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The New Board Game Thread (Newcomer Friendly)

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joelseph

Member
I got King of Tokyo and Power-up for my birthday (along with X-Wing, Betrayal at House on the Hill, and Quarriors Quartifacts...it was a nice haul). I'm definitely going to pick up the Halloween expansion sometime, though.

I love KoT. I'd heard rave reviews but the first time I'd ever played it was at GenCon during a tournament. I won my first and only game to get this badass mutha:

http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1705373_md.jpg[IMG]

I wish he had evolution cards or whatever they're called, but he's awesome looking.[/QUOTE]

There are promo cards that are blank. You can get Richard to create your own rules and cards for your game! So cool. Kicking myself for not hunting him down in the SolForge booth this year.
 

daevv

Member
I saw Pathfinder pack 2 in the shop as well, but since my copy is coming in the post, I had to resist buying it.

I'm still waiting for my Paizo subscription copy. Still haven't received a email showing that it's shipped yet and we finished Adventure Pack 1 on Sunday night. :(
 
Listened to the latest SUSD podcast. Quins was pretty enamoured with Two Rooms and a Boom. On paper it certainly sounds cool but I just can't imagine how it actually plays in terms of player conversations. Has anyone played it?
 

Karkador

Banned
I played my first game of Shadows over Camelot tonight. I'm somehow a magnet for getting the spy/traitor cards in these types of games, so sure enough, I played as the traitor, as nerve-wracking as it can be (with a new game, at that).

Impressions:

I played pretty nice with everyone for most of the game. I think I was doing the best when I was just sitting at the Excalibur pond, tossing out Grails and Merlins to 'keep that quest from failing", but it went south when someone took over for me there and I thought of being helpful just to not draw suspicion towards me.

In hindsight, there really isn't much of a reason to build confidence with other players, as most people aren't going to accuse you unless they're damn sure. You just want to kind of stick it out and see if you can get to the end without being discovered.

There didn't seem to be many opportunities to really bungle things up for the good guys- it's way more of a long, subtle con. Most of the opportunities to be bad just come up by chance, other than the aformentioned dumping of good cards.

I was eventually outed when I hesitated to play what would have been the game-winning move, and the suspicion on me suddenly mounted. So with the catapults almost all out on the board, I took a black card instead and promptly got accused, then it was a race for them to see if they could fight back the remaining 2 catapults (they did, boo).

All in all, I really enjoyed it and would love to play again.
 

Angst

Member
I played my first game of Shadows over Camelot tonight. I'm somehow a magnet for getting the spy/traitor cards in these types of games, so sure enough, I played as the traitor, as nerve-wracking as it can be (with a new game, at that).

Impressions:

I played pretty nice with everyone for most of the game. I think I was doing the best when I was just sitting at the Excalibur pond, tossing out Grails and Merlins to 'keep that quest from failing", but it went south when someone took over for me there and I thought of being helpful just to not draw suspicion towards me.

In hindsight, there really much of a reason to build confidence with other players, as most people aren't going to accuse you unless they're damn sure. You just want to kind of stick it out and see if you can get to the end without being discovered.

There didn't seem to be many opportunities to really bungle things up for the good guys- it's way more of a long, subtle con. Most of the opportunities to be bad just come up by chance, other than the aformentioned dumping of good cards.

I was eventually outed when I hesitated to play what would have been the game-winning move, and the suspicion on me suddenly mounted. So with the catapults almost all out on the board, I took a black card instead and promptly got accused, then it was a race for them to see if they could fight back the remaining 2 catapults (they did, boo).

All in all, I really enjoyed it and would love to play again.
Sounds awesome. We have Shadows over Camelot at work but we have yet to play it.
 

Karkador

Banned
I've also got to add that the moment when the traitor is revealed (whether you're the traitor or not) is definitely one of those shocking, gasping moments that are so good to have in board games. I felt a little panic and a bit of a rush when I finally got cornered and then totally betrayed everyone, the buildup was awesome.
 

fallout

Member
I've also got to add that the moment when the traitor is revealed (whether you're the traitor or not) is definitely one of those shocking, gasping moments that are so good to have in board games. I felt a little panic and a bit of a rush when I finally got cornered and then totally betrayed everyone, the buildup was awesome.
The best is when the traitor reveals themselves at a critical moment in a way that wins them the game. E.g., in Shadows Over Camelot, the traitor's falsely accusing someone else of being the traitor with one open sword spot on the board.

"Wait, why are you accusing me of being the traitooooOOOHHHHH YOU GAAHHHH!!!"
 

joelseph

Member
I've also got to add that the moment when the traitor is revealed (whether you're the traitor or not) is definitely one of those shocking, gasping moments that are so good to have in board games. I felt a little panic and a bit of a rush when I finally got cornered and then totally betrayed everyone, the buildup was awesome.

This is the only way I want to play traitor games. Starting something like BSG and not being a cylon is such a let down.
 

Karkador

Banned
I would appreciate some suggestions.
  • Good for two players
  • Cheap (less than $20)
  • Can be purchased at Target, Barnes & Noble, etc.

Hi, Femmeworth!

Here are a few, based on my memory of stuff I've seen at those shops (and looking up their price online now, to make sure they're under $20):

Forbidden Island: This is a co-op game for 2-4 players. The theme of the game is that you're trying to escape from a sinking island while trying to collect treasures and items. The island is made of up tiles that are randomly laid out, so it will be a different game each time. Each player also has a special role in the game that gives them different abilities, and you really have to work together to make it out alive.

The game is a really satisfying even though it's fairly casual and takes 30 minutes or so to play. The materials are very well-produced, yet its MSRP is around $16- incredible bang for the buck. Its sequel, Forbidden Desert, is also an excellent (and arguably an even better) game, but it's $25 or so. You'll find both at B&N, and if they have either in stock, I'd say you should definitely buy it.

However, if you're looking for something more casual (or happen to already have Forbidden Island)

Fluxx: If you want a rather silly, random card game that's easy to learn and where each card you play will change the rules of the game, you can check out Fluxx. It plays 2-6 and comes in a wide variety of thematic packs (Pirate Fluxx, Cthulu Fluxx, Monty Python Fluxx....). I haven't played it myself, but I see it everywhere and, well...it's probably more interesting than UNO while still being a casual game. I believe I've only seen this at B&N, can't vouch for Target.

Blokus: This is more of an abstract puzzle/thinking game for 2-4 players, but the rules are very simple. You have a set of tetris-looking pieces that you have to place on a central board along with other players, and you have to figure out how to fit your pieces on the board without any of the flat edges touching one another. Easy to learn, hard to master, quite a popular game, even among snooty board gamers. Ignore the crazy spin-off versions and go for pure Blokus. I believe Target has it for under $20, B&N may be more expensive.
 
Probably in a hurry to get a game for a gathering soon so wants to buy local.

Target has a good selection of games now since they keep featuring games that are on the show Tabletop.
 

Karkador

Banned
The $20 limit is the more strict limitation, because she can find a lot of games at B&N, they're just at full retail price. I think her options actually wouldn't expand much at a game shop if she wants to stay below $20. Even the two-player limit is more of a barrier, because she could do The Resistance or Zombie Dice at B&N, but those are a minimum of 3 players.
 
Hey guys, Thought I could get a couple tips in here. I have a group of friends and we usually play catan. Recently though, as my get togethers have gotten bigger, sometimes we need games that can accommodate many people. This is very casual level gaming and I'm just looking for suggestions about great manyplayer games that everyone can have fun in. I have cranium and catchphrase, but we've all played that too much and it gets a bit dry after a while.
 
Rummikub.
Hi, Femmeworth!

Here are a few, based on my memory of stuff I've seen at those shops (and looking up their price online now, to make sure they're under $20):

Forbidden Island: This is a co-op game for 2-4 players. The theme of the game is that you're trying to escape from a sinking island while trying to collect treasures and items. The island is made of up tiles that are randomly laid out, so it will be a different game each time. Each player also has a special role in the game that gives them different abilities, and you really have to work together to make it out alive.

The game is a really satisfying even though it's fairly casual and takes 30 minutes or so to play. The materials are very well-produced, yet its MSRP is around $16- incredible bang for the buck. Its sequel, Forbidden Desert, is also an excellent (and arguably an even better) game, but it's $25 or so. You'll find both at B&N, and if they have either in stock, I'd say you should definitely buy it.

However, if you're looking for something more casual (or happen to already have Forbidden Island)

Fluxx: If you want a rather silly, random card game that's easy to learn and where each card you play will change the rules of the game, you can check out Fluxx. It plays 2-6 and comes in a wide variety of thematic packs (Pirate Fluxx, Cthulu Fluxx, Monty Python Fluxx....). I haven't played it myself, but I see it everywhere and, well...it's probably more interesting than UNO while still being a casual game. I believe I've only seen this at B&N, can't vouch for Target.

Blokus: This is more of an abstract puzzle/thinking game for 2-4 players, but the rules are very simple. You have a set of tetris-looking pieces that you have to place on a central board along with other players, and you have to figure out how to fit your pieces on the board without any of the flat edges touching one another. Easy to learn, hard to master, quite a popular game, even among snooty board gamers. Ignore the crazy spin-off versions and go for pure Blokus. I believe Target has it for under $20, B&N may be more expensive.
Thank you.
This is severely limiting. What is the reason behind it?
I want something I can get for tomorrow.
 

Yaboosh

Super Sleuth
Hey guys, Thought I could get a couple tips in here. I have a group of friends and we usually play catan. Recently though, as my get togethers have gotten bigger, sometimes we need games that can accommodate many people. This is very casual level gaming and I'm just looking for suggestions about great manyplayer games that everyone can have fun in. I have cranium and catchphrase, but we've all played that too much and it gets a bit dry after a while.


Resistance.
 
Hey guys, Thought I could get a couple tips in here. I have a group of friends and we usually play catan. Recently though, as my get togethers have gotten bigger, sometimes we need games that can accommodate many people. This is very casual level gaming and I'm just looking for suggestions about great manyplayer games that everyone can have fun in. I have cranium and catchphrase, but we've all played that too much and it gets a bit dry after a while.
Bohnanza can play up to 7. Simple bean trading game, that might appeal to the Catan traders in your group.
For Sale plays up to 6. It's an auction game where players bid on houses in the first half of the game then in the second half sells their houses for a profit (hopefully).
Bang! plays up to 7 (possibly more with expansions). A Western card game where there are hidden roles and depending on your role, you have a different win conditions. For example the sheriff and his deputies win if there are no more outlaws and renegades alive.
Say Anything plays 8 but can play more if there are teams. Kind of like apples to apples but instead of cards players have white boards and can put anything down.

Resistance.
Ressistance is a good one.
 
Not sure if I'm really enjoying Ogre. The games seem to go so quickly. Actually, I guess I do like it somewhat but this is one of the first times the extreme size dampers it. With a box that big and with so many components I just want a longer game. Then I remember it came in the size of a sandwich bag originally.
 
Yea the size of Ogre completely turned me off. The game really did not need such a giant sized remake, but sadly that is what they used to really get the attention to their kickstarter.
 
SUSD strikes again. Sekigahara is a game I would have never known existed were it not for their site.

Only other "block" war game I have is Commands and Colors, but not sure if that counts. I really liked what I saw with how it plays and different reviews and such.

Also, just finished a 10 hour Mage Knight session (stretched over a week). I'm pretty sure I'd put that up as my number 1 board game of all time if I had to choose.
 

Neverfade

Member
Got my copy of Firefly and played it last night. Seems mechanically neat, but we fucked up and forgot to shuffle a few of the supply decks. If you looked through them when you got the game, you'd know that all the crew is at the bottom of those decks. This made misbehaving.... Difficult, to say the least.

Hopefully I can talk these folks into another game sometime in the future. One buddy was understandably getting particularly upset about the botched misbehaves.

Also, FUCK misbehave cards that are botched attempts no matter what. Dumb.
 
I ended up going with Fluxx. I don't think it's that good with two people, or at least the person I played with. Probably should have gone with Forbidden Island instead.
 

fallout

Member
I picked up Avalon this weekend and got to play it last night. We had 5 players and it was a blast. Really enjoyed how quickly we could run through the games. Thanks to all that suggested it in this thread.
 
I picked up Avalon this weekend and got to play it last night. We had 5 players and it was a blast. Really enjoyed how quickly we could run through the games. Thanks to all that suggested it in this thread.

Yeah, 5 player games are fun. I played 4 rounds last night. Included Excalibur in the last one to test it out. I just had a little sword letter opener thing so it was cool to bestow an actual sword on people. It certainly added another layer of 'logic' on to the information as to who would use it and why.
 

Merino

Member
SUSD strikes again. Sekigahara is a game I would have never known existed were it not for their site.

Only other "block" war game I have is Commands and Colors, but not sure if that counts. I really liked what I saw with how it plays and different reviews and such.

Also, just finished a 10 hour Mage Knight session (stretched over a week). I'm pretty sure I'd put that up as my number 1 board game of all time if I had to choose.
Yeah I want to pick up Sekigahara so bad. But I won't cause I know it won't get any play right now.

And SUSD is by far my favorite boardgaming review site. Happy aswell to see them getting boardgame reviews out on regular gaming websites. Quinns also has a really good video on there of a presentation he did detailing the current boardgame revolution and what benefits they have over video games.
 

Karkador

Banned
I got Sekigahara maybe a month ago (or longer) and still haven't found someone to play it with D:. The best I could do was playing it online on VASSAL.

I think people just get put off when I say it's a war game, even though I'm not crazy about war games in general and the reason I got the game was because it looked like something that stood apart from that genre (and looked really neat)

Quinns also has a really good video on there of a presentation he did detailing the current boardgame revolution and what benefits they have over video games.

I would love to have a thread on Gaming side comparing videogames and board games.
 

hat_hair

Member
I hadn't realised Inkognito was getting a reprint, so I was extremely pleased when I managed to snag the last copy in my FLGS.

Apparently it has some new rules as well, including a 5 player variant. I might try and break this out tonight if our regular Pathfinder game finishes quickly enough.
 
I got Sekigahara maybe a month ago (or longer) and still haven't found someone to play it with D:. The best I could do was playing it online on VASSAL.

I think people just get put off when I say it's a war game, even though I'm not crazy about war games in general and the reason I got the game was because it looked like something that stood apart from that genre (and looked really neat)

It definitely is a hard sell. I'm fortunate I have a roommate who's into a lot of these big 2 player games (or my copies of Twilight Struggle and Earth Reborn would never get played).

I don't know how you'd sell it easier, either. "Hey, want to play Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan?" "Uh... no. Do you have Small World?"

Maybe if it's played up more as a card game with blocks (which it is) or by some other means? Play up its strengths, and that it's not about moving chits or complicated armor versus range dice rolling? I'm still early into my first game of it, but the card-bluffing combat has been incredibly simple but also a lot of fun. Even losing combat makes you stronger.
 

Karkador

Banned
I like how the battles actually feel like a throwdown, with a lot of one-upping each other and spilling a whole lot of cards and blocks on the board. the battles are more about might and puffing your chest up and challenging each other with 'you and what army?' than fiddling with a bunch of stuff
 

TheExodu5

Banned
I played my first game of Shadows over Camelot tonight. I'm somehow a magnet for getting the spy/traitor cards in these types of games, so sure enough, I played as the traitor, as nerve-wracking as it can be (with a new game, at that).

Impressions:

I played pretty nice with everyone for most of the game. I think I was doing the best when I was just sitting at the Excalibur pond, tossing out Grails and Merlins to 'keep that quest from failing", but it went south when someone took over for me there and I thought of being helpful just to not draw suspicion towards me.

In hindsight, there really isn't much of a reason to build confidence with other players, as most people aren't going to accuse you unless they're damn sure. You just want to kind of stick it out and see if you can get to the end without being discovered.

There didn't seem to be many opportunities to really bungle things up for the good guys- it's way more of a long, subtle con. Most of the opportunities to be bad just come up by chance, other than the aformentioned dumping of good cards.

I was eventually outed when I hesitated to play what would have been the game-winning move, and the suspicion on me suddenly mounted. So with the catapults almost all out on the board, I took a black card instead and promptly got accused, then it was a race for them to see if they could fight back the remaining 2 catapults (they did, boo).

All in all, I really enjoyed it and would love to play again.

I like Shadows, but I'm still not sure how I feel about the traitor mechanic in it yet. Especially in a 4 player game, it seems like it's more beneficial to reveal yourself right away and just add catapaults to the board.
 

AstroLad

Hail to the KING baby
I like Shadows, but I'm still not sure how I feel about the traitor mechanic in it yet. Especially in a 4 player game, it seems like it's more beneficial to reveal yourself right away and just add catapaults to the board.

Haha yep. Shadows is damn brutal to win for the good guys, probably harder than Battlestar. Think you need to play with at least 5.
 
Resistance Avalon is the real deal. This may be my favorite board game of all time along with BSG.

I think my group would enjoy the theme of Avalon more then Standard Resistance we have a party tonight so I am going to pick up the standard game.

is there a big difference between the two?

edit: looks like there is and no reason not to get both if they like the standard game.
 
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