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Boardgames - Chuckers, Floppers and Meeples

DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
edited February 2010 in Critical Failures
ITT we discuss board games and the culture surrounding them. We talk about what games we played last weekend, what games we'd like to play and how much we wish our SO's would share our enthusiasm for meticulously organizing little wooden chits.

Most discussed games:


Settlers of Catan


In Settlers of Catan, players try to be the dominant force on the island of Catan by building settlements, cities, and roads. On each turn dice are rolled to determine what resources the island produces. Players collect these resources to build up their civilizations to get to 10 victory points and win the game. Multi-award-winning and one of the most popular games in recent history due to its amazing ability to appeal to non-gamers and gamers alike.
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This is pretty much a genre defining game. It treads a strange area between the common boardgames you can find in any toyshop and the weird ones you have to go to specialist for. It's excellent, but like all gateway drugs you end up hungering for more.

There are some expansions too, the big ones being Seafarers and Knights and Cities. The former can be seen as essential (it was originally planned to be part of Settlers but was removed due to the expense) while the latter isn't quite an expansion in the normal sense, instead it changes the game into something very different. As a word of advice, avoid the 5&6 player expansions, they really damage the carefully balanced elegance of the basic three and four player game.


Agricola


In Agricola, you're a farmer in a wooden shack with your spouse and little else. On a turn, you get to take only two actions, one for you and one for the spouse, from all the possibilities you'll find on a farm: collecting clay, wood, or stone; building fences; and so on. You might think about having kids in order to get more work accomplished, but first you need to expand your house. And what are you going to feed all the little rugrats?

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Agricola is a game about farming! Oh, it gets better. During a typical game, you will coral sheep, grow carrots and try to reproduce with your wife as much as possible! Don't forget to eat, though, having to beg for food is worth negative points! Can't see why this is one of the most popular board games in the world yet? Essentially the game is a simple, undistracting theme set on top of a rich and enjoyable low-competition Eurogame. As is typical with Eurogames, players don't come into direct conflict with each other but instead compete for highly limited resources in a game-length restricted environment. If you loved you some Settlers of Catan but don't know where else to branch into board gaming, this might be for you.


Fluxx


A card game where the cards themselves determine the current rules of the game. By playing cards, you change numerous aspects of the game: how to draw cards, how to play cards, and even how to win. There are 84 cards in the deck with additions available.


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Fun, but in a very different way to most other games I'm going to talk about. It's very random (so much so that you won't ever really develop any strategies) but it makes you laugh and a game will only last about ten minutes at the absolute maximum, so it's a nice game to crack out with a couple of beers. It does get old fast though. It comes in a few different themed flavours, such as Stoner Fluxx, which has cards telling you to smoke.

Carcassonne

In this fairly light tile-laying offering, players pull a tile from the pool and place it against one of the previously played tiles. If you start a new object (city, road, farm, or monastery), you can place one of your control markers on the tile to denote your control. Markers (called Followers by the publisher and called Meeples by us) cannot directly compete when placed, so to achieve some gains, you must place your marker and use later tiles to connect up to it.
As subsequent tiles are arrayed on the board, objects get bigger or even merge. When roads or cities are completed, or a monastery is surrounded, the control marker is returned to you and you score the points. However, farmers are not returned and will score points at the game end (there are several rules variations for the farmer scoring).
Therefore, it's possible to have all of your control markers locked on the board on incomplete objects, and not be able to convert them into farmers later in the game. You must balance the need to score points during the game with the need to score farmer points at game end.
The goal is to have the most points at the end, which can be tricky to control considering your choice for each turn isn't the tile itself, but rather the placement of the tile that you drew. Think of a more strategic version of Metro's tile placement, with some of the scoring methods from El Caballero or even the Very Clever Pipe Game.
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I'd say this is second to Settlers in terms of how commonplace it is. Nearly everybody who plays boardgames has played this. It's a solid game, lots of strategy and depth while not causing strokes. The main downside is that scoring can take some time at the end of the game.

Puerto Rico

The players are plantation owners in Puerto Rico in the days when ships had sails. Growing up to five different kind of crops: Corn, Indigo, Coffee, Sugar and Tobacco, they must try to run their business more efficiently than their close competitors; growing crops and storing them efficiently, developing San Juan with useful buildings, deploying their colonists to best effect, selling crops at the right time, and most importantly, shipping their goods back to Europe for maximum benefit.
A novel game system lets players choose the order of the phases in each turn by allowing each player to choose a role from those remaining when it is their turn. No role can be selected twice in the same round. The player who selects the best roles to advance their position during the game will win.


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This is widely regarded as the best boardgame there is. There's very little luck involved which most people enjoy, as it means that most of the time the winner was the best player. The only downside is that interactions between players are rather indirect. Also some people don't like the theme, claiming it to be racist, but those people have special needs and should be sent to the camps.


Munchkin


Munchkin is a stand-alone card game designed by Steve Jackson that "simulates" (well, sorta') a fantasy-themed RPG (oh, ok, DnD) in a simple, card-based game that's chock full o' silliness. Everyone begins the game as a 1st level Human with NO Class (heh-heh) and via cards, they acquire Races (Elf, Dwarf, etc.), Classes (Thief, Wizard, Cleric, etc.), Items, Armor, Potions and more that they use to combat hideous monsters like the 4th level Undead Horse, the 10th level Net Troll and the 14th Level Unspeakably Awful, Indescribable Horror (very nasty, indeed). The object of the game is to reach Level 10 and levels are acquired via the slaying of monsters and the selling of acquired treasure (1,000 Gold Pieces equals 1 Level).

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Often mentioned but not very good. Really it relies on your players having an understanding of roleplaying (specifically older D&D) humour, which as we all know is generally quite poor. Still, you'll laugh the first time and maybe play it three or four times but it quickly falls apart under scrutiny and the theme isn't strong enough to hold it alone. If you want something light and fast, Fluxx is a better bet. Although you could just keep buying Munchkin expansions to extend its life. Editor's note: Almost every gamer loved this game for awhile. However, it's been around a looong time and just isn't that replayable. If your group is completely new, you might really enjoy it.

Twilight Imperium


Twilight Imperium Third Edition is an epic empire-building game of interstellar conflict, trade, and struggle for power. Players take the roles of ancient galactic civilizations, each seeking to sieze the imperial throne via warfare, diplomacy, and technological progression. With new oversize geomorphic board tiles, finely detailed plastic miniatures, hundreds of cards, and a massive plurality of options,
The TI gameplay has been refined and redone by original designer Christian T. Petersen. The new design features faster gameplay, and involves players in a far more active game experience with much less downtime. In addition, TI3 will include new Race Cards, as well as a dramatic new approach to the structure of the gameplay itself using the new "Command" system.

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If you've ever played Master of Orion then you will most likely like this. It's a lovely space empire simulation. Nice pieces, elegant rules and decent conflict between players. There's an expansion now, and you absolutely need to at least copy some of the rules from BGG, even if you don't buy the expansion itself. The biggest problem with the original rules is handily corrected. (For instance, objectives that draw players into conflict more often are included.) In my experience, the key criticism with this game is you will need most of a full day's gaming session to play. We once played a game over four sessions, over a course of two months. It is not as fast a game as most others. My group does not play it as much, because half the time we'll have to quit early anyway. Even allowing for the length, I will play this game every single chance I get.
Battlestar Galactica

After the Cylon attack on the Colonies, the battered remnants of the human race are on the run, constantly searching for the next signpost on the road to Earth. They face the threat of Cylon attack from without, and treachery and crisis from within. Humanity must work together if they are to have any hope of survival…but how can they, when any of them may, in fact, be a Cylon agent?

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You might say that this game is popular. We don't really talk about it in this thread, because Starbuck-enthusiasts flood the thread. Please keep discussion on the topic to its custom thread:
Battlestar Galactica Thread

What is this I don't even.
Darkewolfe on
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Posts

  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    edited September 2009

    Galaxy Trucker


    In a galaxy far, far away... they need sewer systems, too. Corporation Incorporated builds them. Everyone knows their drivers -- the brave men and women who fear no danger and would, if the pay was good enough, even fly through Hell. Now you can join them. You will gain access to prefabricated spaceship components cleverly made from sewer pipes. Can you build a space ship durable enough to weather storms of meteors? Armed enough to defend against pirates? Big enough to carry a large crew and valuable cargo? Fast enough to get there first? Of course you can. Become a Galaxy Trucker. It's loads of fun.
    pic247453_md.jpg

    This is a personal favorite of mine. It combines a fast-paced puzzle solving round with the standard semi-competitive competition for resources that many gamers are familiar with. At the beginning of each turn players take turns scrambling to build a ship from a common junkyard of scrap parts, after which they take their junkers to space in an attempt to haul the most valuable cargoes to the outer reaches of the galaxy. Anyone who doesn't like this game is a communist.


    Arkham Horror


    The year is 1926, and it is the height of the Roaring Twenties. Flappers dance till dawn in smoke-filled speakeasies drinking alcohol supplied by rum runners and the mob. It's a celebration to end all celebrations in the aftermath of the war to end all wars. Yet a dark shadow grows in the city of Arkham. Alien entities known as Ancient Ones lurk in the emptiness beyond space and time, writhing at the gates between worlds. These gates have begun to open and must be closed before the Ancient Ones make our world their ruined domination. Only a handful of investigators stand against the Arkham Horror. Will they Prevail?
    pic226524_md.jpg

    This is one of the more popular fully-cooperative games round these parts. Personally, I think it lacks the mechanical depth of some other, less pretty looking cooperative games. However, who doesn't want to spend an evening with their mates battling the unnameable beings from beyond?

    IA! IA CTHULhU FTAGWN!

    There are also several expansions. These increase the somewhat limited replayability a good bit.


    Race for the Galaxy


    In Race for the Galaxy, players build galactic civilizations by game cards that represent worlds or technical and social developments. Each turn each player chooses one action, but the others will share in the actions chosen, each player secretly and simultaneously chooses one of seven different action cards and then reveals it. Only the selected phases occur. For these phases, every player performs the phase’s action, while the selecting player(s) also get a bonus for that phase.
    pic323656_md.jpg

    This is a very popular card game. It's fairly new and still has expansions coming out for it. The base set doesn't allow for direct conflict and is almost more of a "race the clock that is being operated by your opponents" point-gaining game. A later expansion allowed for direct conflict, and more gameplay modes are to come. A solitaire mode is also available for shut-ins and angry, angry people.


    Dominion


    You are a monarch, like your parents before you, a ruler of a small pleasant kingdom of rivers and evergreens. Unlike your parents, however, you have hopes and dreams! You want a bigger and more pleasant kingdom, with more rivers and a wider variety of trees. You want a Dominion! In all directions lie fiefs, freeholds, and feodums. All are small bits of land, controlled by petty lords and verging on anarchy. You will bring civilization to these people, uniting them under your banner.
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    Last but in no way least is Dominion. As a card game, Dominion captures that special place in all of our hearts that made us love building Magic decks even more than playing them. This game is essentially an ongoing draft in which players are spending resources from their decks to modify and fine-tune them, all the while trying to stuff point-gaining cards in without clogging their decks. This and Agricola were the most popular board games of 2009. I'm not including BSG in that statement because BSG isn't a game, it's a life-consuming addiction.

    Games you might be tempted to buy, but which Darkewolfe thinks you should stay away from:

    Zombies!!! Just, just awful. Just awful. Take a claw hammer to your penis, you'll enjoy it more.

    Red November Fairly random, frustrating co-op. On the plus side, it's cheap and some people seem to enjoy it.

    Yetisburg: Titanic Battles in History I bought this on day one. It looked so cool. Spend the money on silly hats, buy a poker deck and play War, you will have a more fulfilling gaming experience.


    Frequently Asked Questions

    What are these words I keep hearing, Eurogame and Ameritrash?

    There's not a hard and fast line, but most games are broken into two categories. Eurogames and Amerigames, often referred to as Eurotrash and Ameritrash, depending on which camp you favor.

    Amerigames are often directly competitive. The rules are structured around a theme (think WWII game made so that the rules evoke the idea of warfare) and have a high toy factor.

    Eurogames are usually less directly competitive and emphasize limited resources and turn limits. The rules are often not structured around the theme, instead the theme could be easily interchanged with any other and just gives the game some flavor. (Agricola is a good example. There's no reason it needs to be a farming game. It could be about who has the most blocks of black wood and it wouldn't affect the gameplay at all.) Additionally, components are often wooden abstract pieces, rather than the tiny plastic tanks and mans that are favored in Amerigames.

    Where can I go to read more about Board games?

    BoardGameGeek is pretty much the best place for any kind of board game information you could ever want. Feel free to ask any and all questions you have in this thread, but BGG is a great resource for reading about... anything board game related, really.

    I would like to put some FAQ's in here. Things like:

    I want to introduce my girlfriend/non-gamer friend/dog to boardgames. What should I start with?

    I got my girlfriend/non-gamer friend/pool boy hooked, but we're desperately alone and don't have friends. What are some good two player games?


    Lost Cities (rummy collection game, sort of. Has the Darkewolfe seal of approval.)
    Battlelines (still haven't played it, but it is supposed to be spectacular)
    1960: The Making of a President
    Dungeon Twister
    Mr. Jack
    Twilight Struggle

    What recommendations does Darian have?

    Classic abstracts:
    Go
    Chess
    Checkers
    Othello

    Abstracts that handle more but work well with 2p:
    Blokus (Travel version; I recommend the Trigon version if you often have 3p or 4p, though)
    Quirkle
    Ingenious

    Themed games that play well with 2p:
    Dominion
    Race for the Galaxy/San Juan/Glory of Rome (these all play similarly; card games for 2-4 players)
    Agricola (farming for 1-5, about 30 min. per player)
    Puerto Rico (2p rules on BGG, but really I play San Juan when I want a 2p PR fix)
    Ticket to Ride
    Power Grid

    Cooperative games:
    Pandemic (best quick co-op game)
    Arkham Horror (best long co-op game)
    Lord of the Rings (co-op; can switch to adversarial with the Sauron expansion)

    Feel free to PM me suggested questions or answers.

    Darkewolfe on
    What is this I don't even.
  • giltanisgiltanis Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Got Arabian Nights yesterday. Should be pulling it out a bit later tonight for the my first run of it. First impressions as that the board isn't as nice looking as I was hoping for <laughs>. The tales book though is fricken huge.

    giltanis on
    sig.gif
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Sweet, although looking at that list of games.. Well, a whole lot more need to be on that list, I feel. But I understand that it is a placeholder.

    What's that about the 5/6 player versions of Catan unbalancing the game, though?

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • krylon666krylon666 Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    RftG needs to be on there - in fact, just replace Fluxx with it.. (jk I sorta like Fluxx)

    I think I'm picking up my copy of Space Hulk today. I'm glad I already mail ordered a bunch of stuff I wanted, or today would be an (even more) expensive trip to the store.

    edit: ha! please keep the thread title for a long time

    krylon666 on
  • BobCescaBobCesca Is a girl Birmingham, UKRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    If anyone can think of good two-player games, that would be amazingly helpful as we tend not to socialise hugely, and yet a lot of the games I can think of really don't work with just two people.

    BobCesca on
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    God, you people are impatient. I was in the middle of updating the games list, geez! :P I think the biggest names are up there. If you think something absolutely vital is missing let me know, but we've already got a cumbersome list as it is.

    Space Hulk. Grr. I'm so torn. If I didn't already have around 40 terminators, I'd pick it up handily. I just don't know, though.

    Darian had a good list of 2-player games somewhere back when. I'd appreciate it if he wanted to remind me what those were. (Honestly, I was waiting for Darian to make the OP, since he's more informed than I am on this subject.)

    Darkewolfe on
    What is this I don't even.
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Oh, I've been meaning to ask for a while...

    What exactly defines a eurogame versus any others, and why do the people at boardgamegeek seem to have a hard-on for them?

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    There's not a hard and fast line, but most games are broken into two categories. Eurogames and Amerigames, often referred to as Eurotrash and Ameritrash, depending on which camp you favor.

    Amerigames are often directly competitive. The rules are structured around a theme (think WWII game made so that the rules evoke the idea of warfare) and have a high toy factor.

    Eurogames are usually less directly competitive and emphasize limited resources and turn limits. The rules are often not structured around the theme, instead the theme could be easily interchanged with any other and just gives the game some flavor. (Agricola is a good example. There's no reason it needs to be a farming game. It could be about who has the most blocks of black wood and it wouldn't affect the gameplay at all.) Additionally, components are often wooden abstract pieces, rather than the tiny plastic tanks and mans that are favored in Amerigames.

    As to why BGG seems to favor them. It is arguable that Eurogames tend to have a more structured, balanced and replayable rules set which someone who plays board games a whole goddamn lot might enjoy more. Arkham Horror makes me think of this. Arkham Horror is really, really fun. But once you've put in 15 games, you might start to feel that you know the mechanics too well, and aren't enjoying yourself as much. This is distinct from the ultimate board games Chess and Go, which have such well built mechanics that you could play them forever and not worry that you'd completely mastered them. While Eurogames generally don't achieve that height, those games classified under the term are often going to feature a bit more depth which will expand their table-life for regular board gamers.

    Darkewolfe on
    What is this I don't even.
  • Mr_RoseMr_Rose 83 Blue Ridge Protects the Holy Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    BobCesca wrote: »
    If anyone can think of good two-player games, that would be amazingly helpful as we tend not to socialise hugely, and yet a lot of the games I can think of really don't work with just two people.
    I'd say Space Hulk but you'll have to run; the third edition is only getting one print run and there won't be another one until 2039, maybe.
    Also, it has a seriously heavy Sci-Fi bent and stars some of the creepiest foes imaginable (they aren't called genestealers for laughs). Falls heavily into the "Amerigame" category despite being designed and produced in Britain.
    The current edition (released today and selling out fast) comprises a metric fuckton of plastic and card pieces that you use to build maps on which two players duke it out. The ideal game is about 2 hrs long, and involves both players taking each side through one of the twelve missions included.


    EDIT: Also, if you can find it, THUD! is one of the better tie-in games released in the last five years. Think of Chess, but one side consists entirely of queens and the other of kings. Only the kings have partial invulnerability. Trust me, it works. Also, don't be fooled into thinking the game is one-sided; it is entirely possible for the queens to win if they have a good general. :P

    Mr_Rose on
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  • DarianDarian Yellow Wizard The PitRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    Darian had a good list of 2-player games somewhere back when. I'd appreciate it if he wanted to remind me what those were. (Honestly, I was waiting for Darian to make the OP, since he's more informed than I am on this subject.)

    Sorry about that; I've been lazy. I'll go back into the other thread and find my list of good 2p games in a bit, but off the top of my head:

    Classic abstracts:
    Go
    pic38998_t.jpg
    Chess
    pic258070_t.jpg
    Checkers
    pic113720_t.jpg
    Othello/Reversi
    pic287501_t.jpg



    2p only:
    Lost Cities (rummy collection game, sort of)
    pic524477_t.jpg
    Battleline (still haven't played it, but it is supposed to be spectacular)
    pic545381_t.jpg
    1960: The Making of the President (Nixon v. Kennedy)
    pic533388_t.jpg
    Dungeon Twister (wizard chess; no randomness beyond the initial board setup)
    pic471490_t.jpg
    Mr. Jack (quick, adversarial logic)
    pic524495_t.jpg
    Twilight Struggle (no personal experience with this one)
    pic524841_t.jpg



    Abstracts that handle more but work well with 2p:
    Blokus (Travel version for 2p only; I recommend the Trigon version if you often have 3p or 4p, though)
    pic88511_t.jpgpic174139_t.jpg
    Qwirkle
    pic202147_t.jpg
    Ingenious (recommend regular version; travel is 2p only, though, with smaller pieces)
    pic273966_t.jpg



    Themed games that play well with 2p:
    Dominion
    pic528462_t.jpg
    Race for the Galaxy/San Juan/Glory to Rome (these all play similarly; card games for 2-4 players)
    pic501209_t.jpgpic457208_t.jpgpic501754_t.jpg
    Agricola (farming for 1-5, about 30 min. per player)
    pic546039_t.jpg
    Puerto Rico (2p rules on BGG, but really I play San Juan when I want a 2p PR fix)
    pic554159_t.jpg
    Ticket to Ride (any version; Nordic Countries is designed for just 2-3p, though)
    pic521312_t.jpg
    Power Grid
    pic516145_t.jpg



    Cooperative games:
    Pandemic (best quick co-op game)
    pic554219_t.jpg
    Arkham Horror (best long co-op game)
    pic543973_t.jpg
    Lord of the Rings (co-op; can switch to adversarial with the Sauron expansion)
    pic346452_t.jpg

    Huh... maybe I won't go back and track down that other one. Feel free to stick these in the OPs if you want. :P

    Darian on
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    edit: I didn't mind doing the OP. I just didn't want to usurp the honor from our local expert. :P

    Went ahead and ordered Space Hulk to be delivered to the house (Since Glenburnie is too much :effort: to get to.) Man, I miss that 60% discount.

    I figured that I've bought $100 worth of board games before and not been sure whether I got the value out of them, but still felt happy to have them in the collection. If, on the other hand, I decided I really wanted Space Hulk later, I'd really beat myself up over not having gotten a copy. Maybe this will inspire me to paint up my Space Wolf termies too, so I can have some custom game pieces.

    Darkewolfe on
    What is this I don't even.
  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Athenor wrote: »
    Oh, I've been meaning to ask for a while...

    What exactly defines a eurogame versus any others, and why do the people at boardgamegeek seem to have a hard-on for them?

    The difference was explained pretty well above. But generally, it's sort of a continuum that stretches from"Mechanics first, then Theme" (Eurogame) to"Theme first, then Mechanics" (Ameritrash).


    As for the BGG hard-on for Euros? It's the crowd over there really. That's the kind of people that post alot at the site. (Personally I think because Eurogames are more popular with people who love math more then dealing with other people)

    shryke on
  • DarianDarian Yellow Wizard The PitRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Okay, 2p list updated with links and pictures. It's on page one, so should be easy to find this time.

    Darian on
  • Mike DangerMike Danger "Diane..." a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Man, I think I'm sold on Agricola and Galaxy Trucker after seeing the new OP.

    I am playing Bananagrams tonight, will let the threadmind know how it is. (It would have been last night but I watched 30 Rock instead.)

    Mike Danger on
    Steam: Mike Danger | PSN/NNID: remadeking | 3DS: 2079-9204-4075
    oE0mva1.jpg
  • etoychestetoychest Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Played a few games of Betrayal at House on the Hill last night, lost both to the traitor, curses. :)
    betrayal_1.jpg

    We knew he was trouble, particularly when the scientist began inviting cultists downstairs for parties and demon raisings.

    etoychest on
  • Orange SodaOrange Soda Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    etoychest wrote: »
    Played a few games of Betrayal at House on the Hill last night, lost both to the traitor, curses. :)
    betrayal_1.jpg

    We knew he was trouble, particularly when the scientist began inviting cultists downstairs for parties and demon raisings.

    Isn't that game awesome? It is up there in my top 5 best games.

    Orange Soda on
  • etoychestetoychest Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Betrayal is indeed awesome, if unbalanced. We needed a break from Last Night on Earth, and had a lot of fun.

    etoychest on
  • Orange SodaOrange Soda Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    I think I have played it three times now and I won as the traitor (by myself),
    won against the traitor
    and the third time was wierd because people were slowly turning into the traitor and i don't remember who won that game.

    I don't really feel like it is particularly unbalanced.

    Orange Soda on
  • etoychestetoychest Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    It really depends on which Hunt scenerio turns up. Some work out great, some not so much. But altogether it's a really fun game. Quick too, which is a big plus for newcomers I've found.

    Got them excited now to play a different horror-style game next week. I'm thinking Fury of Dracula.

    etoychest on
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    I need to try out Betrayal sometime. I keep hearing these things about it. Additionally, BSG convinced me that I love cooperative traitor games.

    If anyone isn't sold on Galaxy Trucker or Agricola yet, they haven't been hanging around any of the boardgaming threads enough yet. So good. So good. I will say that Galaxy Trucker does have a learning curve. Like any puzzle, doing it a few times makes you better at it. This sometimes makes it less fun for someone who has never played before to jump in a game with guys who play it regularly. Also, I don't think I've lost at that game in months. This makes me enjoy it. :)

    Darkewolfe on
    What is this I don't even.
  • DarianDarian Yellow Wizard The PitRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    I need to try out Betrayal sometime. I keep hearing these things about it. Additionally, BSG convinced me that I love cooperative traitor games.

    If anyone isn't sold on Galaxy Trucker or Agricola yet, they haven't been hanging around any of the boardgaming threads enough yet. So good. So good. I will say that Galaxy Trucker does have a learning curve. Like any puzzle, doing it a few times makes you better at it. This sometimes makes it less fun for someone who has never played before to jump in a game with guys who play it regularly. Also, I don't think I've lost at that game in months. This makes me enjoy it. :)

    aznman and I both enjoyed it (Galaxy Trucker), despite playing against a couple of pros. Even if my ship did get blown away on the final journey.

    Darian on
  • scrivenerjonesscrivenerjones Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    hey what about monopoly

    scrivenerjones on
  • DarianDarian Yellow Wizard The PitRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    hey what about monopoly

    We played Merchant of Venus last night. That's kind of like monopoly... in space. With spaceships exploring and delivering goods and stuff. And a board that you don't have to just move one direction along.

    Good times, but a bit long for the interest to last (like monopoly!). Sadly, we played without any of the combat rules and without equipment taking up hold space, which might have made for a bit more interesting game. Still, all five of us enjoyed it for the 4 hours it took, so that works.

    Darian on
  • Orange SodaOrange Soda Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    hey what about monopoly

    Hehe, nothing wrong with the old classics, but I prefer:

    Settlers of Riskopoly
    http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/27604

    This is the picture of the board of the one and only game of it I have played so far. I highly recommend it!
    I am white and I won by tricking someone into giving me a monopoly early that they didn't realize I was getting. (You need 1 monopoly among other things to win the game).
    qpkr44.jpg

    Orange Soda on
  • giltanisgiltanis Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    etoychest wrote: »
    Played a few games of Betrayal at House on the Hill last night, lost both to the traitor, curses. :)
    betrayal_1.jpg

    We knew he was trouble, particularly when the scientist began inviting cultists downstairs for parties and demon raisings.

    Thats a pretty fun game. Some of the scenarios are horribly unbalanced though and sometimes the traitor or the innocents already have some of the conditions of the win setup before the traitor or scenario have even been chosen. Needless to say that can really unbalance things too.

    EDIT: Oh yah and the underground lake on the 2nd floor of the house :)

    giltanis on
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  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    The problem with Betrayal at House on the Hill, like so many games I want, is that it is OUT OF PRINT.

    DarkPrimus on
  • giltanisgiltanis Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    I could be convinced to part with it for HUGE amounts of money. J/k. I got it totally at random when it was in print without knowing anything about it <laughs>.

    It would be nice if they would write up some new scenarios, polish it a bit, and republish it though.

    giltanis on
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  • Gandalf_the_CrazedGandalf_the_Crazed Vigilo ConfidoRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Is Betrayal at House on the Hill the kind of thing which could be PbP'd? I keep hearing these stories about how fantastic it is, and it makes me curious, you see.

    Gandalf_the_Crazed on
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  • BitstreamBitstream Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Yes, it absolutely is, and if anyone's interested in running one I'm totally on board.

    Hell, I have my copy right here, I should see how easy it would be to run myself.

    Bitstream on
  • DelmainDelmain Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    hey what about monopoly

    Hehe, nothing wrong with the old classics, but I prefer:

    Settlers of Riskopoly
    http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/27604

    This is the picture of the board of the one and only game of it I have played so far. I highly recommend it!
    I am white and I won by tricking someone into giving me a monopoly early that they didn't realize I was getting. (You need 1 monopoly among other things to win the game).
    qpkr44.jpg

    Unacceptable BotP.

    Also, screw that monopoly, none of the rest of us got one the entire game.

    Edit: I was blue and had longest road because I didn't have anything else to do because I got locked into a corner

    Delmain on
  • GoodOmensGoodOmens Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    I've only played Betrayal a handful of times, but the part I love is shared by BSG; a "good guy" player can suddenly and without warning become the bad guy. You spend half the game working in one direction only to have to completely change your focus.

    GoodOmens on
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    IOS Game Center ID: Isotope-X
  • BitstreamBitstream Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    GoodOmens wrote: »
    I've only played Betrayal a handful of times, but the part I love is shared by BSG; a "good guy" player can suddenly and without warning become the bad guy. You spend half the game working in one direction only to have to completely change your focus.

    The downside of this being that my group has slowly adopted an every-man-for-himself playstyle from the first round.

    Flashlight batteries dead? Too bad, you'll just have to feel your way over here in the dark.

    Bitstream on
  • Orange SodaOrange Soda Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Bitstream wrote: »
    Yes, it absolutely is, and if anyone's interested in running one I'm totally on board.

    Hell, I have my copy right here, I should see how easy it would be to run myself.

    Oh man, I would be so down!

    Oh and to everyone else that is playing the game, do you all make sure to use the extensively available errata for the game? I know when I have played, the guy that has a copy has an entire folder and like 1 print out for both the traitors and non-traitors for each of the 50 scenarios.

    Orange Soda on
  • Orange SodaOrange Soda Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Delmain wrote: »
    hey what about monopoly

    Hehe, nothing wrong with the old classics, but I prefer:

    Settlers of Riskopoly
    http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/27604

    This is the picture of the board of the one and only game of it I have played so far. I highly recommend it!
    I am white and I won by tricking someone into giving me a monopoly early that they didn't realize I was getting. (You need 1 monopoly among other things to win the game).
    qpkr44.jpg

    Unacceptable BotP.

    Also, screw that monopoly, none of the rest of us got one the entire game.

    Edit: I was blue and had longest road because I didn't have anything else to do because I got locked into a corner

    Yeah that is why i wanna play it again to see if that monopoly is the major driving force to prevent someone from winning. Another valid strat could def. be to drop a ton of settlers/risk pieces to get more monopoly money and to try to buy everything possible on that board to whittle down the player with a monopoly and hotels. IDK we should hit that up again soon.

    Orange Soda on
  • LightRiderLightRider __BANNED USERS regular
    edited September 2009
    So I lost the TI3 game a while back.

    Thank GOD! Winner always puts up in our games, HAHAHA!

    LightRider on
  • Orange SodaOrange Soda Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    LightRider wrote: »
    So I lost the TI3 game a while back.

    Thank GOD! Winner always puts up in our games, HAHAHA!

    Awww that is a shitty rule. I usually clean it all up anyway to get it how I like, but any little bit helps. I feel like everyone should put their color back into its own bag and help gather all the rest of the appropriate pieces into a pile and THEN let the owned of the game put it away how he likes.

    Orange Soda on
  • LightRiderLightRider __BANNED USERS regular
    edited September 2009
    Well it's not like we don't help out a bit...

    LightRider on
  • BitstreamBitstream Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Ok, so it looks like running a pbp for Betrayal will be pretty damn easy.

    I hereby volunteer to run a game.

    It won't start until later this week (tomorrow night EST at the earliest), but I'll put together a thread today and get signups going.

    Bitstream on
  • etoychestetoychest Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Sounds fun, can't wait :)

    Running a game of Last Night on Earth tonight. The zombies, they are hungry.

    etoychest on
  • BitstreamBitstream Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    The Thread is up. Six slots open, get 'em while they're hot.

    Bitstream on
This discussion has been closed.