The Board Game Thread

[von Boom]

I'm taking a risk on pledging a Kickstarter for Conan:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/806316071/conan

The minis are gorgeous.

[locustsofdeath!]

Yikes! That game looks gorgeous!

I think for the first time ever, I'm going to support a kickstarter...

[Timothy]

Then look one Kickstarter down. If Tiny Epic Galaxies is half as much fun as Tiny Epic Kingdoms it's surely worth a punt.

[shaolin_monkey]

I introduced my nine year old to the joys of Carcassonne last weekend. She thrashed me.

[TordelBack]

I introduced my nine year old to the joys of Carcassonne last weekend. She thrashed me.

They will do that. My 8 yr old has been slaughtering us at Catan for 2 years now, and last summer he beat a whole table of experienced adults in the pub.  We've long since stopped going easy on him at Carcasonne and Munchkin, and games now frequently feature the wife and I ganging up on him if we're to have any chance at all. Kids pick up stuff terrifyingly quickly,and are merciless to boot.

I remain Pokemon champion, and the missus dominates the Qwirkle rankings, but for how long?

[Keef Monkey]

This looks a bit of a laugh and a bit different so grabbed tickets - Rab Florence is hosting a live session of Dungeons & Dragons as part of the Glasgow Film Festival, fiver entry.

http://www.theskinny.co.uk/events/83590-dungeons_dragons_live

[radiator]

I backed the Kickstarter for a new card game called Exploding Kittens co-created by the cartoonist Matt Inman (aka The Oatmeal). Sound really fun, like a cross between Uno and Russian Roulette, and looks like it'll be a fine accompaniment to Cards Against Humanity.

The Kickstarter has really blown up - they were initially asking for $10,000 - the current total stands at over $4m... 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/elanlee/exploding-kittens

[Emp]

Kragmortha - by the people that brought you Aye Dark Overlord (and if you haven't played that shame on you). Kragmortha continues the idea of  Aye Dark Overlord  and puts in a board game instead of a card game.

The premise is the same in both games...bring down the wrath of the overlord on someone else! This time there is the added point of srealing books of power from the Dark Overlord.

Aye Dark Overlord is the better game but if you have friends who struggle to make up stories on the fly to excuse their incompetence Kragmortha levels the playing field by allowing all the stitch ups to be done by moving pieces on a board.

The withering looks handed out by the Overlord in  Aye Dark Overlord are still there although slightly changed. In  Aye Dark Overlord  once you had three withering looks you were done, in Kragmortha it is slightly different. A withering look in Kragmortha results in a penalty, from using your fingers like lobster claws to balancing a card on your head and everything in between. Failing in one of these tasks earns another withering look and another penalty. so a game that was long, drawn out and tactical can suddenly come to a sudden (and hilarious) end.

[Dark Jimbo]

Ghostbusters!!!!!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cze/ghostbusters-the-board-game

[Emp]

Finally got myself a copy of Heimlich & Co...go check it out!

[Keef Monkey]

The Dungeons & Dragons live thing at the CCA last night was a lot of fun. Haven't played D&D before (just Warhammer and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles RPG which seemed to be D&D rules) so was really interesting to see a session play out. Walked out of it really excited to get some new board games and get properly stuck back into them.

So today I've bought this bad boy and can't wait to get it home and crack it open. Sounds fantastic, but have never played one of these 'deck building' games so curious to see what it's actually like to play.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/board-games/

[Keef Monkey]

Had a wee solo run through the first film campaign of that Alien game, just to familiarize with the rules. Not the easiest game to unbox and organize (especially if you don't know what all the cards are for when you try and do it initially) but after watching a playthrough video and THEN reading the rules it made a lot more sense. I'm totally new to the deck building card thing.

Really enjoyed it, the mechanics do a great job of recreating the film scenarios - managed to dodge the eggs and get to the SOS, then sealed the Nostromo ventilation shafts and then came a cropper when the alien arrived and killed me before I could force it to the airlock to flush it out.

Seems like a cracking game, can't wait to get more people round a table to play it.

[Satanist]

Played the Game of Thrones Board Game last weekend. 7 hours later I think we were starting to get the hang of it. Fuck me thatsalotta rules 

Should be better next time but theres not a chance of the same mates comin back for more.

[Emp]

I have a rule for board and card games.....if it takes more than half an hour to set up fuck it. Unless rules are clear to understand and can be picked up quick the game is going to sit in a cupboard for years as no one will want to give it the time of day.

I have been gaming for 30+ years and it always comes back to how quickly people can get into a game. If it's a long set up people have lost interest before you even start, which is why i have to recommend German games, Der Ausrisser, Willi whacker( Andy Capp, but the name is funnier in German), Midnight Party and Heimlich &Co. Also Grass, Nuclear War, Cash $ Guns, Zombies, Zombie Town...easy to learn and fast flowing!

[radiator]

Yep, I tend to agree. Complex, longwinded board games are a nice idea in theory, but in reality it's hard enough just to get a game of something relatively simple like Carcassonne going with the people I know. I also find the Euro style games have a sort of goofy charm to them which can already a bit outside of most people's comfort zones - trying to get a game of anything super serious or nerdy looking is a total non-starter.

In my experience, the response I've got to Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride etc has been a unanimous 'let's play again' which is what you want. No one likes a board game that drags, I think 20-45 minutes is optimal.

Cards Against Humanity continues to dominate at the moment though - I have all the official expansions and the big box, plus some exclusive sets I got for signing up for their 12 Days of Christmas promotion which included my own name on a Black and White card (so I am now a 'question' and 'answer') which is just awesome.

Looking forward to Exploding Kittens.

Noticed a game called 'Splendour' just won the Golden Geek - tempted to buy a copy.