2000 AD Online Forum

General Chat => Games => Topic started by: radiator on 21 February, 2014, 03:13:04 PM

Title: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 21 February, 2014, 03:13:04 PM
I'm gambling that there's a fair few board game players on this board, so thought I'd start a thread for general discussion, tips, news and especially recommendations etc of all thing board game - primarily 'serious' board and card games, but also happy to chat RPGs (though not a RPG guy myself) or the more common varieties (your Parker Brothers/Waddingtons/Hasbro etc).

I've recently dipped my toe in the board game waters when I, on a whim, requested a copy of Carcassonne for my birthday. It remained in its box for 6 months, and everyone I showed/told about it were very skeptical, but eventually I managed to convince a few friends and relatives to try a game with me, and it turns out it's fantastic fun - seriously, if you've never played it I can highly recommend it - it's extremely simple and quick to learn, gently competitive but not too much so, and really fast-paced too - an average game lasts about half an hour.

Its got to the point now where I've started a mini craze for the game in my social circle (had my family visiting recently and it was lovely that every night we'd all gather round the table for a few games, prying them away from their phones and tablets for a couple of hours!), and I've also bought the first two (of many) expansion sets - 'Inns and Cathedrals' and 'Traders and Builders'. I've also bought the iPad version, which is great for practice, but is a somewhat tweaked version of the board game.

I have a friend who's into the more hardcore side of things, and have played the Walking Dead board game with him, which was really good fun, but I tend to find it can be really hard to get a game of the more complicated games going as the average person is put off by the complexity (though funnily enough most people will play a game of the - imo - tedious and long-winded Monopoly - go figure).

I've heard good things about The Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride and Fluxx - and I'm sorely tempted to buy the Fantasy Flight Game of Thrones board game too (despite fearing that I'll never be able to convince anyone to play it with me!). The new Star Wars X-Wing/TIE Fighter game looks intriguing, but perhaps a little too nerdy/expensive to bother with.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 21 February, 2014, 03:47:57 PM
Settlers is a lot of fun. Sounds dead complicated at the start but is actually dead simple. Can be very quick to play if people dont get bogged down in what they want to do rather than looking at what they can actually do (i.e. long periods of staring at cards and trying to trade things).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 21 February, 2014, 03:51:43 PM
Yeah, I did find that in Carcassonne my sister would stare at her tile for bloody aaaaaaages, which really slowed the whole pace of the game down.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 21 February, 2014, 04:08:04 PM
ha.my dad does that playing scrabble - stares at his tiles for hours them puts down a 2 letter word.

Caracassonne* does look good. Sadly, I don't really know anyone who'd be up for boardgames beyond the occasional round of scrabble or backgammon. I put in a bid for the Rogue Trooper and Judge Dredd boardgames on ebay a while ago purely from nostalgia (I LOVED these two!!!) but was quite relieved not to win as I'd never get a chance to play 'em.

* And if you ever get a chance, visit the real place - I have fond memories of a school holiday when I was 14 - the walled city is almost intact and my friends and I spent hours racing around the walls playing real life D&D (while the cool kids were chatting up French girls and buying flick knives)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 21 February, 2014, 04:11:13 PM
I'm a huge board game fan. I started way back when with HeroQuest and Space Crusade (my first foray into games was Crossbows & Catapults, but I suppose it's debateable whether or not that's a board game), and then Advanced HeroQuest and Space Crusade, Warhammer Quest, Blood Bowl and other Games Workshop Games.

Space Hulk was my favorite then, and the newer edition is one of my favorites now. It has incredible atmosphere for a boardgame. It's intense, suspenseful, with plenty of of action. Just an outstanding game.

I meet with a boardgaming group every two weeks, and some of our favorites are Descent, Last Night on Earth and Mansions of Madness. Zombies!! gets a lot of play, too, because it's incredibly cusomizable, and you can tailor the simple rule system to pretty much any style of game you want to play.

My girlsfriend and I play Catan, 7 Wonders and Small World, all three great fun.

Good thread, glad you posted it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 21 February, 2014, 04:18:05 PM
Yeah I'm more of the era of the old Games Workshop stuff, so Talisman, Kings and Things etc. Played a lot of Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper and some friends and I had a Blood Bowl league (damn my affection for Skraven could never get the tactics right for them!). Played and loved all those sorts of things.

Then the same time I drifted from comics same thing happened to boardgames, except I never got back into them as basically I don't know anybody who'd not look at me with utter contempt if I suggested playing one other than Risk (I have friends who love Risk), Scrabble or Backgammon and or Chess which my wife and I go through phases of playing.

I'd love to go back to those days when four friend playing a board game for three hours before cracking on with our latest Marvel RPG scenario were a possibility!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 21 February, 2014, 04:23:18 PM
Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 21 February, 2014, 04:18:05 PM
if I suggested playing one other than Risk

Oh, yep. Forgot about Risk. We play a lot of that.

I tried Axis and Allies and didn't care for it, much. It seemed overly complicated for what it was trying to do, especially as Risk does the same thing but better.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 21 February, 2014, 04:28:54 PM
Quoteha.my dad does that playing scrabble - stares at his tiles for hours them puts down a 2 letter word.

:lol:

QuoteCaracassonne* does look good. Sadly, I don't really know anyone who'd be up for boardgames beyond the occasional round of scrabble or backgammon.

That's a shame - my advice would be to just buy it anyway - it's only £20 and even if you play it a handful of times it'll be money well spent. I found at first that reactions of others were very dismissive/negative - people would wrinkle their noses etc, and admittedly, from the box it does look a bit shit, and seeing a game in progress can make it look very complicated, but it really isn't. I tend to introduce people to it by playing without 'farmers' or 'The River', which makes it even simpler and quicker, enough for even a young child to understand. It's also great thing to take down the pub - my local actually have a stash of games inc Carcassonne, Catan and Fluxx, and when we had a recent Carcassonne marathon we had lots of people coming over to ask about it. The same pub used to run a regular game night, but it got canned because of poor turnout.

QuoteI'm a huge board game fan. I started way back when with HeroQuest and Space Crusade (my first foray into games was Crossbows & Catapults, but I suppose it's debateable whether or not that's a board game), and then Advanced HeroQuest and Space Crusade, Warhammer Quest, Blood Bowl and other Games Workshop Games.

Space Hulk was my favorite then, and the newer edition is one of my favorites now. It has incredible atmosphere for a boardgame. It's intense, suspenseful, with plenty of of action. Just an outstanding game.

I meet with a boardgaming group every two weeks, and some of our favorites are Descent, Last Night on Earth and Mansions of Madness. Zombies!! gets a lot of play, too, because it's incredibly cusomizable, and you can tailor the simple rule system to pretty much any style of game you want to play.

My girlsfriend and I play Catan, 7 Wonders and Small World, all three great fun.

Good thread, glad you posted it.

Interesting tips there, I'll definitely check them out.

I had Hero Quest too, and a friend had Space Crusade. I have fond memories of both, but I was always shite at it - we used to buy all the expansions for them, which made them even harder! My board game friend owns the new edition of Space Hulk, and is really keen to get a copy of the original HQ off eBay (where it goes for silly money). There was a Kickstarter for a new 25th Anniversary edition  of HQ a couple of months back but it got pulled because of licensing issues.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 21 February, 2014, 05:10:09 PM
Yeeeaahh! I've been thinking recently about starting such a thread. In the last few years my brother and I have got back into boardgames in a big way, roping in various other friends/girlfriends/parents along the way - everyone usually starts off quite sceptical, but it usually only takes a game or two for them to get the bug. Whenever we go round someone's house now wer'e usually asked to bring a pile of our games with us.

Here's a photo of some of our more readily accessible games - we have about another ten elsewhere in the house -

(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a113/Darkjimbo2/games_zpsf58549e5.jpg~original) (http://s10.photobucket.com/user/Darkjimbo2/media/games_zpsf58549e5.jpg.html)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: mimikeke on 21 February, 2014, 05:37:14 PM
I'll put in a vote for Space Hulk:Death Angel.  It's a very compact and easy game to pick up (you literally roll dice, although there is strategy).  Basically you are space marines fighting against invading aliens a la movie!Alien.  The rate of players surviving this game is like zilch, which sounds unfun but it's quite hilarious.  We turned it into a drinking game where you drink when your characters die :p

Another fun and super easy game to pick up is Lords of Waterdeep.  There is a story to it but in essence you collect colored pieces (corresponding to classes such as mage, rogue) to complete missions :) ill post more about it later!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 21 February, 2014, 08:56:56 PM
Gaming is a big thing for me and I have been collecting RPG's and board/card games for years. Here's a list of my fav board/card games (in no particular order).

AYE, DARK OVERLORD - A fun little card game where players take on the rolls of incompetent minions, who with the help of their cards try to explain why they failed in the task set for the by the Dark Overlord (another player).
Cards are of two groups, places - The Castle of dreary memories, the Well of forgetfulness etc that the players use to make their story and pass left or right for passing the buck when the player starts to flag. There's also an interrupt allowing you to butt in and "correct" someone.
The loser is the player who gets 3 scowls from the Dark Overlord for their incompetence.

Play time 30-60 mins

DER AUSRIESER - A German card game based on the tour de france. A strategic game that relies on you trying to break other players by setting and maintaining a speed they cannot match thus earning them penalty points.

A hand lasts about 20-30 minutes - one hand per player. Winner the person with least accumulated penalty points.

NUCLEAR WAR - A fun if tasteless game of mutually assured destruction. Players are dealt a hand of population cards ranging from 1-25 million people and a hand of play cards which consist of propoganda, carriers, warheads, secrets, top secrets and spies. Secrets and top secrets have to be announced immediately , allowing other players to use spies to take them. Regardless if they are stolen or not the secret takes effect, some are good and some are really bad.
After the secrets are out of the way players lay 3 cards face down, adding to the bottom each turn and revealing the top, so remembering what you previously placed is crucial. The first few rounds are usually taken up with propoganda as players lure the population of other players to their country. But it's only a matter of time before some puts up a missile and the nukes start flying. It's not unusual for there to be no winners as once nuked out each player can launch a final strike causing a cascade effect.

Play time  is about an hour.

MIDNIGHT PARTY - A fun end of evening game about partygoers in a haunted house. Each player controls several guests at the party and can place them where they like on the board. On their turn they roll a six sided die and move one guest that many spaces. The die has no 6 but a ghost instead. Rolling the ghost results in HUGO, the ghost moving 3 spaces. He starts in the cellar and after 3 ghost rolls appears at the party and panic enues as everyone tries to lock themselves in a room. The rooms can only be entered on a  correct roll (if you need to move 4 spaces to get in a room a 5 won't do). The rooms are score from -1 to 3.

Play is usually 3 parties and takes about 60 mins.

CASH $ GUNS - Bank robbers splitting the loot of their latest crime. Each player is armed with a foam pistol which they point at a player of their choosing  in an attempt to make them back down from claiming their share. The gun pointing is accompanied with a card which is either "CLICK", a bluff, "BANG", a shot or "BANG BANG BANG" ANOTHER SHOT BUT ONE THAT GOES FIRST. Winner is the player with the most cash.

Play time 60-90 mins.


GRASS - The drug dealing card game. Players try to set up a market for their goods while trying to avoid getting caught with the paranoia cards of SOLD OUT, DOUBLE CROSSED AND UTTERLY WIPED OUT, having theirs deals stolen by other players or being HEATED by the law. Players can trade cards and generally screw each other over until someone closes the market. Than it's a matter of counting the deals and taking the minus points for paranoia cards. A  brilliant wee game.

Play time 30 mins a hand , 1 hand per player.

KING OF TOKYO - Big monsters beating the crap out of each other in Tokyo. Cards can be bought using energy cubes gained in the game to make your monster tougher. Simple game but very fun.

Play time 60-120 mins

FAMILY BUSINESS - A strategic card game where players take contol of a 1920's crime family and try to rub out the competition by placing rival gang members on the "Wall" using contracts. Once sufficient people are on the wall a gang war starts, killing one person each turn til none are left on the wall. As mob war starts everyone scrambles to remove their gangsters from the wall using substitutions, and cards that allow the order to be changed, all the while hoping no-one plays "The St Valentines Day Massacre", killing everyone on the wall.

Play time - 30-60 mins.

NEOLITHIBUM - A boardgame best played after a few drinks. The idea is that as a stone age society the players must build a monument to their god using rocks of various sizes (yes the game comes with a bag of rocks). The fun part is that players can manipulate how said rocks are place, from wearing someone elses glasses to standing on one leg with your nose on the table and using only your little fingers!

Play time - 60 mins but usually double that for the hysterics.

With the exception of Neolithibum and Midnight Party  these are all pretty easy to get a hold of.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 22 February, 2014, 10:56:55 AM
Bloody hell, Jimbo! You'll have to let us know which ones are your favourites. I've heard good things about Pandemic.

Was looking around online yesterday and a game called 'Neuroshima Hex' caught my eye. Apparently the iPad version is very good.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 22 February, 2014, 11:09:42 AM
If anyone's interested I can confirm that X Wing is really, really good fun.
It's easy to learn and fast paced and you can have a great game without spending money on expansions.
Having said that, some of the expansions are pretty great and if you want to build up large fleets you can do stuff like this: http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/80600-just-another-death-star-trench-run/

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Bissler on 22 February, 2014, 11:22:17 AM
The Games Workshop Judge Dredd RPG got me started with gaming back in the late 80's.  I used to love GMing that!  I've since played quite a few RPGs although Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Cyberpunk were my favourites.  Sadly I don't have enough people to play RPGs with these days though if I could I would use Cyberpunk to play a sort of Dredd version of the game where the players are the perps.  Kind of GTA MC-1!

So far as board gaming goes, I'd echo calls above to give Space Hulk a go, it's a good straightforward, enjoyable game to try out.  That said, Epic is my favourite game.  It's Warhammer 40,000 with 6mm figures rather than 28mm.  The smaller scale makes for larger scale conflicts.  If anyone is interested, I recently posted a video showing a game in progress;

http://youtu.be/leaEfH26GZc

Feedback welcomed!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 22 February, 2014, 01:22:18 PM
Growing up in Germany, I had an early exposure to a lot of 'Euro' style games - the one I have the fondest memory of is Enchanted Forest, I also remember playing a similar game that was based around spies or burglars(?), which may have been Scotland Yard.

I also remember thoroughly enjoying a game based on the old Tortoise and Hare fable.

(http://d1jqecz1iy566e.cloudfront.net/large/rb002.jpg)

(http://www.canadianpickers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/German-language-edition.jpg)

My board game buddy recently got a copy of Atmosfear, which I remember desperately wanting as a kid.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fb/The_Gatekeeper_in_Atmosfear_DVD.png)

Like (I would imagine) many here, I had a childhood obsession with Games Workshop tabletop games - mainly 40k and Necromundia, though in all honesty I was always more keen on the painting and model-building (which, along with 2000ad was what really got me into painting and drawing) than the actual games, which I was never very good at. I still suck at RTS and strategy games even now. I could also never have enough willpower to stick at one army, though, so ended up with lots of little armies - Tyranids, Orks, Blood Angels and Imperial Guard. I would love to have a game of 40k now just for old times sake, though I imagine the rules have changed a bit in the last twenty years.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 22 February, 2014, 01:33:35 PM
I buy the 4th edition Talisman sets. They're in my loft, waiting for my boys to get old enough to play!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Bissler on 22 February, 2014, 01:34:44 PM
@Radiator:They're on to 6th edition 40K rules now. I wouldn't recommend buying them as the community is bleating that they are broken. 
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 22 February, 2014, 01:38:40 PM
Don't worry, there's no chance of that - my Warhammer days are well and truly behind me, save the odd videogame (I adored Space Marine!). What I meant was that I'd like to have a nostalgic one-off game.

2nd Ed FTW:

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X5MXm25O4M4/Uh7YJvQwMwI/AAAAAAAAAPg/W4y8SlyR7Y8/s1600/Warhammer_40000_2nd_edition.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Bissler on 22 February, 2014, 02:03:36 PM
Nah!  2nd edition Space Marine (aka Epic)!  :)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: CrazyFoxMachine on 22 February, 2014, 02:35:41 PM
Now THAT is boxart. :O Stunning - and I thought Geoffery's LOTR board game had good art:

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3KfsKDxF8lI/T88qRcDruJI/AAAAAAAAS-E/GhvRRAfCdLY/s1600/large-lord-of-the-rings-silverline-board-game-box_gra_planszowa_3.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Bongo_clive on 24 February, 2014, 06:41:37 AM
You people need to be watching/reading the following sites to keep up to date with these things!

http://www.shutupandsitdown.com/ (http://www.shutupandsitdown.com/) For reviews with a British flavour

http://www.dicetower.com/ (http://www.dicetower.com/) For reviews with an American flavour

http://boardgamegeek.com/ (http://boardgamegeek.com/) For everything you could possibly need.



But if you can't be bothered to click those, apparently this will be the next big game.

(http://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1324609_md.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Bobblehead on 24 February, 2014, 08:40:13 AM
I'll be checking out Netrunner,sounds good from what ive heard.
Also is that Richard 'Magic the Gathering' Garfield whos made that? Good pedigree!

Recently played a game called Small World with about 6 people.Was fun but we'd never played it before so it lasted ages  :P

We had Settlers of Catan but ran out of time so didnt get round to playing it :(
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 24 February, 2014, 09:08:46 AM
I got The Walking Dead too (assuming it's the same one, there's a telly licensed one and one based on the comics, mine is the telly one) and have a had a couple of really good games of it.

The Battlestar Galactica board game is also brilliant, but as the first game we played took 8hrs to get through it's been difficult to put aside a whole day where we can wheel it out again! No-one cared that it took 8hrs, we were having a blast and made a day of it. I hear some games can be really short, it just all depends how things turn out. A lot of really great cylon paranoia going around the table, great stuff!

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/545243_10151413766035309_394272237_n.jpg)

Another one full of paranoia that's really worth checking out is Panic Station, a friend brought it round recently and it was fantastic. Basically a board game of The Thing, with accusations flying all over the place and a lot of mistrust. When you're desperately trying to convince your friend you're human before he turns a flamethrower on you it gets pretty tense!

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1/548652_10151204762804255_1009632672_n.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Bongo_clive on 26 February, 2014, 01:50:35 PM
Anyone play this?

(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tuaw.com/media/2010/05/small-world-01-630-1273190451.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Bobblehead on 26 February, 2014, 01:56:40 PM
 Ive played one game of that Bongo_clive,with about 6 people,for about 3 hours and we got to turn 4!
I assume its not supposed to last so long but in our defence it was our first time playing it and we were using the Necromancer expansion too. I was Hill + Elves or something and i was doing ok until the fragile unspoken alliance id made with 2 other people collapsed into betrayel and bloodshed.
Enjoyed the game though,the Necromancer player won on turn 4 by getting all her ghost tokens out.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: James Stacey on 26 February, 2014, 03:02:37 PM
I enjoy playing battlestar but it tends to be that if the person who is a cylon declares early then they usually win easily. I've been enjoying Alhambra recently. Persian gardening is more fun than it should be.
Lords of Waterdeep is also a lot of fun, especially if you insist everyone narrates what they are doing in a mock serious fantasy voice.
I also find Tsuro fun for a quick game
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 26 February, 2014, 04:24:44 PM
Quote from: Bongo_clive on 26 February, 2014, 01:50:35 PM
Anyone play this?

(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tuaw.com/media/2010/05/small-world-01-630-1273190451.jpg)

My girlfriend and I play that all the time. Very fun game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: mimikeke on 26 February, 2014, 04:28:52 PM
some pics of Lords of Waterdeep and Death Angel in case you are the type to get swayed by fancy art :)

(http://www.rpgbooster.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/waterdeep.jpg)

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AX3ZzFqooSc/Tp2pJLhtHXI/AAAAAAAAAK0/tKnCJPGYipE/s1600/Death_angel1.jpg)

(http://geek-news.mtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/yellow_action_cards.png)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 26 February, 2014, 08:21:06 PM
Quote from: Bobblehead on 24 February, 2014, 08:40:13 AM
I'll be checking out Netrunner,sounds good from what ive heard.
Also is that Richard 'Magic the Gathering' Garfield whos made that? Good pedigree!

He kind of designed it. Back in the day in the '90s he  made a collectible card game called Netrunner, a spin off of the Cyberpunk 2020 RPG. Fantasy Flight Games brought the rights, rejigged it to the setting of their Android/Infiltration games and changed it from a collectible card to a ''living card game" i.e no buying packs of randomly assorted cards, all sets come with the same cards so you know what to buy to build what decks you want.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 26 February, 2014, 08:25:47 PM
Oh yeah, where's Tordelback? I'd thought he'd be all over this thread!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Bobblehead on 28 February, 2014, 11:36:23 AM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 26 February, 2014, 08:21:06 PM
He kind of designed it. Back in the day in the '90s he  made a collectible card game called Netrunner, a spin off of the Cyberpunk 2020 RPG. Fantasy Flight Games brought the rights, rejigged it to the setting of their Android/Infiltration games and changed it from a collectible card to a ''living card game" i.e no buying packs of randomly assorted cards, all sets come with the same cards so you know what to buy to build what decks you want.

  Ah yes,i actually played the Netrunner card game,might still have a few cards somewhere still,was quite enjoyable. Still doesnt beat Vampire: The Eternal Struggle as my fave CCG though (with Legend of the Five Rings a close second)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Bissler on 01 March, 2014, 08:50:57 AM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 26 February, 2014, 08:21:06 PM
Quote from: Bobblehead on 24 February, 2014, 08:40:13 AM
I'll be checking out Netrunner,sounds good from what ive heard.
Also is that Richard 'Magic the Gathering' Garfield whos made that? Good pedigree!

He kind of designed it. Back in the day in the '90s he  made a collectible card game called Netrunner, a spin off of the Cyberpunk 2020 RPG. Fantasy Flight Games brought the rights, rejigged it to the setting of their Android/Infiltration games and changed it from a collectible card to a ''living card game" i.e no buying packs of randomly assorted cards, all sets come with the same cards so you know what to buy to build what decks you want.

I absolutely loved GMing Cyberpunk 2020 but wouldn't allow players to be Netrunners because it was such a waste of time.  The Netrunner rules were a real mess, I'm assuming that the card game was a system to fix this.  Still didn't make much sense though to have a team of people enjoying the role playing experience for it only to stop while the Netrunner character played a solo game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: mimikeke on 01 March, 2014, 08:45:55 PM
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/aa92b0eedaa3d970ce15ba8478296ead/tumblr_n1r01fs4TQ1t4akyqo1_500.jpg)

Played Geek Out last night for the first time and I nearly choked myself laughing at this card.  Basically you split into two teams, roll a colored die, and then draw a card and read the corresponding color.  Then both teams 'bid' on how many of that category they can guess and the group with the highest bid has to prove they can list that many.  Of course no one else here even knows what Dredd is, doubt they could name another character other than Dredd in the series! 

You guys on the other hand would have quite a bidding war....some of you probably could list over 50....
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 01 March, 2014, 08:58:28 PM
Quote from: Bongo_clive on 24 February, 2014, 06:41:37 AM
You people need to be watching/reading the following sites to keep up to date with these things!

http://www.shutupandsitdown.com/ (http://www.shutupandsitdown.com/) For reviews with a British flavour

http://www.dicetower.com/ (http://www.dicetower.com/) For reviews with an American flavour

http://boardgamegeek.com/ (http://boardgamegeek.com/) For everything you could possibly need.

or even Game Board! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqtSDE261fQ)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 02 March, 2014, 08:57:21 AM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 26 February, 2014, 08:25:47 PM
Oh yeah, where's Tordelback? I'd thought he'd be all over this thread!

As with my love life, so with board games: I spend the allotted time doing it, not talking about it with you losers.


So I play for about 3 minutes a week.


Nah, I've been reading this with interest.  Had a fantastic game of vanilla Munchkin last night with the missus and the boy, some great single-turn runs of backstabbing followed by assistance followed by backstabbing followed by assistance until one monster yielded 9 treasures... It's a rare family game where you give your wife crabs and halitosis and feel good about it.  The only downside is that I now hear the Tabletop (http://geekandsundry.com/shows/tabletop/) montage music playing whenever people are drawing and discarding cards...

While I've never played it, Lords of Waterdeep completely fascinates me, as does Escape: The Curse of the Temple (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/113294/escape-the-curse-of-the-temple), two I have to try to get this year.

In terms of new /old stuff, I played 1989's Excalibur (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6646/excalibur) for the first time last year, and we had great if protracted fun pushing miniscule bits of vaguely mildewy card around the vale of Camelot, and then back home again in time for the harvest, or last orders anyway.

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 02 March, 2014, 01:36:58 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 02 March, 2014, 08:57:21 AMWhile I've never played it, Lords of Waterdeep completely fascinates me,

I never played Dungeons & Dragons and know nothing about the Forgotten Realms setting but it doesn't matter at all - it's a easy worker placement game to get into and the setting does capture your attention. I heard hard-core gamers look down on it for being simple but it's a lot of fun.

Got my first taste of Battlestar Galactica at a convention yesterday. Played it with 3 other new players and 2 other experienced players, 4 hours flew by. Barely lost and would definitely play that again.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Moggot Lover on 21 March, 2014, 01:38:48 PM
If you got young one's in the house, I can highly recommend D&D Dungeons. Pretty cheap to buy.
The rules are really easy and my and my recently turned 4yr old son, play it frequently and the last game we had lasted over 2hrs. Which is pretty good going for a 4yr old.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 28 March, 2014, 06:28:12 PM
I may be going mad but I vividly remember someone (Cosh?) posting a few good board game suggestions, which seem to have disappeared from the thread....

There was some kind of gardening-based one, and/or one about building castle walls? They sounded really good and I wanted to investigate further... I was putting off buying any new games until I moved but I'm here now.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 28 March, 2014, 06:33:52 PM
Ah, never mind - I misremembered, it was James Stacey!

Would really appreciate if anyone has any suggestions for games along the lines of Carcassonne - ie easy to pick up and quick to play - looking to expand my collection a bit.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 28 March, 2014, 08:38:04 PM
Quote from: radiator on 28 March, 2014, 06:33:52 PM
Ah, never mind - I misremembered, it was James Stacey!

Would really appreciate if anyone has any suggestions for games along the lines of Carcassonne - ie easy to pick up and quick to play - looking to expand my collection a bit.

I only have Carcassonne & Tsuro but there are two lists on Boardgamegeek that pop up on Google straight away that might help you:

Carcassonne-like tile-laying games (http://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/41921/carcassonne-like-tile-laying-games/page/1?)

Tile Laying Games NOT Featuring Hex or Rectangle Shaped Tiles (http://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/7724/tile-laying-games-not-featuring-hex-or-rectangle-s)

El Caballero is one I'm thinking of getting myself.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 28 March, 2014, 10:40:29 PM
Interesting...

But I was thinking not so much similar to Carcassonne in terms of game type, more games that are different but similarly accessible and light (Carcassonne being extremely easy to grasp, but also very deep and rewarding the more of it you play). Anything with too many tokens/dice/cards/whatever, or anything that looks too complex or serious (wizards and goblins etc) isn't going to fly with my girlfriend. At the moment I'm swaying towards Catan, Ticket To Ride, Alhambra and Tsuro.

Should mention that before I left the UK I had about 15 various friends and family thoroughly addicted to Carcassonne, and helped to shift at least 3 extra copies and assorted expansions!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 28 March, 2014, 11:14:43 PM
Quote from: radiator on 28 March, 2014, 10:40:29 PM
Interesting...

But I was thinking not so much similar to Carcassonne in terms of game type, more games that are different but similarly accessible and light (Carcassonne being extremely easy to grasp, but also very deep and rewarding the more of it you play). Anything with too many tokens/dice/cards/whatever, or anything that looks too complex or serious (wizards and goblins etc) isn't going to fly with my girlfriend. At the moment I'm swaying towards Catan, Ticket To Ride, Alhambra and Tsuro.

Should mention that before I left the UK I had about 15 various friends and family thoroughly addicted to Carcassonne, and helped to shift at least 3 extra copies and assorted expansions!

I have Tsuro which is fun but it's light and very quick. I've played Ticket to Ride: Europe and Settlers of Catan. Not too mad about Catan personally, but it is one of the board games of the last twenty years so it's worth giving a shot!

I heard Ticket to Ride: Europe is better than the first game (which covers the USA). I played two games in a group with a couple who didn't play board games before, they won the two games.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 28 March, 2014, 11:29:15 PM
Ticket to Ride: Europe is great. Really popular with both those of my friends who play board games regularly and those who rarely do (or who we've only recently roped into doing so). In essence it's very, very simple, and the turns are incredibly quick, so it feels really fast-paced - but the game can go any number of different ways and there are plenty of startegy/tactis to be tried out. The golden number of players is four, although you can play with two to five (two or three means little competition for routes, whereas five can sometimes mean a little too much!) I haven't picked up the expansion yet, but I'm thinking of doing so - nobody's bored of the game, but I'm intrigued as to how the new stuff changes the play style.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 03 April, 2014, 04:35:43 PM
After lots of umm-ing and ahh-ing I ordered Ticket to Ride: Europe and Tsuro last night, and plan to get a couple more games for my birthday next week.

I'm particularly keen to hear suggestions of good games for two players, either 1v1 or cooperative, as my partner and I need something to keep us occupied now we're away from all our friends. I've been looking at Carcassonne: The Castle and Rivals For Catan but have read mixed reviews of both - I'm also considering (both 2 and 2+ players) Dominion, Forbidden Island, 7 Wonders, Alhambra, Settlers of Catan, Fluxx 4.0, A Game of Thrones (FF), Pandemic, Lewis & Clark: The Expedition, Tikal and Aricola, though I'm worried that some of them look a little unappealing to the average punter.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 03 April, 2014, 05:02:38 PM
I've just ordered some games for an event we're putting on at work.
One that came highly recommended was Love Letter. It's a card game for 2 or more players and is apparently brilliant, strategic and easy to learn. Only takes 20-30 minutes to play too.

I also ordered an X-Wing core set for some quick dog fights, Carcassonne, Munchkin and a few other bits that I can't remember.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Andrew_J on 03 April, 2014, 05:05:54 PM
Why am I only seeing this thread now? I'm a boardgamer & RPGer who was really lucky enough to find a weekly local gaming group with really eclectic tastes and have gotten to play a huge variety of games over the past 5 years.

When I started reading the thread the first recommendation that sprang to mind was Ticket to Ride so I'm delighted to see that you've just ordered it. Its a great all-rounder game that is easy to introduce first timers yet complex enough to make repeat play enjoyable. I'd say that every friend and relative I've introduced that game to has gone on to buy their own copy. Good choice! Ditto Turso.

You've obviously been doing your research too as the "for consideration" list you've posted is a really good selection. Of those my absolute favourite is Pandemic. Its such a brilliant, thrilling game to play with real tension as the stakes increase particularly as you're working together against the game. Dominion is fun too but is essentially a solo game you play with other people. King of Tokyo as someone mentioned is a great trash game; fast and fun without a massive amount of in depth analysis required. I'd highly recommend it.

Any of the above games you've highlighted are suitable for two players but just as easily accommodate 4-6 when you have visitors. I'd hold off on 7 Wonders until you have a gang of experienced gamers to play with. It can wreck your head first time out if you're trying to explain it to absolute beginners.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 03 April, 2014, 05:28:30 PM
I could have sworn I'd already done a post about this, but it seems not. I have to give a shout-out to Discworld: Ankh Morpork - having got it for Christmas, I've already lost count of the number of games we've played in my house since then. It's very much a firm favourite.

(I have to stress first off, you do not need to have read the books. Obviously you'll get a lot more from the game if you have, but the Discworld connection is window-dressing, really - the various characters could just as easily have been created for the game and it wouldn't change anything. Of the six or seven people I've played with, only two have read any of the books, but everyone loves the game.)

(http://geek-news.mtv.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ankh_morpork_components.jpg)

You play as one of seven possible different factions vying for control of the city. It's all about gaining control of city areas, collecting revenues, constructing buildings and infiltrating your minions as far throughout the city as possible, while muscling out (or assasinating) the opposition. Like all the best games the actual turns are very simple - from a hand of five cards, you pick one to play, and do what it says on it. Then draw back up to five cards. The only thing that initially takes a bit of time is learning the symbols on the cards (may take you a few games) - nothing else is particularly complicated.

The genius comes from the fact that your victory aims are different every time, depending on who you pick to play as. One of the characters is trying to collect a certain amount of money; another is trying to run down the card deck; one needs to gain majority control of a certain number of areas; one simply needs to cause as much chaos as possible. So as well as trying to achieve this, you're also trying to guess who the other players are and throw a spanner in their plans if possible. It also means you're never quite sure when the game's going to end, as you're never sure how close everyone is to achieving their aims. I now know the game so well that I have great fun subtly pretending to play as another character to draw the attention away from what I'm really trying to do.

It's really well paced, too - the latter cards begin to allow for more assassinations and sabotage, and there's a huge increase in the number of random events (can be anything from earthquakes, fires, demon infestations, riots or dragon attacks). So the longer the games lasts, the crazier and more chaotic it gets. And it looks absolutely beautiful - the cards, the board and even the box are really well designed.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Andrew_J on 03 April, 2014, 05:36:26 PM
Quote from: JamesC on 03 April, 2014, 05:02:38 PM
I've just ordered some games for an event we're putting on at work.
One that came highly recommended was Love Letter. It's a card game for 2 or more players and is apparently brilliant, strategic and easy to learn. Only takes 20-30 minutes to play too.

I also ordered an X-Wing core set for some quick dog fights, Carcassonne, Munchkin and a few other bits that I can't remember.

JamesC just beat me to it! I was going to add Love Letter and some other card and dice games as cheap and portable 2 player games, Zombie Dice, Gloom and Tessen being three that are great craic.

And if you can convince your missus to play, Memoir 44 is made for two players and allows you to play with toy soldiers without going Full Warhammer 40K.

Don't buy Cards Against Humanity if you want to stay in a relationship with your other half though...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 03 April, 2014, 05:50:42 PM
QuoteI also ordered an X-Wing core set for some quick dog fights, Carcassonne, Munchkin and a few other bits that I can't remember.

Ah, yes - someone was telling me about Munchkin the other day - must check it out, Love Letter too.

Carcassonne is just endlessly brilliant. We had an epic all dayer in the pub just before we left England and it was awesome. The two expansions I have shake things up just enough to make for interesting games - in particular Inns and Cathedrals, which make for a much nastier, more competitive game - leading a friend to dub the game 'Carcasshole'.

QuoteDon't buy Cards Against Humanity if you want to stay in a relationship with your other half though...

Yeah, I've seen that game around - probably not for me.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 03 April, 2014, 06:37:34 PM
Quote from: radiator on 03 April, 2014, 05:50:42 PM...Inns and Cathedrals, which make for a much nastier, more competitive game - leading a friend to dub the game 'Carcasshole'.

Inns & Cathedrals really does add a bit of savagery to the game, a great expansion: the tension of playing for a Cathedral!  The pack-in River expansion does my head in, though: I'm this close to amending the source-tile with a sharpie so that it's impossible to claim a mega-farm if you go first. We seldom use it as things stand.

What I love about Carcasonne (and indeed Cataan) is the all-ages appeal. We can have properly competitive games of both with my 7-yr old, and have for more than a year.  Although I must admit to a Carcasonne house rule, whereby players are expected to make decisions with an eye to the aesthetics of the end game - if your drawn tile is no earthly use to you, but would finish off a magnificent sprawling city belonging to an opponent, you are obliged to make the right choice for the sake of the final board.  Failure to do so will result in tutting and punitive tile placement by your opponents.  No-one wants to leave an ugly board after all.

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 03 April, 2014, 06:52:33 PM
Quote from: radiator on 28 March, 2014, 06:33:52 PM
Ah, never mind - I misremembered, it was James Stacey!

Would really appreciate if anyone has any suggestions for games along the lines of Carcassonne - ie easy to pick up and quick to play - looking to expand my collection a bit.

I've listed a few at the start of the thread that meet the "pick up and play" part.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 03 April, 2014, 07:07:53 PM
QuoteInns & Cathedrals really does add a bit of savagery to the game, a great expansion: the tension of playing for a Cathedral!  The pack-in River expansion does my head in, though: I'm this close to amending the source-tile with a sharpie so that it's impossible to claim a mega-farm if you go first. We seldom use it as things stand.

Also how the Cathedral tile basically becomes a means of nuking a rival's city towards the end of the game. It can get quite bitter.

We haven't encountered the river/farmer problem as we're only just now getting our heads round how farmers actually work. I just like the river because it makes for a more interesting start to the game and makes for a more pleasing board. I've also only just realised that I've been playing with the wrong rules all along - giving the full score for an unfinished city - oops.

Also, if anyone can explain to me how the 'builder' meeple from the 'Traders and Builders' expansion works I'd be very grateful - I've read and reread the instructions several times and can't make head nor tail of it.

QuoteWhat I love about Carcasonne (and indeed Cataan) is the all-ages appeal. We can have properly competitive games of both with my 7-yr old, and have for more than a year.

Yep - we had my sister and her family visiting recently, and they all loved Carcassonne - my sister said that when they went to bed after playing for the first time, their nine year old (who is usually surgically attached to his iPad and headphones) was already asking if we could play again the following night. Great stuff!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: shaolin_monkey on 03 April, 2014, 09:48:12 PM
Anyone remember this?

(http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x32/scowling_monkey/FE0FCA7E-CE8A-4A9C-9EFB-86E749086609_zps90mauly8.jpg) (http://s186.photobucket.com/user/scowling_monkey/media/FE0FCA7E-CE8A-4A9C-9EFB-86E749086609_zps90mauly8.jpg.html)


Freaking awesome game! Work your way up the sail barge knocking Gamorrean Guards into the gaping maw below!  Me and the kids had fun with it until a chance elbow knocked the barge and caused everyone to be slowly digested over a thousand years.

(http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x32/scowling_monkey/AC8DBF09-D114-4602-BD5F-FCDC5C89E0E8_zpsizazpmf8.jpg) (http://s186.photobucket.com/user/scowling_monkey/media/AC8DBF09-D114-4602-BD5F-FCDC5C89E0E8_zpsizazpmf8.jpg.html)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Andrew_J on 03 April, 2014, 09:54:37 PM
Quote from: shaolin_monkey on 03 April, 2014, 09:48:12 PM
Freaking awesome game! Work your way up the sail barge knocking Gamorrean Guards into the gaping maw below!  Me and the kids had fun with it until a chance elbow knocked the barge and caused everyone to be slowly digested over a thousand years.

Vintage! Looks brilliant.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Andrew_J on 03 April, 2014, 10:19:10 PM
Moving slightly tangentially from boardgames to role playing games I reckon its about 23 years since I last played this. It was one of my favourite RPGs in college. Must dust it off and see if the lads in my gaming group are interested in giving it a spin.

(http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s450/afjudge/IMAG4013Medium_zps5c2d24ea.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 04 April, 2014, 01:37:04 PM
Currently playing through "Judgement Day" for the old GW Dredd RPG with my group. Still fun after all these years, even if it does need tweaking a little.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 04 April, 2014, 02:16:09 PM
Yeah that was a really great scenario for what is a pretty clunky system - so good that I've often thought it'd make for a nice Dredd story.  As I recall, the group I ran it for a lifetime ago became obsessed about the [spoiler]war-droid red herring[/spoiler] and went around in fear of running into the ABC Warriors - especially when they went off world. Ironic, when at least one of them was killed by a [spoiler]robot tyrannosaur[/spoiler]...  Still, it was nice to see some payback for all those *Item!* handouts I meticulously typed out.   Personally I think Rob missed a trick not including [spoiler]those robo-mules[/spoiler] in Titan.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 04 April, 2014, 02:17:25 PM
Quote from: radiator on 03 April, 2014, 07:07:53 PM
We haven't encountered the river/farmer problem as we're only just now getting our heads round how farmers actually work. I just like the river because it makes for a more interesting start to the game and makes for a more pleasing board. I've also only just realised that I've been playing with the wrong rules all along - giving the full score for an unfinished city - oops.

Also, if anyone can explain to me how the 'builder' meeple from the 'Traders and Builders' expansion works I'd be very grateful - I've read and reread the instructions several times and can't make head nor tail of it.

Stopping the mega farm isn't too hard - just place river pieces that have roads on them to block them, and don't add any cities to it.

The builder rules are:
1) After adding new tile to a road or city you already have a meeple in, you can place the builder on the new tile (So e.g. your city, would now have a knight meeple and a builder meeple in it)
2) When you add a new tile to a road or city that you have a builder meeple in, you can then take another tile and place it as normal. You can only do this once during your turn (So you can't have infinite gos :P )

so e.g.
Turn 1. Place a city tile and place a meeple on the city
Turn 2. Place a second city tile connected to the first one, and place your builder on it.
Turn 3. Place a third tile connected to your builder's city (and optionally place a meeple on that tile). Your builder then triggers and you draw and place another tile. If this tile is also connected to your builder's city, you don't get an extra tile again though.
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 04 April, 2014, 03:01:15 PM
That's pretty much how I understand it, but it seems quite overpowered to me.

So as long as the player is able to add their first tile to the road or city with the builder on, they can play an extra tile and do the same every turn until that structure is complete (and the builder is returned to them to play again?).
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 04 April, 2014, 03:03:47 PM
Are any of the other expansions any good? I've heard the two I have are the only really worthwhile ones, and that anything else alters the game too much. I looked into Princess and the Dragon and it looks bonkers. A game with river, inns, cathedrals, traders and builders is already quite epic.
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 04 April, 2014, 03:10:34 PM
Quote from: radiator on 04 April, 2014, 03:01:15 PM
That's pretty much how I understand it, but it seems quite overpowered to me.

So as long as the player is able to add their first tile to the road or city with the builder on, they can play an extra tile and do the same every turn until that structure is complete (and the builder is returned to them to play again?).

It's a massive advantage, but as everyone can do it, it's not too unbalanced. People also adapt the tactic of trying to make sure that opponents can't complete features with builders on, or make it not worth it (haha! I have two meeples in your builder's city now so by adding to it, you're just giving me more points mwahaha!)

Other than the two you've mentioned, Abbey & Mayor is very good, and Bridges, Castles and Bazaars is pretty good as well, although we tend not to play the Bazaar rules as it slows the game down. River II is also nice - it allows you to split the river in two.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 04 April, 2014, 04:32:58 PM
Cool, thanks for the clarification - I'll probably end up getting those expansions at some point.

We tend to play without farmers, especially when introducing the game to new players, as they're the trickiest element of the base game to get your head around and give an unfair advantage to experienced players.

I was in Powell's yesterday (awesome, huge bookshop here in Portland) and saw posters advertising a board game event being held there this Saturday - gonna try and sneak down there at some point, sounds awesome. There's also three or four proper board game stores in or around the city, which is cool - there are so few in the UK - I think there's only one left in London and it's a bugger to get to.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Andrew_J on 05 April, 2014, 12:58:48 AM
Quote from: radiator on 04 April, 2014, 04:32:58 PM
Cool, thanks for the clarification - I'll probably end up getting those expansions at some point.
I was in Powell's yesterday (awesome, huge bookshop here in Portland) and saw posters advertising a board game event being held there this Saturday - gonna try and sneak down there at some point, sounds awesome.

It's International Tabletop Day tomorrow (Apr 5th) and gaming stores all over the world are running events. Check out local venues here: http://www.tabletopday.com/ (http://www.tabletopday.com/)
Also to celebrate the event DriveThruRPG are giving away $70 worth of RPG games for free this weekend. Worth a look, especially to get the World of Darkness core book for zero creds.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=128081&it=1&SRC=Newsletter_FPW_text (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=128081&it=1&SRC=Newsletter_FPW_text)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 05 April, 2014, 10:04:59 AM
Quote from: afjudge on 05 April, 2014, 12:58:48 AM
Also to celebrate the event DriveThruRPG are giving away $70 worth of RPG games for free this weekend. Worth a look, especially to get the World of Darkness core book for zero creds.
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=128081&it=1&SRC=Newsletter_FPW_text (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=128081&it=1&SRC=Newsletter_FPW_text)

What a great idea!  Thanks for the info afjudge, I'm going to have loads of fun with that!
Title: Re: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 06 April, 2014, 04:08:57 AM
Was busy for most of the day but managed to pop into Powell's later on. Turns out they have an awesome selection of board games and were doing 15% off everything. Got Love Letter, Fluxx and Carcassonne: Abbey and Mayor. Now just got to pester the girlfriend into playing them with me!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 11 April, 2014, 04:57:09 PM
I'm a little worried now that Ticket to Ride: Europe, though apparently more popular with seasoned gamers, might be a little complex for my friends - it looks as if it lacks the simplicity of the original game - can anyone comment?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 11 April, 2014, 05:53:40 PM
I wouldn't say so Radiator - I've played with my mum (addle-headed at the best of times, bless her) and introduced various friends to it for the first time and everyone gets to grips with it very quickly indeed - and usually asks to play it again some time soon straight afterward. The turns are incredibly quick and simple, so even if some of the more intricate aspect of gameplay confuse them initially it doesn't take them long to get their heads around. It's one of those games that sounds a bit complicated to explain, or when you read the rules for the first time, but in practice turns out to be a lot simpler than you thought.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 11 April, 2014, 06:22:59 PM
Cool. It's mainly the ferries, stations and tunnels that look a bit (potentially) confusing. Is it possible to ignore them and just treat all routes as normal to keep things simple for a first game?

Ordered these bad boys the other day - I didn't realise that The River II is included as part of the Count, Robber & King expansion! Probably doubled up on a couple of things, but the mini expansions look too awesome to not get.

(http://img.coolstuffinc.net/products/misc%20art/z-man%20games/300x300/zmg78400.jpg)

(http://img.coolstuffinc.net/products/misc%20art/z-man%20games/300x300/zmg78006.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 11 April, 2014, 06:43:29 PM
Quote from: radiator on 11 April, 2014, 06:22:59 PM
Cool. It's mainly the ferries, stations and tunnels that look a bit (potentially) confusing. Is it possible to ignore them and just treat all routes as normal to keep things simple for a first game?

I suppose you could, aye - what I tend to do is explain the rules at the start of the game, but leave out the ferries and tunnels rules until they become relevant, i.e. when someone wants to claim one. Everyone should already have grasped the basics by that point (the basics are very easy to grasp) so it's easy for them to get their heads around these slightly different rules.

Likewise the stations - I say at the start of the game that they're a way to help if one the routes you were after gets nabbed by someone else, but I leave it at that until the point in the game that this becomes relevant to explain further. To be honest they don't tend to get used very often anyway.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 11 April, 2014, 08:03:20 PM
I taught my 9 year old to play Talisman this week. It's great.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 11 April, 2014, 09:22:06 PM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 11 April, 2014, 08:03:20 PM
I taught my 9 year old to play Talisman this week. It's great.

That's one game I have to try out, just to say I have. Has a reputation with some gamers I know as boring.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 12 April, 2014, 08:56:16 AM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 11 April, 2014, 09:22:06 PM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 11 April, 2014, 08:03:20 PM
I taught my 9 year old to play Talisman this week. It's great.

That's one game I have to try out, just to say I have. Has a reputation with some gamers I know as boring.

Not so much boring as luck based
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Andrew_J on 14 April, 2014, 09:47:15 AM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 11 April, 2014, 09:22:06 PM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 11 April, 2014, 08:03:20 PM
I taught my 9 year old to play Talisman this week. It's great.

That's one game I have to try out, just to say I have. Has a reputation with some gamers I know as boring.

You have to start the young 'uns somewhere. Kids love rolling dice so luck based games are okay by me up to a point. Something like King of Tokyo is a great follow on game as they get to roll 6 dice at once, but also start making basic tactical decisions. Plus its about monsters.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 21 April, 2014, 06:01:32 PM
Sorry, if this has already been mentioned (As I haven't read this thread/topic at all yet...), but I have seen that there are now a few different types of The Walking Dead board games out now.....

One based on Risk and another based on Monopoly and another that seems  more interesting the one I brought sometime last year.

The original The Walking Dead doesn't seem as good as I thought it would be and I've never played it....only just opened the box to see what's in side and had a quick read of the rules.

It doesn't even mention the Dixon brothers.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 21 April, 2014, 06:11:20 PM
Yeah, I just read the beginning post....well sorry, but you didn't mention the Risk version.

I will post up links to sites that explain these games (As I have never purchased them) apart from the first one yet myself.

I used to play Grass a lot with some old school chums I used to share a house (Closer to the city.) with. Yeah, great times we had with that game and it was easier to set up than Magic : The Gathering and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (Yes, I know it's not really a board game.).

Anyway, I do recall playing those cards with Balloon on them on somebody who was holding a lot of grass or money in hand at the time.  As I do remember what you hold in your hand only counts if you played it.

Those were great gaming moments.

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: judgerufian on 06 May, 2014, 01:38:26 PM
Has anyone still got a copy of the old Games Workshop game 'Warlock'? I only played it one summer years ago and it has left an impression on me as the ultimate board game when we were in the midst of playing Talisman with its expansions, D&D and of course, the Judge Dredd board game.
 
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 06 May, 2014, 04:08:35 PM
I had some eBay vouchers to use up, so ordered a copy of Takenoko, which has had excellent reviews and looks right up my alley.I now have a pretty awesome collection of board and card games - Carcassonne (plus 4 expansions and the Minis), Ticket to Ride: Europe, Takenoko, Tsuro, Fluxx and Love Letter. Now I just need to find the time to actually play them!

(http://bearded-dice.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/takenokophotobassedfinition.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 06 May, 2014, 07:05:36 PM
Nice collection Radiator, nothing too heavy sounding for the Norms.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 12 May, 2014, 06:48:48 PM
Quote from: judgerufian on 06 May, 2014, 01:38:26 PM
Has anyone still got a copy of the old Games Workshop game 'Warlock'? I only played it one summer years ago and it has left an impression on me as the ultimate board game when we were in the midst of playing Talisman with its expansions, D&D and of course, the Judge Dredd board game.


Yep,its a great wee game. In fact i might have two!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: judgerufian on 15 May, 2014, 04:47:42 PM
Quote from: Emp on 12 May, 2014, 06:48:48 PM
Quote from: judgerufian on 06 May, 2014, 01:38:26 PM
Has anyone still got a copy of the old Games Workshop game 'Warlock'? I only played it one summer years ago and it has left an impression on me as the ultimate board game when we were in the midst of playing Talisman with its expansions, D&D and of course, the Judge Dredd board game.


Yep,its a great wee game. In fact i might have two!

Oooo, fancy selling it? I've been after a copy for years!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 15 May, 2014, 06:52:32 PM
Wow, Takenoko looks good!  Any first impressions, Radiator?  Does the suggested 45 min duration sound right to you - 'cos it looks like there's enough there for several hours to me, which would rule out regular play with the family.  I figure family games need to have an average playtime of no more than 1 hour  (which in the way of families will explode into 2 or 3 hours of actual time) or you only ever play them very occasionally.  I find we play a lot more Carcassonne than Catan, for example, precisely because the former can be so quick: basically if you can fit a game into a window that might otherwise be used for a DVD (including breaks, snacks etc.) it's got a head start.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 17 May, 2014, 01:37:01 AM
Quote from: judgerufian on 15 May, 2014, 04:47:42 PM
Quote from: Emp on 12 May, 2014, 06:48:48 PM
Quote from: judgerufian on 06 May, 2014, 01:38:26 PM
Has anyone still got a copy of the old Games Workshop game 'Warlock'? I only played it one summer years ago and it has left an impression on me as the ultimate board game when we were in the midst of playing Talisman with its expansions, D&D and of course, the Judge Dredd board game.


Yep,its a great wee game. In fact i might have two!

Oooo, fancy selling it? I've been after a copy for years!

I'll check the condition etc...think i bought a second copy cus my original was getting tatty...if it's all there i am sure we can come to an arrangement :)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 17 May, 2014, 12:53:58 PM
Has anyone played Magic: the Gathering?

I'd always been put off by the hardcore-saddo image that the game has but I regret that now.
My interest was piqued after playing Hearthstone on the iPad which I really enjoyed. I picked up a 'deckbuilders toolkit' and a few booster packs and have been pretty impressed. The game seems very fun and accessible and some of the card-art is absolutely stunning.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Andrew_J on 17 May, 2014, 03:32:52 PM
Magic is a great game, well worth trying out. You can pick up starter sets with two basic decks to give you a flavour of it. The problem is that you can end up spending a fortune building a competitive deck. You could check out Android Netrunner which is similar in principle to Hearthstone and Magic but is a self contained game with everything in one box.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 17 May, 2014, 11:13:25 PM
Hearthstone is taking over my life at the moment. The daily challenges and the arena mean that I've little time for my other board game loves of agricola and carcassonne.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 17 May, 2014, 11:45:38 PM
Bought Carcassone a couple of weeks ago but, annoyingly, haven't had a chance to play it yet. Hopefully the coming week will rectify this.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pauljholden on 18 May, 2014, 06:57:54 PM
Got to play a super simplified set up of starwars x wing fighter miniatures in Enniskillen the other week, was tremendous fun, so I've ordered up the starter set, hoping I can play with the kids (age 9 and 5).

(The super simplified set up abandoned all the cards in favour of a straight up darth vader vs luke skywalker).

Looks like the games can be played pretty quick and the core set has three ships, one for each of us.

-pj
(looked around belfast to buy it, couldn't see it so ordered if via amazon, then turns out forbidden planet belfast sells it, so kicking myself...)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Andrew_J on 18 May, 2014, 11:18:11 PM
Nice one PJ. It's a class game alright. It's also a slippery slope: I guarantee you'll have bought the Rebel Transport  (http://www.bookdepository.com/Star-Wars-X-Wing/9781616616748) before the end of the month.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 19 May, 2014, 08:10:03 AM
It's like there's a bloody conspiracy to get me to buy this game.  I just barely escaped buying it for my son's birthday today, reasoning that he's a Clone Wars man and this is all Rebellion stuff, we're already playing the WizKids pocket model game (which isn't too bad, if strategically non-existant) plus I already have a half-tonne of plastic from the WotC starship game sitting unused in the attic, both of which do support that era.... 

But the models are so lovely and the rules seem so juicy...  It's too much I tells ya, too much: once I started buying those boosters I know I would never be able to stop, and despite the quality they're just too dear.  No.  No.  Maybe? No.

With a heavy heart I'm setting my sights on Forbidden Island, Zombie Dice and Takenado as next family-centric purchases, and if I was to be honest Lords of Waterdeep for personal use (or might inveigle a friend to go halves on that one with me - there's a few very old RPG buddies of mine that I could see being persuaded into an evening or two of that). 
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 19 May, 2014, 08:18:40 AM
I'm really tempted by Descent: Journeys in the Dark which looks a bit like a super duper advanced version of Hero Quest. The trouble is, it's quite expensive and I don't think I'd get much opportunity to play it.

(http://d1mvvfdyo8jq4k.cloudfront.net/media/cache/5c/a2/5ca2d1ebb4e0c949009ac19f8dcd7f3a.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 19 May, 2014, 08:37:40 AM
Quote from: JamesC on 19 May, 2014, 08:18:40 AM...it's quite expensive and I don't think I'd get much opportunity to play it.

That's always the equation alright: I don't mind taking a punt on something cheap with the possibility that I won't get to play it more than once, but when you're looking at the higher price stuff I need to know that I'm going to be playing it at least several times a year, for a few years at least.  Otherwise it just becomes embarrassing, a big box sitting there on the shelf reminding you of your foolishness.

That said, on Saturday I saw copies of Carcassonne and Catan in a regular toy shop  - I've heard of such things in other lands, but never here.  Got to be good news, set against the tide of tablet-and-phone-based games.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 19 May, 2014, 08:40:54 AM
There's certainly a rising wave of popularity with these types of games. Even Waterstone's has quite a large selection at the moment.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: GrinningChimera on 19 May, 2014, 08:54:50 AM
Man I wish I had someone to play some board games with. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find nerds around here....

well around here as in where I live... Obviously there are plenty of em on the board :D
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pauljholden on 19 May, 2014, 11:06:55 AM
Starwars arrived yay!

Play testing with the kids tonight. Will let you know how it goes...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 20 May, 2014, 08:04:15 AM
Hilarious game of in-house Munchkin last night, which I won.  That's a first. 

Games (with the vanilla deck) seem to take almost exactly an hour, including interruptions and rules deliberations, so they're wonderfully frantic and do-able on a school night.  There is a small issue with my dishonourable opponents not reading right to the end of their cards before playing them, which results in the odd fracas, but we've instituted a house-rule where the person in the process of defeating a monster counts out-loud to three-onethousand before declaring victory and slapping the cards to seal the deal, which allows younger folk a bit more time to make a decision about what to play.

Really a very satisfying game - particularly enjoyed playing the ostensibly harmless cards which allow a player to bypass a monster in a hostile fashion to deny my enemies their levelling.  Never seem to be enough monster cards though - not enough in our hands or in the face-up draw - so that there are parts of the game where no fighting at all takes place and everyone keeps drawing unwanted races (we're very conservative here - once people settle on a race, they like to stick to it unless they get Half-Breed).  Or are we just being unlucky with the shuffle?

EDIT: two very entertaining rules arguments centered on whether a Wannabe Vampire counts as Undead (it does not) and whether a Gazebo actually counts as a monster for the purposes of levelling, since it's more of a landscaping feature (it does).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pauljholden on 20 May, 2014, 08:48:57 AM
Star wars miniatures game with Nathan(9) and Thomas(5)

Essentially, I boiled the rules down a bit to:
Move (normal rules apply) then shoot (normal rules apply)
(We skipped harder features like picking an action/barrel rolls/etc, though once I've got them firm on the basics they should be alright on the more advanced rules).

I gave them the best tie fighters (there's two tie fighters in the base set) and me the worst x-wing pilot.

Takes long to setup (getting everything out of the box, assembling the fighters, figuring out where the hell the movement rulers are underneath all the other bits) and plays very quickly (20 minutes is the longest we've played for-though it should play quicker, I drew two critical hits destroying my entire ship in two shots).

They really enjoy it, I keep bending the rules though, letting tom roll an extra defence, flying my ship (stupidly) in their line of fire.

Even at that, it's still fun to play (I just pretend I'm Porkins)

Looking forward to playing it properly with an adult though, and then I can accept ignominious defeat purely because I'm rubbish at games and not because I'm not letting the kids win...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: judgerufian on 20 May, 2014, 03:19:45 PM
Quote from: Emp on 17 May, 2014, 01:37:01 AM
Quote from: judgerufian on 15 May, 2014, 04:47:42 PM
Quote from: Emp on 12 May, 2014, 06:48:48 PM
Quote from: judgerufian on 06 May, 2014, 01:38:26 PM
Has anyone still got a copy of the old Games Workshop game 'Warlock'? I only played it one summer years ago and it has left an impression on me as the ultimate board game when we were in the midst of playing Talisman with its expansions, D&D and of course, the Judge Dredd board game.


Yep,its a great wee game. In fact i might have two!

Oooo, fancy selling it? I've been after a copy for years!

I'll check the condition etc...think i bought a second copy cus my original was getting tatty...if it's all there i am sure we can come to an arrangement :)
#Send me a PM if its in a saleable condition! Many thanks for checking!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Judo on 20 May, 2014, 03:23:14 PM
Good to hear Catan is getting about. Once played Cakes of Catan and it was pretty much the best thing ever. Lands were cupcakes, roads were chocolate fingers and castles were wine gums. Mmm let me eat your army x x x
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 20 May, 2014, 04:42:41 PM
Genius.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 20 May, 2014, 04:49:26 PM
School hols this weekend so if its a rainy day then gonna try a game of Zombies!!! with the kids. I know before I even start its gonna end in tears but theyve been hasseling me ever since they saw the box.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 20 May, 2014, 04:56:21 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 19 May, 2014, 08:37:40 AM
Quote from: JamesC on 19 May, 2014, 08:18:40 AM...it's quite expensive and I don't think I'd get much opportunity to play it.

That's always the equation alright: I don't mind taking a punt on something cheap with the possibility that I won't get to play it more than once, but when you're looking at the higher price stuff I need to know that I'm going to be playing it at least several times a year, for a few years at least.  Otherwise it just becomes embarrassing, a big box sitting there on the shelf reminding you of your foolishness.

That said, on Saturday I saw copies of Carcassonne and Catan in a regular toy shop  - I've heard of such things in other lands, but never here.  Got to be good news, set against the tide of tablet-and-phone-based games.
I find that tablet and phone games have really boosted my interest in boardgaming. There are some great conversions out there at a fraction of the price of their cardboard equivalents. I've often used ios conversions to test the water with an unknown game before buying the "proper" set for the family.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 20 May, 2014, 10:05:02 PM
OOOOOOhhh!

Just remembered I've a Dredd boardgame in my parents' loft. One for me and my boys this long weekend.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 20 May, 2014, 10:18:21 PM
Quote from: Judo on 20 May, 2014, 03:23:14 PM
Good to hear Catan is getting about. Once played Cakes of Catan and it was pretty much the best thing ever. Lands were cupcakes, roads were chocolate fingers and castles were wine gums. Mmm let me eat your army x x x

Different colour icing for each terrain type!  Brilliant!  You'd have to use those mini-Fingers rather than the regular ones, I assume, otherwise the cupcakes would have to be massive (all 30 of them  :o)... not that that's necessarily a problem.  Oh I so want to make this happen here - great idea for a (very) small party.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 21 May, 2014, 12:00:04 AM
The Book Depository sell X-Wing and other Fantasy Flight Games games, if you have no qualms about ordering from them, so free postage and a discount if you want to save as much as you can if you get sucked in.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Bissler on 24 May, 2014, 07:29:56 PM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 20 May, 2014, 10:05:02 PM
OOOOOOhhh!

Just remembered I've a Dredd boardgame in my parents' loft. One for me and my boys this long weekend.

Yeah, I'm dusting off an old JD board game tomorrow for a game.  I haven't played it in about 20 years so it will be a real nostalgia trip.  I'll take some pics and post 'em up tomorrow night!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Bissler on 25 May, 2014, 12:46:09 PM
Block Mania dusted off and ready to go!

For some reason I can't get my pics to post here so instead here's a link on a gaming forum I frequent.  I'll post up more pics and possibly a report on this link later on...

http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=27494
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 25 May, 2014, 01:34:04 PM
Bit of luck on the board gaming front.  The missus has so enjoyed recent family sessions of Munchkin that she has unilaterally decided to get Zombie Dice and Tsuro to take on our camping holiday.  This leaves me free to pursue Forbidden Island, and then maybe Takenado (although the latter may not be tent-friendly).  Will be at a dinghy championship in August and there's usually a decent Catan-and-Backgammon-centric family board game scene in the bar in the early evening (after the poorer types have cooked at their tents, and before the flusher ones have got back from whatever restaurant they're in), so I'm quite excited to push new games there - we played Camelot last year, but it was just too fiddly and involved for a pub game, especially after a couple.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Bissler on 25 May, 2014, 06:25:14 PM
Block Mania report now updated on the link above.  I apologise in advance for the Carry On-style humour, not to mention the theft of a Garth Ennis Judge Dredd joke...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 25 May, 2014, 08:52:49 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 25 May, 2014, 01:34:04 PMForbidden Island

I have this in the post on the way to me. Your thoughts?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 25 May, 2014, 09:31:46 PM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 25 May, 2014, 08:52:49 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 25 May, 2014, 01:34:04 PMForbidden Island

I have this in the post on the way to me. Your thoughts?

I think it's a great game. It can be very hard on the higher difficulties, but it's a fun game, and one which kids can pick up very easily.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 25 May, 2014, 09:39:43 PM
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 25 May, 2014, 09:31:46 PM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 25 May, 2014, 08:52:49 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 25 May, 2014, 01:34:04 PMForbidden Island

I have this in the post on the way to me. Your thoughts?

I think it's a great game. It can be very hard on the higher difficulties, but it's a fun game, and one which kids can pick up very easily.

Sound, thanks for the advice.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 25 May, 2014, 10:49:28 PM
Cool!  Timothy - is that tin reasonably robust, and roughly how big is it?  Where did you get yours from, Otter, and roughly how much? 
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Bissler on 26 May, 2014, 04:00:33 AM
Has anyone played the Judge Dredd Miniatures Game by Mongoose?  If so, what did they think about the game and the miniatures? 

I'd be really interested to get some thoughts before I end up going on an almost inevitable spending splurge!

Cheers!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 26 May, 2014, 07:11:14 AM
Quote from: TordelBack on 25 May, 2014, 10:49:28 PM
Cool!  Timothy - is that tin reasonably robust, and roughly how big is it?  Where did you get yours from, Otter, and roughly how much?

I'm afraid I can't help there; it's the iOS version that I play. Cheaper and easier to set up. From what I've heard though the tin's pretty good.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 26 May, 2014, 08:05:28 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 25 May, 2014, 10:49:28 PM
Cool!  Timothy - is that tin reasonably robust, and roughly how big is it?  Where did you get yours from, Otter, and roughly how much?

Well I looking for a specific size card sleeve so I picked it up on a whim when I was getting my sleeves from Spirit Games (http://www.spiritgames.co.uk). Retail price £14.99, got charged £8.50 for postage which seems kind of dear, their postage rates are supposed to be good, they said they can send me a large box for £12.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Judo on 27 May, 2014, 04:50:16 PM
You're making me want to dig Blockmania out too :D cept Im missing a lot of pieces and probably the rule book so may have to make it up as we went along x
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Bissler on 27 May, 2014, 07:34:58 PM
Probably the missing pieces would be more of a problem, I'd expect there must be somewhere on the net that has the "Blockers Manual" and the "Rule Book".

Here's a link to a pic of the counter sheets, this should help you find if you are missing anything!

http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1172761/component-count

Hope you are able to get a game, let me know how it goes if you do!

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 27 May, 2014, 08:01:15 PM
Quote from: The Bissler on 26 May, 2014, 04:00:33 AM
Has anyone played the Judge Dredd Miniatures Game by Mongoose?  If so, what did they think about the game and the miniatures? 

I have the minis from the Kickstarter (well, all the ones that have turned up so far...), and they're a mixed bunch. 

Many are excellent (for example all the Apes, the Angel Gang, Sovs, (Mantic) Zombies, Cultists, DeMarco, Fatties, Citi-Def, Riot Judges, Mechanismo, Kenny Who?, Walter and other Robots, Brit-Cit Judges and some of the other World Judges), others are okay (Dark Judges, sky surfers, muties, juves, Med/Tek Judges), and some are pretty terrible.  Unfortunately a lot of the only-okay-or-worse are MC-1 Judges, including some big names (Giant, Anderson), so that side of it is disappointing.  Happily the newer post-Kickstarter Judges all look pretty much great, including Accounts Div, Aimee Nixon, SJS and Cal's retinue - only problem being I don't have them.  The only vehicle I have so far is the Lawmaster, and while an individual interpretaton (aren't they all?) it's a fine model.

(If you're wondering, the Mongoose minis dwarf the old GW figures by almost 30%, meaning the old judges and humans don't really work with the new, but I've found that Don Uggie and crew fit in fine).

I haven't got around to painting them yet, as I've been working on Warhammer plastics with the Boy, and am still only really assembling the paints and time I need. 

Rules-wise, I've played a few dummy games and simple trial runs with my son, and I like the skirmish system, especially the chance to upgrade between bouts. I've yet to play a proper grown-up match, so my comments shouldn't carry much weight. Mongoose certainly seem good about revising, improving and expanding the rules as they mature.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Bissler on 28 May, 2014, 01:52:41 AM
Thanks Tordelback, I really appreciate the honest feedback on these. 

That really is a big concern about the MC-1 Judges, let's face it, they're the faction everyone will want to play at least initially!  I was thinking of buying them as much to paint and display them as collectibles as use them for games but this has me concerned, particularly as some gamers I know have unfavourable things to say about Mongoose in general.

Because I play 6mm Epic 40K, I don't have 28mm scenery so it looks more likely that I won't go ahead with this.  Star Wars X-Wing may be the next game I indulge in then...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 28 May, 2014, 09:18:58 AM
Quote from: The Bissler on 28 May, 2014, 01:52:41 AM
That really is a big concern about the MC-1 Judges, let's face it, they're the faction everyone will want to play at least initially!  I was thinking of buying them as much to paint and display them as collectibles as use them for games but this has me concerned, particularly as some gamers I know have unfavourable things to say about Mongoose in general.

I may, as usual, have overstated the case.  There are plenty of really good Judge minis in the range, it's just that with the Kickstarter I got all of them (which was, and still is since I get a package every couple of months, ridiculously good value), and some of the early ones are frankly pretty rubbish, and some of the ones seemingly rushed out in the heat of the KS fulfilment not so wonderful either.   Part of the problem is figures from the earlier incarnation of the game, Gangs of MC-1, were rolled into this one, and many don't stand up in terms of style or consistency.  If you're starting from scratch and able to choose your minis, you can put together a very good-looking Justice Dept force:

(http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/j/d/jdfemale_street_judge.jpg)  (http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/j/u/judgedemarco-small.jpg)
(http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/d/r/dredd1-small.jpg) (http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/a/cadet_1.jpg)
 
And that's just a few of the more conventional ones.  IMHO the real strength of the range lies in its breadth, and particularly around the fringes:

(http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/k/a/kazan.jpg)  (http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/e/sentanoid_1.jpg)
(http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/600x600/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/a/cal_box_mini_preview.jpg)
(http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/o/r/orangutan_boss_1.jpg)  (http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/j/d/jdtravis.jpg)

Did anyone really ever expect to see a Travis Perkins mini?

Having a few of the products now, Mongoose issues tend to be around quality control and, shall we say, breathless optimism over cold planning.  They are however pretty quick to fix problems, and seem to have a genuine enthusiasm for the JD range.  For this reason the figures seem to be improving with each release - there are some Bob Naismith-sculpted Judda on the way which look mouth-wateringly good:

(https://s3.amazonaws.com/ksr/assets/002/047/089/bfbb79626a39a9aaccd149de0c6db7f3_large.jpg?1400841256)

So I suppose what I'm saying is that the range definitely isn't consistent, but there's more good stuff there than you could hope to paint and field, and more on the way. 

(Pedants will rightly note that DeMarco is using a weapon that post-dates her tenure as a judge, and don't look to closely at the brainwashed judges in Cal's retinue either).



Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Bissler on 28 May, 2014, 06:56:54 PM
Those do look nice!  Now I'm torn again!  Still, it's a nice problem to have!  :D
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 31 May, 2014, 10:10:19 PM
I've just discovered Splendor (they clearly didn't bother with English localisation) and am finding it a great little game of tactics, backstabbing and frustration. It's certainly one I'd reccommend.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 03 June, 2014, 09:55:50 AM
Cor, I spent a few minutes the FLGS  luxuriating in the now-extensive X-Wing range... it really is something.  That Tantive IV may just be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen: standing in front of it I found myself wondering whether I had anything else worth selling.  By far the best versions of the SW spaceships produced to date, even leaving aside the game itself - I really may have to do something about this game.

In the meantime, Zombie Dice has proved to be a sensation round our way.  Simple, quick, portable, vast potential for groaning lurching hilarity.  You haven't heard 'braaaiiiinsss...' until you've heard a 4 year-old who's just rolled 8 in a single turn...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 03 June, 2014, 07:40:29 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 03 June, 2014, 09:55:50 AM
Cor, I spent a few minutes the FLGS  luxuriating in the now-extensive X-Wing range... it really is something.  That Tantive IV may just be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen: standing in front of it I found myself wondering whether I had anything else worth selling.  By far the best versions of the SW spaceships produced to date, even leaving aside the game itself - I really may have to do something about this game.

In the meantime, Zombie Dice has proved to be a sensation round our way.  Simple, quick, portable, vast potential for groaning lurching hilarity.  You haven't heard 'braaaiiiinsss...' until you've heard a 4 year-old who's just rolled 8 in a single turn...

Tordelback, that is game is like crack cocaine, I should know because I am hooked! Played Zombie Dice recently as well, nice quick blast.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 02 August, 2014, 12:19:55 PM
Had a nice run games I never played before the last few weeks: Arkham Horror, Flashpoint: Fire Rescue, Village, Bruges, Coup.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 02 August, 2014, 07:51:41 PM
Just discovered Coup myself. Bloody great game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 13 August, 2014, 08:17:48 PM
Does Top Trumps count as a board game? I just wanted to use this thread to share these absolutely insane Horror sets. Here's a taste:

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/zetanwarlord_zpsa5802e54.jpg) (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/colossus1_zps4e5c7ab8.jpg) (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/zoltan1_zps545ed330.jpg) (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/freak_zps4ef376fd.jpg) (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/incredibleshrinkingman_zps4c2c8dd2.jpg) (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/lordofdeath_zps5a2c0835.jpg) (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/cyclops1_zpsdb906018.jpg) (http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/wolfman1_zps6a51d9da.jpg)

I remember having the planes, ships and aliens sets but nothing as good as these. I get the classic horror characters but who is Zoltan? Isn't he the one who granted Tom Hanks' wish in Big? I hope I never have to find out. Also, looks like the cyclops has had his only eye out with that tree. Clumsy bugger.

Here are the links I got the pictures from:

First set: http://www.pointlessmuseum.com/museum/blog/index.php/2010/07/27/horror-top-trumps-set-1/ (http://www.pointlessmuseum.com/museum/blog/index.php/2010/07/27/horror-top-trumps-set-1/)
Second set: http://www.pointlessmuseum.com/museum/blog/index.php/tag/horror-top-trumps/ (http://www.pointlessmuseum.com/museum/blog/index.php/tag/horror-top-trumps/)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Greg M. on 13 August, 2014, 08:33:34 PM
I had both sets of these as a kid - in fact, I'm pretty sure I've still got them around somewhere. Some of the images hail from pretty arcane sources - the Madman one, for instance, is one of the afflicted villagers out of the Doomwatch movie, and I think The Thing is a bat-rat spider out of the film The Angry Red Planet.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 13 August, 2014, 08:53:49 PM
My mate Jonah had those ones.  I remember playing endless rounds on a train while on a primary school trip to Ardnacrusha Hydroelectric Station.  Jonah also had a giant Eddie patch on his denim jacket so he was de facto cool for a 10 year old.

Played a terrific game of vanilla Catan in the bar at last weekend's sailing championship (one of two games running simultaneously and coincidentally!).  Badly wanted the 6 player expansion.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 13 August, 2014, 11:43:00 PM
Quote from: Greg M. on 13 August, 2014, 08:33:34 PM
I had both sets of these as a kid - in fact, I'm pretty sure I've still got them around somewhere. Some of the images hail from pretty arcane sources - the Madman one, for instance, is one of the afflicted villagers out of the Doomwatch movie, and I think The Thing is a bat-rat spider out of the film The Angry Red Planet.

I gave my brother two huge framed sets of each for his 40th. I'm nice that way.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 15 August, 2014, 10:54:25 PM
Recently picked up KRAGMORTHA, a brilliantly simple but hysterical board game, following on from the card game AYE,DARKOVERLORD (and if you haven't played that, shame on you).

In KRAGMORTHA you play the part off a goblin in the servce of RIGOR MORTIS an evil wizard and try to steal books from his library. The idea is to get to his desk without encountering  RIGOR MORTIS. This is done by playing cards that move either yourself or RIGOR MORTIS. If you end up in the same space as RIGOR MORTIS  he gives you a "withering look" that results in anything from having to wear a card on your head to having your hands constantly as fists (good luck picking a card). These are all ongoing effects and failing in one earns another "withering look"...first to gain 4 penalties is out and game is scored.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: zombemybabynow on 15 August, 2014, 11:04:07 PM
Wow. Memories re top trumps horror. There were x2 different decks.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: NapalmKev on 16 August, 2014, 07:25:54 AM
'The Works' has the Gormenghast boardgame for £9.99.

Cheers
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Lobo Baggins on 16 August, 2014, 08:59:51 AM
Quote from: Third Estate Ned on 13 August, 2014, 08:17:48 PM
I remember having the planes, ships and aliens sets but nothing as good as these. I get the classic horror characters but who is Zoltan? Isn't he the one who granted Tom Hanks' wish in Big? I hope I never have to find out. Also, looks like the cyclops has had his only eye out with that tree. Clumsy bugger.

Most of them are redrawn versions of 'classic Horror' movie stills TV monsters and the like - Zoltan is the monster from 'Jessie James meets Frankenstein's Daughter'.  The freaky 'High Priestess of Zoltan' comes from 'Curse of the Crimson Altar'.

I always wondered where the undisputed Top Trump 'Death' card image came from, though - that thing freaked me out.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Greg M. on 16 August, 2014, 11:02:07 AM
Found a couple of youtube clips that show you where most of the cards get their image from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJoUhj8OW2A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT4QrMmRYVA

The Death card - always my favourite, and present in the second link - has a really unexpected origin. [spoiler](The clip suggests it's an alien from the Logan's Run tv series.)[/spoiler]
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Lobo Baggins on 16 August, 2014, 06:49:12 PM
Quote from: Greg M. on 16 August, 2014, 11:02:07 AMThe Death card - always my favourite, and present in the second link - has a really unexpected origin. [spoiler](The clip suggests it's an alien from the Logan's Run tv series.)[/spoiler]

That's actually something I've seen mentioned in contemporary books, but don't recall ever seeing any actual footage of.  To YouTube!

Later...

What an awful theme tune.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Greg M. on 16 August, 2014, 07:11:22 PM
I've done a bit more research and the image referenced on the youtube link seems to be this chap:

(http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad84/ronniecraven/Coridian_zpsc373b1eb.jpg)

(http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad84/ronniecraven/death1_zps3b0eef28.jpg)

But apart from the link, I've not seen anything to say he was actually in a tv show - he appears to just be a 70s monster mask from Don Post Studios. Pretty cool though. I tried to paint him in an art class in primary school, but the art teacher wasn't keen on my stark black and yellow colour scheme and tried to stick in lots of green and red background mottling. I wasn't having any of that.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Richmond Clements on 16 August, 2014, 07:35:52 PM
Those cards bring back memories!
The Freak one looks to be based on The Reptile from the old Hammer movie.
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s7HE1GMLnS0/T5VqK0Sh3vI/AAAAAAAAElQ/sxEUCZFlQPE/s1600/the-reptile-still.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Steve Green on 16 August, 2014, 07:59:54 PM
(http://www.pointlessmuseum.com/museum/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/godzilla.jpg)

Was there a 'fashion sense' category that was dropped at the last moment?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 17 August, 2014, 05:05:30 PM
I'm sure this has been mentioned elsewhere before, but it was (welcome) news to me!

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BvKRMTRCcAEEDR9.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Lobo Baggins on 17 August, 2014, 05:52:04 PM
Quote from: Steve Green on 16 August, 2014, 07:59:54 PM
(http://www.pointlessmuseum.com/museum/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/godzilla.jpg)

Was there a 'fashion sense' category that was dropped at the last moment?

Well, obviously, that picture is of Godzilla in disguise.  He must have been trying to get closer to Tokyo before they started blasting him with that recycled footage of laser cannons firing!  It's the last thing you'd expect, after all!  He's not called King of the Monsters for nothing, you know.

Looking at it, he appears to be wearing a trenchcoat with the collar turned up as well as the bow tie.

Weird.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Steve Green on 17 August, 2014, 07:52:33 PM
Maybe he was auditioning for Doctor Who.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Richmond Clements on 17 August, 2014, 08:40:35 PM
Quote from: Steve Green on 17 August, 2014, 07:52:33 PM
Maybe he was auditioning for Doctor Who.

Actually, I was going to suggest that the clothes look a bit like something Pertwee's Doctor would have worn!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Steve Green on 17 August, 2014, 09:52:25 PM
It certainly would have been an interesting new direction for the show...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 19 August, 2014, 05:51:11 PM
Quote from: Official Hawkeye Pierce Action Figure on 17 August, 2014, 05:05:30 PM
I'm sure this has been mentioned elsewhere before, but it was (welcome) news to me!

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BvKRMTRCcAEEDR9.jpg)

SOLD
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Lobo Baggins on 21 August, 2014, 12:54:59 PM
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 17 August, 2014, 08:40:35 PM
Quote from: Steve Green on 17 August, 2014, 07:52:33 PM
Maybe he was auditioning for Doctor Who.

Actually, I was going to suggest that the clothes look a bit like something Pertwee's Doctor would have worn!

Aha!  I've finally realised exactly what that Godzilla picture reminded me of...

(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o320/Lobo_Baggins/Thargzilla_zpsa9f09f7d.jpg) (http://s123.photobucket.com/user/Lobo_Baggins/media/Thargzilla_zpsa9f09f7d.jpg.html)

http://thequaequamblog.blogspot.co.uk/ (http://thequaequamblog.blogspot.co.uk/)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 31 August, 2014, 03:25:52 PM
Looks like Munchkin Apocalypse: Judge Dredd is only a fifteen card booster pack for the Munchkin games.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 09 October, 2014, 09:32:37 PM
Okay reading Garth Ennis' War Stories 1 really reminded me of an old game I used to love which I think (from a Google search) was called B-17 Queen of the Skies. Anyone remember it... or more to the point know if there were any other similar games. See I've looked at some pictures and while some if it rings bells some bits don't?

I seem to remember a big grid mission sheet for the 25 missions you were attempting to fly. Its almost certainly the right game just my mind playing tricks?

Anyway anyone else remember this one. It was bloomin' great as I (unreliably) recall.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 09 November, 2014, 07:01:01 PM
Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 09 October, 2014, 09:32:37 PM
Okay reading Garth Ennis' War Stories 1 really reminded me of an old game I used to love which I think (from a Google search) was called B-17 Queen of the Skies. Anyone remember it... or more to the point know if there were any other similar games. See I've looked at some pictures and while some if it rings bells some bits don't.

I've never played but I've heard of it and there are a few games in the same style like B-29 Superfortress (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/28907/b-29-superfortress), The Hunters: German U-Boats at War 1939-43 (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/113873/hunters-german-u-boats-war-1939-43) and Thunderbolt Apache Leader (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/123955/thunderbolt-apache-leader).

Check out the Solitaire Wargames (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgamefamily/8164/solitaire-wargames) list on boardgamegeek.com for more.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 10 November, 2014, 07:12:06 PM
I've been playing Cards Against Humanity a bit recently, and that can be a lot of fun with the right group of people and plenty of booze.

I'm not so much into the cards that try a bit too hard to be funny/shocking in and of themselves (and tend to think that it would be a better/funnier game without them*), opting instead to come up with combinations that are more creative/surreal, but that's more my sense of humour. Some people I've played with insist on making everything very literal, which usually isn't that funny in my experience.

*I know several people who would probably really enjoy the game, but I wouldn't personally introduce them to it for fear of them getting offended by one or two of the hackier/nastier cards in the deck, which is a shame.

Tried a quick practice game of Love Letter the other day. It's OK, but rounds seem to end suddenly, often randomly. I suspect it's much more fun when played with more than two players.

Also managed to get in a full game of Ticket To Ride a few weeks ago, which was good stuff. I'm buying some copies for families for Christmas, hopefully get a few games in then.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 10 November, 2014, 07:58:08 PM
Quote from: radiator on 10 November, 2014, 07:12:06 PM
Tried a quick practice game of Love Letter the other day. It's OK, but rounds seem to end suddenly, often randomly. I suspect it's much more fun when played with more than two players.

Oh yeah, for Love Letter I'd reckon at least four for a good game, like Coup. You should give a look at The Resistance as well, but you'd want a good few for that.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 10 November, 2014, 08:17:59 PM
I may have asked earlier in the thread, but does anyone know of anyone really good two-player games?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 11 November, 2014, 11:16:30 AM
Quote from: radiator on 10 November, 2014, 08:17:59 PM
I may have asked earlier in the thread, but does anyone know of anyone really good two-player games?

Mr Jack Pocket is very good. As is Agricola All Creatures Big and Small. Coin Age is a current hit too.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 12 November, 2014, 12:32:22 AM
Cool, I'll check them out.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 14 November, 2014, 05:44:55 PM
Anyone played Zombicide? Saw it in Waterstones and thought my boy might like it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 17 November, 2014, 11:10:15 PM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 14 November, 2014, 05:44:55 PM
Anyone played Zombicide? Saw it in Waterstones and thought my boy might like it.

Played it for the first time last week (had three games so far). It feels like a standard co-operative game, in like the more you do and improve your character, the more the difficulty increases. One of the people I played with wasn't too mad about it because he felt  there's nothing special about mechanics wise (he also felt you could have tacked on any setting to the rules), but the production values and contents are great which is what sells it.

Can a very difficult game to win at - players really, really, need to plan out how to go about the mission at the start once you know zombies appear and at what quantities and levels.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Richmond Clements on 25 November, 2014, 10:59:56 AM
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/25/board-games-internet-playstation-xbox
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 08 December, 2014, 11:22:33 PM
So, I still haven't played this Carcassone set I bought in April, although my mate swears he's up for a game this week but I've heard it all before. What I have done in the past couple of days, however, is watch about a dozen episodes of Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day's Tabletop.

I'm sure you game boys are all over this, but I'd never heard of it. Favourite episodes have probably been Munchkin (with Steve Jackson) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6oMBSiL7Zs) and The Resistance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_QRczGzXqw). The games which rely on more banter and horse-trading between the players are better suited to the format.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 08 December, 2014, 11:58:15 PM
Whatever you do, take Carcassonne with you if you're spending Christmas with family. You'll have a great time. Just familiarise yourself with the rules first. Beats Monopoly, Charades or Eastenders Christmas Special any day.

I'm fully intending to spend the few evenings over Christmas playing Ticket To Ride, Carcassonne, Love Letter and Cards Against Humanity with my nearest and dearest, cannot wait!
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 28 December, 2014, 12:46:48 AM
Just left the fam. Ticket to Ride: Europe (which I'd bought as a gift for my sister and brother in law) went down an absolute treat - we had two full 5-player games and much to my surprise and delight everyone was really into it, but Cards Against Humanity was the standout. Haven't laughed so much in a long time. Think I've successfully sold a couple more copies of each.

Great stuff, really brought everyone together and made our Christmas.
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 28 December, 2014, 01:49:56 AM
Quote from: radiator on 28 December, 2014, 12:46:48 AM
but Cards Against Humanity was the standout. Haven't laughed so much in a long time. Think I've successfully sold a couple more copies of each.

We played this at my brother's on Christmas,  but only when suitably oiled. There's always one or two who manage to get through the whole game without understanding what the hell is going on, but that just makes it funnier.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 06 January, 2015, 04:40:19 PM
Saw this on Amazon and it looks intriguing - has anyone here played it?

Never knew that IDW made board games!

Machi Koro: http://www.amazon.com/IDW-Games-665IDW-Machi-Board/dp/B00JGHCBZA/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top (http://www.amazon.com/IDW-Games-665IDW-Machi-Board/dp/B00JGHCBZA/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 06 January, 2015, 04:51:36 PM
Played quite a bit of Qwirkle with various family members over Xmas.

It was a new game for us but it went down very well. It plays a bit like a cross between Scrabble and Dominoes but is very simple to pick up, quick to play, very suitable for all ages and there are no arguments about the legality of moves.
Highly recommended as an easy to learn and easy to play family game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 06 January, 2015, 06:30:00 PM
Quote from: JamesC on 06 January, 2015, 04:51:36 PM
Played quite a bit of Qwirkle with various family members over Xmas.

Qwrikle was the big new board game hit with us too, played it almost every day over Christmas with varying combos of relatives, to universal acclaim.  Great stuff.

New expansions for Munchkin, Pokemon and Carcassonne also provided much fun, and a very enjoyable obscure insect-based lotto game called Bug Bingo had a lot of very-small-child appeal too.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: NapalmKev on 14 January, 2015, 02:03:48 PM
HEROQUEST!

Treated myself (been Debt Free for just over six months now) to a copy of the Greatest Boardgame ever devised, as my original was destroyed years ago. Cost me £79.99, plus P&P, and it's in absolute Mint condition.

Proper Chuffed!

Cheers
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: von Boom on 14 January, 2015, 02:11:08 PM
I'm taking a risk on pledging a Kickstarter for Conan:

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

The minis are gorgeous.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 14 January, 2015, 02:40:57 PM
Yikes! That game looks gorgeous!

I think for the first time ever, I'm going to support a kickstarter...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 14 January, 2015, 03:13:42 PM
Then look one Kickstarter down. If Tiny Epic Galaxies is half as much fun as Tiny Epic Kingdoms it's surely worth a punt.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: shaolin_monkey on 22 January, 2015, 05:00:49 PM
I introduced my nine year old to the joys of Carcassonne last weekend. She thrashed me.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 22 January, 2015, 05:56:52 PM
Quote from: shaolin_monkey on 22 January, 2015, 05:00:49 PM
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?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 27 January, 2015, 10:58:02 AM
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 (http://www.theskinny.co.uk/events/83590-dungeons_dragons_live)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 27 January, 2015, 05:33:43 PM
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...  :o

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/elanlee/exploding-kittens (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/elanlee/exploding-kittens)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 30 January, 2015, 08:59:28 PM
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.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 10 February, 2015, 10:15:36 PM
Ghostbusters!!!!!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cze/ghostbusters-the-board-game (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cze/ghostbusters-the-board-game)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 20 February, 2015, 09:54:49 PM
Finally got myself a copy of Heimlich & Co...go check it out!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 23 February, 2015, 03:14:50 PM
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/ (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/board-games/)

(http://www.clevermovegames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Legendary-Encounters-An-Alien-Deck-Building-Game-e1409008364703.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 27 February, 2015, 02:59:46 PM
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.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 27 February, 2015, 04:39:59 PM
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.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 27 February, 2015, 08:30:37 PM
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!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 27 February, 2015, 08:44:16 PM
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.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 27 February, 2015, 09:49:53 PM
As Radiator says a good rule of thumb is a game that takes no more than an hour to play....if it takes 30 mins to set it's likely a non starter (unless set up before hand). Cards Against Humanity while good suffers from one big flaw, people bore easily. While it might be good for the company to trot out more and more expansions, i usually find that people say "fuck i am not asking that again" or just changing their hand because they are tired of waiting for the right time to play cards.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 28 February, 2015, 01:53:39 AM
While the base deck gets repetitive fairly quickly (especially if you're playing frequently with the same group of people, or those with limited imaginations), with all five expansions - plus lots of mini expansions - the possible combinations grow exponentially. The 90s Nostalgia Pack is particularly awesome. Third party expansions are available but they look shite.

We actually limit hands to 7 cards (10 is stated in the rules), and don't draw extra for 2 or 3 for multiple answer rounds. If you don't have anything funny to play, tough.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Jimmy Baker's Assistant on 28 February, 2015, 05:48:31 PM
I loved Talisman as a kid and I love it now.

Got the Grim Reaper expansion for Christmas and played it for the first time this week. Absolutely awesome, makes the game even more immersive and fun.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 12 March, 2015, 01:22:40 PM
Just treated myself to Space Hulk as Ive wanted to play it since I was a kid  :). Anyone got an opinion on this? Seems to get raved about in reviews.

Also my son got the Star Wars mini space ship game at Xmas but havent got round to that one yet, probs take them on holiday in the summer and try it then if stuck in on a rainy day.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: NapalmKev on 12 March, 2015, 02:14:35 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 12 March, 2015, 01:22:40 PM
Just treated myself to Space Hulk as Ive wanted to play it since I was a kid  :). Anyone got an opinion on this? Seems to get raved about in reviews.


Space Hulk is excellent, second only to Heroquest.

Cheers
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 12 March, 2015, 04:42:05 PM
Where did you get your Space Hulk from Satanist?

I had a similar nostalgic urge to get it recently and it seemed to be out of print (with the last one being a pre-order only and they're already gone sort of deal).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 12 March, 2015, 05:37:47 PM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 12 March, 2015, 04:42:05 PM
Where did you get your Space Hulk from Satanist?

I had a similar nostalgic urge to get it recently and it seemed to be out of print (with the last one being a pre-order only and they're already gone sort of deal).

A few shops still have copies knocking around here in Ireland, I'd say ask the smaller gaming shops.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 12 March, 2015, 05:50:50 PM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 12 March, 2015, 04:42:05 PM
Where did you get your Space Hulk from Satanist?

I had a similar nostalgic urge to get it recently and it seemed to be out of print (with the last one being a pre-order only and they're already gone sort of deal).

Ebay mate. £100 which is a nice wee mark up as it was released at £75 last year but I was in the same boat as yourself. The link below is where I ordered from and the guy has another 3...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Space-Hulk-2014-BNIB-Games-Workshop-Blood-Angels-Tyranids-Broodlord-Warhammer-/281616490697?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4191a6a0c9#ht_114wt_958 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Space-Hulk-2014-BNIB-Games-Workshop-Blood-Angels-Tyranids-Broodlord-Warhammer-/281616490697?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4191a6a0c9#ht_114wt_958)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 13 March, 2015, 02:50:47 PM
Thanks for the link!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 13 March, 2015, 09:09:50 PM
Bloody hell! I got Space Hulk for 35 quid and thanks to the charity shop down the road Heroquest and 3 expansions for about £50 (I now send all my unwanted crap their way, karma and all).

Still think i paid too much for Space Hulk...it was like £30 quid when it came out an it violates one of my gaming rules. If you have to spend half an hour setting it up it's really not worth it, people will get bored!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 23 March, 2015, 01:22:48 PM
Well I played Space Hulk for the first time at the weekend and the kids loved it. I think its pretty great as well.

Although at the moment we arent using the timer while we get used to the rules but I can see that when we do things will get pretty hectic.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 23 March, 2015, 06:55:27 PM
Quote from: Jimmy Baker's Assistant on 28 February, 2015, 05:48:31 PM
I loved Talisman as a kid and I love it now.

Got the Grim Reaper expansion for Christmas and played it for the first time this week. Absolutely awesome, makes the game even more immersive and fun.

I have all the expansions. The corner ones are great. We nerf the City, though, as a flail (roll two dice for a strength attack) plus a warhorse (add craft + strength in battle) make it ridiculously easy.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 03 April, 2015, 11:35:42 PM
Invested in a few more games as we have a few holidays coming up. Primarily I'm looking for 2 player games that are simple without being banal. They must also look quaintly accessible a la Carcassonne - nothing too overtly nerdy or it won't fly with my girlfriend (for instance Star Realms looks great but there's no chance in hell she'd even try to play).

So far I've got:

Aricola: All Creatures Big and Small
Quirkle
Jaipur
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 04 April, 2015, 08:52:09 AM
Dominion is supposed to be very good.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 04 April, 2015, 10:34:58 AM
Mr Jack Pocket is very good.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 06 April, 2015, 04:53:27 PM
Dominion looks great, but a little daunting with all those cards. Can't imagine anyone I know would be interested in playing it, sadly.

I'll give Mr Jack Pocket a punt as it's very cheap.

I should really watch some more episodes of Tabletop, but there's something about Wil Wheaton that I find a bit grating. I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, but I find it hard to make it through those videos.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 06 April, 2015, 06:04:06 PM
Another one I really like is Death Angel. It's basically 'Aliens' the card game and is very fast paced and quite simple. It may fail the nerd test though.

Boss Monster is good fun too. I'm not sure if the 8-Bit Video Game style art makes it more or less geeky but it's quite a funny game. Possibly some balance issues but it's one of those games that's so good natured you don't mind if you lose.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 06 April, 2015, 09:12:49 PM
Quote from: radiator on 06 April, 2015, 04:53:27 PM
I should really watch some more episodes of Tabletop, but there's something about Wil Wheaton that I find a bit grating. I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, but I find it hard to make it through those videos.

I don't mind the show at all - it depends on the guests for me.

Betrayal at House on the Hill and Last night on Earth are two games i really enjoy. The Betrayal epsiode of Tabletop was fantastic, because the three guests were charming, engaging, and really seemed to have genuine fun playing the game. The guests for the Last Night episode (and Felicia Day* in particular) were terrible.

*Regarding Felicia Day - I get the feeling that she's probably awesome to game with when the cameras aren't on her, but gets too "look at me" when she's on the show.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 08 April, 2015, 01:13:17 AM
One of the best things about this board games renaissance is that it has pretty much solved that yearly quandary of choosing Christmas presents. I've just started to get pretty much all my family board games every year and they go down a treat. There's so much variety on offer in terms of type, complexity and price range that it's really easy to choose games tailored to each person.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 09 April, 2015, 01:42:31 PM
Remember - Saturday is National tabletop game day, so make sure to celebrate by breaking out your favorite boardgames.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 10 April, 2015, 09:50:39 PM
Quote from: locustsofdeath! on 09 April, 2015, 01:42:31 PM
Remember - Saturday is National tabletop game day, so make sure to celebrate by breaking out your favorite boardgames.

Worth calling into your local gaming shop or board game club, they might be running events for the day. I'm off to a all-day boardgaming convention myself.

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 12 April, 2015, 06:22:37 AM
Rocked Space Hulk, Blood Bowl, and 40K at the local game shop for Tabletop Game Day. 11-11, but the hours flew by!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 12 April, 2015, 07:43:47 AM
I picked up a copy of Tsuro yesterday after seeing a demonstration. Haven't had a chance to play it yet but it looks very accessible. I'm hoping it will prove to be a good family game like Qwirkle has been.
Could be just the thing Radiator is looking for too.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 13 April, 2015, 08:19:50 PM
Quote from: JamesC on 12 April, 2015, 07:43:47 AM
I picked up a copy of Tsuro yesterday after seeing a demonstration. Haven't had a chance to play it yet but it looks very accessible. I'm hoping it will prove to be a good family game like Qwirkle has been.
Could be just the thing Radiator is looking for too.

Tsuro is a really quick simple game, the Tsuro of the Seas version lengthens it but it mightn't be worth getting both if you have one. I prefer the first one.
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 14 April, 2015, 03:49:36 PM
I have Tsuro. If anything it's perhaps a little TOO simple. Every time i play i feel like 'is that it?'.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 14 April, 2015, 07:16:23 PM
Kickstarter for a boardgame version of Pat Mills' Requiem. Minis look gorgeous (but then they all do nowadays).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dreamship/requiem-vampire-knight
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 14 April, 2015, 07:24:07 PM
Quote from: locustsofdeath! on 14 April, 2015, 07:16:23 PM
Kickstarter for a boardgame version of Pat Mills' Requiem. Minis look gorgeous (but then they all do nowadays).

WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 22 April, 2015, 01:36:26 PM
There are some great recommendations on this thread. A friend of mine often asks if I want to come to his role playing club but it all sounds a bit serious since they first research the historical environments their games are set in.

Instead, I bought him Munchkin for his birthday so we could play something easier. If it's good I may get the Apocalypse version for myself so I can use the Judge Dredd expansion. It says here it will be out in autumn 2015: http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/ (http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/). As I understand it, the Dredd set will only be an expansion of the Apocalypse variant and incompatible with the original Munchkin set.

Has anyone played the Apocalypse version to compare it to the original Munchkin?

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 23 April, 2015, 02:39:00 AM
Games Workshop's first boardgame release in years (besides the Space Hulk reissues and the FF releases) hits stores this Saturday: http://www.spikeybitsblog.com/2015/04/new-assassin-game-contents-revealed.html
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: SIP on 23 April, 2015, 09:40:55 AM
Cool. Are there any more details about game play knocking about?  Do we know an age range etc?  Cheers!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 24 April, 2015, 02:46:16 AM
Apparently it's a cross between Space Hulk and Warhammer Quest set in the 40k world.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: SIP on 25 April, 2015, 08:14:31 AM
Hmmm, seems to be some confusion about whether you can actually buy this in store today or just pre order it. It's gone on the Australian games workshop as a pre order for 2nd May.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: SIP on 26 April, 2015, 10:41:40 AM
Yes, "assassinorum : executioner force" was preorder for next week. I Went into games workshop yesterday and they had the game there and I got a good look at it. It looked promising, but I was really looking for something that my kids could also play and it looked a little too complex for my 7 year old.

So I ended up getting " zombicide" instead and I'm pretty happy with it. Played through one game so far and everyone could follow it. Perhaps as complicated as I can get for the next year or two.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 26 April, 2015, 11:02:33 AM
Played spaghetti western shoot-out card game Bang last night. Has anyone played this?

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/bangthebullet_zpszij6jxiu.jpg)

Players are secretly divided into collaborative outlaws, a sheriff and deputy duo and there is an independent renegade. Each group has their own objective and individual character card with unique powers. In the game, you take cards with which you "shoot" your opponents until they eventually lose all their lives as well as getting various other strategic cards to put into play.

This is the first time I've played this sort of card game and it took me and another two newbie players a long while to get used to the myriad rules. It's meant to be easy to pick up but I would say you need to play two or three times to get used to it. Compared to a board game like Catan, which seemed complicated when we first played it but which all new players picked up in no time, some of the context-specific rules in this seemed a bit finicky.

I guess it depends how quick you are on the uptake.

I would play it again because the more seasoned players were having a lot of bantering fun and the card exchanges were pretty fast between them. Plus, the sheriff gets to wear a shiny plastic badge.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Richmond Clements on 26 April, 2015, 11:22:25 AM
Quotethe sheriff gets to wear a shiny plastic badge.

You should have opened with that.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 26 April, 2015, 11:43:41 AM
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 26 April, 2015, 11:22:25 AM
Quotethe sheriff gets to wear a shiny plastic badge.

You should have opened with that.

I should have left it at that.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 05 May, 2015, 12:05:16 AM
Picked up Assassinorum  (if that's what it's called, don't have it to hand to check!), had popped into the shop to have a look and it just seemed too cool to not grab. Anyone had a go yet? I'd imagine it'll be a while before I get a session going so will probably play a few rounds solo just to learn it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 05 May, 2015, 12:36:55 AM
Bought it. Haven't played it yet. Lots of great minis to assemble, though (although a bunch of them come in other sets, so I have them already).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 05 May, 2015, 04:36:55 AM
I don't have the patience for any board game these days (Despite my earlier claims that I own a few!), but after googling it.

I found this.....

WH40k - Regicide (http://store.steampowered.com/app/322910/)

You, see, I don't like games that take longer to set up  than actually playing them.

Especially if you going to be the first to go.

Just ask anybody I know of playing Magic - The Gathering around the table top with some people I know and eventually sold all the cards I had collected for a measly hundred dollars a few years earlier.

Remembering a game where I was yelling at the person who had taken me out of the game so very quickly after we took while to set up.  Yes, I am a sore loser, but only sometimes and always for a good reason.

It's just madness to invest so much preparation in what could be a very short and unsatisfactory game.



Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 08 May, 2015, 09:02:17 PM
Finally got a copy of "The Red Dragon Inn". Took ages as all I can normally find ins 2, 3 or 4 or expansions. Hope to give it a run out tomorrow and looking forward to it as it meets all my requirements: 45/60 minute playtime and fast paced.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 11 May, 2015, 04:18:02 PM
Hadn't really appreciated that the Assassinorum miniatures would need glued and assembled (think when I was getting similar games years ago like Advanced Heroquest they were snap together pieces). Spend a good chunk of Saturday putting them all together and really enjoyed it so maybe I've found a new hobby. Now looking into how to paint them...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 11 May, 2015, 05:37:35 PM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 11 May, 2015, 04:18:02 PM
Hadn't really appreciated that the Assassinorum miniatures would need glued and assembled (think when I was getting similar games years ago like Advanced Heroquest they were snap together pieces). Spend a good chunk of Saturday putting them all together and really enjoyed it so maybe I've found a new hobby. Now looking into how to paint them...

This guy is putting together a great guide (and his minis look fantastic painted up) for Assassinorum: http://boardgamegeek.com/article/19189712#19189712
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 12 May, 2015, 10:14:51 AM
Quote from: locustsofdeath! on 11 May, 2015, 05:37:35 PM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 11 May, 2015, 04:18:02 PM
Hadn't really appreciated that the Assassinorum miniatures would need glued and assembled (think when I was getting similar games years ago like Advanced Heroquest they were snap together pieces). Spend a good chunk of Saturday putting them all together and really enjoyed it so maybe I've found a new hobby. Now looking into how to paint them...

This guy is putting together a great guide (and his minis look fantastic painted up) for Assassinorum: http://boardgamegeek.com/article/19189712#19189712

Those look amazing! I've got some old figures from Advanced Heroquest which I might paint first as a practice run first, as I'll probably make a mess of it first few tries. Ordered the 'How To Paint Citadel Miniatures' book from Amazon and have just started looked at paints - looks like it's quite a pricey hobby if you're buying base paints, dry paints, shading paints etc. I guess once you've splurged on the initial kits they'll do for a while though.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: SIP on 12 May, 2015, 10:19:22 AM
I picked up assassinorum on the weekend.  Played it twice so far, once on my own (got battered) and once with my kids (almost won). Have really enjoyed it.  I know games workshop are getting a backlash for the price and its lack of variation,  but I think people are coming around to the fact that it's a decent game. 

Can't say I really agree with the lack of variation gripes, there are enough variable events,  patrols, rooms and combat to make it repayable.  Too many comparisons to space hulk I think.  It's far more playable and accessible to younger players than space hulk and is ideal for a 4 player co-op  game which is great from my perspective. 
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: SIP on 12 May, 2015, 10:33:31 AM
You can also pick up the game very cheaply on ebay right now MINUS the 4 assassins figures (which are lovely). You can easily substitute other miniatures for them and the rest of the game is high quality.

Almost sold the assassins myself to pay for the game. ....But once they were in hand I couldn't bring myself to part with them!

And as for painting figures,  the pain is in the initial outlay on colours.  Easier to do it gradually by picking a few colours for a selected miniature and working on that,  then accumulate over time.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 12 May, 2015, 10:58:10 AM
Yeah that's a good shout, be good to dip my toes in before I commit to buying a load of them. It mainly looks expensive when I look at the Games Workshop store, Amazon do seem to have some cheaper off-brand options with good reviews. Might pick up some sort of 'starter kit' from them and see how I get on.

Glad to hear you're not finding the variation thing a problem, I still haven't sat down to a game (hopefully tonight!) but looking over the rules I was a little worried about there not being a campaign or a set of missions to go through. The setup for the mission itself is very, very cool though, and if the randomized rooms and different patrols make each game play out differently then that's all good. Thinking about most board games I play they do tend to be one scenario with various randomized elements shaking things up each time and this seems no different.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: SIP on 12 May, 2015, 11:21:03 AM
Exactly what I thought.  Most board games are a single idea,  from chess to monopoly,  it's the random events and other players actions that make each game different.  Here, there are random patrols, random events and changing room locations.  Throw in other unpredictable players and I think you have more than enough variation.

The price of figures is crazy,  each assassin is selling for  20 pounds online right now.  I paid 18 for a marine commander last year. ....shocking!
You can get some better value boxes of soldiers/Marines etc if you have a browse in games workshop or online.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: shaolin_monkey on 12 May, 2015, 11:34:50 AM
Woohoo! Some gaming buddies have thrown together an X-Wing core pack for me to try out. Good - I'm sick of my 10 year old thrashing me at Carcassone. Now I will bring the might of the Empire down upon her!!

Well, two TIE fighters anyway...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 12 May, 2015, 01:44:08 PM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 12 May, 2015, 10:58:10 AM
looking over the rules I was a little worried about there not being a campaign or a set of missions to go through.

I've been mocking up a set of Genestealer Cult rules to add some variation to the theme. The sparsity of the art on the cards make them really easy to do up in Photoshop. I have my old Space Hulk Genestealer hybrids, and the old cult set, but word is that GW is going to release a new Genestealer Cult set.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 12 May, 2015, 10:22:00 PM
I am finding myself increasingly drawn to Dungeons and Dragons after finding masses of interesting reads in blogs for homebrew content (Goblin Punch is amazing stuff, the Dungeon Dozen is a great format for brainstorming ideas) but keep wondering where to play it :/

Other than that I have found a great place in Bristol on a recent visit that has oodles of common or garden boardgames, 'The Playground'. Worth a check if you are ever in the area, just by St Nick's markets. There's table football, scrabble and even swings (though they are more like benches).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 13 May, 2015, 09:22:27 AM
Quote from: Theblazeuk on 12 May, 2015, 10:22:00 PM
I am finding myself increasingly drawn to Dungeons and Dragons after finding masses of interesting reads in blogs for homebrew content (Goblin Punch is amazing stuff, the Dungeon Dozen is a great format for brainstorming ideas) but keep wondering where to play it :/

Me and my brother have been trying to figure out how to run a game together for a while, he's in Canada and I'm in Scotland but we're convinced there must be a way to make it Skype-able!

Had a practice run on Assassinorum last night with me controlling all the assassins just to learn the rules, and it seems pretty easy to pick up after a few rounds. Some good emergent moments of drama - found the teleporter and deduced that the control room must be the one uncovered room on the other end of the board, which lead to three assassins holding off enemies at the teleporter while one lone guy made a run for the controls. He made it to the controls but never made it back to the teleporter, so the final battle with Lord Drask played out against the backdrop of that poor wee fella on the other board getting slowly outnumbered.

It was great fun and can't wait to play it with other humans. Only concern after finishing it first time is it might be a little easy to beat - I might have gotten lucky or might be misunderstanding some of the line of sight rules but it seems fairly simple to kill the renegades or sneak around them unspotted. Saying that it could be the point - they're easy to dispatch individually but become a threat quickly if you let them pile up. Did have a few instances of enemies I'd craftily stealthed past becoming alerted when a nearby enemy fired. Plus I did lose one assassin and only defeated Lord Drask one turn from the end of the ritual, so if every game is a skin of your teeth affair like that it could remain quite thrilling.

Enjoy X-Wing Shaolin Monkey! I've only played a couple of games at a friends and I was really bad at it (spent most of my time careering through asteroids) but would like to give it another crack sometime, seemed a lot of fun and very tactical.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Richmond Clements on 13 May, 2015, 09:32:30 AM



Posts: 3913
I knew you'd say that...












Re: The Board Game Thread

« Reply #230 on: Today at 09:22:27 AM »

Quote
Modify
Remove
Split Topic




QuoteQuote from: Theblazeuk on 12 May, 2015, 10:22:00 PM

I am finding myself increasingly drawn to Dungeons and Dragons after finding masses of interesting reads in blogs for homebrew content (Goblin Punch is amazing stuff, the Dungeon Dozen is a great format for brainstorming ideas) but keep wondering where to play it :/




Me and my brother have been trying to figure out how to run a game together for a while, he's in Canada and I'm in Scotland but we're convinced there must be a way to make it Skype-able!

I know there are folks who play over Skype - go for it I say!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: SIP on 13 May, 2015, 11:02:51 AM
On my first go at assassinorum I got slaughtered. That's because I left guards on alert,  got multiple event cards every go (and they were all bad). I also mistakenly believed that I could get multiple hits on a chaos Marine in one turn (he has armor of 5, so when I got a 6 I assumed two hits). This was incorrect,  can only get one hit on a single attack.

Second time I played it,  almost beat it......ran out of turns when confronting the chaos sorcerer.  Exactly the same thing happened last night,  but I was very close to winning (one shot away).

My conclusion is that perhaps 4 assassins is 2 too many for a serious challenge,  but things can go spectacularly badly if you get an unfortunate series of events cards.
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 22 June, 2015, 09:00:16 AM
We've got friends visiting at the moment and Quirkle has gone down a treat, even with one friend in particular who 'doesn't like games'. I got the travel version which is great for the pub.

Great stuff, thanks for the recommends everyone. I'll definitely be picking up copies for all my family this Christmas.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Modern Panther on 28 June, 2015, 12:51:38 PM
Hey fellahs.  Just wanted to share the Fallout Monopoly I made for the other half's birthday. 
(https://modernpanther.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/img_20150607_152517.jpg)

I'm not a fan of monopoly.  I'd go so far as saying I hate monopoly.  But she loves it, bless her, and she loves Fallout.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: shaolin_monkey on 02 July, 2015, 12:09:01 AM
That is fucking awesome.

I hate Monopoly, but I'd play that!!!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 02 July, 2015, 12:20:35 AM
Any new news on the Munchkin Apocalypse: Judge Dredd release date?  I think it was mentioned somewhere upthread (the expansion, not the release date).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 02 July, 2015, 03:33:52 AM
Munchkin should this game be played by adults or their children or both?

I have the core rules for their spin on Dungeons & Dragons, but slightly water damaged.

Wonder if there is compendium.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 02 July, 2015, 07:39:16 AM
Quote from: ThryllSeekyr on 02 July, 2015, 03:33:52 AM
Munchkin should this game be played by adults or their children or both?

I have the core rules for their spin on Dungeons & Dragons, but slightly water damaged.

Wonder if there is compendium.

Munchkin is a card game that can be played by 2-4 players aged 10 and up (that's what it says on the boxes in front of me, though the more cards you have the more players can join in).

What you have is a roleplaying game based on the D20 (Dungeons and Dragons 3.5) rules system but Munchkin themed.  This is the same games system which was used as the basis for the Judge Dredd and Sláine RPGs which were released at the beginning of this century.  The latest Judge Dredd (and Strontium Dog) games use Traveller instead of D20.

p.s. there's also a Munchkin-themed boardgame, and another card game which is a rethemed version of Love Letter, but Munchkin itself is the original card game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 02 July, 2015, 09:31:45 AM
Quote from: sheridan on 02 July, 2015, 12:20:35 AM
Any new news on the Munchkin Apocalypse: Judge Dredd release date?  I think it was mentioned somewhere upthread (the expansion, not the release date).

I've been checking for this weekly but the last updated news says it should be out this autumn (at least in the US).

Quote from: Munchkin website
We (currently) have six new boosters on the schedule for the rest of 2015. In no particular order, and without giving away too much, I can tell you that:

One of them is Munchkin Apocalypse: Judge Dredd, which is in Steve's hands for some TLC. (Steve is the Law!) We still expect to see it this fall.

From here: http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/news/archive.html (http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/news/archive.html)

You said you can play Munchkin with 2 players, Sheridan, but I had thought the minimum was 3 (I haven't played it yet). Do you have experience with 2 players, with modified rules maybe?

I was holding off buying Apocalypse because the only people who would play it with me aren't English but the Italian translation doesn't work so well. The pun on the 7th Seal, for example is 7 Sigilli Fochissimi, meaning the 7 seals (scroll closing devices) very seal (aquatic mammal), with the last word being a pun on "very cool". But the inclusion of the animal seal in Italian makes no sense, it's no pun, you'd have to know the English pun in the first place to understand why they'd included it. Very strange.

While we wait for the autumn, have a look at another Munchkin pun.

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/fredd_zpsg5wu8yuo.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 02 July, 2015, 01:11:15 PM
Quote from: Third Estate Ned on 02 July, 2015, 09:31:45 AM
From here: http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/news/archive.html (http://www.worldofmunchkin.com/news/archive.html)

You said you can play Munchkin with 2 players, Sheridan, but I had thought the minimum was 3 (I haven't played it yet). Do you have experience with 2 players, with modified rules maybe?


Nope - just quoting the box.  Though the rules PDF says 3-6.


I'm waiting for Dredd before buying Apocalypse as well (though already have the Mars Attacks! booster, to recreate one of the better IDW offerings).

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Tiplodocus on 02 July, 2015, 01:20:44 PM
Do we talk about Card games on this thread?

About to go camping and want something other than UNO to play at nights.

I understand there are lots of modern style card games (not Ace, King, Queen, Jack type cards) out there.

What would be a good recommendation for three players; me, Mrs Tips (slightly more prudish than the rest of the family) and Tiny Tips (now actually 15 and following in his father's footsteps)?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Jimmy Baker's Assistant on 02 July, 2015, 01:23:44 PM
Chaos Marauders!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 02 July, 2015, 01:34:45 PM
Quote from: Tiplodocus on 02 July, 2015, 01:20:44 PM
What would be a good recommendation for three players; me, Mrs Tips (slightly more prudish than the rest of the family) and Tiny Tips (now actually 15 and following in his father's footsteps)?
I got Fluxx (http://www.looneylabs.com/games/fluxx) recently. Only played it a couple of times but it's quite fast and fun.

And, of course, if you get bored of playing it you can say stuff like: "Not bloody Flux again!"
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 02 July, 2015, 02:06:23 PM
Quote from: Tiplodocus on 02 July, 2015, 01:20:44 PM
Do we talk about Card games on this thread?

About to go camping and want something other than UNO to play at nights.

I understand there are lots of modern style card games (not Ace, King, Queen, Jack type cards) out there.

What would be a good recommendation for three players; me, Mrs Tips (slightly more prudish than the rest of the family) and Tiny Tips (now actually 15 and following in his father's footsteps)?

Do you have Love Letter?

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/129622/love-letter (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/129622/love-letter)

I have the Kanai Factory version rather than the standard version because I prefer the art. As Sheridan says, there is a Munchkin themed version as well as there being Batman, the Hobbit and Adventure Time. This is the version I have:

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/ll_zpsa2nxsikz.jpeg)

Another card game I got based on high recommendations is Star Realms, which is advertised as a two player game but included a sheet with rules for 3. I've not played it yet but people talk highly of it.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/147020/star-realms (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/147020/star-realms)

Neither of these games will set you back much.

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 02 July, 2015, 02:52:46 PM
Good fun to be had with Welcome to the Dungeon. Again, reasonably priced.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 02 July, 2015, 04:53:21 PM
Quote from: The Cosh on 02 July, 2015, 01:34:45 PM
Quote from: Tiplodocus on 02 July, 2015, 01:20:44 PM
What would be a good recommendation for three players; me, Mrs Tips (slightly more prudish than the rest of the family) and Tiny Tips (now actually 15 and following in his father's footsteps)?
I got Fluxx (http://www.looneylabs.com/games/fluxx) recently. Only played it a couple of times but it's quite fast and fun.

And, of course, if you get bored of playing it you can say stuff like: "Not bloody Flux again!"
I'll back up Fluxx (lots of different editions available - Family Fluxx may be best to cater to Mrs Tips, though have a look at the other themed versions available).


Monopoly Deal - at least one person I know who really does not like Monopoly (understatement) has a copy of this.


Love Letter (as someone else mentioned) is a good one - takes a few minutes to learn, available in different themes.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 07 July, 2015, 05:24:46 PM
It's not a card game, but I'd certainly recommend the travel edition of Qwirkle for a camping trip - you'll need a flat surface like a table, but not a huge playing area.

I'd also highly recommend keeping scores with the Scorekeeper XL app.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Tiplodocus on 13 July, 2015, 01:04:35 PM
I picked up Pirate Fluxx and Hobbit Love Letter. Thanks for the recommendations.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 23 July, 2015, 02:06:27 PM
Bought Boss Monster a few weeks back and have played a couple of times with the family. Its a card game where you as the villain have to build a dungeon full of treasure, traps and monsters to tempt in the heroes. First to kill 10 heroes wins. Rules are very simple (so easy for kids to pick up) and the cards (and box) are designed to look like an old NES game. Really enjoyed it so far but imagine it would wear thin after regular bouts.

Also played Cards Against Humanity while on hols which was a good drunken laugh and was worth the money just to hear my 70 year old dad spout obscenities. I imagine this gets boring even faster than the above.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 23 July, 2015, 02:25:57 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 23 July, 2015, 02:06:27 PM
Also played Cards Against Humanity while on hols which was a good drunken laugh and was worth the money just to hear my 70 year old dad spout obscenities. I imagine this gets boring even faster than the above.

I think that to work, this game does require:
a) lots of alcohol
b) at least one elderly relative who isn't quite sure what they're doing.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Richmond Clements on 23 July, 2015, 03:40:20 PM
I'm now far too deep into an X-Wing addiction...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Woolly on 23 July, 2015, 05:53:54 PM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 23 July, 2015, 02:25:57 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 23 July, 2015, 02:06:27 PM
Also played Cards Against Humanity while on hols which was a good drunken laugh and was worth the money just to hear my 70 year old dad spout obscenities. I imagine this gets boring even faster than the above.

I think that to work, this game does require:
a) lots of alcohol
b) at least one elderly relative who isn't quite sure what they're doing.

Theres a few expansion sets that come with blank cards, which are recommended.
And yes, alcohol makes the game what it is.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 24 July, 2015, 09:47:42 PM
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 23 July, 2015, 03:40:20 PM
I'm now far too deep into an X-Wing addiction...

You get the epic ships?  ;)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Richmond Clements on 25 July, 2015, 09:56:12 AM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 24 July, 2015, 09:47:42 PM
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 23 July, 2015, 03:40:20 PM
I'm now far too deep into an X-Wing addiction...

You get the epic ships?  ;)

Managing to resist them at the moment, but I know I NEED the Rebel transporter for the X-Wing pilots...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 27 July, 2015, 02:27:33 PM
Still to give X-Wing a go, I think the boy has 2 x-wing 3 tie fighters and slave-1. The ships are v expensive for what they are but do look nice. I'm guessing the games a bit good then?

Next game I fancy is Muchkin or Munchkin:Apocalypse but they can wait for now.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Richmond Clements on 27 July, 2015, 02:33:32 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 27 July, 2015, 02:27:33 PM
Still to give X-Wing a go, I think the boy has 2 x-wing 3 tie fighters and slave-1. The ships are v expensive for what they are but do look nice. I'm guessing the games a bit good then?

Next game I fancy is Muchkin or Munchkin:Apocalypse but they can wait for now.

It is indeed. You can start playing literally within minutes of opening the box, using the quick start rules. The main rule book just adds greater depth.
Yeah, the ships are expensive. But I figure that for every time I don't go the the Vue for a movie or don't go out for a night of drinking, I can afford a couple more ships..!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 27 July, 2015, 02:35:17 PM
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 27 July, 2015, 02:33:32 PM
Yeah, the ships are expensive. But I figure that for every time I don't go the the Vue for a movie or don't go out for a night of drinking, I can afford a couple more ships..!
So there's no way you could have a tournament in the pub...?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Richmond Clements on 27 July, 2015, 02:47:25 PM
Quote from: The Cosh on 27 July, 2015, 02:35:17 PM
Quote from: Richmond Clements on 27 July, 2015, 02:33:32 PM
Yeah, the ships are expensive. But I figure that for every time I don't go the the Vue for a movie or don't go out for a night of drinking, I can afford a couple more ships..!
So there's no way you could have a tournament in the pub...?

I would certainly be...conflicted.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 27 July, 2015, 03:52:29 PM
I feel the conflict within you.  Let go of your wallet.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Richmond Clements on 27 July, 2015, 04:15:00 PM
Quote from: TotalHack on 27 July, 2015, 03:52:29 PM
I feel the conflict within you.  Let go of your wallet.

There is no conflict.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 27 July, 2015, 10:30:57 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 27 July, 2015, 02:27:33 PM
Next game I fancy is Muchkin or Munchkin:Apocalypse but they can wait for now.
Munchkin Apocalypse can wait, but for how long (it was announced almost a year ago now - 15 cards are sure taking a long time to produce)

(http://cdn.miniaturemarket.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/j/sjg4248.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 29 July, 2015, 08:38:28 PM
If boarders don't mind buying from The Book Depository, they are good to go to save money on X-Wing or any other game by Fantasy Flight Games, free postage too

Sometimes they cut the prices very, very low. A person I know got the Rebel epic ships together for around seventy Euro together, he checked the site fifteen minutes later they had sold out.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 03 August, 2015, 06:11:16 PM
Found my old copy of Hero Quest in my folks' attic and was surprised to find it almost intact. I'm missing a zombie, a skeleton, plus the gargoyle was a write-off, along with a couple of swords being broken off the orcs. The temptation to spend over a tenner on Ebay for the few, tiny pieces of plastic needed to complete the set is strong but dripping with wrongness.

I didn't realise the strength of demand for reprints of this game. There was a crowdfunding campaign to fund a so-called 25th Anniversary Edition but it seems the company responsible set out without even having permission from the rights holders (Hasbro). It's been severely delayed and there's no definitive release date, which was supposed to be a year ago. I hope they settle the legal issues and get to finish it because the artwork looks lush.

http://www.heroquestclassic.com/en/ (http://www.heroquestclassic.com/en/)

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 03 August, 2015, 08:14:40 PM
GameZone have the rights to the name "HeroQuest" in Spain only.

A rerelease of this game by GameZone unlikely to happen (outside of Spain, if by some chance it happens even there) because: the HeroQuest name is already owned by Greg Stafford's Glorantha, and 2. Games Workshop is ultra-protective of their IP, and if MB couldn't come to terms with them for a reprint, I doubt this little Spanish shop will.

Also, you have to question the ethics of this move by GameZone - they intended to redo HeroQuest without permission, by changing a little of this and a little of that - the designer (the brilliant Stephen Baker) and the publishers wouldn't have seen a penny. That's like a fanzine publisher changing a few names and tweaking the setting of our favorite comic book just enough so that it doesn't infringe on copyright - we wouldn't support it, and I don't think HQ 25th should be supported.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 03 August, 2015, 08:43:25 PM
You're right, but you have to wonder how it might have turned out based on that website. I'm shocked at the fact they raised €6622037 beyond their funding target and now it looks like the game won't ever be completed, despite the progress they've made. I hope those people get their money back.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 03 August, 2015, 11:37:28 PM
Quote from: locustsofdeath! on 03 August, 2015, 08:14:40 PM
2. Games Workshop is ultra-protective of their IP
Funny that - considering how much WH40K 'borrowed' from Termight/Dredd (not to mention Alien, Terminator, et al).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 04 August, 2015, 12:20:49 AM
Quote from: sheridan on 03 August, 2015, 11:37:28 PM
Quote from: locustsofdeath! on 03 August, 2015, 08:14:40 PM
2. Games Workshop is ultra-protective of their IP
Funny that - considering how much WH40K 'borrowed' from Termight/Dredd (not to mention Alien, Terminator, et al).

Ask Michael Moorcock what he thinks of GW "borrowing" basically everything from the Elric series.

Of course GW used to be gamers designing games for games. They were open about their influences and actively tried to steer their players towards all the source material. Then lawyers took over.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 04 August, 2015, 07:32:42 AM
No doubt that GW has been, cough, heavily inspired by various properties, just like TSR before it, but always in a mix'n'match way, an approach fans of 2000AD ought to be tolerant of. And while some of GW's lawyers' antics have been ridiculous (trademarking 'space marine' for one example),  the internet is bulging with people directly copying their product - even remoulding from existing sculpts. Moorock et al might have a legitimate beef with their ideas being ripped off in bulk, but at least no-one was actually reprinting the text of Weird of the White Wolf under a very slightly different cover.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 04 August, 2015, 02:07:15 PM
I don't think anyone had a problem with GW borrowing here and there (except for maybe Michael Moorcock) until they started this ultra-militant IP protection. I'm not sure if you heard of the Great Games Workshop Purge: GW lawyers actively sought out bloggers and fansites and had them shut down - blogs and fansites that had existed for years and did nothing but promote GW products. GW then went so far as to send notices to members of boardgamegeek.com ordering them to stop producing fan variants (for even games that have been dead for years, such as Advanced HeroQuest). It was pretty shocking the way they alienated their fans/consumer base.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 04 August, 2015, 06:29:55 PM
Oh aye, I've no time for all that anti-fan B*****ks, but when you have a vast brick-and-mortar empire that depends entirely on kids buying your crap and only your crap, and not using their imagination in the way that gamng normally encourages, I can see the value of being ultra-proscriptive. If your consumers can make up their own stuff, what do they need your over-priced skull-mountains for?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 04 August, 2015, 07:46:29 PM
Quote from: TotalHack on 04 August, 2015, 06:29:55 PM
Oh aye, I've no time for all that anti-fan B*****ks, but when you have a vast brick-and-mortar empire that depends entirely on kids buying your crap and only your crap, and not using their imagination in the way that gamng normally encourages, I can see the value of being ultra-proscriptive. If your consumers can make up their own stuff, what do they need your over-priced skull-mountains for?

Well...I agree and disagree...

Let me get this out of the way: I'm a huge GW fanboy. I own nearly every one of their board games, too many Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40K armies...I've boxes full of Oldhammer metal minis and cases full of modern plastics. I'm STILL the kid they market their stuff to, haha.

I can understand being ultra-protective of their IP. They should be, in most cases. I myself wouldn't support bootlegs or produced material infringing on their IP (see my reason for not supporting HQ 25th).

BUT...

Most of those fansites were just publishing (for free) adventures they have made up for HeroQuest, or scenarios they came up with for WHFB, showing off their painted models, or blogging about house rules they used to work out vague official rules. I would argue that these sites formed a Warhammer community that GW refused to form themselves (until recently with the launch of Age of Sigmar); I'd argue that these sites, showing off all those glorious minis, did way more to get people interested in and - with new scenarios and adventures - keep people interested in GW products.

Rebellion is an example of doing it the right way. Look no further than the lovely fanzines they allow our lovely forumites to publish. When Bolt and Rich (among others) are at a convention flogging these comics, they're bringing awareness to 2000AD and its characters. GW, on the other hand, shut down folks doing the same thing and alienated everyone aware of what was going on. And GW isn't alone at the top anymore; they can't afford to alienate anyone, as their flagging WHFB sales, which led to the demise of that seminal game, can attest.

Anyway, sorry to ramble. GW is one of my favorite topics to talk about!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: CrazyFoxMachine on 04 August, 2015, 11:40:44 PM
Yeah this isn't the first I've heard of GW being that way - a friend of mine did charity model-auctions and had their own little forum to discuss it and they were sent a cease and desist. Makes 'em look pretty cold.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Richmond Clements on 05 August, 2015, 09:48:14 AM
My memory is hazy, but I'm pretty sure GW refused to help out with the games room at Hi-Ex because there were other games companies involved. They wanted all or nothing. So got nothing.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 05 August, 2015, 02:27:55 PM
It's a funny one. My eldest has been desperate to get into Warhammer, but the cost of the current stuff is prohibitive (for us) - the wife and I have boxes and boxes of heterogenous 80s minis between us and several editions of both WFB and W40K, so he can easily get started, but not in the Warhammer shop: which is the very thing he finds most attractive. It's a very particular business model based around narrow inclusion and broad exclusion, and while obviously GW's dominance is slipping, it's been an amazing success up to now.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 15 August, 2015, 11:16:13 PM
My copy of Exploding Kittens arrived the other week, and we've been playing it loads. It's a really great little game - essentially a card-based Russian Roulette where tension mounts as the draw pile rounds down and players - who can use other action cards to defer drawing, take a peek at or reshuffle the draw pile and attack other players  - are eliminated one by one.

The illustrations and captions, by cartoonist The Oatmeal - are really funny, and this helps get non-gamers involved. But unlike Cards Against Humanity, the entire game isn't based on humour and would work fine without them - it's more just a nice bonus.

As they raised so much money on the Kickstarter, they put a little secret surprise in the box, and it made me laugh out loud on first opening, and still makes me smile every time now.

(https://houseofgeekery.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/exploding-kittens1.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 16 August, 2015, 10:30:46 AM
Recently had great fun playing Dobble and Pass the Pig with my brother and sister-in-law.

Really recommend Dobble; it's a card game available for about £12 from Amazon.

As the drink gets drunk, these become even more fun.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 16 August, 2015, 12:46:08 PM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 16 August, 2015, 10:30:46 AM
Recently had great fun playing Dobble and Pass the Pig with my brother and sister-in-law.

Really recommend Dobble; it's a card game available for about £12 from Amazon.

As the drink gets drunk, these become even more fun.
Yep, Dobble is another good one - one set of cards with about four or five rules variants.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 17 August, 2015, 09:14:32 AM
Have just picked up Carcassonne for Bea's birthday tomorrow, we used to really enjoy playing the Xbox 360 version so thought she'd appreciate the physical game! Should be fun.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 17 August, 2015, 04:26:32 PM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 17 August, 2015, 09:14:32 AM
Have just picked up Carcassonne for Bea's birthday tomorrow, we used to really enjoy playing the Xbox 360 version so thought she'd appreciate the physical game! Should be fun.

Awesome, have fun with it!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 18 August, 2015, 10:41:09 PM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 16 August, 2015, 10:30:46 AM
Recently had great fun playing Dobble and Pass the Pig with my brother and sister-in-law.

Really recommend Dobble; it's a card game available for about £12 from Amazon.

As the drink gets drunk, these become even more fun.

I'll check out Dobble (I think it's called something else over here). I think for now I'm resigned to sticking to relatively simple games - I'm dying to get Catan, but I don't think I could convince any of my friends here to give anything that complex a chance!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 19 August, 2015, 07:40:06 AM
I'm going to stay with a mate next week and we'll be playing some X-Wing and Descent - both of which I've played a little before but it's hard to find people that want to play.
We'll also be playing something called Dead of Winter that's supposed to be really good.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 19 August, 2015, 07:50:40 AM
Quote from: radiator on 18 August, 2015, 10:41:09 PM
I'll check out Dobble (I think it's called something else over here).

Dobble also known as Spot It! in some markets.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 19 August, 2015, 08:41:29 AM
Quote from: JamesC on 19 August, 2015, 07:40:06 AM
I'm going to stay with a mate next week and we'll be playing some X-Wing and Descent - both of which I've played a little before but it's hard to find people that want to play.
We'll also be playing something called Dead of Winter that's supposed to be really good.

Dead of Winter is superb. You will come to hate the exposure dice.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 19 August, 2015, 08:58:17 AM
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 19 August, 2015, 08:41:29 AM
Dead of Winter is superb. You will come to hate the exposure dice.
This sounds like an entirely different sort of game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 19 August, 2015, 09:09:56 AM
Quote from: The Cosh on 19 August, 2015, 08:58:17 AM
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 19 August, 2015, 08:41:29 AM
Dead of Winter is superb. You will come to hate the exposure dice.
This sounds like an entirely different sort of game.

Nothing to see here. It is winter after all.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: SIP on 19 August, 2015, 02:49:23 PM
Thanks to my son's current obsession I am having my first foray into trading card games at the moment with the Pokemon TCG. Managed to pick up a lot of cards quite cheaply online.  The initial skill appears to be in pouring together an effective 60 card deck with the correct balance of basic pokemon, evolved forms (not as useful as I would have expected),support cards and energy cards.  Quite a tricky business.   Have quite enjoyed playing it though and he's loved it.

I can see how addictive it would be to try and track down the extra cards that you think might boost your deck......a dangerous game for a person with a 'collecting' disorder!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 19 August, 2015, 03:08:46 PM
CCGs are quite good fun, but I prefer the 'living' card games (Dominion, Legendary etc.), which have all the fun of deck-building, but without having to buy hundreds of random booster packs of cards.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 05 September, 2015, 02:08:28 AM
GAMES I GOT----Adel (german auction game, also known as by hook or by crook) Give me the brain, Blood Royale, Hiemlich &co (another german game) and Sherlock Holmes card game.. All of these need to ne in people games lists.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 05 September, 2015, 04:58:25 PM
Current fave is Patchwork, the latest bit of 2 player fun from Uwe Rosenberg. It really is a cracking little game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 07 September, 2015, 11:49:31 PM
While we're at it - boardgame geek tag for 2000ad (https://boardgamegeek.com/tag/2000ad)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 17 September, 2015, 04:50:38 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 27 July, 2015, 10:30:57 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 27 July, 2015, 02:27:33 PM
Next game I fancy is Muchkin or Munchkin:Apocalypse but they can wait for now.
Munchkin Apocalypse can wait, but for how long (it was announced almost a year ago now - 15 cards are sure taking a long time to produce)

(http://cdn.miniaturemarket.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/j/sjg4248.jpg)

This is the latest update (last week) from Steve Jackson Games forum regarding Munchkin Apocalypse Judge Dredd:

It's still in progress. We don't have a status report beyond that. Hopefully, that will change soon.

http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?s=20237207e96a747188c5e8146867ee02&t=128089&page=2 (http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?s=20237207e96a747188c5e8146867ee02&t=128089&page=2)

Hope it's not too much longer in the pipeline. Nice to see on that forum non-UK fans willing to give it a try.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 17 September, 2015, 05:03:32 PM
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 05 September, 2015, 04:58:25 PM
Current fave is Patchwork, the latest bit of 2 player fun from Uwe Rosenberg. It really is a cracking little game.

That looks right up my alley. Any reason it's so expensive to buy (£50+)? Rarity?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 18 September, 2015, 01:37:31 PM
Quote from: radiator on 17 September, 2015, 05:03:32 PM
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 05 September, 2015, 04:58:25 PM
Current fave is Patchwork, the latest bit of 2 player fun from Uwe Rosenberg. It really is a cracking little game.

That looks right up my alley. Any reason it's so expensive to buy (£50+)? Rarity?

Must be rarity. I got it for about £20 from my FLGS, but it as £30 on Amazon last week and is now nearly £60. Wait a bit and it'll come right down again.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 18 September, 2015, 06:33:44 PM
I got the Deluxe Edition of Machi Koro the other day - base game, both expansions and some bonus extras in a nice tin box. Looking forward to trying it out over the weekend.

From the rules, it sounds like a much simpler, card-based version of Catan - a game I've long ummed and ahhed over buying, because I think it's a bit too involved and longwinded for my friends to get into.

I also got to visit one of Portland's game shops a few weeks back. Wow, place was huge, sold new releases and second hand games, and even had a cafeteria with a load of long tables at the back where people just hang out and play games while eating pizza. Amazing. My local pub back in London couldn't even get enough interest to keep a casual board game night going.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 18 September, 2015, 06:37:22 PM
Do let us know how Machi Koro goes - it looks lovely snd I've had it recommended to me repeatedly, but it seems very expensive in my LGS.  Big fan of Catan (which isn't at all complicated but can stretch on a bit), so always keen to try similar but shorter.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 18 September, 2015, 07:13:52 PM
Sadly, I think anything over half an hour becomes a really hard sell, and it's extremely rare when everyone is in the right mood for something so involved at the same time. Tbh with my rowdy, fidgety social circle it can be hard to even start - and sustain - a game of something simple and quick like Carcassonne. I think theme is also crucial - in my experience, once you start talking about trading grain and bricks, you get a lot of rolling eyes and blank stares.

MK Deluxe was about £25, not bad for a game + 2 expansions (though admittedly still a bit pricey for what amounts to three decks of cards!)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 18 September, 2015, 08:43:42 PM
Where did you find MK deluxe at that price?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 18 September, 2015, 09:13:10 PM
Amazon*, and I'm in the US. It was around $40 + whatever postage was.

*I generally like to buy my board games from a local shop, but none of them had it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 21 September, 2015, 05:30:57 PM
Tried out a couple of games of Machi Koro. I really like it, but it's definitely one of those games that will really come alive with three or four players rather than two (as we were playing it).

It's incredibly simple - setup takes a little while to get your head around, but once thats done you could literally explain the rules to someone in 30 seconds. The expansions - which add a little more randomness and complexity - look interesting, especially as the base game can be over just as its getting interesting.

A really good and visually appealing little gateway game. Can't wait to play it with more players!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 25 September, 2015, 06:40:01 AM
Can't remember these being discussed before so apologise if they have, and they aren't boardgames but hopefully fit well enough into the ballpark to count.

For whatever reason I went to bed last night thinking about a series of fantasy combat books and for the life of me not believing I remember enough about them to dig them out. I woke this morning and for some crazy reason they were still lodged in my head. So to the internet and of course a couple of Google searches later nostalga was satisfied. Bless the Internet.

Anyone else remember these bad boys

http://lostworlds.com (http://lostworlds.com)

A5(ish) fantasy combat books that gave you POV illustrations of the opponent your were fighting. They were perfect school time break fodder as I recall and really very good fun.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 25 September, 2015, 01:05:27 PM
I've never heard of them but they look great.
I'm a big fan of the Fighting Fantasy style game books and have fond memories of the 'Choose Your Own Adventure' books too.
It seems a shame the genre seems to have died out somewhat, you'd think things like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games would lend themselves to these kinds of products.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Greg M. on 25 September, 2015, 03:42:28 PM
I've never seen those Lost Worlds ones, but I did have (and still have) books from the Fighting Fantasy, Sorcery!, Golden Dragon, Way of the Tiger, Lone Wolf, Legend of Skyfall and Cretan Chronicles series. The closest I ever saw to the ones plaguing Colin was Joe Dever's Scarlet Sorceror / Emerald Enchanter books, where you had to fight the guy who had the other book.

I never knew anyone who had the other book.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 25 September, 2015, 07:44:25 PM
So Machi Koro is a hit - we've played half a dozen times this week with two, three and four players, and it's converted a friend, who previously had zero interest, to board games.  :D

I think it's probably a little light for serious gamers but for something casual it's great. Similar to Carcassonne in that it's 50% luck, 50% skill and has just enough potential for screwing with other players plans to make things interesting.

Less successful was Diamonsters - a simple card game by the same creators as MK. The components are beautiful and charming but there's so little skill involved it can barely be called a 'game'. In fact I kept reading and rereading the instructions because winning seems so random I felt like I must be missing something. Though some in our group enjoyed it, I'd say it's definitely one primarily suited to families with young children and I'm not in hurry to play it again.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 26 September, 2015, 05:18:09 PM
The onset of autumn is making it way easier to pitch game nights!

Last night we dusted off Splendor and Love Letter, games i've owned for months but never had the chance to play properly.

Both were great. Love Letter is what I hoped Diamonsters would be. Very simple and light, with the occasional random knockout but a lot more strategy. We tried it two player ages ago and were a bit underwhelmed but its much, much better with three or four.

Splendor is great too. The high quality artwork and components (proper, satisfyingly weighty poker chips) really makes this gem-collecting game pop. Easy to learn, quick to play, but always keeps you on your toes as you have to keep an eye on what your opponents are doing and forever be planning future purchases. Great stuff, loved it even with two players, suspect its even better with three or four.

Now I've got my eye on Codenames, which looks like a fun party game, and Coup - a nerdy looking secret identities game i feel like might get the time of day from my friends now that I've softened them up with some quirky gateway games!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 26 September, 2015, 07:09:55 PM
Coup is superb.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 26 September, 2015, 07:39:10 PM
Quote from: radiator on 25 September, 2015, 07:44:25 PM
So Machi Koro is a hit - we've played half a dozen times this week with two, three and four players, and it's converted a friend, who previously had zero interest, to board games.  :D

Hmmmm, saw the Deluxe MK tin for Eur56 in my FLGS today. Steep, but given that the contents separately come to about 80 without the snazzy tin, not too bad. Verrry tempted. Mind you, a gorgeous-looking Travel Catan, Ticket to Ride Europe and the Fantasy Flight Force Awakens starter, also all around 50, were also pulling at my purse strings. Good job I'm skint, really!

I was wading through the tables of an ongoing largish Magic tournament while browsing the shelves, and was struck by what a polite, chatty and( best of all) deodorized crowd they were. Games are definitely moving out of the ghetto.
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 26 September, 2015, 08:47:40 PM
Well if it helps I'd recommend sticking with the non-deluxe version - we played a round with the Harbor expansion yesterday, and while it was good it did make the game drag on way past it's welcome me and people were getting a bit fed up by the end.
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 26 September, 2015, 08:50:16 PM
I get the feeling that it's a bit like Carcassonne - the base game is so tight and perfectly formed its almost a shame to add in a load more elements.
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 26 September, 2015, 11:05:27 PM
Quote from: radiator on 26 September, 2015, 08:47:40 PM
Well if it helps I'd recommend sticking with the non-deluxe version - we played a round with the Harbor expansion yesterday, and while it was good it did make the game drag on way past it's welcome me and people were getting a bit fed up by the end.

That does indeed help - as does your Carcassonne comparison (probably the default boardgame in our house - although Quirkle and Fluxx are contenders - so it's a handy barometer).  Think I'll rustle up the cash for the vanilla edition next time a client deigns to pay me. 

But oh, the possibilities of Travel Catan! 
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 27 September, 2015, 02:28:54 AM
Quote from: Tordelback on 26 September, 2015, 11:05:27 PM
Quote from: radiator on 26 September, 2015, 08:47:40 PM
Well if it helps I'd recommend sticking with the non-deluxe version - we played a round with the Harbor expansion yesterday, and while it was good it did make the game drag on way past it's welcome me and people were getting a bit fed up by the end.

That does indeed help - as does your Carcassonne comparison (probably the default boardgame in our house - although Quirkle and Fluxx are contenders - so it's a handy barometer).  Think I'll rustle up the cash for the vanilla edition next time a client deigns to pay me. 

But oh, the possibilities of Travel Catan!

I googled out of curiosity and found a lot of threads on the Boardgamegeek boards where people are saying the same thing, essentially that the expansions introduce an element of randomness to the buildings (cards) on 'sale' for players to add to their hand (it's fixed in the base game), and though this is a great idea in theory, if you're unlucky the marketplace can get clogged with useless cards no one wants to buy, and it slows progress to a crawl. And this is exactly what happened to us. What should be a bright and breezy little 'one more go' game turns into a painfully slow war of attrition. I think they need to tweak the rules a bit.

I do like the Carcassonne expansions, but we tend to find that one at a time is enough - anything more that that tends to make it drag a bit. The beauty of games like Carcassonne and MK is their simplicity, and that they leave you wanting more, but sometimes it's best to leave it that way.
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 01 October, 2015, 07:46:30 AM
We've been playing a few rounds of Coup. It's fun but always over a little too quickly, and a fatal flaw with the game so far is, at least with my group, hardly anyone ever tries to bluff, so the vast majority of the time challenges fail and winning or losing ultimately just comes down to how lucky you were with the original cards you were dealt.

Looking forward to playing again though, this time with four or five players instead of just three.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 01 October, 2015, 09:58:34 AM
Bea got Coup for her birthday recently, haven't had a chance to crack it open yet though!
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 01 October, 2015, 01:06:37 PM
Quote from: radiator on 01 October, 2015, 07:46:30 AM
We've been playing a few rounds of Coup. It's fun but always over a little too quickly, and a fatal flaw with the game so far is, at least with my group, hardly anyone ever tries to bluff, so the vast majority of the time challenges fail and winning or losing ultimately just comes down to how lucky you were with the original cards you were dealt.

Looking forward to playing again though, this time with four or five players instead of just three.


Yes, that would be a problem - I can't imagine playing Coup and not having most or all of the people trying to bluff.
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 01 October, 2015, 01:07:33 PM
Quote from: radiator on 27 September, 2015, 02:28:54 AM
I googled out of curiosity and found a lot of threads on the Boardgamegeek boards where people are saying the same thing, essentially that the expansions introduce an element of randomness to the buildings (cards) on 'sale' for players to add to their hand (it's fixed in the base game), and though this is a great idea in theory, if you're unlucky the marketplace can get clogged with useless cards no one wants to buy, and it slows progress to a crawl. And this is exactly what happened to us. What should be a bright and breezy little 'one more go' game turns into a painfully slow war of attrition. I think they need to tweak the rules a bit.

I do like the Carcassonne expansions, but we tend to find that one at a time is enough - anything more that that tends to make it drag a bit. The beauty of games like Carcassonne and MK is their simplicity, and that they leave you wanting more, but sometimes it's best to leave it that way.


Is that first paragaph also referring to Carcassonne?  I'm not sure what the buildings and sale references are about.
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 01 October, 2015, 02:54:20 PM
No, Machi Koro Harbor expansion.
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 01 October, 2015, 03:13:04 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 01 October, 2015, 01:06:37 PM
Quote from: radiator on 01 October, 2015, 07:46:30 AM
We've been playing a few rounds of Coup. It's fun but always over a little too quickly, and a fatal flaw with the game so far is, at least with my group, hardly anyone ever tries to bluff, so the vast majority of the time challenges fail and winning or losing ultimately just comes down to how lucky you were with the original cards you were dealt.

Looking forward to playing again though, this time with four or five players instead of just three.


Yes, that would be a problem - I can't imagine playing Coup and not having most or all of the people trying to bluff.

I tended to find that Captains and Dukes dominated, and those who drew them (especially when they had one of each) would just sit pretty and quickly accumulate enough money to launch a coup while simultaneously able to leech away enough money from rival players to prevent most potential assassination attempts. And as 99% of the time no one but me bluffed, challenging was futile. One player in our group in particular seemed to always draw these cards and I couldn't find a workable strategy to counter it.

But yeah, its an addictive little game. Very much looking forward to playing it with 4 or more (and hopefully some more reckless people!).
Title: Re: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 02 October, 2015, 07:03:29 AM
Tonight's Coup session was a lot more interesting. I think you reach a point where you realise that people who never bluff unwittingly telegraph what cards they are actually holding, so you can use this to your advantage and keep them on their toes by bluffing (or even double-bluffing by deliberately looking shifty).

Going back to my previous criticisms of the game, in retrospect I imagine that most people start out playing very conservatively (and honestly), then eventually reach the same conclusion, and the game suddenly opens up as more people start pushing their luck.

Awesome game. We're well and truly addicted now.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 19 October, 2015, 05:47:13 PM
Coup Rebellion got picked up here today. That's Coup with knobs on. I will report back.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 19 October, 2015, 07:18:08 PM
Zombie Dice expansions 2 and 3 secretly purchased for the missus - it's her favourite game, and she doesn't even k ow there's a third one!.Can't decide whether I should hold onto them for Christmas presents, or just present them as a romantic gesture and get my leg over now.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 20 October, 2015, 01:19:10 AM
Is that the game Zombie about the little green translucent figurines.

Kind of been around for a while.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 20 October, 2015, 09:13:55 AM
Been playing Legendary Encounters occasionally, but mainly solo, and finally beat the first movie set-up the other night! Quite excited to swap out the cards and set it up for Aliens. Great game, spotted there's now a Predator edition that's reviewed really well and is fully compatible with the Aliens decks. Nice.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 20 October, 2015, 11:52:05 AM
Only a Cooke of games in, but Coip Rebellion is shaping up to be very good indeed. There are 25 different roles in all, and 5 are chosen for play in each game, balance being maintained by having the roles in distinct groups dependent on what they do and one role from each group (two for special interest) forming the five. Each is subtly different and keeping track of what all the powers are and how they interact makes it play very differently to vanilla Coup. So far I've found it slower to accumulate money, but that may just be inexperience.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 20 October, 2015, 02:31:39 PM
Sorry for the typos; sausage fingers and a phone screen.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 15 November, 2015, 09:17:04 PM
Got a taste of 7 Wonders today, zipped along pretty quick and that game included two of us who had it never played it before.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 15 November, 2015, 10:28:42 PM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 15 November, 2015, 09:17:04 PM
Got a taste of 7 Wonders today, zipped along pretty quick and that game included two of us who had it never played it before.
How many of you played?  There's a (pretty rubbish) two-person variant, but I think it works best with four or five players.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 15 November, 2015, 10:34:53 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 15 November, 2015, 10:28:42 PM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 15 November, 2015, 09:17:04 PM
Got a taste of 7 Wonders today, zipped along pretty quick and that game included two of us who had it never played it before.
How many of you played?  There's a (pretty rubbish) two-person variant, but I think it works best with four or five players.

Just three. They have a version for two players now called 7 Wonders: Duel.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 15 November, 2015, 11:24:36 PM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 15 November, 2015, 10:34:53 PM
Just three. They have a version for two players now called 7 Wonders: Duel.
The two-player game I played was with the usual 7 Wonders cards but a few different rules.

Have to keep an eye out for that - I meet up with a group of boardgamers who bring all sorts of delights once a month.  Last game played was Waggle Dance (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/158572/waggle-dance), which was Kickstarted/crowd-funded by a friend of the person who brought it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 16 November, 2015, 08:50:47 AM
I just bought Labyrinth as a family game to play at Xmas (along with the now obligatory Qwirkle and Boggle).
I've not played it before but it has all 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon so it should be fun.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 16 November, 2015, 06:34:48 PM
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 20 October, 2015, 11:52:05 AM
Only a Cooke of games in, but Coip Rebellion is shaping up to be very good indeed. There are 25 different roles in all, and 5 are chosen for play in each game, balance being maintained by having the roles in distinct groups dependent on what they do and one role from each group (two for special interest) forming the five. Each is subtly different and keeping track of what all the powers are and how they interact makes it play very differently to vanilla Coup. So far I've found it slower to accumulate money, but that may just be inexperience.

I've longingly fondled the Coup: Rebellion box in my local gaming store a few times and am always sorely tempted to buy it, but I can't shake the suspicion that it will just dilute everything that is great about the original game - ie that its really simple to learn because there are only 5 roles, and every player having a watertight grasp on those roles is what allows the game to become interesting and dynamic. I don't really see what adding more roles to the game would add other than obfuscation and confusion.

I actually bought Coup: Reformation yesterday, but even with that I have doubts that adding complexity to the base game will improve and not impair it - in fact I only really bought it on the (pretty remote) off-chance that I'll have the opportunity to play some 6+ player games of Coup with pals over Christmas.

Other recent purchases:

Sushi Go! This one was my girfriend's choice. Decent-ish - though very light - card-passing filler game.

Roll For It! Deluxe Picked this up on a whim after seeing it on an episode of Tabletop. Have to say, it's really not as much fun as it looked on the show. It's essentially a dice-rolling game thats a bit like Yahtzee. It seems to me that there's a pretty gaping flaw in the design because every single game of it we've played has devolved into the same tedious pattern of every player sitting round trying to roll the same number on a single die for what feels like an eternity. A shame.

Patchwork. I really liked this - it's a two player game that really works and recreates the feeling of playing a more complex 4 player type game (in my experience most 2 player games lack energy and feel a bit hollow).

Codenames. I've heard so many great things about it this game - can't wait to have an opportunity to play it (I'm saving it until I've got a group of at least 6 together for a game).

Ultimate One Night Werewolf. As above. This seems fantastic, but you need a decent size group and ideally a quiet environment so you can hear the companion app (which narrates the game). So not really a pub game!

It's gotten a bit out of hand, really. My girlfriend has made me promise not to buy 'any more bloody board games' until after Christmas. I agreed, mentally trying to work out the logistics of smuggling in the in-transit package on its way to me containing copies of The Grizzled and Broom Service (both of which are supposed to be ace) when it arrives. I'm also eyeing up Dead of Winter and Colt Express...  :D

Speaking of The Grizzled and Dead of Winter, what's everyone's thoughts on cooperative board games? I'm curious to give one a try, but wonder if playing one can really capture that same excitement and sense of urgency of a traditional competitive game?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 16 November, 2015, 08:41:49 PM
Quote from: radiator on 16 November, 2015, 06:34:48 PM
Speaking of The Grizzled and Dead of Winter, what's everyone's thoughts on cooperative board games? I'm curious to give one a try, but wonder if playing one can really capture that same excitement and sense of urgency of a traditional competitive game?

Depends entirely on the game in question, but yes, in theory it can be just as fun. We're big fans of Pandemic, which sees you all taking a role as disease prevention guys, desperately trying to forestall global outbreaks of killer bugs and flus - you're often teetering on the brink of oblivion, only a turn or two away from everything slipping through your hands, so it doesn't really matter that there's no-one to work against; it's just as engrossing as if there was.

Only played Dead of Winter twice, but the mechanic was similar in that sharing a stake in your ultimate survival (or not) provides plenty of tension and drama. I've certainly played a few games though that very much felt lacking for not having a competitive element.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 18 November, 2015, 05:29:53 PM
Played a couple of rounds of Codenames last night. As expected, it's really good.

The game is so simple you can teach someone in 1 minute. There are 25 word tiles laid out in a 5x5 grid. 8 or so are each designated to two opposing teams, with the 'spymasters' of those teams able to see which ones are theirs via a tile map only they can see. Over the course of the game, the two spymasters must lead their teammate(s) to correctly guess their designated word tiles by using a one word clue per turn. Strictly no other Charades-like clues, encouragement or guidance are allowed.

However, spymasters are free to make their clue applicable to multiple words with the addition of a number. Wracking your brain to find a clever link between apparently unrelated words, and thereby getting your teammate to correctly guess multiple words on a single turn is highly satisfying and makes you feel an almost psychic connection with them, with high fives all round. However, doing so comes with risks, because the more tenuous the clue, the more chance your teammate will totally misinterpret it and pick one of the words designated to the opposing team (giving them a free point) or - even worse - pick the single 'assassin' word tile, resulting in an instant loss for your team.

It sounds a bit dry, but the focus on lateral thinking and creative clue-giving - and potential for catastrophic misunderstanding frequently results in tension and hilarity.

If you're wondering what to get family members for Christmas this year, look no further. This really is one of those games that everyone will enjoy:

(https://massdrop-s3.imgix.net/product-images/MD-11075_20150911131943_f944b197e1fcd461.jpg?auto=format&fit=crop&w=761&dpr=1)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 13 December, 2015, 05:06:30 PM
Being board game fans, and having a lot of friends who are also board game fans, we got some games as wedding gifts so got lots of new stuff to play!

Got an X Wing starter set (which I've played once at a friend'sbut will be really nice to try it some more and to maybe combine for a bigger battle), Pandemic, Dixit and Zombicide. Haven't tried Pandemic or Dixit yet but have had a couple of solo runs on a Zombicide mission to learn the rules. Very cool, and one of those games that's quite brutally difficult too. There are a couple of rules that are mad enough to feel quite unfair (there doesn't seem to be a maximum number of zombies that can be squeezed into a room/zone so that gets a bit mad, and the whole thing of splitting and duplicating zombies every time there are two equidistant routes to a survivor means the spawning gets really out of control) but I'd imagine it's amazingly satisfying to actually beat a mission. Maybe someday!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 13 December, 2015, 09:31:33 PM
Let me know how Dixit is. I've watched a few videos on it and while it seems like an intriguing concept I still don't understand how it works at all.

Grabbed a copy of the Ticket to Ride UK Map expansion over the weekend, looking forward to giving it a go over the Christmas holiday with the family. It seems to introduce a Machi Koro style deck-building element that looks like it'll be an interesting spin.

We got to play a few games of One Night Ultimate Werewolf last week, albiet with only 4 players (I have heard its far better with 5/6+). It's certainly an interesting game, but a bit tricky to play in practice. Much like Coup, whether the game lives or dies is very much dependent on the group you're playing it with. If certain players have a hard time keeping a poker face - or straight-up lying - it can break the game. I'm hoping to have a chance to play it with a larger group over Christmas and see if it really takes off.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 20 December, 2015, 10:29:40 PM
Quote from: radiator on 13 December, 2015, 09:31:33 PM
Let me know how Dixit is. I've watched a few videos on it and while it seems like an intriguing concept I still don't understand how it works at all.

I played it once. If I remember right, everyone has a hand of cards, with unique abstract art. On your turn, you say a word or phrase* and everyone picks a card from their hand, puts it face down and all the cards are shuffled and revealed. Each player except the person whose turn it was try to guess what card you played. You get points for every person who picks your card, but if people pick the other players cards, those player score points instead.

*For example I said Schindlers List, as I had a card with a bright red coat.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 25 December, 2015, 10:27:34 PM
Any Christmas games, folks? Our family scooped the Minecraft card game, Monopoly Deal and the U.K. map for Ticket to Ride. The first two have been played and enjoyed, the last one saved for tomorrow.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 26 December, 2015, 01:03:15 AM
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 25 December, 2015, 10:27:34 PM
Any Christmas games, folks? Our family scooped the Minecraft card game, Monopoly Deal and the U.K. map for Ticket to Ride. The first two have been played and enjoyed, the last one saved for tomorrow.
I've had a copy of Unspeakable Words (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/24304/unspeakable-words) for a few months but not played it yet, shall probably do that tomorrow.  This Christmas I received Fairytale Gloom (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/172062/fairytale-gloom), which was surprising as I hadn't even heard that it had been released!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: moly on 26 December, 2015, 10:06:59 AM
Got talisman 4th edition for Christmas, used to have the 1st edition when I was a kid can't wait to play it
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 27 December, 2015, 08:17:21 PM
Space Hulk: Death Angel. Not Christmas presents, but some X-Wing stuff I was saving up for also turned up: Gozanti-class Imperial Assault Carrier, T-70 X-Wing and TIE/fo.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 27 December, 2015, 08:32:50 PM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 27 December, 2015, 08:17:21 PMGozanti-class Imperial Assault Carrier

That thing is so beautiful, I so nearly caved when I saw it... But 77 yo-yos!  :o
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 27 December, 2015, 08:49:05 PM
Quote from: Tordelback on 27 December, 2015, 08:32:50 PM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 27 December, 2015, 08:17:21 PMGozanti-class Imperial Assault Carrier

That thing is so beautiful, I so nearly caved when I saw it... But 77 yo-yos!  :o

The fact the TIE Fighters/Bombers/Interceptors/Advanced can attach to it make it worth it :rolleyes: But anytime a new wave is announced for X-Wing  is time to start saving. I'm waiting for the Ghost, Punishing One, Mishunter and Inquistor's TIE to turn up next month.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 27 December, 2015, 10:00:33 PM
The Ghost (and Phantom) will be the thing that finally does for me - it looks fantastic. All I've bought so far is the TIE Phantom, purely as a model, since I don't have it in any other format or scale. But the Ghost... Well, that will uncork the djinn's bottle.
Title: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 28 December, 2015, 12:40:00 AM
Much to my delight, One Night Ultimate Werewolf has been the surprise smash with my lot this christmas. I'm always a bit hesitant to suggest it as I worry that people simply won't get the concept and it will fall flat, but its been a triumph with every single member of both sides of the family, young (10) and old (mid-60s). The first night we played ended with the die-hards pounding the table and chanting 'one more game!!!!'.

It's a really great little game.

Splendor and Qwirkle went down as well as expected - ie everyone loves them, while Exploding Kittens and Machi Koro have had a surprisingly mixed response. Assumed they would be no-brainers.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 30 December, 2015, 11:47:14 PM
Santa brought the youngest the Chibis expansion for cute panda-handling game Takenoko. Neat addition to a solid game, just adding a few more tile-types, objectives and scoring options including the fun mechanic of a gorgeous female panda initiating mating. I triumphed tonight with a 10 point lead, naturally, but the parallel style of play means things can change rapidly and it's never safe to sit on your bamboo mountain.

This is my kind of expansion, in that it doesn't drag things out or increase complexity, just adds some giggles and replayability - you're now unlikely to get through most of the terrain tiles before the game ends, meaning a more diverse experience. Best of all, the new bits all fit into the original box.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 31 December, 2015, 10:56:19 AM
Well our haul was as follows

Cthulhu dice
Batman Love Letter
Munchkin
Millenium Falcon for X-wing

Only played Munchkin so far but it seemed like fun. Cannot wait to get X-wing going with the Falcon and Slave-1 going head to head though  :lol:
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 31 December, 2015, 11:26:32 AM
Scrabble
Cranium
Jenga (off-brand with colour dice rolls, much more fun/tricky)
Batman Story Dice (don't really see the point but nice idea)
ARKHAM HORROR

It weighs more than the dread knowledge of the Elder Signs weighs upon my soul and its rules hint at unknowable intricacies and esoteric turns, suggesting a hideous framework of knowledge beyond man's capabilities. Truly this box does hold a gibbering horde of pieces, each crafted by strange hands and each with a twisted alien purpose.

Today, we shall make our attempt to fathom this tome of rituals. I ask for God to have mercy on us but I fear we may only call the dread attention of something far older and far greater than he....
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 01 January, 2016, 05:29:42 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 31 December, 2015, 10:56:19 AM
Cthulhu dice
Very lightweight game - probably best for choosing who goes first in another game!
QuoteBatman Love Letter
Another lightweight game to learn, but one you can play repeatedly as it can take on different strategies depending on who you're playing with.
QuoteMunchkin
Only played Munchkin so far but it seemed like fun.
Hope that Judge Dredd expansion (15 or 25 cards, can't remember which) comes out soon - it was supposed to have come out in 2015.

Quote from: Theblazeuk on 31 December, 2015, 11:26:32 AMBatman Story Dice (don't really see the point but nice idea)
Maybe to help improve Frank Miller's output?
QuoteARKHAM HORROR

Today, we shall make our attempt to fathom this tome of rituals. I ask for God to have mercy on us but I fear we may only call the dread attention of something far older and far greater than he....
Good luck - let us know how many games it takes you to actually survive!  I've only played once and we were killed by Cthulhu himself (itself?) within about two hours - pretty quick for Arkham.
Title: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 02 January, 2016, 12:07:20 PM
I got a game called Perudo off my cousin. Haven't played it yet but it looks interesting - its a kind of bluffing/tactical dice game from South America.

Played another half dozen rounds of One Night Ultimate Werewolf the other night with 9 players. So much fun! Its such a great game for livening up otherwise sedate family gatherings - my girlfriend's family are so quiet and shy by nature, but after a couple of rounds they were all shouting and laughing hysterically. The two ten year old family members we were playing with could barely contain their excitement at the game. One of them said he was going to use some of his christmas money to buy his own copy, and also proclaimed our gift to him of Exploding Kittens as the 'second best' christmas present he got this year (the first being a Wii U!).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 02 January, 2016, 12:30:45 PM
Quote from: radiator on 02 January, 2016, 12:07:20 PM
I got a game called Perudo off my cousin. Haven't played it yet but it looks interesting - its a kind of bluffing/tactical dice game from South America.

Perudo is a great simple game. My wife introduced me to it when we met years ago and we loved playing it. Thanks for reminding me of it, must dig it out!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 02 January, 2016, 01:46:27 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 01 January, 2016, 05:29:42 PM
QuoteARKHAM HORROR

Good luck - let us know how many games it takes you to actually survive!  I've only played once and we were killed by Cthulhu himself (itself?) within about two hours - pretty quick for Arkham.

Well it took about 4.5 hours to play, only 2 of us but half that time was easily just wondering and doublechecking all of the rules etc (and my wife not getting the dice rolling for a good 2 hours).

But we won! Yig was driven back into the other realm whereupon he slumbers. We had good fortune though really. The manual recommends Yig for a shorter, simpler game and Cthulu for a more challenging one, so we went with Yig. We lucked out on our first environment card which made it really easy to close gates, and our randomly selected characters complemented one another quite well - my wife had the character best suited to a beginners game (reroll any failed skill check once per turn) and started with the guaranteed sneak success magic item, whilst my character had buckets of fighting ability and started with the best magic weapon in the game. And beyond that, the monsters co-operated by never being too nightmarish to fight without going insane, and the new gates reliably opened up on the places that we'd sealed.

I think we forgot to move the doom token a couple of times so came closer to defeat than initially thought, but still just scraped it. And who knows I might have been able to fight Yig all by myself, I had the best loot you could get...

Great game! Looking forward to another round tonight. Just wondering how we can best keep all those little tokens together in the box.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 02 January, 2016, 03:59:42 PM
Great game of Munchkin with all our expansions last night - Unnatural Axe, Clerical Errors, Kobolds Ate My Baby and Kittens. Wonderfully eclectic fun with two towering decks to draw from - King Torg and Cat-thulu both turned up, which was nice. My classless Orc won by killing his own hireling to make a surpise leap to Level 9, while deploying a series of crippling Curses that prevented my opponents dicking me out of a simple final battle.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 02 January, 2016, 04:42:36 PM
I've had a couple of fun plays of Patchwork over Christmas, two cases of Consulting Detective and today a late present of Isle of Skye turned up. Not played it yet, but the rules seem straightforward and seem to balance simplicity with tough decisions. I look forward to playing v soon.

Oh, and there has been untold Resistance and One Night Revolution fun over the holidays too.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Link Prime on 02 January, 2016, 06:23:48 PM
Quote from: radiator on 02 January, 2016, 12:07:20 PM
Played another half dozen rounds of One Night Ultimate Werewolf the other night with 9 players. So much fun!

Never heard of this, but your enthusiasm has led to me taking a punt and buying a copy on Amazon.
Too late for this festive season, but it'll be handy to have for the next family get-together.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 02 January, 2016, 08:43:07 PM
Quote from: Theblazeuk on 02 January, 2016, 01:46:27 PMGreat game! Looking forward to another round tonight. Just wondering how we can best keep all those little tokens together in the box.
First rule of boardgaming - invest in ziplock bags (of varying sizes).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 04 January, 2016, 04:13:13 PM
Been playing a lot of Dobble over the Christmas holidays.

It's a recipe for tears and arguments in the under-8s or over-imbibed.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 04 January, 2016, 05:01:57 PM
Played with my X-Wing Force Awakens core set.

X-Wing has always done a brilliant job of capturing the feel of the spaceships and battles of Star Wars and this set really does feel like the Ties and X-Wings have been upgraded. It's really well balanced and the new ships, pilots and abilities are worth the purchase price even if you have the standard set.
I've only played one of the new missions but it was great fun (the resistance X-Wing lures two TIEs into an asteroid field laced with mines. At the end of each turn the resistance player can detonate any number of mines he chooses, dealing damage to any ship within range 1).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 04 January, 2016, 05:26:08 PM
Quote from: Link Prime on 02 January, 2016, 06:23:48 PM
Quote from: radiator on 02 January, 2016, 12:07:20 PM
Played another half dozen rounds of One Night Ultimate Werewolf the other night with 9 players. So much fun!

Never heard of this, but your enthusiasm has led to me taking a punt and buying a copy on Amazon.
Too late for this festive season, but it'll be handy to have for the next family get-together.

Cool, let me know how you get on!

A few things to bear in mind:

While the box says '3-10 players', it really only comes alive with 6+ players (and 9 or 10 players is arguably too many to be practical). 6-8 players is ideal.

The companion iOS/Android moderator/narrator app is pretty much vital (and frequently hilarious), and so is keeping the timer low. 5 minutes should be more than enough, and we now play with 3 minutes, usually less.

It gets exponentially more fun the more rounds you play, so don't be disheartened if the first game you play falls flat. The instruction booklet has some tips on how to get the discussion going, and you may have to play devil's advocate to start with, throwing erroneous accusations around to stoke the flames of suspicion and distrust.

Ideally you should place all the cards on some kind of soft map or tea towel in the middle of the table to reduce noise, and also encourage everyone to tap the table and shift around during the 'night phase' to help cover the sounds of activity. This is all part of the fun and will make for a better game for everyone. Accusations backed up by claims of 'I heard him/her move during the night' aren't really in the spirit of the game.

Start out with the basic recommended setup of roles in play before introducing the more complex roles. People will moan about being stuck as a villager, but having them in play is very important, especially early on.

While there is definitely a competitive element (and it's immensely satisfying to successfully root out a werewolf, or conversely to evade detection as a werewolf and lead a mob to lynch an innocent villager), One Night Ultimate Werewolf is not a 'gamer's game', and certainly not a game to take overly seriously. There's a large element of chaos, and the game is much more about the experience of playing and the post-game discussion than worrying about who won or lost, or keeping scores.

Make sure you buy the right version - One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a stripped-down, condensed variant of the classic party game Werewolf (sometimes called Mafia) which is available in a number of different editions. I own Ultimate Werewolf Ultimate Edition too, but it looks a lot more drawn-out and involved, needs 10+ players to be worthwhile, requires a human moderator and has player elimination.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 04 January, 2016, 07:12:54 PM
The Coup/Resistance themed One Night Revolution is basically a reskin of the same game and is, for that reason, also great fun.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 04 January, 2016, 07:21:32 PM
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 04 January, 2016, 07:12:54 PM
The Coup/Resistance themed One Night Revolution is basically a reskin of the same game and is, for that reason, also great fun.

Yep. How is ONR? And how does it differ from ONUW?

Speaking of The Resistance, I'm thinking about buying it, but have heard that Avalon is better. Anyone have any thoughts?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Link Prime on 06 January, 2016, 10:27:19 AM
Quote from: radiator on 04 January, 2016, 05:26:08 PM
Make sure you buy the right version - One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a stripped-down, condensed variant of the classic party game Werewolf (sometimes called Mafia) which is available in a number of different editions. I own Ultimate Werewolf Ultimate Edition too, but it looks a lot more drawn-out and involved, needs 10+ players to be worthwhile, requires a human moderator and has player elimination.

Now you tell me!  ;)

This is the version I bought, seemed to fit the bill;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pegasus-Spiele-GmbH-ONUWBEZ-Ultimate/dp/B00HS7GG5G/ref=sr_1_1?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1452075876&sr=1-1&keywords=one+night+ultimate+werewolf
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 06 January, 2016, 10:46:17 AM
Got another board game as a wedding gift, Pandemic Legacy. Have played a couple of vanilla games of Pandemic using it just to learn the rules, as it advises doing that before you embark on the 'legacy' part of it, which sounds reeeeeeally interesting.

Basically it seems you play it as a campaign over 12 months, the decks are designed to be drawn in a very specific order over the course of that campaign and as you play the rules and conditions will change permanently. You'll be told to put permanent stickers on the board, to rip up cards never to be used again and there are chunks of the rulebook which are blank as those will be filled with new rules as the game goes on. Characters receive scars and traumas from month to month and can be perma-deathed (cards destroyed and everything).

Never played anything like it really, should be very cool.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 06 January, 2016, 11:10:28 AM
I've been fascinated by Pandemic Legacy since I first heard about it - reports on the early stages sound great, but there really is zero chance of my being able to play regularly enough to make it work.  Please let us know how you get on, Keef.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 06 January, 2016, 02:57:04 PM
I know what you mean - this is for 2-4 players and I doubt we'd be able to get a group of 4 together regularly enough to do it either, board game sessions with friends are way too sporadic for us to do most campaign-style games! I think we can commit to doing a couple of 2 player games a month and getting through it that way mind you, my one worry is that we'll be getting a bit of a diluted experience for not having a full team. Will see how it goes and report back!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 09 January, 2016, 03:59:54 PM
Is it OK to discuss miniature-related stuff in this thread?

Christmas for me means rooting around in my parents' loft and this time I was rewarded by finding Space Marine (6mm Epic scale), box still in great condition. Yet, as they were stored separately, not one miniature was inside. They were pitilessly slung away for recycling long ago. Has this happened to anyone else? At least everything else from the game was intact.

I was further sickened to find out the cost of replacing the out-of-production components, based on the collectors' prices on Ebay. I've recently plugged the gaps of my Hero Quest set, so I don't feel like doing it again beyond replacing the lost Land Raiders and Rhinos.

Instead, I found this marvellous idea on the web that I wanted to share in case it's of use to anyone.
This gamer (http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/623920.page?userfilterid=54729) printed out aerial views of infantry squads from pictures of computer game sprites and stuck them to card to create his army. I never would have thought of that. I think it looks OK, if used alongside miniatures for vehicles, buildings, etc.

As far as I know, if it's not for distribution, it's legal. But if this isn't the case, feel free to put me straight and I'll shut up.

Here is the sort of image he used.

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/Space%20Marines%20Red_zps9co6oll9.png)

Unless anyone has any old miniatures for sale, these will do for gaming purposes.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 09 January, 2016, 06:37:28 PM
Quote from: Third Estate Ned on 09 January, 2016, 03:59:54 PMIs it OK to discuss miniature-related stuff in this thread?

S'okay by me - a video games thread and an everything-else gaming thread.  The alternative (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_dilemma) would be a boardgames thread, a cardgames thread, an RPG thread, a wargames thread, etc.
QuoteInstead, I found this marvellous idea on the web that I wanted to share in case it's of use to anyone.
This gamer (http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/623920.page?userfilterid=54729) printed out aerial views of infantry squads from pictures of computer game sprites and stuck them to card to create his army. I never would have thought of that. I think it looks OK, if used alongside miniatures for vehicles, buildings, etc.
There seems to been something similar in Games Workshop's Judge Dredd RPG (http://www.waynesbooks.com/images/graphics/judgedreddrpgboxset.jpg) back in the eighties (those ones could stand up though).

(http://www.waynesbooks.com/images/graphics/judgedreddrpgboxset.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 09 January, 2016, 07:43:09 PM
The JD:RPG cutouts were great, the judges were taken from a number of artists, so you could be a Colin Wilson judge, a McMahon judge, a Bolland judge etc. Lovely floorplans and moveable hab-furnishings too.

Could be misremembering, but I think a lot of early GW games came with cut-out armies and terrain. Certainly the first two Warhammer battles I ever played did. The awesome SJG Car Wars too. Hard to imagine that happening now.

And of course many games since have done likewise.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 09 January, 2016, 09:16:10 PM
Quote from: Tordelback on 09 January, 2016, 07:43:09 PM
The JD:RPG cutouts were great, the judges were taken from a number of artists, so you could be a Colin Wilson judge, a McMahon judge, a Bolland judge etc. Lovely floorplans and moveable hab-furnishings too.

Could be misremembering, but I think a lot of early GW games came with cut-out armies and terrain. Certainly the first two Warhammer battles I ever played did. The awesome SJG Car Wars too. Hard to imagine that happening now.

And of course many games since have done likewise.
From GW's point of view, the JDRPG cardboard cut-outs were just stand-ins until they'd released the lead miniatures.  Flicking through my WH40k rulebooks (1993 and 1998) and WFRP rulebook it looks like, with the advent of fairly detailed plastic figures, they'd ditched the idea of cardboard stand-ins for starter units made up of identical figures, though the equipment list in the 1993 rulebook does feature card cut-out ruins, Ork dreadnought and the line "Although this is no real substitute for a Citadel model, it does allow you to fight a game immediately using the extra Dreadnought rules in this book".
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 09 January, 2016, 09:35:21 PM
Quote from: Tordelback on 09 January, 2016, 07:43:09 PM
The JD:RPG cutouts were great, the judges were taken from a number of artists, so you could be a Colin Wilson judge, a McMahon judge, a Bolland judge etc. Lovely floorplans and moveable hab-furnishings too.

Could be misremembering, but I think a lot of early GW games came with cut-out armies and terrain. Certainly the first two Warhammer battles I ever played did. The awesome SJG Car Wars too. Hard to imagine that happening now.

And of course many games since have done likewise.

The Marvel Superheroes RPG from TSR too, that had brilliant counters and maps.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 10 January, 2016, 11:31:30 AM
Speaking of card-based Judges, the JD Munchkin Apocalypse is available for pre-order. I don't know whether that means it's imminent or whether it just means it will definitely be out but they don't know when.

http://www.miniaturemarket.com/sjg4248.html (http://www.miniaturemarket.com/sjg4248.html)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 10 January, 2016, 12:06:31 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 09 January, 2016, 09:16:10 PM

From GW's point of view, the JDRPG cardboard cut-outs were just stand-ins until they'd released the lead miniatures. 

Ah, but  in addition to the main game and excellent scenario Judgement Day IIRC they also included cutouts (not as nice, mind) in the boxed campaign Slaughter Margin (still cringe at Nip-Cit), which was released well into the Citadel run. Although I seem to remember mainly robot dogs, for some reason.

While we eventually ended up using lead minis, badly painted by me, for the PCs (except when they were on bikes, only has one of those), the cutout served us for perps and citz for ages. The original underpass floorplan and the Titan moonscape from Judgement Day have since been used by me in a half-dozen SF RPGs and minis/skirmish games, very useful. And here's the point: cutouts made the game playable from the start, and were still useful as the gaming supplies expanded.

The Warhammer FB scenarios I remember being fully cardboard-based are The Dolgan Raiders (Citadel Journal 1985) and Bloodbath at Orc's Drift (anticipating a Dabnett pun by 30 years). Here's a sheet for the former, FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY:
(http://www.solegends.com/citcat198509cjb/citjour85b059-02.jpg)

Pretty nifty, really, especially when paired with the school photocopier (ah the perks of producing the school magazine). Used hand-coloured duplicates of that cart for years in my D&D campaign, cocktail stick axles adding a Ben Hur chic. Still have the wolves and the wheels in my minis box!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 10 January, 2016, 10:32:24 PM
Quote from: Tordelback on 09 January, 2016, 07:43:09 PM
Could be misremembering, but I think a lot of early GW games came with cut-out armies and terrain. Certainly the first two Warhammer battles I ever played did. The awesome SJG Car Wars too. Hard to imagine that happening now.

And of course many games since have done likewise.

Heh, they reprinted Car Wars two years, all the counters came punched when I got it! Still have black and white maps.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 10 January, 2016, 11:09:09 PM
Quote from: Ancient Otter on 10 January, 2016, 10:32:24 PM
Quote from: Tordelback on 09 January, 2016, 07:43:09 PM
Could be misremembering, but I think a lot of early GW games came with cut-out armies and terrain. Certainly the first two Warhammer battles I ever played did. The awesome SJG Car Wars too. Hard to imagine that happening now.

And of course many games since have done likewise.

Heh, they reprinted Car Wars two years, all the counters came punched when I got it! Still have black and white maps.

Did they really! Have to look into that. My brother ran off to Australia with his copy of the original, and OUR copies of Sunday Drivers, Crash City and my personal fave Truck Stop, as well as (IIRC) the last thing we bought, Uncle Albert's Catalog, which was awesome. Man we spent hours with that game, but because he owned the base set we were only ever allowed play it on his bedroom floor - when he got it originally we shared a room, so I never even noticed,  but once he got his own room (when the procession of student lodgers finished) the game went with him.  Brothers, I ask you.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 11 January, 2016, 12:36:20 AM
Quote from: Third Estate Ned on 10 January, 2016, 11:31:30 AM
Speaking of card-based Judges, the JD Munchkin Apocalypse is available for pre-order. I don't know whether that means it's imminent or whether it just means it will definitely be out but they don't know when.

http://www.miniaturemarket.com/sjg4248.html (http://www.miniaturemarket.com/sjg4248.html)
I hope so, been waiting since late 2014 now, though unfortunately nothing in that link makes me think it's any closer than it has been for the past year :-(
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 13 January, 2016, 07:26:06 AM
Quote from: ThryllSeekyr on 13 January, 2016, 01:53:25 AM
I was thinking of these of theses...

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vpmJzf42EA0/TyaEQQi1xtI/AAAAAAAAAz0/Z2xWsxJ1f3I/s1600/Judge_Dredd_RPG-GW.jpg)


One of which I brought from a comic bookstore down south very cheaply. From which I was provided with hours of informtainment while living rough in Sydney

When began imagine sort type computer game where you could build you own Mega-City populate with the famous characters from the book.

The book was pretty worn though and I purchased another through Ebay in near mint condition along with

(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic530367_md.jpg)(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic530382_md.jpg)

The books aren't with me now, I vividly remember carrying these into the other house I'm moving into.

I once did have plans to own every board game related to 2000AD, and so far only bothered to buy tow of them....

I only remember one clearly called Block-Wars....

(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic52953_md.jpg)(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic212446_md.jpg)(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic212447_md.jpg)(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic212449_md.jpg)(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic492797_md.jpg)(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic492799_md.jpg)(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1546884_md.png)(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic2567454_md.jpg)

And the other I have no recollection of it.

Because they are not where I thought I left them and it odes look like somebody walked into our house and into my room and did a snatch n grab while I wasn't looking.

(http://forums.2000adonline.com/Smileys/default/sad.gif)

It's the home violation that really hurts and the fact that people in my family are not going to support my fears and accusations.

Yet, they probably thought I wasn't using those any way and decided to relieve me of their burden .

I also had my sights set on a near mint Rogue Trooper board game , but I lost interest in getting any more of those, because I don't have any friends that do that and I'm bound some of the tiny pieces of cardboard.
I did realise after I posted that something went missing from my room. That those game box and the other one I don't recall might have been left piled on shelf right next to the bed I never sleep on  and totally obscured. Because my bed is right next to this shelf and I hardly  bother poke around down there. Anyway, it does turn out that the game box still alludes me. Unfortunately!!!

I have also remembered now that I am now missing the boxset rules for Gangs of Mega City One possibly Urban-Warfare.

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CNMQCRTZL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)

I think the box only had the manual in it. Maybe there were some leaflets as well. I don't think there were any plastic model, you know those rectangular plastic things that are holding a few of the little plastic minatures combined.  Nah, I don't think there was anything like that. Just a outdated manual. It was in good condition as I had ordered this through Mongoose Publishing brand new, but the b ox did look a little squashed by the time it got to me.

Those rules are now obsolete and they has since rereleased a later adaption of the rules for free download. I think I have those somewhere on my computer. I think.

I still like the old one boxed edition just for the sake of owning it and it appears to have gone missing as well. it was piled on the same shelf I think. Next to a row of every Judge Dredd Case File I ever brought bar another three which I always kept in the room I have my pc and television in.

I stopped buying those along with physical paper copy of the weekly prog because I knew I would not have the room to keep them all. I only buy the ones I really, really like, although now that I am shifting house and the place will be all to myself. I might try and source all those J.D.C.F. I have now missed along with the rare editions. So far, I have only brought up to #12.

Back on the subject, of G.O.M.C.1. When I found out how odd the rules were, I did kind of lose interest. For instance they were nothing like what I learnt about Warhammer 40k and Fantasy.

I only wonder how it might fare as computer game since I don't get the opportunity to play these person to person games so much anymore because of the direction my life had taken over ten years again.

Is it possible that this game can be adapted to pc, and console the same way Warhammer 40k has been with the Dawn of War games and the new fantasy adaption to Total War series.

Just consider those possibilities......
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 13 January, 2016, 12:27:23 PM
Had mentioned to a friend that I'd been after a copy of Space Hulk for a while, and by serendipity someone from his board game club decided to sell theirs the next day for a very reasonable price. Chuffed, haven't played it in over 20 years I think but remember it being fantastic.

The other upshot is that to go and collect it I went and met the guy at the board game club and had a look around and am now thinking of going along regularly. I'd known about the club but nerves and social anxiety meant I hadn't been comfortable just turning up, but the people I did speak to were really friendly and it seems like it could be a great way to get some regular gaming done (I manage to get a session organized with friends very rarely which is frustrating).

Figured I would share the link here in case it's something other Glasgow boarders might be interested in or don't know about - http://www.g3gamers.co.uk/ (http://www.g3gamers.co.uk/)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 13 January, 2016, 01:06:48 PM
Congrats on nabbin SH as it really is fantastic, my favourite since I got back in gaming a few years back.

My New year resolution was to spend more time with the kids mid-week as they are usually almost ready for  bed when I get home from work. So in an effort to comply I decided Wednesdays are family game night and tonights is Space Hulk, we don't use the timer at the moment as it all gets a bit much for the kids.

At the end of the month we have to move out while the house gets gutted by the builders (it'll be worth it as I'm turning the loft into a dedicated games room) but after that my plan is to get them hooked on D&D (picked up the basic rules at Xmas).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 13 January, 2016, 01:36:32 PM
Careful what you wish for, Satanist! I started a family FRPG campaign (Dragon Warriors rules, homebrew setting) last spring, and am now tormented for additional sessions every waking minute - plus kids' razor-sharp recall for detail is a cruel thing for a GM (I got the material of a looted shield wrong between sessions and have never heard the end of it).

Never played Space Hulk, always liked the look of it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 13 January, 2016, 02:03:36 PM
You mean those novels published by Corgi.....

I remember buying this one and lending it to friend and never getting it back.

(http://40.media.tumblr.com/e0559210ccd3b218d30766bb816240f1/tumblr_ns97pjDEjf1uquwc5o1_1280.jpg)

Sad thing was that I really needed to get the entire line of those novels before you could really use any of books for gaming. It makes more sense to play them in order. Because the book I brought was always referring to the ones before it.

Only thing I got out of that book was sketching the Centaur beast on the front cover and not sure where my old sketch pad got to. Because I'd sure like to put up here to show off.

I used to play (Table-top) Space Hulk with friends I know and it's currently on Steam. The latest version is the best and original DOS version from the early 90's was good back in the day, but difficult to finish.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 13 January, 2016, 02:31:22 PM
Quote from: Tordelback on 13 January, 2016, 01:36:32 PM
I started a family FRPG campaign (Dragon Warriors rules, homebrew setting) last spring, and am now tormented for additional sessions every waking minute

If they're old enough to ask, they're old enough to run games themselves :P
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 13 January, 2016, 07:12:27 PM
Heh, very true!

TS, Lands of Legend doesn't have much in the way of rules (just the rather fiddly Warlock character class (a misguided attempt to bring Elric-style heroes into the game)), so you do need at least the first two books to use it, but it does contain one of the best and most succinct world settings and an entertaining globe-trotting mini-campaign as well. Probably the strongest book in an excellent series - it's a great read. I too lent/lost my copy, but happily have since replaced it. Since they reprinted the material in big hardbacks, the old paperbacks are fairly cheap on eBay - and much nicer to look at.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 14 January, 2016, 03:54:08 AM
After adding Corgi*

(Who also did the Tunnel & Trolls game novels . I had also been collecting those as well. Thought I had them all (About five or six along with the original box set which the original novel I brought when I was still in high school Arena of Khazan/Amulet of Salkti (So, I got two of those and the old one is now very tattered.) and rulebook as like any of the other novels and large soft cover book art work matching the cover of the box. (These looked very old but in otherwise good condition!) Of the novels, I have already moved those and the boxset out to the new house and I'm still sitting here in front of my computer right now. I think they were titled City of Terrors, Beyond the Silvered Plane, Blue Frog Tavern and other two or three I don't recall. They also recently released a big bumper core rule book with everything in it.....

(http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/TT_02-600x375.jpg)(https://tagn.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/deluxett.jpg)

Which features a collage of the older alternative art work on that game-masters screen (Hinting at how the game has now become more like regular Dungeons & Dragons with multiple players and perhaps the soloist. Which is how I approached the game originally. That's how the game started out.

The new art work on the front cover doesn't quite grab my attention as much as the old Kirby (Don't recall his first name!) covers.

(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/946182_1509311116037599_5443099282816027168_n.jpg?oh=48e13e62f49b0df442a15c4d9573e2b6&oe=56FD3374)

I'm a real sucker for unusual colours and shapes. I also reproduced this as a sketch with a some shading to the best of my ability while holidaying on the south coast with my parents in happier times. I didn't do the dragon, because I didn't like that part and added my own back ground, really screwing up shading it in much darker shade of pencil.

You can find it, if you go to my homepage on You-Tube under my other name Vidstarr. (I don't know why I came up with that!). You'll only notice a partial figure itself and the setting sun in the back ground.  I'm rather proud of my accuracy and insane attention to detail on the large sword and shield and also ashamed of the mess I made of it and leaving that way until I eventually had it laminated. So, I can never retouch it.

Isn't that so much like having a tight foreskin that can never be pulled back. I still know that pain!

I have that picture up in room, but obscured behind a the side of large book case.

BTW I meant to say before getting side tracked after adding Corgi to my search. I saw they had two of the novels. Not sure if they were the originals and I don't think bother pursuing those. 
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 19 January, 2016, 12:37:02 PM
Since I got paid yesterday morning, I ordered/downloaded some game manuals for a role playing game called  Atlantis The Second Age (http://www.atlantisrpg.com/). There's two versions and the older ones cheaper. So I brought both just for comparison and some related source books all as downloads.

(Can't copy image links for the covers. I like the girl on the front cover of first edition)

I saw this book in store years ago, and seeing as I was all hyped about the D20/Slaine game at the same time. (Looking for source material to fill in the gaps, even though I knew I would never be playing either one!) I flicked through it finding parts of it interesting enough and put it down again thinking I would purchase it next time and neglected to remember the exact name of the book and that was that until I did search for any book/manual named Atlantis on DriveThruR.P.G.com. Seeing that lady's face on the front cover. Kind of like Catherine Zeta Jones with some ancient head-gear on, real pretty.

Also the newer books, which couldn't resist purchasing as well.

The game looks cleaned up since the first edition, they say -words to the effect- it's less insulting to some minorities, but it's just game.

I won't say what, but I have also noticed that they use a mostly modern world map with the addition of the continent of Atlantis to the left of where Alba/Ireland/Scotland (I know that name only means the latter, but it's been used for both islands!) and England is and they both look roughly the same shape they do today and not even joined to each other or Europe/Europa. While Africa is called Gondwana. Now, without bothering to used the internet, I thought that name had more to do with the tip of northern Australia which has earned the name Mu while Sumatra/Indonesia/New Guinea is called Lemuria Well, that last one may be right, but I doubt I'm sitting in neighbourhood of that other place.

Mean while, what about Pangea?   

CONTINUED LATER......
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 21 January, 2016, 06:05:08 AM
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3h9uP4yFsGw/UTJmyqhBefI/AAAAAAAANWo/nbzuVpu7nCA/s1600/Pangea.jpg)

There is during the Permian Era at the beginning as it appears to be....

I think this game might be set during the later end of the Jurassic Era or anytime during the Cretaceous Era for reasons I will share later.

The newer book is naturally more refined, both beastiaries need pruning. They're both chock a block with nearly every variety of mythology beast and sentient from cultures everywhere circa the days of Atlantis

Now people that existed back then were what really piqued my interest.

Remembering a passage of narrative text taken from Slaine -Time Killer (At the beginning of that story where readers are introduced to Cythrons and how they came to be where they are.)

According to magicians, before human beings appeared there were root races on Earth. The first Root Race were invisable being made of fire-mist; the Second were gaseous creatures; the Third were brainless, egg-laying monsters on whom the Diluvials are based; the Fourth were Atlanteans, including the Rmoahals.

Which I had not been able to find in my digital copy of Slaine -Time-Killer. Did I overlook it or was it removed due because it was never taken further than that. All we get in Slaine is that Myrddin was half-Atlantean (From his mothers side!) and half-Cythron (His dad the ruler itself and proving that his mother doesn't have good taste in men just by the look of him!) and he built Dinas-Emrys with the help of some Rmoahals (One of the mythological races of Atlanteans. One of six other sub-races mentioned in the Wiki which might have really existed but here, some of them only serve to be the fore-runners to the White-Europeans, Dark Africans, American and Est Indians, Asians, and other types. ) These are mentioned in these books, but they as many Slaine fans would know, they lived and work with Myrddin amongst other earlier races of people that came before and after them.

Anyway, that little bit information up above got me into reading about this....

The Root Races (http://gnosticteachings.org/books-by-samael-aun-weor/kabbalah-of-the-mayan-mysteries/1074-the-root-races.html)

(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5478/9760007974_1b435a852d_z.jpg)

That's just for fun, before the Atlanteans, there were three, other peoples that dominated in eras or ages of their own.

You would read about them in the link I put up  and see that the game manual have come up with a approximation of their own.

The Jinn who sound like the origin of the Genie from Arabian myth and they do fit the description of either one of the first two those. When I first read this, I thought of those men from the remake of Clash of titans who used their powers to fight the giant Scorpians.

(http://roberthood.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/giant-scorpion.jpg)

The Lemurian. The written goes on and on..... where they just might as well have said who are giant apes (I should have wrote before  the Jinn were also large, and much more the giant compared to them, but hardly corporeal!) that with enough spark of intelligence to set them a part from the lesser apes of today. Looking at the picture of them here....

(http://www.atlantisrpg.com/images/Actiondeck.jpg)

I was thinking Planet of the Apes and they even keep these slaves that look more human than they are, and yet they're really Goblin-half breeds called Nethermen.

The heat is murder,...some other time.....


Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 21 January, 2016, 04:10:44 PM
Quote from: ThryllSeekyr on 21 January, 2016, 06:05:08 AMThe Root Races

(https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5478/9760007974_1b435a852d_z.jpg)

:lol: Bwahahaha!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 21 January, 2016, 05:45:46 PM
Yeah, that's brill!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 21 January, 2016, 06:12:00 PM
*sigh*

Does every thread on this board eventually have to become mired in interminable and impenetrable stream of consciousness nonsense about Slaine?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 21 January, 2016, 06:31:41 PM
Quote from: radiator on 21 January, 2016, 06:12:00 PM
*sigh*

Does every thread on this board eventually have to become mired in interminable and impenetrable stream of consciousness nonsense about Slaine?

Just be grateful the underware thread was nuked.
Title: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 21 January, 2016, 06:38:53 PM
Seriously, at what point does excessive posting become spam?

We were having a nice, civilised chat about board games.

Every damn thread.

Ffs.
Title: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 21 January, 2016, 06:39:49 PM
(Edit)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 21 January, 2016, 07:04:41 PM
Quote from: radiator on 21 January, 2016, 06:12:00 PM
*sigh*

Does every thread on this board eventually have to become mired in interminable and impenetrable stream of consciousness nonsense about Slaine?

Well, yes that last post of mine was, but it's also stuff that I got into by it's own level of interest and it's stuff I always been into when I younger and this was before I discovered Slaine.

I was always into Atlantean myth along with those early films (Based on Jules Verne novels!) like 2000 Leages Under the Sea and anything again based on Atlantis including a television series known as  The Man from Atlantis (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smj78NAme9M&index=11&list=PLD3AF3FC7276C1D9D).

With Patrick Duffy and Belinda Montgmery

So, my interests here can be traced well before Slaine.



Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 21 February, 2016, 07:01:06 PM
My local book/board game shop is having a crazy sale today - 30% off everything in-store, so I nabbed copies of Dead of Winter, Catan (finally!) and Star Realms for an absolute steal. Had to restrain myself or else I would have bought several more games.

I'm going on a cabin weekend with a group of friends in a couple of weeks time, so have been picking up a few large group/party style games on the off chance they might deign to play something other than Cards Against Humanity for once - The Resistance (the team deduction/secret identities game which sounds like fantastic fun - if the group are into it), a cool-looking simple bluffing game called Skulls and Monikers, a modern spin on 'Celebrity' or 'Time's Up!' which sounds like it could be a hoot.

(http://40.media.tumblr.com/d2c08584851507ae77883c20dc751065/tumblr_nq5qacGupn1uxau4yo1_1280.jpg)

(http://feastandwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/monikers-game-3.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 21 February, 2016, 09:37:07 PM
I know lil-Bub. Kind of sick when they do that to a kitten.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 27 February, 2016, 11:04:22 PM
The Red Dragon Inn....if you like fucking yer mates up in a fantasy setting this is the game for you. Original game is for 4 but expansions allow you to add to the players. The idea of the game is to bankrupt other payers or make them pass out after a hard days dungeon crawl. As is usual D&D, the usual suspects are available, the rogue, the wizard and so on, each with their own abilities.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 04 March, 2016, 01:01:19 PM
Just got the Mrs Ticket to Ride for Mothers day so looking forward to a game with the family on Sunday. Never played it but have only heard good reports.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: CalHab on 04 March, 2016, 02:25:26 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 04 March, 2016, 01:01:19 PM
Just got the Mrs Ticket to Ride for Mothers day so looking forward to a game with the family on Sunday. Never played it but have only heard good reports.

There's an app version of Ticket to Ride, which is good for learning the rules as well as being an enjoyable game itself.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 04 March, 2016, 02:27:44 PM
Cheers bud I'll check that out, and I've just ordered the Ghostbusters board game for the kids birthdays. This will be our first co-op game so should stop/increase the complaints when someone loses.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 04 March, 2016, 05:28:37 PM
Have ordered the XCOM board game (I wasn't going to buy any more games this year, but managed to get a great deal on it through work so would have been silly not to), it looks very swish and very cool. Hopefully I'll be better at it than I am at the videogame because I suuuuuuuuck at that.

Having a bit of a board game night with the missus tonight because she hasn't had a chance to get her Carcassonne out of the box yet and wants to give it a spin. Have only played the videogame version but at least that means we'll have a rough idea what's going on! Hoping to squeeze in a game of Pandemic Legacy too if time allows. Board games are great.

It's nice that Videogaiden have board game reviews in their new series, always really enjoyed Rab Florence's board game reviews online so is a nice addition - https://youtu.be/ecVDzKzLrhk?t=917 (https://youtu.be/ecVDzKzLrhk?t=917)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 04 March, 2016, 07:19:15 PM
QuoteThere's an app version of Ticket to Ride, which is good for learning the rules as well as being an enjoyable game itself.

Yep - I almost always buy the app versions of games I have, mainly for the tutorial feature. Most games are really simple but sound incredibly complicated in written rules form (TtR and Catan are examples of this - so beautifully simple in practice but reading the rules make them seem like you're studying for an exam!). Interactive tutorials are far more preferable.

I also highly recommend Youtube videos that explain the rules or even have a demonstration playthrough - Dice Tower/Tabletop/Shut Up & Sit Down etc etc. I regularly have them on in the background while I work and find its by far the best way to get the gist of how a game plays.

Let us know how you get on with TtR, Satanist - it's a really fun game. My family love it. There's a UK map pack now too.

QuoteHave only played the videogame version but at least that means we'll have a rough idea what's going on!

My advice would be to play without using 'farmers' to begin with - in my experience they are the one aspect of the game that is a little tricky for new players to grasp (it seems I'm not alone in this as the new edition of Carc lists farmers as an optional feature - along with River and Abbot - in the rulebook rather than as part of the 'core' rules).

I remember a mate telling me about a bad experience he had once when trying to introduce a friend of his to Carcassonne - apparently she was a notoriously bad loser, and when she lost the game promptly flipped out, said the rules were 'broken' and then demanded they all play another game using her 'better' rules (whereby each sort of tile was distributed equally to each player to form a hand, totally removing the core blind-drawing mechanic of the game). What a nightmare!  :lol:
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 04 March, 2016, 09:18:21 PM
But farmers are the best part of the game! There's big points in them thar fields!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 05 March, 2016, 09:01:54 AM
Yep, our games usually come down to a death struggle over farms between the missus and me, all our meeples lying prone as we try to join up our fields while the Boy racks up cheap city and road points with his ambulant army. Definitely the most fun part of the game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 06 March, 2016, 12:47:41 AM
I went to a friends house for little birthday get together. Same bloke who drove me to school reunion back in August 17, 2013. There were other old school aquaintences. They didn't bring their wives & children, (Because I was there?) except for the one having the birthday who holding the get together at there house. Three people I haven't seen since that reunion. One person I haven't seen in ten years, and another in almost 20 years.

We ate lots of expensive cheese that is shaped like a cake and hard to spell properly and drank gallons of honey beer and then there was pizza.

First we played poker, which I only had inkling of understanding through past experience with Red Dead Redemption. At first, it was only Black Jack that I was more familiar with from that very same game, but I soon could recall having to beat a certain identity at a certain location to obtain a certain piece of outfitting and this did happen only after fluking the win.

I still don't understand Poker enough to make a living at the Treasury Casino, but I played enough last night to perhaps getting me interested in learning better online.

Then we played[ Cards Against Humanity....funny stuff. There was one more memorable stage of that game where the question about -words to the effect- Bruce Willis police detective character learn in that M. Night Shyalaman's film about what it was about himself all along. One answer, two cards, chosen by the young progeny of the one who invited me. It said something about saxophone solo which I and everyone else thought was amazing and I wanted to add this was like that part from the original Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy where a ship wrecked Ford & Arthur were trying to finally get the ultimate answer to life the universe & everything using early man & home made scramble board & tiles with every letter of the alphabet scratched on to them. Not that I'm comparing the boy to caveman, but all of us really.

I tried to explain the last bit while everybody burst out laughing when the Bruce Willis/Saxophone related card was read. About how I found that answer and the whole card game related to finding out that 7 times 8 is 48 (Or something like that!), but I couldn't get a word in edge wise because they all do talk a lot, but in a more academically based, but drunken manner.

Can you imagine that much more than one, but more schooled versions of myself on this message board.

Lastly, before the others arrived, as the inviter, had to pick me up from my abode first. We played some board game that reminded me of cross between Risk and Civilisation (If the latter was ever a  board game!). I forge that name, but there was a opportunity to play through several epoch's. I was the Egyptian, they were the Persians & the Greeks & Iberians.

One of them won by points and I won by world domination, but the game was mostly over my head. Beginners luck.

For a present, I gave them one of my spare game manuals the latest edition of Werewolf the Apocalypse. His boy, seemed interested and I hope the book never finds it way into their fireplace.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 06 March, 2016, 09:38:54 AM
Damnit but that sounds like an arsom evening. We all need more of that in our lives.
Title: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 07 March, 2016, 06:21:46 AM

Quote from: Tordelback on 05 March, 2016, 09:01:54 AM
Yep, our games usually come down to a death struggle over farms between the missus and me, all our meeples lying prone as we try to join up our fields while the Boy racks up cheap city and road points with his ambulant army. Definitely the most fun part of the game.

Yeah, but they're also a bit hard to explain and take the game from a casual game that anyone can pick up in five minutes to something a bit more complicated. People always seem to think I'm cheating when I play a farmer!

Just back from my weekend away. Skull was great fun, a really neat little game, but the big winner was Monikers, which went down an absolute storm. If you're after a raucous party game for a large-ish group, I can't recommend this game enough, it had everyone howling with laughter - it actually seems designed to foster running jokes amongst the group and forces you to think on your feet. Cannot wait to play it again.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 07 March, 2016, 09:06:16 AM
Quote from: Tordelback on 06 March, 2016, 09:38:54 AM
Damnit but that sounds like an arsom evening. We all need more of that in our lives.

While it good to see them face to face, I wouldn't go so far as to say it was arsom. Just a break in my regularity.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 07 March, 2016, 10:40:11 AM
If I could gather up all my old gaming pals and have an evening of beer and games I would count it arsom indeed. We haven't done it in more than 20 years, and while we do get together in various combinations every year or so, it's usually for drink and moaning about politics local and global, and those damn kids with their hair and that noise they like.  And yet when one or two of us do end up in a game together in some other context, it's always great fun.

Long afternoons of dice and digression seem impossible when the 7 of us live on three different continents rather than a 15 minute walk apart, and are pulled hither and thither by jobs, partners and kids. Ah, saudade! (who says comics aren't educational?).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 07 March, 2016, 11:05:46 AM
We took your advice radiator, played Carcassonne without the farmers or the rivers rules. Meant we could get up and running and get to grips with it fast which was great. Was a lot of fun, particularly liked how quick it is to set-up and get through a game as it means it'll see a lot more use than some of the (still great but) more long-winded games we have.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 07 March, 2016, 11:58:28 AM
Didn't manage Ticket to ride at the weekend as was stuck on DIY but am gonna play on Wednesday (family game night) so will update then. Did however watch the Wil Wheaton Youtube playthrough to get a feel for it and Mrs seems hyped even more for it.

Had my eye on a game "Betrayal at house on the Hill" for a wee while now, anyone played this?

Also quite fancy "Colt Express".

Just so many good boardgames nowdays.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 07 March, 2016, 12:33:08 PM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 07 March, 2016, 11:05:46 AM
We took your advice radiator, played Carcassonne without the farmers or the rivers rules. Meant we could get up and running and get to grips with it fast which was great. Was a lot of fun, particularly liked how quick it is to set-up and get through a game as it means it'll see a lot more use than some of the (still great but) more long-winded games we have.
Next time I play I'll have to try it without the river tiles or the farmers.  Wondering what it'll be like.  In further games, I imagine things like the princess and dragon would lose a lot of their point without farmers.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 07 March, 2016, 12:54:07 PM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 07 March, 2016, 11:05:46 AM
We took your advice radiator, played Carcassonne without the farmers or the rivers rules. Meant we could get up and running and get to grips with it fast which was great. Was a lot of fun, particularly liked how quick it is to set-up and get through a game as it means it'll see a lot more use than some of the (still great but) more long-winded games we have.
Did you just play with two people? While it does work, it becomes much more interesting with the addition of a third.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 07 March, 2016, 01:09:44 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 07 March, 2016, 11:58:28 AM
Had my eye on a game "Betrayal at house on the Hill" for a wee while now, anyone played this?

Also quite fancy "Colt Express".

Colt Express is amazing! Really great fun and quite easy to get to grips with.

Betrayal isn't really like any other game I've played. Starts very simply with the players using their movement to explore a creepy old mansion, laying down room tiles as you go, and occassionally picking up cards for items you find or events that occur. Nice and easy to get to grips with, this bit, and always quite fun - there are trapdoors and booby traps and all sorts to keep you on your toes.

Then at some point the 'haunt' kicks in, and you all find out what you're meant to be doing - what conditions you need to achieve to win and which of you has actually been the baddie all along. This is when the house gets filled with monsters and things really kick off in earnest. There about 50 different haunt scenarios, so it's rare that you'll play the same one too often as they're randomly generated. How much fun the game is usually depends on which scenario you end up playing - the first game we ever played was a horrendously complicated one that nobody quite understood, and left us feeling a bit underwhelmed all round, and frankly a little bit glad when the game ended. The second one, though, was easy to understand and huge fun; and the pattern's continued since. Our fourth game made us all laugh more than I ever have at a board game, and then the fifth was an unenjoyable, overlong trudge to the finish (we saw almost straight away that there was virtually nothing we could do the stop the traitor winning, and had to play out the whole 40-min scenario anyway - it just wasn't very much fun). Some scenarios are weighted very heavily in favour of the players, some in favour of the traitor, while most are fairly equally balanced.

So as I say - on the whole really good fun, but a lot depends on the scenarios you get dealt. I suppose that's all part of the expierience, though...!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 07 March, 2016, 01:37:13 PM
Quote from: The Cosh on 07 March, 2016, 12:54:07 PM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 07 March, 2016, 11:05:46 AM
We took your advice radiator, played Carcassonne without the farmers or the rivers rules. Meant we could get up and running and get to grips with it fast which was great. Was a lot of fun, particularly liked how quick it is to set-up and get through a game as it means it'll see a lot more use than some of the (still great but) more long-winded games we have.
Did you just play with two people? While it does work, it becomes much more interesting with the addition of a third.

Only two players yeah, now that we know what we're doing it'll be fun to break out with a bigger group. Would imagine the scoring gets way more interesting the more players you have.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 07 March, 2016, 04:35:40 PM
Boardgamegeek.com actually rates Carcassonne as 'best with 2 players', and while I wouldn't go that far, I do agree that its fine with just two.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 07 March, 2016, 04:40:11 PM
Quote from: radiator on 07 March, 2016, 04:35:40 PM
Boardgamegeek.com actually rates Carcassonne as 'best with 2 players', and while I wouldn't go that far, I do agree that its fine with just two.
Fair enough. It's perfectly playable with two but I just felt that it lost a lot in only being head to head where just one extra player adds a whole extra level of who will fuck who over.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 07 March, 2016, 04:48:27 PM
Quote from: The Cosh on 07 March, 2016, 04:40:11 PM
Quote from: radiator on 07 March, 2016, 04:35:40 PM
Boardgamegeek.com actually rates Carcassonne as 'best with 2 players', and while I wouldn't go that far, I do agree that its fine with just two.
Fair enough. It's perfectly playable with two but I just felt that it lost a lot in only being head to head where just one extra player adds a whole extra level of who will fuck who over.

It becomes more strategic with 2 players. The more players you add, means the more chance that someone will render your city uncompletable, or block your move to have more meeples in a mega-city, which makes planning ahead much harder.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 07 March, 2016, 04:55:12 PM
Quote from: Pyroxian on 07 March, 2016, 04:48:27 PM
Quote from: The Cosh on 07 March, 2016, 04:40:11 PM
Quote from: radiator on 07 March, 2016, 04:35:40 PM
Boardgamegeek.com actually rates Carcassonne as 'best with 2 players', and while I wouldn't go that far, I do agree that its fine with just two.
Fair enough. It's perfectly playable with two but I just felt that it lost a lot in only being head to head where just one extra player adds a whole extra level of who will fuck who over.
It becomes more strategic with 2 players. The more players you add, means the more chance that someone will render your city uncompletable, or block your move to have more meeples in a mega-city, which makes planning ahead much harder.
Yeah. That's pretty much what I meant by "better."
Title: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 07 March, 2016, 05:00:35 PM
Yeah, its a different experience. I'd always choose to play the game (ideally with one or two expansions thrown in) with 3 or 4, but it definitely scales well. A lot of board games aren't much cop with only 2 players.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 07 March, 2016, 05:26:59 PM
Good to see Radiator's 'no farmers' rule worked well. Carcassonne is grreat with two-player, and definitely my default two-player game, but I've really enjoyed it with 3 and 4.  It does seem that the more tiles you have for more players the better though, to prevent the aesthetic frustration of too many incomplete elements.

Could anyone please elaborate on the suitability of Colt Express for player number, age and duration?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 07 March, 2016, 06:53:36 PM
Quote from: Tordelback on 07 March, 2016, 05:26:59 PM
Could anyone please elaborate on the suitability of Colt Express for player number, age and duration?

Only played it once myself - but we did play three games in a row, which should say something in itself! Easy to get to grips with, if you're thinking of playing with the Tordelbrood; shouldn't think they'd have any problems. We played with five people, and that worked really well - I imagine it'd work just as well with 2 or 3, although perhaps not be quite as fun. The more the better, on the whole, I would say. I think each game averaged 30 mins or so - it didn't outstay its welcome.

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 08 March, 2016, 12:55:51 AM
Tonight (well, Monday night) we played The Battle at Kemble's Cascade (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/154301/battle-kembles-cascade) - a boardgame which emulated side-scrolling space shoot-em-up computer games from the 16-bit era (or was it 8-bit - I never had enough money to have whatever kind of computer those things were played on).  We had to cut it short as the bar closed and at least some of us have work in the morning, but it was good while it lasted (I ended up in second place, though may have lost that position if we'd continued playing).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 08 March, 2016, 10:55:40 AM
Played Ticket to Ride last night. Simple rules and quick set up plus the fact we all enjoyed it will probably make this a family favourite. I particularly liked that even though you track the score during the game the fact there are secret bonus/deductions at the end means you're unsure of the winner right up to the wire.

As it was our first game we all basically concentrated on trying to complete our routes meaning my eldest ran away with it in the end. I can see once we get used to it much nastiness with blocking others routes.

On Wednesday I plan on finally getting a game of X-wing as we've had them so long now and not played a single game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 08 March, 2016, 11:57:29 AM
X Wing is really good but I'd advise having a quick run through of the rules and mechanics in advance - just play a quick game against yourself.
It may be worth deciding on some balanced squads in advance too, if you just want to get straight into playing (and you want to dive straight in to using extra ship expansions).
There's a handy tool available here: http://xwing-builder.co.uk/build

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 08 March, 2016, 12:07:47 PM
In the same boat, have had X Wing for a few months (even got a couple of expansions over xmas) and have only managed one game! And that was using the 'simple' rules in the first half of the book, haven't started using any of the more advanced rules yet.

After the Carcassonne evening being so enjoyable I'm hoping I can finally convince Mrs Monkey into a regular board game evening - she enjoys them but it can be tough to drag her off the couch and away from the TV on weeknights when she's knackered, Carcassonne was quick and fun enough that it's reignited her interest in them so must capitalize on that and get some X Wing in there!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 08 March, 2016, 12:35:49 PM
I've watched the Fantasy Flights guide on youtube and read the rules already. Basically everything except play the bloody game.

Oh and thanks Dark Jimbo, I think I'll get Colt Express for my B'day as most games are with the kids these days.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 08 March, 2016, 01:44:10 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 08 March, 2016, 12:35:49 PM
Oh and thanks Dark Jimbo, I think I'll get Colt Express for my B'day as most games are with the kids these days.

Aye, cheers for the info Jimbo. I'm going to assess the box on my lunchbreak with a similar plan in mind!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 14 March, 2016, 01:52:21 PM
Had a lazy weekend with the family (still not played X-wing) where we played the following...

Munchkin – Hadn't played this much before but its now a firm family favourite, though it did lead to some quite heated arguments. Was quite surprised at what sneaky bastards my kids are. (they both won a game each)

Cthulhu Dice – Totally random and lasts about 5 mins so easy to sneak a game in here and there. (evertone won at least one game)

Zombies! – Bought this years ago and only had a couple of games. Fun to start with but really dragged towards the end while everyone tries to kill as many zombies as they can or get to the chopper. I might try and tweak the rules for this to avoid the slog. (wife won)

Connect 4 – There's a reason it's a classic. Simple and kids take great glee in outsmarting an adult. (everyone won several times over)

I also found out that the wife's got me King of Tokyo for my impending birthday so look forward to trying that. Anyone played Cosmic Encounter? Seen it on VideoGaiden and have checked it out online but seems a bit pricey for something I'd only be able to play with mates when we (rarely) get the chance.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 18 March, 2016, 08:57:40 PM
I've recently got a bit addicted to the Ticket to Ride iphone app. It's a really polished and well-implemented app and is also a great way of trying out all the different maps and expansions relatively cheaply. It's also kinda refreshing to go back to the original USA map (which I don't own in board game format) after having played so many variations.

What's amazing is how quick a game is on digital - you can play a whole game start to finish in under five minutes - just goes to show how much set up and dithering/distracted/clumsy players have on the run time of a board game - we rarely have a game of physical TtR that lasts less than an hour!

The Exploding Kittens app is wonderful too. At first I was a little skeptical about how it would translate, but it works great, and as it can be played over bluetooth you can play it pretty much anywhere. We occasionally sneak in a few games in the office.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Emp on 19 March, 2016, 07:21:40 PM
Sorry apps?...I thought i read board...on that note, just replayed Red Dragon Inn. This is a seriously good game that has the unfortunate effect of leaving players who have been put out with nothing to do but disrupt play in their boredom. But i won so "YAY"
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 20 March, 2016, 02:10:53 AM
They are app versions of popular board/card games...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 21 March, 2016, 07:02:11 PM
Was surprised to see this miniature in the window at my local games shop seeing as Judge Dredd is pretty much an unknown entity outside the Stallone film here. This is a shop that caters principally for Magic the Gathering and Netrunner players. Apologies for the crappy and massive photo.

(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i160/ThirdEstateNed/Dredd_zpsxfrwdrqd.jpg)

I'm pretty sure that's a Mongoose miniature but would anyone mind confirming for me. The shopkeeper doesn't know anything about them because it's a showcase for a local artist.

Is the standard for the other sets of Dredd Mongoose miniatures as high as this one? If so I regret missing out on their BOGOF offer a while back.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 22 March, 2016, 02:25:54 PM
I don't think that is a Mongoose mini, sadly.

I know it's a bit off topic, but I'm currently seeking help with prepping the next leg of the family Dragon Warriors campaign, scheduled for Easter weekend. Bitter experience has taught me that the party will avoid any carefully scripted adventure opportunity placed before them in favour of larceny, over-elaborate schemes and paranoia, so I've restructured things as a series of small on-the-road encounters that they can take or leave.

As a final bit, I'm now trying to think of some low-level non-human opponents for populating a small abandoned mine-slash-quarry. I've exhausted Kobolds, Goblinoids and Orcs elsewhere... Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? Location is low scrubby hills edge of a coastal salt marsh, no trees to speak of, adjacent to ancient roadway of Empire in decline... Setup is repair crew (few guards and prisoner work gang) fixing washed out section of road (possible deliberate sabotage involving damming and releasing water upstream),, trying to access stockpiles of stone/gravel in abandoned Quarry, being prevented by the current occupants... Enter our reluctant heroes. Human-on-human violence discouraged, nothing too unpleasant.

My creativity is (obviously) exhausted. Help!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 22 March, 2016, 02:37:18 PM
FROGMEN!

Also, I think I have a bunch of the Dragon Warriors books languishing in a cupboard somewhere. If you will actually make use of them then you're welcome to any you don't already have.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 22 March, 2016, 02:40:41 PM
Gelatinous cubes!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 22 March, 2016, 04:41:44 PM
Lizard-men?

Ooh, or Were-toads... They seem human (if a bit clammy), but when the full-moon rises, the croaking begins...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 22 March, 2016, 05:05:58 PM
Quote from: The Cosh on 22 March, 2016, 02:37:18 PM
FROGMEN!

Leave Hawkmumbler out of this.

Many thanks for the offer Cosh, but thanks to having 5 charity shops on my daily rounds I'm well on my way to a second full set of the RPG paperbacks now.  Unless you happened to have any of the novels...?

Keep the ideas coming, folks, surprisingly inspiring to have names thrown at you.  I do have a couple of froggy minis somewhere asit happens...

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 22 March, 2016, 05:19:12 PM
This is starting to remind me of the time our characters had to hide out in a toadmen brothel, waiting for a Todorini naval officer to turn up so we could blackmail him... It was fine until we started thinking about how a toad brothel would actually work, biologically...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 22 March, 2016, 05:31:40 PM
Parp parp!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 22 March, 2016, 11:41:53 PM
Quote from: Pyroxian on 22 March, 2016, 05:19:12 PM
This is starting to remind me of the time our characters had to hide out in a toadmen brothel, waiting for a Todorini naval officer to turn up so we could blackmail him... It was fine until we started thinking about how a toad brothel would actually work, biologically...
Frogspawn all over the (knocking) shop!

I was going to say I wasn't familiar with Dragon Warriors, but a quick look at wikipedia reveals it's set in the same world as Blood Sword, of which I have the first book.

1. From the Battlepits of Krarth - a werewolf pack?
2. From a random encounter generator for Dragon Warriors (http://cobwebbedforest.co.uk/workshop/Encounters.php):3. From a Dragon Warriors Wiki (http://dragonwarriors.wikifoundry.com/page/Creatures):
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 23 March, 2016, 10:52:28 AM
Long have I wanted to read Blood Sword!   Cheers for that Sheridan - I was aware of the Cobwebbed Forest encounter geneator, but never used it. I'd forgotten all about the Pazuzu, that'd be perfect: going to make one the 'mastermind' behind the quarry situation, and give him a few frog-men (Swamp Folk in DW terms) as cowed minions. I had been waiting on a Reaper Bones Owl Bear mini, but he's been sitting in USPS depot in Chicago for 9 days now, so a Pazuzu will do fine as a lone tough and freaky boss monster. Will go well with the general paranoid air of the campaign.

Toad brothels may have to wait.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 23 March, 2016, 11:26:29 AM
I won at Munchkin last night for the first time. Kneel before Zod!

Found my old chess set and the boys want to learn so will need to crush them at teach them that at some point.

We are almost probably definitely going to play X-wing this weekend and I also need to read up on basic D&D as they want a game up and running in time for Easter hols.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 23 March, 2016, 02:07:31 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 22 March, 2016, 11:41:53 PM
Frogspawn all over the (knocking) shop!

Yeah, that was pretty much the conclusion we came to.  My character was a Lich though, so was mystified about the whole procreation thing - "You mean you don't just go to the graveyard and dig up some bodies? That's what we do..."
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 23 March, 2016, 07:14:39 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 23 March, 2016, 11:26:29 AMI won at Munchkin last night for the first time. Kneel before Zod!

Congratulations!

QuoteWe are almost probably definitely going to play X-wing this weekend and I also need to read up on basic D&D as they want a game up and running in time for Easter hols.

Hadn't seen the Basic Rules (http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules) before - I'm not au fait enough to actually DM a game (despite having played various versions of D&D since red box days (!) but shall have to go through that.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: richerthanyou on 24 March, 2016, 02:45:39 AM
My girlfriend just asked me what I want for my birthday. I said Pandemic. Never played it but I've watched a few reviews online and they all seem to say how great it is. Looking forward to playing it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 24 March, 2016, 10:08:17 AM
I bought my wife Pandemic a few weeks ago but we still have to play it. Let me know how you get on as it looks great but difficult to win.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 24 March, 2016, 10:24:15 AM
Quote from: sheridan on 23 March, 2016, 07:14:39 PM

Hadn't seen the Basic Rules (http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules) before - I'm not au fait enough to actually DM a game (despite having played various versions of D&D since red box days (!) but shall have to go through that.

Yeah my son really wants to buy the books but that's about 60 quid for a game he's never played before so this seems a good way to try it out. It was actually the guy in the shop recommended it. Its been about 20-25 years since I last DM'd  so need to brush up before I give it a go. I'm actually quite excited as the kids are a good age and even the Mrs seems 20 sided die-curious (sorry)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 24 March, 2016, 10:32:08 AM
The Starter Set is a really good introduction, only downside is that its layout is a bit weak with monster and NPC stats found at the back rather than alongside their main entries. I can see why for both but I would recommend using your phone to take pictures of stat blocks so you can see a goblin's attacks/etc without having to move from page to page every five seconds.

The starter characters are also quite cool in that they come with pre-written backstories that can link into the adventure if you go that way.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 24 March, 2016, 10:32:33 AM
There's a decent boxed starter set out for 5th Edition which might answer as a cheaper alternative than the hardbacks.  I too dithered about re-investing in D&D poroper, and opted to go with simple rules that I aleady owned (Dragon Warriors).  Now I sort-of regret it, since 5th Ed looks very nicely polished, while the back-end of DW is a bit rough, and I spend a lot of time converting stuff.

EDIT: beaten to it!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 24 March, 2016, 11:24:08 AM
Quote from: Theblazeuk on 24 March, 2016, 10:32:08 AM
The Starter Set is a really good introduction, only downside is that its layout is a bit weak with monster and NPC stats found at the back rather than alongside their main entries. I can see why for both but I would recommend using your phone to take pictures of stat blocks so you can see a goblin's attacks/etc without having to move from page to page every five seconds.

I tend to just write up a crib document for any adventures I run, that has a page for each encounter with monster stats / encounter details copy and pasted into it, and space for notes, tracking monster HP etc. Makes it easy to go through at the end and work out what the players did / how much XP they got and what treasure they found.

I once even wrote a spread-sheet to track a troll encounter once, as it was the easiest way to remember to do all the regeneration :)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 24 March, 2016, 11:34:39 AM
Yup, encounter crib-sheets are the way to go.  I also do a sheet for each PC setting out what they can do each turn - how far they can move, weapon ranges, spell effects etc, and then keep a copy myself. That's all you really need on front you at any one time, eliminates flicking and poring.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 24 March, 2016, 11:56:02 AM
Some great tips there guys, cheers. Looks like the works photocopier is gonna be busy  :D
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 31 March, 2016, 10:40:13 AM
Played Pandemic for the first time last night and we all lost but it was still great fun. The kids loved the co-op aspect of it and it was good to see them reacting to the various outbreaks and coming up with their plans. We played it at its easiest level and it was genuinely quite tense & exciting . The rules are very straight forward and seem to have been very well thought out. Cracking stuff.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 31 March, 2016, 03:09:12 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 31 March, 2016, 10:40:13 AM
Played Pandemic for the first time last night and we all lost but it was still great fun. The kids loved the co-op aspect of it and it was good to see them reacting to the various outbreaks and coming up with their plans. We played it at its easiest level and it was genuinely quite tense & exciting . The rules are very straight forward and seem to have been very well thought out. Cracking stuff.

If anything I prefer the games that see humanity wiped out! I love the tension of that turn where you can feel that everything hangs in the balance - you're either about to start gradually pulling things together or totally lose control of the situation.

I don't know if they came up in your first game, but it's the chain reactions that are the real killer - when a city that already has three cubes has to be re-infected, the disease spreads to every connecting city instead; and if any of those cities are already at three cubes, the same happens again... You can lose the game in a single turn!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 31 March, 2016, 03:33:34 PM
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 31 March, 2016, 03:09:12 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 31 March, 2016, 10:40:13 AM
Played Pandemic for the first time last night and we all lost but it was still great fun. The kids loved the co-op aspect of it and it was good to see them reacting to the various outbreaks and coming up with their plans. We played it at its easiest level and it was genuinely quite tense & exciting . The rules are very straight forward and seem to have been very well thought out. Cracking stuff.

If anything I prefer the games that see humanity wiped out! I love the tension of that turn where you can feel that everything hangs in the balance - you're either about to start gradually pulling things together or totally lose control of the situation.

I don't know if they came up in your first game, but it's the chain reactions that are the real killer - when a city that already has three cubes has to be re-infected, the disease spreads to every connecting city instead; and if any of those cities are already at three cubes, the same happens again... You can lose the game in a single turn!

We're playing Pandemic Legacy at the moment, which is even more tense, as outbreaks increase the panic level of a city, which persists between games (so you end up with cities becoming no-go areas due to rioting etc.)...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 31 March, 2016, 03:37:27 PM
Quote from: Pyroxian on 31 March, 2016, 03:33:34 PM
We're playing Pandemic Legacy at the moment, which is even more tense, as outbreaks increase the panic level of a city, which persists between games (so you end up with cities becoming no-go areas due to rioting etc.)...

I can't wait to give Legacy a go..! It sounds brilliant.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 31 March, 2016, 03:47:55 PM
Yeah we ended up with a chain reaction near the end of game which was v funny/tense. I just cant get over how simple it all was to play and yet really involving. We all loved it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 04 April, 2016, 02:19:57 PM
I was thinking a Slaine version of the Talisman game might work. It's got the right set up for world that could be divided into four inner worlds under the surface.....

If your interested, I have more to share.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 07 April, 2016, 09:59:27 AM
Well we all won our first game of Pandemic last night and it was very exciting with one card left before it was game over.

Mrs is away this weekend so Im deffo gonna get a game of X-wing with the boys, then learn how to play Ghostbusters in preperation for next weeks games night.

Still not ready for D&D just yet despite the kids daily reminders :lol: and my eldest just bought the monster manual with his B'day cash. Honestly who doesnt like a good monster manual and this ones great  with loads of descriptions, stats and every creature has a lovely colour illustration.

and the Mrs wants to get back into Space Hulk

and I just got King of Tokyo for my B'day.

Might have to start up a second family games night  :P
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 07 April, 2016, 10:27:30 AM
I've arranged a game of Space Hulk on Saturday and am only just sitting down to read the rules now, I predict it will get messy! Going to watch some videos beforehand, that usually helps.

Depending how much time that takes am hoping to squeeze in some Assassinorum Execution Force as well as I've only had that out a couple of times.

Still haven't beaten a game of Pandemic, although we got a lot closer on 2nd try. We maybe got a bit cocky because things were going so damn well and we had it all in hand and then it fell apart very, very fast!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 07 April, 2016, 11:31:30 AM
We were extremely lucky with the characters we drew at the start and as I said it was so close to game over when we won.

At the moment with Space Hulk we are still playing the first map with no timer to get everyone upto speed with the rules but as soon as thats won and we move onto the next map then the gloves are off.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 07 April, 2016, 12:55:40 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 07 April, 2016, 09:59:27 AM
Still not ready for D&D just yet despite the kids daily reminders :lol: and my eldest just bought the monster manual with his B'day cash. Honestly who doesnt like a good monster manual and this ones great  with loads of descriptions, stats and every creature has a lovely colour illustration.
Apologies if you mentioned this upthread - I presume you have the Players Handbook and Dungeon Masters Guide already?  PH is absolutely essential, it's probably a matter of personal preference which is most important out of DMG and MM.  Are you playing 3.5 or 5th ed?  (Apparently there was a version in between, but we don't talk about that!)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 07 April, 2016, 01:19:35 PM
We have the basic boxed set (basic rules for players & DMing, dice and a starter adventure) but the boy was desperate for the MM as he likes that kind of thing. If all goes well with the starter set then I'll buy the other books as well.

Its the 5th edition BTW.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 07 April, 2016, 03:57:44 PM
I'm not even playing D&D and I want that MM - it's gorgeous! 

Our Easter Dragon Warriors sessions went well, with the party still refusing to do anything their GM mighy want them to, but at least I expect this now: looks like I'm running a sandbox campaign after all.  Diverging from my carefully laid trail of breadcrumbs they dismissed their intended patron and the two NPC allies they had previously been working with, instead befriending the local brute squad who were busy oppressing the rural proleteriat, avoided a bear (wise), dispatched an angry carrion crawler in an exciting ruck, looted a pile of corpses (picking up a cursed necklace in the process - as yet unrevealed!), and finally, finally headed for the entrance of my lovingly stocked mini-dungeon (the one with the Pazuzu as mini-boss).  I was particularly impressed with secret-princess-in-exile Celestia (my 6 year old) who did some terrific in-character roleplaying and wilderness problem solving.

The pestering for more is relentless: next session is scheduled for Saturday, and I'm really looking forward to it. 
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 08 April, 2016, 02:13:59 AM
I wanted to get the new Warhammer-Fantasy books as I found them on the shelves of the new gaming/book store before they shifted along the street probably about a month & a fortnight ago & didn't find any of books...exactly.

Yet, I did pick up Warhammer 40k - Death-Watch & 5th Edition - Players Guide for Dungeons & Dragons. Pretty damn pricey at about 60 dollars AUD each.

Not that I expect to be playing any of these games. I still like to flip through them to read random paragraphs & admire the new art-work. Which is a dramatic change from the art of the very first monster manuals. Just saying so, because the book usually has a lot of art in it!

 
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 08 April, 2016, 12:55:35 PM
Quote from: ThryllSeekyr on 08 April, 2016, 02:13:59 AM
Not that I expect to be playing any of these games. I still like to flip through them to read random paragraphs & admire the new art-work. Which is a dramatic change from the art of the very first monster manuals. Just saying so, because the book usually has a lot of art in it!
You can play by forum (not unlike this forum).   rpggeek.com and probably rpg.net have such forums.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: ThryllSeekyr on 10 April, 2016, 12:49:49 PM
Anybody interested in starting the Official 2000AD Online R.P.G. Club .....

I would suggest, something light....to start with. I don't think I would be the best choice for Dungeon/Game-Master/Story-Teller either.


Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: richerthanyou on 11 April, 2016, 01:49:47 AM
Quote from: ThryllSeekyr on 10 April, 2016, 12:49:49 PM
Anybody interested in starting the Official 2000AD Online R.P.G. Club .....

I would suggest, something light....to start with. I don't think I would be the best choice for Dungeon/Game-Master/Story-Teller either.

Sounds interesting
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 11 April, 2016, 12:47:13 PM
Quote from: richerthanyou on 11 April, 2016, 01:49:47 AM
Quote from: ThryllSeekyr on 10 April, 2016, 12:49:49 PM
Anybody interested in starting the Official 2000AD Online R.P.G. Club .....

I would suggest, something light....to start with. I don't think I would be the best choice for Dungeon/Game-Master/Story-Teller either.

Sounds interesting
But will we be doing JD RPG from Games Workshop, the D20 based one or the Traveller based one?  There's also Strontium Dog and Slaine games out there...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 11 April, 2016, 04:56:40 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 11 April, 2016, 12:47:13 PM
Quote from: ThryllSeekyr on 10 April, 2016, 12:49:49 PM
Anybody interested in starting the Official 2000AD Online R.P.G. Club .....
There's also... Slaine games out there...

Now you've done it!  :o

In the imminent face of impossibly long, rambling posts about the Slaine RPG, might this not be a good time to split all the RPG posts off into a seperate thread, and keep this one just for board games?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 11 April, 2016, 06:12:46 PM
Quote from: Dark Jimbo on 11 April, 2016, 04:56:40 PM
Now you've done it!  :o

In the imminent face of impossibly long, rambling posts about the Slaine RPG, might this not be a good time to split all the RPG posts off into a seperate thread, and keep this one just for board games?
Good point - here's a brand, sparkly new thread (http://forums.2000adonline.com/index.php?topic=43226).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 13 April, 2016, 06:12:44 PM
Had our first game of Dead of Winter last night.

Initial thoughts were that it's by far the most complicated game I've ever played (it had that frustrating stop-start rhythm of having to check the rulebook every two or three minutes, often just throwing my hands up due to failing to understand some mystifying rule) and also that it's almost impossibly hard to win (we lost after three out of five rounds).

Checking the rules and some FAQs again this morning, it turns out we totally misunderstood a few key rules, and in doing so made it impossibly hard for ourselves. Oops!

It was certainly interesting though, and I'm looking forward to playing it again. I just wish it was slightly simpler - it is totally overwhelming at first, to the point where I expect it'd be way beyond the patience of the average player.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 13 April, 2016, 09:41:06 PM
Stick with it; it's a wonderful game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 14 April, 2016, 12:07:21 AM
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 13 April, 2016, 09:41:06 PM
Stick with it; it's a wonderful game.

Yeah, I'm very keen to give it another go. As I've been reading up today I have realised that not only did we accidentally play 'hardcore mode' (so every location started with three zombies instead of the usual one), we also did not allocate extra action dice for additional characters, and mistakenly thought we had to contribute crisis items equal to the number of survivors rather than players....

Needless to say it all unravelled extremely quickly.  :lol: Sadly, the more interesting aspects of play - the betrayals, the scheming etc did not really get a look in as we were so overwhelmed just trying to survive until the next round!

It's really fun but is a hell of a lot to take in - one of those games that I suspect you really need to play with someone who has played before so they can guide you through it...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 18 April, 2016, 02:50:28 PM
Played a few games of Coup at the weekend for the first time, mainly because it was small so we could stick it in a pocket. Really enjoyed it, particularly liked that everyone got the rules very quickly and that it was so fast to set up fresh games so everyone was up for playing over and over again. There's definitely something to be said for games you can pull out and be playing almost immediately. Everyone just bluffed they had a duke eventually though, that seems to be the fastest way to get some coins and start getting your Coup on.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 18 April, 2016, 03:11:15 PM
With a larger player count it's often better to be the ambassador early on to get a feel for what cards are left in the deck.
Title: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 18 April, 2016, 05:02:11 PM
What makes Coup so great is that its very quick to pick up, and at first almost seems a little too simplistic, but the more you play the more strategies open up.

I like to always take one coin, even if i have a duke, and then lure other players into challenging me when i draw 3 coins later on. Its also fun to lay low and NOT attack or build up a huge cash reserve - that way you are not making yourself a target, and can wait until people start attacking each other then swoop in and pick off the survivors without fear of retaliation.

You should also encourage everyone playing to make pacts and alliances. It can make for a really interesting game (and vastly increase potential for backstabbing) and is all within the rules so long as no coins change hands.

Also remember that you can always challenge other player's moves, even when its not your turn - this can really throw a spanner in the works because hardly anyone ever does it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 22 April, 2016, 01:34:51 PM
Never even occurred to me that the Ambassador could use their peeks at the deck to get a feel for what people have! Will need to try that next time. Mrs Monkey was very much in the 'take one coin' and keep a low profile camp, and did really well.

The portability of it is super handy, when you're heading to a friend's and unsure if you should take a game along it's something you can throw in a coat pocket as an afterthought (as I've done today).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 22 April, 2016, 02:23:55 PM
My friend recently wanted to get into boardgames and asked for recommendations. I haven't played any for years, but I said Carcassonne seems to be a popular classic - she's just got it through the post but texted me to say "it says ages 7+ - is this a kid's game?" I said I know plenty of adults who play it, but then again they read comics and buy dolls too so that may not mean much  ;)

Is it too simplistic for an adult, non-geeky novice gamer? Any tips about first playthrough? We're going out tomorrow, so may try a post-pub (or Sunday hangover) game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 22 April, 2016, 05:11:19 PM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 22 April, 2016, 02:23:55 PM
Is it too simplistic for an adult, non-geeky novice gamer? Any tips about first playthrough? We're going out tomorrow, so may try a post-pub (or Sunday hangover) game.

No not really - it just means that the basic rules are understandable to a seven year old - the strategies can get a lot more complex. Look at chess, that can be learnt and played by a five-year old (or earlier), but they're not going to be able to take on an experienced player until they're much older.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 22 April, 2016, 09:03:43 PM
What he said. It's deceptively simple - easy to pick up but there is enough depth to allow for multiple strategies. You can also stack on complexity by adding one or more expansions, some of which make the game much more competitive and brutal. Everyone I've played it with loves it, and many have bought their own copies. Don't be fooled by the twee presentation and artwork - it's a seriously good game.

QuoteAny tips about first playthrough?

Just play the base game and don't use farmers, the river or the abbot. It is honestly very simple and immediate to pick up - on your turn, you draw a random tile, then play it.

QuoteThe portability of it is super handy, when you're heading to a friend's and unsure if you should take a game along it's something you can throw in a coat pocket as an afterthought (as I've done today).

Yep, Coup and Exploding Kittens are my go-to last-minute pocket games. Love Letter is another good one, as is Skull.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Modern Panther on 02 May, 2016, 08:22:43 PM
Been playing Zombicide, which was a Xmas gift from Mrs Panther.  It's ideal to play together, especially since she's not big on gaming.  It's simple to pick up, and you can make an evening of it, enjoy it with a few beers, and its cooperative, so no falling out when she crushes me.(although when I explained it was a co-op game, her response was "whats the point in playing if I can't beat you".)

Plus, it looks lovely.

(https://modernpanther.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/wp-1462216379227.jpg)

(https://modernpanther.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/wp-1462216336668.jpg)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 03 May, 2016, 04:37:59 PM
Have only had Zombicide out 3 or 4 times so far, but it is great fun (we have struggled to beat the first proper mission though if I'm honest). Mine isn't painted yet!

This week a pal at work found the 1982 Judge Dredd board game by Games Workshop in his attic and offered to swap me it for a packet of bourbon creams, so that's a stroke of luck.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: SIP on 03 May, 2016, 05:11:56 PM
Zombicide is a tough game,  that first mission especially so. 

Coincidentally we were also playing it yesterday and we tried the game without using the escalating threat levels. That made it too easy as we were still levelling up our characters.

So, next try we will skip the escalating threat level AND the character levelling up to see if that improves the playability of the game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 08 May, 2016, 10:34:19 PM
I got the chance to play Dead of Winter again last week - this time having a much better handle on rules.

Predictably, it went far better this time around. Loved it. It's a slow burn of a game, but by the third round or so we were all really into it - the whole table erupted in cheers at one lucky dice roll - not often that happens!

I also picked up Dixit on a whim the other day, we played it the other night and it went down like gangbusters, despite there only being three of of us playing. Can't wait to play it with a larger group.

Also finally got the play a game of Catan. It was fun but I'd have to play it a few more times to see if I really like it or not. Unfortunately we had a real bottleneck where no one could generate any wool for most of the game and every other resource was in plentiful supply, so that didn't really lend itself to dynamic or exciting gameplay, and because wool is needed to buy development cards, we couldn't really play that way either. But like I say, perhaps we'll fare better next time. I get the sense that Catan is a bit a of a divisive game, is that fair to say?

One thing that I couldn't seem to find confirmation of either way in the Catan rules was whether or not the initial two settlements each player plays before the game begins count as points or not? Anyone know?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 08 May, 2016, 10:58:22 PM
Quote from: radiator on 08 May, 2016, 10:34:19 PMOne thing that I couldn't seem to find confirmation of either way in the Catan rules was whether or not the initial two settlements each player plays before the game begins count as points or not? Anyone know?

Yes, they do.

I
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 08 May, 2016, 11:02:57 PM
The initial two settlements count as points, yes. Otherwise you'd only get 1 point when you built a city on them and it'd be a waste o' time.

I really enjoy Catan but times of plenty are more interesting than times of scarcity. The way you get around the lack of one resource is to trade with the bank - in which case the ports become the main contested space. You can trade 4 with the bank at any time but ports let you bring it down to 3 or trade 2 of one resource for anything. I find a big issue is when people are unwilling to just MOVE ON and keep rolling though, bogs things down massively.

I don't think Catan is any more divisive than any other game, people just get ratty sometimes when someone keeps hitting them with the robber or so on. Depends how people are with competitiveness .
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 08 May, 2016, 11:33:49 PM
I think the frustrating thing we found is the catch 22 we kept finding ourselves in.

By the time you amass enough resources to have 4 of a single type, some bugger rolls a 7 and you have to lose half of your cards.

I tried to build a port city, but couldn't do so until I had a wool, but had no means of getting any.

So yeah, for a lot of the game we had no other recourse but to just keep rolling the dice.. It can feel a little tedious compared to a game like, say Machi Koro, where you can almost always make a move that will advance you in some way, and never have to sit twiddling your thumbs.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 08 May, 2016, 11:35:47 PM
QuoteI don't think Catan is any more divisive than any other game, people just get ratty sometimes when someone keeps hitting them with the robber or so on. Depends how people are with competitiveness

I've just heard from various podcasts and reviews and things that some people seem to think its a bit overrated, and has been far surpassed by other 'gateway' type games that handle similar elements more elegantly.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Michael Knight on 18 May, 2016, 08:02:38 PM
Anyone still have fond memories of MB's Space Crusade or Hero quest?
Introduced me to worlds of Games workshop. Loved them both!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: SIP on 18 May, 2016, 08:10:53 PM
Still playing both of them,  more so heroquest which is just great.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 23 May, 2016, 06:02:55 PM
Any recomendations for family card games? Looking for something for us to play on a long train journey so trying to steer clear of dice  :lol:

Already have Love Letter and have my eye on Fluxx at the moment.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 23 May, 2016, 06:09:49 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 23 May, 2016, 06:02:55 PM
Any recomendations for family card games? Looking for something for us to play on a long train journey so trying to steer clear of dice  :lol:

Already have Love Letter and have my eye on Fluxx at the moment.

Exploding Kittens is a winner with all ages - it's essentially Uno meets Russian Roulette.

Coup is fantastic - if your kids can get their heads around Love Letter they should have no problem with it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 23 May, 2016, 06:44:46 PM
Fluxx is great fun. Some of the themed varieties are slightly simplified (Monster Fluxx for example, is what we tend to play), which might work better for families, but you will need a table or surface that you can all see the 'rule' cards.

We're currently entranced  by Tiny Epic Kingdoms, which fits in an A6-sized box and does exactly what it says on the tin - a sort of micro version of Civilisation or Catan complete with all the major fantasy races (13 of them), invasions, resource  gathering, 'tech' trees, alliances and betrayals, but all done and dusted in 30-45 minutes with a brilliant core mechanic ensuring everyone doing something on every turn, and all played out in about a square foot with no dice rolling. Terrific fun, I'm seriously contemplating the expansion already. Says 14+ on the box but we picked up the rules in about 5 minutes and my 10yr old is a master already.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 23 May, 2016, 09:11:11 PM
Quote from: radiator on 23 May, 2016, 06:09:49 PM

Exploding Kittens is a winner with all ages - it's essentially Uno meets Russian Roulette.


I know nothing about this, but there's no way this isn't great right?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 23 May, 2016, 09:38:13 PM
Quote from: Colin_YNWA on 23 May, 2016, 09:11:11 PM
Quote from: radiator on 23 May, 2016, 06:09:49 PM

Exploding Kittens is a winner with all ages - it's essentially Uno meets Russian Roulette.


I know nothing about this, but there's no way this isn't great right?

It's really fun, and has been the main driving force that has allowed me to slowly convert everyone I know to regularly playing board and card games this last year or so. It's also very compact, meaning you can play it just about anywhere. Great pub game.

Even if you've never heard of the game you'll almost certainly be familiar, on some level with The Oatmeal - the cartoonist behind the art on the cards.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 24 May, 2016, 11:56:45 AM
Well youve sold me on Exploding Kittens so I'll pick that one up and wife suggested getting 2 so I'm thinking Star Fluxx.

Tordels, I watched a review of Tiny Epic Kingdoms last night which said each race had it's own dice (looked like 8D's) so is that wrong?  We always book a table for long train journies so space shouldnt be an issue but I can't be arsed with chasing dice about a carraige. It did look very interesting though.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 24 May, 2016, 12:05:27 PM
The dice isn't rolled, so you shouldn't need to chase it. It's used in war for each player to indicate how many resources they are willing to commit to the conflict in secret.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 24 May, 2016, 02:09:08 PM
ordered exploding kittens to take on holiday based on recommendations above - sounds fun! Anyone tried the NSFW version?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 24 May, 2016, 03:09:16 PM
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 24 May, 2016, 12:05:27 PM
The dice isn't rolled, so you shouldn't need to chase it. It's used in war for each player to indicate how many resources they are willing to commit to the conflict in secret.

Thanks as that wasnt made clear in review I watched, this just makes my decision tougher now as I REALLY liked the look of it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 24 May, 2016, 04:06:25 PM
Quote from: Timothyjacobs on 24 May, 2016, 12:05:27 PM
The dice isn't rolled, so you shouldn't need to chase it. It's used in war for each player to indicate how many resources they are willing to commit to the conflict in secret.

Precisely. You set the dice (D12) to the desired value (or a surrender flag) behind your hand and then reveal it - it's a kind of bluffing minigame (although most races should avoid war at all costs - it'll ruin you). A scrap of paper would work just as well, but there definitely isn't any rolling. The only randomness is in initially drawing your home Territory and possibly your Race.

Damnit, I want to play it again right now. I have some new strategies in mind... Must. Defeat. Boy.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 24 May, 2016, 06:23:29 PM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 24 May, 2016, 02:09:08 PM
ordered exploding kittens to take on holiday based on recommendations above - sounds fun! Anyone tried the NSFW version?

I have the Kickstarter edition of both versions (the Kickstarter-exclusive version has a concealed sound chip which makes a loud 'meow' every time the box is opened!). What's nice is two decks (both original and/or NSFW) can be combined to play with up to 8 players (5 being the limit with a single deck), and both decks also fit into the original box.

As for being 'NSFW', I would say it's fairly tame. One card has the word 'motherfucker' on it, and I'd have to check but IIRC there's nothing else that would be too offensive or vulgar for kids - mostly it's fairly mild potty humour type stuff. Have a look at The Oatmeal's website to get an idea of the kind of humour - Cards Against Humanity this ain't.

There is also an iOS and Android Exploding Kittens app available which is fantastic and plays like a boiled-down version of the card game. It works using bluetooth so you don't need a wifi connection to play with friends, and the sound effects really add another dimension to the game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 24 May, 2016, 06:29:29 PM
QuoteAs for being 'NSFW', I would say it's fairly tame. One card has the word 'motherfucker' on it, and I'd have to check but IIRC there's nothing else that would be too offensive or vulgar for kids - mostly it's fairly mild potty humour type stuff. Have a look at The Oatmeal's website to get an idea of the kind of humour - Cards Against Humanity this ain't.

Actually, scratch that - thinking about it there are a few slightly salty cards that might be a little much for younger kids. Think a 12A certificate movie in terms of language/filth.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 27 May, 2016, 06:05:49 PM
Another card game I'm hearing fantastic things about is Arboretum, but it's rare as rocking horse shit at the moment.

I've managed to source a copy from France as I'm desperate to get it for an upcoming road trip. Hope it turns up!

I'm looking into getting a few extra 2 player games for aforementioned road trip.

Problem is that my girlfriend is extremely fussy about games - she can be totally put off even giving something a chance if she deems the theme or packaging unappealing (I think Arboretum should be a winner is this respect), and in terms of gameplay, the simpler and easier to pick up the better. It's always a struggle to find some common ground between the types of games she likes, like Guess Who, Battleship and Connect 4 (which I find a bit banal and tedious), and the types of games I like, which she often finds boring or overly complex... ::)).

I'm currently mulling over Kahuna, Battle Line, 7 Wonders: Duel, Odin's Ravens and The Rose King (veering towards Rose King due to its similarities to Chess, which she likes).

As ever, I'm open to recommendations. I already have Patchwork, which she doesn't like, and Jaipur, which she won't give the time of day.  >:(
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Modern Panther on 06 June, 2016, 07:34:29 PM
Planning to play the fourth mission of Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective tonight.  It's an excellent game which just eats up the hours.  Its works like a "choose your own adventure" game book, but rather than being given specific choices about where you can go or who you can speak to, you're just given a map of London and an address directory.  You decide where you want to go and look up the relevant numbered paragraph in a gamebook, gaining new information as you go.

First time we played it, I reckoned it would take about an hour.  Three hours later I was pacing the floor, making lists of suspects and coming up with motives.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 06 June, 2016, 11:19:55 PM
Wow, I'd no idea Consulting Detective was still around! Played two games when I was a kid ( early 80s?) and we couldn't make head nor tail of it. I think we all refused to play it again, much to the horror of the friend who'd splashed out a small fortune on it. Love to try it again now!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Modern Panther on 07 June, 2016, 08:32:09 AM
I think it was reprinted in English last year, and apparently the company are planning to publish some expansion stories later this year.  (They're already out in German). 
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 07 June, 2016, 04:48:26 PM
Bought Star-Fluxx and Star Realms for train journies. Played a few games of Fluxx and its a good laugh.

Played a game of Jamaica at the weekend. A much more traditional (for want of a better word) game than we usually play. We all really enjoyed it as it's our first racing style game. The whole pirate theme works really well and it went down a storm. I know its sad but the way it all fits in the box is just fantastic, almost a puzzle in itself. I lost as per usual 

Next up is Shadows Over Camelot which looks quite complex for the kids but we'll give it a bash and I'm looking forward to the traitor mechanic.

Mrs has her eye on Lords of Waterdeep which again looks a bit complicated for the kids but I might just buy it as a wee surprise next pay day.

Still havent got round to X-wing or Ghostbusters
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 15 June, 2016, 01:10:07 PM
Played first game of Star Realms last night with the Mrs and lost. Never played a deck building game before and quite enjoyed it, though there does seem to be a lot of different stratagies to take what with attack, defend, heal, pairing up units and then all the bonus actions you can get.

Downloaded it for my phone and will now secretly practice to and from work until REVENGE!  :lol:
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 15 June, 2016, 07:45:45 PM
They sound good, Satanist.

Child friendly? I am going to London and back by train with the family in July.

And, also, had a great little game of Talisman with the boys on Sunday. Except I died.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 15 June, 2016, 09:19:53 PM
Played our first game of Arboretum the other night - the scoring feels slightly overcomplicated but other than that it went down really well. Even the girlfriend liked it - success! I know the look of a game shouldn't matter, but the fact that this one is so undeniably attractive-looking seems to really draw people in.

The only downside is that, for a card game, it needs quite a bit of table space, so probably not a great one for camping or the train.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 16 June, 2016, 11:13:29 AM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 15 June, 2016, 07:45:45 PM
They sound good, Satanist.

Child friendly? I am going to London and back by train with the family in July.

And, also, had a great little game of Talisman with the boys on Sunday. Except I died.

Star Realms can get quite complex with a lot of stratagy so would say about 10 upwards bare minimum though havent tried it with the kids yet. Though it has rules for extra players I think its mainly a 2 player.

Star Fluxx is great fun and has loads of geeky refs to Dr Who, Star Wars/Trek etc.

Do you have Love Letter? I've got the Batman version and its good, simple and quick. Takes up no space at all.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 23 June, 2016, 12:46:20 PM
I was given the game Cosmic Encounter for fathers day (and a bag of jelly babies).

Had our first game last night and boy is this a game designed to make children cry and adults fall out. You all have 5 home planets and they have 4 ships each. The aim of the game is to form 5 colonies on any other players planets, you achieve this by invading and/or negotiating.

The real selling point is that there are 50 different alien races and each of them has a special power that breaks the games rules.

I would say though that you don't get a lot of game for your £40 so probs a bit over priced but if you play board games a lot and with all the possible different alien combos no game should be the same.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 23 June, 2016, 02:23:04 PM
Wow, that's another real golden oldie!

Got Love Letter last week, great fast paced fun with 3+ but the 2 player option is so dull as to be worthless.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 19 July, 2016, 03:18:58 PM
Have never done a board game kickstarter but backed this - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/evildead2/evil-dead-2-the-official-board-game (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/evildead2/evil-dead-2-the-official-board-game)

- and the campaign seems to be going pretty good, really liking the look of it.

Worst case scenario the board game isn't a classic, but the words Evil Dead pretty much secured my purchase anyway if I'm honest.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 19 July, 2016, 04:31:50 PM
I got Betrayal at House on Haunted Hill for my birthday.

My wife looks so excited by it. I'm intrigued but I remember what happens when we try to play Arkham Horror...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 19 July, 2016, 04:53:58 PM
Oh let me know how you get on with Betrayal at House on Haunted Hill as I've had my eye on it for ages but we mostly play with the kids so was unsure how they would get on with the rules.

Played Shadows over Camelot a few times without a traitor just to get used to it and because I thought the kids would be a bit obvious. Added in traitor card and my eldest basically turned myself and the wife against each other before getting us all killed. I was actually quite proud of how sneaky he was  :lol:

I've also just backed my first kickstarter with the board game Massive Darkness

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/coolminiornot/massive-darkness

It looks to me like a modern take on Heroquest except with a crazy amount of figures and you get to use the shadows to your advantage. Hope its good.

Though now I see that Evil Dead 2 one I worry for my wallet, Hnnngh! Can I call it my Xmas pressie?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 28 July, 2016, 01:51:55 PM
The Mrs had her eye on Lords of Waterdeep for a good while now so I surprised her with it at pay day, I'm nice like that.

Set in the D&D realm you are all Lords vying for power and control of the city by buying buildings and sending folk off to complete quests, all while trying to ruin the other Lords plans.

TBH I dont think we referred to the adventurers with their correct names once as they are represented by colour cubes. So instead of "I need 3 clerics and a wizard" you say I need "3 purple and a white".

Despite that the game is very good and easy to pick up despite having lots and lots of pieces in the box. So good in fact I may suggest we play again tonight.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 28 July, 2016, 02:40:36 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 28 July, 2016, 01:51:55 PM
"I need 3 clerics and a wizard"

Actually that would be a fun party. 3 life supports to the glass cannon.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 29 July, 2016, 02:14:57 PM
I keep saying I'm going to stop buying board games, but they keep pulling me back in - http://www.polygon.com/2016/7/28/12315150/doom-the-board-game (http://www.polygon.com/2016/7/28/12315150/doom-the-board-game)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 29 July, 2016, 02:19:09 PM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 29 July, 2016, 02:14:57 PM
I keep saying I'm going to stop buying board games, but they keep pulling me back in - http://www.polygon.com/2016/7/28/12315150/doom-the-board-game (http://www.polygon.com/2016/7/28/12315150/doom-the-board-game)
BFG = Board Fucking Game!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 29 July, 2016, 02:59:50 PM
Hmm looks a bit similar to Space Hulk for my money but then again DOOM!

Oh and I won at Lords of Waterdeep last night just pipping my eldest at the end by one victory point. Not just because I won I now declare this game as fantastic.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 29 July, 2016, 03:15:44 PM
Played a couple of fun ones last weekend.

Caminos (https://www.braendi-shop.ch/de/chf/A~SB.A07-01), which is basically real life Tetris. You play two vs two and try to make a line across the board in your colour. Quick, frustrating and fun. Particularly when your opponents have all the three-dimensional spatial awareness of Khan Nunian Singh.

Brändi Dog (https://www.braendi-shop.ch/de/chf/A~SB.A01-01) has the basic setup of something like Ludo. The idea is simply to travel around the board and get all your little marbles into your house. Again, it's partly co-operative. You play two vs two and draw cards to move. It quickly becomes a bit strategic as the game is only over when one pair of players have finished. Enormously satisfying when you manage to screw over your hapless opponents.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: futureimperfect on 01 August, 2016, 06:26:51 AM
Just saw a play through on YouTube of the Thunderbirds Co-op board game!

Can't wait til Christmas day now :D
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 01 August, 2016, 10:21:44 AM
Quote from: Satanist on 29 July, 2016, 02:59:50 PM
Hmm looks a bit similar to Space Hulk for my money but then again DOOM!

From what I recall, it's more like Descent / Imperial Assault. Was good fun when I played it though.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 01 August, 2016, 07:01:30 PM
Any suggestions for an 11 and 9 year old?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 01 August, 2016, 10:19:13 PM
Forbidden Island! And I say this with the authority of one who just spent a chunk of a wet Bank Holiday Monday in a caravan playing it with a 9 and 10 year old. They got seriously into it, wailing every time the waters rose, crying to the heavens as each critical location was submerged, and scheming incessantly how to get from A to B. It was a blast, even if no-one was old enough to appreciate my 'get to da choppa' bon mots.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 01 August, 2016, 11:06:32 PM
Sold! Forbidden Island and the latest Talisman expansion, Cataclysm, have stolen away £50 of my groats.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 07 August, 2016, 12:06:48 PM
Just played a couple of hours of Forbidden Island. Great fun for the kids, and the wife even joined in!

Nice to have a collaborative game for a change.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 10 August, 2016, 01:40:51 PM
Family has been down south the last week and I've just heard they were in a shop (Orcs Nest) in London and have bought a few games.

Coincidently Forbidden Island is what my youngest has bought so looking forward to that.

Oldest bought X-Com which sounds interesting and the Mrs got Star Trek Catan which looks awesome fun.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 10 August, 2016, 01:52:53 PM
That Evil Dead 2 kickstarter seemed to go extremely well, funded to the extreme - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/evildead2/evil-dead-2-the-official-board-game/description (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/evildead2/evil-dead-2-the-official-board-game/description)

Haven't kickstarted much in the past (only one videogame), and it was nice that as it blasted past stretch goals more and more was being added to it. Very much looking forward to a big box of Evil Dead goodness arriving at some point in the (probably quite distant) future.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Link Prime on 12 August, 2016, 09:50:13 AM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 10 August, 2016, 01:52:53 PM
Haven't kickstarted much in the past (only one videogame), and it was nice that as it blasted past stretch goals more and more was being added to it.

Visage?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 12 August, 2016, 04:52:00 PM
Hadn't actually heard of Visage, looks cool though! It was Broken Age I backed, which reminds me I still haven't played the second half of that game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 15 August, 2016, 06:38:43 PM
We've been playing a bit of Telestrations recently. It's a fun, simple mashup of Telephone and a faster-paced, far less-boring Pictionary where each person draws a word or phrase, then the next person guesses what the phrase is from the drawing, then the next person draws their guess.... and so on until the pads make their way around the table and back to the original clue-givers, when the drawings/clues are revealed.

It's obviously very light and not much of a 'game' as it's far funnier and more entertaining when clues get hilariously misconstrued and often end up in very weird places.

But yeah, really good fun - recommended if you want an alternative to Cards Against Humanity or Monikers. We were playing the After Dark (adult) version, but the original game is family-friendly.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 16 August, 2016, 10:22:33 AM
Sounds like it could be a good laugh in the right company. We had a post-pub game of Superfight the other night which caused much hilarity. It's a bit Cards Against Humanity-ish, where you play a character card and an attribute card from your hand to create a fighter, then have a second attribute forced on you from the deck, then have to argue your case about how your fighter would beat your opponent's fighter. Then everyone votes for the winner and you keep going round winner stays on style.

We really had fun with it, even if once someone drew the combo 'Hulk + Breathes Fire + There's A Hundred Of Him' it got a bit impossible to beat.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Modern Panther on 19 August, 2016, 07:19:18 PM
Do any of you chaps know how Pandemic Legacy might play with two players?  I'd like to give it a go, but it'll likely just be me and Mrs Panther.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 22 August, 2016, 12:37:22 PM
Played Betrayal at the House on the Hill last night and lo, it was good. A bit hard to explain to my players who always, always struggle with various concepts. If they aren't insisting on rolling dice to move around a board a la Monopoly, they are bemoaning the double-edged sword of most item pickups in this kind of game (e.g. the double-edged sword). I can't be the only one who starts to get worn thin after the 100th "Just read what it says and do it, there is no why, why is because it says to do it" but must admit that this seemingly complex game was actually so simple I started to get v. frustrated.

But anyway - the game, not my players :) If you pay attention and have a memory of longer than 5 seconds, this is a game that can wrap up in well short of an hour. You need a big table space as the house on the hill is of strange and terrible dimensions; for as long as there are open doors, the house may grow larger. It's like schrodingers studio apartment. The gimmick of one of you being turned traitor adds a lot of tension as the 'haunt' draws ever likelier, and your resources may suddenly be turned against you. The flavour text is amazing throughout too.

In short - recommended.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 22 August, 2016, 06:20:51 PM
Any fans of Love Letter that can help me to understand this game?

I've owned it for over two years and have tried to bring it to the table multiple times (most recently this past weekend), but it never quite clicks and I always come away feeling that I'm missing something.

I just can't see the strategy, or what makes the game tense or fun. It seems like you can get knocked out straight away, through no fault of your own, and you rarely have more than one option of what to do at any one time.

For a hidden identities game, it really isn't a patch on Coup as far as I can tell.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 23 August, 2016, 10:55:48 AM
Big fan of Love Letter here though we have the Batman version so unsure if these differ. We use it as a warm up/travel game as it's so quick and easy to play. I'd say the strategy comes from knowing there are only so many of each card and figuring out what's left though I admit you can go out in first round due to a lucky guess. You should always have 2 cards in your hand and so for the most part 2 options (though not always as some cards work with each other)

I like Coup as well but find they are both very similar except you can lie bluff in Coup.


Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Tiplodocus on 23 August, 2016, 12:24:50 PM
We have HOBBIT LOVE LETTER and quite enjoy it for a quick simple game on camping trips.  It doesn't take too long to get the hang of it though so we limit ourselves to fairly small doses.

(Also play PIRATE FLUXX when under canvas.  But those games tend to last a long, long time).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: moldovangerbil on 23 August, 2016, 03:46:42 PM
Quote from: Modern Panther on 19 August, 2016, 07:19:18 PM
Do any of you chaps know how Pandemic Legacy might play with two players?  I'd like to give it a go, but it'll likely just be me and Mrs Panther.

I played this through with my wife (who's not really a gamer) and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  On the plus side, you get more turns and start with more cards, but on the downside you get to bring fewer roles to the table.  Do the 2 balance out?  I'm not sure and there's some debate over whether the game is easier with fewer players, but we had a great time and had some real jaw dropping moments along the way.  I'd have no problems recommending it for 2 players - we're looking forward to Season 2!

Cheers
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 23 August, 2016, 09:14:11 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 23 August, 2016, 10:55:48 AM
Big fan of Love Letter here though we have the Batman version so unsure if these differ. We use it as a warm up/travel game as it's so quick and easy to play. I'd say the strategy comes from knowing there are only so many of each card and figuring out what's left though I admit you can go out in first round due to a lucky guess. You should always have 2 cards in your hand and so for the most part 2 options (though not always as some cards work with each other)

I like Coup as well but find they are both very similar except you can lie bluff in Coup.

But that's just it - in Coup you have options. You can try out different strategies. In LL, you very rarely have more than one option at your disposal. In Coup, getting away with lying to everyone's faces and bluffing your way out of certain defeat generates a real buzz, and winning is utterly triumphant. Every game we play, people are laughing hysterically, grudges are formed and played out.

Each and every time we have played Love Letter everyone just shrugs like "Is that it?". "I guess I won." etc etc. There's no tension, no stakes.

I suspected I was missing something, and really want to like the game but maybe it's just not the game for our group. No big loss, it was only $10.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 23 August, 2016, 09:19:23 PM
There's not a lot to Love Letter, but it definitely helps to view each hand as an opportunity to win points, rather than a game to win or lose: and to set the winning total based on attention span of players. We have the Batman version, with Bats in the Guard role. If you make a correct guess with Batman (other than Robin), you automatically gain a point - which spices things up nicely. Judging why your opponent has just played down Harley Quinn is about as com!ex as it gets, though.

It's quick, it's easy to teach to kids, it's ultra-portable.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 23 August, 2016, 09:21:15 PM
QuoteThere's not a lot to Love Letter, but it definitely helps to set to view each hand as an opportunity to win points, rather than a game to win or lose

Ha, the problem being that people are so underwhelmed and bored after two rounds it goes back in the box...

Speaking of Coup, though, just got my hands on this new deluxe edition via Kickstarter. It features the artwork from the Brazillian edition of the game, and it's a real beauty. For once the game looks as good as it plays (I don't mind the sci fi artwork of the original version, but it's definitely a turn-off for non-gamers and makes the game look far more complicated than it is)..

(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1927865_md.jpg)

(https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/005/958/082/eaf2a65ebed5639412fe4d56e201271c_original.jpg?w=680&fit=max&v=1461271648&auto=format&q=92&s=3b8e529722a8ce98d3afe6f85b946a96)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 24 August, 2016, 01:12:26 PM
That version of Coup would be v dangerous to play in Glasgow or :lol:

:(
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 31 August, 2016, 10:05:42 AM
Everyone I know is sniffing at this a bit, but my copy of Into The Echoside arrived yesterday. It's a deck-building game based on the Insane Clown Posse (yeah I know, but hear me out) which I ordered half as a joke expecting it to be a bit of a throwaway laugh. Unboxed it last night and had a look through the rules and the cards and I have to say I'm really impressed. It looks like it'll be great fun, the artwork is way better than I expected and it seems like it'll play like a competitive version of Legendary Encounters with a few neat extra spins of its own.

I predict that when I finally wear them down and get them to play it we'll all have a blast.

http://www.intotheechoside.com/ (http://www.intotheechoside.com/)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 31 August, 2016, 10:19:49 AM
Is there a card called Fucking Magnets?!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 31 August, 2016, 10:21:41 AM
How does it work?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 31 August, 2016, 03:18:28 PM
Sadly no magnets card, but then if there was one they would have to be explained in the rules and that might spoil the mystery of them.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 31 August, 2016, 09:12:27 PM
I've just started delving into Star Realms. It's a deckbuilding game designed to be a streamlined, self-contained take on Magic: The Gathering (or so I understand - I never played Magic).

Though I have some minor issues with it (the art and presentation is pretty naff imo) I really like it as a game. Took it camping over the weekend and it travels pretty well, and doesn't take up much table space.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 01 September, 2016, 07:34:07 PM
I bought Star Realms ages ago after all the hype about how it's an amazing 2-player game but never got a chance to play it. I'm quite slow to learn rules on my own without playing and after spending ages to set it up my wife took one look at the space battle theme said, "I don't think this will be my kind of game," so I had to put it away. I got to play it a couple of times on holiday a few weeks ago with my brother-in-law and it seemed like it would eventually be a lot of fun, what with the alliance powers and defensive outposts but we were still learning it. Don't reckon I'll get another chance to play it for a year now, though.

Instead, I can recommend a quick card game called Coloretto that is good for all the family. All you have to do is collect three sets of the same colour, which you decide at the end of the round, but any further sets of other colours you possess are deducted from your score. Played it lots this summer. I bought the German version because it was cheaper and there is no text in the game, just coloured cards. The rules are available online.

I also got out Munchkin Booty, which was still sealed, and my family took one look at it, realised what it was and said, "Oh it's that game that doesn't make any sense," before shelving it so I've still to play it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Ancient Otter on 01 September, 2016, 09:47:47 PM
Star Relams got  turned into a app game, so if you can't the a game of the card version in....
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 01 September, 2016, 09:52:13 PM
QuoteI bought Star Realms ages ago after all the hype about how it's an amazing 2-player game but never got a chance to play it. I'm quite slow to learn rules on my own without playing and after spending ages to set it up my wife took one look at the space battle theme said, "I don't think this will be my kind of game," so I had to put it away. I got to play it a couple of times on holiday a few weeks ago with my brother-in-law and it seemed like it would eventually be a lot of fun, what with the alliance powers and defensive outposts but we were still learning it. Don't reckon I'll get another chance to play it for a year now, though.

Ha, yeah, I owned it for a long time before I finally got around to playing it. The solution - as it was with Catan and Mr Jack Pocket among other games - was buying the app version and learning it that way. Not being at all familiar with deckbuilding games*, I learned Star Realms by playing dozens of games against the app AI, resorting to Google whenever I needed clarification on certain things (Reddit and Youtube are particularly good sources for rules clarifications and that sort of thing). In fact with Star Realms, if you buy the app you'll have access to it on all platforms - PC, Mac, iOS etc etc, though the free version allows access to the tutorial.

*The inbuilt tutorial is good, but can't help but assume a certain level of player knowledge, and doesn't always give adequate context. For example it explains how to scrap cards, but doesn't explain why you'd want to do it.

Once you've got a handle on the rules, explaining it to another player in very simple to understand terms is a cinch.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 02 September, 2016, 12:04:46 AM
Quote from: radiator on 01 September, 2016, 09:52:13 PM
Not being at all familiar with deckbuilding games*, I learned Star Realms

*The inbuilt tutorial is good, but can't help but assume a certain level of player knowledge, and doesn't always give adequate context. For example it explains how to scrap cards, but doesn't explain why you'd want to do it.
Not having played that particular game, but I'm going to guess so that you can increase the probability of getting more useful cards, depending on which phase of the game you're in?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 02 September, 2016, 11:49:50 AM
We used the free Android app and their website to clarify some rules but on the phone it's a bit small to comfortably play a full game for me. I'll have to check the Windows version but I'm still running Vista so we'll see if that works. There are various expansions for this game but as it stands the original deck is pretty massive and the whole point for me is that it's self-contained, small and cheap. Always on the lookout for games like that.

I funded the Kickstarter for Ultra Tiny Epic Kingdoms for that reason. They've yet to commence shipping on it, so I hope the extra portable size doesn't affect playability.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 02 September, 2016, 09:42:09 PM
Tiny Epic Kingdoms is ace. I've backed the ultra tiny version too so I can just have it in my bag at all times. Another recent Kickstarter hit has been Thief's Marlet. The family have had great fun with that on holiday.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 02 September, 2016, 10:09:14 PM
Another happy player of Tiny Epic Kingdoms here. It really does what it says on the tin: a kingdom building game that feels epic, with real attachment to the fortunes of your side, but taking up about a square foot and less than 30 minutes. Very clever. Strangely I didn't find the Heroes' Call expansion to be as indispensable as others seem to: it definitely ups the value of warfare and increases options, but in the process loses a bit of the simplicity that makes the original so tight.

EDIT: and I've just realised I'm repeating myself from a few months back. Nothing new there, so.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 05 September, 2016, 10:58:55 AM
We played Sheriff of Nottingham at the weekend and I learned that I cannot lie. The aim of the game is to sneak contraband through without getting caught. I failed so badly. Every time I declared I was transporting 3 bread instead of my actual load of crossbows I would start sniggering uncontrollably giving the game away. Quite a fun wee game and we all had a good laugh at how terrible I was.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 05 September, 2016, 07:10:56 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 05 September, 2016, 10:58:55 AM
We played Sheriff of Nottingham at the weekend and I learned that I cannot lie. The aim of the game is to sneak contraband through without getting caught. I failed so badly. Every time I declared I was transporting 3 bread instead of my actual load of crossbows I would start sniggering uncontrollably giving the game away. Quite a fun wee game and we all had a good laugh at how terrible I was.

Oddly, my favourite card game is "Cheat" (or "Lying Bastich", as I prefer to call it).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 15 September, 2016, 01:15:25 PM
Fantasy Flights are losing the GW licence which means lots of good stuff may become rare depending on whether GW bring out their own versions, details here...

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2016/9/9/a-new-path-forward/

There's some good stuff on that list which I'm gonna have to get, mainly Fury of Dracula as that just came back in print.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 15 September, 2016, 07:23:45 PM
Bummer. I really like their Talisman and have all the expansions.

(Or should that be: To eBay!)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 16 September, 2016, 11:58:31 AM
Any of youse around Manchester, Fanboy 23 had a fair few FFG/GW books and games in stock when I was there on Monday.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 19 September, 2016, 01:09:30 PM
Played Exploding Kittens at weekend and it is good. Could become our go to card game but will need a few more games to be sure.

Finally won at Sheriff of Nottingham (getting better at lying)

Lost 3 games of Pop-Up-Pirate to a 2 year old  :lol: I will have my revenge!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 20 September, 2016, 11:48:26 PM
We popped in to a Games Workshop shop while in York - just to see what figures were out these days (certainly not going to buy any of them new!) - had some very good news - Blood Bowl is going to be released later this year!  Not Blood Bowl Manager card game, but the real deal - though I'm not completely up to date on which races are current in WH40K or WHFB so presumably there won't be any ratlings, snotlings or squats :-(
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 21 September, 2016, 02:47:22 PM
Always wanted to play that so will keep an eye out for a release date.

Is GW still called that as I noticed the shop in Glasgow is now just WARHAMMER
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 21 September, 2016, 03:02:00 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 21 September, 2016, 02:47:22 PM
Is GW still called that as I noticed the shop in Glasgow is now just WARHAMMER
Think they started rebranding them about a year ago. They had to change the one in Newcastle back to GW as everyone kept thinking it was a hardware store.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 14 October, 2016, 06:14:24 PM
Finally got around to playing a game of 7 Wonders last night.

I enjoyed it, but it seems a little over-complicated to work out scoring (to the point where it feels like maths homework, especially after a few pints) and there are so many different kinds of cards to memorise that we spent the entire game checking the reference sheet. As a result, I can't see this one really catching on with my group in the way that, say, the far more intuitive Splendour has.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 14 October, 2016, 07:43:20 PM
Quote from: I, Cosh on 21 September, 2016, 03:02:00 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 21 September, 2016, 02:47:22 PM
Is GW still called that as I noticed the shop in Glasgow is now just WARHAMMER
Think they started rebranding them about a year ago. They had to change the one in Newcastle back to GW as everyone kept thinking it was a hardware store.

Our hardware store at that ;)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 14 October, 2016, 08:03:41 PM
Quote from: radiator on 14 October, 2016, 06:14:24 PM
Finally got around to playing a game of 7 Wonders last night.

I enjoyed it, but it seems a little over-complicated to work out scoring (to the point where it feels like maths homework, especially after a few pints) and there are so many different kinds of cards to memorise that we spent the entire game checking the reference sheet. As a result, I can't see this one really catching on with my group in the way that, say, the far more intuitive Splendour has.

We used to play Seven Wonders so much that I threw together a spreadsheet (https://goo.gl/3SwwlF) to aid in working out totals



Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 19 October, 2016, 08:46:16 PM
After a long wait, the Judge Dredd booster pack to Munchkin Apocalypse has finally arrived.

http://icv2.com/articles/news/view/35825/judge-dredd-joins-munchkin-apocalypse (http://icv2.com/articles/news/view/35825/judge-dredd-joins-munchkin-apocalypse)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 19 October, 2016, 11:07:09 PM
QuoteWe used to play Seven Wonders so much that I threw together a spreadsheet to aid in working out totals

Haha, I actually have an app - 'Wonder Score' - on my phone that does the same thing - it even calculates Science bonus scores for you. It's still all a bit confusing though - at least, it is on first play through.

I recently picked up Lost Cities after playing a lot of the app version. It's a really, really good two player game. So simple, but with a surprising amount of strategy to it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 26 October, 2016, 02:19:57 PM
DriveThruRPG has all the 2000AD stuff on sale as Mongoose is losing the license!

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/45/Mongoose/subcategory/161_26679/2000-AD
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 26 October, 2016, 05:20:06 PM
Huh. Don't Rebellion own Mongoose, or did I imagine that? Wonder who, if anyone, will get the license now?

Got to play Dominion over the weekend - I'd been waiting for the second edition to come out to pick it up (as the art on the old edition was horrendous). It's fun.... but it seems a little flabby and uneventful compared to Star Realms (which I've been playing a lot recently). I'll persevere with it and see how I get on.

Speaking of Star Realms - man oh man, what a game. I bought it ages ago on a whim, and it's surprisingly become by far my favourite 2 player game of all of those I've tried over the last few years. Me and a friend played four games back to back at the pub the other night, and we only stopped playing because the pub was closing. I picked up the Colony Wars deck so we can try it out with 3-4 players, and also the Cosmic Gambit expansion.

Also played 7 Wonders: Duel. Really fun game. Bit of a mission to set up (and with so many interconnected play mechanics it's a lot to concentrate on at once) but I like it! Seems a bit more focused than the full version of the game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 26 October, 2016, 07:07:21 PM
Quote from: radiator on 26 October, 2016, 05:20:06 PM
Huh. Don't Rebellion own Mongoose, or did I imagine that? Wonder who, if anyone, will get the license now?
They used to, but I believe the people who had previously run Mongoose bought the company back, or something like that.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 26 October, 2016, 07:08:05 PM
Quote from: Third Estate Ned on 19 October, 2016, 08:46:16 PM
After a long wait, the Judge Dredd booster pack to Munchkin Apocalypse has finally arrived.

http://icv2.com/articles/news/view/35825/judge-dredd-joins-munchkin-apocalypse (http://icv2.com/articles/news/view/35825/judge-dredd-joins-munchkin-apocalypse)


Woo!  About time, glad we finally have a date for release (though I'll only believe it when I have it in my hands).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 04 November, 2016, 04:17:28 PM
Got to play a couple of new games last night.

King of Tokyo was great fun. Bright and colourful presentation, great theme, with mechanics tactile and simple enough that pretty much anyone can pick up the game almost instantly. Even my girlfriend loved it, and she's pretty dismissive of most games (she hated Dominion and Star Realms). I could see this one being really popular with younger relatives too.

Cash 'n Guns also went down really well. It's a simple bluffing game where you get to recreate a Mexican standoff by pointing foam guns at each other. It's gimmicky, but really solid fun - another one that pretty much anyone would enjoy. Good to have another party game to add to the rotation.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 07 November, 2016, 10:57:37 AM
Played some Police Cops (http://www.topsecretgames.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Police_Cops-2.pdf) the other night whilst on a break from our D&D campaigns.

Lots of fun, dead simple, encourages lots of banging the desk and "GOD DAMMIT YOU'RE A LOOSE CANNON MCBAIN" "How can you expect me to avenge my partner's death with this pea-shootah?" etc etc with plenty of dodgy american accents, car chases, chow-yun fat acrobatics and more. You just need plenty of dice and some silliness (you could easily adapt it to other settings and themes with a little tweak I am sure). Can only imagine how good this would be in an alcohol friendly venue.

So - Free 2-page RPG that just needs you to have a piece of paper and about 8 D6 each and an interest in playing Police Squad meets Miami Vice/The A-Team/The Sweeney/CSI.  The designer is Ryan from Edinburgh and if you play it give him a shout, he enjoys hearing when people run his games :) https://twitter.com/AllThingsTruly
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 15 November, 2016, 04:40:22 PM
The Bloodborne card game has been delayed in UK to whenever and I was planning on getting it as a Xmas pressie. Balls!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 21 November, 2016, 11:17:13 AM
Bought and played Machi Koro for the first time at the weekend. Good fun game which needs a bit more space and time to play than its compact box would suggest.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 21 November, 2016, 08:45:24 PM
QuoteBought and played Machi Koro for the first time at the weekend. Good fun game which needs a bit more space and time to play than its compact box would suggest.

Ha, yeah. It gets pretty crazy by late in the game.

We like Machi Koro, but it never quite became one of our mainstays, I think perhaps because its a little repetitive - ie just buy all the forests and mines to win.

We tend to prefer Splendor, which is similar-ish, but feels a little more satisfying to play.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 23 November, 2016, 02:41:29 PM
New edition of Bloodbowl is released this Friday if anyones interested. Likely to sell out its initial run I suspect.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: von Boom on 24 November, 2016, 08:27:22 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 23 November, 2016, 02:41:29 PM
New edition of Bloodbowl is released this Friday if anyones interested. Likely to sell out its initial run I suspect.

Cursed GW! Money for the Money God!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 25 November, 2016, 03:43:40 PM
Quote from: von Boom on 24 November, 2016, 08:27:22 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 23 November, 2016, 02:41:29 PM
New edition of Bloodbowl is released this Friday if anyones interested. Likely to sell out its initial run I suspect.

Cursed GW! Money for the Money God!

Having never played it but always wanting to my eldest boy is now getting this for his Xmas  :lol:. I've also ordered Pandemic Legacy as the family game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 28 November, 2016, 10:00:49 AM
Quote from: Satanist on 25 November, 2016, 03:43:40 PM
Quote from: von Boom on 24 November, 2016, 08:27:22 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 23 November, 2016, 02:41:29 PM
New edition of Bloodbowl is released this Friday if anyones interested. Likely to sell out its initial run I suspect.

Cursed GW! Money for the Money God!

Having never played it but always wanting to my eldest boy is now getting this for his Xmas  :lol:. I've also ordered Pandemic Legacy as the family game.

Me and the missus just played the second 'month' of Pandemic Legacy yesterday actually. It's great! If you haven't played Pandemic before though (we hadn't) then recommend playing a few practice games, without using the legacy rules or campaign materials, just to get the hang of it a bit. We found playing without those rules and objectives actually made for a much harder game than the first campaign mission turned out to be, but were glad that we were going in with a good sense of what we were doing!

It's really satisfying, can't wait to play some more.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 28 November, 2016, 12:31:48 PM
Yeah the original is a firm fave in our house so looking forward to playing Legacy at xmas and beyond.

We were at the Glasgow Boardgame Con at the weekend and got to try out a few we've fancied...

Tsuro - You lay down tiles which create a path trying not to go off the board or link to another players path, last one on the board wins. Quite a simple game but really enjoyed it so will probably pick this up at some point.

7 Wonders - Was a while to get the hang of as didn't think the rules were that clear but there was a guy on hand to teach us. Enjoyed this but think it might be a tad complex for our youngest

Also got to see Scythe which was very popular, looks super complicated but I'd love to get at some point in a few years.

Quite fancied the look of Nine Worlds as well, anyone played that?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 28 November, 2016, 12:55:48 PM
Tsuro was one of those games that looked really really obtuse, until we actually started playing it. Only took about 30 min I think as well once we go past that "WTF is this" phase.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 03 December, 2016, 01:13:44 AM
Anyone have any recommendations for board games for kids? I have a 4.5 year old niece to buy a Christmas present for.

I got her My First Carcassonne for her birthday earlier this year, but suspect that it'll probably be a little while before she has the attention span to really get into it.

So ideally I'm looking for something a bit lighter, perhaps more gimmicky/luck-based?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 03 December, 2016, 01:33:26 AM
Quote from: radiator on 03 December, 2016, 01:13:44 AM
Anyone have any recommendations for board games for kids? I have a 4.5 year old niece to buy a Christmas present for.

I got her My First Carcassonne for her birthday earlier this year, but suspect that it'll probably be a little while before she has the attention span to really get into it.

So ideally I'm looking for something a bit lighter, perhaps more gimmicky/luck-based?
Something like Dobble (entirely picture-based, matching up symbols on circular cards)?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 03 December, 2016, 02:11:06 AM
I'd actually thought about that one - that might be a good shout, I've heard good things about it.

Ideally I'd want something that her parents will enjoy too!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 03 December, 2016, 07:51:09 AM
Quote from: sheridan on 03 December, 2016, 01:33:26 AM
Quote from: radiator on 03 December, 2016, 01:13:44 AM
Anyone have any recommendations for board games for kids? I have a 4.5 year old niece to buy a Christmas present for.

I got her My First Carcassonne for her birthday earlier this year, but suspect that it'll probably be a little while before she has the attention span to really get into it.

So ideally I'm looking for something a bit lighter, perhaps more gimmicky/luck-based?
Something like Dobble (entirely picture-based, matching up symbols on circular cards)?

My son just got that for his birthday and its great fun (and I'm embarrassed to admit surprisingly challenging at times!)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 27 December, 2016, 05:12:49 PM
So the kids got Labyrinth for X-mas and they are obsessed by it - even rejecting telly at times to demand to play it. Luckily IO'm finding it mighty good fun as well!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Amstor Computer on 27 December, 2016, 05:27:00 PM
Quote from: radiator on 03 December, 2016, 01:13:44 AM
Anyone have any recommendations for board games for kids? I have a 4.5 year old niece to buy a Christmas present for.

I got her My First Carcassonne for her birthday earlier this year, but suspect that it'll probably be a little while before she has the attention span to really get into it.

So ideally I'm looking for something a bit lighter, perhaps more gimmicky/luck-based?

Late now, but Haba make a decent range of kid-friendly stuff. My daughters got Unicorns in the Clouds, Animal Upon Animal and Mix & Match Robbers from their catalogue for Christmas and they're all fun little titles, a mix of luck-based and dexterity-heavy gameplay with fun, simple aesthetics.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 27 December, 2016, 05:33:41 PM
Two new games this year, Exploding Kittens and King of Tokyo.  The former is an Oatmeal-themed cardgame and great simple fun, with a tense endgame and some rapid strategising, but I'm not sure my younger ones are that keen on it. With some stylish monster standees KoT is more visually satisfying for them, and a surprisingly varied experience depending on the order cards come into play, ​but I do have to question the claim on the box that it's for 2-6 players: the game doesn't work at all with two players, it just turns into a brief slugging match decided by a half- dozen handfuls of dice, with no reason to do anything but stay put and keep swinging.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 27 December, 2016, 11:45:53 PM
Just spent two hours playing Pass the Pigs. Oldest player was 69, youngest was 6.9.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 28 December, 2016, 01:25:23 AM
Heh, after an evening playing games with friends and family, I have to upgrade my verdict on Exploding Kittens: far quicker than Munchkin, more accessible for wee ones than Fluxx, and deeper than Love Letter, I think this could be our new default casual card game. A riotous time was had by all, the sustained tension of the second half is a work of genius.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 28 December, 2016, 09:38:43 AM
The thing that puts me off Exploding Kittens is the fact it's called exploding kittens, which suggests some sort of childish sense of humour which I don't find funny.
That's not to say childishness in general is bad. I've been playing the super-quick kids action game Shark Mania which is brilliant!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 28 December, 2016, 09:47:15 AM
I bought exploding kittens a while ago but haven't yet persuaded anyone to play with me  :'( None of my mates are into games.

Played Settlers of Catan with my brother and nephew over Xmas though - we only had time for the "first-time player" set-up, but I'd like to see what sort of differences a random set-up makes to game-play & tactics.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 29 December, 2016, 10:03:44 AM
It can lead to a severe resource shortage which makes Catan take far too long (but some of that is people refusing to understand it's fine if we go around three times without anyone placing a card. Keep it moving everyone!)

I got Zombie Fluxx, which sounds like an undead bowel disorder but is actually a variant of the above mentioned card game. Never really been one for cards but I'll give it a go with my DnD group I think.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 29 December, 2016, 10:53:44 AM
Fluxx (all variants) is a great easy-entry game, unless you have an aversion to seeing all your lovingly crafted plans evaporate at least once a round! Personally I love it, groans of uttermost frustration being pleasing to me.

Been enjoying King of Tokyo over the last few days, but my misgivings about the 2-player game now extend into the multi-player endgame, where because it is quite easy for players to get knocked out early on, it can again devolve into a protracted punching match between the last two players. 20 VPs can be a long time coming if the survivors have been keeping out of Tokyo to that point.  Am I missing something?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 29 December, 2016, 11:04:30 AM
Quote from: JamesC on 28 December, 2016, 09:38:43 AM
The thing that puts me off Exploding Kittens is the fact it's called exploding kittens, which suggests some sort of childish sense of humour which I don't find funny.

There are quite a few fart gags, this I cannot deny, but if it's the implied animal cruelty of the title, there's little of that: it's more a matter of diverting the curiosity-driven kittens from pressing that big red button or chewing on dynamite by using laser pointers, catnip, psychotherapy etc.

All done in the Oatmeal style, which tickles my particular tummy.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 03 January, 2017, 01:48:41 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 29 December, 2016, 10:53:44 AMBeen enjoying King of Tokyo over the last few days, but my misgivings about the 2-player game now extend into the multi-player endgame, where because it is quite easy for players to get knocked out early on, it can again devolve into a protracted punching match between the last two players. 20 VPs can be a long time coming if the survivors have been keeping out of Tokyo to that point.  Am I missing something?

The end game should come quite quick if only 2 are left as whoever is in Tokyo keeps racking up the points for every round they stay in there. Also we rig the cards at the start of the game as there are quite a lot of rubbish ones.

At Xmas we received the following...

Mission Red Planet (wife)
Dead of Winter (me)
Pandemic Legacy (all)
Bloodborne card game (the boy)
Bloodbowl (the other boy)
Tsuro (the boys)

Only played Tsuro and Mission Red Planet so far. Played Tsuro before but played with some family over xmas and all enjoyed it.

Played Mission Red Planet last night and although it looks pretty complex out the box its pretty simple to set up and play. Steampunk mining of Mars is the gist of it and can be played in about an hour once everyone knows what they are doing. I like the way every round theres a countdown to see who goes where.

We also just realised that we were missing a pretty important rule for Lords of Waterdeep these past few months so looking forward to getting back into that.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Proudhuff on 03 January, 2017, 01:51:04 PM
You should get a telly...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 03 January, 2017, 02:03:40 PM
This isn't really the place for you to flog your shoplifting!



PM me  ;)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 03 January, 2017, 03:53:21 PM
Quote from: Satanist on 03 January, 2017, 01:48:41 PM
The end game should come quite quick if only 2 are left as whoever is in Tokyo keeps racking up the points for every round they stay in there. Also we rig the cards at the start of the game as there are quite a lot of rubbish ones.

Hmm, possibly what we have been missing is that the monster going in will get the usual 1VP for taking Tokyo, but also 2 VP for holding Tokyo because he'll be in there at the end of his turn, since it's only on his turn that he's dealing damage. I think we haven't been awarding the 2 VP unless he stays in until the end of his next turn, which no-one ever manages. Would that be right? Because that would certainly speed things up! As it is, there's usually one or two people hanging about chatting for a dozen rounds while the last two trade blows, because the survivors always have low VPs having concentrated on knocking the others out..

Has some epic games of Munchkin on NYE: we have a stupidly huge pile of cards now, ensuring variety, but still two games came down to who shouted All Hail King Torg! first. Kobolds Ate My Baby is definitely my favourite expansion. Delightful how different ever game can be, although I'm tempted to reinstate our mistaken rule that any number of players can help in a fight - it leads to more exciting bickering!

Is the new Bloodbowl good?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Pyroxian on 03 January, 2017, 04:05:00 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 03 January, 2017, 03:53:21 PM
Hmm, possibly what we have been missing is that the monster going in will get the usual 1VP for taking Tokyo, but also 2 VP for holding Tokyo because he'll be in there at the end of his turn, since it's only on his turn that he's dealing damage. I think we haven't been awarding the 2 VP unless he stays in until the end of his next turn, which no-one ever manages. Would that be right? Because that would certainly speed things up! As it is, there's usually one or two people hanging about chatting for a dozen rounds while the last two trade blows, because the survivors always have low VPs having concentrated on knocking the others out..

You get one point as soon as your monster goes into Tokyo. You get 2 points at the beginning of your turn if your monster is in Tokyo. So you get more VPs for staying in Tokyo, but you can't heal your monster so it's generally in the interests of the player outside of Tokyo to just roll hearts and claws as they will generally outlast the other guy or force him to come out. Inside Tokyo I tend to try and roll the numbers as you're then getting 4-5 VPS a round.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 03 January, 2017, 04:09:12 PM
yeah its 1 point for entering Tokyo and then another 2 when it gets back to their turn, but if there are only 2 people left then its just back and forth and shouldn't take to long.

I usually try and stay out of Tokyo and try and roll a load of 3's and win that way, so satisfying when you roll six 3's (which I've done twice).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 03 January, 2017, 04:23:08 PM
Ah, so we are playing it right. The prob is that with two players the In monster usually comes straight out to heal when he's hit, so only defaults to one VP a turn. As it's not uncommon for the last two survivors to only have 5 or 6 VPs (having focussed on Claws, Hearts and attack upgrade cards) it can take 10 or more rounds for the endgame to play out, which is crap for the knocked-out players.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 03 January, 2017, 08:06:39 PM
QuoteThe thing that puts me off Exploding Kittens is the fact it's called exploding kittens, which suggests some sort of childish sense of humour which I don't find funny.
That's not to say childishness in general is bad.

I would say check out the Oatmeal website to see if you like his stuff (even if you're not immediately familiar, you'll no doubt recognise some of it as his stuff tends to be widely shared and/or ripped off). Each to their own, but I happen to think he's quite brilliant. Was a fan long before the game.

I would also say that the humour element, unlike something like Cards Against Humanity, is entirely cosmetic and has zero effect on actual gameplay (which can be described as a tense blend of Uno and Russian Roulette). There are also both clean and NSFW variants.


I had the misfortune to play a spectacularly terrible board/party game called 'The Game of Things' on a very disappointing 'games night' on NYE. Awful game, avoid at all costs.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 04 January, 2017, 09:28:45 AM
Quote from: The Amstor Computer on 27 December, 2016, 05:27:00 PM
Quote from: radiator on 03 December, 2016, 01:13:44 AM
Anyone have any recommendations for board games for kids? I have a 4.5 year old niece to buy a Christmas present for.

I got her My First Carcassonne for her birthday earlier this year, but suspect that it'll probably be a little while before she has the attention span to really get into it.

So ideally I'm looking for something a bit lighter, perhaps more gimmicky/luck-based?

Late now, but Haba make a decent range of kid-friendly stuff. My daughters got Unicorns in the Clouds, Animal Upon Animal and Mix & Match Robbers from their catalogue for Christmas and they're all fun little titles, a mix of luck-based and dexterity-heavy gameplay with fun, simple aesthetics.

Funnily enough I'd never heard of Haba until this xmas, my sister got me Rhino Hero. A really quick, simple and great fun game that, and the whole family could get into it.

Also got Time Stories, Sons of Anarchy and the Pegasus expansion for Battlestar Galactica, so plenty of gaming to get stuck into!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 04 January, 2017, 12:57:06 PM
Quote from: radiator on 03 January, 2017, 08:06:39 PM
QuoteThe thing that puts me off Exploding Kittens is the fact it's called exploding kittens, which suggests some sort of childish sense of humour which I don't find funny.
That's not to say childishness in general is bad.

I would also say that the humour element, unlike something like Cards Against Humanity, is entirely cosmetic and has zero effect on actual gameplay (which can be described as a tense blend of Uno and Russian Roulette). There are also both clean and NSFW variants.

Just had lunch with a friend who got Exploding Kittens and an expansion for christmas, so when they come around for drinks we'll have to have a go at it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 04 January, 2017, 01:29:35 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 04 January, 2017, 12:57:06 PM
Quote from: radiator on 03 January, 2017, 08:06:39 PM
QuoteThe thing that puts me off Exploding Kittens is the fact it's called exploding kittens, which suggests some sort of childish sense of humour which I don't find funny.
That's not to say childishness in general is bad.

I would also say that the humour element, unlike something like Cards Against Humanity, is entirely cosmetic and has zero effect on actual gameplay (which can be described as a tense blend of Uno and Russian Roulette). There are also both clean and NSFW variants.

Just had lunch with a friend who got Exploding Kittens and an expansion for christmas, so when they come around for drinks we'll have to have a go at it.

Expansion, you say?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 05 January, 2017, 10:21:21 AM
The new Doom board game being out reminded me that I've always wanted Gears of War so had a quick look on ebay and found a sealed copy for a fairly reasonable price. Very pleased, since it went out of print every listing I'd seen was crazy money, so to get a fresh one is quite exciting.

Also spotted the Alien Queen expansion for Legendary Encounters is out so grabbed that. Have managed to resist the Big Trouble In Little China edition so far but not sure how long my resolve will last.

Don't get a lot of group sessions so the fact these are all playable solo is a big draw for me.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 05 January, 2017, 03:44:46 PM
My friends have been playing the new Bloodbowl at the local gaming store, they seem to enjoy it. Seems like it's pretty quick to play too.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: locustsofdeath! on 06 January, 2017, 01:44:02 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 03 January, 2017, 03:53:21 PM
Is the new Bloodbowl good?

It is. I'm not sure when the last time you played is, but the version GW just released is not much different from the last edition of The Living Rulebook that's been developed online for many years. I've been playing in a BB league for quite some time and we've continued without a hitch. The rules are online for free.

I love the game. It's a top five board game for me - in league play.

Stand alone is plenty fun, but in league play you develop your team and players which adds so much more to the experience.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 06 January, 2017, 11:00:49 PM
Quote from: locustsofdeath! on 06 January, 2017, 01:44:02 PM
It is. I'm not sure when the last time you played is, but the version GW just released is not much different from the last edition of The Living Rulebook that's been developed online for many years. I've been playing in a BB league for quite some time and we've continued without a hitch. The rules are online for free.

Where are they?  I've been looking around the official Bloodbowl (https://www.bloodbowl.com/) website and have found nine downloads of team rosters, errata and the like, but no rulebook?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 09 January, 2017, 09:14:22 AM
My wife got me the Big Trouble In Little China edition of Legendary for my birthday at the weekend after all so had a go on that. Obviously plays a fair bit like the other Legendary games I've played (Alien/Predator) but has a bunch of nice twists that change it up and it definitely has more of a focus on competitive play rather than co-op or survival. Means it isn't really tuned for solo play, but good fun with a group!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 09 January, 2017, 07:58:07 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 04 January, 2017, 01:29:35 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 04 January, 2017, 12:57:06 PM
Quote from: radiator on 03 January, 2017, 08:06:39 PM
QuoteThe thing that puts me off Exploding Kittens is the fact it's called exploding kittens, which suggests some sort of childish sense of humour which I don't find funny.
That's not to say childishness in general is bad.

I would also say that the humour element, unlike something like Cards Against Humanity, is entirely cosmetic and has zero effect on actual gameplay (which can be described as a tense blend of Uno and Russian Roulette). There are also both clean and NSFW variants.

Just had lunch with a friend who got Exploding Kittens and an expansion for christmas, so when they come around for drinks we'll have to have a go at it.

Expansion, you say?

Yep, it's called Imploding Kittens. It's just a few extra cards, some of which (like Reverse) seem to have been brought over from the (excellent) EK app, others are brand new - there's now 'Alter the Future' and 'Targeted Attack', as well as 'Feral Cat' which can act as any generic paired cat card.

I'm not really keen on the idea of the (optional) Imploding Kitten card, which iirc you're supposed to place face up in the deck? Haven't used it yet.

The creators are also currently at work on a follow up game called Bears Vs Babies.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 10 January, 2017, 11:42:08 AM
Played Bloodborne card game at weekend and really enjoyed it. Each player gets the same hand of cards at the start of the game. You then have to use these cards to team up and fight the randomised monsters to reach the boss.

You all play your cards at the same time so the fun comes from saying you'll do one thing and then totally betraying the team by doing another or stealing a win just for yourself. If you die you lose all your points but if you back out a fight you can bank them (and get more cards) but wont be earning that turn. Nice risk/reward mechanic.

My only complaint is that as a huge fan of the videogame they seem to have misjudged the threat levels of some enemies and that when you die there should be some way to reclaim your blood echoes. But that's some high end nerdery and doesn't detract from the actual gameplay of the card game in any way.

Also its not available in Europe at the moment due to licensing issues  >:(
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 10 January, 2017, 05:24:35 PM
Though there's a few things I have my eye on - The Iron Throne (a Game of Thrones themed reskin of Cosmic Encounter), Hero Realms and Dead Last, I'm on a moratorium of buying any new games at the moment - I buy far more than I can actually play. I did pick up the cheaper, plastic version of Flick 'Em Up! just before Christmas - looks really fun, can't wait to play it.

One that I did get to play a bit over Christmas was A Game of Thrones: Hand of the King. It's a really light, casual card-collecting game where you move Varys around a grid of 36 character cards trying to collect family sets (Stark, Targaryen, Lannister, Tyrell etc), occasionally triggering special character cards (usually characters with no particular affiliation - The Hound, Jon Snow, Brienne etc) that grant the ability to 'kill' or steal certain characters to tip the balance of the game.

The theme works really well, though the game can easily be enjoyed by non-fans, and is based on the books rather than the TV show (so features many book-only characters and House Greyjoy are featured prominently). I love the presentation and bold, stylised character artwork (which is, again, based on the character descriptions from the books rather than their TV counterparts). Best of all, its cheap (think I paid about $10 for my copy) and the box the game comes in is tiny so its easily transportable.

Strong recommend.

(https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/filer_public/a0/4c/a04cbf16-b2e9-4f26-a3a1-f10b204d1343/va100_box_left_350.png)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Timothy on 23 January, 2017, 01:18:52 PM
I've just seen that Termight replicas are bringing out some 2000ad character meeples next month. Very tempted indeed.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 23 January, 2017, 06:32:27 PM
I'd love a 2000ad boardgame of some kind. These things have moved on so much since the 80s, there must be space for one. Even if it was crowd-funded, to gauge support, I'd be well up for it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 23 January, 2017, 07:57:14 PM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 23 January, 2017, 06:32:27 PM
I'd love a 2000ad boardgame of some kind. These things have moved on so much since the 80s, there must be space for one. Even if it was crowd-funded, to gauge support, I'd be well up for it.

Definitely a gap in the market.  I wonder how many people still play Block Mania (I'm going to guess now that Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper don't have the replayability as Block Mania and Mega Mania).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 23 January, 2017, 07:57:34 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 23 January, 2017, 07:57:14 PM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 23 January, 2017, 06:32:27 PM
I'd love a 2000ad boardgame of some kind. These things have moved on so much since the 80s, there must be space for one. Even if it was crowd-funded, to gauge support, I'd be well up for it.

Definitely a gap in the market.  I wonder how many people still play Block Mania (I'm going to guess now that Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper don't have the replayability as Block Mania and Mega Mania).

p.s. the last game of BM I played was about a year or two ago.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 23 January, 2017, 08:24:26 PM
I remember making up my own Mean Team game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 24 January, 2017, 12:19:00 AM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 23 January, 2017, 08:24:26 PM
I remember making up my own Mean Team game.

Ooh  - Blood Bowl-esque?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 24 January, 2017, 07:19:02 AM
Quote from: sheridan on 24 January, 2017, 12:19:00 AM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 23 January, 2017, 08:24:26 PM
I remember making up my own Mean Team game.

Ooh  - Blood Bowl-esque?

Yep. And you could booby trap buildings. I sent it to Games Workshop and got a polite reply. I'd have been, ooh, 10 maybe
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 24 January, 2017, 09:30:41 AM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 24 January, 2017, 07:19:02 AM
Quote from: sheridan on 24 January, 2017, 12:19:00 AM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 23 January, 2017, 08:24:26 PM
I remember making up my own Mean Team game.

Ooh  - Blood Bowl-esque?

Yep. And you could booby trap buildings. I sent it to Games Workshop and got a polite reply. I'd have been, ooh, 10 maybe

Now I'm remembering the initial set-up of Mean Team (with the block of buildings in an arena) I'm thinking of Necromunda...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 20 February, 2017, 11:57:44 AM
Played Star Wars Rebellion on Saturday.

Well. I say we played it. What actually happened was that we started setting it up around 5 o'clock. By the time dinner was ready at half eight, we'd managed to set up the board, sort out the various decks of cards, play half of the first turn and everyone was already half pissed.

The chef and game-owner made an executive decision to move on to playing poker , which wasn't as much fun, and I don't think it will ever be completed.

The game looks beautiful (I was easily able to spot my opponents trying to award themselves a starting Super Star Destroyer rather than the officially sanctioned Star Destroyer) and the later phases of the first round did start to give an indication of how it should play tactically. Make  sure you block out the whole day for a game and maybe don't start drinking until halfway through and it could be good.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 20 February, 2017, 12:31:46 PM
I REALLY like the look of that but it's the length of gameplay that's putting me off. I played Game of Thrones before which including board set up lasted about 6 hours, everyone drunk and pissed off by the end of it at about 2am.

Played Star Trek Catan at the weekend which was my first experience of any Catan game. Really enjoyed it and the wee ship pieces (roads?) are lovely.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 25 February, 2017, 08:14:11 AM
Funny you should mention Game of Thrones board game. I'm looking for ideas.

My wife has just started reading and loving the books and isn't ready for the telly show yet (she wants to finish the novels first) and its her birthday soon. So I thought for something a bit different we could get a board game 'I bet there's a good Game of Thrones' one ... but its says for three people and since we're not big games and don't know anyone who is I'd like it to be 2 player so we can play it together at home.

So all that context can someone recommend a good game for two people for someone who likes Games of Thrones that's quite straightforward for new games...

... I know not much to ask!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 01 March, 2017, 03:17:25 PM
Not played these but there is Game of Thrones - Hand of the King a card game for 2-4 players by Fantasy Flight who are usually reliable.

Or Game of Thrones Cluedo? I think its the Imp, in the cludgie with the crossbow!

Or theres a Risk themed one as well.

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 01 March, 2017, 03:48:57 PM
Well, Munchkin Apocalypse: Judge Dredd is supposed to have been released, though I checked out Orc's Nest and Forbidden Planet and there's not a sign.  May have to take a trip to Leisure Games at some point...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 01 March, 2017, 06:15:28 PM
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 25 February, 2017, 08:14:11 AM
Funny you should mention Game of Thrones board game. I'm looking for ideas.

My wife has just started reading and loving the books and isn't ready for the telly show yet (she wants to finish the novels first) and its her birthday soon. So I thought for something a bit different we could get a board game 'I bet there's a good Game of Thrones' one ... but its says for three people and since we're not big games and don't know anyone who is I'd like it to be 2 player so we can play it together at home.

So all that context can someone recommend a good game for two people for someone who likes Games of Thrones that's quite straightforward for new games...

... I know not much to ask!

Hand of the King, definitely. Very compact, affordable and simple game with great artwork and a little strategy. Plays well with 2-4 players, and my girlfriend (who is a really tough sell for trying new games) likes it. See my more detailed description a few posts back.

I'd also tentatively recommend The Rose King, a simple 2 player game that plays like a cross between checkers and a card game. It isn't an official Game of Thrones product, but like the novels is based on the War of the Roses and is clearly going for a GoT vibe with it's packaging.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41yOo9%2BfAvL._SX300_.jpg)

I'm in the same boat regarding the A Game of Thrones board game - I'd love to play it, and have been tempted to buy it in the past, but I know I'd never have the time and/or willing people to play it with me. However, I did recently pick up A Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne, a new game by the same company (Fantasy Flight). It's a slightly modified re-skin of a very long-running, highly regarded board game called Cosmic Encounter and looks like a lot of fun (I haven't played it yet). It's based on the TV show rather than the books and looks like a good middle ground between the lightness of Hand of the King and the A Game of Thrones board game in terms of complexity and game length. It seems like a very social game revolving around bargaining and backstabbing, which seems to fit the theme great, though it's minimum 3 players and apparently plays best with 5. There's an expansion coming out this summer that adds the Greyjoy and Martell houses.

(https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/filer_public/b7/a2/b7a2f69b-c8d6-4d21-8d78-964a9f3746af/hbo11_main.png)

(https://images-cdn.fantasyflightgames.com/filer_public/42/28/4228ad9c-de8f-4c68-841f-dc881463fced/hbo16_main.png)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JustinKase on 10 April, 2017, 07:52:26 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 23 January, 2017, 07:57:14 PM
Quote from: The Enigmatic Dr X on 23 January, 2017, 06:32:27 PM
I'd love a 2000ad boardgame of some kind. These things have moved on so much since the 80s, there must be space for one. Even if it was crowd-funded, to gauge support, I'd be well up for it.

Definitely a gap in the market.  I wonder how many people still play Block Mania (I'm going to guess now that Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper don't have the replayability as Block Mania and Mega Mania).

I was pleasantly surprised to find Block Mania at Gen Con a couple of years back - they played an epic match with 6 blocks involved, was very entertaining.

Recently I dug up the old Rogue Trooper game to introduce it to my new gaming group (me being the Eldster with all these ancient games).

Been working on something of a minor homebrew expansion to add some new cards.  Also reworked the old WD #90 cards so they would look more like the original set (that always bugged me).

If anyone is interested, feel free to check it out on the Board Game Geek page (https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1757702/fan-expansion)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 11 April, 2017, 02:55:14 PM
Just spent a pleasant morning playing Forbidden Island with the kids.

Ideal fun for under 10s. I know it's been mentioned before, but the sheer joy of seeing their excitement when playing something that isn't plugged in warrants a reminder.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JustinKase on 11 April, 2017, 08:15:38 PM
Try  The Magic Labyrinth (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41916/magic-labyrinth) sometime.  My kids (5 & 7) really enjoy the interactive nature of the 'invisible' walls.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 11 April, 2017, 08:37:50 PM
Quote from: JustinKase on 11 April, 2017, 08:15:38 PM
Try  The Magic Labyrinth (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/41916/magic-labyrinth) sometime.  My kids (5 & 7) really enjoy the interactive nature of the 'invisible' walls.

Looks great. But it's £67 on Amazon!!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JustinKase on 11 April, 2017, 08:57:09 PM
Holy heck!

It was only $20 at Target.  Wonder if Target UK has it, or if you can have it shipped to one of them?

The Germany eBay classifieds site also had a bunch at pretty good prices.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: von Boom on 04 May, 2017, 08:20:54 PM
There's a The Thing boardgame!

https://mondotees.com/blogs/news/the-thing-infection-at-outpost-31-board-game (https://mondotees.com/blogs/news/the-thing-infection-at-outpost-31-board-game)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 05 May, 2017, 09:31:37 AM
Quote from: von Boom on 04 May, 2017, 08:20:54 PM
There's a The Thing boardgame!

https://mondotees.com/blogs/news/the-thing-infection-at-outpost-31-board-game (https://mondotees.com/blogs/news/the-thing-infection-at-outpost-31-board-game)

Yes! The limited edition features artwork by Jock too, this is a very desireable thing to me. Being Mondo, those editions will sell out in seconds and all appear on ebay for twice the price within moments, but I'm definitely going to try for one.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 05 May, 2017, 11:49:50 AM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 05 May, 2017, 09:31:37 AM
Quote from: von Boom on 04 May, 2017, 08:20:54 PM
There's a The Thing boardgame!

https://mondotees.com/blogs/news/the-thing-infection-at-outpost-31-board-game (https://mondotees.com/blogs/news/the-thing-infection-at-outpost-31-board-game)

Yes! The limited edition features artwork by Jock too, this is a very desireable thing to me. Being Mondo, those editions will sell out in seconds and all appear on ebay for twice the price within moments, but I'm definitely going to try for one.

I just found out this existed and now I MUST have it!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 05 May, 2017, 02:08:27 PM
There's a board game called Panic Station (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/69552/panic-station (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/69552/panic-station)) that a friend of mine owns which has a lot of very The Thing-inspired mechanics - it's a research base, some people are infected and there's a method of infecting other players which keeps things very secret (whenever you're in a room along with someone you have to trade an inventory card and you can spread the infection that way). We only played it a couple of times, but both times it escalated really quickly into tense paranoia and people attacking and ganging up on other people around the table (who often turned out to be human).

If they take some cues from that game and dress it up in all the licensed trimmings then this could really, really be something special. Can't wait!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 25 August, 2017, 06:55:07 PM
Anyone played Captain Sonar? - reviews suggest it's best with 6-8 players - does it work at all with just 3?

Maybe having a game tomorrow
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 28 August, 2017, 06:33:08 PM
Captain Sonar turned out to be an absolute blast - you play in two teams and there are four roles per submarine - Captain plots the course (announcing north, east, south etc), first mate charges the weapons and other bits of kit (each turn gives 1 charge - you decide which bit of equipment to charge and when it's full, it's ready to deploy), the engineer manages damage (each move damages part of the sub and too much damage to one area forces you to surface giving away your position) and the radio operator tries to plot where the other sub is (marking their moves on an acetate which you can then move around the map to discover their course through a process of elimination).

With just a few players,you take on multiple roles and play turn-based, but if you can get 6 or 8 people you can play "real time" (though I think a referee would be needed as it would all get very hectic as each player shouts orders while the radio operators desperately eavesdrop on what the other team are up to).

We played with four and my team lost - we knew exactly where they were and we were one turn away from charging a torpedo which would have sunk them, but they got a lucky shot in. If I hadn't accidentally revealed the position of a mine (and therefore of our sub) earlier in the game, it could've turned out very different - so close!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 28 August, 2017, 10:32:49 PM
Oooh! Thing!

Missed that earlier on this thread.

Quite fancy the Fallout boardgame.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 29 August, 2017, 12:46:59 AM
Played 2 games of Betrayal at House on the Hill in a row the other night. Definitely the way the game is meant to be played with newer people. Everyone seems to overthink the first game because there's so much stuff that only matters if something particular occurs. But you will be told clearly whenever the time comes, so just play - second game people seem to get it more. Though the spectre of random chance will loom over anyone who say, finds themselves in a basement room far from the stairs when the house suddenly starts flooding... Or when the traitor (me) gets pimped out by supernatural forces and becomes literally unstoppable  by the opposing group of weaklings even before they have summoned an elder god.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dominic O'Rourke on 10 November, 2017, 08:09:56 PM
I've had an idea stuck in my head for the past week, and I can't get over how I can't seem to find a flaw!!

Anyone here play the FFG living card game for Lord of The Rings?


https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game/ (https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-card-game/)

I'm a big fan of the theme, but the idea is that two to four players, play co-operatively against the deck. It's seriouslt well themed, some of the sets follow very closely to the books, others are set in the general universe.

Anyway, I got to thinking how well Dredd would translate to the game. The artwork, and the thought that each box could be set in a 'year' in Mega City and that the bonus decks could explore all the minor characters, the Apes, the Gangs, the Angel gang, the Dark Judges.

The other thing to keep in mind, I've spent nearly £600 and I'm only about half way through the sets!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 10 November, 2017, 09:40:59 PM
Has Block War (http://gameandacurry.com/gameandacurry/2017/11/08/game-and-a-curry-llc-announces-judge-dredd-block-war/) been mentioned on the forum yet?  Hope it doesn't take as long to come out as the Munchkin Apocalpyse Judge Dredd expansion!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: DrJomster on 11 November, 2017, 10:02:14 PM
V pleased to see a 2000AD card game coming out. There's a lot of scope here for more of the same with the other IP. Games like this are doing really well and I would love to see some Tooth games becoming more generally recognised board or card game classics.

While we're on the subject, Sentinels Of The Multiverse is an excellent co-op supers card game. Something like this, where a team of player judges take on a set of perps/big bads could be brilliant! Particularly as the art's done for you already! Come on you lot, pitch it to Tharg and do a kickstarter!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 16 November, 2017, 04:58:52 PM
I went to a launch event here in Portland last night for a game called Illimat that was co-created by one of my favourite bands The Decemberists.

I backed the game on Kickstarter a year or so back. I'm still waiting on my copy, but got to learn the game and play a few rounds.

The game is really beautifully designed - the art is by Carson Ellis who does all of the band's artwork and album covers, and is quite innovative in how it uses the box the game comes in as part of the game. Really clever little card game, can't wait for my copy to arrive.

https://www.illimat.com/ (https://www.illimat.com/)

Also recently got a copy of Mysterium and been playing that. Takes forever to set up, but it's a really fun game which plays like a cross between Cluedo and Dixit, and is incredibly accessible so even my more non board game friends enjoy it. Beautiful artwork on this one too.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 17 November, 2017, 12:08:51 PM
Yeah don't own Mysterium but a friend brought it over once and I enjoyed it so much I bought it for my brother's birthday. Really enjoyable.

Was swinging back and forth on whether to get The Thing from Mondo, but now that it's finally on sale they won't ship over here so that's made the choice for me! You can get it through Amazon but the shipping and the inevitable custom fees push it past my curiosity level, and reports haven't actually been all that positive about it. Oddly relieved actually, I really don't need a new board game so it would have been a fairly frivolous purchase.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Molch-R on 17 November, 2017, 02:49:18 PM
Quote from: radiator on 16 November, 2017, 04:58:52 PM
I went to a launch event here in Portland last night for a game called Illimat that was co-created by one of my favourite bands The Decemberists.

Been playing this for a few nights now. It's essentially the old 'cassino' card game but with a few twists. The rules aren't *super* clear to begin with, but an hour on YouTube later and we realised we'd been playing it right. Better with more than two people, but a lot of fun. Certainly showed me how shoddy my basic arithmetic skills are.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 17 November, 2017, 05:56:14 PM
Quote from: Molch-R on 17 November, 2017, 02:49:18 PM
Quote from: radiator on 16 November, 2017, 04:58:52 PM
I went to a launch event here in Portland last night for a game called Illimat that was co-created by one of my favourite bands The Decemberists.

Been playing this for a few nights now. It's essentially the old 'cassino' card game but with a few twists. The rules aren't *super* clear to begin with, but an hour on YouTube later and we realised we'd been playing it right. Better with more than two people, but a lot of fun. Certainly showed me how shoddy my basic arithmetic skills are.

Nice! Did you back the Kickstarter? I found the game very confusing to start with, luckily we had a guy on hand to walk us through it and play a few rounds, which is always 1000% better than just reading the rulebook.

It was also a little hard to concentrate as well, given that I also got to briefly meet several members of my favourite band - the last time I can remember feeling that starstruck and awkward was probably meeting John, Carlos, Karl and Alex at the Dredd screening.  :D.

It's such a beautiful game and doesn't really look like anything else I've seen before. I think if you were to play in a pub or bar it would turn a lot of heads.

Quotereports haven't actually been all that positive about it

Huh, I wondered what the word on this was... Was sorely tempted to place an order, but maybe not. Seems like Dead of Winter might be a more rewarding for a great game with a similar theme to The Thing?

Haven't checked in a while - also been recently playing a lot of One Night Ultimate Werewolf and the expansion Daybreak, which we've just introduced to a load of new people, Kingdomino (a light, easy to learn Carcassonne-ish tile game) and Bears Vs Babies (quite a low-scoring game and not as immediate or accessible as Exploding Kittens, but still really fun).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Third Estate Ned on 17 November, 2017, 09:37:26 PM
I really enjoyed Dead of Winter as it turned out I was a traitor whose objective was to secretly prevent the community from surviving while pretending all the while that I was collaborating. I'm useless at lying and always burst out in fits of giggles but the great enjoyment came from everyone angrily blaming another player for dumping petrol and medicine in the food supply, then exiling him when he was totally innocent. His protests just reinforced their accusations and they just thought I was giggling at that.

It's quite a bleak scenario, though, for an evening's entertainment but it doesn't drag on.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Molch-R on 19 November, 2017, 01:41:49 PM
Quote from: radiator on 17 November, 2017, 05:56:14 PM
Nice! Did you back the Kickstarter? I found the game very confusing to start with, luckily we had a guy on hand to walk us through it and play a few rounds, which is always 1000% better than just reading the rulebook.

It's such a beautiful game and doesn't really look like anything else I've seen before. I think if you were to play in a pub or bar it would turn a lot of heads.

My other half did, so it was a surprise for me when it turned up. We'd only just learnt how to play cassino (historical reenactment FTW) so the parallels meant it wasn't too confusing, though like I said one or two of the rules in the book could do with some elucidation. We played it in the pub on Friday night and had some curious folks ask about it. The excellent design - especially of the luminaries - gives it a certain air of the occult, which doesn't feature at all and, I'll be honest, I kinda wished it did; but that's not a criticism, just my imagination getting away with me.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 20 November, 2017, 12:51:25 PM
Got the Star Wars version of Carcassone - took way longer than expected but realised that's cos we were playing it wrong (doh). Fun! Good 2-player gam, just need to sort out table space first :)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 26 January, 2018, 04:17:47 PM
Just backed Nemesis, really didn't need another game but it looks so damn cool, figure it would appeal to some here - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/awakenrealms/nemesis-board-game (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/awakenrealms/nemesis-board-game)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Enigmatic Dr X on 26 January, 2018, 05:14:44 PM
Came to post about playing Labyrinth with the kids.

Backed Nemesis. Damn it looks good
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 04 April, 2018, 07:11:45 PM
Nice!

Block War - https://youtu.be/7Jq7TVrEtqo (https://youtu.be/7Jq7TVrEtqo)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 15 April, 2018, 03:40:43 PM
Played Mysterium yesterday - great game but we didn't play the full rules. Think I will be nicking the  vision cards + mystic for an RPG at some point in the future as it seems perfect for making the psychic character more interesting in a game of call of cthulhu or something similar.

Also played Pandemic, a game I bounced off quite hard the first time a long time ago. This time with a clearer hand at the wheel it was very engaging even if we completely failed to save the world (but seemed like we were just steps away right up until East Asia collapsed).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 16 April, 2018, 09:44:20 AM
Quote from: Theblazeuk on 15 April, 2018, 03:40:43 PM
Also played Pandemic, a game I bounced off quite hard the first time a long time ago. This time with a clearer hand at the wheel it was very engaging even if we completely failed to save the world (but seemed like we were just steps away right up until East Asia collapsed).

That's been almost every game of Pandemic Legacy for us! We've won a couple of months of it but the last bunch have all been failures and every time we've been one, maybe two turns away from completing our plan for success. Pretty disheartening but we keep going back for some reason.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: wedgeski on 16 April, 2018, 10:34:24 AM
This weekend's game was Clank! In! Space!, a sci-fi re-skin and rules update to Clank!, one of our favourite board-games.

It's a ton of fun, pretty much a shoe-in if you like the original. It does play differently, though: the map has a ton more mobility, there are (simple) requirements to meet before you can even go for an artifact, and the deck-building has incorporated ideas from other, similar games; for example, there are now faction cards that must be played in the same hand in order to activate effects on other cards.

The fluff is a constant stream of sci-fi in-jokes, which may annoy some people, but we found it amusing enough. The package itself is amazing with huge amounts of tokens and pieces, and a jigsaw board with flippable sides for more variety.

Overall, brilliant.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 26 August, 2018, 04:36:01 PM
I'm not sure how this will be recieved by boardgaming aficionados but on a whim from my wife - she never owned it as a kid and always liked to play it when she stumbled across it - we bought a copy of Cluedo to play with the kids and have to say its immense fun.

Its fresh and new to us (not played in since I was a kid) but its almost replaced Exploding Kittens in my children's hearts!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Theblazeuk on 29 August, 2018, 10:10:39 AM
Got Dead of Winter. Desperately want to play it with more people than my wife, so we can do the betrayal/secret objectives and Exile votes.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 29 August, 2018, 12:50:13 PM
Quote from: Theblazeuk on 29 August, 2018, 10:10:39 AM
Got Dead of Winter. Desperately want to play it with more people than my wife

Co-op board games, gateway drug to the Swinger lifestyle.

I feel your pain.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: NapalmKev on 25 September, 2018, 05:19:56 PM
Not a board game as such but the Dredd Rpg by W.O.I.N is now live on Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/enworld/judge-dredd-and-the-worlds-of-2000-ad-roleplaying?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=dredd). In the time it took me to choose a pledge full funding had already been attained.

Cheers

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: wedgeski on 26 September, 2018, 09:23:12 AM
Lately we have been playing:

* Legendary: Alien: an Alien-themed deck builder that has you play through all four films. Wildly variable art, but really awesome once you have a table full of people who know how to play these things. Takes frigging ages to set up though.

* Zombicide: Miniatures-heavy zombie-survival skirmish game. Quite cool, but not pacey enough for my liking.

* Imperial Assault: The very best of modern miniatures skirmish. Lean and evocative, but rock hard, and some classes overshadow others.

* Skull: Top-tier bluffing game, simplest of the simples, truly brilliant. Usually goes hand-in-hand with a few games of Coup, Enter the Dungeon, and Sushi Go!, all equally good.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 26 September, 2018, 09:53:33 AM
I love Legendary: Alien! Have had some really great tense games of that, both on my own and with people. The fact it holds up so well solo is a real bonus for me too, as it's meant it gets a lot more play than it would otherwise. The set-up does take a while especially with the way the cards are packaged in the box, but I've found since organizing them all into neat sections in the box I can set it up pretty quick now.

You've reminded me that I only played the first scenario in the expansion so I should really go back to that.
As well as new scenarios/cards it added an Alien Queen game-mat so one player can control the aliens, but haven't tried that yet. The Predator and Big Trouble In Little China games that Legendary do are also good fun (Legendary have kept my wife in xmas gift ideas for a few years now :D), BTILC in particular went down really well with the group I played it with. Predator feels a bit more limited than Alien as it only recreates the first two movies, an update would be nice!

Also played a fair bit of Zombicide, but have been unable to beat the first main mission (City Blocks) and am far too stubborn to push onto the other ones. So I wheel it out now and then, fail miserably and then put it away again for a couple of months! It's started to feel a bit of a chore to set up now so haven't been back for a while.

If I thought for a moment I could get enough people around a table regularly enough to play the Dredd RPG I'd be backing it like a shot. Haven't played that style of game since I was a kid (Cyberpunk and TMNT were so good!) because it takes a pretty committed group to run any kind of campaign. That just doesn't seem doable with my circle of friends which makes me sad.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 27 September, 2018, 12:37:47 AM
Skull is wonderful - it only really comes alive with 5-6 players though I find.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 27 September, 2018, 06:36:41 AM
Quote from: radiator on 27 September, 2018, 12:37:47 AM
Skull is wonderful - it only really comes alive with 5-6 players though I find.

I went to Treehouse in Sheffield last night with work, its a bar where you eat, drink and play games from their astonishing collecton (recommend it to anyone in South Yorkshire looking for a fun night out with folks). Anyway we wanted to play Skull but some other bugger had got it - same with Terra my fav from last time we went.

Anyway for all the great games we played it was the late evening, slightly drunken round of Cards against Humanity that of course won the day. I do love that game!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: wedgeski on 27 September, 2018, 09:35:57 AM
Quote from: radiator on 27 September, 2018, 12:37:47 AM
Skull is wonderful - it only really comes alive with 5-6 players though I find.
This is true. Most of our gaming is with a cadre of four players, and we know each-other so well that Skull can sometimes descend into a psycho-drama with all of us trying desperately to play against type. It's the kind of emergent gameplay that is part of the unique brilliance of tabletop gaming.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 27 September, 2018, 05:17:49 PM
Quotewe wanted to play Skull but some other bugger had got it

You know you can make your own set with some beer mats and a pen, right?  ;)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 27 September, 2018, 05:21:12 PM
Skull is a great icebreaker, and - paraphrasing from the Shut Up & Sit Down review - the only game that it's possible to teach new people to play when everyone's drunk.

What I think is really great about it is that you have to be incredibly bold and audacious to stand a chance of winning, which really adds to the excitement.

QuoteMost of our gaming is with a cadre of four players

Highly recommend Azul for four players - beautiful - and surprisingly spiteful - game, addictive and easy to pick up.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: wedgeski on 22 October, 2018, 09:48:00 AM
Flamme Rouge! Continuing our shameless stalking of Shut-Up & Sit Down for all board-gaming advice, we had our first couple of games. I had fun, especially when we introduced the interesting terrain, but... I dunno. The strategy is kind of simple, and with eight riders it seemed awfully random. Maybe the more advanced tracks will kick things up a notch. It sure is pretty, as well.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 22 October, 2018, 11:11:39 AM
My wee brother is visiting from Canada for a few days so we jumped on the chance to play some games together. Played the Legendary editions of Predator and Big Trouble In Little China, and Into The Echoside (I'd got an expansion for that so was nice to finally wheel out some of the new rules).

Was excellent, no amount of skyping across the world can match a couple of afternoons sitting round a table with a board game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: radiator on 28 January, 2019, 07:34:02 PM
Quote from: wedgeski on 22 October, 2018, 09:48:00 AM
Flamme Rouge! Continuing our shameless stalking of Shut-Up & Sit Down for all board-gaming advice, we had our first couple of games. I had fun, especially when we introduced the interesting terrain, but... I dunno. The strategy is kind of simple, and with eight riders it seemed awfully random. Maybe the more advanced tracks will kick things up a notch. It sure is pretty, as well.

I really, really want to love Flamme Rouge. I love the theme, the artwork, the whole concept. The box leapt out at me in my local game shop despite never having heard of it before. It's also a really accessible, breezy game that is easy to teach and pick up, and the fact that there's no downtime or waiting for you turn is a huge selling point, especially for people who aren't really into board games....

But my major issue with it is that there doesn't seem to be any benefit whatsoever for trying to play the game strategically. I generally try and pace myself, conserving my best cards for late into the game and minimising the risk of burning out, but it never seems to pan out, and I will invariably end up losing every game to people who are simply playing the strongest card in their hand every round, essentially reducing it to luck of the draw, and not a very satisfying game.

The reason for this in my experience is that there simply isn't enough penalty for breaking away and taking an early lead. Yeah, you end up with loads of exhaustion cards, but you rarely if ever have to actually play them as the game will always tend to end before your deck becomes too diluted. Conversely, biding your time in the pack is rendered far too risky given that overtaking the leader is so difficult and can easily result in you wasting your best card at a critical moment.

Honestly, it kind of feels like a broken game (or at least one in need of balancing). I like Euro style games that have a nice balance of luck and strategy , but this game feels far too weighted towards luck. I've heard the Peloton expansion (and the cobble tiles) add a little more complexity. I really hope so.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Satanist on 04 February, 2019, 10:29:17 AM
If you preorder the new Dredd Cursed earth game from Osprey publishing you will get a bonus 3 promo cards. Tabetop magazine have a different promo card free with the March issue.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 13 May, 2019, 01:41:21 PM
Got The Cursed Earth a little while ago but have only had a couple of goes on my own, should really go back to it.

I did get the Hellboy board game at the weekend which looks very nice. I'd seen the Kickstarter but decided I really didn't have the time/space/need for another board game, but it turns out a couple of lunchtime pints before stopping into the board game shop was all we needed to put all that pesky rationalizing to one side and just get it.

Grud knows when I'll get round to playing it, but it's lovely so glad to add it to the collection.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 13 May, 2019, 02:05:22 PM
Quote from: Keef Monkey on 13 May, 2019, 01:41:21 PM
I did get the Hellboy board game at the weekend which looks very nice. I'd seen the Kickstarter but decided I really didn't have the time/space/need for another board game, but it turns out a couple of lunchtime pints before stopping into the board game shop was all we needed to put all that pesky rationalizing to one side and just get it.

:D
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: SmallBlueThing(Reborn) on 28 May, 2019, 04:22:56 PM
Simple question, as I know very little about these things:

Mythic Games' Solomon Kane, which is still undergoing Kickstarter stuff, but has raised well over a million dollars- anyone have any idea when we can expect it on shelves? 

SBT
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 11 October, 2019, 09:09:22 AM
Didn't realize it existed so have just ordered Mass Effect Monopoly. I don't play much Monopoly but I've always thought the right license makes a world of difference for me getting into something like that (I always like Star Wars Monopoly and Mass Effect Risk) so looking forward to playing it reskinned with my favourite game franchise.

Also looked into buying the Big Trouble In Little China board game and that thing goes for almost £200 these days so I guess the lesson is to buy these games before they go out of print! The Thing board game I got from Mondo also seems to be going for silly money so glad I jumped on that on release.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sintec on 13 October, 2019, 07:58:47 PM
Any other Kingdom Death players on the board?

For the uninitiated it's an epic, sprawling, survival horror co-op game set in a grim-dark world heavily inspired by the Berserk manga. You have a settlement of survivors who send out a group of 4 hunters to track and kill and hideous beast each year. Success leads to resource drops which allows you to craft better gear, failure leads to hideous death. Every 4-5 years a Nemesis shows up to challenge the settlement and slaughter your survivors. It's brutal and unrelenting with plenty of nethack style gotchas and random oh dear you rolled a 1 you die horribly moments.

Oh and the minis are utterly gorgeous (or hideous in the case of some of the monsters). https://kingdomdeath.com/
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 13 October, 2019, 09:07:04 PM
I presume it's me, since it's very popular, but KD always seems to me to be unnecessarily horrible. Lots of willies and boobs and distended entrails in the service of, what, unpleasantness?

I say "it's not you, it's me" because it does appears to gel with a thriving  strand in TT gaming - various RPG-advice tubers seem to have a similar aesthetic, for instance I recently stopped watching the very interesting Dungeon Craft channel (hosted by the affable Professor Dungeon Master!) when the hobgoblins in his updated Keep on the Borderlands campaign turned out to reproduce by raping human women who they kept imprisoned and pregnant. Once i saw that, i noticed he was endorsing RPG books by dodgy characters like Zak Smith, and well, no. And it's not the first channel I've bailed on for similar.

I mean, OK, it's make believe and D&D always had its teenage pervert side, but we're adults now, no? Do we really want to be fantasising about interspecies rape dungeons? Well, like I say, not averse to bit of grimdark, but not for me.

I don't mean to lump KD and its adherents in with that sort of nonsense from a position of ignorance, but from the outside that's how it *looks* and it puts me right off.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Funt Solo on 14 October, 2019, 04:33:24 AM
I played Keep on the Borderlands back in the day, and then reflected years later that the adventurers were basically committing genocide against multiple populations of non-human. (Well, they didn't have to kill them all, but if you wanted loot for that shiny new armour...)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: wedgeski on 14 October, 2019, 09:26:58 AM
Quote from: TordelBack on 13 October, 2019, 09:07:04 PM
I presume it's me, since it's very popular, but KD always seems to me to be unnecessarily horrible. Lots of willies and boobs and distended entrails in the service of, what, unpleasantness?
Based on that alone, the SU&SD review was quite enough to put me off.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sintec on 14 October, 2019, 12:11:19 PM
Kingdom Death's aesthetic is definitely not for everyone - personally I thought the SU&SD review was a little harsh but then a survival horror game like this is somewhat outside their comfort zone so it wasn't overly surprising.

In its defence I'd say that despite the Berserk influence (cos lets face it that manga is pretty grim in places) the game avoids any references to rape in the story events or plot lines.  The Intimacy event by which survivors reproduce explicitly states that 2 consenting survivors be nominated. And despite an expansion which contains a monster with particularly phallic tentacles it resists the urge to go full hentai with rapey tentacle attacks. In fact (ignoring the art for a moment) it's gender politics are actually pretty progressive, there's vitually no difference between male and female characters beyond a chance of death in child birth for the ladies. The art however is definitely divisive and I can well understand how it's a barrier to entry for many. The game is also a brutal RNG a heart and that's not to everyones taste either.

Just backed https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1492106834/aeon-trespass-odyssey/posts/2619413 which looks like it's going for a similar campaign style co-op but with an Ancient Greek theme. They've committed to keeping nudity out of the game and from the look of it they've toned down the body horror elements of KD some too. If you are interested in the campaign and boss battle elements of KD but put off by the art/world then this might be worth a look.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: CalHab on 20 January, 2020, 12:04:45 PM
I've played quite a few sessions of KD:M. Apart from the juvenile sensibility, the game itself is just not very good. It relies on random events, which give you little warning of the outcome or control. The battles itself are essentially just dice rolling fests with minimal tactics. The only form of tactic or planning comes in the equipment of your characters and, in the games I played, there were very few options there.

There are many, many better games available at a fraction of the cost.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sintec on 20 January, 2020, 02:09:05 PM
Quote from: CalHab on 20 January, 2020, 12:04:45 PM
I've played quite a few sessions of KD:M. Apart from the juvenile sensibility, the game itself is just not very good. It relies on random events, which give you little warning of the outcome or control. The battles itself are essentially just dice rolling fests with minimal tactics. The only form of tactic or planning comes in the equipment of your characters and, in the games I played, there were very few options there.

Can't disagree about the random events but I'd disagree strongly about the battles; positioning and survival expenditure are both critical tactical decisions which can have a huge impact on the outcome. In the early game the battles are a bit of a dice chucking fest as the survivors don't have much gear to provide options or survial to spend.  Once survivors have some half decent gear and are facing some of the higher level monsters just running in and hitting with everything you've got is likely to just get you killed faster. Specialising your survivors into different roles is the route to success.

Anyway it's definitely not a game for everyone and it seems I'm in the minority around these parts in liking it. 

Quote from: CalHab on 20 January, 2020, 12:04:45 PM
There are many, many better games available at a fraction of the cost.

This is certainly true given the price of the game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: CalHab on 20 January, 2020, 03:02:59 PM
Quote from: sintec on 20 January, 2020, 02:09:05 PM
Can't disagree about the random events but I'd disagree strongly about the battles; positioning and survival expenditure are both critical tactical decisions which can have a huge impact on the outcome. In the early game the battles are a bit of a dice chucking fest as the survivors don't have much gear to provide options or survial to spend.  Once survivors have some half decent gear and are facing some of the higher level monsters just running in and hitting with everything you've got is likely to just get you killed faster. Specialising your survivors into different roles is the route to success.

I didn't have the patience or time to get that far! Our group did 6 or 7 evenings of it before the campaign was interrupted. I've tried to resist its return.

The game certainly has its fans, though.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: CalHab on 25 May, 2020, 07:29:01 AM
The dark judges expansion is now available for Judge Dredd: Helter Skelter.

https://ospreypublishing.com/judge-dredd-helter-skelter-the-dark-judges
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pictsy on 25 May, 2020, 10:35:32 AM
I've been playing Blackstone Fortress.  By myself.  Because I can't leave the house.  I get the feeling it is better played with at least one other person, but that's probably just because my first run through is turning out to be quite easy.  I like the rules and I love the models, but if I'm stuck playing it alone I'm going to need to come up with ideas to make it more challenging... unless I've just been unusually lucky my first time playing (which is a possibility).

I've not read much of the fluff that comes with it.  I kinda like the 40k universe, but do lament how it is lacking that tongue in cheek I thought it used to have back in the 90's.  I get worried when I hear the Space Racists described as "the good guys".

Anyway, I'm pretty happy with my first run through of the game and I know I'm going to enjoy coming up with ways to make it more interesting... maybe home-brew some stuff for it.

Oh, I have also been re-creating the old game HeroQuest in paper mini and papercraft form.  I played a little of the game over Christmas but coronavirus has scuppered any more gaming sessions.  I'm still working on creating all the stuff for the expansions.  I'm designing and illustrating everything myself because I want what I make to be usable in other games.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dark Jimbo on 25 May, 2020, 11:07:28 AM
Quote from: CalHab on 25 May, 2020, 07:29:01 AM
The dark judges expansion is now available for Judge Dredd: Helter Skelter.

There's a great write-up of how the Dark Judges solo mode plays here:

https://ospreypublishing.com/blog/dark_judges_dredd_solo/
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Keef Monkey on 26 May, 2020, 02:45:28 PM
Oh nice! I have a vague memory of pre-ordering that from somewhere yonks ago, will need to dig through some emails and find out if it's on its way.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 26 May, 2020, 03:10:53 PM
Quote from: pictsy on 25 May, 2020, 10:35:32 AM
Oh, I have also been re-creating the old game HeroQuest in paper mini and papercraft form.

Pics please Pictsy!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Leigh S on 26 May, 2020, 03:20:13 PM
a certain PVS late of this Parish continues to delight  - check out the video!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1662635043/book-of-the-dead (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1662635043/book-of-the-dead)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pictsy on 26 May, 2020, 03:49:48 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 26 May, 2020, 03:10:53 PM
Pics please Pictsy!

(https://i.postimg.cc/tJ0jXsG6/01.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/26LYR4Mm/02.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/PfZHSQ1Q/03.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/5ywMjffR/04.jpg)

These aren't great photos.  It has been really difficult trying to figure out how to do some nice photos of the real deal.  I'm also pouring pretty much all my time into illustrating these.  And I made a mistake when printing the cards (yeah, I've even redone the cards) that was a pointless time sink.  Anyway, I hope to start getting some real photos done by the end of the week.  I'm currently working on colour variations for the last lot of minis I finished.

In the future I hope to do something similar for Space Crusader as well, but I want to get a load of fantasy stuff done so the minis can be used in role-play and wargames as well.  I don't want to be too niche, especially given the style I chose.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: JamesC on 26 May, 2020, 03:59:00 PM
That's beautiful and a really amazing achievement.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 26 May, 2020, 04:01:41 PM
Absolutely spectacular!  :o  That throne alone is fantastic.  What are the bases you're using? 

We needs close-ups of the characters and monsters now!

Are you planning on making this available at any point? I've never owned (or played) Heroquest, but greatest unboxer of them all the Bard (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx8sl2uC46A&t=96s) always inspires me to try.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pictsy on 26 May, 2020, 04:32:24 PM
Wow, wasn't expecting such a positive response, thanks guys :)

The bases are home made using two types of card, the painted black around the edges.
All the minis on show in these photos are currently available on my patreon page.  The furniture and tile sets are not (I wasn't in any hurry as I only have one patron and she's someone I know).

I have a plan for showcasing printed minis that will have me photographing them together in different scenes and giving them low effort dialogue as some sort of daily one page webcomic thing.  I dunno how to describe it, I just figured I should be posting something on social media daily... I really don't know how to publicise myself.

Nevertheless, the illustrations are on my facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pictsy/) or my patreon.  I should probably give a warning that my facebook page is also full of the miniatures I've been painting, books I've been reading and my utter disgust at the government.  Mostly painted miniatures. 

It's all about that engagement, right?

The Bard and some casual internet searching are what prompted me to start this project.  There is a website devoted to keeping Heroquest alive, so I've been using that a lot.  You also have to find a way to use D6 because the game has unique dice.  It's pretty easy to do.  The rules to the game (not the questbook) are actually available on Hasbro's site. I don't think they are aware of it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 26 May, 2020, 05:19:23 PM
Just about a board game but much to my amazement we got Beasts of Balance out for its first lockdown run (why we'd not got to it I don't know) and its as fun as ever. AND it seems to be back in stock after disappearing. Some of the extras seem to be back in the US at least.

Its now cheaper than it was and has Battle mode built in for the life of me though I can't get Battle Mode for our old edition does anyone know if that's possible? Even tried reinstalling the app which meant we lost all our beasts ... which actually made it more fun as we were less focused on crazy combinations just to expand our bestiary!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 26 May, 2020, 06:06:11 PM
I posted over on my back prog hack thread, but this one also belongs here.  My back prog slog blog has got to the point where Project XXX (https://sheridanwilde.wordpress.com/2020/05/19/judge-dredd-the-game-of-crime-fighting-in-mega-city-one/) was revealed in late 1982, and that means it's time to take down Judge Death for scrawling!  Or more likely get sent to Intensive Care).

And for good measure, the corresponding White Dwarf (https://sheridanwilde.wordpress.com/2020/05/20/white-dwarf-no-36-hes-tough-but-hes-fair/) (features a Judge Dredd boardgame takeoever).
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 26 May, 2020, 07:34:55 PM
Don't know if y'all saw the recent exchange on Twitter, but Ian Livingstone suggested Rebellion reissue the JD BG for its 40th anniversary, and Jason Kingsley expressed his enthusiasm! Even asked about getting the art off Ian for scanning!

https://twitter.com/RebellionJason/status/1264949146202619905?s=20
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Bolt-01 on 27 May, 2020, 11:01:53 AM
Ah - PVS! You are greatly missed.

Quote from: Leigh S on 26 May, 2020, 03:20:13 PM
a certain PVS late of this Parish continues to delight  - check out the video!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1662635043/book-of-the-dead (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1662635043/book-of-the-dead)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 27 May, 2020, 11:11:19 AM
Quote from: TordelBack on 26 May, 2020, 07:34:55 PM
Don't know if y'all saw the recent exchange on Twitter, but Ian Livingstone suggested Rebellion reissue the JD BG for its 40th anniversary, and Jason Kingsley expressed his enthusiasm! Even asked about getting the art off Ian for scanning!

https://twitter.com/RebellionJason/status/1264949146202619905?s=20

That would be an a wonderful thing and if reasonably priced an instant buy.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 27 May, 2020, 12:02:15 PM
Quote from: Bolt-01 on 27 May, 2020, 11:01:53 AM
Ah - PVS! You are greatly missed.

Quote from: Leigh S on 26 May, 2020, 03:20:13 PM
a certain PVS late of this Parish continues to delight  - check out the video!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1662635043/book-of-the-dead (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1662635043/book-of-the-dead)

I didn't know Paul was involved in Midlam - great company, I've had a lot of fun with their kickstarters.  Looks like I'll be in on this one too.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: norton canes on 27 June, 2020, 10:46:06 AM
Quote from: TordelBack on 26 May, 2020, 07:34:55 PM
Don't know if y'all saw the recent exchange on Twitter, but Ian Livingstone suggested Rebellion reissue the JD BG for its 40th anniversary, and Jason Kingsley expressed his enthusiasm! Even asked about getting the art off Ian for scanning!

Yeah, this should definitely happen. Throw in a few new bonus perp/crime/action cards as an extra incentive.


Also, I've always thought there's massive potential to expand the depth and complexity of the game by enhancing the basic roll-based combat system, adding new events and resources, and even replacing the board with tile-based sectors so that the layout changes with each play.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Tomwe on 27 June, 2020, 11:11:46 AM
pictsy your heroquest artwork looks stunning! an amazing project.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pictsy on 27 June, 2020, 12:00:36 PM
Quote from: Tomwe on 27 June, 2020, 11:11:46 AM
pictsy your heroquest artwork looks stunning! an amazing project.

Thanks.  It's been good to get positive feedback about it.  I have been worried that it looks like crap and no one will want to contribute to my Patreon because of that, but positive feedback is showing I need to find ways of getting more people to see what I'm doing.

I have finished all the assets I need for to play the original box game (I need to design a stat sheet and character sheet, but that's like a days work).  I have the minis illustrated and made for all the expansions (except Advance HeroQuest).  I have taken over 150 photos so I can start flooding instagram with my work.  I still need to do the extra tiles and cards.  In retrospect I should have done Space Crusade... fewer expansions. 

I think it'll take a month at most to get this finished and I'm looking forward to having it done.  Once it is done I'll be expanding the range so that the minis can be used in TT Wargames.  I'm looking forward to designing things like Chariots and Catapults (which I intend to be 3D).

I'll be sharing more stuff here once I have touched up the photos and maybe taken some more for showing the wider range available.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: wedgeski on 06 July, 2020, 03:54:01 PM
I thought I'd post about the games we've been playing with our board game group during lock-down. We identified 3 or 4 games that everyone owned, set up a Discord channel, plonked the laptop and webcam at the end of the table, and dove in. We're now down to just us, and one other couple, but our weekly video-conferenced game sessions have been a welcome and familiar anchor in the weirdness of the last few months.

Playing remotely from each-other is actually quite simple if you both own the game, and one side of the call is responsible for calling out game state. You don't need overhead cams, or for that matter the ability to see the other party's board at all. I know there are digital shared tabletops out there, but I find the entire experience is dramatically diminished when you're not hunched over an actual board, squinting at tiny card text and trying desperately to wring every point you can from the last round.

Lords of Waterdeep. This may be one of the most predictable in the list, but this game is just astonishingly good (especially if everyone in your board game group also plays D&D with you!). The Skullport expansion makes things more varied and unpredictable, at the cost of taking some of the finesse out of a good victory (IMO).

For remote play, agree ahead of time what you might want to take out of the Lords, Buildings, and Intrigue decks (we remove the strongest PvP elements, and there are a couple of Lords which we've come to feel don't compete very well). Intrigue is a wrinkle, as they're held as concealed hands, but everyone just draws from their own (full) deck and the odd duplicate makes little difference. One party on the call is responsible for dealing Quests and Buildings, and everyone keeps their board state in line.

We must have played 40 to 50 games of this since buying it, with about a dozen of them during lock-down. I'm constantly amazed at how fresh and exciting a clear board feels just as the game starts, and how engrossed everyone is by the time they place their last agent. It's an absolute classic!

Galaxy Trucker. Piece together your space-ship under the clock, then watch it succumb piece by piece to the rigors of space travel during the cargo run. A relatively recent addition to our rotation, where the biggest compromise is that, in a four player game with two instances of the game in play, everyone has twice as many pieces to choose from. This changes the kind of ships you build, but not massively to the detriment of the game.

For remote play, one party deals and announces the mission events. Easy as that.

Trucker is a phenomenal game. There's no experience in board games that I've yet found to match the sheer delight of assembling your starship at the start of every round (despite my frustrating tendency to have one illegal piece at some vital junction and having half my ship snap off before we even get going!). There is also a *ton* of mastery to bring to bear in knowing what kind of misfortunes will befall your crew before they reach their destination (and even a game mode where you can see what those misfortunes are ahead of time, hinting at what kind of build you should aim for).

Don't put those crew pods next to each-other folks. Anyone who has played will know why.

Trucker commits one unfortunate board-gaming crime, which is the possibility of being removed from play for entire rounds due to sheer bad luck in the early events. We've seen this enough to regard it as a flaw, but we haven't decided what to do about it yet.

Elder Sign. Quality dice-pooling in a Lovecraftian nightmare. This is one of my favourite co-operative games, great looking with a constantly changing board, and full of crunchy probability analysis.

Again, very simple to run with two remote parties who both own the game. Simply have one side of the call announce new rooms, monsters, and other drawable effects, while the other side keeps its board state inline. Bonus points for narrating the room descriptions in your best Vincent Price.

Unexpectedly, one thing that's becoming apparent the more we master Elder Sign is that, amazingly for a modern board game, and especially for a Cthulhu-based board game at that, it's actually a bit easy! Of our last five games, we lost only one. We'll move into the expansions soon, and hopefully they'll re-inject the utter futility of standing against the Old Ones that we're all looking for.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: CalHab on 06 July, 2020, 09:28:23 PM
If this was announced then I missed it, but Rebellion are Kickstarting an RPG:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rebellionunplugged/adventure-presents-tartarus-gate
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Laser Skeleton on 30 July, 2020, 04:38:54 PM
I'm sure I'll be repeating earlier chat here but I recently picked up the Cursed Earth card game and really enjoyed it. I'd played the Lost Expedition game before and massively enjoyed that too. Plus the art is sensational! Any other fans of this out there? I have the old Dredd board and RPG games on my shelf too, sadly never played!!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: CalHab on 30 July, 2020, 06:07:46 PM
I struggled with that game. I think solo games just don't hold an appeal, to be honest. Shame, because the art is good, as you say.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 31 July, 2020, 09:44:14 AM
Quote from: CalHab on 30 July, 2020, 06:07:46 PM
I struggled with that game. I think solo games just don't hold an appeal, to be honest. Shame, because the art is good, as you say.

Depends on what you mean by struggle.  We struggled as in didn't win, but enjoyed it.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: CalHab on 12 August, 2020, 07:24:55 AM
The Sniper Elite board game is now on Kickstarter. Looks like the expansion pack has Major Eazy as a playable character:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rebellionunplugged/sniper-elite-the-board-game
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pictsy on 23 September, 2020, 06:00:08 PM
Just as I am finishing off my HeroQuest recreation project, Hasbro announce they are re-releasing the game.  It looks really good, but I feel royally fucked now.  This project has ended up taking too long to finish and, before I have, it has become entirely redundant.

Anyway, the new game looks really pretty, with miniatures I'd love to paint.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Leigh S on 23 September, 2020, 06:13:02 PM
On the plus side for you at least, it is only available for pre-order if you are American or Canadian, and given postage for Canadians doubles the already three figure sum, you may as well say USA only. I mean seriuosly the postage figure I've seen quoted is INSANE - I'd expect Morcar to hand deliver it for the price I saw...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pictsy on 23 September, 2020, 08:20:34 PM
I am consoling myself with the fact that GW has asked to share photos I posted of one of my minis.

I'm going to get the HQ project finished within the week (hopefully), take a break for a month to makes some miniature scenery and then move on to Paper Mini Armies!  I have plans for 6 fantasy armies (Goblinoid, Undead, Corrupted, Human, Elf and Dwarf).  I might even write some crappy rules for a game if I haven't gone crazy by that point.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: moly on 12 October, 2020, 07:21:24 PM
Anyone on here playing too many bones, really like the look of this but looking for any pros or cons due to the price
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: CalHab on 13 October, 2020, 08:47:50 AM
Quote from: pictsy on 23 September, 2020, 06:00:08 PM
Anyway, the new game looks really pretty, with miniatures I'd love to paint.

I was interested in the new Hero Quest edition until I saw it's £150. I feel that, nostalgia aside, there are more modern games (Gloomhaven?) that do the same kind of thing for less. I haven't played HQ since 1990 or so, so I can't say for sure.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sintec on 13 October, 2020, 09:18:48 AM
If it's a choice between the 2 then yeah I think I'd probably suggest Gloomhaven over HQ.  Gloomhaven has been our lockdown game of choice and has filled many an afternoon at the weekends. Still got tonnes of it left to play too. For the money I think it's the better value in terms of hours of gameplay per £.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 26 October, 2020, 08:07:04 PM
We've rediscovered our love of the now updated Beasts of Balance and a see a dark day in the future, the none too distant future when I start to spend silly money to get the expansion. The drug addicted way my son and I have just finished hunting new crosses is a little worrying and he was annoyed yesterday what I did it with my daughter and found some stuff.

Its balancing, app, game crack this game!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 06 November, 2020, 11:07:01 AM
My eldest child just asked for "a full set of dice" for Christmas. My work here is done.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 06 November, 2020, 02:24:30 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 06 November, 2020, 11:07:01 AM
My eldest child just asked for "a full set of dice" for Christmas. My work here is done.

Now... how far are you going to take that?  I've gone as high as D30 but the never-stop-rolling* D100 is a) out of my price range and b) too bulky :)

*D30 take long enough to stop rolling - they're essentially a ball.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pictsy on 06 November, 2020, 03:12:19 PM
Quote from: sheridan on 06 November, 2020, 02:24:30 PM
Now... how far are you going to take that?  I've gone as high as D30 but the never-stop-rolling* D100 is a) out of my price range and b) too bulky :)

*D30 take long enough to stop rolling - they're essentially a ball.

Aren't D100 essentially just a gimmick?

I saw a YouTuber show off some nice D6 that were just duplicate numbered D12.  I like the idea and it would be great for D4, which I find are awful to roll.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 06 November, 2020, 03:35:19 PM
Having been a big player of TSRs Marvel Superheroes RPG way back in the day  I remember seeing a D100, looking at it slight enviously for like 15 seconds and then quickly grabbing 2d 10 and throwing them hoping to get a Yellow or Red result so Captain Britain could take down Porcupine.

I couldn't imagine life without 2 D10 for % rolls.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 06 November, 2020, 05:37:56 PM
Yeah, the lad is a 2d10 purist, doubt I could even tempt him to a d100. In fact, I think he mainly wants a set of his own because I've loaned him a pile of non-standard dice I got in a Kickstarter (d6s in the shape of fireballs, d8s as potion bottles, even a d20 as the brim of a wizards hat, and most entertainingly d2s as spellbooks (i.e. Coins)) and I think it's driving him mad.

He's an insatiable tinkerer though, 5 sessions into running his first campaign (DnD 5e) and he has a list of homebrew "improvements" that he wants to introduce. I irritate him greatly by saying "yeah, you've just invented Runequest combat there", or "interestingly,  that's exactly how initiative works in Hackmaster 5th ed". I view my insufferable know-it-all behaviour as a necessary broadening of his horizons, no DM is an island.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 06 November, 2020, 06:25:13 PM
pffft well back in MY day, even D10s were considered naff as they're not regular polyhedrons, and the D20s all had 0-9 twice, none of this poncey double digits - those were only to be found on those la-di-da D12s. I remember being genuinely impressed by my first D20 that actually went up to 20!

There are some truly gorgeous sets out there now, I just had a quick browse and nearly spafffed £8 on some metal ones I'll never use. Good job I'm not drunk (yet).

And yes, the D100 is just very, very silly.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Leigh S on 06 November, 2020, 06:47:05 PM
D12s are my dice of choice - the repeated D6 ones I raided from carboot football monopolies are my favourite, but if I looked an found a D4 reporting D12, I would be all over it
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 06 November, 2020, 07:39:21 PM
If I could tell 1980-me that I'd still be talking about this in 40 years...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Funt Solo on 06 November, 2020, 07:53:52 PM
I've probably told this story already somewhere, but someone wrote into either early White Dwarf or maybe Adventurer magazine years ago and had bought a D100 and rolled it 25,000 times, graphed the results and found that it spiked around 25, 50 and 75. In other words, it was shit.

I told that to a hallucinating Dutch dude in Oz and he said "random enough for me, random enough for you". Fucking hippy.

I teach my programming students how to program in a 2D10 simulation, even though it's easier just to generate a random 1-100. Because ... D&D.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 06 November, 2020, 09:00:32 PM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 06 November, 2020, 06:25:13 PM
pffft well back in MY day, even D10s were considered naff as they're not regular polyhedrons, and the D20s all had 0-9 twice, none of this poncey double digits...

Those 0-9 d20s were the mark of a serious gamer when I was starting out - even my Moldvay Basic box had a 1-20 version. That also came with a crayon, of course, and as I ran my own D&D fiefdom for at least a year (maybe 2) before I met other gamers, I had absolutely no idea why.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 06 November, 2020, 10:01:23 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 06 November, 2020, 09:00:32 PM
Quote from: Dandontdare on 06 November, 2020, 06:25:13 PM
pffft well back in MY day, even D10s were considered naff as they're not regular polyhedrons, and the D20s all had 0-9 twice, none of this poncey double digits...

Those 0-9 d20s were the mark of a serious gamer when I was starting out - even my Moldvay Basic box had a 1-20 version. That also came with a crayon, of course, and as I ran my own D&D fiefdom for at least a year (maybe 2) before I met other gamers, I had absolutely no idea why.

They were just the first I ever had, the really cheap and nasty ones. The only games shop in my town was a model shop whose owner had grudgingly started stocking RPG stuff. He was never nasty and took our money gladly but you could tell he hated us - we were weird nerds, not train nerds. It had basically a shelf of books and the Citadel Miniatures stand, including the cheapest sets of plastic poly dice that didn't last well. Soon upgraded to those impressive sounding "high impact" (ie 'normal') dice, but I remember when that's all I could get.

EDIT shit, hold on a mo...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Dandontdare on 06 November, 2020, 11:53:37 PM
ah bollox, can't seem to upload the pic* but I found the sad survivors of that set - blank, round edged - the D4 is sort of sucked in and warped and the D8 is a green blob. But I'll never throw them out


*Might be my shitty broadband, but imgur seems to be in the middle of a bit of a civil war today - not over the election memes, but about Mr Puckett ... don't ask
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: von Boom on 07 November, 2020, 12:48:37 AM
d6 is dull and boring but Traveller relied on them exclusively so they're good enough for me. Many of my characters never made it out of the creation phase.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pictsy on 07 November, 2020, 11:50:21 AM
The joy of D6s is quantity.  It is part of the reason I'm trying to get into wargaming.  I have gathered a lot of D6 now and throwing a handful of them is so satisfying.  I look forward to the aftertimes when I can venture back out into the world and throw dice to have them mean something.

Also, after a conversation I had remotely with a friend last night it looks like I might be starting up my second attempt at DMing a D&D game.  If I do, I'm going to use modules because I really don't have the time to create a bespoke adventure.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: moly on 17 November, 2020, 07:18:24 PM
Got too many bones, really enjoying this so far. Also ordered etherfield as the pledge has re opened
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Funt Solo on 17 November, 2020, 07:25:44 PM
Mention of modules reminds me of my first D&D set - the Basic boxed set from '81-ish:

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aI5BVYshMRg/U_EFVj00P_I/AAAAAAAABZ4/fhmYSIdQeOY/s1600/tumblr_mfy4b6Zlte1r1izumo1_500.jpg)

The module was "Keep on the Borderlands", but the plot is "commit genocide of the subhumans". It's brutal.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Leigh S on 17 November, 2020, 07:32:34 PM
Sure I pushed Core Space the first time round, but second Kickstarter is looking like quite good value if you are rich enough to dive in...
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/battlesystems/core-space-first-born?ref=user_menu (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/battlesystems/core-space-first-born?ref=user_menu)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: von Boom on 17 November, 2020, 10:43:21 PM
Quote from: Funt Solo on 17 November, 2020, 07:25:44 PM
Mention of modules reminds me of my first D&D set - the Basic boxed set from '81-ish:

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aI5BVYshMRg/U_EFVj00P_I/AAAAAAAABZ4/fhmYSIdQeOY/s1600/tumblr_mfy4b6Zlte1r1izumo1_500.jpg)

The module was "Keep on the Borderlands", but the plot is "commit genocide of the subhumans". It's brutal.
That was my first set as well, although I rapidly got hold of the DM's and Player's Guides.

I'm eyeing Iron Crown's Middle-Earth Roleplaying game online.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 17 November, 2020, 11:08:00 PM
Quote from: von Boom on 17 November, 2020, 10:43:21 PM
That was my first set as well

Mine too. Still have it, still use it on occasion.

Keep on the Borderlands is unfathomably deadly for low-level characters (and the Moldvay set only covers Lvls 1-3) so I wouldn't feel too sorry for the targets of this particular genocide. My brother and our mates littered those caves with our corpses before I learned to fudge rolls and railroad the party into the 'right' caves.

I created a giant spreadsheet of KotB a few years back to facilitate a conversion to Dragon Warriors,  putting in all the monster XP values, average damage outputs and treasure. It was sobering, bearing in mind the average 1st Level  Magic User had 2.5 hit points and AC 10, which even a 1/2 HD Kobold will hit 50% the time for that much damage with just a sling stone.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: von Boom on 17 November, 2020, 11:58:00 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 17 November, 2020, 11:08:00 PM
Quote from: von Boom on 17 November, 2020, 10:43:21 PM
That was my first set as well

Mine too. Still have it, still use it on occasion.

Keep on the Borderlands is unfathomably deadly for low-level characters (and the Moldvay set only covers Lvls 1-3) so I wouldn't feel too sorry for the targets of this particular genocide. My brother and our mates littered those caves with our corpses before I learned to fudge rolls and railroad the party into the 'right' caves.

I created a giant spreadsheet of KotB a few years back to facilitate a conversion to Dragon Warriors,  putting in all the monster XP values, average damage outputs and treasure. It was sobering, bearing in mind the average 1st Level  Magic User had 2.5 hit points and AC 10, which even a 1/2 HD Kobold will hit 50% the time for that much damage with just a sling stone.
Deadly.

That's what I don't like about more modern versions, characters are too powerful at low levels. It was such a thrill the first time my barely competent cleric made it to level 2. I wanted to play a thief or fighter, but I was too reckless with those types of characters and died quickly and often.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Barrington Boots on 18 November, 2020, 09:45:45 AM
Quote from: von Boom on 17 November, 2020, 10:43:21 PM
I'm eyeing Iron Crown's Middle-Earth Roleplaying game online.

MERP was my very first introduction to tabletop roleplaying and led me down a slippery slope. I had the box set GW put out of it, and I'm pretty sure even now my parents regret buying it for me.
Being basically a child at the time I ignored most of the Tolkien-y elements of the setting and basically just played it as D&D but with a more complex ruleset and character generation. I've never played it as an adult but I suspect it'd be pretty cool. The main thing I remember from it, apart from being able to play about 100 different types of human, was the amazingly gory and descriptive critical hit tables.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 04 December, 2020, 08:06:10 PM
The boy child got 'Poetry for neanderthals' for his birthday and we played it this evening. I see very many happy Christmas fights over this one. Great fun but the boy child and the girl child delight in the No Stick a little too much!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 04 December, 2020, 08:29:25 PM
Colin me old jewel, you've just sorted my wife's Christmas present. We're hardcore devotees of Exploding Kittens, word-guessing games AND Neanderthals in this house, so this is just Venn-tastic.  She will squeal with delight, and with far less effort on my part than is usual. Now to see if I can get one in time...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 05 December, 2020, 12:40:41 AM
Game secured for click-and-collect from my FLGS. Happy dance!

While I'm here, an update on my lad's D&D game. Feel free to look away now!

He's on session 11 or 12 now, all over Discord, so (virtually) a seasoned pro. It's been fascinating to watch his campaign mutate from the 5th Ed Starter Set adventure into something original, and he's lifted the local setting out of the Forgotten Realms and dropped into his own creation.  In the very first session, he had an extra player join, so rather than slow things down he had him play a recently-captured goblin until he could roll up a character. Of course that never happened, and the character has now grown to become a sort of half-genuine goblin Messiah, with the other characters (human, elf,  dwarf, halfling) conniving to be paraded as subjugated representatives of the humanoid races, as they gradually convert and recruit a born-again goblin army to march on the mercantile cities of the coast and overthrow their snooty rulers.

Meanwhile, the Rogue character has secretly sold out his companions to a shadowy organisation who also want to see the city states overthrown,  but place their own agents at the wheel: each player has been gifted a minor magic item Galadriel-style by this grateful local "businesswoman", but in fact each is a different kind of monitoring device (sound,  vision,  location  etc.) that combined allow her to watch their every move. And that's just two of the characters!

I know there's nothing more boring than other people's D&D stories, but I wanted to highlight how there really is nothing like a tabletop RPG: even in this day and age of realistic multi-player computer games. A gaggle of complete noob teenagers sitting in their own homes can take a simple commercial rescue-a-dwarf introductory adventure and not-enough pre-gen characters and spin it up into over 2 months (so far) of completely unpredictable free fun.

It's a damn fine hobby.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Funt Solo on 05 December, 2020, 06:03:48 AM
In a world of micro-transactions and loot-boxes, that is indeed a grand game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 05 December, 2020, 06:54:00 AM
Quote from: TordelBack on 05 December, 2020, 12:40:41 AM
Game secured for click-and-collect from my FLGS. Happy dance!

Its a simple, fun game (I'm rubbish at it!) hope you as much as we did.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pictsy on 05 December, 2020, 09:43:58 AM
Quote from: TordelBack on 05 December, 2020, 12:40:41 AM
I know there's nothing more boring than other people's D&D stories...

I don't know about that.  I've listened to more stories and recorded sessions of other peoples D&D games than I've actually played.  Usually, as you yourself did, a good anecdote can be spun from most D&D games, even that time I tried to run a game with one player and no experience DMing.  It was a hot mess.  One day I'll try again, but maybe with a different rule set.  I like the look of Traveller just because the character creation looks like a lot of fun.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 05 December, 2020, 10:24:09 AM
Quote from: pictsy on 05 December, 2020, 09:43:58 AM
I've listened to more stories and recorded sessions of other peoples D&D games than I've actually played.  Usually, as you yourself did, a good anecdote can be spun from most D&D game...

I know that it's currently highly popular (and welcome that), and I've listened to more than my fair share of actual-play podcasts/youtube sessions, but in the end I've been forced to conclude that 'let me tell you about my character' is no more interesting to me writ large with voice actors and high production values than it was in whispers at the back of Maths class. Anecdotes are fine, but playing is the thing I love (or right now living vicariously through my kids): I enjoy reading or listening to talk about games and their creators, but I think accounts of campaigns or recordings of same have lost their appeal for me.

And yes, Traveller character creation is great fun: a game in itself, and I suspect I spent more time playing  than the RPG itself.  I believe the original GDW version is currently being offered free of charge.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pictsy on 05 December, 2020, 01:12:01 PM
Well, I'll admit that I'm not  listening to much D&D stuff at the moment (there is only one YouTuber I consistently watch and it's more to do with module reviews than anything else).  I veered off into the dark realm of GW miniatures and games and the terrain building hobby.  I like to make things.

Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 05 December, 2020, 01:14:01 PM
Quote from: pictsy on 05 December, 2020, 01:12:01 PMI like to make things.

And seriously nice things they are too.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pauljholden on 05 December, 2020, 01:31:02 PM
I was involved in helping do some design/artwork for a game called "Prisma Arena" - a fun little game were you battle other players in an areana - you get pop up standees which you can customise with different hairstyles and as you upgrade their abilities you can also customise their costumes.

It's a little complex to set up (though maybe that's the norm, I'm not used to these things) but it plays pretty fun - the idea is you can combine moves as  you move your characters around the board, then can use "combo" cards - to move, strike and move again (you can build up these combos as you play and then play them all out in one go). Once you knock out their opponent their free to enter the arena again (since there's no 'death' in the game)

Anyway, you might like it https://www.wearehubgames.com/our-games/prisma-arena
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: pictsy on 05 December, 2020, 02:11:32 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 05 December, 2020, 01:14:01 PM
Quote from: pictsy on 05 December, 2020, 01:12:01 PMI like to make things.

And seriously nice things they are too.

Aw, thank you  :D
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: TordelBack on 05 December, 2020, 02:40:05 PM
Quote from: pauljholden on 05 December, 2020, 01:31:02 PM
I was involved in helping do some design/artwork for a game called "Prisma Arena" -

That looks great - the physical customisation aspect is amazing, a big hook for the Gacha-obsessed and a great way to move past the abstraction of CCG-style arenas. Was Santa's sack not already filled due to premature retail anxiety, I'd be sorely tempted. Indeed I may yet crumble if I can get some cash in over the next week.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 06 December, 2020, 07:06:26 PM
Quote from: TordelBack on 05 December, 2020, 12:40:41 AM
I know there's nothing more boring than other people's D&D stories, but I wanted to highlight how there really is nothing like a tabletop RPG: even in this day and age of realistic multi-player computer games. A gaggle of complete noob teenagers sitting in their own homes can take a simple commercial rescue-a-dwarf introductory adventure and not-enough pre-gen characters and spin it up into over 2 months (so far) of completely unpredictable free fun.
Nah. Maybe it's just the way you tell them but that was fun AND heart-warming.

I've had loads of different RPG boxes and books over the years but have only very rarely ever played any of them. And not at all since I was a teenager. Definitely feel I've missed out a bit there.

Azul continues to be our goto game at home. Easy to pick up, looks lovely and a nice strategic element emerges once you've played a few times.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Barrington Boots on 08 December, 2020, 09:48:32 AM
I was given the deck builder Dragonfire for my birthday and it is just incredibly hard. We've yet to win a game after about a dozen attempts. It's not helped that there's only two of us running two hands of cards at once, as the game does rely on some playing out of turn, but we're at the stage now where it's not going to be easy to get my wife to try this again which means it's days look numbered. Checking online and hints seem to be that you have to get beaten a decent number of times to get anywhere anyway. Has anyone else attempted this absolute bastard of a game?

I rather like hearing other peoples D&D stories, but I'm not into watching other groups play online - I don't find it interesting in the slightest, and the flashier games seem pretty obviously scripted. Although I'd be tempted to ask my players to dress up.

Is there a D&D / TTRPG thread on here? Are many people playing? 
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 08 December, 2020, 10:31:39 AM
I've not played D&D in about a year now - I'd be up for it if anybody wants to run a game?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: sheridan on 08 December, 2020, 10:34:47 AM
p.s. I have Moldvay, Mentzer, 3.5, 4th and 5th edition rules.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Barrington Boots on 08 December, 2020, 12:25:49 PM
Since lockdown I'm now running two weekly games and occasionally playing in a third, so I'm not sure I could run one... I was more suggesting a thread to share stories and GM tips, but some kind of game based off this board is a cool idea..
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: wedgeski on 08 December, 2020, 01:50:42 PM
It's been almost a year since I got Helter Skelter, the Dredd boardgame. Having played it a dozen times, I can safely recommend it.

The game is essentially a face-off between two decks of cards with some terrain, range, and line-of-sight elements baked into the board. Choose a team, and play to their strengths to cross the finish line before your opponent. Cycle cards through your hand that permit named team members to take actions or defend against attacks. Spend wisely: if you're left with an empty hand on your opponent's turn, they can easily wipe one of your guys off the board.

The team abilities could be better distinguished, and forced movement seems like an obvious omission from the rules, but the game is easily picked up and very fast to set up and play. Just what you need when you have a half-hour to fill. It also looks fantastic.

Disclaimer: we've only ever played with 2 people. I'd love to play with more as it would be utter carnage. There isn't much mobility built into the rules and you'll be hoping you deploy in advantageous zones.

We like this enough that we'll be getting the Dark Judges expansion as our next board game-adjacent purchase.

Next up for me in the miniature 2000AD department: the Warlord Dredd skirmish game. Look for a review of that in 12 months! :)
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 27 December, 2020, 12:33:01 PM
Okay so not boardgames but not many are these days (at least in our world) but boy child got Throw Throw Barrito and Pigasus for X-Mas and both are a triumph... though I can feel the arguements that TTB will generate in days to come!

Additional Beasts make Beasts of Balance an even better game.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Leigh S on 27 December, 2020, 01:45:35 PM
Broke open my copy of Block and Mega Mania, then read a bit about it on Boardgamegeek... For some curious reason, I think I skipped this back in the day (have a copy now, but think that was ebayed?).  Certainly remember playing it back in the day, but not tht often... I feel that we probably lent it from my cousins friend who was also big into 2000AD at the time.  GW were churning out so much other stuff, 2000AD or otherwise, that I might not have prioritised it - Sorry Tharg!

Anyway, while I am een to try to play games as intended, the Happy Hour stuff seems slightly scarey balance wise (when an 80s game is warning you at the time of balance issues...!).

This seems easily fixable - let each block draw randomly from one of the secret weapons (Thermo Bombx2, Plasti-crete Virus, Nerve Gas).  They may forego their CP roll result to place the weapon in their armoury (thus allowing a poor roll to be used for something quite powerful instead). 

The only other thing that sounds super swingy is the CP roll... I'm tempted to try to do something about that using Happy Hour as well - Every block begins with the Jaeger squad and draw three more random (rather than 4 random).

CP is still a 2D6 roll, but you can never go over 12 CP in any one round, even with the use of Mania cards).

When you lose a Jaeger Squad, your CP maximum drops by 2 and for each Citi Def you lose your CP max drops by 1 (so if all 4 of your CitiDef are killed and your Jeager, then the max CP you can get is 6) - you can use some of the weirdly blank tiles from the happy Hour sheet to show that, or put your dead CitiDeffers onto the CP tracker (though they might be too big?)

Going to try this out with my daughter later this week to see how it goes - she loves Dungeonquest, so swingy is not a problem...
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: The Bissler on 28 December, 2020, 11:48:43 AM
I'm sure you'll have a blast Leigh as they're great fun! I greatly enjoyed revisiting the game when I had a game just before Christmas!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: I, Cosh on 28 December, 2020, 02:08:50 PM
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 27 December, 2020, 12:33:01 PM
Additional Beasts make Beasts of Balance an even better game.
I was desperately trying to remember the name of this before Christmas but I couldn't find your old posts so o thought maybe if imagined it. Is it more of a kids game or will work for adults too?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 28 December, 2020, 03:40:59 PM
Quote from: I, Cosh on 28 December, 2020, 02:08:50 PM
Quote from: Colin YNWA on 27 December, 2020, 12:33:01 PM
Additional Beasts make Beasts of Balance an even better game.
I was desperately trying to remember the name of this before Christmas but I couldn't find your old posts so o thought maybe if imagined it. Is it more of a kids game or will work for adults too?

Falls into all ages I'd suggest. All the adults I know who have it bought it for kids but love it themselves.

These folks are really annoying but they sum it up really well.

https://youtu.be/qn9jEkcKc2U (https://youtu.be/qn9jEkcKc2U)

One word of warning it ain't cheap! The game itself is over £100 (though you might as well go for the £140 extended edition?) and extras around £20. We got lucky as game 'changed hands' of similar over the last year and we picked it up cheap when the 'old' version was being sold off (it seems to be exactly the same?!?) and got it as a present for a friend at those prices. Since then its soared in price again and I picked up almost all the extras BUT for like x3 the price I paid for the game itself originally.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 18 July, 2021, 03:22:59 PM
So the boy child has been watching me play Talisman on the Switch and got very excited and is now asking of we can get it 'for reals'. So I'm looking for advice. I'm thinking there are a couple of options.

1. Get Star Wars Talisman as that will be different to the version we have on the Switch , is an world we both like and looks cool - but is it any good? I mean it can't really go wrong can it, the game will be the same essential with I assume some cute differences (and i don't just mean porgs.

2. Get the original core set (is 4th edition significent different - I'll do some reading but doesn't look to be) BUT the core set seems a little ... limited now given all the expansions we've seen on the Switch version. So thinking might get a couple of those as well. I remember the City Expansion when I was a kid and play it in the Switch version and it now feels pretty essential. But what about some of the others?

From looking through the expansions on the Switch I'm thinking three look best (happy to be told I'm wrong) and like the look of one of Dragon Expansion - feels like it would provide a cohesive complete different feel to the game. Dungeon expansion - cos ya know Dungeons are cool and I like the look of some of the characters. Finally Woodland Expansion for much the same reason as the Dungeon one really - I like the feel of it and the characters seem cool?

Any recommendations? I know at least Enigmatic Doctor X is a big player - anyone else?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Barrington Boots on 19 July, 2021, 10:20:38 AM
Talisman 2nd edition was a staple of my younger years, and although I've only played a little of the 4th edition it's a lot better in terms of gameplay. By modern standards 'classic' Talisman is a bit of a drag: clunky rules and games take about 900 hours to finish: the Fantasy Flight release tightens things up a little bit and I'd recommend that.
(You can still get the old GW second edition in places and the art is much better imo, but some of the expansions are almost impossible to get now)

Expansion-wise I wouldn't go in too heavy on these, as FFG will churn out expansion after expansion until they overwhelm the core games good points and the game collapses under it's own weight (Arkham Horror being a good example). The City I have heard can be a bit OP. I ran this by a friend of mine who has most of the 4th ed content and he suggested the best 'big' expansions were City & Woodland, and he also loves the Reaper expansion.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 19 July, 2021, 11:00:09 AM
Quote from: Barrington Boots on 19 July, 2021, 10:20:38 AM
Talisman 2nd edition was a staple of my younger years, and although I've only played a little of the 4th edition it's a lot better in terms of gameplay. By modern standards 'classic' Talisman is a bit of a drag: clunky rules and games take about 900 hours to finish: the Fantasy Flight release tightens things up a little bit and I'd recommend that.
(You can still get the old GW second edition in places and the art is much better imo, but some of the expansions are almost impossible to get now)

Expansion-wise I wouldn't go in too heavy on these, as FFG will churn out expansion after expansion until they overwhelm the core games good points and the game collapses under it's own weight (Arkham Horror being a good example). The City I have heard can be a bit OP. I ran this by a friend of mine who has most of the 4th ed content and he suggested the best 'big' expansions were City & Woodland, and he also loves the Reaper expansion.

Fantastic - thanks Barrington Boots. It also feels like Woodland and City provide a nice counterpoint to each other.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Barrington Boots on 19 July, 2021, 11:29:46 AM
No worries! I didn't realise you'd been playing 4th edition on the Switch so obviously ignore all that stuff about 2nd edition, sorry!
I'd never heard of Star Wars Talisman and it looks like there's a few different editions of Talisman now.

My mate also said Dungeon is not bad, but he'd suggest you start with those others ones and don't add on too much too fast.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 19 July, 2021, 12:05:38 PM
Quote from: Barrington Boots on 19 July, 2021, 11:29:46 AM
No worries! I didn't realise you'd been playing 4th edition on the Switch so obviously ignore all that stuff about 2nd edition, sorry!


To be honest I'm not sure I'm playing 4th Ed on Switch - we watched an unboxing ... the ahem... boy child likes that kinda thing and that suggests it might not??? be 4th ed. That has light and dark fate????
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Barrington Boots on 19 July, 2021, 01:16:13 PM
I haven't played it but it looks like 4th ed from the art - and it's definitely not 2nd or the risible 3rd edition. Perhaps it's some kind of Switch-hybrid?
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 19 July, 2021, 02:41:57 PM
Quote from: Barrington Boots on 19 July, 2021, 01:16:13 PM
I haven't played it but it looks like 4th ed from the art - and it's definitely not 2nd or the risible 3rd edition. Perhaps it's some kind of Switch-hybrid?

Maybe - overall though its damned fun!
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Colin YNWA on 06 December, 2021, 09:18:59 PM
Couple of new board games brought for the boy child this birthday and both a triumph.

Firstly 'Scotland Yard' from Ravenburger. I mean this is a well known game (I guess) seen it advertised on the telly and everything, but never actually played it. Its immense fun and really effective in creating drama and tension from a pretty simple game mechanic.

Secondly Talisman - Legendary Tales despite the boy liking Talisman on the Switch we decided to go for this striped down verison physically as its simpler and fit better into our available playing time. Very glad we did, as I say striped down, but its a very different beast. Fast moving and really fun with a nice fresh nechanic that keeps things moving and simulates the growth in the original, though with a nice way to mean as you get better the game gets harder. Only draw back quite a bit of set up, but once you are in this one seems great fun.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: wedgeski on 07 December, 2021, 09:13:20 AM
Currently, we can't get enough of Legendary Encounters (the Alien deck building game), which accomplishes the amazing feat of telling a coherent story inside a deck-builder, and Flamme Rouge, the "tactical bicycle racing" game. The first time we played it, I had an awful experience, but having given it another go, it's one of the best games I've played in years.

We're also trying really hard to finish Pandemic Legacy Season 1 (yes, you read that right!). Lockdown hit in the middle of our run, and coupled with the fact that the game kicked our asses for the first few months, we haven't exactly been eager to get back into it. But we've managed a couple of sessions and have only 1 or 2 games to go. It often leaves a bitter taste in the mouth and I'm disappointed our experience was undermined by so much bad luck (and one or two significant rules errors on our part), but there can be no denying its design brilliance.

But over 2021 Quacks of Queddlingburgh with the Hedge Witches expansion takes the prize for most loved game. If your teeth can handle the grinding when you hit that unlucky streak, it's just about perfect.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: CalHab on 07 December, 2021, 04:20:33 PM
The game group I'm in has been trying This War of Mine recently. It's an interesting concept, a cooperative game about the survival of a group of civilians during a civil war. It's based on a computer game I haven't played.

The board game has many aspects borrowed from role playing. We've managed to fail spectacularly, but still enjoy the experience, which is a good sign. My biggest criticism would be that the narratives are sometimes very clunky and jarring.

Not something I'd buy, but worth playing.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: Barrington Boots on 10 December, 2021, 11:33:19 AM
Quote from: wedgeski on 07 December, 2021, 09:13:20 AM
Currently, we can't get enough of Legendary Encounters (the Alien deck building game), which accomplishes the amazing feat of telling a coherent story inside a deck-builder

I love this game for that exact reason. Each scenario is very different and actually feels very close to the films.
Have you played LE: Predator? It's not quite as good, but similar. It makes up for only two scenarios but allowing you to replay them both as a Predator which is fun but annoying when the humans kick your ass.
You can also combine the two for an AvP game, which I haven't got round to yet...

I've been playing a bit of Aliens: Bughunt which is a fun game at a low pricepoint.
Title: Re: The Board Game Thread
Post by: wedgeski on 10 December, 2021, 11:57:33 AM
Quote from: Barrington Boots on 10 December, 2021, 11:33:19 AM
Quote from: wedgeski on 07 December, 2021, 09:13:20 AM
Currently, we can't get enough of Legendary Encounters (the Alien deck building game), which accomplishes the amazing feat of telling a coherent story inside a deck-builder

I love this game for that exact reason. Each scenario is very different and actually feels very close to the films.
Have you played LE: Predator? It's not quite as good, but similar. It makes up for only two scenarios but allowing you to replay them both as a Predator which is fun but annoying when the humans kick your ass.
You can also combine the two for an AvP game, which I haven't got round to yet...

I've been playing a bit of Aliens: Bughunt which is a fun game at a low pricepoint.
Ive also played the Firefly and Marvel versions, but not the Predator one. None of the others that I've played are as good as Alien (I have such affinity for the source material, I just assumed it was me). I'll take another look. Bughunt is already on The List. :)