local store to price compete with Amazon is a bit unreasonable.
I'm not anti online discount game stores at all, in fact they make games more reachable for a lot of people who wouldn't get into the hobby without them.
If you asked him to price match amazon he would be making roughly a 10 dollar profit (not that I know his mark-up, but standard markup). That is very low margin for a business paying a lot of overhead in a niche market.
VindictiveGnome
Member
I don't know. I haven't bought very many board games. Dominion and it's expansions only cost ~$30. I feel like you get way more for your money in a Dominion box.
My ignorance starts when we talk about how much he makes off every game sold. I didn't realize it was so low. I just figured I'd ask since I have seen the Europe version there for months and months. I thought maybe he'd be motivated to move some stock. I was just using Amazon as a reference. I didn't necessarily want a full price match, but just maybe a few bucks off because, well, $50 does seem steep. In hindsight, it is a bit unreasonable to ask that of him and I'd like to apologize to him. He did not have to be rude, though. I understand being annoyed at my request, but he could have simply explained the situation. I really don't feel like going back there again. I get that he's trying to maintain a business, but at the same time I feel he should compete a bit better. Again, I wasn't aware of the profit margin, so I bet that makes it near impossible to compete. I'm sure many small businesses and I know large businesses find it hard to compete with Amazon. Pardon my ignorance.
Try hearing what you had to say x million times and keep a smile.
VindictiveGnome
Member
I totally understand that and I'd be annoyed if I were in his shoes, but it just takes one bad experience to turn a customer away. I feel comic/game shops thrive on loyal, repeat customers.
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