• Welcome to Talking Time's third iteration! If you would like to register for an account, or have already registered but have not yet been confirmed, please read the following:

    1. The CAPTCHA key's answer is "Percy"
    2. Once you've completed the registration process please email us from the email you used for registration at percyreghelper@gmail.com and include the username you used for registration

    Once you have completed these steps, Moderation Staff will be able to get your account approved.

The Board Game Thread!

Sarcasmorator

Same as I ever was
(He/him)
The second-to-last story scenario in Jaws of the Lion (Mixed Results) is some bullshit. We came within 2 HP of beating it on our third attempt (at a level below our party level because I'm not sure it's possible for our Demo/Hatchet combo to beat it at standard) and then the last turn had the last two rat monstrosities close in on the Hatchet, kill her, take damage for killing her, kill each other, and become Black Imps in the bargain. I was already dead. Knocking it down another peg for the next try, can only beat our heads against this wall so long. At least I finally hit level 7 and got Micro Missiles.

I consider getting rid of some surplus games, but there's not much I've played that I don't want to keep and little I haven't tried that I'd give up without trying first. And obviously trying new games is a little tricky right now.
 
Last edited:

Sarcasmorator

Same as I ever was
(He/him)
Yeah it's a good one. I've been consistently about 30-40 XP behind our Hatchet; the Demo has a tough time amassing experience early on, and a lot of the carts that do it are loss cards so if you try you get wiped out quick. With just basic Stamina Potions it's really hard to last AND be combat effective AND gain XP.
 

John

(he/him)
We played through Scenario 4 in GH:JotL, and got trounced by a Stone Golem early on that set us on the failure path. I hit him and then pushed him away 2 spaces, but then he got a card to pull me towards him, and then a 2x modifier hit me for 6 damage. It was all downhill from there.

My wife is a little frustrated when we do our pre-attack planning, but then I don't exactly do what she thought I meant, because I'm being vague about the details, per the rules. I'll tell her I'm gonna go over there and attack some guys, and she says she'll help with that, or cast a spell on me. I end up being out of range of her spells, or push an enemy out of the way, and then her plans are whiffed. It doesn't help that I'm playing Demolitionist and she's Voidwarden, so I'm always bounding forward punching stuff first, and she's slowly coming back trying to keep me healed up. I have been trying to slow my play style, so it's less Leroy Jenkins down in the havens, but the Demo benefits from stick and moves.

We could try to just be more explicit in the exact actions/ranges we're going to do, so the only unknowns are the monster decks and attack modifiers, but that kinda loses a bit of the charm. A lot of the problem is the Demo's cards are never completely optimal for the situation, at least only paired with a Voidwarden. It would be fun to try other characters, but that'll never happen. It's just a bit too complicated to try to each run two characters, since we're having trouble synchronizing with just two already.
 

Sarcasmorator

Same as I ever was
(He/him)
Having played through most of the campaign as the Demo so far I'd suggest maybe swapping out for the Redguard or Hatchet since you're still in tutorial territory. Demo is kind of a tricky class to use effectively and often has to do their own thing (like bashing through obstacles for extra movement or buffs), and the Hatchet and Redguard both have more in the way of ranged attacks, at least early on.
 

John

(he/him)
Having played through most of the campaign as the Demo so far I'd suggest maybe swapping out for the Redguard or Hatchet since you're still in tutorial territory. Demo is kind of a tricky class to use effectively and often has to do their own thing (like bashing through obstacles for extra movement or buffs), and the Hatchet and Redguard both have more in the way of ranged attacks, at least early on.
I just looked through the cards for the Red Guard, and that seems like it'd play better in a 2-player setup with the Void. The Demo looks like it'd be a fun third character in a party, a role-play DPS character with rocket feet and bombs for hands. The Red Guard's got a weird Whip Paladin vibe, with one good healing action that was sorely missing from the Demo.

I'll just transfer over the XP and Gold/Items that my Demo got, since like you said, I'm still very early in the game.
 

Sarcasmorator

Same as I ever was
(He/him)
Good idea I think. I have gotten to like the Demo but I would have found it very frustrating if it'd been my intro to the game, rather than the 8th class I'd tried (played the app first). Redguard and Hatchet are both relatively straightforward; Demo and VW are kinda JOTL hard mode. Plus I think the VW can create light elements? That'll help a Redguard. Hatchet and Demo aren't a great pair because they don't make any elements the other can use.

Demo comes into its own with its level 5 unlock but you still have to spend a lot more time swapping cards to fit the scenario than you do with other classes I've played.
 
Last edited:

karzac

(he/him)
I know we've got some Root fans here - has anyone played the Digital Edition? I bought it yesterday and it seems really good!
 

Patrick

Magic-User
(He/Him)
I haven’t yet. The Root discord generally likes it aside from a few minor rules changes.
 

Sarcasmorator

Same as I ever was
(He/him)
Instead of placing your worker where I was, you should have placed your worker where I was going to be


OK so I have reached the point in the Terraforming Mars app where I can defeat a slate of Hard AI opponents. Anyone else have this app and want to help me turn to defeating human brains?
 

Violentvixen

(She/Her)
We picked up the game Illimat recently and it's a really fun game for only two players. The pandemic really made us realize how few of our games worked with fewer than 4 people so glad we found something new. The expansion was out of stock when we ordered it but we might pick that up now/for Christmas.
 

Cyrael

...we're shy.
(he/him)
We picked up the game Illimat recently and it's a really fun game for only two players. The pandemic really made us realize how few of our games worked with fewer than 4 people so glad we found something new. The expansion was out of stock when we ordered it but we might pick that up now/for Christmas.
I've had my eye on this one for a long time - the only boardgame I heard about from a band mailing list. Glad to hear it is fun with only 2!
 

Sarcasmorator

Same as I ever was
(He/him)
In my ongoing quest to try games I don't own for cheap when they're available as apps, I got Root (mixed impressions so far) and 7 Wonders (I am TERRRRRRIBLE at this game!).

Also practicing Scythe in the app and realizing I kinda suck at Scythe, despite playing it many times and even winning occasionally! The AI is tricky and I can't figure out how it always has so many coins.
 

John

(he/him)
Re: 7 Wonders, a new edition was just recently released, and is $24 off ($36 when normally $60) with a coupon on Amazon right now. 7 Wonders Duel is even cheaper, and would definitely play better since big crowds aren't happening any time soon.
 

Sarcasmorator

Same as I ever was
(He/him)
Thanks! I'm fine with the $5 app for now, but I'll consider it. Ultimately it's the kind of light Euro card game I'm not super good at, and while I love Civ stuff it's really just a skin on the game more than anything else. I just, keep losing!
 
I need a recommendation

1. Game that can be 2players only with my son, 12
2. Board vs card game preferred
3. Co-op preferred, but not necessary
4. Not something Pandemic or similar ay style. I was looking at horrified, but seems too close

Thanks, gang!
 

karzac

(he/him)
Star Realms is a very fun, simple 2 player deckbuilding game, in a similar style to Dominion or Ascension. Base game is $15, so it's pretty low-barrier to just try out. It's primarily a competitive game, but there are co-op rules.

EDIT: Sorry, forgot about the board game preference! I'll think on it some more - tough to think about co-operative board games that aren't similar to Pandemic.
 

jpfriction

(He, Him)
My daughter and I have fun with the Trogdor game that the brothers Chap came out with a bit back but not sure how easy that is to get.
 

Mogri

Round and round I go
(he)
Staff member
Moderator
I need a recommendation

1. Game that can be 2players only with my son, 12
2. Board vs card game preferred
3. Co-op preferred, but not necessary
4. Not something Pandemic or similar ay style. I was looking at horrified, but seems too close

Thanks, gang!
Ghost Stories or its reimplementation Last Bastion might fit the bill. Best with 4, but works with 1-3.

Fuji is a simpler co-op based on limited communication. It plays a little differently with 2 versus 3 or 4, but it's good fun at any count.

Escape the Curse of the Temple is a fun, real-time dice chucker. Scales well to any player count.

Codenames Duet is maybe worth mentioning even though it's got no board, simply because Codenames is so popular.
 

Sarcasmorator

Same as I ever was
(He/him)
I need a recommendation

1. Game that can be 2players only with my son, 12
2. Board vs card game preferred
3. Co-op preferred, but not necessary
4. Not something Pandemic or similar ay style. I was looking at horrified, but seems too close

Thanks, gang!

Elder Sign fits the bill. It's cards and dice but big tarot cards make up the "board." Chiefly a dice game with small cards for abilities.

Could also try Descent or Imperial Assault (co-op with app) or Mansions of Madness (co-op, requires app).

EDIT: OR Journeys in Middle-Earth!
 
Last edited:

Mogri

Round and round I go
(he)
Staff member
Moderator
Pandemic Legacy Season 0 is probably the best panda legs of them all. I preferred S2 to S1, and my wife preferred S1 to S2, but we both prefer S0 to either.

Warning: unmarked spoilers for the pre-legacy portions of the game below
. You could figure this out from reading the manual or reading a review. I only mention this because some players are extremely spoiler-averse.

As season 2 put a spin on the formula, so does season 0. Season 2 was tactically interesting because cities appeared multiple times in the infection deck. Season 0 is more standard in that regard, but with the interesting twist that outbreaks are replaced with "incidents," which cause random effects that are often benign but sometimes chain into more incidents or other effects such as removing safehouses (this game's version of research centers) from the board.

Speaking of the board, it's much less convenient than the standard board. Multiple cities are islanded, and cities are in general less connected than before. Travel is somewhat more difficult, too, with safehouses not allowing direct travel the way research stations did and Soviet cities preventing direct flights.

Where previous games had you collecting cards to discover cures or build supply centers, this one has you using them to discover targets (by discarding three cards matching your region) or assemble teams (by discarding five cards of the same affiliation). Having to worry about both the region and the affiliation of your cards adds a new dimension to hand management. Arranging card exchanges was already an important part of Pandemic strategy, and it feels more important here, if anything.

Of course, this is just the game out of the box I'm discussing. The meat is in the legacy elements, and without spoiling anything, I think it's handled here better than in the previous two seasons. The addition of a storybook of sorts allows better exposition and more flexibility than the strict card-based approach of previous seasons.

One notable and welcome rules change from previous seasons: winning reduces your funding by 1 instead of 2. This means that even groups that are doing very well will be able to use special events for a while before the game takes away your toys. (There's also a third "Adequate" outcome: completing two of three objectives allows you to continue to the next month and increases your funding by 1.)
 

Violentvixen

(She/Her)
The library is checking out board games now (quarantined and cleaned of course, and they've repackaged them into labeled bins/bags for all components which is smart), I've had Wingspan on hold for >2 months but we finally got it! I really like it, but it's definitely going to be hard to play the game in person with anyone soon so I'm not sure the physical version is a smart purchase.

Have any of you tried multiplayer on the Steam version (both local and online)? It's on sale for $16 instead of $20 until the Steam sale ends on Tuesday so I'm really thinking about it but if multiplayer doesn't work well I'm not as interested.
 

Sarcasmorator

Same as I ever was
(He/him)
I haven't tried the multiplayer yet, but I also picked up the app (there was a 30% off coupon in the board game, which I got my wife for Christmas, and since it stacked with the sale price I figured why not). I'd be down to play if you get it! Gorgeous soundtrack also, it's my new low-stress work listen.

I've been using apps to test things out a lot, actually, where they're available. I've played a lot of Terraforming Mars (got the board game for Christmas too), decided Root probably isn't for me, etc.

Also, if anyone wants to try out X-Wing Minis without putting down any money for it, there's a very good free app called Fly Casual with a pretty decent AI. Unofficial but allowed to exist, it appears. Has all the ships up through the current wave, and most of the upgrades and pilots (some things still being programmed I suppose; it's a volunteer effort).
 
Last edited:

Falselogic

Lapsed Threadcromancer
(they/them)
I got Pandemic: Fall of Rome for the holidays. It's a good riff on the pandemic formula. We lost our first couple of games. But have squeezed out a couple victories. One of the interesting changes is that there is no 'sunsetting' a disease instead you're able to convert 'disease' tokens into your own forces. (In Fall of Rome it's not diseases you're fighting but barbarian hordes.)
 

Violentvixen

(She/Her)
I haven't tried the multiplayer yet, but I also picked up the app (there was a 30% off coupon in the board game, which I got my wife for Christmas, and since it stacked with the sale price I figured why not). I'd be down to play if you get it! Gorgeous soundtrack also, it's my new low-stress work listen.

I've been using apps to test things out a lot, actually, where they're available. I've played a lot of Terraforming Mars (got the board game for Christmas too), decided Root probably isn't for me, etc.

Also, if anyone wants to try out X-Wing Minis without putting down any money for it, there's a very good free app called Fly Casual with a pretty decent AI. Unofficial but allowed to exist, it appears. Has all the ships up through the current wave, and most of the upgrades and pilots (some things still being programmed I suppose; it's a volunteer effort).
Nice, thanks! Based on what I'm reading I plan to buy it and play it for less than an hour right away to make sure my laptop can handle it (I love that return policy, so damn smart). If it's good @Lumber Baron will be picking it up too so we'd definitely be up to play sometime.

We got Tabletop Simulator to do multiplayer for games we already own. You could definitely download games to test some things out but with a game like Wingspan the finicky interface would be a mess. Also you obviously have to know how to play the game since it's just 3D models. My laptop struggles a bit with it.
 

Sarcasmorator

Same as I ever was
(He/him)
Yeah, we've been doing quite a bit of TTS with local friends (plus the occasional Gloomhaven with forum folks, but not for a bit; things got busy leading up to the holidays and I've been in a playtest that's taken up a lot of leisure time). It is a bit fiddly and resource-intensive, but often works quite well, and a lot of the modules are heavily scripted so you don't have to do everything manually.

A lot of publishers have also given their blessing to TTS versions, since people who try games tend to be more likely to buy them. Gloomhaven and Cthulhu Wars are among these; you're fine to try those in TTS if you want even if you don't own them. I think FFG is less cool with their games being on there but also allows most modules to stand, it appears (there are some things I can't seem to get; Elder Sign is available in other languages but not in English, for example, presumably because they have their own paid app version of the game).
 

Violentvixen

(She/Her)
Ha, I've been seeing the acronym TTS in the reviews I've been reading and had no idea that's what it was! Thank you.
 

Violentvixen

(She/Her)
I got the game and loved playing it and local multiplayer is great. I'd never tried Steam Remote Play Together before and it took like four rounds of changing preferences and installing drivers and approving security things. But it works! And only one person needs a copy of the game! So that's nice. There is an option to invite friends if both of you have a copy too but we didn't try that.
 
Last edited:
Top