What games do you guys all play? Since Skates left Chicago I've been slacking a bit on quality, advanced board games. I'll list some of the more enjoyable games I've played over the years below, but I haven't played too many, nor too often, so I'm hoping to field some suggestions myself out of this thread.
Family Type (less rules intensive, less length in time, easy to converse while playing)
- Ticket to Ride
- Squint
1 on 1
- Quiddler
- Connect 4
Advanced
- Acquire
- 7 Wonders
- Race for the Galaxy*
- Power Grid
* Don't recall if I liked this one in particular, but I think I did, so I listed it.
List some more! (I guess google if you want a description of each, sorry my memory isn't sharp enough on some of these to give a good summary so I didn't try).
RISKMonopolySettlers of Catan!
MonopolyBattleship-------------Personally, I do not like Connect 4, because it is a solved game in which the player who is second to act (in a 2 player game) cannot win the game unless player one has no idea what he is doing. I kinda dislike games that allow perfect play from one side only.
Hi.
I'm not sure where its available, but 'The Logo Board Game' is one of the best board games i have played. It won 'Toy of the year' last year somewhere, and it always gets brought out when the gang comes around a drink.
"You got to know when to hold'em....Know when to fold'em....Know when to walk away...Know when to check raise bluff shove the 10 high with no fold equity...."
MastermindApples to Apples (pretty fun if you have a big crew to play with)
Ah, I have apples to apples, only played it a few times, didn't work out well with family though, I don't think we all enjoyed it. I'll have to try it with some friends. I'll have to check out Mastermind.Dominion and Agricola are two games a husng player skyped me to recommend after reading this, just throwing those out there.Lost Cities looks promising, anybody ever tried that out? I might just go for it, seem to be striking out lately without good recommendations. Bought two wii games yesterday and neither worked out for gf and I.
Ya it's only fun if you get the right vibe going. I've played it several times where it was just pretty boring.
Wits and Wagers is a decent game similar to Apples to Apples. I've played that a few times and found it to be fun. More interesting to play with poker players or true gamers, if you have some experience in wagering and proability, your strategy is very likely to dominate the random opponent.
I love Ludo, its great playing with friends and super fun!
A friend recommended the following games that didn't pop up in this thread so far. Going to paste descriptions too:Carcassonne - The Carcassonne is a clever tile-laying game. The southern French city of Carcassonne is famous for its unique roman and medieval fortifications. The players develop the area around Carcassonne and deploy their followers on the roads, in the cities, in the cloisters, and in the fields. The skill of the players to develop the area will determine who is victorious. The game is for ages 8 and up and 2 to 5 players.Innovation - This new game by Carl Chudyk is a journey through innovations from the stone age through modern times. Each player builds a civilization based on various technologies ideas and cultural advancements all represented by cards. Each of these cards has a unique power which will allow further advancement point scoring or even attacking other civilizations. Be careful though as other civilizations may be able to benefit from your ideas as well! To win you must score achievements which you can attain by amassing points or by meeting certain criteria with the innovations you have built. Plan your civilization well and outmaneuver your opponents and you will achieve victory.Mr. Jack - 1888 Whitechapel District, London. 00:25am. As usual too much fog surrounds the British Kingdom. Then a shout… As another victim falls prey to the notorious Jack the Ripper, as he has been dubbed. Finally, not being able to endure this any longer 8 investigators come together to try and uncover the mystery of Mr. Jack. The question is: Can they uncover him before he strikes again, even when one amongst them really is the Assassin? 2 players with 8 characters. One of them runs a race against time, to uncover the truth of who the Ripper really is. The other works to escape and deceive everyone from the fact that he is the shadow in the night that strangles these far from innocent women. With only one accusation throughout the whole game players need to pay close attention to who is in the shadows and who remains in the light.Claustrophobia - Hell gates are open…there’s no escape. 1634. Humanity wants more, Hell is the next target. In this tactical survival game, one player controls the human group that explores the infernal underground and confronts a steady-stream troglodyte’s army, and your opponent plays the demon group who tries to stop them. In this game you will find high quality materials with pre-painted figurines, combined with easy to learn rules that allow you to set the game up quickly. This game takes some of the best features of Euro board games mechanisms, (character skill management) as well as American (random combat resolution). Be ready to make Claustrophobia you’re next favorite head-to-head board game. The six scenarios included in the game will provide you hours of gaming in the dark and gloomy New-Jerusalem Underground. When the scenarios no longer have any more secrets for you, you will be able to create your own or go on the Claustrophobia website where you will find unseen scenarios and a FAQ.1960: The Making of the President - In 1960: the Making of the President, you take on the role of Kennedy or Nixon in vying to lead America through an era of turbulent change. The candidates must contend with all the great issues of the day, from the cold war to civil rights to voters' pocket books. This is an election that will turn on positioning and momentum. The contest is fought on an electoral map of the United States as it stood in 1960. Using a card-driven game system, all the major events which shaped the campaign are represented Nixon's lazy shave, President Eisenhower's late endorsement, and the 'Catholic question' are all specific event cards. The famous televised debates are also an important component of gameplay. As with a real election campaign, the challenge is to adapt your game plan as the ground shifts out from under you. There are never enough resources or time to do everything, but you need to make the tough calls to propel yourself into the White House. This fast-playing strategy game for two players challenges you to relive the most significant political contest of the twentieth century.I want to order these and Lost Cities, though will probably just start with one until the winter.
Honestly ticket to ride I did not liked, to easy.
The others, I have to check out.
Just consult boardgamegeeks.com
There is a top xxx listing created by voting.
My top 3 all time:
1) Puerto Rico with the 2 persons rules downloadable from boardgamegeeks.com is my favorite.
You'll have to play 25 times+ to start to see the small subtle pathways present in the game. It will be rarely the case that you'll win with more then 5 points difference as every edge you go for will cost you an edge somewhere else.
2) Dominion is a game I started to play recently; although some routes and cards from the 2 expansion I have are to powerful; probably me and my friends start to change the cards and rules to balance out again soon.
3) Settlers of cattan BUT 4 person game +
basic game +
traders & barbarians expansion (to utilize fish tiles + fishes OR for 2 player rules) +
cities & knights expansion (to acquire playing cards that influence game) + seefarers expansion (to enable traveling on sea + getting goldmines and enough tiles) +
start at areal small island (with no possibiltiy to end the game with 13 victorie points)
and every time you build a ship in sea to empty spot you draw a random tile & random number and get resource of it
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One that I played till the cards and pieces start to get broke and that I currently no longer like to playe because of overdose (I played prob 300+ times)
Risk 2210 AD (with lunar colonies, water colonies, commander, space stations, cards playable by players to change the game).
But play it
2 person game +
introducing nuclear bombs to offset random distribution of terrotories +
we mostly play till someone is death (although you can easily copy the exact same missions as in standard risk +
you have to bid for starting order
+ you have to choose between collecting energy OR collecting troops OR attacking
+ only 7 free moves (15troops between 2 countires = 15moves)
+ you start already with 1 card of each category
+ neutral forces (4 units each non-occupied terrotory)
+ ...
If you insist on playing it with 3 players; the player who is the first killing another non-neutral players wins the game. You're better sure to get the last unit.
Bought Carcassonne today and will report back soon.Carcassonne - The Carcassonne is a clever tile-laying game. The southern French city of Carcassonne is famous for its unique roman and medieval fortifications. The players develop the area around Carcassonne and deploy their followers on the roads, in the cities, in the cloisters, and in the fields. The skill of the players to develop the area will determine who is victorious. The game is for ages 8 and up and 2 to 5 players.