The Board Game Thread!

[Violentvixen]

Got Everdell from the library and tried it out. Not one I'm going to buy or try to teach but I'd play it again if someone else owned it.

The overarching issues were that the instruction booklet is very poor, the cards have a tiny font that's hard to read and the structure of the game isn't really easy to grasp. Before getting together with another couple to play I could tell the instruction manual wasn't too great so we all watched a few quick "how to play" videos. But none of those videos really went through the minutae of what happens on each turn. So the first time we played we completely misunderstood and (for example) our workers kept gathering resources every turn, because we thought that's how it worked and the booklet wasn't really clearly stating things. So no one had any reason to move onto the next season and we were baffled.

Then I found this long video and skipped around to actually see several turns go by and realized how it worked.

So we got together a second time, but still had to stop and Google random videos or look up Reddit threads. There are just weird gray areas or vagueness on how things work. The font is so damned tiny on those cards they absolutely could have clarified a lot of things. Overall we just never felt like the game had a consistent flow, we were jumping all over the place and didn't really have a clear sense of the objective. Then three of us finished Winter while the fourth player was still in Autumn so we just sat there for a while.

Also we made a house rule that it's not just a husband/wife on a farm, you can have a husband/husband or wife/wife pair because it seemed weird not to allow that.

 

[Sarcasmorator]

I've considered that one (it's pretty!) and even tossed a dollar in the last Kickstarter pot but it's never quite caught with me enough to try it or take the plunge.

 

[karzac]

Yeah Everdell is one that I played pretty wrong the first time. The game structure is a bit unudual and yeah the rulebook isn't good. It's pretty fun once you get the hang of it though!

 

[Paul le Fou]

I picked that one up after enjoying it during my one and only visit to a game cafe in the last 2 years. Haven't gotten to play it again yet, but I want to!

 

[Patrick]

3 of my friends came over yesterday and we played Jump Drive, created characters for an upcoming B/X D&D game, and then played a full game of Eclipse.

Jump Drive keeps growing on me. I love playing Race for the Galaxy on my phone, but JD is so easy to teach, and the deck has its own set of quirks and strategies that are unique from Race. And I like that all of the points are in chips, so you just get quickly growing piles under your tableau. It's really satisfying for such a short game.

I had previously played a game of Eclipse that went on way too long due to other players suffering from Analysis Paralysis. Yesterday we played Eclipse 2e. We actually finished this time, in under 3 hours. I upgraded my smallest ships a bunch and just built a lot of them. I had some alien tech that fired 2 yellow dice, +2 hull, and a drive that moved 3 spaces and gave a bunch of initiative. Plus, I could build 3 at a time. I had uncovered a ton of alien ships early on that slowed my start, but then I spent the rest of the game demolishing them, and taking out the center orb too. My friend who owned the game knew what he was doing and focused his research in one branch and then built a ton of monoliths, so he ended up with the edge in points. It was really fun though, I'm looking forward to playing again.

 

[balder the brave]

Here are my plays from 2022. Pretty cool - you can just paste in your BGG logged plays thru Logged Plays -> Enter a date range and select "Thumbnails" -> Go -> Select and copy -> Paste into Talking-Time

Wingspan (3)​	Biblios (2)​	Ginkgopolis (2)​	Heaven & Ale (2)​	Maracaibo (2)​	Underwater Cities (2)​
Dominion: Intrigue (Second Edition) (1)​	Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King (1)​	Port Royal (1)​	The Staufer Dynasty (1)​

Wingspan - Fun engine builder with beautiful production values. A little shallow, but still a 7 or 8 / 10 for me.

Biblios - Bidding filler game, very fun. We've been playing it for years.

Ginkgopolis - Area control game with some engine building / powers. We only really like area control games that are nice and forgiving. Otherwise it's brutal when another player just edges you out and you get nothing for all your investment. This has that quality.

Heaven & Ale - We really like the Kiesling / Kramer games. Always well-designed and balanced. They tend to be more "tight optimizers" than "sandbox" or "engine building" games. It's fun to strike a variety.

Maracaibo - I continue to be a little disappointed in this, as Pfister's Great Western Train and Mombasa are my two favorite games. It's still really good, though. I highly recommend playing Expert rules. It's only marginally more complex, but adds a lot of variety and balance.

Underwater Cities - Pretty tricky engine builder. There are a couple strategies one player in my group is able to execute that are very unintuitive. Soured me on it a little bit...I'm sure I could pick up on it after a few more plays, but it's a very long game, so that's a big investment.

Port Royal - This is a great filler game, highly recommended

Staufer Dynasty - We're going to play this again in a few days. Fun classic Euro.

 

[karzac]

Big fan of Ginkgopolis. I miss that he, it's been ages since I've played.

 

[Violentvixen]

Here are my plays from 2022. Pretty cool - you can just paste in your BGG logged plays thru Logged Plays -> Enter a date range and select "Thumbnails" -> Go -> Select and copy -> Paste into Talking-Time

What's BGG? This is interesting for sure! Edit: I am a VERY smart person who can click links and read! I had no idea they offered any kind of tracking, huh! I've never bothered to explore the site, just looked up one-off reviews and moved along.

Wingspan (3)​	​

Wingspan - Fun engine builder with beautiful production values. A little shallow, but still a 7 or 8 / 10 for me.

Aw, Wingspan is a 12/10 for me. I absolutely love it. But from following this thread I don't think I can keep up with the more complicated games a lot of people on here like.

 

[Kirin]

Yeah, I hear that VV. These days “a little shallow” is a plus for me more often than not. I appreciate that the more complex games exist but in practice I rarely have the time / energy / attention for them.

 

[Sarcasmorator]

I really love the more complicated games but sometimes my brain is just NOPE on anything too heavy under pandemic stress times. Most of my brainpower goes into theorycrafting X-Wing lists these days (or playing Gloomhaven digital), and then we play something more casual when we actually get a game going with friends.

 

[Patrick]

I like to have a mix of game weights. Like, Katie and I play a lot of Dominion, Hanabi, and Carcassonne. But I like to play a more complex game every now and then. I definitely have to keep in mind which of my friends is going to be playing though, because some of them have a limited tolerance for complex nonsense.

 

[karzac]

Wingspan for me falls into that space where it's too complicated for me to be able to teach it to people who aren't into games, but not strategically interesting enough for me to be really into it. I get why people like though! Just not my style, and there are other games in that genre that I prefer.

 

[Violentvixen]

Yeah, I hear that VV. These days “a little shallow” is a plus for me more often than not. I appreciate that the more complex games exist but in practice I rarely have the time / energy / attention for them.

I really love the more complicated games but sometimes my brain is just NOPE on anything too heavy under pandemic stress times. Most of my brainpower goes into theorycrafting X-Wing lists these days (or playing Gloomhaven digital), and then we play something more casual when we actually get a game going with friends.

I've also just never had a crowd who played them, which meant both that I didn't get much exposure and that no one could teach me. Wingspan is probably the most complicated game I've brought to a game night and some friends just couldn't get into it, others went and bought it the next day. Maybe some of the Ticket to Ride expansions could count as being up there in difficulty/complexity too with all the layered rules.

I like to have a mix of game weights. Like, Katie and I play a lot of Dominion, Hanabi, and Carcassonne. But I like to play a more complex game every now and then. I definitely have to keep in mind which of my friends is going to be playing though, because some of them have a limited tolerance for complex nonsense.

Yeah, this is us too. Although it amused me that you listed Dominion, that's my go-to "complicated" game example!

Now that I have a laptop that can handle it I should give Tabletop simulator another crack for some of the more complicated ones.

 

[John]

Dominion is complicated, especially for people who last played the standard family board games as children! There's abstract concepts, tons of brand new cards to look at and convert into actions, and multiple phases. There's no dice, no board, no clear indicators of what a player "should" be doing, and it's mostly a multiplayer solitaire experience, depending on the cards used. It becomes easier to play as players internalize the rules, but the base level complication's still there. It only looks less complex when compared to games that you need to internalize 40 pages of rules, instead of a 16 page one, half of which is showing examples and edge cases.

 

[balder the brave]

What's BGG? This is interesting for sure! Edit: I am a VERY smart person who can click links and read! I had no idea they offered any kind of tracking, huh! I've never bothered to explore the site, just looked up one-off reviews and moved along.

Logging plays is my favorite feature of BGG. I love going back a few years in the past to see what I was playing, to remind myself the name of a game I forgot, or to refresh my memory of a game I loved but forgot about. Highly recommended!

 

[balder the brave]

Wingspan is a little "shallow" to me not because the rules are simple, but because there are some cards that are much better than others and one strategy that seems best to me. I find myself playing the same way every time, trying to find other paths to victory, but not seeing them.

Spoiler: Wingspan strategy

"Early game resource, late game eggs"

Early on, prioritize cards that give you extra resources. Early in the game, buying cards is the most important thing to do, and you need resources for that.

Look out for really powerful cards: those that give you a free egg or resource when you or your opponents do something

Beyond those most powerful cards, prioritize cards that hold more eggs

Ignore the cards that require random rolls of the dice

The cards that allow you to slip cards underneath your cards are perhaps OK if they take cards from the deck. If they take cards from your hand, I never play them. It seems like a poor yield to lose a card in your hand. Overall, I think eggs are much more powerful. I'll explain next.

Work towards filling up your track for laying eggs. Preferably with 1-2 cards that increase egg yield.

In the final round or two, fill up your cards with eggs. At this point, you should be able to lay 5 eggs with one action. Eggs give 1 point at the end of the game. 5 points/action is an excellent turn that is difficult to beat with any other strategy. Most cards are only worth about 3-5 points, and take one action to obtain, one action to buy, and consume resources. So, getting 5 points with an egg-laying action alone is very strong.

By the late game, you shouldn't be taking many actions to get resources or buy cards. You need to focus on points. Only buy a card if it's going to net you a lot of points or help you fulfill a goal card. And always compare that point yield to what you can get from egg laying (about 5 points per turn).

Along the way, try to win the round goals if you can. The round goals are zero sum, meaning you get points while denying your opponents points. Having the ability to buy cards early (with your resource engine) and lay eggs at a good rate (by prioritizing the egg track) should give you an advantage in these goals as well.

 

[Patrick]

Yeah, this is us too. Although it amused me that you listed Dominion, that's my go-to "complicated" game example!

Dominion is complicated, especially for people who last played the standard family board games as children! There's abstract concepts, tons of brand new cards to look at and convert into actions, and multiple phases. There's no dice, no board, no clear indicators of what a player "should" be doing, and it's mostly a multiplayer solitaire experience, depending on the cards used. It becomes easier to play as players internalize the rules, but the base level complication's still there. It only looks less complex when compared to games that you need to internalize 40 pages of rules, instead of a 16 page one, half of which is showing examples and edge cases.

That's fair, Dominion is at least a medium game, especially once you start adding in a few expansions. But, the basics of it are pretty easy (Action, Buy, Cleanup), and once you've learned the rules it's not hard to pick up again.

Also, I generally try to get expansions that are designed to be simple, so I've avoided a lot of the more complicated cards in my Dominion collection. There is some wildly complex stuff out there if you dig into everything.

 

[Kalir]

I like games with some crunch, but I'm not about needless complexity for the sake of it. My upper bound for that sort of thing is probably Alchemists, Vast, Oath, Spirit Island, that sort of thing.

Lower complexity games aren't bad at all! Far from it, the accessibility can make it easier for you to introduce other players to the games, and that's like the entire point of board games: hanging out with the homies.

 

[balder the brave]

The heaviest game I've played is probably Gaia Project. I love it and always want to play it again, but one member of my group always screams for mercy!

Not only is it heavy, but it can be unforgiving. If you play badly, you can lose by a huge margin.

 

[SpoonyBard]

I backed Tiny Epic Dungeons on the Kickstarter way back when that launched and I got my copy a few weeks ago. It's a fun little dungeon crawler, though the average game runs quite a bit longer than the box's optimistic estimates, and boy can it be challenging.

But it DID come with a bunch of minis just waiting to be painted!

 

[Sarcasmorator]

I used Father's Day privilege to get everyone to try Outer Rim with the new Unfinished Business expansion. Highly recommend that, if you like the game. Adds just more of everything, but very little in the way of new mechanics or rules (we didn't play with the personal goal ending conditions, but those look really neat).

 

[Violentvixen]

Continuing to slowly explore my library's catalog and picked up Photosynthesis. Very simple but pleasant and quick game, and did work well with two players and each game was 20-30 minutes. Essentially you're trying to grow trees by getting the most sunlight while blocking light from other players as the sun rotates around the board. I'd be curious to play it with more than two people but won't be doing that soon.

That being said it's so simple I'm not sure I want to spend $40 on it so will probably wait until I find it on sale. Interestingly it's available at REI? I have some credit I haven't used, hmm.

 

[Patrick]

I recently got a few more Dominion cards and updated my box.

I got update kits for my three oldest sets (the base game, Intrigue, and Prosperity) to match the new second editions. The second editions removed a lot of cards that were bad to play or led to frustrating games and replaced them with cards that are still fairly simple but are generally more fun. My box now has those three sets plus Renaissance. I’m done adding cards, so I printed out tabs that are uniform and look a bit nicer.

I also made a new lid for the box. I got tired of looking at the Dominion Guilds cover, but I liked the compact size of the box. It’s a bit sturdier than the newer boxes too. So, I took the Renaissance lid and chopped off 1/6 of either side. Then I took the ends and re-attached them. It’s not perfect, but I’m a lot happier with it.

I’ve been tinkering with my cards and how I stored them for the last few years. Katie & I have played a lot of games of Dominion, and it felt worth it to me to make some changes to improve the experience. At this point I think any further changes would have diminishing returns, so I’m considering the project done. I’m really happy with where it ended up, and I’m sure we’ll get a lot more play out of it.

 

[balder the brave]

It looks great!

 

[Patrick]

Thanks!

 

[balder the brave]

Here are my plays since I last posted.

Nothing really new to me, but some old favorites.

Glass Road - The wheel mechanism is weird, but it makes sense. It's tough to score in this game! Winning scores for my group have been around 35 points, and it's common to only buy about 3 scoring tiles.

Pulsar - This game is fun, although I play the same way every time with good results (as many gyrodynes as possible as fast as possible). I wish the game or the other players in my group had some way to push a different path.

Snail's Pace Race - My 3-year-old daughter loves this. Playing it numbs my brain, but I like that it looks and feels like a Euro. I can tell that she's learning from it in a good way.

Architects - A very good game, but not as good as its BGG rating for my tastes.

Staufer Dynasty - A very good and balanced classic Euro, although it does feel its age.

Great Western Trail - Still the greatest game of all time! Phew, I got two permanent certificates and 4 cowboys by the mid-game and built two buildings in the risk regions that luckily stayed clear for the whole game. Racked up three deliveries to San Francisco, which is the most I've ever had.

Games Played from 21 Apr through 31 Aug 2022​

​

Snail's Pace Race (3)​	Architects of the West Kingdom (2)​	Fantastic Factories (2)​	Glass Road (2)​	Pulsar 2849 (2)​	Great Western Trail (1)​
No Thanks! (1)​	Splendor (1)​	The Staufer Dynasty (2)​

 

[Dark Medusa]

I recently got a few more Dominion cards and updated my box.

I got update kits for my three oldest sets (the base game, Intrigue, and Prosperity) to match the new second editions. The second editions removed a lot of cards that were bad to play or led to frustrating games and replaced them with cards that are still fairly simple but are generally more fun. My box now has those three sets plus Renaissance. I’m done adding cards, so I printed out tabs that are uniform and look a bit nicer.

I also made a new lid for the box. I got tired of looking at the Dominion Guilds cover, but I liked the compact size of the box. It’s a bit sturdier than the newer boxes too. So, I took the Renaissance lid and chopped off 1/6 of either side. Then I took the ends and re-attached them. It’s not perfect, but I’m a lot happier with it.

I’ve been tinkering with my cards and how I stored them for the last few years. Katie & I have played a lot of games of Dominion, and it felt worth it to me to make some changes to improve the experience. At this point I think any further changes would have diminishing returns, so I’m considering the project done. I’m really happy with where it ended up, and I’m sure we’ll get a lot more play out of it.

Whoa, can you give me details on how you did this? I want to reorganize my collection! It's in a big box I tried to put together like ten years ago in college and that project did NOT work out very well.

 

[Patrick]

Whoa, can you give me details on how you did this? I want to reorganize my collection! It's in a big box I tried to put together like ten years ago in college and that project did NOT work out very well.

Hey DM, sorry for the late response! This box came together over the years, but I’m using:

• The box base is from Guilds (when it was sold as a small expansion. They still sell Alchemy this way, though I don’t recommend that set otherwise)
• The lid is from Renaissance, cut down (inspired by this thread). I did a lot of planning & measuring, then used a box cutter & a metal ruler.
• The center divider is cut out of the Intrigue box base
• The tabs are from Sumpfork, printed on slightly thicker paper. The guy at Fedex was nice enough to line it up perfectly for double sided printing.

In one of the standard Dominion boxes, you can fit three columns. However, it’ll be pretty heavy and I found that the newer boxes are a bit less sturdy. But if you have an older copy that might be the way to go.

 

[SpoonyBard]

This is an odd question, but any tips for shuffling thicker tiles, like for games like Carcasonne or Sub Terra or the like, where they still need to be returned face-down in a pile? I know an opaque cloth bag is often used for these situations but it isn't always appropriate. It's like the rules expects you to shuffle them like cards but when the stick is as tall as a sleeve of saltines it ain't so easy?

 

[karzac]

Spread the out over a wide area of the table and shuffle them around, the way you would with Scrabble tiles.