-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
Board Gaming Era |OT| (Mostly) Unplugged Gaming
- Thread starter XShagrath
- Start date
I've been watching Maracaibo as it Alexander Pfister's latest game. No rules for it yet but they should be soon. In the BGG threads, Alex said that he had a lot of help when designing Mombasa and GWT from Andreas Odendahl. I guess Andreas' next game is Cooper Island which should be out in the fall too. They've released the rules to Cooper Island today.
Anyway, both games are on my radar and if you're into tile/worker placement games, check them out. I think both sound pretty interesting.
Anyway, both games are on my radar and if you're into tile/worker placement games, check them out. I think both sound pretty interesting.
Awkward Guests has finally made it to QM Logistics in the U.S.! I'm just glad nothing could possible delay shipping any further in Florida.
(I jest, be safe and please don't risk your life to ship a board game)
(I jest, be safe and please don't risk your life to ship a board game)
Sucks about the timing with the hurricane, I'm just glad to have ANY update at this point.
Same. I love Troyes, but for some reason Black Angel doesn't look like I would need to get it and stick with Troyes instead.
Played my first game of 7th Continent tonight. It's pretty cool, but I do have some stuff I want to research on the game, because I do have some questions regarding our next step.
In terms of actually finishing the curse? Or in terms of "I'm not sure if I played that right"? The most bizarre part of 7th continent is the item stacking/combining thing. My bow and arrow mixed with a slab of meat mixed with a rope having 5 uses is still a bizarre thing to see.
Played the second journey in Lord of the rings journeys in middle earth.
I didn't enjoy it as much as the first, I feel the battle map looks a bit generic overall and it lacks the excitement of searching and unveiling the points of interests. Overall felt like too much of an onslaught of enemies.
Can anyone give an indication of what the split between battle map & terrain map is through the campaign?
I didn't enjoy it as much as the first, I feel the battle map looks a bit generic overall and it lacks the excitement of searching and unveiling the points of interests. Overall felt like too much of an onslaught of enemies.
Can anyone give an indication of what the split between battle map & terrain map is through the campaign?
For clarification: are you on the second mission of the first campaign or did you start the second campaign that's available? My feeling is that the game is mostly built around the exploration missions with the combat ones peppered in. That could change depending on the campaign, I believe. I don't mind the combat sections as much because I have a long history with playing grid based light skirmish games (like Heroclix), but they are weaker than the exploration missions in my opinion. That being said, once your decks get a little better, it's more fun.
Second mission of the first campaign. Good to hear they are perhaps not the focus.
I didn't hate them overall, I just think they are weaker. You are right, they are probably much better once more cards are available to the characters.
Probably need more info, but if you stopped / saved the game, you only put the terrain tile down that the characters were on when you saved, and put new exploration cards for any surrounding cards. It's like a soft reset for exploration.
Best edition of a must own game.
Awful minis, though. And the included insert is brittle and inadequate (especially if you sleeve your cards).
Hopefully playing Monday!
Played more Wingspan and Decrypto yesterday. Both are very solid games that I'm sure to play much more in the future.
That's really nice! I was impressed by Call to Adventure's insert, but Parks looks even better and they really maximized the space of the box.
Never played or owned the expansions so I can't comment on how they improve or change the core experience, but I played the crap out of the game when it was new. I really like the core concept of the game and I like how the cards work, BUT (and these are some pretty big "buts" for me), I never really had fun playing with other people. The game just takes too long for what amounts to fighting tokens that you flip over. It feels like a sandbox game, but you don't really have a lot of options for what to do since so many things are essentially "level-gated." I also hate the castles. The characters feel really cool and different, though ones that have a movement advantage out of the gate feel really powerful. I also really like the leveling up system. If you like card/hand puzzles and don't mind a lot of down-time, the game is worth a look. I just think there are other games out there that have similar feels that are more engaging for multiple players (Gloomhaven being the main one for me).
Overall I think it plays the best solo so if you any interest in solo gaming, it's a no-brainer. I'm just not in to solo boardgaming. But I avoid playing it multiplayer mostly because of the game length (which to be fair can be adjusted), and multi-player games can have a very anti-climatic ending.
Fantastic solo game, great two player game, very long if you play with greater then two players.
Played Wingspan tonight. Still really love that game . So damn pretty
But is it fun?
That's why I haven't picked it up so far. Looks incredible, but honestly it looks like it could be boring too. I lean toward buying it, but I can't pull the trigger. I wonder if when the hype settles, this one isn't all that great? Or maybe it really truly is?
Yeah it's a lot of fun . I'm sure it isn't for everyone but it's in my fav games list for sure
Yeah, did the save. I'll figure it out.
Played a lot of other games over the the last three days. Played The Mind a bunch of times. Carpe Diem, another play of Quacks of Quedlinberg, Noctiluca, Fury of Dracula (which I haven't played in a long time, and it was the first time I won with Dracula). Played a bit of Wish You Were Here to kill time, Imperial Settlers, and Castles of mad King Ludwig (another game I haven't played in a long time).
I finally played Wingspan this past week after teaching the game and letting others play since picking it up at Gen Con, and I'll echo it being a really fun game despite the lack of direct interaction between players. I haven't played much in the way of engine building, with perhaps City of Gears the closest to that mechanics-wise, but it's interesting how flexible everything can be and the different avenues to gather points.
I will say though that it's a game I wouldn't play with just anyone. A game that should've ended in an hour 1/2 to two hours ended up lasting 3 hours from people being distracted with phones and such. And while I say 5 people can allow more things to happen with the right cards in play, that also drags the time considerably, even if the design lends itself well in minimizing down time if the players are focused and using that down time to plan their next action.
I may check out Terror Below today, which I've somewhat cooled on after an impulse buy at Gen Con. Hopefully it doesn't get thrown into the regret category, especially with the wound Batman Gotham City Chronicles left being fresh.
What are your thoughts on Fury of Dracula? I've had the new edition sitting around for a while, but I've been holding off on bringing it to the table due to both saving it for some holiday thematic sessions and that the play time seems quite long to devote to one game on most nights.
I will say though that it's a game I wouldn't play with just anyone. A game that should've ended in an hour 1/2 to two hours ended up lasting 3 hours from people being distracted with phones and such. And while I say 5 people can allow more things to happen with the right cards in play, that also drags the time considerably, even if the design lends itself well in minimizing down time if the players are focused and using that down time to plan their next action.
I may check out Terror Below today, which I've somewhat cooled on after an impulse buy at Gen Con. Hopefully it doesn't get thrown into the regret category, especially with the wound Batman Gotham City Chronicles left being fresh.
What are your thoughts on Fury of Dracula? I've had the new edition sitting around for a while, but I've been holding off on bringing it to the table due to both saving it for some holiday thematic sessions and that the play time seems quite long to devote to one game on most nights.
I love Fury of Dracula. I have the old version and have played it a dozens of times. It's a great cat and mouse game however it does take a few turns to get the mechanics leant. Perhaps play a few turns solo playing both sides to lean the rules and turn sequence. Once you get it... The game is fun for both sides and it can get quite tense. You can really make a fun night of it and I much prefer it to Arkham Horror.
I've been playing lighter weight games like Forbidden Island, Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig, and The Quest for El Dorado lately since they're easy to bring to the table. Wingspan is a little longer but I've been able to bring that to the table too. It's pretty streamlined, which I like.
Looking forward to opening up Chronicles of Crime and Through The Desert next.
Looking forward to opening up Chronicles of Crime and Through The Desert next.
Finally played my copy of PARKS and we loved it
Super simple and easy to learn but it's stunnnnnning and just a joy to play
Super simple and easy to learn but it's stunnnnnning and just a joy to play
Wow yea 3 hours is a bit much. I think 3 is the sweet spot for wingspan to be honest
Heya, I'd been keeping an eye out for this game to buy since I read your thoughts on it. I managed to find it for a good price today so I got it. I was looking for more thematic experiences and feel like this would do nicely. I watched The Dice Tower review and while Tom liked it, he said he just couldn't play it anymore, now I'm slightly worried it might almost be too traumatic. Hope it'll be ok though.
Do you think you will get the expansion - Tales from the Ruined City?
Also I agree with the guy in that BGG thread, I'd also consider using this as an educational tool, once my kids are a reasonable age.
Last edited:
Congrats! This is a very good game if you like heavy thematic stuff. And I would't define it as "traumatic", but it is definitely heavy. You will get into situations that will break your heart. If you find it to be too much, the game suggests removing the black card (blind and merciless fate) and/or red card (drastic scenes) from the Colors Deck (the deck you draw from to determine narratives events). But I very highly suggest you keep them in as these cards definitely provide tension to the game, and they greatly help in building impactful narratives. Let me know your thoughts once you have the chance to play a little.
And I did bought the Tales from the Ruined City expansion. I would say it's a good expansion, but it's far from being necessary. The highlights from it are Emira, the 13th character, and the scenarios, which are very good. The expansion even come with a sealed envelope for each of the five scenarios. If you win one you get to open its envelope, which gives you a few extra beneficial cards to permanently add to the game. I like to play scenarios once in a while because they are usually shorter than a regular game. And those in the expansion are very fun.
As for the rest, the Farmers, Sewers, and Desperate Measures modules are not bad, and I do see myself including them in a game once in a while, but I do prefer the game without them.
Oh, and if you want to set the mood while playing, I found that The Last of Us soundtrack is great for that purpose!
Thanks for the reply. I'm very much looking forward to it, though I've sent the game to my home address, and won't be back for another couple of months while I'm working overseas. But I will post about it once I've had a go. I'll definitely keep all the cards in, and one day when I play with the kids, I'd want to play with all the cards in too, so long as the cards are realistic and don't glorify anything.
The Last of Us soundtrack is a good shout! This game reminds me most of Schindler's List, particularly when they Jewish survivors were hiding from the nazis.
Some other games I got in the last week or so -
First Martians : Adventures on the red planet - didn't hear great things about this game, but it was $20, and it's meant to be like Robinson Crusoe so I wanted to give it a go. I'm a bit concerned of the fact that its app driven, as I'd like to be able to play this in the future, I'm sure someone smarter than me, will release a third party thing, in the event the app gets killed off.
Vinhos Deluxe - This completed all the Lacerda games I wanted to get for the moment, the only one I don't have is Escape Plan. I have to confess, I haven't played any of them but I do intend to. I actually set up Lisboa but it got so late, i had to pack it up and go to bed.
Azul - Wanted to get another gateway game as I only have Splendor and just about everyone is over Ticket to Ride.
Formula D : Singapore Track - I don't have Formula D, just waiting on a decent deal. I'm excited for to get something where the kids can play with the adults.
Does anyone know a retailer in Europe that sells stuff like accessories for board games etc. of all kinds? I am trying to find one that sells stands that can hold cards, in my case, the mini cards for Arkham Horror: The Card Game so you can put the investigators upright on them and move them more easily like pieces.
Something along the lines of this:
Or whatever else is suitable.
So far I keep finding American outlets and buying from them would give me a shipping cost that is 200 times the cost of the stuff.
Something along the lines of this:
Or whatever else is suitable.
So far I keep finding American outlets and buying from them would give me a shipping cost that is 200 times the cost of the stuff.
Finally got around to trying seventh continent, played Voracious Goddess twice with two players, lost both times lol. Game is not easy for sure, next time we'll try the "easy mode" I think.... Had to swim both times with sucked I think. Also sat on so many experience points but only got the chance to pick an advanced skill once... Did we do something wrong there?
Anyone know a good place to get mini doors for a board game? I missed out on the resident evil 2 ks exclusive ones and having played the game a lot more recently I'm finding the tiles they have for doors really hard to tell apart.
Went all in on Gloomhaven awhile last month. Game, card sleeves, Broken Token organizer - which, as far as I'm concerned is essential to play the thing.
And, damn. It's pretty excellent. My group has played around 30 hours together now and there's still a lot (A LOT) left to go through.
The initiative order can sometimes disrupt whatever plan you had for that round, and you learn to roll with the punches in a sense, but there is a sense of your hard planning almost not really mattering.
Furthermore, sometimes the number of components can feel silly and the game takes a ton of management from round to round. Clearing/adding counters to monster stats, reshuffling action decks, moving element counters. It can feel overbearing.
Pretty amazing game, though. I think about playing it all the time which is a good sign.
Can anyone speak to the longevity of this thing? Does it hold up as you get deeper into the story? I'm wondering if my table will fizzle on it after running its 50th dungeon or so. Responses on this would be awesome.
And, damn. It's pretty excellent. My group has played around 30 hours together now and there's still a lot (A LOT) left to go through.
The initiative order can sometimes disrupt whatever plan you had for that round, and you learn to roll with the punches in a sense, but there is a sense of your hard planning almost not really mattering.
Furthermore, sometimes the number of components can feel silly and the game takes a ton of management from round to round. Clearing/adding counters to monster stats, reshuffling action decks, moving element counters. It can feel overbearing.
Pretty amazing game, though. I think about playing it all the time which is a good sign.
Can anyone speak to the longevity of this thing? Does it hold up as you get deeper into the story? I'm wondering if my table will fizzle on it after running its 50th dungeon or so. Responses on this would be awesome.
OP
OP
There are mobile apps and websites that can manage most of the bookkeeping for you.
Also, if you fizzle out after 50 plays, that's still a really good dollar per hour on your entertainment. I've got numerous games on the shelf that I paid $40-60 (or more), and they've only gotten one play so far.
My groups have generally liked it. I'll be curious to see how it goes with someone else playing Dracula. It's my copy and Dracula is more complex, so it's generally fallen to me to play Dracula. I think I'm at a point though, where I could hand off the fangs to someone else.
As for play time, yeah it's a bit long. Our game was 2 hours. We were most of the way through week 3 and it was very close. If I hadn't had a mesmerize go through, I'd have taken full damage from a pistol and lost.
Anyone else looking at Merchants Cove? I'm really tempted but am worried that the lack of commonality will hurt player interaction.
I had a look however am passing. I should of got dwellings of eldervale. I think you can late pledge. That game looks amazing. I just know I won't get to play it though so that's a pass too. BV
Any fans of the deckbuilder Valley of the Kings? The new premium edition adds asymmetrical/unique character powers (think Voyages of Marco Polo), which sounds awesome. You can see the 10 character powers at the 3m15s mark of this overview video: