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Jedit posted:Same as here. LLSix posted:LLSix, same as here. The game's been created. Check the site if you don't get an email.
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Jun 11, 2017 20:44
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| # ? May 14, 2024 11:25 |
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Speaking or multiplayer games with a solo mode, how good is Guilds of London? I just watched Ricky Royals solo playthrough and it looked like a nice mix of area control and hand management. So any thoughts on that one?
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Jun 11, 2017 21:36
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COOL CORN posted:I'm trying to even out my collection with less wargames, even though those are my favorite to play solo. Mage Knight, March of the Ants, Scythe, and Viticulture are all fun both solo and multiplayer. All 4 are improved by their expansions. On the lighter end, Rallyman and Mint Works are fun. But since you love acquiring a huge number of scenarios, Lord of the Rings LCG might be your best bet.
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Jun 11, 2017 22:23
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Orleans with the Invasion expansion is another good one for multiplayer with solo. The solo scenarios are quite challenging and enjoyable.
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Jun 11, 2017 22:37
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Archipelago's solo mode is really fun but requires an expansion. It's cheap though, like $10.
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Jun 11, 2017 23:59
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drat, I didn't realize I had that much of a reputation. Thanks all, I've got probably half of the recommendations already, but I'll keep my eye out. I might spring for the Colonists next.
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Jun 12, 2017 00:22
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Played New York Slice, quick game with pretty straightforward rules. Good filler or non-complex game for multiple players; it's probably quite different with 3+ than it is with 2. Every round a player takes a stack of face-down pizza slices and flips them face up to make a pizza + reveals a bonus tile. Then the active player splits the pizza into a number of portions equal to the number of players. Then players take portions in turn order. The "splitter" takes the last (not chosen by anyone else) portion. The game is set collection built around the concept of "I cut, you choose". The one with the most control over the portions is the one with the least control over what portion they get. I think it was a fun filler, easy to learn and play. Not particularly expensive. Might need a turn timer to put a turn limit on slower, more math-y card counter types.
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Jun 12, 2017 02:44
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cenotaph posted:Mage Knight Seconding these. Magic Realm cannot hurt you if you've already experienced Fields of Fire.
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Jun 12, 2017 02:57
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Mister Sinewave posted:Played New York Slice, quick game with pretty straightforward rules. Good filler or non-complex game for multiple players; it's probably quite different with 3+ than it is with 2. Is that a reimplementation of Piece o' Cake? Because I've been wanting a copy of that one for a while.
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Jun 12, 2017 03:13
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Just got back last night from a six day gaming event and wanted to share what was popular. We had 75 guests and 300+ games in our library. Every sticker represents a time the game was returned from being checked out, green is this year, yellow is last year. It's not scientific as some games were checked out over night or may have been returned when a staff member wasn't around to sticker it but gives a good idea. Terraforming Mars , Great Western Trail and Ethnos were clear favorites, helped along by there being two copies in circulation for each. GWT had mixed reception but the other two were enjoyed very much. Clank was a new game for me but I got two plays in and have ordered a copy now that I'm home. March of the Ants saw a few plays and I got two in for that as well, really great, like Eclipse but lighter and faster. Played Roll Player once, not sure what I think of that one, RPG charop the board game is a cool concept and the mechanics were interesting but it didn't pop for me. Vast is tough to talk about since I only played once, as the Cave, you'd have to play each role a few times to truly grasp the game. I picked out some of the top games below. For lighter games Onitama continues to be popular since it's quick and only takes a minute to teach. Santorini hit the table a lot and I got in a few plays. It's the sort of game I'm bad at but I appreciated the production and simplicity. Deep Sea Adventure is a neat press your luck game with divers sharing the same supply of oxygen competing to collect treasures. The more treasures you collect the slower you move and the quicker the oxygen is depleted. Also played a weird party game When I Dream, it has a sleep mask that the current player puts on and a deck with word clues. Each other player gives a single word clue and the blindfolded player has to guess, each round is 2 minutes and you get more points the more you get right. It also has a traitor element as some of the players will get points if you guessed wrong. Once the round is over the blindfolded player can get extra points by making up a short story using the words they guessed to describe their "dream". Heavier games saw play as well, we had a 4 player game of Twilight Imperium 3, 3 player Forbidden Stars, A Feast for Odin got 3 or 4 plays, Glass Road came out a few times, Dominant Species, The Colonists, Orleans, Terra Mystica, Food Chain Magnate and High Frontier all hit the table once. Overall the medium weight games were the most popular as they gave the best value for time since guests were also doing Escape Rooms, hiking, whitewater rafting and exploring town. Got to play Century Spice Road with one of our special guests Mike Fitzgerald and really liked it, it's Splendor with interesting choices. Mike also had a few of his games that are about to be published, a dice version of his game Diamonds and "Score Card" a game based off Cribbage that uses it's own special deck and has a "hacking" theme. I play quite a bit of Cribbage so the change in mindset was jarring but the game had interesting combos and card interactions. Played and taught quite a few more games that I can't recall, a good week all told. Already looking forward to next year.  
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Jun 12, 2017 03:37
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Does anyone know anything about trick-taking and climbing games? My experience with them boils down to A) playing Spades on my dad's computer when I was like five, and not understanding how to play, so I stopped, and B) trying real hard not to just skip past the endless blow-by-blow accounts of Bridge matches in at least one Agatha Christie novel. So I'm in the market. I hear lots of names thrown around like Tichu, Nyet, Skull King, and Haggis, but what are the standouts? I'd like to get more than one, since I play with different people. A game good for drinking buddies/family gatherings without a lot to keep track of, and a meaty one that my regular game group could really dig into. Thoughts?
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Jun 12, 2017 04:43
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Wizard is the only one I've played much of but I always enjoy it. It's on the lighter side for sure.
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Jun 12, 2017 05:01
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I've always liked Gang of Four a ton, but it really requires four players exactly.
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Jun 12, 2017 05:11
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Tichu is the biggest ladder game, drawing on big two and others, it's a 4p partnership game where before you play a card you can bet that you will go out first. Haggis is 2-3p tichu, chimera is 3p tichu. For straight up trick taking, wizard is good, bridge is the pinnacle, and there's butt tons of knizia and other designer games around.
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Jun 12, 2017 05:13
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El Fideo posted:Does anyone know anything about trick-taking and climbing games? My experience with them boils down to A) playing Spades on my dad's computer when I was like five, and not understanding how to play, so I stopped, and B) trying real hard not to just skip past the endless blow-by-blow accounts of Bridge matches in at least one Agatha Christie novel. Sticheln is a top tier trick taker. Also there are about a billion trick takers palyed with a Tarot deck, which was a game deck long before occultists got their hands on it.
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Jun 12, 2017 05:24
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El Fideo posted:Does anyone know anything about trick-taking and climbing games? My experience with them boils down to A) playing Spades on my dad's computer when I was like five, and not understanding how to play, so I stopped, and B) trying real hard not to just skip past the endless blow-by-blow accounts of Bridge matches in at least one Agatha Christie novel.
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Jun 12, 2017 05:40
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Played Gandhi (in development) today at a pub in Portland. One player was new to COINs so the introduction took a while but it went surprisingly smoothly. Probably the most fun I've had playing COINs.
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Jun 12, 2017 06:09
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El Fideo posted:Does anyone know anything about trick-taking and climbing games? My experience with them boils down to A) playing Spades on my dad's computer when I was like five, and not understanding how to play, so I stopped, and B) trying real hard not to just skip past the endless blow-by-blow accounts of Bridge matches in at least one Agatha Christie novel. I posted a review some pages ago but David and Goliath is really rad. Counter intuitive in a very interesting kind of way and tricky tactically and strategically. The other suggestions are good too. I'll add Frank's Zoo, Bargain Hunter, and Potato Man as worth investigating. e: got in a play of 1846 today -- really liked it although I see myself going down the road of more financially fuckeryesque 18xxs cenotaph posted:Is that a reimplementation of Piece o' Cake? Because I've been wanting a copy of that one for a while. It is although I think they added some stuff like special powers. T-Bone fucked around with this message at 06:35 on Jun 12, 2017 |
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Jun 12, 2017 06:29
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A friend helped me get some stuff for my fiancee for her birthday, specifically all 3 Exit The Game escape games.         Her birthday is on the 14th so she's not going to get the gifts until then, but I'm hoping she'll enjoy these as much as I think she'll enjoy them  Just a matter of getting people together to play it maybe. I'm sure it'll be fun. Not sure which one to start off with though.
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Jun 12, 2017 07:48
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My friends said the Egypt one is a mess. Save for last. I haven't played those, but I know Unlock has a difficulty rating system on the back.
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Jun 12, 2017 08:10
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I wouldn't say it is a mess, but we burnt a whole 10 minutes and two hints on a puzzle that was worded so badly (in German at least) that we couldn't come up with a solution until hint 2 revealed what the problem was with the wording.
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Jun 12, 2017 08:27
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El Fideo posted:Does anyone know anything about trick-taking and climbing games? My experience with them boils down to A) playing Spades on my dad's computer when I was like five, and not understanding how to play, so I stopped, and B) trying real hard not to just skip past the endless blow-by-blow accounts of Bridge matches in at least one Agatha Christie novel. Trick taking games by definition aren't deep. The closest you're likely to get is Theomachy, but that's really "Texas Hold'em with magic powers". Kobayakawa is trick taking stripped to the minimum. Players get 4 coins, 8 more in the middle for antes. 15 cards numbered 1-15, everyone has one hidden and there's one face up in the middle. Everyone gets one chance to replace the card in their hand or the card in the middle, then chooses to bet 1 coin or fold. Players who bet reveal, the lowest revealed card gets the centre card added to it, highest total wins (ties broken by turn order). Winner gets the pot and ante and becomes dealer. Play 7 rounds, last round is double stakes. Another mildly fun one is Romans Go Home, which combines trick taking and programming. In each of three rounds six Roman forts are dealt out, each worth different amounts of points. Legion Forts are worth negative points, but if you capture three of them you instantly win the game. Players have identical 9-card decks, from which they draw seven. They then play six of the seven face down in an order corresponding to the forts. Everyone reveals their first card, highest total takes the first fort. If you take a fort you then discard all cards in front of you, if you don't you keep them. Rinse and repeat.
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Jun 12, 2017 08:42
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Potato Man is a very good trick taking game. Cards are in 4 different colours of different ranges of numbers. You always have to play a different colour from everyone else and if you can't, the round is over. Highest card wins, but the three highest cards (red colour 16, 17 and 18) are trumped by the three lowest cards (yellow colour 1, 2 and 3). The colour determines what points you get: red only scores 1 point because it has the highest range, blue scores 2, green scores 3 and yellow scores 4. However, there are only 3 point cards in each colour, and if they are all gone, the colour now scores 5 points instead. It's difficult to explain but extremely simple once you actually start playing. I like the game because there are always important decision on which colour you play depending on what points are available for that colour.
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Jun 12, 2017 09:52
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I dunno I'd agree - bridge is very deep
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Jun 12, 2017 10:40
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Cthulhu Dreams posted:I dunno I'd agree - bridge is very deep Sure is.
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Jun 12, 2017 12:54
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Cthulhu Dreams posted:I dunno I'd agree - bridge is very deep Bridge is a very simple game that has been made very complicated. It is the pearl of trick taking games, in that it is made of a vast number of layers that have accumulated around an irritating piece of crap.
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Jun 12, 2017 13:49
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Jedit posted:Bridge is a very simple game that has been made very complicated. It is the pearl of trick taking games, in that it is made of a vast number of layers that have accumulated around an irritating piece of crap. Yeah the auction is complex, but I think the card play is simple but very deep. There are whole books with substantial analysis about what is the best opening lead!
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Jun 12, 2017 14:00
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Jedit posted:Bridge is a very simple game that has been made very complicated. It is the pearl of trick taking games, in that it is made of a vast number of layers that have accumulated around an irritating piece of crap. Bad opinion here. That's like saying go is a very simple game that has been made very complicated by centuries of theory and is therefore...bad?
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Jun 12, 2017 14:06
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Jedit posted:Bridge is a very simple game that has been made very complicated. It is the pearl of trick taking games, in that it is made of a vast number of layers that have accumulated around an irritating piece of crap. Yeah you're literally saying it's deep right here, why are you trying to be argumentative, haha.
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Jun 12, 2017 14:10
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El Fideo posted:A game good for drinking buddies/family gatherings without a lot to keep track of, and a meaty one that my regular game group could really dig into. Diamonds for the first one, Tichu for the latter (assuming your regular game group is 4p). Diamonds is a trick taking game and Tichu is a ladder game, but hey, you asked for both. 
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Jun 12, 2017 14:43
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Now that I'm not on my phone, some more recommendations: Too Many Cooks is kinda-not-really a trick taking game and is surprisingly good for being an old, out of print, no one knows about Knizia card game. Wizard, as noted, is good: it's OHell with some special cards and I'd play it pretty much any time. Tichu is a great ladder game. Big Two is a very simple ladder game but it actually plays really well if you know the actual rules, and plays with a regular card deck. Of the bridge/whist/spades/etc games, I'd rank them as bridge if you can play regularly with people excited to play, hearts is the go-to for people who just want to sit around playing cards occasionally.
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Jun 12, 2017 15:30
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I've never played a designer trick-taking game I thought was an improvement on Spades with my black friends and Rook with my old protestant grandparents who believed owning a proper deck of cards made them look bad in front of company.
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Jun 12, 2017 15:40
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Black people Spades is the best Spades!!!
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Jun 12, 2017 15:41
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I always loved bringing new players in for Spades, because there are about a million variations on bidding and trumps and everyone gets all mad if you gently caress it up. We always played 2 of hearts big trump, 2 of diamonds little trump, 2 of spades top spade then Ace down to 3. 2 of clubs leads, and drink for bags. Nil is no-pass, blind nil for 200 you can pass one. Bid 10 for 200. Holy hell I want to play some spades now.
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Jun 12, 2017 15:48
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And people are saying bridge has weird poo poo going on??
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Jun 12, 2017 15:49
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I'll admit, flopping the 2 of spades to above the Ace really only serves to give each 2 a special significance. You could also call misdeal if you were dealt no spades/trumps, but it was usually better just to go nil or bid 2 because everyone gets pissed at you for slowplay if you force a reshuffle. You gotta know the metagame.
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Jun 12, 2017 15:54
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Euchre is clearly the best.
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Jun 12, 2017 16:13
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Is Jorvik any good?
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Jun 12, 2017 16:22
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Finally got feast for odin to the table. Good stuff despite the initially steep learning curve, can't wait to get into it again despite doing horribly on the learning game. 61 action spaces is truly inspiring for a worker placement
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Jun 12, 2017 16:23
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| # ? May 14, 2024 11:25 |
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Trick-taking games are tied with train games for my absolute favorite. I used to get really tetchy about the difference between climbing games and trick-taking games, but these days I really don't care. I agree with a lot of the earlier recommendations: Tichu, Spades, Diamonds. Sticheln is a great and very mean trick-taking game that supports a large number of players. Frank's Zoo is a wonderful asymmetric climbing game with lots of cute animals. For standard-deck trick-taking, I'd also like to recommend Hearts -- we have played hundreds of games of Hearts here, and it's always a lot of fun -- and Oh Hell/Up and Down the River, which is probably just behind Hearts in the rankings. Oh Hell is the game that got C-- to enjoy bidding in trick-taking games. For 5 players, Chinkway is really fun -- changing partnerships vs. the dealer, trying to take specific "treasure" cards to score points. For specialized games, Was Sticht? is great fun -- trick-taking with variable goals -- as is Die Sieben Siegel, a very strict bidding game. DSS was just reprinted as Sluff Off! with very different artwork. The Bottle Imp is really something special -- but I had no idea it was going for quite that much money! Asymmetric suits and strategic risk-taking, it's delicious stuff. Njet is a fun game where players gradually declare what the rules aren't (red isn't trump, we won't get to discard two cards, you aren't going to lead the first trick) until you have a clear set of rules, and then you play that hand and the next one has different rules. Mu is gamer's Bridge for at least 5, and people have to be bold in their bidding for it to be fun. Xactica is Oh Hell but every card is a member of all four suits, just to make your brain hurt. I'll always have a soft spot for Hispaniola, a pirate-themed trick-taker where the tricks allow you to put pirates on boats to push other pirates into the ocean in sort of a weird area control game, but it's not really a good game. Since there are three of us, we also have a lot of three-player games: Cosmic Eidex is one of my favorite games of all time, even if we don't usually play it in a cosmic way. It's a points-based trick-taker where every rule has a wrinkle, but basically, the high and low point counts get a point while the monkey in the middle gets nothing. Play to seven points. This is perfectly playable with a stripped deck of regular cards, so you can grab the rules off the Geek and play. Haggis is a fun three-player climbing game, but it's been eclipsed for us by Chimera, which is just as much fun as Tichu, but explicitly for three players.
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Jun 12, 2017 16:27
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