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[Board Games] Cardboard Action at a Distance

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Posts

  • Virgil_Leads_YouVirgil_Leads_You Proud Father House GardenerRegistered User regular
    Yeah, 7 wonders is weird setup-wise as is. Needing to setup the exact amount of cards per player. It almost becomes a team building exercise with folk finding cards, shuffling, setting up groups of 7.

    I have little baggies for each player grouping and the guilds.
    The symbols of the base game go through that same hoop of needing the language learned and experienced, so I'm less bothered by the expansion. I like how wild the combos can get, and the different ways it can go.

    I kinda actively hate the heavy lifting on symbols on cards in general though, and there are def more symbols in both expansions

    VayBJ4e.png
  • TertieeTertiee Registered User regular
    The Augmented 7 Wonders app is a godsend if you're playing with expansions. No need to look through three books to find what a symbol means, the app identifies and spells out the meaning nearly instantly.

  • ChaosHatChaosHat Hop, hop, hop, HA! Trick of the lightRegistered User regular
    I would like to add another PRO to my earlier Sushi Go pros and cons list: Does not require app or three rulebooks to understand what inscrutable symbols mean.

  • WearingglassesWearingglasses Of the friendly neighborhood variety Registered User regular
    Inscrutable symbols are indispensable for people who do not speak English.

  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    Dark Moon is my favorite social deduction game.

    For 7+ ? I'd go with Bloodbound. It's fast to teach and fast to play. A learning game where you fumble is no big deal because it's only 10-15 minutes. When it's your turn, your own decision is final so the game isn't always dominated by the pushy people who yell the loudest. Also, it's not a bummer to get picked on because being "picked on" means you get to turn more turns than everyone else since the turn goes to the player who was attacked.

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    Inscrutable symbols are indispensable for people who do not speak English.

    Yes but it's an example of iconography done very poorly

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • JonBobJonBob Registered User regular
    Inscrutable symbols are indispensable for people who do not speak English.
    The correct approach is to include both a symbolic representation, as an aid for those who don't speak the language and so it can be understood from farther across the table, and also a textual description so that referencing a manual is not necessary. Not enough games do this. It's one of the big reasons I prefer Roll for the Galaxy vs. Race for the Galaxy.

    jswidget.php?username=JonBob&numitems=10&header=1&text=none&images=small&show=recentplays&imagesonly=1&imagepos=right&inline=1&domains%5B%5D=boardgame&imagewidget=1
  • ChaosHatChaosHat Hop, hop, hop, HA! Trick of the lightRegistered User regular
    If people can't figure out what the icon means from looking at it then it's not a good symbol in any language!

  • Raw ConcreteRaw Concrete Registered User regular
    JonBob wrote: »
    Inscrutable symbols are indispensable for people who do not speak English.
    The correct approach is to include both a symbolic representation, as an aid for those who don't speak the language and so it can be understood from farther across the table, and also a textual description so that referencing a manual is not necessary. Not enough games do this. It's one of the big reasons I prefer Roll for the Galaxy vs. Race for the Galaxy.

    To be fair, (and not that you're saying otherwise) this approach adds burden on the publisher. Now you have to localize the rule book and the components, print stock of language-specific versions of components and you create multiple sources of truth for rules. Which despite best intentions can drift, or be restricted by component space for comparative clarity. So I can understand why many just don't bother and stick with symbols only, as a good rule book gets you a lot of the way there.

    I'll argue that you can create an effective 'language' of icons that don't make sense intuitively to someone that hasn't learned a game yet, but have a fairly consistent meaning once you have been taught from the rules proper. Even good icons start to become ineffective vs text if there's too many of them -- some of us do like our games complex! I think when even native speakers are constantly having to look up icons after multiple plays, you've gone too far :biggrin: .

    Oh, come and shake me 'till I'm dry
  • GvzbgulGvzbgul Registered User regular
    Seven players is my Secret Hitler magic number. Lower than 7 and Hitler knows who the fascists are but at 7 and up Hitler is left in a wonderful state of paranoia as they wonder who their friends are. It's what makes the game stand out from my other hidden traitor games and if I can't play it with that rule then I'll just play one of those instead.

  • HamHamJHamHamJ Registered User regular
    Shadowhunters frankly destroys the whole point of hidden role social deduction games by making it completely random as to what if anything you can even do. It is like 90% luck. And don't even get me started on how ass it is to play Bob.

    While racing light mechs, your Urbanmech comes in second place, but only because it ran out of ammo.
  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    ChaosHat wrote: »
    If people can't figure out what the icon means from looking at it then it's not a good symbol in any language!

    yes hello i do own Apocrypha and you can absolutely go to hell for bringing it up

  • 38thDoe38thDoe lets never be stupid again wait lets always be stupid foreverRegistered User regular
    Finally got to play my copy of Feast for Odin on Monday. Wife bought it for me on my birthday but it was rendered inoperable by lack of the expansion. (Its really hard to go back)
    Had a great game, managed to get 3 islands and 2 sheds and only lose... 30 points for the lot of it. Also I managed to not raid/pillage constantly which is outside of my comfort zone.

    I really like the game. I know it is very overwhelming to learn/teach but playing it feels good. I love how the shapes are always a constantly evolving puzzle. I just wish I'd stop drawing that bospourus farmer card. Every game!

    38thDoE on steam
    🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀🦑🦀
    
  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    ChaosHat wrote: »
    If people can't figure out what the icon means from looking at it then it's not a good symbol in any language!

    yes hello i do own Apocrypha and you can absolutely go to hell for bringing it up

    I talked myself out of picking it up at PAXU despite the guy at their booth offering a rather good deal because the freeplay game borrowing copy required a dictionary to sort out the terminology enough to play it.

    The game itself isn't bad, but it took WAY too long to sort out.

    kshu0oba7xnr.png

  • GvzbgulGvzbgul Registered User regular
    I'm in the Klask klub too now. I justified it as a Christmas present fir no one in particular but now I'm thinking it was just for me.

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Auralynx wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    ChaosHat wrote: »
    If people can't figure out what the icon means from looking at it then it's not a good symbol in any language!

    yes hello i do own Apocrypha and you can absolutely go to hell for bringing it up

    I talked myself out of picking it up at PAXU despite the guy at their booth offering a rather good deal because the freeplay game borrowing copy required a dictionary to sort out the terminology enough to play it.

    The game itself isn't bad, but it took WAY too long to sort out.

    actually the game itself is bad

  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    Auralynx wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    ChaosHat wrote: »
    If people can't figure out what the icon means from looking at it then it's not a good symbol in any language!

    yes hello i do own Apocrypha and you can absolutely go to hell for bringing it up

    I talked myself out of picking it up at PAXU despite the guy at their booth offering a rather good deal because the freeplay game borrowing copy required a dictionary to sort out the terminology enough to play it.

    The game itself isn't bad, but it took WAY too long to sort out.

    actually the game itself is bad

    I mean, I'll defer to your apparently-greater experience with it, but once we had things fairly well figured-out it appeared to be basically a variation on the Pathfinder card game with a lot more levers to pull.

    kshu0oba7xnr.png

  • MrBodyMrBody Registered User regular
    HamHamJ wrote: »
    Shadowhunters frankly destroys the whole point of hidden role social deduction games by making it completely random as to what if anything you can even do. It is like 90% luck. And don't even get me started on how ass it is to play Bob.

    Part of the greatness of Bloodbound is that it completely obsoleted Shadow Hunters.

    (the other is that it's the only deduction game I have that's managed to draw people away from playing Resistance/Secret Hitler/Clocktower for the 500th time)

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Auralynx wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    Auralynx wrote: »
    Magic Pink wrote: »
    ChaosHat wrote: »
    If people can't figure out what the icon means from looking at it then it's not a good symbol in any language!

    yes hello i do own Apocrypha and you can absolutely go to hell for bringing it up

    I talked myself out of picking it up at PAXU despite the guy at their booth offering a rather good deal because the freeplay game borrowing copy required a dictionary to sort out the terminology enough to play it.

    The game itself isn't bad, but it took WAY too long to sort out.

    actually the game itself is bad

    I mean, I'll defer to your apparently-greater experience with it, but once we had things fairly well figured-out it appeared to be basically a variation on the Pathfinder card game with a lot more levers to pull.

    the real issue with it is Pathfinder is better in literally every way but theme. they took a good game, gave it a new, admittedly awesome, setting and then took away all the parts of the old game that made it good.

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    then they took a bunch of toothpicks, broke them into little pieces, threw them at some glue paper and said THERE'S OUR ICONOGRAPHY

  • PowerpuppiesPowerpuppies drinking coffee in the mountain cabinRegistered User regular
    Gvzbgul wrote: »
    I'm in the Klask klub too now. I justified it as a Christmas present fir no one in particular but now I'm thinking it was just for me.

    explain it to me!

    sig.gif
  • FryFry Registered User regular
    Pathfinder card game is not something that should be a physical game, having to construct and then break down eleven hundred decks every time you want to play sucks

  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Fry wrote: »
    Pathfinder card game is not something that should be a physical game, having to construct and then break down eleven hundred decks every time you want to play sucks

    They have a digital version now!

  • GvzbgulGvzbgul Registered User regular
    Gvzbgul wrote: »
    I'm in the Klask klub too now. I justified it as a Christmas present fir no one in particular but now I'm thinking it was just for me.

    explain it to me!
    Well, sometimes when you read this thread you see someone buy a game and then you buy the game too. Because there's a weird hivemind effect going on that is unhealthy for your wallet. As for the game itself, it hasn't arrived yet. But it seems like a neato little game that you can play with anyone. I don't really consider it a "boardgame", is airhockey a board game? But its lovely because it's a physical thing that people can grasp easily. A perfect coffee table game.

    Hmm, while I used the term because it felt right, I haven't really thought about it before. A "coffee table game" is a game for your coffee table. Simple rules, tokens/bits you can pick up? usually made of wood? Tic tac toe would be the usual one, maybe the tics are sheep and toes are dogs or something. Chess might be another. My auntie has Cathedral. I don't think Klask would live on top of the coffee table, but it might live under it? That game that Penny Arcade promoted, Push Fight, would be a good contender for a coffee table game.

  • FryFry Registered User regular
    Klask is a coffee table game, in that it is a little table that is about big enough for you to put a cup of coffee on

  • MaclayMaclay Insquequo Totus Es Unus Here and ThereRegistered User regular
    Gvzbgul wrote: »
    I'm in the Klask klub too now. I justified it as a Christmas present fir no one in particular but now I'm thinking it was just for me.

    explain it to me!

    Klask is a two player game not unlike air hockey. Your goal is to hit a ball into a small recessed area on your opponents side of the board. The game mechanic of note is the use of magnets. The player piece you use to manipulate the ball is controlled from under the board, where there is also a barrier stopping you from entering the opponents side of the field. You gain a point if the ball ends up in your opponent's goal, or if your opponent's player piece is irretrievably detached from its control piece, or they get stuck in their own goal, or they have two of three of the small white magnets that are also on the field attached to them. While I have not played Klask, the play-throughs of it that I've watched made it seem fun

  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    Quick thoughts...

    Imperial assault core, new for $53. Do it?

    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
  • MNC DoverMNC Dover Full-time Voice Actor Kirkland, WARegistered User regular
    Athenor wrote: »
    Quick thoughts...

    Imperial assault core, new for $53. Do it?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQRW0RM4V0k

    Need a voice actor? Hire me at bengrayVO.com
    Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
    Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051
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  • FryFry Registered User regular
    Athenor wrote: »
    Quick thoughts...

    Imperial assault core, new for $53. Do it?

    No opinion on the price, but if you can get some friends over for an RPG lite experience, it's a good time.

  • crimsoncoyotecrimsoncoyote Registered User regular
    It's best with the companion app, but I like it a lot

  • PowerpuppiesPowerpuppies drinking coffee in the mountain cabinRegistered User regular
    hmmm a 2player magnet game sounds great, ever since i got to play with Polarity once

    but i don't need more 2player games :(

    sig.gif
  • Ah_PookAh_Pook Registered User regular
    Athenor wrote: »
    Quick thoughts...

    Imperial assault core, new for $53. Do it?

    If you have a dedicated 2p opponent and you want to spend a lot of money the skirmish mode is supposed to be a cool thing.

  • VyolynceVyolynce Registered User regular
    Got my first two games of Tapestry in last night (back-to-back, both 3p). Lost both; G1 Inventors went crazy, G2 (handicapped) Futurists had an absurd late game. Both winning scores were just under 200, IIRC.

    For my part I managed 3/4 accurate predictions with the Mystics in my first game ever, which would have been 4/4 had I had any clue how difficult maxing out tracks would be (I thought 2 was a conservative guess). I probably lowballed a couple; once I hit my marks I was reluctant to advance past them which impaired a couple of late-game decisions, although not much.

    G2 I went Militants and was still in Age 1 when everyone else was in Age 3 thanks to exploring and conquering up a bunch of extra resources. Kinda petered out at the end, though, as I didn't have a very good income infrastructure.

    As first games go we all enjoyed it (hence the immediate second session) and will probably come back soon. It's definitely a gane that rewards familiarity.

    nedhf8b6a4rj.jpgsig.gif
    AC:NH Chris from Glosta SW-5173-3598-2899 DA-4749-1014-4697 @vyolynce@mastodon.social
  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    My copy of Kingdom Hearts Talisman will be here today

    it's me i'm the weeb worship me

  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    Ah_Pook wrote: »
    Athenor wrote: »
    Quick thoughts...

    Imperial assault core, new for $53. Do it?

    If you have a dedicated 2p opponent and you want to spend a lot of money the skirmish mode is supposed to be a cool thing.

    Wait, back up a sec.

    ... you think I actually PLAY my board games?

    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
  • VyolynceVyolynce Registered User regular
    Vyolynce wrote: »

    G2 I went Militants and was still in Age 1 when everyone else was in Age 3 thanks to exploring and conquering up a bunch of extra resources. Kinda petered out at the end, though, as I didn't have a very good income infrastructure.

    Turns out I was playing them incorrectly. What I thought were one-time bonuses were really additional income. That might have helped!

    nedhf8b6a4rj.jpgsig.gif
    AC:NH Chris from Glosta SW-5173-3598-2899 DA-4749-1014-4697 @vyolynce@mastodon.social
  • tzeentchlingtzeentchling Doctor of Rocks OaklandRegistered User regular
    Puzzle for you. One half of a couple prefers trivia style games. The other half prefers strategy games (in this case, using Risk as an example). Neither are particularly heavy gamers, but enjoy playing every now and then.

    What board game would you recommend for them to pick up next?

  • VyolynceVyolynce Registered User regular
    Puzzle for you. One half of a couple prefers trivia style games. The other half prefers strategy games (in this case, using Risk as an example). Neither are particularly heavy gamers, but enjoy playing every now and then.

    What board game would you recommend for them to pick up next?

    I don't think that Venn diagram has an intersection. Maybe something like an EXIT/Escape game?

    nedhf8b6a4rj.jpgsig.gif
    AC:NH Chris from Glosta SW-5173-3598-2899 DA-4749-1014-4697 @vyolynce@mastodon.social
  • Magic PinkMagic Pink Tur-Boner-Fed Registered User regular
    Puzzle for you. One half of a couple prefers trivia style games. The other half prefers strategy games (in this case, using Risk as an example). Neither are particularly heavy gamers, but enjoy playing every now and then.

    What board game would you recommend for them to pick up next?

    Fog of Love

  • GvzbgulGvzbgul Registered User regular
    The Cold War game? I forget the name. Probably not suitable but it is a game that fuzes knkwlege of history and tactics and strategy.

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