Board 8 > thirty-one tabletop games, ranked

Topic List	Page List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ... 10
SeabassDebeste 03/14/18 1:25:18 PM #51:	oh, i did like kingdomino! want to play that one again. --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897790945] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>oh, i did like kingdomino! want to play that one again.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
The Mana Sword 03/14/18 1:25:35 PM #52:	Yeah, Kingdomino's a good one. --- http://card.psnprofiles.com/1/Gylgamesh501.png <cite>The Mana Sword posted [p:897790967] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>Yeah, Kingdomino's a good one.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Simoun 03/14/18 2:42:08 PM #53:	I prefer Queendomino though. King feels too random at times --- It's not so cliche anymore when it's happening to you. <cite>Simoun posted [p:897795498] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>I prefer Queendomino though. King feels too random at times</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/14/18 2:59:58 PM #54:	27. Glory to Rome https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/19857/glory-rome Genre/mechanics: Hand management, role selection, card game, tableau-building Rules complexity: 7/10 Game length: 45-75 minutes Player count: 2-5 Experience: 6-8 plays with 4-5 players First played: 2015 Glory to Rome is a card game where your goal is to get the most victory points by building your tableau. The main mechanism of the game is role selection - when you are active player, you choose a role to perform and everyone else can choose to "follow" or to draw cards. You can pick up resources from the pool, build structures, work on your structures using your resources, build your engine by recruiting patrons, or stash resources in the bank for direct VP. Oh, and each of these features - role, building, material, engine, victory point, bank vault - is represented by the same multi-use cards. Design - It's important to start with the cards, since the entire game is played using cards. At the center of each card is its name, which is important only if it is built from your hand as a structure, and the (usually passive) ability that that structure bestows. Its victory point value if built (AKA influence) is at the top. The bottom of the card indicates the material that it is made of; you can only work on a structure by filling it with its own material. The left side of the card shows you the action selection that that card corresponds to. It's really neat that this deck of cards can fulfill so many needs without reeling in separate components. The engine-building/downtime system in GtR can feel quite satisfying, as well. It follows in the footsteps of Puerto Rico by allowing you to piggyback off others' actions - though in GtR, you can only do so if you play the appropriate card, or you've used the Patron action to get the appropriate Client. It's a nice way to reduce downtime and get everyone involved. Enjoyment - It's almost bizarre that I enjoy Glory to Rome now. The first three or so times I played, it was with five players, including the game owner's roommate. He had such an issue paying attention that the game's nominal upside - keeping everyone involved with short, rapid turns - actually turned excruciating. Combined with a less-than-ideal performance from me, it was crushing. Nonetheless, another friend liked it so much that he wanted to do a print-and-play of this out-of-print game. I was reluctant, given my experience, but decided not to miss out since it was only happening once. This is one case where FOMO paid off - it took a lot longer before I wound up playing it again, but it's hit the table more than once in the past twelve months, and was well-received each time, despite that these people usually don't go heavy in games. I'm glad it happened - everyone had fun watching their engines grow, taking extra actions, counting the victory points piling up, and occasionally being surprised at how well they did. Future - This is a game whose ranking on my list has been bolstered a ton by its potential to rope in people in my collection - it's my only eurogame of its weight, and it's very deep. And the thing is, playing in positive environments has made me more eager to play it, as well. Good feels all around. Bonus question - What game did you need to learn to like, sometimes with the learning against your will? Hint for #26 - the number in its title doesn't match the number of players you can play with --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897796632] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>27. Glory to Rome https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/19857/glory-rome Genre/mechanics: Hand management, role selection, card game, tableau-building Rules complexity: 7/10 Game length: 45-75 minutes Player count: 2-5 Experience: 6-8 plays with 4-5 players First played: 2015 Glory to Rome is a card game where your goal is to get the most victory points by building your tableau. The main mechanism of the game is role selection - when you are active player, you choose a role to perform and everyone else can choose to "follow" or to draw cards. You can pick up resources from the pool, build structures, work on your structures using your resources, build your engine by recruiting patrons, or stash resources in the bank for direct VP. Oh, and each of these features - role, building, material, engine, victory point, bank vault - is represented by the same multi-use cards. Design - It's important to start with the cards, since the entire game is played using cards. At the center of each card is its name, which is important only if it is built from your hand as a structure, and the (usually passive) ability that that structure bestows. Its victory point value if built (AKA influence) is at the top. The bottom of the card indicates the material that it is made of; you can only work on a structure by filling it with its own material. The left side of the card shows you the action selection that that card corresponds to. It's really neat that this deck of cards can fulfill so many needs without reeling in separate components. The engine-building/downtime system in GtR can feel quite satisfying, as well. It follows in the footsteps of Puerto Rico by allowing you to piggyback off others' actions - though in GtR, you can only do so if you play the appropriate card, or you've used the Patron action to get the appropriate Client. It's a nice way to reduce downtime and get everyone involved. Enjoyment - It's almost bizarre that I enjoy Glory to Rome now. The first three or so times I played, it was with five players, including the game owner's roommate. He had such an issue paying attention that the game's nominal upside - keeping everyone involved with short, rapid turns - actually turned excruciating. Combined with a less-than-ideal performance from me, it was crushing. Nonetheless, another friend liked it so much that he wanted to do a print-and-play of this out-of-print game. I was reluctant, given my experience, but decided not to miss out since it was only happening once. This is one case where FOMO paid off - it took a lot longer before I wound up playing it again, but it's hit the table more than once in the past twelve months, and was well-received each time, despite that these people usually don't go heavy in games. I'm glad it happened - everyone had fun watching their engines grow, taking extra actions, counting the victory points piling up, and occasionally being surprised at how well they did. Future - This is a game whose ranking on my list has been bolstered a ton by its potential to rope in people in my collection - it's my only eurogame of its weight, and it's very deep. And the thing is, playing in positive environments has made me more eager to play it, as well. Good feels all around. Bonus question - What game did you need to learn to like, sometimes with the learning against your will? Hint for #26 - the number in its title doesn't match the number of players you can play with</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
th3l3fty 03/14/18 3:03:27 PM #55:	protip: never play the "training" version of Glory to Rome it takes out everything that makes the game actually interesting --- thelefty for analysis crew 2008 imo -transience I have a third degree burn in flame-o-nomics -Sir Chris <cite>th3l3fty posted [p:897796873] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>protip: never play the "training" version of Glory to Rome it takes out everything that makes the game actually interesting</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/14/18 3:07:19 PM #56:	what's that? --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897797126] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>what's that?</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Great_Paul 03/14/18 3:08:04 PM #57:	SeabassDebeste posted... Hint for #26 - the number in its title doesn't match the number of players you can play with 504 --- Bear Bro It's kinda coincidental how like in most games pigs are evil. <cite>Great_Paul posted [p:897797192] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote><cite>SeabassDebeste posted...</cite> <quote>Hint for #26 - the number in its title doesn't match the number of players you can play with</quote> 504</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
KommunistKoala 03/14/18 3:10:14 PM #58:	SeabassDebeste posted... Hint for #26 - the number in its title doesn't match the number of players you can play with Uno! --- does anyone even read this <cite>KommunistKoala posted [p:897797308] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote><cite>SeabassDebeste posted...</cite> <quote>Hint for #26 - the number in its title doesn't match the number of players you can play with </quote> Uno!</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/14/18 3:39:31 PM #59:	26. Five Tribes https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/157354/five-tribes Genre/mechanics: Pick-up-and-deliver, Bidding, area control, set collection, point salad Rules complexity: 7/10 Game length: 60-90 minutes Player count: 2-4 Experience: 3 plays (including one with expansion) with 4-5 players First played: 2017 Five Tribes is a very abstract game in which you have a bunch of differently colored dudes on a grid-shaped map... but none of those represents your faction. Instead, you pick up all the dudes on one tile and drop them, one-by-one, like it's a Mancala game. The last meeple you drop is removed from the board along with any other dudes of its color in that tile, and you get to activate the ability associated with that meeple color. If you empty the tile entirely at teh end of your movement and no one else already has, you can also assume control of it. There are also tile abilities that let you buy special power cards or do some set collection. Enjoyment - This game would not have made it onto the list if I'd started it like a month earlier. I played it once last year at a meetup a couple I like (who since moved back to Germany, boo!) plus a non-hobby-gaming friend I'd invited to it. The friend liked the game so much that she then bought the game and it became something of a running joke that we would never play it, as our game nights would always be with a party-game-sized group. Anyway, suffice it to say that it did happen that one night, most people just happened to be busy, and the second game was quite enjoyable. It's a fun game when people play fast, but due to the perfect information and the literally hundreds of valid moves (especially in the early game) and the fact that the game state can change very drastically with each move (ah, the problem with a single board where anyone can pick up from any square!), it can be terrifying for people who suffer from analysis paralysis. The friend who owns it is fortunately not particularly AP, but it was fun to make fun of her for taking the longest turn every time. The third game was with five and an expansion (so that you could actually play Five Tribes with five people...) and it was rather late at night it included someone whining about losing badly. He was competitive for second place while I was far behind. I'm glad this wasn't my first experience with FT, because it probably wouldn't even be on this list if that were the case. --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897799217] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>26. Five Tribes https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/157354/five-tribes Genre/mechanics: Pick-up-and-deliver, Bidding, area control, set collection, point salad Rules complexity: 7/10 Game length: 60-90 minutes Player count: 2-4 Experience: 3 plays (including one with expansion) with 4-5 players First played: 2017 Five Tribes is a very abstract game in which you have a bunch of differently colored dudes on a grid-shaped map... but none of those represents your faction. Instead, you pick up all the dudes on one tile and drop them, one-by-one, like it's a Mancala game. The last meeple you drop is removed from the board along with any other dudes of its color in that tile, and you get to activate the ability associated with that meeple color. If you empty the tile entirely at teh end of your movement and no one else already has, you can also assume control of it. There are also tile abilities that let you buy special power cards or do some set collection. Enjoyment - This game would not have made it onto the list if I'd started it like a month earlier. I played it once last year at a meetup a couple I like (who since moved back to Germany, boo!) plus a non-hobby-gaming friend I'd invited to it. The friend liked the game so much that she then bought the game and it became something of a running joke that we would never play it, as our game nights would always be with a party-game-sized group. Anyway, suffice it to say that it did happen that one night, most people just happened to be busy, and the second game was quite enjoyable. It's a fun game when people play fast, but due to the perfect information and the literally hundreds of valid moves (especially in the early game) and the fact that the game state can change very drastically with each move (ah, the problem with a single board where anyone can pick up from any square!), it can be terrifying for people who suffer from analysis paralysis. The friend who owns it is fortunately not particularly AP, but it was fun to make fun of her for taking the longest turn every time. The third game was with five and an expansion (so that you could actually play Five Tribes with five people...) and it was rather late at night it included someone whining about losing badly. He was competitive for second place while I was far behind. I'm glad this wasn't my first experience with FT, because it probably wouldn't even be on this list if that were the case.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/14/18 3:39:34 PM #60:	Design - Five Tribes takes a fairly long time to set up and a fairly long time to teach, but if the players play quickly, then it doesn't take that long to play. The best moves get taken ASAP, and then your options are fewer, and finally there are no moves, and that's the game. The process of picking up a bunch of meeples and dropping them is highly satisfying, especially if your final move lets you clear off the tile and place a camel (area control!) or if you're able to trigger a really powerful bunch of meeples or meeple-tile combos (such as gaining white elders to spend and immediately purchasing a djinn, or taking over two squares at once using the red assassins, or acquiring a giant set of diverse resources using the green merchants plus a marketplace tile). There's a plethora of ways to score points - yellow meeples use a ranking system; the items form sets that grow quadratically in value; djinns are their own victory points but you can trigger them for further benefits; blue builders immediately give you liquid cash which is 1:1 for victory points; the camels give you victory points based on the tiles. So on the majority of your turns, you're going to get to do something pretty satisfying that advances you toward your endgame. If you're like me you'll be pleased to know that one of my favorite forms of player interaction is present in FT, beyond simply taking someone's move or rearranging the board to make it difficult for someone else to make a desirable move - and that's an auction, of course. FT's auction system is very simple - at the start of each round, in the order that you went last round, each player bids a certain quantity of money (VP) for turn order. Your bid must go on a track with predetermined allowed bids, and once those bids are taken, you cannot make the same bid. Very cool way to do player order, which can be such an important part of a perfect-information, deterministic, dynamic-game-state strategy game like FT. Future - While my friend did manage to get FT to the table, that still seems like an exception rather than the rule. But when it does - assuming that there are not a million expansions to have to re-learn - I'll be excited for it. Bonus question - What's the latest game you've gotten familiar with? What's the latest game you've gotten familiar with that you really like? Hint for #25 - it's used both in peace and war --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897799219] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>Design - Five Tribes takes a fairly long time to set up and a fairly long time to teach, but if the players play quickly, then it doesn't take that long to play. The best moves get taken ASAP, and then your options are fewer, and finally there are no moves, and that's the game. The process of picking up a bunch of meeples and dropping them is highly satisfying, especially if your final move lets you clear off the tile and place a camel (area control!) or if you're able to trigger a really powerful bunch of meeples or meeple-tile combos (such as gaining white elders to spend and immediately purchasing a djinn, or taking over two squares at once using the red assassins, or acquiring a giant set of diverse resources using the green merchants plus a marketplace tile). There's a plethora of ways to score points - yellow meeples use a ranking system; the items form sets that grow quadratically in value; djinns are their own victory points but you can trigger them for further benefits; blue builders immediately give you liquid cash which is 1:1 for victory points; the camels give you victory points based on the tiles. So on the majority of your turns, you're going to get to do something pretty satisfying that advances you toward your endgame. If you're like me you'll be pleased to know that one of my favorite forms of player interaction is present in FT, beyond simply taking someone's move or rearranging the board to make it difficult for someone else to make a desirable move - and that's an auction, of course. FT's auction system is very simple - at the start of each round, in the order that you went last round, each player bids a certain quantity of money (VP) for turn order. Your bid must go on a track with predetermined allowed bids, and once those bids are taken, you cannot make the same bid. Very cool way to do player order, which can be such an important part of a perfect-information, deterministic, dynamic-game-state strategy game like FT. Future - While my friend did manage to get FT to the table, that still seems like an exception rather than the rule. But when it does - assuming that there are not a million expansions to have to re-learn - I'll be excited for it. Bonus question - What's the latest game you've gotten familiar with? What's the latest game you've gotten familiar with that you really like? Hint for #25 - it's used both in peace and war</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
The Mana Sword 03/14/18 3:43:31 PM #61:	Five Tribes is v. good. Haven't played with the expansion yet, but I like the base game a lot. --- http://card.psnprofiles.com/1/Gylgamesh501.png <cite>The Mana Sword posted [p:897799437] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>Five Tribes is v. good. Haven't played with the expansion yet, but I like the base game a lot.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
th3l3fty 03/14/18 3:47:58 PM #62:	SeabassDebeste posted... what's that? to learn the game, they suggest you play as if none of the building benefits exist also five tribes is a game I like but haven't played much, mostly due to a person I don't get along with always insisting on being one of the players --- thelefty for analysis crew 2008 imo -transience I have a third degree burn in flame-o-nomics -Sir Chris <cite>th3l3fty posted [p:897799709] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote><cite>SeabassDebeste posted...</cite> <quote>what's that?</quote> to learn the game, they suggest you play as if none of the building benefits exist also five tribes is a game I like but haven't played much, mostly due to a person I don't get along with always insisting on being one of the players</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/14/18 3:56:12 PM #63:	The Mana Sword posted... Five Tribes is v. good. Haven't played with the expansion yet, but I like the base game a lot. There are a few expansions. The one that allows for the fifth player is Expansion 2, I think, and it ups the board size. Not a big fan of the new tiles that it introduces, though if you play with them a lot I guess I could see why you'd like them. There's another expansion that adds purple meeples, but thankfully we didn't add that one in that night. th3l3fty posted... SeabassDebeste posted... what's that? to learn the game, they suggest you play as if none of the building benefits exist also five tribes is a game I like but haven't played much, mostly due to a person I don't get along with always insisting on being one of the players ah, yeah, if no building benefits exist then it's a far more vanilla (and longer!) game. i don't see how that's particularly easier to beginners, either, since you still need to build the buildings? it's not like agricola where ignoring cards can help you get a better grasp on teh game. playing any game with someone you don't get along with can really suck. FT is middle-tier on how much it can be ruined by an annoying player - their turn can be kind of long, but the game isn't inherently social, unlike (for example) dixit. --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897800193] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote><cite>The Mana Sword posted...</cite> <quote>Five Tribes is v. good. Haven't played with the expansion yet, but I like the base game a lot.</quote> There are a few expansions. The one that allows for the fifth player is Expansion 2, I think, and it ups the board size. Not a big fan of the new tiles that it introduces, though if you play with them a lot I guess I could see why you'd like them. There's another expansion that adds purple meeples, but thankfully we didn't add that one in that night. <cite>th3l3fty posted...</cite> <quote><cite>SeabassDebeste posted...</cite> <quote>what's that?</quote> to learn the game, they suggest you play as if none of the building benefits exist also five tribes is a game I like but haven't played much, mostly due to a person I don't get along with always insisting on being one of the players</quote> ah, yeah, if no building benefits exist then it's a far more vanilla (and longer!) game. i don't see how that's particularly easier to beginners, either, since you still need to build the buildings? it's not like agricola where ignoring cards can help you get a better grasp on teh game. playing any game with someone you don't get along with can really suck. FT is middle-tier on how much it can be ruined by an annoying player - their turn can be kind of long, but the game isn't inherently social, unlike (for example) dixit.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Great_Paul 03/14/18 4:09:05 PM #64:	SeabassDebeste posted... The third game was with five and an expansion (so that you could actually play Five Tribes with five people...) Doesnt that contradict your hint though? --- Bear Bro It's kinda coincidental how like in most games pigs are evil. <cite>Great_Paul posted [p:897800959] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote><cite>SeabassDebeste posted...</cite> <quote>The third game was with five and an expansion (so that you could actually play Five Tribes with five people...)</quote> Doesnt that contradict your hint though?</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/14/18 4:11:31 PM #65:	The base game is only playable up to four! And in fairness, this ranking is for the base game, not really for the expanded version. --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897801113] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>The base game is only playable up to four! And in fairness, this ranking is for the base game, not really for the expanded version.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
redrocket_pub 03/14/18 6:28:50 PM #66:	i mean imagine if 7 wunders only played up to 6 how dum would that be --- Blasting off <cite>redrocket_pub posted [p:897809282] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>i mean imagine if 7 wunders only played up to 6 how dum would that be</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
cyko 03/14/18 6:45:27 PM #67:	SeabassDebeste posted... Bonus question - What's the latest game you've gotten familiar with? What's the latest game you've gotten familiar with that you really like? r My group has been playing Charterstone lately. We last finished game 8 of the 12 game campaign and the whole group (especially me) absolutely loves it. The game especially does a nice job of keeping players engaged even if they have a bad game or two or three. There have been multiple surprises we did not see coming. And even though one player looks to have a clear lead in the campaign, everyone still has a legitimate shot at winning and noone feels eliminated from the campaign. I highly recommend Charterstone for anyone who has a group of 3-6 they could consistently play with. --- Yay - BkSheikah is the guru champion of awesomeness. <cite>cyko posted [p:897810151] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote><cite>SeabassDebeste posted...</cite> <quote> Bonus question - What's the latest game you've gotten familiar with? What's the latest game you've gotten familiar with that you really like? r</quote> My group has been playing Charterstone lately. We last finished game 8 of the 12 game campaign and the whole group (especially me) absolutely loves it. The game especially does a nice job of keeping players engaged even if they have a bad game or two or three. There have been multiple surprises we did not see coming. And even though one player looks to have a clear lead in the campaign, everyone still has a legitimate shot at winning and noone feels eliminated from the campaign. I highly recommend Charterstone for anyone who has a group of 3-6 they could consistently play with.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Simoun 03/14/18 11:37:08 PM #68:	I learned Blood Rage pretty recently but I didnt like it. I also don't get its hype. Assuming all of us are veterans of the draft, the game will just be one huge cockblocking spree before the actual game starts and there won't be any alternate strategy to play. --- It's not so cliche anymore when it's happening to you. <cite>Simoun posted [p:897825686] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>I learned Blood Rage pretty recently but I didnt like it. I also don't get its hype. Assuming all of us are veterans of the draft, the game will just be one huge cockblocking spree before the actual game starts and there won't be any alternate strategy to play.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
skullbone 03/15/18 12:26:30 AM #69:	tag --- skull <cite>skullbone posted [p:897828059] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>tag</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/15/18 10:11:06 AM #70:	24. Captain Sonar https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171131/captain-sonar Genre/mechanics: Team vs team, hidden movement, real-time, player combat Rules complexity: 5/10 Game length: 20-40 minutes Player count: 2-8 Experience: 4-5 games with 6-8 players First played: 2016 Two submarine crews, seated across a physical barrier, move around a grid with their positions secret, but their movements announced ("NORTH! WEST!") to the other team. The captain determines the movement of the ship, when to use weapons/other powers, and when to surface. The first mate manages the equipment (as it needs to be charged via movement before used). The engineer is responsible for managing what abilities are unusable due to the ship's heating up. A radio operator tracks the other sub's movement by listening when their captain announces their move. Your goal - to sink the other team's sub using missiles or mines. Enjoyment - My first play of Captain Sonar was by far my favorite - at a meetup, with people I knew and liked. I was the hapless captain with the game's owner - who tends to be into getting thematic - as my first mate. He constantly relayed the situation with the engineer - what directions were bad to go, which ones were good to go - along with what systems we had at the ready. The radio operator was whispering where she thought the other sub was. As a result, I could focus on simply going around, occasionally surfacing, and blowing mines/launching missiles at exactly the right moment. No play since has really recaptured that feeling of actually being in a sub and being a commander who has to make important decisions after delegating a bunch of thought. But with the right crowd, it's still frantically paced, with plenty of opportunity for self-sabotage (shout-out to bad engineers like me!). An entire team can get excited when a torpedo hits, and the chaos it causes the other side is awesome when they realize they have to surface with a recharging attacker on their heels. Design - I love everything about Captain Sonar's design - from the individual player mats that are customized, to the fact you get to name your ship, to the length of the game. Each player also gets a very unique role - one of my favorite is the "Sonar" feature, used by the First Mate, in which the other team's captain must state his choice of two of three coordinates - sector, longitude, and latitude - but one of those must be true and one must be a lie. Easy way to mess with people. My biggest issue with CS as a gaming experience is the difficulty of the radio operator's job due to the other captain's inability to be heard. Essentially, you benefit your team drastically as captain if you're not clear when you announce your movements, which seems flagrantly uncool. Some sort of convention, such as saying "HEADING NORTH" instead of "NORTH" is needed to ensure fairness. A captain who can elevate their voice specifically to talk to the other team is good, as well. Bonus question - What games make you feel the most involved, thematically? Hint for #23 - just try to keep it on the table, and no scratching! --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897845014] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>24. Captain Sonar https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171131/captain-sonar Genre/mechanics: Team vs team, hidden movement, real-time, player combat Rules complexity: 5/10 Game length: 20-40 minutes Player count: 2-8 Experience: 4-5 games with 6-8 players First played: 2016 Two submarine crews, seated across a physical barrier, move around a grid with their positions secret, but their movements announced ("NORTH! WEST!") to the other team. The captain determines the movement of the ship, when to use weapons/other powers, and when to surface. The first mate manages the equipment (as it needs to be charged via movement before used). The engineer is responsible for managing what abilities are unusable due to the ship's heating up. A radio operator tracks the other sub's movement by listening when their captain announces their move. Your goal - to sink the other team's sub using missiles or mines. Enjoyment - My first play of Captain Sonar was by far my favorite - at a meetup, with people I knew and liked. I was the hapless captain with the game's owner - who tends to be into getting thematic - as my first mate. He constantly relayed the situation with the engineer - what directions were bad to go, which ones were good to go - along with what systems we had at the ready. The radio operator was whispering where she thought the other sub was. As a result, I could focus on simply going around, occasionally surfacing, and blowing mines/launching missiles at exactly the right moment. No play since has really recaptured that feeling of actually being in a sub and being a commander who has to make important decisions after delegating a bunch of thought. But with the right crowd, it's still frantically paced, with plenty of opportunity for self-sabotage (shout-out to bad engineers like me!). An entire team can get excited when a torpedo hits, and the chaos it causes the other side is awesome when they realize they have to surface with a recharging attacker on their heels. Design - I love everything about Captain Sonar's design - from the individual player mats that are customized, to the fact you get to name your ship, to the length of the game. Each player also gets a very unique role - one of my favorite is the "Sonar" feature, used by the First Mate, in which the other team's captain must state his choice of two of three coordinates - sector, longitude, and latitude - but one of those must be true and one must be a lie. Easy way to mess with people. My biggest issue with CS as a gaming experience is the difficulty of the radio operator's job due to the other captain's inability to be heard. Essentially, you benefit your team drastically as captain if you're not clear when you announce your movements, which seems flagrantly uncool. Some sort of convention, such as saying "HEADING NORTH" instead of "NORTH" is needed to ensure fairness. A captain who can elevate their voice specifically to talk to the other team is good, as well. Bonus question - What games make you feel the most involved, thematically? Hint for #23 - just try to keep it on the table, and no scratching!</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/15/18 11:48:12 AM #71:	25. Scythe https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/169786/scythe Genre/mechanics: Area control, resource management, player combat, dudes on a map, point salad Rules complexity: 8/10 Game length: 90-120 minutes Player count: 2-5 Experience: 5 plays with 4-5 players First played: 2016 Scythe is an area control, dudes-on-a-map game set in a steampunk, post-World War I Europe. You control a faction with a special power and your goal is to gain the most victory points by holding endgame territory and achieving a slew of different other goals, such as advancing on tracks or winning combat or fulfilling special objective cards. Your turn, indicated on your player mat, consists of a basic action, such as moving your workers, producing resources on the map, or buying resources, or gaining money/track rating. You also may get a second action in which you can upgrade the efficiency of your actions or bring mechs and/or buildings onto the board. Enjoyment - Scythe is the only game I've personally seen massive hype for on Kickstarter. Its campaign was massive, and it's become one of the great board gaming successes from the platform. I first played it at Gen Con, when it was already tough to acquire, with three guys that I knew from playing another game. It was... well, it took forever to punch out the (very nice) components and set up and then understand the rules, and then I got boxed in pretty badly and couldn't do much. It was a rough three and a half to four hours. But I'd experienced the hype, and it was nice to be in on it. Since then, I've played Scythe a few times, and it's been fun. Basically, you have to look at what Scythe is instead of what it isn't. It's a game about aligning your actions with your player board - as your faction powers and your upgradable actions can have different combinations. It's a game about positioning yourself specifically for the endgame and grabbing points. It's a game about figuring out which resources to get, how fastest to get them, and what to do with them. It's a game with mechs that you build and move, but don't necessarily fight with. Because Scythe isn't a game where you drive your enemies before you and hear the lamentation of their women, in spite of what you might expect a game with such an awesome board presence to be. It's a fast-paced eurogame that can have a few decisive conflicts that determine the winner... but also a bunch of movement that mostly repositions you to get more efficient actions. --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897849537] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>25. Scythe https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/169786/scythe Genre/mechanics: Area control, resource management, player combat, dudes on a map, point salad Rules complexity: 8/10 Game length: 90-120 minutes Player count: 2-5 Experience: 5 plays with 4-5 players First played: 2016 Scythe is an area control, dudes-on-a-map game set in a steampunk, post-World War I Europe. You control a faction with a special power and your goal is to gain the most victory points by holding endgame territory and achieving a slew of different other goals, such as advancing on tracks or winning combat or fulfilling special objective cards. Your turn, indicated on your player mat, consists of a basic action, such as moving your workers, producing resources on the map, or buying resources, or gaining money/track rating. You also may get a second action in which you can upgrade the efficiency of your actions or bring mechs and/or buildings onto the board. Enjoyment - Scythe is the only game I've personally seen massive hype for on Kickstarter. Its campaign was massive, and it's become one of the great board gaming successes from the platform. I first played it at Gen Con, when it was already tough to acquire, with three guys that I knew from playing another game. It was... well, it took forever to punch out the (very nice) components and set up and then understand the rules, and then I got boxed in pretty badly and couldn't do much. It was a rough three and a half to four hours. But I'd experienced the hype, and it was nice to be in on it. Since then, I've played Scythe a few times, and it's been fun. Basically, you have to look at what Scythe is instead of what it isn't. It's a game about aligning your actions with your player board - as your faction powers and your upgradable actions can have different combinations. It's a game about positioning yourself specifically for the endgame and grabbing points. It's a game about figuring out which resources to get, how fastest to get them, and what to do with them. It's a game with mechs that you build and move, but don't necessarily fight with. Because Scythe isn't a game where you drive your enemies before you and hear the lamentation of their women, in spite of what you might expect a game with such an awesome board presence to be. It's a fast-paced eurogame that can have a few decisive conflicts that determine the winner... but also a bunch of movement that mostly repositions you to get more efficient actions.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/15/18 11:48:19 AM #72:	Design - The biggest weakness of Scythe might also be its biggest strength: the awesomeness of its components. Scythe's artwork is a dark but rich look at northeastern Europe, with its special Encounter cards showing mechs looming in the distance of farms and foggy fields. The minis for your mechs are fantastic - each faction's mechs and workers are not only of different colors, but of different shapes, as well. Yet in the end, the game isn't about ramming these mechs into each other, and the cognitive dissonance of having these violent-looking minis in a game that's more about farming is just... strange. Scythe can also feel extremely solitary at times. Objective Stars end the game and are worth even more points than territory, yet you get them through such innocuous means as holding three tundras at any point in time, simply producing a big workforce, or getting just temporarily to the maximum of the strength meter. Again, it feels like you're not constantly playing this gorgeous map, and that can lead to some frustrating cognitive dissonance. Once you accept it for what it is, though, the smoothness sets in, and that nice feeling of your engine puttering along kicks in. The biggest pressure on you from other players is generally not military, but rather time-based - if an opponent seems to be imminently reaching six stars, you need to focus on taking up lots of space at game's end, and that can lead to fights. And that's okay. Future - Would definitely like to play Scythe again, though it's hard to compete with so many other games trying to make it to the table! Bonus question - What games look like they should play differently from how they do? Hint for #24 - it's easier if you announcing "HEADING" before stating your course --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897849548] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>Design - The biggest weakness of Scythe might also be its biggest strength: the awesomeness of its components. Scythe's artwork is a dark but rich look at northeastern Europe, with its special Encounter cards showing mechs looming in the distance of farms and foggy fields. The minis for your mechs are fantastic - each faction's mechs and workers are not only of different colors, but of different shapes, as well. Yet in the end, the game isn't about ramming these mechs into each other, and the cognitive dissonance of having these violent-looking minis in a game that's more about farming is just... strange. Scythe can also feel extremely solitary at times. Objective Stars end the game and are worth even more points than territory, yet you get them through such innocuous means as holding three tundras at any point in time, simply producing a big workforce, or getting just temporarily to the maximum of the strength meter. Again, it feels like you're not constantly playing this gorgeous map, and that can lead to some frustrating cognitive dissonance. Once you accept it for what it is, though, the smoothness sets in, and that nice feeling of your engine puttering along kicks in. The biggest pressure on you from other players is generally not military, but rather time-based - if an opponent seems to be imminently reaching six stars, you need to focus on taking up lots of space at game's end, and that can lead to fights. And that's okay. Future - Would definitely like to play Scythe again, though it's hard to compete with so many other games trying to make it to the table! Bonus question - What games look like they should play differently from how they do? Hint for #24 - it's easier if you announcing "HEADING" before stating your course</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
The Mana Sword 03/15/18 11:56:01 AM #73:	I've only played Scythe once, but I've been meaning to give it a few more tries. I really liked what I saw the first time around, but we just haven't gotten a chance yet. --- http://card.psnprofiles.com/1/Gylgamesh501.png <cite>The Mana Sword posted [p:897849935] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>I've only played Scythe once, but I've been meaning to give it a few more tries. I really liked what I saw the first time around, but we just haven't gotten a chance yet.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/15/18 12:02:42 PM #74:	24. Captain Sonar https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171131/captain-sonar Genre/mechanics: Team vs team, hidden movement, real-time, player combat Rules complexity: 5/10 Game length: 20-40 minutes Player count: 2-8 Experience: 4-5 games with 6-8 players First played: 2016 Two submarine crews, seated across a physical barrier, move around a grid with their positions secret, but their movements announced ("NORTH! WEST!") to the other team. The captain determines the movement of the ship, when to use weapons/other powers, and when to surface. The first mate manages the equipment (as it needs to be charged via movement before used). The engineer is responsible for managing what abilities are unusable due to the ship's heating up. A radio operator tracks the other sub's movement by listening when their captain announces their move. Your goal - to sink the other team's sub using missiles or mines. Enjoyment - My first play of Captain Sonar was by far my favorite - at a meetup, with people I knew and liked. I was the hapless captain with the game's owner - who tends to be into getting thematic - as my first mate. He constantly relayed the situation with the engineer - what directions were bad to go, which ones were good to go - along with what systems we had at the ready. The radio operator was whispering where she thought the other sub was. As a result, I could focus on simply going around, occasionally surfacing, and blowing mines/launching missiles at exactly the right moment. No play since has really recaptured that feeling of actually being in a sub and being a commander who has to make important decisions after delegating a bunch of thought. But with the right crowd, it's still frantically paced, with plenty of opportunity for self-sabotage (shout-out to bad engineers like me!). An entire team can get excited when a torpedo hits, and the chaos it causes the other side is awesome when they realize they have to surface with a recharging attacker on their heels. Design - I love everything about Captain Sonar's design - from the individual player mats that are customized, to the fact you get to name your ship, to the length of the game. Each player also gets a very unique role - one of my favorite is the "Sonar" feature, used by the First Mate, in which the other team's captain must state his choice of two of three coordinates - sector, longitude, and latitude - but one of those must be true and one must be a lie. Easy way to mess with people. My biggest issue with CS as a gaming experience is the difficulty of the radio operator's job due to the other captain's inability to be heard. Essentially, you benefit your team drastically as captain if you're not clear when you announce your movements, which seems flagrantly uncool. Some sort of convention, such as saying "HEADING NORTH" instead of "NORTH" is needed to ensure fairness. A captain who can elevate their voice specifically to talk to the other team is good, as well. Bonus question - What games make you feel the most involved, thematically? Hint for #23 - just try to keep it on the table, and no scratching! --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897850266] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>24. Captain Sonar https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171131/captain-sonar Genre/mechanics: Team vs team, hidden movement, real-time, player combat Rules complexity: 5/10 Game length: 20-40 minutes Player count: 2-8 Experience: 4-5 games with 6-8 players First played: 2016 Two submarine crews, seated across a physical barrier, move around a grid with their positions secret, but their movements announced ("NORTH! WEST!") to the other team. The captain determines the movement of the ship, when to use weapons/other powers, and when to surface. The first mate manages the equipment (as it needs to be charged via movement before used). The engineer is responsible for managing what abilities are unusable due to the ship's heating up. A radio operator tracks the other sub's movement by listening when their captain announces their move. Your goal - to sink the other team's sub using missiles or mines. Enjoyment - My first play of Captain Sonar was by far my favorite - at a meetup, with people I knew and liked. I was the hapless captain with the game's owner - who tends to be into getting thematic - as my first mate. He constantly relayed the situation with the engineer - what directions were bad to go, which ones were good to go - along with what systems we had at the ready. The radio operator was whispering where she thought the other sub was. As a result, I could focus on simply going around, occasionally surfacing, and blowing mines/launching missiles at exactly the right moment. No play since has really recaptured that feeling of actually being in a sub and being a commander who has to make important decisions after delegating a bunch of thought. But with the right crowd, it's still frantically paced, with plenty of opportunity for self-sabotage (shout-out to bad engineers like me!). An entire team can get excited when a torpedo hits, and the chaos it causes the other side is awesome when they realize they have to surface with a recharging attacker on their heels. Design - I love everything about Captain Sonar's design - from the individual player mats that are customized, to the fact you get to name your ship, to the length of the game. Each player also gets a very unique role - one of my favorite is the "Sonar" feature, used by the First Mate, in which the other team's captain must state his choice of two of three coordinates - sector, longitude, and latitude - but one of those must be true and one must be a lie. Easy way to mess with people. My biggest issue with CS as a gaming experience is the difficulty of the radio operator's job due to the other captain's inability to be heard. Essentially, you benefit your team drastically as captain if you're not clear when you announce your movements, which seems flagrantly uncool. Some sort of convention, such as saying "HEADING NORTH" instead of "NORTH" is needed to ensure fairness. A captain who can elevate their voice specifically to talk to the other team is good, as well. Bonus question - What games make you feel the most involved, thematically? Hint for #23 - just try to keep it on the table, and no scratching!</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/15/18 12:05:11 PM #75:	The Mana Sword posted... I've only played Scythe once, but I've been meaning to give it a few more tries. I really liked what I saw the first time around, but we just haven't gotten a chance yet. Scythe isn't the deepest euro and it doesn't quite emphasize traditional area control/combat that much. It's kind of a jack of all trades type. It's good at giving you that 'arghh, I needed just one more turn/gold/resource!' feeling that's so innate to (good) eurogames. --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897850386] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote><cite>The Mana Sword posted...</cite> <quote>I've only played Scythe once, but I've been meaning to give it a few more tries. I really liked what I saw the first time around, but we just haven't gotten a chance yet.</quote> Scythe isn't the deepest euro and it doesn't quite emphasize traditional area control/combat that much. It's kind of a jack of all trades type. It's good at giving you that 'arghh, I needed just one more turn/gold/resource!' feeling that's so innate to (good) eurogames.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Peace___Frog 03/15/18 1:18:05 PM #76:	I played el dorado for the first time today. Had good fun, I'm excited to play it again soon. --- ~Peaf~ <cite>Peace___Frog posted [p:897854515] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>I played el dorado for the first time today. Had good fun, I'm excited to play it again soon.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/15/18 2:00:19 PM #77:	23. Jungle Speed https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/8098/jungle-speed Genre/mechanics: Pattern recognition, speed/dexterity, party game Rules complexity: 2/10 Game length: 10-20 minutes Player count: 2-8 Experience: 15+ games with 5-8 First played: 2015 In Jungle Speed, you have a stack of cards with colored geometric figures on them. On your turn, you flip one over onto your face-up pile. If your card's shape matches anyone else's, you are now in a "duel" with that player, and you must race to grab a rubber totem pole in the center of the table. The loser of the duel takes the winner's face-up pile into their draw deck and is next to play. A few cards have no shapes but rather mix things up. Run out of cards, and you win. Enjoyment - Jungle Speed is the last of the party games introduced during that first year of being in the hobby, and the most reliably fun. It's a nice icebreaker that certainly depends on skill, but is high-variance and swing-y enough on any given play that three different people can easily win in three sittings. Design - Jungle Speed is one of the simplest games out there, so it's critical that it get everything right. And it does. The first key element is that the core gameplay is not trivially easy. The cards can be deceptively difficult to distinguish - is that bunch of squares surrounding one small square, or are they surrounding one small circle? If you grab the stick out of turn, everyone gives you their face-up cards. The constant threat of a duel keeps you on your toes at all times. The core gameplay is so tight that you don't need a lot to mix it up, but the mix-up cards are excellent. One causes you to match - for one turn only - by color instead of by shape. It comes at just the right time to melt your brain and make you panic. Then there's another to make sure you're always engaged: a free-for-all race to grab the stick, where anyone can participate - and then get to go next, in addition. And of course, you have the "everyone flips" card - which almost always results in a duel. These cards are low in number but always have the potential to get you grabbing the stick even if no one has flipped a match for you. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it's really damn satisfying to grab that stick. It's rubbery but firm and has enough groves on it so that it fits your hand really well. The tiebreaker rules are fair - most fingers on the stick wins. And of course, there's an excellent rule that knocking the stick off the table results in your getting everyone's cards. If I have any complaints, I might start with the fact that eight different people have to be able to reach one object. Physically, that can be challenging, though seating the the longest-armed furthest can work out nicely. Unrelated is perhaps the biggest factor in who wins: if you sit to the left of the worst player, then you'll be getting to put out free cards a lot, as the loser of a duel starts playing. It's a tough flaw to overcome without house rules on who starts a round, or rearranging seats. Future - I'm not exactly clamoring to get Jungle Speed to the table, but with a sufficiently competitive crowd, I'd like to see it again. I've never had a bad time with it, even if the heart doesn't ache for it. Bonus question - What is your favorite dexterity and/or pattern recognition game? Hint for #22 - distillation of one of my favorite player interaction mechanics --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897857041] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>23. Jungle Speed https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/8098/jungle-speed Genre/mechanics: Pattern recognition, speed/dexterity, party game Rules complexity: 2/10 Game length: 10-20 minutes Player count: 2-8 Experience: 15+ games with 5-8 First played: 2015 In Jungle Speed, you have a stack of cards with colored geometric figures on them. On your turn, you flip one over onto your face-up pile. If your card's shape matches anyone else's, you are now in a "duel" with that player, and you must race to grab a rubber totem pole in the center of the table. The loser of the duel takes the winner's face-up pile into their draw deck and is next to play. A few cards have no shapes but rather mix things up. Run out of cards, and you win. Enjoyment - Jungle Speed is the last of the party games introduced during that first year of being in the hobby, and the most reliably fun. It's a nice icebreaker that certainly depends on skill, but is high-variance and swing-y enough on any given play that three different people can easily win in three sittings. Design - Jungle Speed is one of the simplest games out there, so it's critical that it get everything right. And it does. The first key element is that the core gameplay is not trivially easy. The cards can be deceptively difficult to distinguish - is that bunch of squares surrounding one small square, or are they surrounding one small circle? If you grab the stick out of turn, everyone gives you their face-up cards. The constant threat of a duel keeps you on your toes at all times. The core gameplay is so tight that you don't need a lot to mix it up, but the mix-up cards are excellent. One causes you to match - for one turn only - by color instead of by shape. It comes at just the right time to melt your brain and make you panic. Then there's another to make sure you're always engaged: a free-for-all race to grab the stick, where anyone can participate - and then get to go next, in addition. And of course, you have the "everyone flips" card - which almost always results in a duel. These cards are low in number but always have the potential to get you grabbing the stick even if no one has flipped a match for you. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it's really damn satisfying to grab that stick. It's rubbery but firm and has enough groves on it so that it fits your hand really well. The tiebreaker rules are fair - most fingers on the stick wins. And of course, there's an excellent rule that knocking the stick off the table results in your getting everyone's cards. If I have any complaints, I might start with the fact that eight different people have to be able to reach one object. Physically, that can be challenging, though seating the the longest-armed furthest can work out nicely. Unrelated is perhaps the biggest factor in who wins: if you sit to the left of the worst player, then you'll be getting to put out free cards a lot, as the loser of a duel starts playing. It's a tough flaw to overcome without house rules on who starts a round, or rearranging seats. Future - I'm not exactly clamoring to get Jungle Speed to the table, but with a sufficiently competitive crowd, I'd like to see it again. I've never had a bad time with it, even if the heart doesn't ache for it. Bonus question - What is your favorite dexterity and/or pattern recognition game? Hint for #22 - distillation of one of my favorite player interaction mechanics</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
The Mana Sword 03/15/18 2:01:58 PM #78:	I played El Dorado this week as well. I thought it was alright, but have some concerns about the deckbuilding aspect and losing turns just because you drew a bad hand. --- http://card.psnprofiles.com/1/Gylgamesh501.png <cite>The Mana Sword posted [p:897857125] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>I played El Dorado this week as well. I thought it was alright, but have some concerns about the deckbuilding aspect and losing turns just because you drew a bad hand.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Naye745 03/15/18 2:07:34 PM #79:	captain sonar was fun the time i played it lol --- it's an underwater adventure ride <cite>Naye745 posted [p:897857508] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>captain sonar was fun the time i played it lol</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/15/18 2:26:51 PM #80:	it's not an easy game to get to the table --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897858686] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>it's not an easy game to get to the table</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Peace___Frog 03/15/18 4:31:47 PM #81:	SeabassDebeste posted... What is your favorite dexterity and/or pattern recognition game? honestly? Spoons The Mana Sword posted... I played El Dorado this week as well. I thought it was alright, but have some concerns about the deckbuilding aspect and losing turns just because you drew a bad hand. I think that with a sufficiently long and difficult jungle, you can get around this by making everyone experience it, if you're interested in fairness --- ~Peaf~ <cite>Peace___Frog posted [p:897866673] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote><cite>SeabassDebeste posted...</cite> <quote>What is your favorite dexterity and/or pattern recognition game?</quote> honestly? Spoons <cite>The Mana Sword posted...</cite> <quote>I played El Dorado this week as well. I thought it was alright, but have some concerns about the deckbuilding aspect and losing turns just because you drew a bad hand.</quote> I think that with a sufficiently long and difficult jungle, you can get around this by making everyone experience it, if you're interested in fairness</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
cyko 03/15/18 5:46:04 PM #82:	SeabassDebeste posted... 23. Jungle Speed https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/8098/jungle-speed Genre/mechanics: Pattern recognition, speed/dexterity, party game Rules complexity: 2/10 Game length: 10-20 minutes Player count: 2-8 Experience: 15+ games with 5-8 First played: 2015 In Jungle Speed, you have a stack of cards with colored geometric figures on them. On your turn, you flip one over onto your face-up pile. If your card's shape matches anyone else's, you are now in a "duel" with that player, and you must race to grab a rubber totem pole in the center of the table. The loser of the duel takes the winner's face-up pile into their draw deck and is next to play. A few cards have no shapes but rather mix things up. Run out of cards, and you win. Enjoyment - Jungle Speed is the last of the party games introduced during that first year of being in the hobby, and the most reliably fun. It's a nice icebreaker that certainly depends on skill, but is high-variance and swing-y enough on any given play that three different people can easily win in three sittings. Design - Jungle Speed is one of the simplest games out there, so it's critical that it get everything right. And it does. The first key element is that the core gameplay is not trivially easy. The cards can be deceptively difficult to distinguish - is that bunch of squares surrounding one small square, or are they surrounding one small circle? If you grab the stick out of turn, everyone gives you their face-up cards. The constant threat of a duel keeps you on your toes at all times. The core gameplay is so tight that you don't need a lot to mix it up, but the mix-up cards are excellent. One causes you to match - for one turn only - by color instead of by shape. It comes at just the right time to melt your brain and make you panic. Then there's another to make sure you're always engaged: a free-for-all race to grab the stick, where anyone can participate - and then get to go next, in addition. And of course, you have the "everyone flips" card - which almost always results in a duel. These cards are low in number but always have the potential to get you grabbing the stick even if no one has flipped a match for you. I feel like this is the third time I have seen the same "flip a card, grab what's on the card" game on this list.. I really enjoyed Scythe and Captain Sonar. I am glad to see them mentioned here. Those were my Third and Fourth favorite games of the year in 2017. --- Yay - BkSheikah is the guru champion of awesomeness. <cite>cyko posted [p:897871422] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote><cite>SeabassDebeste posted...</cite> <quote>23. Jungle Speed https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/8098/jungle-speed Genre/mechanics: Pattern recognition, speed/dexterity, party game Rules complexity: 2/10 Game length: 10-20 minutes Player count: 2-8 Experience: 15+ games with 5-8 First played: 2015 In Jungle Speed, you have a stack of cards with colored geometric figures on them. On your turn, you flip one over onto your face-up pile. If your card's shape matches anyone else's, you are now in a "duel" with that player, and you must race to grab a rubber totem pole in the center of the table. The loser of the duel takes the winner's face-up pile into their draw deck and is next to play. A few cards have no shapes but rather mix things up. Run out of cards, and you win. Enjoyment - Jungle Speed is the last of the party games introduced during that first year of being in the hobby, and the most reliably fun. It's a nice icebreaker that certainly depends on skill, but is high-variance and swing-y enough on any given play that three different people can easily win in three sittings. Design - Jungle Speed is one of the simplest games out there, so it's critical that it get everything right. And it does. The first key element is that the core gameplay is not trivially easy. The cards can be deceptively difficult to distinguish - is that bunch of squares surrounding one small square, or are they surrounding one small circle? If you grab the stick out of turn, everyone gives you their face-up cards. The constant threat of a duel keeps you on your toes at all times. The core gameplay is so tight that you don't need a lot to mix it up, but the mix-up cards are excellent. One causes you to match - for one turn only - by color instead of by shape. It comes at just the right time to melt your brain and make you panic. Then there's another to make sure you're always engaged: a free-for-all race to grab the stick, where anyone can participate - and then get to go next, in addition. And of course, you have the "everyone flips" card - which almost always results in a duel. These cards are low in number but always have the potential to get you grabbing the stick even if no one has flipped a match for you. </quote> I feel like this is the third time I have seen the same "flip a card, grab what's on the card" game on this list.. I really enjoyed Scythe and Captain Sonar. I am glad to see them mentioned here. Those were my Third and Fourth favorite games of the year in 2017.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/15/18 5:54:48 PM #83:	You're not wrong! Ghost Blitz, Anomia, and Jungle Speed have a lot in common. They have different mechanics and are associated with different memories for me, but that's certainly a reasonable characterization. Alas, JS is the last of them. At a quick glance, I think I have 4 more games left on the list that I first played in 2017, and one that I first played in 2018. --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897871956] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>You're not wrong! Ghost Blitz, Anomia, and Jungle Speed have a lot in common. They have different mechanics and are associated with different memories for me, but that's certainly a reasonable characterization. Alas, JS is the last of them. At a quick glance, I think I have 4 more games left on the list that I first played in 2017, and one that I first played in 2018.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Eerieka 03/15/18 6:01:00 PM #84:	Played Scythe for the first time with some friends a few weeks ago. My method of learning games is to just jump in and learn/ask questions as I go, so obviously I made some very poor decisions. However, I was disappointed by how pointless battles were in that game. One player was encroaching on my territory so I prepared to invade him and yet... nothing came of it. Yeah, I beat his mechs and took a piece of land with some lumber on it. Then his mechs just go back to start and come right back. The player who stayed on her own turf and exploited the hell out of it was the inevitable winner. Not saying it's bad that the winner was the one who stayed in her own territory and didn't stir shit up. I just wish there had been more of a reward for playing aggressively. It seems to be the sort of game where you can win through various methods, but if you play a warmonger, you'll only cripple yourself. --- Account created-9/10/04. Just a normal GameFAQs user/leprechaun Ramza: rofl. Rofel: You say my name? -Eise <cite>Eerieka posted [p:897872350] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>Played Scythe for the first time with some friends a few weeks ago. My method of learning games is to just jump in and learn/ask questions as I go, so obviously I made some very poor decisions. However, I was disappointed by how pointless battles were in that game. One player was encroaching on my territory so I prepared to invade him and yet... nothing came of it. Yeah, I beat his mechs and took a piece of land with some lumber on it. Then his mechs just go back to start and come right back. The player who stayed on her own turf and exploited the hell out of it was the inevitable winner. Not saying it's bad that the winner was the one who stayed in her own territory and didn't stir shit up. I just wish there had been more of a reward for playing aggressively. It seems to be the sort of game where you can win through various methods, but if you play a warmonger, you'll only cripple yourself.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/15/18 6:07:03 PM #85:	Well, winning a combat gets you a star, which is worth 3, 4, or 5 VP, and you can get two combat stars. You also get to take over a territory that your opponent previously had, which (if this is the last turn of the game) is +2, 3, or 4 VP (and your opponent "loses" that). A combat in the early-game is very difficult due to how far apart you start, and in the mid-game benefits you much less than at the endgame. --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897872745] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>Well, winning a combat gets you a star, which is worth 3, 4, or 5 VP, and you can get two combat stars. You also get to take over a territory that your opponent previously had, which (if this is the last turn of the game) is +2, 3, or 4 VP (and your opponent "loses" that). A combat in the early-game is very difficult due to how far apart you start, and in the mid-game benefits you much less than at the endgame.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/15/18 9:51:10 PM #86:	all this and more, to come! --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897886098] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>all this and more, to come!</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
BakusaiTenketsu 03/15/18 9:55:12 PM #87:	Did you ever play Top Secret Spies, Alhambra, Killer Bunnies, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Memoir 44, Double Ditto, or Things? We play those regularly in our house all the time. --- http://tinyurl.com/ozuq4pq http://tinyurl.com/zy566j2 <cite>BakusaiTenketsu posted [p:897886333] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>Did you ever play Top Secret Spies, Alhambra, Killer Bunnies, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Memoir 44, Double Ditto, or Things? We play those regularly in our house all the time.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
cyko 03/15/18 10:57:13 PM #88:	Alhambra is the only one out of that bunch that I play. It's a pretty solid game and fairly non-gamer friendly. --- Yay - BkSheikah is the guru champion of awesomeness. <cite>cyko posted [p:897889759] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>Alhambra is the only one out of that bunch that I play. It's a pretty solid game and fairly non-gamer friendly.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Simoun 03/16/18 2:18:57 AM #89:	I get that alot in Scythe that people come into it expecting a wargame when its just a very intricate eurogame. Its kinda like how wInis is just a better chess. --- It's not so cliche anymore when it's happening to you. <cite>Simoun posted [p:897897948] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>I get that alot in Scythe that people come into it expecting a wargame when its just a very intricate eurogame. Its kinda like how wInis is just a better chess.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
VintageGin 03/16/18 4:09:27 AM #90:	Yeah, I've only played Scythe once, but I ended up using combat to get two stars right at the end and come back with a win that no one was expecting. Other than that, the most valuable thing seemed to be chasing down encounter cards-- the ability to get a mech essentially from those seemed almost too good. --- Ginhyun http://i.imgur.com/t7G7uoU.gif <cite>VintageGin posted [p:897900806] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>Yeah, I've only played Scythe once, but I ended up using combat to get two stars right at the end and come back with a win that no one was expecting. Other than that, the most valuable thing seemed to be chasing down encounter cards-- the ability to get a mech essentially from those seemed almost too good.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
MajinZidane 03/16/18 7:50:20 AM #91:	tagtagtag --- Virtue - "You don't need a reason to Boko United." <cite>MajinZidane posted [p:897904785] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>tagtagtag</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/16/18 11:32:24 AM #92:	22. For Sale https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172/sale Genre/mechanics: Bidding, simultaneous bidding, hand management Rules complexity: 3/10 Game length: 20 minutes Player count: 3-6 Experience: 10+ games with 4-6 players First played: 2015 For Sale is a two-part game. In each round of the first phase, you're given some currency with which to purchase a random array of property (valued 1-30), equal to the number of players. Pass on the auction, and you pay half your previous bid and get the lowest-valued remaining item. Win the auction, and pay full price. In the second phase, you flip those properties depending on demand. An array of "buyers" (money cards) will be turned face-up, and you simultaneously flip one of your properties - the money is passed out highest-to-lowest by property value. Your goal is to have the most money at the end. Enjoyment - For Sale can easily be described as a filler game. There's no engine-building, and the playtime is short, and there's no board state that changes. But it could often be the best-feeling game I would play in a game night. Granted, I got hooked on it during a time when eurogames would feel suffocating, and I haven't played it much in quite some time. But it was fast, interactive, with little downtime, and it allowed interesting decisions. Design - Even independently, each phase of the game is excellent. The value of a property can never be taken in a vacuum - you have to remember that if you win a bid, you're paying by far the most. It's often better to be the last one to pass a bid, so you can pay less and get the second-best property in an array. Sometimes you want to avoid being the first one to pass so you can avoid taking the lowest card in a board of 20-19-18-17-1, but in order to do that, you might have to pay a prohibitive cost. You have decisions on how much money to hold back for future bidding rounds, and since you play the entire deck, you know what's out there. You have somewhat strategic decisions in composition - do you want a hand full of middling properties, or one with lots of high properties? And needless to say, it's all extremely interactive. The second phase of the game is simultaneous bidding, which involves valuation - how much is this board worth to me? how badly do I want to avoid getting the "0" money if it's there?; light memory usage - who still has what cards from the first round, and have they spent those cards already? - and of course, just some good-old-fashioned mind games, based on who you think will play what card. You're always making a decision, so even if it's chaotic, your agency really mattered. The game is quick enough that that its high-variance outcomes give you second and third chances to redeem yourself if need be. Future - For Sale doesn't really hit the table often as we're chasing bigger experiences usually, but I could probably play it once every game night and not tire of it. Bonus question - What are your favorite games where you don't build any sort of board? Hint for #21 - the only game of this genre on the list, inspired by something inspired by a serial killer --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897912827] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>22. For Sale https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172/sale Genre/mechanics: Bidding, simultaneous bidding, hand management Rules complexity: 3/10 Game length: 20 minutes Player count: 3-6 Experience: 10+ games with 4-6 players First played: 2015 For Sale is a two-part game. In each round of the first phase, you're given some currency with which to purchase a random array of property (valued 1-30), equal to the number of players. Pass on the auction, and you pay half your previous bid and get the lowest-valued remaining item. Win the auction, and pay full price. In the second phase, you flip those properties depending on demand. An array of "buyers" (money cards) will be turned face-up, and you simultaneously flip one of your properties - the money is passed out highest-to-lowest by property value. Your goal is to have the most money at the end. Enjoyment - For Sale can easily be described as a filler game. There's no engine-building, and the playtime is short, and there's no board state that changes. But it could often be the best-feeling game I would play in a game night. Granted, I got hooked on it during a time when eurogames would feel suffocating, and I haven't played it much in quite some time. But it was fast, interactive, with little downtime, and it allowed interesting decisions. Design - Even independently, each phase of the game is excellent. The value of a property can never be taken in a vacuum - you have to remember that if you win a bid, you're paying by far the most. It's often better to be the last one to pass a bid, so you can pay less and get the second-best property in an array. Sometimes you want to avoid being the first one to pass so you can avoid taking the lowest card in a board of 20-19-18-17-1, but in order to do that, you might have to pay a prohibitive cost. You have decisions on how much money to hold back for future bidding rounds, and since you play the entire deck, you know what's out there. You have somewhat strategic decisions in composition - do you want a hand full of middling properties, or one with lots of high properties? And needless to say, it's all extremely interactive. The second phase of the game is simultaneous bidding, which involves valuation - how much is this board worth to me? how badly do I want to avoid getting the "0" money if it's there?; light memory usage - who still has what cards from the first round, and have they spent those cards already? - and of course, just some good-old-fashioned mind games, based on who you think will play what card. You're always making a decision, so even if it's chaotic, your agency really mattered. The game is quick enough that that its high-variance outcomes give you second and third chances to redeem yourself if need be. Future - For Sale doesn't really hit the table often as we're chasing bigger experiences usually, but I could probably play it once every game night and not tire of it. Bonus question - What are your favorite games where you don't build any sort of board? Hint for #21 - the only game of this genre on the list, inspired by something inspired by a serial killer</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Great_Paul 03/16/18 12:26:43 PM #93:	Mr Jack? --- Bear Bro It's kinda coincidental how like in most games pigs are evil. <cite>Great_Paul posted [p:897915649] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>Mr Jack?</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Tom Bombadil 03/16/18 12:30:51 PM #94:	SeabassDebeste posted... What are your favorite games where you don't build any sort of board? Depending on what counts, that knocks out like my top two tiers of game altogether! Think I'll go with chess on this one. --- Look at all those chickens There's a hunger in the land, there's a reckoning still to be reckoned <cite>Tom Bombadil posted [p:897915842] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote><cite>SeabassDebeste posted...</cite> <quote>What are your favorite games where you don't build any sort of board?</quote> Depending on what counts, that knocks out like my top two tiers of game altogether! Think I'll go with chess on this one.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Naye745 03/16/18 1:23:44 PM #95:	i would say like the resistance isnt really building a board so prob that --- it's an underwater adventure ride <cite>Naye745 posted [p:897918736] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>i would say like the resistance isnt really building a board so prob that</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/16/18 5:50:27 PM #96:	21. Specter Ops https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/155624/specter-ops Genre/mechanics: Hidden movement, player combat, one vs many, hidden traitor, special player powers Rules complexity: 5/10 Game length: 90-120 minutes Player count: 2-5 Experience: 4 plays with 4-5 (as both Agent and Hunter) First played: 2015 One Agent player has infiltrated a steampunk industrial compound, and he is attempting to reach three Objective Points and escape the compound. Two to four genetically modified Hunters collaborate to try to find and kill the Agent. The Agent moves secretly along the board, and their mini is only placed if the Hunters discover them. Escape with the Objectives and the Agent wins. Get caught and die, and the Hunters win. Enjoyment - I must note that the first time I played Specter Ops, I was the Agent, and it was a five-player game, with a hidden traitor. It was an incredible experience, with a ton of bluffing about who the traitor was and quiet moves to try to avoid detection. Each step, the tension was incredible. In the end I finally was discovered, and my traitorous partner was slaughtered as she tried to bail me out, losing the game for us. One of my all-time favorite gaming experiences. The second time I played was with a group that already had a tendency to take long turns, also with five players, and it was late on a Sunday. I was the Agent and nearly cornered early, but they would continue to take extremely long turns to deliberate. It was extraordinarily painful (and I definitely made at least one highly annoyed comment about it) until I was finally outed and killed. That said, Subsequent plays have been with four players, and I enjoy the game as a mechanical, deductive affair that moves pretty quickly. The deep emotional investment isn't there, getting caught up in the battle of wits, but it's still quite enjoyable. Future - I'd still like to play the five-player version with the hidden traitor some more. But getting exactly five to play this game won't be easy. The four-player version is a different beast, but enjoyable too. Bonus question - What game has had you say mean things in annoyance? Alternatively - what is your take on the one vs many genre? Hint for #20 - Get on board, and stay - you can trust me! --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897933743] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>21. Specter Ops https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/155624/specter-ops Genre/mechanics: Hidden movement, player combat, one vs many, hidden traitor, special player powers Rules complexity: 5/10 Game length: 90-120 minutes Player count: 2-5 Experience: 4 plays with 4-5 (as both Agent and Hunter) First played: 2015 One Agent player has infiltrated a steampunk industrial compound, and he is attempting to reach three Objective Points and escape the compound. Two to four genetically modified Hunters collaborate to try to find and kill the Agent. The Agent moves secretly along the board, and their mini is only placed if the Hunters discover them. Escape with the Objectives and the Agent wins. Get caught and die, and the Hunters win. Enjoyment - I must note that the first time I played Specter Ops, I was the Agent, and it was a five-player game, with a hidden traitor. It was an incredible experience, with a ton of bluffing about who the traitor was and quiet moves to try to avoid detection. Each step, the tension was incredible. In the end I finally was discovered, and my traitorous partner was slaughtered as she tried to bail me out, losing the game for us. One of my all-time favorite gaming experiences. The second time I played was with a group that already had a tendency to take long turns, also with five players, and it was late on a Sunday. I was the Agent and nearly cornered early, but they would continue to take extremely long turns to deliberate. It was extraordinarily painful (and I definitely made at least one highly annoyed comment about it) until I was finally outed and killed. That said, Subsequent plays have been with four players, and I enjoy the game as a mechanical, deductive affair that moves pretty quickly. The deep emotional investment isn't there, getting caught up in the battle of wits, but it's still quite enjoyable. Future - I'd still like to play the five-player version with the hidden traitor some more. But getting exactly five to play this game won't be easy. The four-player version is a different beast, but enjoyable too. Bonus question - What game has had you say mean things in annoyance? Alternatively - what is your take on the one vs many genre? Hint for #20 - Get on board, and stay - you can trust me!</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Tom Bombadil 03/16/18 6:04:17 PM #97:	SeabassDebeste posted... What game has had you say mean things in annoyance? IIRC I've only even come close twice: -When my group suddenly did a 180 and decided that using the robber in Settlers was a sanctionable offense -Parcheesi, of all things --- Look at all those chickens There's a hunger in the land, there's a reckoning still to be reckoned <cite>Tom Bombadil posted [p:897934473] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote><cite>SeabassDebeste posted...</cite> <quote>What game has had you say mean things in annoyance?</quote> IIRC I've only even come close twice: -When my group suddenly did a 180 and decided that using the robber in Settlers was a sanctionable offense -Parcheesi, of all things</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
SeabassDebeste 03/16/18 6:16:16 PM #98:	lmao. mean tom best tom. i have sulked in higher-ranked games, but i think i've only had outburst(s) in one more. --- yet all sailors of all sorts are more or less capricious and unreliable - they live in the varying outer weather, and they inhale its fickleness <cite>SeabassDebeste posted [p:897935195] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>lmao. mean tom best tom. i have sulked in higher-ranked games, but i think i've only had outburst(s) in one more.</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
th3l3fty 03/16/18 6:57:26 PM #99:	the only time I distinctly remember getting annoyed was in a game of Innovation I was a total lock to win if it hit my turn, so the two players before me spent fifteen minutes sharing information and discussing how to prevent me from winning, and they finally found a way and the second one won --- thelefty for analysis crew 2008 imo -transience I have a third degree burn in flame-o-nomics -Sir Chris <cite>th3l3fty posted [p:897937557] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>the only time I distinctly remember getting annoyed was in a game of Innovation I was a total lock to win if it hit my turn, so the two players before me spent fifteen minutes sharing information and discussing how to prevent me from winning, and they finally found a way and the second one won</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Simoun 03/16/18 9:48:05 PM #100:	Celestia. Awesome --- It's not so cliche anymore when it's happening to you. <cite>Simoun posted [p:897946636] in thirty-one... [t:76412082]...</cite> <quote>Celestia. Awesome</quote> ... Copied to Clipboard!
Topic List	Page List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ... 10

Board 8 > thirty-one tabletop games, ranked (+) Yeah! (+)

Board 8 > thirty-one tabletop games, ranked