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NEVER BUY STUFF FROM WIZKIDS We have our own discord! Welcome to the new iteration of the Something Awful Board Game thread! This thread is for discussion of all sort of board games: this is a very broad definition that includes 'proper' board games along with card games (not ones using a traditional card deck, though) and some minis games as well! So whether you are an old hand at the hobby or just curious about what is out there, don't be afraid to post your opinions/questions regarding the wonderful world of board games! Although you might have played a lot of board games when you were younger, along the lines of Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Risk and other such staples, the sort of games that we usually discuss in this thread are known as Designer Board Games. In the past this pretty much described Board Games not published by the likes of Hasbro/Mattel/Parker Brothers and you usually could only find them in specialised gaming stores, but in the past few years the situation has changed quite rapidly. Now it is possible to find the more well-known designer board games even in mainstream shops and the choice, variety and quality of game is increasing year by year. The hobby is expanding and many think we are currently in a Golden Age of Board Gaming! In other words Board Gaming has never been this good and it is only going to get better! These are some of the more common questions that we get asked when people are asking for recommendations to get into the hobby. The examples provided also contain a link to BoardGameGeek, probably one of the largest board game websites currently on the internet and a good source for rule questions and rule summaries/player aids that can be helpful when you start to play a new board game. What's the current hotness? Codenames: A wonderful word game where you have a grid of words and a spymaster in each team tries to point his team towards his team's words. Simple premise but it is a real brain-burner of a game! From goon-beloved designer Vlaada Chvatil. Pandemic Legacy: Like the classic game Pandemic but with Legacy mechanism, which means you make permanent changes to the board that stay from one game to the next. Twists and turns tell a story of you attempting to save the world from four deadly diseases! Currently the top game in the BGG rankings! Captain Sonar: A real time game for 8 players, where two teams of 4 command a submarine, trying to find their enemies and blow them out of the water with torpedoes and mines while avoiding detection themselves. Be forewarned that the game does require 8 players to play, and below 6 it starts to suffer. I'm a complete newbie to the hobby, where should I start? Carcassonne: Carcassonne is a tile-laying game in which you score by creating cities, pastures and roads in medieval France. It is an easy game to learn, but has a lot of hidden depth to it once you start learning some of the tactics available within the game. Dominion: Dominion is known as a deck-building game: instead of starting with a pre-built deck like many other card games, the aim of the game is to create the deck itself, by buying cards from a central market. Thanks to the expansions to Dominion, the game has incredible replay-ability, with no two games being quite the same. I'm meeting up with my family/friends during the holidays and they are non-gamers, what kind of games might they enjoy? Dixit: Dixit is like Apples to Apples but with a more creative streak: you have to make phrases based on cards with fanciful art, with the skill in the game being able to choose phrases that at least one person will get, but difficult enough so that not everyone gets it correctly. Ticket to Ride: In this game you are trying to fulfill journeys across Europe/America/Etc (depending on the map) by playing matching cards. Ticket to Ride is a good game for non-gamers because it has many elements from the classic games sprinkled with innovations from Designer Board Games, while still remaining an easy to learn game. Can you recommend any 2 player games? Tash-Kalar: Tash-Kalar is a fairly abstract game by one of the thread's favourite designers, Vlaada Chvatil . The basis of the game is making patterns on the board using your pieces and then using those patterns to summon mighty creatures that can radically affect the board, while fulfilling tasks that earn you points. Highly recommended if you are looking for something more abstract. Twilight Struggle: If you are already experienced with board games, this is THE two-player game to go for. Take the role of either the USSR or the US at the start of the Cold War and see that your side becomes the dominant world power. Ranked as one of the best games ever designed. I have a large group (5+), any recommendations? 7 Wonders: 7 Wonders is a card drafting game which plays up to 7 players. The aim of the game is to develop your civilization: militarily, culturally and economically, as well as build one of the 7 Wonders of the world. It is suitable for large groups because there is very little downtime and plays fast even with large numbers of players. The Resistance: Avalon: Avalon is a traitor/bluffing game in which the good guys are aiming to complete missions but among their midst are hidden traitors, out to sabotage their efforts. It can play up to 10 players and therefore is very suitable for large groups. Are there any other traitor/bluffing games apart from Avalon? Coup: Coup is a bluffing game in which you are given two role cards, but you can claim to be whichever role you want! Be careful though: you can be called out and if you aren't the role you claimed, dire consequences await. This game is made even better by its expansion, Reformation. Battlestar Galactica: In this game you are all part of the crew of the Battlestar Galactica, on the run from the Cylon threat. Unfortunately, there are Cylons in your midst, ready to sabotage the ship or even decrease the morale of the fleet through acts of terrorism. Will the fleet make it to Earth? I'm interested in a game where me and my friends can have silly fun while drinking/having a good time, what do you recommend? Ugg-Tect: You are all Cavemen trying to build monuments, but only one of you (the Ugg-Tect) has the plans! The Ugg-Tect must direct his fellow cavemen, but can only do so using grunts and gestures. A silly game that only becomes better when everyone is more than slightly tipsy. Cash n Guns: If you need a game where you can stare down your friends and ask them if they are 'feeling lucky', this game is for you. You are all criminals that are trying to divvy-up the loot from your latest heist, but no one is quite sure how to do it. Soon, the guns come out and only the player with the most steely resolve will go home with the lion's share of the loot. Comes with foam guns! A second edition with (debatably) worse rules is available as well. What are some of the thread's all-time favourites that haven't been mentioned in any other question? Space Alert: A co-op game in which you and your friends fly around in a spaceship built by the lowest bidder. Threats are coming from every direction, the consoles within the ships are blowing up at random and intruders are popping up, while your battle droids revolt and someone forgot to wiggle the mouse in the central computer! A tense, exciting game that features a real-time segment (that makes use of a soundtrack). Highly recommended! Kemet: Fight for a mythical egypt in which the gods of old are alive and kicking! Hire giant scorpions to your side among other beasts of war! Love Letter: A quick, simple card game in which the aim is to have your love letter reach the princess. A single round can be over in less than 5 minutes, making it perfect as a filler between more meaty games. What's with the banners? Tigris & Euphrates: Probably one of my favourite games ever: control the land between the two rivers! A difficult game but one that I consider a masterpiece. shamelessly stolen from the previous thread Where do you buy these games? Well, support your FLGS, otherwise go here: BoardGamePrices This site lists all shops internationally and compares their prices. You can search by location or by game. Bookmark the gently caress out of this. Failing that, go to: CoolStuff is a pretty big website. Miniature Market is apparently good! FunAgain Games employs goons! This Coupons and Deals thread link keeps you up to date on cool discounts and Board Game Deals! PRO-loving CLICK Can you try these games online? Certainly! Many games are available for free play on BrettSpielWelt (including Carcassonne, Caylus, Stone Age, Puerto Rico, 7 Wonders, Pandemic, Settler of Catan, Cities & Knights of Catan, and many more) using their software or through a Java-based browser window, BoardGameArena is a browser-based place where you can enjoy many games that are also on BSW, you can play Through the Ages through your browser at (a very heavy but awesome 4X Card Worker Hybrid) at BoardGaming Online (and it supports Play By E-mail), and you can play some of the rare games as VASSAL modules if you have Java. You can also purchase many games on XBLA, the Droid marketplace, or iOS, including Settlers, Carcassonne, and Hive! Do you want to chat with other people/goons about board games? Well, you can go to BoardGameGeek to locate forums and designers of various games, plus BGG has separate regional forums for you to find local players. If you want to talk with us, though, we usually hang out at #boardgoons on synirc. Come idle with us! There are games going on and off all the time, including playtest of some up and coming goon projects! There is also a BGG Board Goons Guild (setup by The End!) Want to talk about wargame board games? Here's the thread for you! What about kickstarter games? You can talk about them here, or you can go for the Kickstarter Thread as well! Want to travel back in time? Relive the glory days? Board Games Megathread (2010-2011) Board Games Thread - We've Only Got Four Meeples to Save the World (2011-2012) Board Games: Have you heard of this Settlers of Catan thing? (2012-2014) The Catan Joke is Forbidden in this Thread! Tekopo fucked around with this message at 11:36 on Sep 21, 2020 |
# ? Dec 13, 2014 14:36 |
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# ? May 15, 2024 04:10 |
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A General Warning The previous threads have been the source of a lot of discussion on what are considered bad games. When someone in this thread claims that a game is bad, please don't take it as an insult! Remember, even bad games can be enjoyable in the same way that other forms of entertaining can be considered 'bad' (films, books etc) can still be enjoyable! And yes, something being considered 'bad' IS up for debate: this is the entire purpose of a a thread! Just come up with something more substantive that 'well me and my friends had fun playing it' and you should be fine In the end, play what you enjoy playing and don't worry about what some random people from the internet think about what sort of games you like! Addendum Please cut out poo poo like 'Burn the game' or 'pick up a gun and shoot your friends' or other lovely putdowns that don't actually add anything to the discussion. Reviews of other games that goons have asked me to absolutely add in the OP for some reason Castle of Burgundy: a pleasant, non confrontational euro that defines the "point salad" approach. Build your castles in the French countryside at the request of your king (surprise !) gaining victory points from almost every action. Previous player take the thing you wanted? Don't worry, there's more stuff next round. It's the only good use of dice in a modern board game. 4x games (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) 4x games are about... well those four things, primarily. Modern 4x games originated on PCs with the likes of Masters of Orion, and have been successfully translated to the tabletop. They tend to be multi-player, ranging from 2 to as many as 9 players (though, Eclipse is more-or-less unplayable with that many) and usually (but by no means always) involve players competing for space on a map which is generated randomly during play, building their economy and technology base, managing resources, then kicking the poo poo out of each other towards the end. Most are directly competitive, so in most cases steer clear if that's not your cup of tea. Longer 4x games (Antiquity), for example) can take whole days or even longer for some historical simulations, whilst shorter ones (Nations, Patchistory) can be played in an evening if everyone plays reasonably quickly. I cut my boardgaming teeth on 4x games starting with Civilisation, and have thoroughly enjoyed them from there. One of my favourite parts about them is the propensity towards hilarious anachronism and ageographyism. I'm always unreasonably amused when I wind up taking Napoleon to war against Shakespeare with a fighting band of spearmen in jet planes as the first space flight takes off over the pyramids in the background! So, some notable, good and/or important 4x games: Longer 4x games Eclipse: hex-based 4x IN SPAAACE. Dice-based combat resolution is a point against this game in my opinion, but broadly speaking it's got a solid, reasonably balanced base of exploration and tech-building. Plays up to NINE with the expansion, but more than about 4 and you need to rely on the slightly wonky second active player rules. And potentially has player elimination which is another point against it. But it's great fun, and the game and map varies a lot depending on the players, tech and races. Well worth the play time if you have a free afternoon. Civilisation: the mother (but not the king) of 4x games for me - decent exploration, map and economic engines coupled to a solid combat system (better in the expansions) and again, interesting and varied races. But has quite a high barrier to entry, a lot of fiddly rules and skilled players are very hard to beat, so IME there are better games for the same time investment. Through The Ages: Vlaada Chvatil's 4x game. Very, very good, but interestingly, doesn't use a map, and could as a result be argued to be a jumped-up drafting game. In place of a map it has a row of randomly-discovered cards, and sets of tiny wooden Shorter 4x games Nations: this game is basically designed to take Through the Ages and condense it into a less directly competitive format that can be played in an evening. It succeeds at that goal. If anything, it's a more elegant and more interesting game to play than its predecessor, and takes a lot less time, too. Again, doesn't have a formal shared map, and also lacks direct conflict. Patchistory I'm new to this game but have been impressed thus far. The 'patching' mechanic used to build individual players' maps is innovative and fun, there is direct conflict but it's relatively difficult and balanced, and it incorporates a solid bidding mechanic. Well worth the recommendation. Almost 4x games Mage Knight Board Game: another Vlaada masterpiece, this kind of works as a 4x game (it has the explore, exploit and exterminate elements, certainly, but the expand element is replaced with a deckbuilding mechanic) but the theme is very different. It's nonetheless an excellent game everyone should try once! Tekopo fucked around with this message at 15:21 on May 9, 2016 |
# ? Dec 13, 2014 14:36 |
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Ground loving floor. Trying to decide between Alchemists or Castles of Mad King Ludwig for post-christmas purchase.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 14:48 |
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Since the OP is too modest to include it, I'd also like to get in on the ground floor by suggesting the No Fun Allowed blog as a good place to read all kinds of musings about the good and bad parts of game design. In particular, some of the early 2013 posts on some of the… ehm… less fortunate board game mainstays are a good place to start for the (inevitable) conversation of the difference between “good” and “fun”. Tippis fucked around with this message at 14:53 on Dec 13, 2014 |
# ? Dec 13, 2014 14:50 |
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Just got back from a grueling 7 hour game of Caverna. Seven players, never again. My pacifist farming-and-growing strategy lost by a single point (to someone taking a line revolving around expeditions), but I think I botched the last turn quite a bit and definitely had a good shot at winning. We're all pretty keen to get it back to the table at a much more reasonable player count.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 14:54 |
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I'd suggest that the OP include a link to the Wargames thread - the two hobbies are so closely intertwined that it probably merits a redirect, especially when someone more or less new walks in.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 14:54 |
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Vlaada still Board Game God, universe continues as planned.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 14:57 |
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Why would you leave official #1 boardgame of all time, Cosmic Encounter, out of the OP?
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 15:05 |
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Yo, Tekopo, in your second paragraph, first sentence, you say "discuss in this game" Good OP, though.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 15:16 |
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Any chance of explaining a couple of common acronyms in the OP? I dislike reading introductions with in-group references, and I assume I'm not alone. Specifically, FLGS (Friendly Local Game Store I believe?) is in the OP. Another example I remember is 4E (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) which took me ages to get.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 15:22 |
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BonHair posted:Any chance of explaining a couple of common acronyms in the OP? I dislike reading introductions with in-group references, and I assume I'm not alone. Specifically, FLGS (Friendly Local Game Store I believe?) is in the OP. Another example I remember is 4E (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) which took me ages to get. That would be 4X, not 4E. 4E usually refers to Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 15:25 |
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Jedit posted:That would be 4X, not 4E. 4E usually refers to Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition. God damnit. Anyway, that's just more reason to stick it in there.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 15:28 |
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BonHair posted:Any chance of explaining a couple of common acronyms in the OP? I dislike reading introductions with in-group references, and I assume I'm not alone. Specifically, FLGS (Friendly Local Game Store I believe?) is in the OP. Another example I remember is 4E (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) which took me ages to get. When people don't write FLGS in caps, I occasionally forget that it means Friendly Local Game Store, and can't decide whether it's a typo for flags or flogs.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 15:36 |
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unpronounceable posted:When people don't write FLGS in caps, I occasionally forget that it means Friendly Local Game Store, and can't decide whether it's a typo for flags or flogs. Miniature market is another good site for discount board games that I think might warrant being in the OP.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 15:51 |
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I'm kinda sad there's not more Vlaada games in the OP, but I guess they're a little too crunchy for a newbie, huh?
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 15:55 |
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Jabor posted:Just got back from a grueling 7 hour game of Caverna. Seven players, never again. At this point I would have just played Twilight Imperium.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:00 |
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I love the new thread smell!
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:01 |
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Rutibex posted:
Admittedly, we did stop for dinner partway through (and it was pretty much everyone's first game, involving quite a lot of AP). We all basically agreed that the manual isn't messing around when it recommends not introducing the game that way.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:05 |
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I would second Miniature Market, and add timewellspentgames.com Also remove boardsandbits. Perhaps add link to Kickstarter thread.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:07 |
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Made various changes to the OP as per suggestions. Also yeah, some of the other Vlaada games are more crunchy so I didn't include them.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:11 |
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SEVEN hours of Caverna? HOW?! OUr longest (with six) is about 4, and we're a massively AP-prone group. I think the OP could do with a 4x section - games like Through The Ages, Eclipse, Nations, Clash of Cultures, Civilisation (a game I've never really seen goons talk about), Patchistory, etc etc etc. Also needs to mention some of the better games not currently there like Castles of Burgundy, Galaxy Trucker, Race for the Galaxy etc. This thread coming out has made me remember that my anniversary edition of Dungeon Lords hasn't been delivered yet D:
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:11 |
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I dunno much about Castle of Burgundy actually, which is why it's not included. If people want to do write up of games, I'll add them to the second post of the thread so the OP isn't too long.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:14 |
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I played Warhammer Diskwars once and now all I want to do is play again.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:15 |
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ambushsabre posted:I played Warhammer Diskwars once and now all I want to do is play again. This man has seen the light.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:23 |
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I also recommend Boite a Jeux for online gaming. Bunch of games I don't play and this thread never mentions, but it does include Agricola, Dixit, Trajan, Castles of Burgundy, Tzolk'in, and Dungeon Petz. The server does crash sometimes, so you won't be able to take your turn, but it is great for asynchronous play.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:25 |
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I'd humbly suggest plugging http://www.boardgaming-online.com/, even if admittedly it's a trick to make people play TTA.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:27 |
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Tekopo posted:Made various changes to the OP as per suggestions. Also yeah, some of the other Vlaada games are more crunchy so I didn't include them. I'm disappointed you couldn't spring for the 4e Essentials version of the thread title. The new thread OP gave me an excuse to read through the oldest board game megathread. Ah, 2008, so full of people espousing Cosmic Encounters and Pandemic, wondering if Dominion is any good.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:36 |
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Tekopo posted:I dunno much about Castle of Burgundy actually, which is why it's not included. If people want to do write up of games, I'll add them to the second post of the thread so the OP isn't too long. I fuckin knew it. Castles of burgundy: a pleasant, non confrontational euro that defines the "point salad" approach. Build your castles in the French countryside at the request of your king (surprise !) gaining victory points from almost every action. Previous player take the thing you wanted? Don't worry, there's more stuff next round. It's the only good use of dice in a modern board game. That's my writeup. Use it or I refuse to read this thread. That is all.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:36 |
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Tekopo posted:I dunno much about Castle of Burgundy actually, which is why it's not included. If people want to do write up of games, I'll add them to the second post of the thread so the OP isn't too long. Also Mage Knight. No Mage Knight. Shocking. I've not played Castles of Burgundy a lot recently so I suspect I couldn't write it up very well. But I'll give 4x a try. 4x games (Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate) 4x games are about... well those four things, primarily. Modern 4x games originated on PCs with the likes of Masters of Orion, and have been successfully translated to the tabletop. They tend to be multi-player, ranging from 2 to as many as 9 players (though, Eclipse is more-or-less unplayable with that many) and usually (but by no means always) involve players competing for space on a map which is generated randomly during play, building their economy and technology base, managing resources, then kicking the poo poo out of each other towards the end. Most are directly competitive, so in most cases steer clear if that's not your cup of tea. Longer 4x games (Antiquity), for example) can take whole days or even longer for some historical simulations, whilst shorter ones (Nations, Patchistory) can be played in an evening if everyone plays reasonably quickly. I cut my boardgaming teeth on 4x games starting with Civilisation, and have thoroughly enjoyed them from there. One of my favourite parts about them is the propensity towards hilarious anachronism and ageographyism. I'm always unreasonably amused when I wind up taking Napoleon to war against Shakespeare with a fighting band of spearmen in jet planes as the first space flight takes off over the pyramids in the background! So, some notable, good and/or important 4x games: Longer 4x games Eclipse: hex-based 4x IN SPAAACE. Dice-based combat resolution is a point against this game in my opinion, but broadly speaking it's got a solid, reasonably balanced base of exploration and tech-building. Plays up to NINE with the expansion, but more than about 4 and you need to rely on the slightly wonky second active player rules. And potentially has player elimination which is another point against it. But it's great fun, and the game and map varies a lot depending on the players, tech and races. Well worth the play time if you have a free afternoon. Civilisation: the mother (but not the king) of 4x games for me - decent exploration, map and economic engines coupled to a solid combat system (better in the expansions) and again, interesting and varied races. But has quite a high barrier to entry, a lot of fiddly rules and skilled players are very hard to beat, so IME there are better games for the same time investment. Through The Ages: Vlaada Chvatil's 4x game. Very, very good, but interestingly, doesn't use a map, and could as a result be argued to be a jumped-up drafting game. In place of a map it has a row of randomly-discovered cards, and sets of tiny wooden Shorter 4x games Nations: this game is basically designed to take Through the Ages and condense it into a less directly competitive format that can be played in an evening. It succeeds at that goal. If anything, it's a more elegant and more interesting game to play than its predecessor, and takes a lot less time, too. Again, doesn't have a formal shared map, and also lacks direct conflict. Patchistory I'm new to this game but have been impressed thus far. The 'patching' mechanic used to build individual players' maps is innovative and fun, there is direct conflict but it's relatively difficult and balanced, and it incorporates a solid bidding mechanic. Well worth the recommendation. Almost 4x games Mage Knight Board Game: another Vlaada masterpiece, this kind of works as a 4x game (it has the explore, exploit and exterminate elements, certainly, but the expand element is replaced with a deckbuilding mechanic) but the theme is very different. It's nonetheless an excellent game everyone should try once! thespaceinvader fucked around with this message at 16:44 on Dec 13, 2014 |
# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:40 |
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Lord Frisk posted:I fuckin knew it.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:40 |
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Lagoon is an insane game and worth giving a fair shake. Make sure your AP-prone friends are plied with whatever drugs make them decide because the board is liable to change on each player's turn.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:40 |
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Could probably also use a writeup on different mechanic types in general for people who've never played boardgames or only played monopoly or snakes and ladders before a lot of them are completely alien - worker placement versus deckbuilding versus auction versus traitor/bluffing games etc. but I'm probably not the one to do that.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:43 |
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I really would recommend El Grande as an exactly 5 player game. It doesn't expand past that but it is much better than the typical 4-player w/ a barely play tested expansion set experience.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:43 |
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So what do you guys thinks of Cards Against Humanity?
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:46 |
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I think it's a game that can be played by people.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:53 |
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Lord Frisk posted:I fuckin knew it. How can you say that when Macao and Quantum exist?
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 16:55 |
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I think Claustrophobia made some clever use of dice, too.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 17:00 |
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What are we counting as a "good use of dice"? If it has to be especially creative then maybe. If it just has to be non-game-ruining then this is just silly. Galaxy Trucker is an excellent game not ruined by dice; King of Tokyo/King of New York are outright dice games that are perfectly fine; etc.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 17:04 |
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Vlaada Chvatil posted:So what do you guys thinks of Cards Against Humanity?
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 17:07 |
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# ? May 15, 2024 04:10 |
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Vlaada Chvatil posted:So what do you guys thinks of Cards Against Humanity? It is the best racism detector ever made.
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# ? Dec 13, 2014 17:11 |