The Big Board-Gaming Catch-All

Fredrik_S wrote:

I doubt I can get Sidereal Confluence on the table with my group, but gonna see if it's being played at gencon this year. Any other games that are engine builders with a purpose?

I'll be at GenCon this year and I'll happily play it with you! Be happy to teach it as well.

I believe Valeria: Card Kingdoms is considered an engine builder. I'd highly recommend that one, it's one of my favorites! In the same vein is Space Base. Both are a "roll dice and get stuff" type game, but execute on it different. I prefer Valeria if I'm going to play one, but I'm bias! There isn't a ton of player interaction in either, but you do need to pay attention to other people's turns because you are getting resources when they roll the dice. Plus in Valeria you'll want to know who to snake the boss monster from

BreakingPoint0 wrote:
Fredrik_S wrote:

I doubt I can get Sidereal Confluence on the table with my group, but gonna see if it's being played at gencon this year. Any other games that are engine builders with a purpose?

I'll be at GenCon this year and I'll happily play it with you! Be happy to teach it as well.

I believe Valeria: Card Kingdoms is considered an engine builder. I'd highly recommend that one, it's one of my favorites! In the same vein is Space Base. Both are a "roll dice and get stuff" type game, but execute on it different. I prefer Valeria if I'm going to play one, but I'm bias! There isn't a ton of player interaction in either, but you do need to pay attention to other people's turns because you are getting resources when they roll the dice. Plus in Valeria you'll want to know who to snake the boss monster from ;)

It's a date.

Trains I would say is a pretty fun engine building game.

A) its got trains on the cards!
B) there is a board which you build your rail network, and you can block others, so definitely more competitive than the typical "extended solitaire" of most engine building games
C) It has trains!

Less competitive but more interactive, is Space Base. You are still building an engine, but your engine also gets benefits when its not even your turn.

Lastly, if you like the theme, Legendary Marvel is a mostly coop deck/engine building game.

BreakingPoint0 wrote:

Check out Sidereal Confluence....it's very neat to see in action. My one caveat is you have to like trading and negotiation games ...

Keithustus wrote:

Once you learn the game well...Evolution...

Evolution is one of my favorite games! Highly recommend giving it a try if you haven't! It's an engine builder with the tension of PvP.

I never knew there is another copy of me in North Carolina! Maybe if you are in NYC/NJ sometime we can meet up.

Actually, I've long wanted to play Sidereal C, but my schedule no longer really allows really long games much. I've got a very heavy box of Battlestar Galactica with all expansions that I like staring at, though.

I do love a push your luck game and I like bag builders too. Sounds like Quacks is in my wheelhouse and to be sought out.

I've got Sidereal C and we get 5-6 players at times on game night and I've read the rules several times and watched Heavy Cardboard do a playthru, but still find it intimidating to attempt to introduce it to my group.

lostlobster wrote:

I've got Sidereal C and we get 5-6 players at times on game night and I've read the rules several times and watched Heavy Cardboard do a playthru, but still find it intimidating to attempt to introduce it to my group.

I always get the glass eyes as I explain it. But once it clicks, it's solidly in place. It really only takes a round before everyone goes "ohhh! this makes sense now".

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I played the solo version of the new Judge Dredd game, Cursed Earth. It's a variant of the Lost Expedition which I also have, but you know.. Judge Dredd. I am a life long fan of the comic. I kinda like this version better than the original just because it's Dredd and the new PSI actions are really cool (when Judge Anderson uses her powers, you can add cards to the end of the row of event cards). There's also a head to head version which I think would work really well. Just have to find a person to play with.

It's still a super hard game where each decision on what to do and in which order to play the cards is rife with tension. But now you are fighting against ABC robots and Satanus. So yea. I like it. I am not sure how well the game would work in my regular group, but as a solo game, it's excellent.

Delbin wrote:

Azul is $23 on Amazon

Thanks for the heads up! At that price point how could I not? BTW -- it showed as $18 for me...

trichy wrote:

+1 for Sidereal Confluence, with a few major caveats. It's ugly, easily the worst table hog I've ever seen, it's incredibly daunting to new players, it's a long game, and you've got to play with people who enjoy haggling and interacting. With all of that said, it's so good. The game is a damn event, and everyone who jumps in will be talking about it for weeks.

Is it weird that this made me think of Cosmic Encounter?

I've just realized I haven't reviewed games on here for awhile. So here we go!

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51st State is basically like Imperial Settlers. It's basically tableau engine building game and managing your resources. Feels like civilization game only with cards.

I've played Imperial Settlers and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to trying this one out. I like how this is just another flavor of the same system. Much easier to play because faction aren't crazy different like Imperial Settlers. I didn't really take advantage of the cards in the center (forgetting what they are called). Missions?

I think I prefer Imperial Settlers much more because the art and theme is way better. I also like how diverse the factions are and how you have your own deck that nobody can use. There just a little bit more to it. BUT if I had to buy one I would do 51st State because it would just get more plays for a game that has the same satisfying system. Both great games, just with different flavors and one is just easier to get out.

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Wander is just your basic dungeon crawl. Simple and just a dice rolling fest. Furry friendly. It has a cool initiative system where depending where you are at in it you get a bonus. You can even forfeit your turn to relocate yourself on it.

And that's about it. There wasn't much to this game it was meh at best. The furry art is just too creepy and weird. (sorry to offend any furries out there!) All hail the king of Gloomhaven.

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Call to Adventure isa tableau engine building game where you are creating a story via tableau via doing tests of two sided rune/dice. Each card you choose what you want to do in specific situation (beat up the bad guy or befriend him?).

I think my game was really effected by my teacher. He wasn't very prepared to teach this game and it took awhile for us to learn the game together but even beside that point the game was just not that great. It's trying to tell a story but I felt like it fell flat on it's face. I encounter these games time to time that says "x random event happens to you so raise this stat". It doesn't take that next step like Arkham Horror the card game where the story and gameplay very much tied together. Not a fan of this story telling in board games.

I would try this game again just because our teacher wasn't ready but I really feel like this was a dud for me.

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I've been playing Onitama with the expansion. I would like to say real quickly that you should just buy this along with Onitama in the beginning and integrate the cards in after your second or third game. The base Onitama cards don't really jump that far are very basic but Sensei's path adds a lot of interesting ones. I have the other expansion but I want to get a couple more plays of Sensei's path. I think Onitama is the most accessible two player game I've ever played. I can probably teach the game under a minute. Still very much enjoy it after having it for years.

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I've reviewed Keyforge already but I just want to say I still think this game is great but I don't think I will commit much more than my two decks. I only have so little time with deeper two player games and that's going to Summoner Wars and hopefully Arkham Horror The Card Game. I think I got really lucky because both my decks feel very balanced together and there is no faction cross over.

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You're making potions in a push your luck bag building games however if you put too many cherry bombs in your potion it will explode on you and you won't benefit much from it. Buy tokens for your bag to create different strategies.

I really enjoyed this game! It's probably the deepest push your luck game I've ever played. I love building a bag and mathing out how your effecting your bag and taking just one more token in hoping you won't draw the cherry bomb that makes your potion explode.

I highly recommend this one.

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Poker chip placement, risk taking, and tiny bit of engine building. You are playing evil geniuses causing havoc around the world. Your poker chips are henchmen with different powers. You place them facedown and different placements and when 4 poker chips are on top of each other you reveal and resolve from first to last.

I actually bought this game and I was really looking forward to it for a very long time and I thought it was pretty solid for my first play. Very easy to teach and surprisingly simple but gives you enough strategy and variation to enjoy it. I like assassin/saboteur henchmen creates tension by disabling the next henchmen that is resolved. Adds good amount of interaction.

Game has amazing production value how simple it is but doesn't get in the way of the game.

I look forward to playing it more! So far I enjoy it.

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Kerala is a tileplacement game where you can only place tiles next two elephants. As a group you draft tiles into your own tile collection. After you place that tile the elephant moves on that. Different tiles has different powers and you score more points when matching color tiles are next to each other.

I struggle with a lot of abstract games but this wasn't one of them. I like how the more you build out the hardier it is to get the right colors together so you really need to plan ahead and hope you can draft the right colors. The drafting has so much tension and we had a couple "Ah! You took the tile I needed!" moments.

Good game. Good design. I recommend this to anyone.

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Deep Sea Adventure is a very basic push your luck game where you venture outside of your sub and collect treasure. However, when somebody decides to head back to the sub the timer starts counting down and if you don't make it back in time you lose everything.

I enjoyed this one mostly because I love most push your luck games. I decided to go all out and came out with almost nothing! I also like when the push your luck element is mostly based on other player's decision. Very simple and I love the minimalist art design.

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Not a traditional board game but tabletop none of the less. In the effort to keep a friendship going after moving I decided to game master a game of Tales From The Loop over google hangout. It's basically the 80s meets future technology. I'm having a blast with this and the system is stupid easy. I much prefer this than over complicated D&D (and I know D&D isn't that complicated!). I rather have my games focus on story and relationships than what weapon somebody got in a dungeon.

The world and art amazingly good and probably inspired Scythe's art (or stolen, depending who you ask!). There also an amazon tv show based on this world.

Everybody enjoys it so far! My campaign is only 4 games long but one month we dedicated to character building. We only play once a month and skipping March due to my friend's baby being born just two days ago.

I highly recommend this as your first tabletop rpg. I think this might be the only one GM.

Now on to games I haven't played but I need to talk about them...

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I backed Tainted Grail this week and this reminded me the direction of how I've change as a gamer. I use to try to push big games on other people but now I'm ok playing those big games solo and I thought playing solo games were insane half decade ago. I'm very much excited to play this but I still need to finish Gloomhaven, Arkham Horror Card Game Legacy of Dunwich campaign, and 7th Continent. I won't get it until May 2020 so that might be a good goal to have. I think what I will do is play at least one turn a day. (thank god I have a dedicated solo game table and no kids!)

It's interesting how miniatures hold very little value to my games now. I love having good miniatures in my games but they aren't critical to me like they use to be. I much prefer a game that's easier to play and get out vs a big bold miniature game that is hard to store.

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It's official. I finally got a Betrayal Legacy group! We won't play until April but it's great to get back into a legacy game. Pandemic Season 2 blew my mind and I heard very positive things about this one. I've played Betrayal and I enjoyed it. So I have high hopes for this one.

My game group is also doing great!

I couldn't go one night and gave somebody else the responsibility to run the group for a night and it worked perfectly! So now my group is self sustainable without me!

Very soon I'm getting people to start their own game group under my Meetup group on different nights. I'm getting a little closer to having a open game night available some where in Wichita every night of the week.

Right now I'm getting about 5-10 people each night.

I moved here in November and everything is going well socially. Getting into this hobby is one of the best decisions in my life. It has helped me so much socially. Before this hobby I had a hard time making friends and now it's stupid easy.

Sorry for the double post! I guess at some point I accidentally clicked on quote and not edit.

I do have to say Sidereal Confluence is one of those games I'm not really into but it's a game i have a lot of respect for. It's one of those all in or all out designs where they went "f!@# it, let's go all in without any compromise" and designed a game that niche audience is passionate about.

I could probably be convinced to play it again but it's one of those games I can only see myself play once a year and be done.

I have a Tales from the Loop one-shot/first part of the rulebook campaign planned for when I take a break between "chapters" in my Euro Goodjer D&D campaign (basically once they are done with Phandelver). Should be interesting. I've always been more of a "heavy systems" RPG player so this newish breed of story-heavy, rules light games are a bit of an unknown quantity to run for me, but i'll give it a go

I also backed the 'sequel', Things from the Flood, which is pretty much due in a month or so I think. (This time, set in the 90s, with older teenagers and young adults)

Getting into this hobby is one of the best decisions in my life. It has helped me so much socially. Before this hobby I had a hard time making friends and now it's stupid easy.

Amen to that. Options aren't plentiful around these parts as much as they are elsewhere but i grasp at any opportunity to get some tabletop gaming in these days, FAR more than videogames. The face to face experience has been...incredibly therapeutic.

pyxistyx wrote:

I have a Tales from the Loop one-shot/first part of the rulebook campaign planned for when I take a break between "chapters" in my Euro Goodjer D&D campaign (basically once they are done with Phandelver). Should be interesting. I've always been more of a "heavy systems" RPG player so this newish breed of story-heavy, rules light games are a bit of an unknown quantity to runn for me, but i'll give it a go

I also backed the 'sequel', Things from the Flood, which is pretty much due in a month or so I think. (This time, set in the 90s, with older teenagers and young adults)

Getting into this hobby is one of the best decisions in my life. It has helped me so much socially. Before this hobby I had a hard time making friends and now it's stupid easy.

Amen to that. Options aren't plentiful around these parts as much as they are elsewhere but i grasp at any opportunity to get some tabletop gaming in these days, FAR more than videogames. The face to face experience has been...incredibly therapeutic.

Oddly enough the lack of LAN support in video games is what made me do board games in the first place!

pyxistyx wrote:

I have a Tales from the Loop one-shot/first part of the rulebook campaign planned for when I take a break between "chapters" in my Euro Goodjer D&D campaign (basically once they are done with Phandelver). Should be interesting. I've always been more of a "heavy systems" RPG player so this newish breed of story-heavy, rules light games are a bit of an unknown quantity to run for me, but i'll give it a go

I've had really good results with it. The character generation gives everyone a lot to work with right at the start, and as soon as you drop some weird events in front of them it just starts barrelling along. I don't think you even need to have the whole mystery worked out - just some weird events, and then see what the players investigate and fill it in from there.

I played Quacks with two of my kids today, and we had a lot of fun. It can be a bit fiddly, but it's pretty straightforward, so it feels like a good gamer family game. My son who won complained every round that he didn't get to use the rat tails (since he was always in first place), and in the last round, he drew 5 tiles while sitting on 6 cherry bombs. So it was a winner in his eyes, and his younger sister swore revenge.

Crockpot wrote:

I've just realized I haven't reviewed games on here for awhile. So here we go!

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51st State is basically like Imperial Settlers. It's basically tableau engine building game and managing your resources. Feels like civilization game only with cards.

I've played Imperial Settlers and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to trying this one out. I like how this is just another flavor of the same system. Much easier to play because faction aren't crazy different like Imperial Settlers. I didn't really take advantage of the cards in the center (forgetting what they are called). Missions?

I think I prefer Imperial Settlers much more because the art and theme is way better. I also like how diverse the factions are and how you have your own deck that nobody can use. There just a little bit more to it. BUT if I had to buy one I would do 51st State because it would just get more plays for a game that has the same satisfying system. Both great games, just with different flavors and one is just easier to get out.

Crock, the original 51st State created the system they then used for Imperial Settlers. In a rare undertaking, they used what they learned from IS, applied it to 51st, and reissued the new and improved (build quality and components as well as rules tweaks) Master Set. I personally love the Mad Max aesthetic and prefer it to Settlers, though both are great games. Glad you got to experience it. The center cards are often sought after in our games, and they can really give you the lift you need to do the action/play a card in your hand. The master set is quite the love letter to the game that led to Settlers.

That is...probably the most "generic grimdark post apocalypse" box art i think i've ever seen in a board game

Yep. I'm aware of that 51st came first and the master set is robust version. Settlers just seems to have a deeper experience but 51st state would actually be easier to get to the table so I could see someone own both if they are passionate about the game.

The more it sits in my brain the more I'm tempted to pick up Settlers even though it won't get to the table that often. I think there is a solo mode? I wonder if it's worth getting for the solo gaming with an occasion multiplayer. My buddy owns 51st so there isn't any reason for me to get 51st state. It's good to see that Settlers is still seeing support after so many years.

I think I'm getting tired of these lighter games I'm always bringing to my group, I'm craving for something deeper. (hence why I'm playing Gloomhaven solo right now!)
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I backed Root expansion for $1 so maybe I'll do late backer stuff. I love Root but I don't think I can justify getting it for the lack of how much it will see the table with my current group. I don't have the base and I'm wondering if their new bot system will be worth getting for solo mode. I guess it really comes down to that. I heard good things so far about the bots.

Crockpot wrote:

I don't have the base and I'm wondering if their new bot system will be worth getting for solo mode. I guess it really comes down to that. I heard good things so far about the bots.

I've not got around to printing out and playing with the bots, but from reading them it seemed like they would be pretty solid (in a way that the original cat bots did not).

The latest guy to come off my paint queue. I was happy with how he came out.

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Pretty nice sale on some things over at CSI. Village in particular peaked my interest.

Prozac wrote:

The latest guy to come off my paint queue. I was happy with how he came out.

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Link broken?

This week it was

Republic of Rome--not my kind of game, theme aside. There's very little control, so you're at the mercy of the group. I'm sure it was great in the 80's.

Root--First game with the new fixes and the two expansion factions. It's good, it works, Looking forward to the expansion.

Miskatonic University--Knizia wrapped in a Cthulhu caul which makes NO sense . It's a light, push-your-luck card game, so I'm not sure how essential it is. We will see.

Let's try that again. posting from my phone didn't work.

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Chapter 3 of Betrayal Legacy done now. Really enjoying the way this one is developing. Lots of cool stuff in there. Also starting to see more things "destroy X, it is not part of your story" as the house develops.

Plus, this time I survived! Woohoo!

I picked up Dice Throne (Gunslinger vs. Samaurai) for my daughter and I to play. We've played 3 games and are really digging it. It plays pretty quick, and even though there is a definite luck factor involved, it's fun and it feels like there is still a decent strategic component to it. I definitely plan on picking up more of the characters as they all play a little different and add some variety to the game.

Also, the components and packaging are top notch. The cards might be a little thin but everything else is great.

My game group hit 16 people! It’s gone a long way since 1 in December!

Played my first game of Azul with the wife and son last night. What a great game. It's a lot less brain-burning than Arboretum, which I find very difficult to think through for some reason. Plays fast and fun. I was also worried about the game encouraging more ruthless play, but I think for the first few games, we are all still trying to play with the puzzle and concentrating a lot less on depriving each other of tiles. Though I can see how after several games that's going to be part of the strategy.