Non traditional board games

[shorttricky]

My recommendation is to avoid Munchkin. It's a terrible game.

Munchkin is fine as a fun lead-in game to something "proper".

Just remove the charity rule (discard instead) and remember the trading/making alliances/backstabbing are all way more important than the attacking monsters.

King of Tokyo, Smash up (will need 1 expansion to get up to 7 players), Word Whimsy, Tsuro, Small World and 7 Wonders are all good games that scale well. KoT and Tsuro do have player elimination, although they should be quick enough that it's not a huge deal.

 

[Muz333]

Munchkin is fine as a fun lead-in game to something "proper".

Just remove the charity rule (discard instead) and remember the trading/making alliances/backstabbing are all way more important than the attacking monsters.

King of Tokyo, Smash up (will need 1 expansion to get up to 7 players), Word Whimsy, Tsuro, Small World and 7 Wonders are all good games that scale well. KoT and Tsuro do have player elimination, although they should be quick enough that it's not a huge deal.

My issue with Munchkin is it involved everyone sitting one point away from winning and everyone else playing cards to prevent this. This carried on for far longer than it stopped being fun.

KoT (or better yet King of New York which is only slightly more meatier than KoT), Tsuro and Small World are all good games. So good in fact I own them all.

Despite owning Smash Up it fell a little flat for me. Maybe I just need to give it another play.

 

[neil3k]

Has anyone got scoundrels of skullport?

 

[steelhead31]

Has anyone got scoundrels of skullport?

I have it, if you like Waterdeep, and fancy adding a bit more depth, without adding too much more complexity, I can highly recommend it.

These days we don't play Waterdeep without it...

 

[Muz333]

Has anyone got scoundrels of skullport?

I couldn't play LoW without it! Adds a bit more game while keeping it easily accessible to newcomers.

They've said they plan on another expansion sometime. I hope it beefs it up suitably to become more of a gamers game.

 

[JeditOjanen]

I couldn't play LoW without it! Adds a bit more game while keeping it easily accessible to newcomers.

They've said they plan on another expansion sometime. I hope it beefs it up suitably to become more of a gamers game.

I'd rather it didn't. You can overburden a game very easily trying to do that. Lords of Waterdeep is a good entry-level worker placement game, but if you want to go deeper you're better off playing something like Viticulture or Archon: Glory and Machination instead.

I played Viticulture with the Specialist Workers from Tuscany for the first time last night, and honestly I don't see myself wanting to play without them again. We drew the Professore, who lets you remove a standard worker that you played in the same season and use it again later, and the Traveller, who can take an action from a previous season. The Traveller didn't affect much as he is more useful on the Extended Board where you have four seasons of actions instead of two, but the Professore made for some really interesting play. Players often put out their standard workers early to take bonus spaces and so were picking them up again with their Professore, which freed the bonus space to be used again by someone else. This was how I eventually won the game; in the last Winter season the player before me picked up his worker on the Winter Visitors bonus space, which allowed me to play two instead of one. I played the Advanced Judge to trade a wine for 3 VP and the Manager to take an action from a previous season without placing a worker. The Judge let me tie the leader for points, and I used the Manager to take a tour that gave me enough money to win on the first tiebreaker.

There are eleven Specialist Workers and you only play with two of them, so there are still nine I haven't seen. They do all kinds of things ranging from letting you claim the bonus even if the space is occupied to forcing other players to pay you £1 to play on the same area of the board. If you like Viticulture, you should absolutely buy Tuscany - it's a whole new game.

 

[Muz333]

I'd rather it didn't. You can overburden a game very easily trying to do that. Lords of Waterdeep is a good entry-level worker placement game, but if you want to go deeper you're better off playing something like Viticulture or Archon: Glory and Machination instead.

Oh yeah, by no means should they overcomplicate it. However if it adds just a little complexity, enough to bring to the table more often I'd be happy. Any excuse to get those DnDeeples out!

 

[Bickaxe]

Been playing Firefly for the past few nights (different expansion each night).
Get jobs from different characters, fly around the verse increasing your crew and try to complete the story before other players.

Great game but does take a few hours.

Found a new US version on Amazon for £13 +£6 shipping (usual price is around £40) from Gamesquest. Couldn't resist at that price (could be an error as it's no longer listed). Will see if they honour it.

 

[Muz333]

Been playing Firefly for the past few nights (different expansion each night).
Get jobs from different characters, fly around the verse increasing your crew and try to complete the story before other players.

Great game but does take a few hours.

Found a new US version on Amazon for £13 +£6 shipping (usual price is around £40) from Gamesquest. Couldn't resist at that price (could be an error as it's no longer listed). Will see if they honour it.

I've yet to try out my expansions with the game. However it's a great game assuming you care for the theme, which I do.

 

[noj]

have been playing Roll for the Galaxy at our games nights recently.
A dice version of Race for the Galaxy.

I'm a fan of the original card game so wasn't sure on this but have to say I really enjoy it. Its fast paced and the differences to the card version make for quite a different feel to things.

Really enjoy it...and there is nothing like rolling a cup full of dice

 

[EddScott]

Has anyone ever gone back to the old games of the 80s?

I was rummaging an auction site and came across classics (to me anyway) like Heroquest, Space Crusade, Blood Bowl. Some look in better condition than others.

I was thinking of buying and selling a few here and there in order to build mint complete sets of each. I know I could just spend more and get minters straight away but I like the idea of restoring a complete game.

 

[SKILL]

Just noticed the posts about Firefly, I've had it a while but don't often get a chance to play it as it can be quite long, but I love it

The theme is just done so incredibly well, and as a 'bit' of a Firefly fan it's worth it just for that.

I've also got, but not played yet, the expansions, hopefully should be playing with both this evening though so looking forward to that.

 

[Mockingbird]

Has anyone ever gone back to the old games of the 80s?

I was rummaging an auction site and came across classics (to me anyway) like Heroquest, Space Crusade, Blood Bowl. Some look in better condition than others.

I was thinking of buying and selling a few here and there in order to build mint complete sets of each. I know I could just spend more and get minters straight away but I like the idea of restoring a complete game.

Blood Bowl still has quite a following, with international tournaments and a new version of the computer conversion in the works, but the old boxed games are quite out of date. If it's worth it for the collector in you, go nuts, but for the best game play experience I'd download the current edition of the living rulebook (a good googling should find it easily enough).

 

[PoD]

I thought I would update my list of games as it has been a while.

I wish I had been to Essen this year

• 7 Wonders (2010)
• 7 Wonders: Babel (2014)
• 7 Wonders: Cities (2012)
• 7 Wonders: Leaders (2011)
• 7 Wonders: Wonder Pack (2013)
  
• Alchemists (2014)
  
• Among the Stars (2012)
  
• Android: Netrunner (2012)
  
• Biblios (2007)
  
• Carcassonne (2000)
  
• Cards Against Humanity (2009)
  
• The Castles of Burgundy (2011)
  
• Castles of Mad King Ludwig (2014)
  
• Caverna: The Cave Farmers (2013)
  
• Citadels (2000)
  
• Coup (2012)
  
• CV (2013)
• CV: Gossip (2014)
  
• Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game (2014)
  
• Dixit (2008)
  
• Forbidden Island (2010)
  
• Ghost Stories (2008)
  
• Imperial Settlers (2014)
  
• Jaipur (2009)
  
• Jenga (1983)
  
• Lost Cities: The Board Game (2008)
  
• Love Letter (2012)
  
• Monopoly City (2009)
  
• Nations (2013)
  
• One Night Ultimate Werewolf (2014)
  
• Pandemic (2007)
• Pandemic: In the Lab (2013)
• Pandemic: On the Brink (2009)
  
• Progress: Evolution of Technology (2014)
  
• Race for the Galaxy (2007)
• Race for the Galaxy: Rebel vs Imperium (2009)
• Race for the Galaxy: The Gathering Storm (2008)
  
• The Resistance: Avalon (2012)
  
• Russian Railroads (2013)
  
• San Juan (2004)
  
• Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective (1981)
  
• Splendor (2014)
  
• Spyfall (2014)
  
• Star Fluxx (2011)
  
• Terra Mystica (2012)
  
• Terra Mystica: Fire & Ice (2014)
  
• Upon a Fable (2013)

 

[Damnations Fury]

I thought I would update my list of games as it has been a while.

I wish I had been to Essen this year

It was awesome

 

[JeditOjanen]

It was awesome

For crying out loud - I asked if anyone else was going and wanted to meet and everyone was "nah, wish I could, me so jelly".

 

[Socaddict]

New acquisitions.



Got the first Epic Spell Wars, and its great fun so wanted to add the sequel to it. Been hearing many great things about the Portal game, and the magazine and other game were included free.

Gotta love Board Game Guru.

 

[Kyrne]

A tabletop gaming mag.... oooohhh errrr!

 

[Psymonkee]

Let me know how Portal works out - very interested!

 

[Socaddict]

Hey, the mag was free. Apparently retail on it is about a fiver.