Board games

[Demnogonis Saastuttaja]

I think Arkham Horror really gets boring after a while because it's so easy, and the various add-ons just add a bunch of stuff. A better co-op game is Doom, because it also has a GM. There's experience points, new skills, lots of guns, ammo mechanics, different monsters with different abilities, descriptions of many of the rooms the GM has to read... Just tweak what doesn't work for you, we put a cap on player armor to 3 because with more they'll never die.

Another charming co-op game is Lord of the Rings. Sauron is a black wooden piece with a red dot, and he's coming for you. It's definitely harder than Arkham Horror at least, and I like that it doesn't have a big bunch of crap. It's just simple fun.

Also if you're a fan of Paradox games, try out Struggle of Empires. http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/9625/struggle-of-empires Even though it looks really boring, it's mechanically interesting, it's not really like any other game I have played.

 

[Destroid]

If Doom is as similar to Descent as I think it is, I frown upon that one too.

 

[catfood]

If you want a \m/ TRVE Mythos experience \m/ then there is no other choice than

:monocle:



Also, one of the best 'board' games I've played recently is Dixit.

It's a 'card' game but the rules are extremely simple. As far as I can remember the rules are as follows: Each player draws a number of cards and they each take turn in being the 'storyteller'. The ST chooses a card, places it face down on the table and says a key word or key phrase that is related to the picture drawn on the card. Then everyone else chooses a card from their hand that thinks best fits the ST's description and places them on the table. When everyone has placed a card on the table they are revealed. The players need to guess which one of the cards on the table belongs to the storyteller. And here's the catch: the ST needs to make the descritption neither too obvious nor too vague because if all or none of the other players guess the ST's card then the ST gets no points. I don't remember the scoring rules but they're not all that important. The player with the most points at the end wins, obviously.

I have only played it once, though, so keep in mind that I don't know if the replayability is any good. I don't know if there are any expansions for it.


Another cool one was Chaos in the Old World. Each player takes control of one of the chaos gods and they each race to see which one of them destroys more of the world. It has workers, military units, spells, research and that sort of thing. Somewhat quick to learn rules too expecially if you've played other similar board games. As with Dixit, I've played it once. I played as Slaneesh and won :D
You should give it a look expecially if your group are Warhammer fans.

 

[Trannynota]

Yeah, by the way, SmallWorld is really worth a try. There's an iOS app as well, so you can play either vs a friend or vs AI.

Some older threads on board games:
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/board-non-collectible-card-games.10479/
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...u-play-board-and-or-miniature-wargames.26051/
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/boardgames.58464/
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/board-game-subboard.63153/
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/the-print-play-boardgame-thread.69405/
http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...oardgaming-rex-final-days-of-an-empire.69357/

Don't misunderstand me, StarCraft is surprisingly good for what it is(tm). If you'd really like to try your hand at the "war not battle" thing, try Empires & Arms. That shit is crazy.

Thanks!

 

[Wolfus]

If you want a \m/ TRVE Mythos experience \m/ then there is no other choice than

:monocle:



Also, one of the best 'board' games I've played recently is Dixit.

It's a 'card' game but the rules are extremely simple. As far as I can remember the rules are as follows: Each player draws a number of cards and they each take turn in being the 'storyteller'. The ST chooses a card, places it face down on the table and says a key word or key phrase that is related to the picture drawn on the card. Then everyone else chooses a card from their hand that thinks best fits the ST's description and places them on the table. When everyone has placed a card on the table they are revealed. The players need to guess which one of the cards on the table belongs to the storyteller. And here's the catch: the ST needs to make the descritption neither too obvious nor too vague because if all or none of the other players guess the ST's card then the ST gets no points. I don't remember the scoring rules but they're not all that important. The player with the most points at the end wins, obviously.

I have only played it once, though, so keep in mind that I don't know if the replayability is any good. I don't know if there are any expansions for it.


Another cool one was Chaos in the Old World. Each player takes control of one of the chaos gods and they each race to see which one of them destroys more of the world. It has workers, military units, spells, research and that sort of thing. Somewhat quick to learn rules too expecially if you've played other similar board games. As with Dixit, I've played it once. I played as Slaneesh and won :D
You should give it a look expecially if your group are Warhammer fans.

Damn right. We already play CoC RPG but we also want other sort of entertainment with similar atmosphere.

Dixit is GREAT game. My co-worker bought it as a gift for his sons and game is still in our work. We play it in the lunchtime

 

[Demnogonis Saastuttaja]

If Doom is as similar to Descent as I think it is, I frown upon that one too.

I only played Descent once, hearing how much better it's supposed to be than Doom, but I thought it was pretty crap, nowhere near as good as Doom. Only played it once, though.

Chaos in the Old World is fun to play, too. Just remember to get the add-on, I think it made the game more interesting since it makes all the factions capable of trying either victory condition.

One beef everybody in our group has with a lot of board games these days is that it's always four+ hours of plotting and scheming, and in the end luck determines the outcome, usually in the very last turn. I'd like to know some shorter length but still good games.

 

[Destroid]

I've played CitOW a few times and really enjoyed it, it's extremely thematic too.

I'm going to keep on flogging Cosmic Encounter. It's easily the most played boardgame in our group, highly thematic, very rarely runs overtime (about 20 minutes play time per player, including setup) and has EXTREMELY variable gameplay. It's got a lot of player interactivity but it is very much a seize the moment type game, long term planning doesn't help you much because the situation changes too much between your turns. The downsides are your groups meta can fuck up the game a bit if you play poorly, and the players at the table MUST accept and account for the fact that some players will simply be stronger. We play with two factional powers per player (with a quick check each game for overpowered combos) and we find this way to be a lot more fun than the standard single power. House rules are encouraged in this game, and many of it's current mechanics and powers started out as homebrew designs (the original game in the 70s had 6 powers, the current version has 90 with a new expansion on the way). The worst part of the game is that some sequencing and power interaction issues can be complicated to resolve, typically we give it a vote and move on quickly.

Shines with 4-5 players but still very good with 6-7. I've never played a 3 player game, when our player count get's that low we play games like Tigris & Euphrates or Vikings, which are not usually played as they are 4 player maximum.

Key things that I like in boardgames are:
Player interaction
Player conflict
Assymetry
Low player downtime

Bonus points for:
Multiple ways to win
Interesting theme
Low-moderate degree of luck
Player induced chaos

These are generally the most important things for my enjoyment in general terms. Of course, the actual mechanics have to be interesting too, but a lot of player interaction can really help out. As a result I really don't get much out of committee coop games like Arkham Asylum (really a 1 player game) or Descent (2 players), or on the other end of the spectrum, solitaire games like Race for the Galaxy and more than a few euro games which feature only very limited interaction with the other players.

 

[sser]

Those games are a mixed bag, but then again, all board games tend to be that way with people.


I have the D&D-lite Wrath of Ashardalon and it is very fun game to just pick up and play. They came out with a Drizzt-related game, but I have yet to try it. Mechanically, it has sound game design and makes for pretty hilarious evenings.

I do think Settlers of Catan is the most interesting board game I've ever come across, but I'm sure you've already played that one. Worth mentioning again, anyway.

 

[Destroid]

Settlers gets tired (and frustrating), but it's a good game to introduce people to boardgaming.

You can play it free online if you want to see what it's about, although the game plays out pretty differently in person, with much more trading being done around the table than online.

http://games.asobrain.com/

 

[Grunker]

Descent is... ok. There are a couple of really good ideas in it, but the balance between players and dungeon master is off and the combat rules are a bit dysfunctional.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Good board games eh?


The Battlestar Galactica board game is a load of fun.

Another good one is Red November (aka "That Game With The Gnomish Nuclear Submarine")

Steve Jackson's Frag is great fun.

Naturally a thread like this must have BattleTech.

Down In Flames is extremely fun.

Memoirs '44 is good, though takes a while (nowhere near as ball-numbingly long as Twilight Imperium though).

I've got the new version of Horus Heresy on my shelf, haven't gotten a chance to play it yet.

 

[Grunker]

You find Twillight Imperium takes long? :O

We've had to expand the rules to make it last longer.

 

[Demnogonis Saastuttaja]

Yeah, TI is like 15 hours, tops. Check this out : http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/254/empires-in-arms lol 6000 minutes A friend has praised this game to the heavens.

 

[Destroid]

15 hours D:

I thought the 8 hour marathon 8+ player games of Dune I had in my youth were epic.

 

[Grunker]

As I said ealier Demnogonis, Empires & Arms is the shit. But you need to set it up, and then play once every week/month for like a year until you finish.

 

[Forest Dweller]

 

[DwarvenFood]

The best board game I've played so far is StarCraft.

Evidently you've never played Republic of Rome, Settlers, Twillight Imperium, Axis & Allies or Ave Caesar.

Nah, played Settlers multiple times, with friends in RL and with strangers online. Settlers is a battle while StarCraft is a war. Haven't tried the other games you mentioned, busy with Castle Ravenloft scenarious.

Is Castle Ravenloft fun, and how is it with say 2 players ? it's co-op right ?

 

[Ulminati]

Good thing I clicked GD by accident since I don't really bother with this subboard anymore.

We've had several board game threads. They go in general gaming.

None of the games you suggested are terribly good. They all suffer from the problem that most of the interesting developments in the games come from randomly drawn cards where you don't know exactly what to expect. Once you've played either of the games 5-6 times you know what the majority of the cards do. At this point, finding an optimal path becomes formulaic. I don't think the players ever lost a game of arkham horror in the board game club I frequent.

If you have any preferences in regards to themes, no. of players, cooperative vs competitive, rule complexity, random factors etc. you can shoot me a PM and I'll pull some recommendations from the library of 300-or-so board games we have in our club that match.

 

[chernobog]

Is Castle Ravenloft fun, and how is it with say 2 players ? it's co-op right ?

Castle Ravenloft is retardedly easy; I've played it in both party settings and with my kids. None of our characters ever died, though we came close a few times. It is fun though, and a good introduction to D&D mechanics for people who wouldn't otherwise touch it.

I want to buy a new one but I cannot decide which one.

Arkham Horror
Mansions of Madness
Last Night on the Earth
Ghost Stories

Do you guys know them? Can you cecommend me one of them?

Arkham Horror is pretty fun, though it's another game that is retardedly easy. Looooooong setup time with over 9000 pieces, beware.

Mansions of Madness I had more fun with. It was more difficult, but it's scenario based so eventually you're going to get bored with the story aspect of it. The game still plays out semi-randomly though.

Last Night on Earth, I've only played once. It was fun but I spent half the game looking for a weapon, and when I finally got one the DM instantly used some special power to take it from me. You can't really do shit without a weapon so that was pretty goddamn lame.

Ghost Stories I have not played.

You might want to check out Shadows Over Camelot. It's currently my favorite game. Hard as hell and the fact that one player can be a traitor aspect keeps things interesting.

 

[chernobog]

I don't think the players ever lost a game of arkham horror in the board game club I frequent.

That's been the case for us too, which is unfortunate because our "leader" bought the game largely because of reviews touting how challenging the game was.

 

[deus101]

I don't think the players ever lost a game of arkham horror in the board game club I frequent.

That's been the case for us too, which is unfortunate because our "leader" bought the game largely because of reviews touting how challenging the game was.

Well....depends....if you rely on buffing up equipment until the final boss...well.....

 

[Lonely Vazdru]

Cosmic Encounter

/thread.

 

[Wolfus]

You might want to check out Shadows Over Camelot. It's currently my favorite game. Hard as hell and the fact that one player can be a traitor aspect keeps things interesting.

We already own Camelot, Yggdrasil, Fury of Dracula, Descent and Runewars. Camelot is probably the best one so far.

 

[Luzur]

that one and Drakar och Demoner (Dragons and Demons, Swedish D&D copy, also made as a PC RPG game.) are the board games i played til i would drop back in the day.

heres the PC game version:

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

Fuck yeah Hero Quest (GW will never re-release or remake it except maybe as a 1000 dorraa "special edition" because they're faggots)