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[echoshifting]

Steve, have you played Through the Ages? Similar theme, better game.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

Steve, have you played Through the Ages? Similar theme, better game.

As asinine as this sounds, while I do own Through the Ages, I've never played it. And by asinine, I mean that the very reasons why Through the Ages has never gotten played probably extend to Sid Meier's Civ in that lengthy playtimes and hefty rulebooks make several people in my group a little weary.

 

[Unison]

I have seen a few comments recently about the difficulty being too low and people just figuring out the game and pwning it. Not really sure precisely what to say to that because I feel that anecdotal and statistical evidence show that it is just not a game that you "solve" and win regularly. Even when you play "perfectly" (given your lack of knowledge of upcoming cards), you will still lose even on normal. People who just have that sense that they can never lose Pandemic are guaranteed playing it wrong.

Yeah... this is baffling... Pandemic is not something that you can win every single time, that's for sure. In any case, the difficulty can be turned up, and the expansion can surely help, because it has more ways to lose (as well as a possible evil player).

 

[Unison]

Trying to talk the guy down to just Thurn and Taxis + LNOE for 50. We'll see if that happens.

I haven't actually played Thurn and Taxis.. from what I can gather it is pretty similar to Ticket to Ride.

I may do the whole thing for 75 anyway as I've heard good things about Jambo and Colorretto as well, but not sure I want them.

I really like all four of those games for what it's worth. Thurn and Taxis is not really like Ticket to Ride... There's a strong press-your-luck element to it, because if you fail to add to a route you're trying to build, you're going to have to start from scratch on it. Most of the competition/tension comes from trying to get bonuses before your opponents manage to.

The reputation of it being less tense than TTR probably comes from the expansions, which makes it a less good, tense game, imo.

 

[Unison]

I might also go buy the Resistance and Sabateur since they are cheap games, lighter and have similar mechanics. Can anyone think of any other traitor/hidden role games that are on the lighter side? Something comparable to Bang! where the strategy decisions are more simplified?

I might also get some more Beer and Pretzel type games (High Society, For Sale) as those are light enough that you can have them with beers and not pay a ton of attention.

She sounds a lot like my family, who generally enjoy games with a lot of player interaction and a high fun factor... Maybe check out Shadow Hunters & The Castle of the Devil.

Beyond that, I imagine that Dixit, Pit, and Liar's Dice would go over pretty well.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

As asinine as this sounds, while I do own Through the Ages, I've never played it. And by asinine, I mean that the very reasons why Through the Ages has never gotten played probably extend to Sid Meier's Civ in that lengthy playtimes and hefty rulebooks make several people in my group a little weary.

TTTA is actually pretty simple at its core. Sure, there are a lot of little rules to follow for specific things, but it's really easy to get into once you get some of the core stuff down. Just be sure to play the basic game first. Try watching this (note that it covers the full game, the basic game simplifies/ignores some of these mechanics): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC1LDErnlac&hd=1

And Stooge, The Resistance is awesome with the right group. Just be sure to play with the added plot cards once everyone gets the basics down. Depending on the group, you may want to play with blind spies as well.

 

[Mashing]

I thought the Resistance was boring, but that's probably because it was a smaller group (5 ppl). Still, I don't see a lot I like about the game anyway. It's just too simple and it was quite obvious who the spies were after a few rounds (again, probably because of the small group). I think I'd only play it again with 7+

 

[Neverfade]

Steve, have you played Through the Ages? Similar theme, better game.

Oh hell naw.

 

[echoshifting]

Oh come on...let's go there

 

[XiaNaphryz]

I thought the Resistance was boring, but that's probably because it was a smaller group (5 ppl). Still, I don't see a lot I like about the game anyway. It's just too simple and it was quite obvious who the spies were after a few rounds (again, probably because of the small group). I think I'd only play it again with 7+

5 is way too small. At least 7 for sure, and 9 or 10 is awesome with the right group. You need some fast-talkers involved as well as a few people who just flat-out seem untrustworthy.

 

[Yaweee]

Wow, lots of posts in the thread today.

Re: Pandemic:
I really don't like how it might as well be solo play, at least the base version. Maybe the expansions would make it more to my liking. The older women in my work's BG group seem to love it, so I'll try again next time it meets.

Re: Games at (small-ish) parties:
SET makes for a fucking great drinking game. Potential rules--
- Wrong? Take a shot.
- Get a Set? Give a shot.
- Lose? Drink your point deficit compared to the winner.

Re: Dominion
Still haven't had a chance to play my near-complete set (tomorrow, perhaps), but I've been trying the various online/phone versions of the game and reading the BGG forums. The strategy has a weird learning curve-- the basics are immediately apparent, but the relative values of various strategies is like a multi-step learning process.

a) First, a player learns "don't buy too many Action cards."
b) Then, "Don't buy Victory cards too early, because they essentially replace money."
c) "Oh, hey, that makes stacking just money and one or two actions early on really powerful."

Then there is a HUGE learning plateau where people realize how strong Big Money strategies are, and they essentially become the baseline against which strategies are compared. It isn't that hard to beat, but lack of interactivity, choice, and power in the Kingdom cards of the Base set make it seem too powerful for a very long time.

But once you toss in the expansions, everything becomes too complicated to apply such a simple framework due to the huge variety in Treasures and Victory cards. as well as some Attack cards that completely wreck Big Money decks.

 

[StoOgE]

Eh, Big Money is always a solid strategy.

That said, there are card combos that can beat it in almost any deck. You just have to look at the cards and figure it out.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Eh, Big Money is always a solid strategy.

That said, there are card combos that can beat it in almost any deck. You just have to look at the cards and figure it out.

I'm always a big fan of milling strategies that aim to keep the deck as lean and efficient as possible.

 

[StoOgE]

I bought resistance.. it really does seem a lot like Werewolf, but has a bit more of a purpose. I think I am going to play it with the optional cards right off the bat.

I guess the biggest improvement is you don't execute anyone *and* the members of the resistance have more info to work with than the villagers in werewolf.

I'll try it out tonight, I think it will be up her ally. That and I Know she'll love Time's Up and Wits and Wagers.

 

[StoOgE]

I'm always a big fan of milling strategies that aim to keep the deck as lean and efficient as possible.

I think that is usually the best way to go, but it takes a lot of strategy and the right cards to pull it off. I also find that if you don't run it just right it can collapse in on its own cleverness as you start to get too many VP cards towards the end.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

I bought resistance.. it really does seem a lot like Werewolf, but has a bit more of a purpose.

I'll try it out tonight, I think it will be up her ally. That and I Know she'll love Time's Up and Wits and Wagers.

Once everyone's comfortable with the basics, I highly recommend throwing the plot cards in.

Also, have whoever's leader come up with an actual mission that everyone's voting for. It can be silly or dumb, like blowing up Disneyland or something, but by playing like that it allows for potential shenanigans for more devious player types to try and influence things.

 

[Agyar]

I've just started getting to board gaming, thanks to reconnecting with an old friend I used to work with who runs a lot of regular gaming nights with his wider circle of friends.

After the first session I picked up Carcassonne, Small World (plus the Be Not Afraid and Necromancer Island expansions), Dominion and Guillotine. I've now also got Dominion: Intrigue and Citadels on the way and have been along to a few more nights. I went a little overboard with the purchases after one session but I wanted to grab some solid titles for home and to take along to the smaller groups.

Carcassonne is definitely the group favourite and Small World gets a lot of play, both of which are really fun. It's becoming clear to me, however, that the coop games really don't satisfy me like strategic/competitive games. I've played through a few games of Pandemic and Betrayal at the House on Haunted Hill, and most recently a game of Shadows over Camelot. Out of all of them, Pandemic was probably the most interesting, thanks to the strategic conflict that arises out of group discussion but Betrayal and Camelot left me wanting to get on with something else. Playing against chance and stacks of cards that make bag things happen doesn't engage me the same way a strategising, human opponent does and I think the experience suffers for it. A lot of the people I've played with seem to enjoy them though so I figure I'm in the minority.

 

[AstroLad]

Co-op is a different experience for sure, but just like light eurogaming, abstract gaming, heavy worker-placement, and superheavy ameritrash, there's a time and a place for everything. Co-op games tend to be particularly great with casuals as it lessens the burden on them and allows them to feel that they are contributing meaningfully rather than just getting trounced by experienced players by trying to figure out the rules. Over the holidays I also learned it's good for a group of people that might be just a little too competitive. Redirect that energy toward a single place.

But yeah sometimes you just wanna go mano a mano. tbh I've had co-op games for years but only recently got back into them over the holidays.

 

[Agyar]

Co-op is a different experience for sure, but just like light eurogaming, abstract gaming, heavy worker-placement, and superheavy ameritrash, there's a time and a place for everything. Co-op games tend to be particularly great with casuals as it lessens the burden on them and allows them to feel that they are contributing meaningfully rather than just getting trounced by experienced players by trying to figure out the rules. Over the holidays I also learned it's good for a group of people that might be just a little too competitive. Redirect that energy toward a single place.

But yeah sometimes you just wanna go mano a mano. tbh I've had co-op games for years but only recently got back into them over the holidays.

I'm not writing them off completely but I think the worst person to be on a coop table is the new/casual player. No matter the game, if you're with an experienced group you'll be struggling but with coop games I've found it easy for the new player to be become completely disengaged as it's too easy for the other players to take their hand and carry them. I guess while it doesn't take more than a game or two to pick it up, that lack of engagement was enough to turn me off initially and I saw the same thing happen with my girlfriend while playing Shadows over Camelots. Having to ask "what should I do?" every turn quickly makes you feel like an outsider looking in.

 

[AstroLad]

Yep, different games for different crowds. This (part of) the reason why I own over 150 games. Just as much as one person can become disengaged playing a co-op game and taking guidance from more experienced players, another can become turned off boardgaming completely by just getting trounced by those same players. Most co-op games have a further advantage in that information is public (or near public) and players are focused on the same goal. So talking strategy and giving suggestions is a natural part of the game. Whereas in most competitive games that's not the case. You find out someone else's hand and the game as a "real" game has ended and now you're just engaging in a tutorial. But I am very aware of the phenomenon you reference and it's something I try to be diligent about when playing co-ops.

Of course don't take that to mean that I think co-op games are always good for casuals/newcomers. I'll usually pick something like TtR or Carcassonne over even a simple co-op because competitive mechanics are just more familiar to people, who may sometimes not take as naturally to the idea of working together in a board game.

 

[dogbert]

Of course don't take that to mean that I think co-op games are always good for casuals/newcomers. I'll usually pick something like TtR or Carcassonne over even a simple co-op because competitive mechanics are just more familiar to people, who may sometimes not take as naturally to the idea of working together in a board game.

Indeed. I taught Shadows (without traitor) to my parents & wife over Thanksgiving & had a hell of a time getting that concept of "us against the board" over... They're all experienced games that love TtR for example, but that jump in logic was just too much.

 

[MichaelBD]

45 is a good price for the game at a B&M.. and the game is an amazingly good recreation of the Civ experience in a board game.

If you have friends that play/played Civ I think the feel will get them into it.

If not, the game is pretty long and hard for people to grasp who haven't played Civ. When I played it I picked it up quickly because the game is so much like Civ.

I'll throw my two cents in here to say I've played Civ with a couple of people who never played the computer game and yet they still enjoyed the board game version.

I'm hoping to play again next week. I really like it.

 

[platypotamus]

Back from my trip what are you guys talking abo--

Steve, have you played Through the Ages? Similar theme, better game.

Yes!

Seriously, play TTA. Play it now. I don't care that it's the middle of the night. Just do it.

Anyway,

I finally have returned from my travels. While on them, I got Dominion: Prosperity (played, enjoyed), and Steam (still sealed, as there was no time to play, and this kept it easier to travel with).

Played a lot of games on my trip, mostly casual stuff (Wits and Wagers, Scattergories, and Werewolf) but also some still casual but more meaty games (Dominion, Kachina).

Completely failed to get in touch with Flynn for an attempt to meet up for 7 Wonders, because I am a terrible person, and bad at making plans, and ended up super busy anyway.



EDIT: Also, I took my turns in the Stone Age games on Yucata, sorry, it wouldn't load on my phone and I refused to go to any websites that I had to enter a password into on my in-laws computer. That thing's got issues.

 

[StoOgE]

Indeed. I taught Shadows (without traitor) to my parents & wife over Thanksgiving & had a hell of a time getting that concept of "us against the board" over... They're all experienced games that love TtR for example, but that jump in logic was just too much.

teaching Shadows is always an adventure.

"What do I do on this quest again?"
"You make a poker hand, same as all of them"

 

[StoOgE]

So, last night was a complete failure.

We tried playing Modern Art. No one else at the table was playing the game very well. They were all excited about buying the Yoko art because they thought it looked pretty. Fail. Huge Fail.

Wits and Wagers.. made it to the table but was vetoed right away. They didn't want to play a "mathy" game.

One of my friends brought fucking Cranium. I had to play that.

Tried to play Time's Up but they all decided it was like a worse version of Cranium and refused to play it.

I had about 9 people come over last night but never more than 4 at any given time. So Resistance never got to the table.

So yeah.

The good news is my girlfriend asked if we could start setting game nights with her brother and sister in law on a regular basis (every Thursday seems to be the winner). So it wasn't a complete loss.

 

[StoOgE]

I'm not writing them off completely but I think the worst person to be on a coop table is the new/casual player. No matter the game, if you're with an experienced group you'll be struggling but with coop games I've found it easy for the new player to be become completely disengaged as it's too easy for the other players to take their hand and carry them. I guess while it doesn't take more than a game or two to pick it up, that lack of engagement was enough to turn me off initially and I saw the same thing happen with my girlfriend while playing Shadows over Camelots. Having to ask "what should I do?" every turn quickly makes you feel like an outsider looking in.

Try games with a traitor mechanic. People can still help you out, but your hand is hidden so no one can force you to play.

Another house rule I have brought into effect is only the person whose turn it is can ask for advice or give advice. So on my turn I can lay out a strategy and ask others to follow it. On my turn I can ask someone what they can do. What I can't do is tell my girlfriend what to do on her turn unless she asks for advice.

I've found this makes it feel like the new players are "driving" the game when it's their turn, even if they wind up deferring to the better players.

 

[AstroLad]

So, last night was a complete failure.

We tried playing Modern Art. No one else at the table was playing the game very well. They were all excited about buying the Yoko art because they thought it looked pretty. Fail. Huge Fail.

Wits and Wagers.. made it to the table but was vetoed right away. They didn't want to play a "mathy" game.

One of my friends brought fucking Cranium. I had to play that.

Tried to play Time's Up but they all decided it was like a worse version of Cranium and refused to play it.

I had about 9 people come over last night but never more than 4 at any given time. So Resistance never got to the table.

So yeah.

The good news is my girlfriend asked if we could start setting game nights with her brother and sister in law on a regular basis (every Thursday seems to be the winner). So it wasn't a complete loss.

:lol wait waaaaaaat. i know it has numbers but there is literally no math in the w&w questions

also re time's up/cranium: ah i love casuals. just give them some crappy clay to go fiddle with if that's what they enjoy

 

[StoOgE]

:lol wait waaaaaaat. i know it has numbers but there is literally no math in the w&w questions

also re time's up/cranium: ah i love casuals. just give them some crappy clay to go fiddle with if that's what they enjoy

yeah, I'm still not sure what happened. I gave her my copy of Cranium with the express understanding I would never have to play it.

I think my mistake was playing Modern Art. It lost me all credibility for the evening.

Which I don't get. They wanted to play something short, but my friend Jeni refused to play Dominion. So I grabbed Modern Art. It's short, it's pretty simple game and there is a lot of fun to be had. But they just ignored all strategy and then got mad when they didn't win.

Jeni is my friend who broke a game of Power Grid for everyone because she got her "lucky numbered" power plants and refused to get rid of them.. I think she fired 7 cities at game end :lol

Oh well.

I'm still going to force Time's Up and Wits and Wagers on them at some point since I *know* they will be hits if they get to table.

 

[AstroLad]

Time's Up is just. It doesn't get more casual than that. If they don't enjoy that they are just biased against anything you suggest. If you saw it on a kmart shelf and played it you wouldn't think twice about it. Very fun game though.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

I think my mistake was playing Modern Art. It lost me all credibility for the evening.

Yep, when I read that I actually face-palmed - that's not a good ice-breaker unless the people have played it before and everyone remember and understand how to play it.

 

[StoOgE]

Yep, when I read that I actually face-palmed - that's not a good ice-breaker unless the people have played it before and everyone remember and understand how to play it.

but I like Knizia games

 

[Unison]

but I like Knizia games

Auction games are very hard to teach, I find. They depend on people being able to understand that their actions are going to set value and tend to go out the window if people are playing illogically, or even sub-optimally.

I'm a big fan of Knizia... There are a boatload of great Knizia fillers/light games, but I wouldn't really trot any of his auction games out to non-gamers, with the exception of High Society. That's the one game where if one person is drastically overspending they are only screwing themselves, because the lowest money total at the end automatically loses.

For similar situations in the future, among his dice games, try Pickomino (now on Facebook!), Sushizock im Gockelwok, Excape, or IGOR: The Monster Making Game.

Abondon Ship is a really interesting hidden-role roll and move game. Cheeky Monkey is extremely simple, but fun, because of its press your luck element. Though it's way too thinky to be a party game, Fits is hugely appealing to anyone who's ever played Tetris. Ingenious is similarly easy to grasp, but even deeper. Winner's Circle would probably be more lively, though I find sometimes that three races of that is more than people want to sit through.

 

[dogbert]

Auction games are very hard to teach, I find. They depend on people being able to understand that their actions are going to set value and tend to go out the window if people are playing illogically, or even sub-optimally.

Auction games are totally new to the average person; people just don't understand the mechanics despite it just being a "twist" on Texas Hold 'Em... I have had a hard time introducing auction games generally too, though Felix the Cat was strangely a hit with my folks.

Sorry, Stooge, you tried.

Good mate of mine threw a game day this afternoon because his wife & kids arrive back from vacation tomorrow Lots of Magic because that's what his friends play, but I got to hang & play some good gateway games. Jamaica was a *huge* hit, which is cool as my mate had said it would be. He knows his friends. Small World + expansions was fun, but slow; I got hammered midgame & couldn't recover. Last game was Dominon + Intrigue which I was enjoying & doing well, until I had to drop everything & head home for a poop emergency.

Still, a good afternoon of light games with good company, which ultimately is what it's all about.

 

[platypotamus]

So the Mountebank in Prosperity is an evil evil card.

Our game ended when we ran out of coppers. I had 4 points

 

[StoOgE]

Auction games are totally new to the average person; people just don't understand the mechanics despite it just being a "twist" on Texas Hold 'Em... I have had a hard time introducing auction games generally too, though Felix the Cat was strangely a hit with my folks.

Sorry, Stooge, you tried.

Yeah, I've had this problem with Power Grid before. The issue with Auction games is 1) You either need to have played it before or 2) You need to be able to think 20+ moves ahead to understand what the overall value of that item is going to wind up being.

With Modern Art there is no "intrinsic" value of any of the paintings (which is what makes it a fascinating game) which means that you are basically forced into thinking 20 moves ahead to try and guess what the overall value will be.

Most new players are not thinking ahead at all but are just participating in an auction at that point in time without a care in the world as to what is going on.

It was definitely my mistake and I should have realized that even a light auction game is going to be "heavy" for most non-gamers.

The issue for me is 1) My favorite board game is Power Grid. 2) My favorite designer is Martin Wallace 3) My 2nd favorite designer is Knizia.

So I own and enjoy a lot of auction games (or at least area influence games which are pretty similar).

I own Perudo.. that is where I should have gone for my light quick party game.

Also, I don't know what a poop emergency is, but I don't think I ever want to experience one.

 

[dogbert]

Yeah, I've had this problem with Power Grid before. The issue with Auction games is 1) You either need to have played it before or 2) You need to be able to think 20+ moves ahead to understand what the overall value of that item is going to wind up being.

For me, the worst is the Steam/Chicago Express games where the very first thing in the game is a super critical auction. Mess it up & you can be screwed for the rest of the game... And it's the first damn thing you do.

Hell, just yesterday in the Small World game, we had an auction with one of the event cards that the kid playing totally overbid on because he didn't understand the poor value of the card for himself. Damn auctions.

You should give Industry/Industria a look, Stooge. ~60 auctions, that's the entire game

Also, I don't know what a poop emergency is, but I don't think I ever want to experience one.

I've got a 2 year old you can borrow if you want to find out

 

[StoOgE]

You should give Industry/Industria a look, Stooge. ~60 auctions, that's the entire game

I played it at BGG-Con actually. It was a good game, but I was thrown off when it turned out to be a completely abstracted bidding game despite having all the pretenses of something like Brass.

I liked it, but I think the board and symbols make it much harder to teach than your average auction game. It's one of those cases where it is a good game, but it doesn't really do anything for me beyond what Modern Art does, but it takes much longer and is harder to teach. Power Grid is sort of that perfect "auction" mechanic.. because you get some great bidding wars going, but it isn't strategically critical to winning the game... there is always a slightly less optimal option that a good player can make work.

 

[Neverfade]

Lawdy. BSG'd last night and got our human asses whooped by... NO CYLONS. The loyalty deck got effed up and we were all humans. Didn't matter: Galactica destroyed via damage at 7 distance.

First time that lose condition has reared it's head in our group. Cylon Fleet option is brutal.

 

[Mashing]

Played 7 Wonders for the first time last night. Amazing game. By far my favorite card drafting game. The mechanics are freaking perfect and the way you can screw your neighbors is fun. It's just meaty enough and short enough that I can't imagine how anyone could hate it. A bit of a learning curve at the beginning with the iconography, but this is to be expected. It is not Dominion which has everything spelled out for you, you are going to have to have a crib sheet for the for your first couple games.

AFter that it was a game of Lords of Vegas. I came in last even though I had the biggest casino (7 size), but I could never draw lots for other areas so I was not diversified in any way. This game can be incredibly ruthless with the trading mechanic.

Next up was a marathon game of Civ (my fault, it was my first game and I was taking too long to make decisions). I love this game though. It is a very faithful recreation of the computer game. I played the Egyptians whose civ power is quite good (you can build any building you've unlocked per turn for free for 1 action). If I had been more experienced I would have easily ran away with either a tech victory or a military victory, but since I wasn't I came in last. China won with an economic victory. If you like Civ, please give this game a go. One negative, it takes almost 15 minutes to setup and take down (if not longer). I'd like to see the combat rules modified as well. I do not like the fact that you can simply start a new front and avoid taking losses (and if you have a general, you will win combat 99% of the time)

 

[Staccat0]

I finally signed up for BGG (username: Staccat0. I'm still figuring out how to use it though:lol
the FAQ doesn't anwer most of my questions.
Is there a way to rate games myself?
Do I have to pay to gwt those little icons for certain games on my profile or just for some of them?

On a semi-related subject: Last night we had a work party and while talking to some people there I think I got a few of them excited about the idea of a casual 4e D&D game.

When I was a kid, my parents used to smoke pot and play D&D in the basement on weekends. I would sit down there and watch.
I grew up teaching friends how to play 2e and 3e, but due to kids being kids and not having cars I never got to play a fulll campaign.

It's the one thing I'm nostsalgic for, and I'm starting to think I could actually get a game together. I'm pretty pumped. This has always been hard for me as an adult, because I want to play it pretty casual and don't want things to get TOO geeky (my wife will be playing afterall) and finding people who I trust will be fun can be hard.

 

[Chorazin]

I finally signed up for BGG (username: Staccat0). I'm still figuring out how to use it though:lol
the FAQ doesn't anwer most of my questions.
Is there a way to rate games myself?
Do I have to pay to gwt those little icons for certain games on my profile or just for some of them?

Yes, you need to pay GeekGold to buy an Avatar and any Microbadges you'd like.

To rate games, just click their ratings column after you find the game via a search, and there ya go.

 

[Staccat0]

Yes, you need to pay GeekGold to buy an Avatar and any Microbadges you'd like.

To rate games, just click their ratings column after you find the game via a search, and there ya go.

Ah, okay cool. Thanks!
EDIT: I feel really stupid that I didn't click there. I'm rating from my freaking collection list and it's soooo simple.

 

[Chorazin]

Ah, okay cool. Thanks!
EDIT: I feel really stupid that I didn't click there. I'm rating from my freaking collection list and it's soooo simple.

BGG isn't the most well organized website, it's nothing to feel dumb about.

 

[Staccat0]

Anyone on GAF ever play Castle Panic?
It's a hometown hero, and so I've been intending to check it out since it first hit, but it's always sold out at the local comic shop.
I'm strongly considering just Amazoning the thing in the future. It's not at the top of my list gamewise though. anyone have any experience with it? Didn't see any talk of it here.

 

[StoOgE]

Didn't know you were Austin GAF Staccato.

 

[Staccat0]

Yep! I knew you were somehow...
Maybe you did know and forgot:lol

If ya ever need a shitty, shitty, shitty sound guy in the austin area, I'll give you the GAF discount (free)

 

[Mr. Lemming]

Castle Panic is a good simple co-op game. I'd say a little more complex than Forbidden Island. It plays quick has some interesting decision points even though it is ultimately fairly luck driven.

It's sort of a tower defense game in board game form. A horde of monsters is invading your castle and you have to play cards to defeat the monsters before they tear the walls down. Different cards allow you to hit monsters in different areas of the board, which naturally change as they get closer to the castle. Different monsters have more hit points and there are even boss monsters with special abilities that affect the horde.

I really enjoy it but my gaming group tends towards more lightweight games in general.

 

[platypotamus]

If ya ever need a shitty, shitty, shitty sound guy in the austin area, I'll give you the GAF discount (free)

If you'd give the same discount for telecommuted work, it's possible I'd take you up on it in the future. My sound guy friends are both too busy with people that can afford to actually pay them

 

[StoOgE]

I've actually never played it, but I've met the designer once.

I love co-op games so I'd actually really like to check it out.. but between pure co-ops and traitor mechanic games I think I own 5 out of a ~30 game collection, so I'm not sure how many more I need :lol

 

[Staccat0]

Castle Panic is a good simple co-op game. I'd say a little more complex than Forbidden Island. It plays quick has some interesting decision points even though it is ultimately fairly luck driven.

It's sort of a tower defense game in board game form. A horde of monsters is invading your castle and you have to play cards to defeat the monsters before they tear the walls down. Different cards allow you to hit monsters in different areas of the board, which naturally change as they get closer to the castle. Different monsters have more hit points and there are even boss monsters with special abilities that affect the horde.

I really enjoy it but my gaming group tends towards more lightweight games in general.

Thanks!
See, I was worried it was TOO light so this reassures me a bit. My group is fairly casual, but I'm slowly dragging them along with me into the new age. They really like Catan and Pandemic, but Seafarers has taught me that they generally enjoy a little added complexity.

I'm sure Castle Panic isn't some ultra deep brain burner, but the reviews (my 6 year old loved it!) and art direction had me afraid it was too simple.