Does anyone have Tabletop Simulator? I'd love to get together (after I'm done with school) and play like some Red Dragon Inn or (if they have it on there) here to Slay with some of y'all
[Gaming] Board Game Praise
- Thread starter Shawn
- Start date
I do. I am in a terrible time zone for meeting up, though. Plus I have 3 kids, which makes finding time difficult too. I'm open to trying, though!
It looks like there is an official Red Dragon Inn: Battle for Greyport DLC. I've never played it, myself. But I love board games, so finding a new one is a plus. Whomever hosts would need to buy it, of course.
Yeah, Frosthaven should be coming out soon. Gloomhaven is great.
Hi, board games thread!
My sweetie and I have been playing quite a few board games since 2020. We'd played some before (Patchwork, Bang! Duel and Chromino were staples and still make it to the table regularly), but the pandemic pushed us to really try some new things. Some limitations as they need to be in French (she speaks not a word of English and I already translate enough during the day) and be really good with just two players since, well, there's only two of us. Some stand-outs include (I'm using the English titles, but these are all in French):
Pandemic (the base game, we got the expansions on order), my favourite game, but only partly for the mechanics. One of the last things we did with our dog before we let him go was play a game, the three of us, and he picked the team. We then proceeded to win said game on HIS turn. It was magical. No game's gonna match that emotional high, no matter how well-made. Even now, we always play four-player games: Myself, her, Lucky and Whippet (her other dog who died a couple years ago).
Quacks of Quedlinburg (with the first expansion so far, second on order), mechanically probably the best game we own for my money. It's amazing, always fresh, never boring and we got my mother in law hooked as a bonus.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Baker Street Irregulars. Eight cases down, so much fun. Sherlock Holmes is kinda bullshit, but we don't care about the points, just the mystery.
Jaipur. Incredibly simple but clean, fast, fun and light. If nothing else, a great palate-cleanser.
Also played two games of Arkham Horror 3rd Ed so far, one together, one just me (still two characters though) with the same scenario. I'm gonna enjoy this one, I think. The atmosphere is great.
Gonna be trying out Pandemic: Rapid Response tonight most likely.
My sweetie and I have been playing quite a few board games since 2020. We'd played some before (Patchwork, Bang! Duel and Chromino were staples and still make it to the table regularly), but the pandemic pushed us to really try some new things. Some limitations as they need to be in French (she speaks not a word of English and I already translate enough during the day) and be really good with just two players since, well, there's only two of us. Some stand-outs include (I'm using the English titles, but these are all in French):
Pandemic (the base game, we got the expansions on order), my favourite game, but only partly for the mechanics. One of the last things we did with our dog before we let him go was play a game, the three of us, and he picked the team. We then proceeded to win said game on HIS turn. It was magical. No game's gonna match that emotional high, no matter how well-made. Even now, we always play four-player games: Myself, her, Lucky and Whippet (her other dog who died a couple years ago).
Quacks of Quedlinburg (with the first expansion so far, second on order), mechanically probably the best game we own for my money. It's amazing, always fresh, never boring and we got my mother in law hooked as a bonus.
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Baker Street Irregulars. Eight cases down, so much fun. Sherlock Holmes is kinda bullshit, but we don't care about the points, just the mystery.
Jaipur. Incredibly simple but clean, fast, fun and light. If nothing else, a great palate-cleanser.
Also played two games of Arkham Horror 3rd Ed so far, one together, one just me (still two characters though) with the same scenario. I'm gonna enjoy this one, I think. The atmosphere is great.
Gonna be trying out Pandemic: Rapid Response tonight most likely.
Thanks for the suggestions, all. I'm taking notes! 
Tried out Pandemic : Rapid Response yesterday. In a word: FRANTIC. You need to roll dice to prepare shipments to cities (using dice), move the plane to said cities (spending dice, which are then unavailable for supplies) and move around said plane to be in the right place to prepare supplies, eliminate waste generated by preparing supplies (which also necessitates dice) or drop cargo (moving and dropping also needing dice), all with an hourglass counting down TWO minutes. And that’s not two minutes per player. Once a player’s done with their turn (can’t/won’t make any more moves) play passes to the next player, but the timer never stops. You get three time tokens to turn it over at the start, and every city you deliver to gets you another one. Still. Very fun, but not so good for your blood pressure, LOL.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we tried out Carcassonne (first time for both of us). What a delightful, chill game. I can see why it's a classic.
Tried out Pandemic : Rapid Response yesterday. In a word: FRANTIC. You need to roll dice to prepare shipments to cities (using dice), move the plane to said cities (spending dice, which are then unavailable for supplies) and move around said plane to be in the right place to prepare supplies, eliminate waste generated by preparing supplies (which also necessitates dice) or drop cargo (moving and dropping also needing dice), all with an hourglass counting down TWO minutes. And that’s not two minutes per player. Once a player’s done with their turn (can’t/won’t make any more moves) play passes to the next player, but the timer never stops. You get three time tokens to turn it over at the start, and every city you deliver to gets you another one. Still. Very fun, but not so good for your blood pressure, LOL.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we tried out Carcassonne (first time for both of us). What a delightful, chill game. I can see why it's a classic.
I really like Carcassonne, h but the base game can get a bit stale after a while.Thanks for the suggestions, all. I'm taking notes!
Tried out Pandemic : Rapid Response yesterday. In a word: FRANTIC. You need to roll dice to prepare shipments to cities (using dice), move the plane to said cities (spending dice, which are then unavailable for supplies) and move around said plane to be in the right place to prepare supplies, eliminate waste generated by preparing supplies (which also necessitates dice) or drop cargo (moving and dropping also needing dice), all with an hourglass counting down TWO minutes. And that’s not two minutes per player. Once a player’s done with their turn (can’t/won’t make any more moves) play passes to the next player, but the timer never stops. You get three time tokens to turn it over at the start, and every city you deliver to gets you another one. Still. Very fun, but not so good for your blood pressure, LOL.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we tried out Carcassonne (first time for both of us). What a delightful, chill game. I can see why it's a classic.
The River is a very small expansion that only affects the start, but really mixes up play. Other expansions are personal taste, i like most but best not to combine more than two, or two large ones, at a time. I've had games last for over 3 hours, and, well, frankly, if you're playing that long a single game of Carcassonne would not be my first choice
Available on Steam: Ticket to Ride and Ticket to Ride: Europe
I have extra keys available, one for each.
I have extra keys available, one for each.
Some free board game keys over in the giveaway thread.
Crossposting for those only interested in board games
Crossposting for those only interested in board games
So lots of new games played recently!
First off, Small World, a classic. Area control with varying powers throughout the game. Scales great with just two players, lots of fun. Not too long, either.
Then Terraforming Mars. Man, that's a LOT of cubes you get to move around, holy shit! We both fell in love with the game though. It looks great, the mechanics are fantastic and although it's intimidating at first and can be overwhelming due to the sheer amount of information, at the end of the day it's not complicated. It's VERY strategic however. But it's great.
Yesterday we went to a board game café for the first time. Ate a lovely and hearty dinner and tried out three light-weight games: Mandala, a surprisingly tactical card-laying game with gorgeous art, Bärenpark, a tile-laying game with a zoo theme, and Cacao, another tile-layer with some market elements. They're all great and there's a good chance they'll end up in our collection.
Loved the experience, although because of the pandemic there were some draw-backs: You HAD to reserve, and only for a three-hour block. So if you're planning on eating a meal and not snacking (as was our plan), the dishes (which are amazing) get in the way and that eats (HA!) into game time. Also into the space available. Ideally, I think we'd like to go play some games, take a break from playing to eat, then go back to playing.
Of course, none of this is a knock on the café itself. It's just another reason COVID sucks.
But we'll definitely be back.
First off, Small World, a classic. Area control with varying powers throughout the game. Scales great with just two players, lots of fun. Not too long, either.
Then Terraforming Mars. Man, that's a LOT of cubes you get to move around, holy shit! We both fell in love with the game though. It looks great, the mechanics are fantastic and although it's intimidating at first and can be overwhelming due to the sheer amount of information, at the end of the day it's not complicated. It's VERY strategic however. But it's great.
Yesterday we went to a board game café for the first time. Ate a lovely and hearty dinner and tried out three light-weight games: Mandala, a surprisingly tactical card-laying game with gorgeous art, Bärenpark, a tile-laying game with a zoo theme, and Cacao, another tile-layer with some market elements. They're all great and there's a good chance they'll end up in our collection.
Loved the experience, although because of the pandemic there were some draw-backs: You HAD to reserve, and only for a three-hour block. So if you're planning on eating a meal and not snacking (as was our plan), the dishes (which are amazing) get in the way and that eats (HA!) into game time. Also into the space available. Ideally, I think we'd like to go play some games, take a break from playing to eat, then go back to playing.
Of course, none of this is a knock on the café itself. It's just another reason COVID sucks.
But we'll definitely be back.
MORE games! Still! Because apparently, once I get into a hobby, I get INTO a hobby. So, let's see:
Wingspan has been acquired (our FLGS had a sale on it, so after all the positive feedback we decided to take the plunge). It's quite good, an absolutely gorgeous game (those eggs look dangerously edible, and the bird-feeder dice thrower is a great idea), but it didn't grab us as much as some other games. No regrets though, it's a very fun game, just not a first-round pick.
Inis was a more recent acquisition, based on its look and its theme (Celtic myths and legends) mostly, although the mechanics looked interesting as well (area control/hand management with war game elements and multiple victory conditions). It's fantastic. Absolutely adore that game, quite the brain-teaser and if it's not the prettiest game in our collection it's damn close. Plays very well with just two, but I'd love to try it with more. Some cards are only used with four players, and I could see the game get some negotiation aspect with a higher player count.
Also acquired Ghost Stories after positive feedback, haven't tried it yet but looking forward to another co-op. That way maybe I can win a game for once.
Speaking of co-op, I found a co-op variant for Terraforming Mars that is bonkers in the best way. We've played it a bunch and it just gave that game a whole new lease on life (granted, it didn't really need a new lease on life, LOL). Speaking of, picked up an expansion, Venus Next. It's fine. I mean, it's more Terraforming Mars, which is always good, but it's not making me rush out to buy the rest. The base game is PLENTY good enough.
Also got Telestrations for when we can get together in bigger groups again (it's on the way here). That's a ton of fun.
Wingspan has been acquired (our FLGS had a sale on it, so after all the positive feedback we decided to take the plunge). It's quite good, an absolutely gorgeous game (those eggs look dangerously edible, and the bird-feeder dice thrower is a great idea), but it didn't grab us as much as some other games. No regrets though, it's a very fun game, just not a first-round pick.
Inis was a more recent acquisition, based on its look and its theme (Celtic myths and legends) mostly, although the mechanics looked interesting as well (area control/hand management with war game elements and multiple victory conditions). It's fantastic. Absolutely adore that game, quite the brain-teaser and if it's not the prettiest game in our collection it's damn close. Plays very well with just two, but I'd love to try it with more. Some cards are only used with four players, and I could see the game get some negotiation aspect with a higher player count.
Also acquired Ghost Stories after positive feedback, haven't tried it yet but looking forward to another co-op. That way maybe I can win a game for once.
Speaking of co-op, I found a co-op variant for Terraforming Mars that is bonkers in the best way. We've played it a bunch and it just gave that game a whole new lease on life (granted, it didn't really need a new lease on life, LOL). Speaking of, picked up an expansion, Venus Next. It's fine. I mean, it's more Terraforming Mars, which is always good, but it's not making me rush out to buy the rest. The base game is PLENTY good enough.
Also got Telestrations for when we can get together in bigger groups again (it's on the way here). That's a ton of fun.
Good luck Ghost Stories is a tough one.Also acquired Ghost Stories after positive feedback, haven't tried it yet but looking forward to another co-op. That way maybe I can win a game for once.
IIRC corners allowing you to attack two creatures is the only thing that gives the monks a chance to win. I've only played the solo mode since when I was explaining the game my wife went cross eyed and said it wasn't her type of game. But tonight we're going to be playing Vienna Connection which is a piping new game that I've been excited for months about.
We got some new gaaaaames!!!
The second expansion for Quacks of Quedlinburg, The Alchemists, is every bit as good as the base game and the first expansion let me hope. That game is awesome.
New York Zoo is fantastic as well, an absolute delight of tile-laying with some crunchiness to its decisions. Super fun.
Race for the Galaxy is a very good tableau-building game that is hampered by one of the worst manuals I've ever seen. Couldn't make heads or tails of it, had to watch a how-to-play vid (the one by Nights Around the Table). But once you get it, it's quite good.
Just got through our first game of Bunny Kingdom, a drafting/area control game by Richard Garfield. Just a lovely, simple, adorable yet crunchy game. Had a delightful time.
Still to be tested are the Bunny Kingdom expansion (In the Sky), Ghost Stories, Great Western Trail and Space Base.
The second expansion for Quacks of Quedlinburg, The Alchemists, is every bit as good as the base game and the first expansion let me hope. That game is awesome.
New York Zoo is fantastic as well, an absolute delight of tile-laying with some crunchiness to its decisions. Super fun.
Race for the Galaxy is a very good tableau-building game that is hampered by one of the worst manuals I've ever seen. Couldn't make heads or tails of it, had to watch a how-to-play vid (the one by Nights Around the Table). But once you get it, it's quite good.
Just got through our first game of Bunny Kingdom, a drafting/area control game by Richard Garfield. Just a lovely, simple, adorable yet crunchy game. Had a delightful time.
Still to be tested are the Bunny Kingdom expansion (In the Sky), Ghost Stories, Great Western Trail and Space Base.
So bit of a funny story with this one. Target has an exlusive version of Fireball Island. It is a bit less expensive than the normal version. We ordered it for pickup at our local store and they gave us the more expensive Curse of Vul-Kar version. I read somewhere that the Target version is a bit smaller with some modified rules and the other version is better. We gave it to a friend for his birthday and played it the other night. It's pretty fun. It's not going to be one we play every game night, but it will definitely be one we pull out on occasion to just have some simple fun.
So it's been a minute, hasn't it?
Tested out Bunny Kindom In the Sky, it adds a lot to the base game, suddenly there's a LOT more to keep track of. You're basically playing in two boards. Game's as charming as ever, though. Really fun and friendly-looking.
Great Western Trail is a BEAST of a game. Deck-building, economics and worker placements all running together like complementing cogs and gears. Tons of difficult decisions, and I love that there's no obvious path, everything's worthwhile. One of the best we've played.
Tested out Bunny Kindom In the Sky, it adds a lot to the base game, suddenly there's a LOT more to keep track of. You're basically playing in two boards. Game's as charming as ever, though. Really fun and friendly-looking.
Great Western Trail is a BEAST of a game. Deck-building, economics and worker placements all running together like complementing cogs and gears. Tons of difficult decisions, and I love that there's no obvious path, everything's worthwhile. One of the best we've played.
Things are rolling here too. Legend of the Five Rings died (probably correctly), but Vampre: Rivals is a stupidly good evolving card game (build decks from available cards, play, etc) and is just as good multiplayer (up to 4) as it is 1v1. Just really smart design that isn't overly complex.