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Welcome

Welcome to /r/boardgames! The #1 reddit source for news, information, and discussion about modern board games. Join our community! Come discuss games like Codenames, Arkham Horror, Terra Mystica, and all your other favorite games!

Rules

Please see the Rules-page for a full list of the rules. See Also:

u/r2d8

You'll see people using bold to highlight games, that gives the opportunity to interact with /u/r2d8, a bot that can be used to grab data from BGG on games included in a post. The simplest use is to bold game names in your comment and add "/u/r2d8 getinfo" at the end of the post, but this post/sub has other features identified.

Recurring Threads

Daily Daily Discussion and Game Recs
Mon What Did You Play This Week?
Tue Train Tuesday
Tue Two-Player Twosday
Wed One-Player Wednesday
Wed Game of the Week
Thu Midweek Mingle (rotating)
Thu Forgotten Favorites (rotating)
Thu Thursdays at War (rotating)
Fri BGIF
Sun Kickstarter Roundup

Game of the Week Calendar

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/r/boardgames

5,093,377 Subscribers

2

Late 00’s game?

I know this is a long shot, but I’m trying to remember a game that I played sometime between 2005 and 2009 (based on the people that played I know that’s the time frame for when I worked with them). It was a game that had a game board, but you drew cards and either chose one person or ranked who was most likely to fit the scenario on the card. You earned points based on choosing the most popular choice (may have been other ways as well) and moved around the board. Tokens were just basic tokens in various colors - may 8-10 player max, but not certain. The box and board were both dark blue or black, and the path around the game board was kind of wavy and uneven. I’m not holding out much hope because I recognize my description is quite lacking, but I thought I would give it a shot. Thanks in advance for any help.

0 Comments
2024/12/02
22:28 UTC

1

What are you excited for at PAXU?

Going to PAX with some friends for the first time. Excited to try/maybe buy SETI and Perch. Also hope to demo Avalon: the Riven Veil and Lands of Evershade if the companies have copies for that available. Anyone have anything specific they’re looking to buy/try?

2 Comments
2024/12/02
22:03 UTC

20

What board games do you think look the coolest?

Ignoring gameplay, what games look absolutely amazing when set up? Frostpunk with all of the miniature expansions comes to mind

87 Comments
2024/12/02
21:25 UTC

2

Board Game for Family that includes a 6 year old?

You guys were very helpful with my last question, I thought I would ask another…

My 6 year old wants to get her Mum a board game for Christmas we can all play together. Any good recommendations?

Tricky one, be good for it to be interesting for us but fairly simple for a 6 year old!

Cheers!

26 Comments
2024/12/02
20:59 UTC

4

How standalone are the big boxes of Sword & Sorcery

What the title says. A friend bought the Ancient Chronicles box and we were wondering if we lose something by playing it before the other big box.

2 Comments
2024/12/02
20:58 UTC

2

Stardew Valley Board Game Availability

Hey everyone!

I have been sniping the Stardew Valley board game for a few months but I can’t seem to find an actual seller in the EU(Bulgaria in particular). I’ve found a Stardew valley site where they sell it supposedly but it’s USA only🥹.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can acquire one without spending an arm and a leg to get it to my country?

Appreciate the help!

0 Comments
2024/12/02
20:45 UTC

4

Help Me Identify an AMAZING Vintage Game

Hi all, this is probably my first reddit post, so blanket apologies all around.

So short story, let's say I'm trying to find a game I played years ago at a party. Does anyone know what this type of game is called??? (I'm not sure it totally qualifies as a Board Game, but searching Card Game also leads me down the wrong path.)

It's totally silly but so fun and creative.

Here are the facts:

  1. The game is played in a group. (Don't remember there being a restriction on size)

  2. The only game objects is a deck of larger cards.

  3. Everyone gets a random character-like card with a story. The cards look like pages out of a book and the story is one giant paragraph, no points are assigned to anything.

  4. You randomly choose someone to challenge and then you basically argue, by making the most hilarious nonsense with just a hint of rational (based in your character card) about why YOUR character would beat THEIR character in this completely fictional fight scene you've both invented.

  5. The group then decides who argued better and who won. You will be penalized for trying to use abilities outside of your character.....unless you tell a REALLY good story about it, utilizing your powers of making it make sense.

  6. Its called something like Ommianna OR Omnianna OR Amniana .... I don't know but that's what it sounds like.

  7. It's an older game, I remember the host saying that he had bought his deck on Ebay and that was like a decade ago, give or take.

Plase HALP!

3 Comments
2024/12/02
20:27 UTC

3

Areas, Roads, or Hexes?

For those who have played games of conflict, what is the preferred board to play on? What are the benefits or drawbacks to each?

https://preview.redd.it/srsxrd1fvh4e1.png?width=470&format=png&auto=webp&s=9258b19a94429ca1180155d082ffc99b9e122891

6 Comments
2024/12/02
20:24 UTC

5

What kind of shelves do you use?

Hey all,

Every few years, i go on Amazon and order a new gaming shelf (because i keep buying games and rarely sell any, but thats a whole other problem!).

Anyway, i've always purchased this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BQ7SPXR?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

But i got to thinking that maybe there are better ones out there for our hobby... not looking to break the bank but if anyone had a link to a pair of shelves that they like for their games, im all ears...

thanks all.

16 Comments
2024/12/02
20:20 UTC

3

Best board-gaming tables under $1000?

Hey all, I'm in the market for a good board gaming table for my game room but I'm on a bit of a budget. I'm looking for a good table under $1000, and (if possible) with 4 chairs included. Any recommendations would be much appreciated. Thank you in advance!

12 Comments
2024/12/02
19:32 UTC

3

Finally chose a Sailing/Pirate theme game: Captain's Log

After posting here earlier asking for suggestions and getting well over 50 responses, I finally decided on Captain's Log over other pirate/sailing board games.

Since the Gamefound Crowdfunding campaign ends in just a couple days (and admittedly i'm hoping to get more of the stretch goals), and to help any others trying to make a similar decision for the holidays, I thought I'd share my thought process and why I chose this game.

I was looking for a sailing (very much preferably pirate) themed board game partly because it's a theme I can have a lot of fun with and love, partly because I recently finished watching the show "Black Sails" (which I loved).

Other games I looked at: Merchants & Marauders, Dead Reckoning, Sea of Thieves, Sea of Legends, Plunder: A Pirate's Life, Pirates of Maracaibo, Forgotten Waters, and more.

Thought Process:
- I was looking for a medium-heavy weight game...somewhere on the order of 3.50 +/- .50 on BGG in weight. I like depth to my gameplay, having to make decisions vs having a very obvious "best action" on every turn. Though if a game looked really fun, i'd be willing to go outside and I'm more willing to go higher than lower. this took a lot of games out of contention, though I still considered many anyway due to their novelty, gameplay, reviews, etc.
- The theme makes sense with the gameplay, and vice versa. The theme isn't just tacked on but really creates the game.
- I need to be able to play this in an evening after work, including a quick rules refresher. A full rules explanation can include a shortened game, which is fine, and we will play it in full the following week.
- I like the idea of a Sandbox gameplay for this them though open to other types of games
- Game must have decent player interaction; NOT players playing on their own the whole game
- Game mechanics should encourage or create player interaction
- Art and components look great. It's a bit vane, but the art and components are what really pulls me into a game. I don't necessarily need the most detailed miniatures if the board looks great...but something eye-catching.
- I didn't want to roll the dice for EVERYTHING, though in this theme I believe it makes sense for combat.
- more on the above, the game should be mostly on skill, decision making, choosing when to take (meaningful) risks, etc, and Luck should be minimized. this is important for my crew as we hate losing just because we rolled a 1 for movement and couldn't get to port when we needed or something like that.
- Prefer to have both historical pirates and some fantasy-pirate aspects if it helps with replayability and give more options if it is a sandbox game.
- Play well at 3-4 players. Bonus if it plays well at 2 and 5 players, but not needed.
- Rules, while can be deep, can't be too fiddly and have to make sense when playing so the game is smooth playing and doesn't take ages.
- Game must have combat. PvP a must and PvE optionally. However the game shouldn't be focused fully on combat (not looking for a Battle-Arena game). Winning in combat should be both meaningful but allow opportunity for the loser to still win the game (not get kicked to last place with absolutely no hope of winning)
- Asymmetry starts preferred
- Ship upgrades. this is important to me and why I love Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy so much.

So I went with Captain's Log because it pretty much checks all of these boxes. It is in its second crowdfunding campaign for an updated rulebook and a couple expansions, but can also pledge for the base game which will supposedly be delivered sooner (esp if you pledge one of the "left-overs" from the first KS campaign, which includes those exclusives). With this game you can play as any of many historical ship captains. You can choose to play as a pirate or another seafaring nation. Regardless of who you choose, you can plunder your way across the seas, be a lawful merchant, a treasure hunter, and more (esp with upcoming expansions) whilst affecting your reputation among those others on the seas as you go along. While I like the idea of having Stats in Merchants & Marauders, I don't like their implementation of it and wish it was more discrete/euro like in Lords of Hellas instead of just having to roll more dice and checking against your stats for every action. In CL, you really are only rolling in combat. It is rated heavier on BGG, though some comments mention that it really isn't as high as its rating and once you know the rules it goes smoothly. Still, the game sounds like it can take a while, but it actually can be adjusted. The rulebook gives a suggestion on how many VP to reach for victory, but also says it can be adjusted for shorter or longer games, which is really nice.

Combat is relatively innovative. I don't know if it is my favorite and I definitely wish I could "Aim" my cannons at specific components (I may house rule that still), having different criteria and damage types for destroying ships is very neat. I love that you can burn, sink, or collapse a ship from afar or board it and take everything including their ship for yourself. I'm not sure how often players will be attacking each other, but definitely there is going to be forced PvE combat, and even then you are constantly under threat of being attacked by other players, esp when hauling a lot of goods to sell across the sea. The combat system also makes it fairly easy to attack other players, though the risk is high and their retaliation could easily be stronger than your initial attack. There is also indirect player interaction with racing to ports, affecting the commodity markets by buying/selling goods, and buying upgrades you want before your opponents can. The base game includes many asymmetric historical Captains and a brief text about them, showing the designers' research and work poured into this game. Along with that you have many upgrades you can make to your ship as well as just buy new ships of different sizes, "levels", draft (how deep it sits in the water which affects if it can pass over sandbars/reefs), and more. It looks great and thematic!The base game doesn't include too much "pirate fantasy" aspects of the them (exceptions being notably the Kraken and Moby Dick), but the upcoming expansions have that COMPLETELY covered. It also just has so many other tidbits that I love including the kraken+moby dick, a special merchant Urca de Lima (think Black Sails), hidden treasure, missions, wind that affects the game, etc.

Speaking of expansions, they don't seem like thin layered expansions that just add a couple new captains and one new special rule. They are much deeper and much "more" than that. Each expansion has multiple optional, deeply thematic modules. nearly all of them look fantastic to me. It also includes a 5th player expansion. It makes me sad I do have to wait a year for the expansions to come out. Also a quick note on the art: They did a fantastic job on it! I'll be honest and say that it really isn't my preferred style because I like bright flashy colors and this game is definitely muted colors, but wow is the art just sooo detailed, sooo thematic, and just really well done. I can forgive not having neon red and blue and green all over the place hahaha.

A quick note on some worries/downsides. Firstly is the rulebook, which V1 is apparently atrocious, esp the English version. There is already a V2.1 available for download which is much better. There are still a number of questions to be answered, but the designer has been active answering them on BGG. Also the English version still has quite a number of translation issues but are easy to figure out what word they should have used (such as them using the word "steal/stolen" where they really mean "draw/drawn". This is still going to be improved upon before the expansions launches with I believe a better translation.

So why not some of the other games? Well many of them just seemed too "Light". to be fair, my game group already has Plunder: A Pirate's Life to fill that lightweight niche. though most of us like deeper rules and theme. This takes out a handful of games right there. Merchants & Marauders was my top pick until discovering Captain's Log. However after reading the rules, it seems like nearly every action includes rolling dice at least once. I didn't want thaaat much luck in the game. M&M does have beautiful colors. I like how captain's have stats but don't like the implementation of it. I like how its a historical Caribbean Map too, though not better or worse than Captain's Log having a fictitious map that is explored throughout the game and different every game.

Dead Reckoning is also cool and looks great, but I was worried about player interaction and lack of pvp combat due to mechanics essentially making it impossible at times. Comments and QAs did also mention that it has a lack of that compared to other games. The dice tower for combat looked great, esp being able to hit different components of your enemy, but i don't like how you can "win" a fight that you actually lose.

The biggest gripe with Sea of Legends seems to be a terrible rulebook. It is also a bit lighter than I wanted. It also sounded like there are some balance issues that needed to be house-ruled. Not that I'm against house-rules, I prefer them not to be mandatory for an even game.

I wish I still had my excel sheet detailing other pro's and cons. But most others either fell in the "too light", "too little player interaction", or "too much luck" categories. Captain's Log seems to have everything I want without too much luck (no dice rolling for every single action), a variety of actions and paths to victory (combat, cargo hauling, cargo stealing, missions, ship upgrade, treasure hunting, future: monster hunting, and probably more I'm missing), and a deeply thematic game with acceptable player interaction. Actions have repercussions in the form of increasing/decreasing reputation which affects how you continue to play the game. combat is prevalent, meaningful, and doesn't literally or figuratively kick someone out of the game. And it is rich in theme with deeper rules aiding the theme. It sounds like it will be a fun adventure with every play, and I'm hoping it will be! :-)

0 Comments
2024/12/02
19:09 UTC

3

Mage Knight Ultimate Edition price

Hi everyone!

I am looking to pick up a used copy of MKUE.

I was just wondering what kind of price is reasonable to be paying for the game second hand?

I am based in the UK, but any info would be useful.

Thank you so much

1 Comment
2024/12/02
19:05 UTC

6

Hidden Gems you found this year?

I got some comments on my last discussion post about people being tired of negativity on this sub, for which I apologize. I’m fairly new to Reddit and trying to engage with people about my favorite hobby but I don’t want to be negative, so here’s my attempt to interact in a more positive way!

What games have you tried unexpectedly and ended up really loving? Whether it was an unexpected gift or something you randomly played at a friends house, something you weren’t looking for but really enjoyed!

I have 2: my friend got the game Mycelia on kickstarter after hacking it a few years back and I thought it was really fun! I’m a biology nerd with a soft spot for nature themed games but Mycelia seemed to have a really solid play loop that my friend group has enjoyed greatly

The other one is Bezzerwizzer, which is my favorite trivia game that I randomly played with my aunt after she bought it. I have purchased 3 copies for myself and others now since I love it so much and the people I play it with have loved it too. I hadn’t heard of either of these games before I played them and they’re both super solid games!

How about you? What have you discovered?

10 Comments
2024/12/02
19:03 UTC

5

Games like Azul Mini?

I bought Azul Mini for my wife last Christmas as we played the full version in a board game café but we lack storage space and I thought Azul Mini would be great to take on a holiday.

Anyway, I'm looking for a follow-up present for this year. Looking at roughly the same budget - £15-20 - and another "mini" or travel version of a bigger game is the idea.

We're really into tile-based games but my wife also likes Splendor (we have the PC version only) so another would be great for the collection, or any other recommendations would be welcome!

12 Comments
2024/12/02
18:46 UTC

4

What to do with leftover sleeves?

I like to sleeve my games. The leftovers got piled up.

The sleeves always comes with 50 per pack or 100 per pack. And the card numbers often will be 55 or 120. Lots of leftovers. :"(

I am not a huge board game buyer (around 20 games and cull games to keep it in range) and i even tend to look at the card size before i buy games just so i can use some left over sleeves.

What do you usually do with the reaty? Just keep them till some day in the future?

8 Comments
2024/12/02
18:44 UTC

0

Jokers and Marbles - Made from 8 different types of wood

I finally have 8 different species of wood to make 8 different paddles for the Jokers and Marbles game. I am able to keep a limited amount of lumber from locally harvested trees in our area and we were offered a Sycamore log and milled it a few months ago and it is finally dry so that makes number 8. The set includes Black Walnut, Eastern Red Cedar, Cherry, Osage Orange, Sycamore, Silver Maple, White Oak and Sweet Gum. I just wanted so share with the group these photos and how it turned out.

0 Comments
2024/12/02
18:36 UTC

0

What is this?

I randomally found this is a place I just moved into.

3 Comments
2024/12/02
18:35 UTC

38

Stardew Valley the Board game is, debatably, actually pretty good

I received the Stardew Valley board game as a bday gift from my girlfriend. She knows I like games, and we have played a ton of Stardew together on PC (and me with an additional 200+ hrs on my own), so it was a pretty safe home-run of a gift. I was worried because, although I wanted the game when it came out (and was more readily available), I hesitated because of the mixed reviews and criticism.

Well, we finally got around to playing it, and we actually had a great time! We played twice, back-to-back, losing the first game sorely (only completing like 2 bundles and no goals lol), and winning the second game decidedly (winning on the first turn of winter). Here are some of my takeaways:

+ The game seemed like a lot at first, but actually flows pretty well and plays intuitively, not super hard to get going

+ Two players was a great player count, games didn't feel too long (after getting a hang of the rules ofc)

+ There is a TON of variance. 8 goals, probably over a dozen and a half bundles, lots of epic items, TONS of items, events, mine maps, fish, artifacts, and more, the game is very replayable!

+ The difficulty is punishing, like, almost mean-spirited in its level of f*** you moments. This is good, I argue! Cooperative games that are easily won or "solved" become forgotten very quickly.

+ The production (art, components, etc.) was amazing, and the game is an overall love letter to the source material (which makes it that much more enjoyable for big fans like myself!).

- There is, as has been mentioned a thousand times before, a TON of randomness. Nearly every action (mining, fishing, foraging, making friends, collecting from animals, opening geodes) has some sort of random element. Yes, you can get upgrades to mitigate this randomness (rerolls for mining/fishing, for example), but these upgrades are ALSO random! Thematically, this is actually very faithful to the video game, which has a lot of random drops and events as well. The difference is, one is a relaxed, open-ended experience where bad luck is just an inconvenience, and the other is a desperate time-crunch where winning and losing (while still being in your hands, mostly) DEFINITELY can be decided by luck.

- The game is, mechanically, faithful to the video game, but is definitely not similar in vibe or feel. As mentioned before, this is a stressful game where you have a BIG checklist of things to do, and what feels like no time at all to do them. You will lose just as often as you will win, and you will NOT be stopping to smell the roses. Big contrast from the countryside-getaway life sim vibes of the video game, to be sure...

My biggest takeaway is, this game appeals to fans of the original game who enjoyed trying to optimize every part of their farm, and appreciated the challenge of managing their time efficiently. If you loved decorating and chilling out... well, hope you're open minded, lol.

TL;DR: Game is fun, faithful to source material, high randomness is an understandable turn-off for some, but was actually enjoyable for me

What do/did y'all think? Am I really that masochistic for enjoying this game!?!

37 Comments
2024/12/02
18:15 UTC

0

What game trope are you guys sick of seeing?

There are certain tropes/mechanics that have been on the rise recently. What do you want to see less of? For me it’s Asymmetrical games - I’m tired of everyone wanting to play this character or that character because they’re better. It’s much better when we all start on even footing. There are some games that do it well but still I feel like most games have some asymmetrical aspect to it and it just doesn’t usually need to be there.

26 Comments
2024/12/02
17:38 UTC

0

Horrified (Little Nightmares)?

Say...what if they make a horrified game Little Nightmares inspired.

Im just saying. I mean it'll be worth of shot if they did...like unique monsters etc etc. You get the whole point without me explaining it, if you play little nightmares.

2 Comments
2024/12/02
17:38 UTC

2

Can i get CULTivate in the UK?

So I've been doing some Christmas shopping and one of my friends keeps mentioning the game CULTivate that I would like to get him but I cannot find it anywhere in the UK. Is it just not available here?

2 Comments
2024/12/02
17:17 UTC

0

Board Game Birthday Wishlist

Hi everyone!

Description of Request: I had the great idea recently that instead of traditional birthday presents, I would ask everyone attending my birthday party to bring a board game instead so I can start building out my collection! I have already started a list, but it feels small in comparison to the list of guests I have attending. I would also say that I definitely feel like a beginner after reading a bit on this sub, but all suggestions are appreciated! I am relatively open to trying most types of games.

Games currently on wish list: Hues and Cues, Wavelength, Medium, Chameleon, Catchphrase, Telestrations

Number of Players: 2 or more - sometimes my partner and I play alone, but we also host game nights with friends. So the more the merrier!

Game Length: ~Under 60 minutes (longer games welcome but not preferred!)

Complexity of Game: Probably easy or medium difficulty for the most part - I am by all means a board game novice. I am open to harder games but they are not as much of a priority!

Genre: Logic, skill, murder/mystery, party games, humor, music, etc. - I feel like I may be missing a few but this feels pretty comprehensive!

Conflict, Competitive or Cooperative: Open to any and all suggestions! I play a wide variety and like to be able to switch it up from game to game.

Games I Own and Like: Monikers, Head Trip, Murdle, Tapple, Incoherent, Connect 4 (probably more but this is off the top of my head)

Games I Dislike and Don't Play: Hot Seat, Get a Grip (Both of these were cheaper and I got them for that reason but I never play them)

Sorry if this is too broad - I am pretty open to a lot of games so it's hard for me to narrow down sometimes. I just don't play a lot of world building or adventure games - I've played Catan a couple of times but I only like it depending on who I play with. Otherwise I am pretty open to suggestions! Thanks in advance for your help :)

10 Comments
2024/12/02
17:08 UTC

29

The 2024 Cull List

I do most of my game buying around sale events. And so Black Friday/Cyber Monday, I usually load up on various things. And so came... the need to re-evaluate and cull the collection.

Honestly, I settled on the number of 50 Big Games, and 20 Small Games as the ideal amount of games. Enough to have a variety and little showcase, but not overwhelming, and having a bunch of games that never see the table. I'm now hovering a little above that with the recent culling. It illuminating for me to go through the list and discuss my reasons why.

Of course the number 1 reason is: Doesn't get to the table. Also a lot of chaff that I picked up at either PAX or sales. And the other two determining factors for me were: decision space and balance. Theme is very important (on like half of these, I kept writing: THEME IS GREAT)... But the other side is what are the decisions being ask of me. And a lot of these games became quite stale after a while because it felt like I was making the same decisions. Also balance. It's not fun to just either get rolled or to absolutely smother either the game or your opponents.

Anyway, I thought this maybe of interest to folks. (Also posted my collection list, if you're interested as to what I was keeping)

2024 Cull List:

Ecos: First Continent - Got it at Pax 2022 as part of a package. But Never played it.

Eschaton - Got this at Pax and it's never reached the table.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Pandemic) - I really enjoy this game, but it gets absolutely OP by mid-game, or absolutely shitty in the beginning game. I never feel satisfied by the end because it always feels like a forgone conclusion. Also while the card mechanic is nice, you always end up with a ton by the end. Too easy.

Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition + Rook City Exp - Another game I discovered early in my BG love. I think Sentinels is good for what it is. But it's similar to Clone Wars. Love the theme and conceit, along with the mechanics. However... It's either blisteringly hard/shitty or becomes incredibly easy once everyone's engine is set up. I also feel like the more I play, I feel like I've seen all I need to, and it's all just different coats of paint on the same car. Also a friend of mine has this/loves it, so if I want to play, I can just play over at their place.

Undaunted: Normandy - Never could get this off the ground. I played with various different folks and it never seem to catch on. I like the system/mechanics just fine. But, there's something a little boring about it. A little too "Do this, Do That". Maybe in the later scenarios it picks up but couldn't find anyone to consistently play with.

Khora: Rise of an Empire - Got this during Amazon last black friday sale. Never played.

King of New York - A friend gave this to me. Never played it because I have Godzilla Tokyo Clash.

Dinosaur Island: Rawr 'n Write - Played this once. And... It took 40 minutes to get through explaining everything and then it was incredibly fiddly. It's a lot of point-salad. And out of my many games... It never jumped out at me to bring to table.

La Famiglia: The Great Mafia War - Bought this at a sale. Was really excited about it. Played it once. And I conceptually couldn't wrap my head around it. There's a lot going on and it's hard to connect the dots. Also the team mechanic didn't really seem to work for us. Maybe area control games are not my thing.

Marvel Dice Tower - Won it at PAX. Haven't played it since.

Alma Mater - Open this. Looked at the mess of a rule book. And said Nope.

Century: Golem Edition ‚ Eastern Mountains - Was going to get all three of the Golem games. Played this once with my G/F and she hated it (But she loves Century Golem). So I've given up on that dream.

Fog of Love - Played this with the G/F once. It's cute. But it's a lot of work for something that's not really a board game. It's more of an interactive story.

HerStory - Got it super cheap last year at blackfriday. Going to gift it to my niece.

Horrified - Got this because my brother enjoys it. He has a copy (he's in Seattle, I'm in NYC). It's never made it to the table. And if I'm going play this, I'd just play Alien: Fate of Nostromo which to me is a better version of this. My issue with Horrified is that... It's good for casuals as it's relatively easy to explain and has a nice theme... But man is it boring... Pick up random color/items and drop them off. The decision space is so lacking. I'd much rather play Forbidden Desert for casual Co-Op game. Easy to explain. Great decisions.

The Siege of Runedar - Got it because it's Reina Kinizia. Co-Op / Tower Defense seemed interesting. Man... You start this game... And realized that what you see is what you get. I've already forgotten most of it. But I just remember being very bored with the person I played it with because it just felt like repetition of tasks. Get a weapon card. Roll Dice. Repeat. Just wasn't very dynamic. Nor very thrilling.

Red Rising - Got it in a Target Sale. 2 Years Ago. Never played it.

Spire's End: Hildegard - Traded for this as I thought it'd be good to play with my niece. She was only semi into it

Spire's End - Got it with the above trade. Never played it.

The Isle of Cats - Played this a few times with my G/F who likes casual games. It was cute and I enjoyed it. It has a nice mechanic with the different cats/baskets, etc. And is a perfectly fine, tetris like game. However, I don't think it does anything revolutionary... And I really enjoy Tiny Towns that it's just not getting to the table. Nice theme tho.

Pandemic - Bought this for 8 dollar and never played it. I liked the Clone Wars version. But I find base Pandemic relatively easy. (or terrible depending on your draw.

Game of Thrones Second Edition - This is the game that got me into board gaming. Loved it. But since moving on to Twilight Imperium. It's hard to justify playing this. So off it goes.

2023 Culled Games:

Arkham Horror: The Card Game - Just had the base game. Never played it. Decided it's not worth the investment

Basketboss (2022) - Never could get it to the table. I loved the theme, but the balance was kind of awful. It felt very swingy/random. Traded it with someone for Puerto Rico (I think there were other things in the trade).

Boss Monster the Dungeon Building Card Game (Plus all the expansions) - One of the first games to get me into the hobby. Loved it. But after playing it many times... The absolute mess of mechanics and terrible balance made it hard to justify getting to the table. I felt like the only one having a good time was me and so it was time to say good bye.

Cartographers - I really enjoyed this game. However, after a few plays I found it relatively straightforward what strategies to focus on. And thus it became rather boring. I wish there was a deeper complexity to this one. (I feel like Tiny Towns scratches the itch a lot better)

Catan Histories: Rise of the Inkas - I played this a ton digitally. And unlike most, I don't hate Catan. Maybe it's because I didn't play it during the craze nor was it what got me into board gaming. I really enjoyed this, but with gaming days happening only 2-3 times a month... It's hard to justify this to hardcore gamers and too much for casual play.

Dinosaur World - I swear I've never had a game that was so universally disliked, yet I thought it was great. If almost every person I showed this to had not disliked it so much then I would have kept it. While the theme is so much fun... Things going against it are: ITS A HUGE TABLE HOG. It won't fit on most tables. it's incredibly fiddly. You have to keep track of a lot and there's very little interaction. So I think for most folks it feels like solitaire. I thought the solo mode was way too easy so couldn't justify keeping it.

Everdell - Bought Complete Edition.

Star Realms Frontiers + All Expansions - This was one of my first board gaming loves. I played the shit out of this game. And I loved it. It had the thrill of TCGs without the laborious chore of keeping up with a meta/collecting. However... I played it so much, it was hard to find anyone to play with that offered a challenge. Also I felt like I'd reached that point where the game didn't hold any mystery. I knew the strategies that work. So playing it had lost it charm. And again another one that it was just time to let go. But a good game. (ALSO I HATED THAT THEY PUT FANS IN THE CARDS... This was a major turn off and very tacky).

Moonrakers - I wanted to love this game. I love the production and the theme. But just an absolute disaster. The mechanic doesn't work as intended. Everyone is terrible to each other and eventually will just become a solitaire game when you don't need others. Don't miss this one.

Trails - I enjoyed this, but again, another game that just didn't catch on. I feel like it's a bit too simplistic and almost like candyland for adults.

The World of SMOG - With Frosthaven, Arkham Horror, and Return to Dark Tower this was never getting to the table so I ended up trading this for a ton of games.

Dropmix - Great game. But without support from Hasbro, there's no point in holding on to it.

Here is my Current Collection (74 Games) (Don't list expansions)

  1. A Feast for Odin
  2. Age of Innovation: Terra Mystica Game
  3. Agricola (Revised Edition)
  4. ALIEN: Fate of the Nostromo
  5. Ark Nova
  6. Arkham Horror (Third Edition)
  7. Azul
  8. Betrayal at House on the Hill: 3rd Edition
  9. Blokus Duo
  10. Bruxelles 1893: Belle Apoque
  11. Captain Sonar
  12. Century: Golem Edition
  13. Codenames: Duet
  14. Coup
  15. Cryptid
  16. Deal with the Devil
  17. Decrypto
  18. Dune: Imperium
  19. Eldritch Horror
  20. Escape from New York
  21. Everdell Duo
  22. Everdell: The Complete Collection
  23. Flamecraft
  24. Forbidden Desert
  25. Frosthaven
  26. Godzilla: Tokyo Clash
  27. Horizons of Spirit Island
  28. Horseless Carriage
  29. Imhotep
  30. Imhotep: The Duel
  31. Imperial Steam
  32. Jaws
  33. Just One
  34. Kabuto Sumo
  35. Loonacy
  36. Love Letter
  37. Mage Knight: Ultimate Edition
  38. Maracaibo
  39. Masters of the Universe: The Board Game ‚ Clash for Eternia
  40. Oath
  41. One Night Ultimate Werewolf
  42. Power Grid
  43. Puerto Rico
  44. Raccoon Tycoon
  45. Ready Set Bet
  46. Return to Dark Tower
  47. Risk Legacy
  48. Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island
  49. Root
  50. Scrabble
  51. Sheriff of Nottingham
  52. Sleuth
  53. Spirit Island
  54. Splendor
  55. Splendor Duel
  56. Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game
  57. Terraforming Mars
  58. That's Pretty Clever!
  59. The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
  60. The Fox in the Forest
  61. The Fox in the Forest Duet
  62. The Quacks of Quedlinburg
  63. The Resistance: Avalon
  64. Ticket to Ride
  65. Ticket to Ride: Europe
  66. Tiny Towns
  67. Twilight Struggle
  68. Unfathomable
  69. Venture
  70. Viticulture Essential Edition
  71. Wavelength
  72. Wingspan
  73. Zombie Dice
  74. Zoo Vadis
36 Comments
2024/12/02
17:07 UTC

5

Boardlandia

Anyone order from Boardlandia recently? Ordered two things that showed in stock, have been waiting 15 days now.

3 Comments
2024/12/02
17:01 UTC

2

Exit the game. Pharaoh's Tomb

Does anyone have this. We seem yo not have been sent a box with riddle card L in it. If so, can you send us a picture?

Thanks.

3 Comments
2024/12/02
16:44 UTC

9

The Night Cage rules help

I think I'm not alone in this sentiment, but for how long the rule book is for The Night Cage, it either misses some details that come up pretty commonly, or I can't find it in the rule book. We just got the game and have played maybe 5 times, and here are two questions that we've run into multiple times, that I can't find an answer to in the rule book:

  1. Let's say red is illuminating a T-shaped tile to the south, which exits N/W/E, forming a wall to the south. Blue lands two tiles south of red, and has a north exit, but can't play a tile to the north because of the wall that red has placed. On red's next turn, they move north, darkening the tile that was previously occupying the single space between blue and red. Blue now has an open space to their north. Does this immediately get illuminated? Or at the start of blue's next turn? Or not at all? When relighting occurs, the rules make it clear that relevant squares become illuminated immediately (out of turn), so I'm suspecting the proper answer to this is that blue would immediately (during red's turn) illuminate that now-empty square, but the rules don't seem to clarify this scenario. Also, what would the order of operations be? When red moves North, darkening that square, does blue illuminate their north square first? Or does red illuminate their new squares first? Or does red just draw enough tiles to illuminate all their new squares and blue's north square and we decide as a group which tile from the batch we want to use for blue?

  2. Using nerve to move twice. Do I have to fully move once (including illuminating all tiles from the first move) before spending a nerve to move again (possibly darkening some of the tiles I just lit, and now illuminating a new set of tiles)? Or can I spend one nerve to move a distance of two, eliminating the need to light up tiles along the way just to have them immediately go dark again?

2 Comments
2024/12/02
16:25 UTC

0

Check out the forfeit from Heat

1 Comment
2024/12/02
16:15 UTC

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