Satisfying Party Games

[Rob Zacny]

Three Moves Ahead 349:

Satisfying Party Games

Rob Zacny gets together with Rabbitcon host Julian Murdoch as well as game designers Rob Daviau and David Heron to talk about party games. The term "party game" can conjure up a variety of games, from the most casual of affairs to the in-depth slog that run through the night. But how can a board game balance depth with ease of entry?

7 Wonders, 6 nimmt!, Mysterium, Puerto Rico, Splendor, Chinatown, Pandemic Legacy, The Manhattan Project, Argricola, Caverna, Concordia, Blood Rage, Carson City

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[graddy]

I am going to devour this episode. My board gaming had trended more toward lighter card and party games over the past few years.

[spacerumsfeld]

Warning: Episode has nothing to do with party games.

[BusbyBerkeley]

Yeah those games listed are not exactly what I'd call party games. Have yet to listen to the episode, but I take it no one brings up Dixit?

[Avian Overlord]

Yeah those games listed are not exactly what I'd call party games. Have yet to listen to the episode, but I take it no one brings up Dixit?

 I am told Mysterium is similar. (I only have experience with Mysterium)

[DukeofChutney]

I am yet to attend an Agricola party but imagine its pretty wild.

 

A Chinatown party on the other hand...

 

 

 

A few years ago we generally knew what the hit games where each year. With the recent booom in the boardgame industry more games are released per year and its harder for games to get critical traction in terms of buzz. So i think you will generally find yourself sifting through more 'okish' titles to find the great ones each year. 

[ilitarist]

Warning: Episode has nothing to do with party games.

 

I too started listening expecting discussion of games featuring Trotsky and Lenin.

 

The only boardgames I've played are Carcassone and Munchkin which *are* party games. So this episode went way over my head. Over many other heads too, probably.

[DukeofChutney]

Of course Kremlin is the ultimate Party!

[Cbirdsong]

As established very early in the episode, the operating definition of party game is pretty nebulous. Rob and co. seem to be searching for a great medium weight strategy game that seats 4-5 players. I was really looking forward to a discussion on what makes a great party game, which is not something I see talked about very often.

 

 

The only boardgames I've played are Carcassone and Munchkin which *are* party games. So this episode went way over my head. Over many other heads too, probably.

 

Carcassonne is not a great game when played with a large group. Give it a try with two players - it's a cutthroat knife fight disguised as a pastoral town builder.

[cornchip]

This episode felt like a very special crossover episode between 3ma and Game Design Roundtable. As a close listener of both shows, I didn't mind!

 

I actually appreciated the choice of the word party, because Rabbitcon sounds exactly like something I do with a dozen or so college friends for one long weekend a year. We are looking for exactly the same sorts of games that Dave and Rob were questing for, and play many of the same games mentioned at this get-together for the same reasons.

 

I have been searching for my "next game" along these lines for a few months and recently realized that game is Quartermaster General. Now, playing a WW2-themed game with a map doesn't seem very party-like, but this game plays about as fast as you like and has sweet spots at 2, 4, 5 and 6 (best number) players. While it's not simultaneous, the turns are short unless other players respond to actions, keeping them included. The rules explanation is literally five minutes and the special cases are on the cards. There is a tournament mercy rule that works very well for casual play and, combined with the way the game respects your time, increases the chance that the partygoers will be up for another game.

 

Also: Quartermaster General is a two-team game (Axis vs. Allies.) I think that this, along with simultaneous turns, is one of the great mechanics of engagement in large-player-count games.

 

For actual party games I recommend A Fake Artist Goes to New York.

[sclpls]

My definition of a party game is a game where actively trying to win completely misses the point of the game (and potentially diminishes the enjoyment). Examples: Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, Apples to Apples, Taboo, Pictionary. Games like Mafia and Werewolf also potentially work as party games depending on the crowd. A healthy amount of drinking helps.

 

I haven't listened to the podcast yet, but looking over the list of games discussed this sounds more like games that don't take forever to play, but I don't think I could get most people I know to play a game of Agricola, but I could definitely get anyone to play Taboo.

 

But I guess my definition of party games wouldn't be appropriate on a strategy game podcast.

[sclpls]

Okay now that I'm listening to the podcast I see the point I made is almost exactly the first thing that comes out of Julian's mouth.

 

I don't have much else to say about why there aren't new games that fill whatever niche Rob & David are looking for because I ran out of room in my closet for board games a long time ago (Rob Daviau can be proud that I did find a way to make room for Pandemic Legacy however). So I don't keep up with new board games anymore, I basically just play the games I already have which is pretty great because I made a point of making sure the games I have aren't similar to one another, and remembering how to play a game goes much more smoothly than learning the rules to a new game.

 

I don't know, are there any board games that have been released in the last year that I'd be crazy not to pick up? I think after you've been playing board games for a few years it makes sense to start whittling your collection down, and just replaying the ones you have.

[tberton]

Sclps: Codenames definitely fits that bill. Small, easy to learn, quick to play and devious as all hell. It's a weird cross between Hanabi, Minesweeper and Password.