Non-video games

[TheLastBaron]

I haven't tried Netrunner drafting, but it seems fun. It's expensive though. I will say that if you're on the fence about trying Netrunner, you should just hop over that fence and play.

 

I'm sure I'd enjoy the game, but I don't know anyone that plays it or is interested in it and I have friends that already play Magic so it's a bit of a tough sell.

[osmosisch]

I think my main problem with any deck-building game is that I'm a huge fan of card games like Magic where you can draft decks and deck building games come really close to giving me the same feeling, except then that's the whole game so instead of building a deck and then playing with it you build a deck and the game ends. It always just feels a little empty to me on its own and maybe I like Thunderstone more because the whole adventuring and fighting monsters and leveling up distracts me from that.

For me, to tickle the drafting itch Seven Wonders and Greed are great. Deckbuilding games are more about engine creation to me which is not quite the same thing.

Oh, and Hearthstone Arena of course but that's another thread.

[taterdactyl]

I've always wanted to go,but it looks to be pretty expensive, don't you end up paying to play?

It can be expensive, but there are also tons of games you can play for free or super cheap. We treat it like a mini vacation and go in knowing we're going to spend some moolah. A 4-day pass is $80 ($70 if you get it during pre-reg), and so far we've signed up for four game sessions for $14 (2 2hr BattleTech sessions, 1 1hr D&D encounter, and 1 2hr Dragon Dice session). You can also play in Magic tournaments, which we did last year, but that's definitely a bit more at around $15-20. And it's also a 4-6hr commitment. They also have a First Exposure Playtest Hall where you can try out a bunch of indie games for free. So yea, it can be pricey, but you can also do it on the cheap-ish.

i had never realized there was a con like this so close. i'd be interested in learning more about it, the website requires an account that i am not prepared to make just yet.

perhaps next summer i can convince the wife i need a solo vacation to indy...shes not too keen on most table (or video) games

If the solo vacay idea doesn't fly, they also have spouse activities! Lol... How to dance THRILLER, zumba with geekygamergirl, shao-lin kung-fu, crochet your own pokeball dice bag, learn how to start couponing... Do all the things! You should totally make an account and check it out though. There are a ridiculous amount of activities.

My girlfriend is fascinated by fanfiction stuff (and is currently working on a proposal for a thesis based around it) so I picked up a similar game for her. It's called Slash. The judge draws a character from popular culture, and the other players need to select another character from their hand to form a romantic pair with the judge's. In the boring normal game, the judge then just picks the funniest pair. In the real game for people who like to have fun, each proposed pairing must be accompanied by a synopsis of the romantic relationship between the player's proposed match and the judge's character, from how they met to their relationship's ultimate fate. Hilariously fun if you get the right group for it.

Yea that sounds very similar to what we played. You all should try Superfight - super ridiculous and fun.

[Merus]

For me, to tickle the drafting itch Seven Wonders and Greed are great. Deckbuilding games are more about engine creation to me which is not quite the same thing.

 

Seven Wonders is so much fun. Well worth getting a copy circulating.

[YoThatLimp]

It can be expensive, but there are also tons of games you can play for free or super cheap. We treat it like a mini vacation and go in knowing we're going to spend some moolah. A 4-day pass is $80 ($70 if you get it during pre-reg), and so far we've signed up for four game sessions for $14 (2 2hr BattleTech sessions, 1 1hr D&D encounter, and 1 2hr Dragon Dice session). You can also play in Magic tournaments, which we did last year, but that's definitely a bit more at around $15-20. And it's also a 4-6hr commitment. They also have a First Exposure Playtest Hall where you can try out a bunch of indie games for free. So yea, it can be pricey, but you can also do it on the cheap-ish.

If the solo vacay idea doesn't fly, they also have spouse activities! Lol... How to dance THRILLER, zumba with geekygamergirl, shao-lin kung-fu, crochet your own pokeball dice bag, learn how to start couponing... Do all the things! You should totally make an account and check it out though. There are a ridiculous amount of activities.

Yea that sounds very similar to what we played. You all should try Superfight - super ridiculous and fun.

 

That sounds awesome dude, I definitely want to go if i can get some buddies interested, Indy is not a super crazy drive from Chicago. 

 

Has anyone had much luck getting their non-geeky significant others into board games? My wife always has a good time when I rope her into games (she has even rolled a DnD 4e character with us once), but I think the idea of board games really intimidates  her. Once she is playing, she digs it but crossing the barrier between "oh god, all of these rules" and " this is awesome" is kind of hard for her. I thought about maybe playing some 1 v 1 games with her to get her more comfortable with the process but most of my collection is better for 3+ .

[undermind9]

board games in general, but netrunner specifically - has been an uphill battle with my wife.  She is in a similar position, finds the game as a whole fun, the card lore is interesting, and loves jinteki ambush deceit, but has no interest in deck building, figuring out the runner side, and cannot grasp "traces"

 

I have found interesting party games to be better suited to getting her involved.  something that she can learn the rules with a group, take less serious, and laugh at in general.  

 

I am going to pick up the werewolf game mentioned previously for the next group event, i think once she gets over the avatar/roles the quick hit traitor game will engage her and her friends (similar mindset)

[Gormongous]

That sounds awesome dude, I definitely want to go if i can get some buddies interested, Indy is not a super crazy drive from Chicago. 

 

Has anyone had much luck getting their non-geeky significant others into board games? My wife always has a good time when I rope her into games (she has even rolled a DnD 4e character with us once), but I think the idea of board games really intimidates  her. Once she is playing, she digs it but crossing the barrier between "oh god, all of these rules" and " this is awesome" is kind of hard for her. I thought about maybe playing some 1 v 1 games with her to get her more comfortable with the process but most of my collection is better for 3+ .

 

When I had a girlfriend, I did it this way, and now I use the same techniques on friend's significant others. I've been gradually building my collection out with games that are low on rules density, high on interaction intensity, and dependent on social relationships. The lattermost is something I'm mostly shit at, but the thrill of getting new people interested makes it worth it. So far, I've got King of Tokyo, Love Letter, Resistance: Avalon, Ladies & Gentlemen, and now One Night Ultimate Werewolf. Once I've got them interested in those games, I can use the concepts they've learned to sell games that are higher density and lower intensity, like Pandemic, Galaxy Trucker, and Firefly: the Board Game. I've used this method to step people who tell me at first that they hate board games up to playing Battlestar Galactica and Arkham Horror, although it depends on your ability to organize multiple game nights to make it happen.

[Nachimir]

I've been gradually building my collection out with games that are low on rules density, high on interaction intensity, and dependent on social relationships.

 

Me and a friend built a successful public board games night on similar rules of thumb: Interesting games that are probably new to people not that into board games, less than an hour to play, and not so complicated people can't have a cup of tea and a chat over them. It brought in a lot of students and younger players with a pretty good gender split too.

 

We also found that having a group playing a given game made of 2/3 people who'd played it already made it much faster and easier to teach the new people. In most games that means there's almost always someone who can stop paying attention long enough to explain a rule without the question disrupting play or monopolising the attention of the whole table.

[osmosisch]

By those criteria you really should have Dixit in your arsenal, Gorm. Especially because in my experience a lot of people get turned off by all the arguing and agonistic interaction in werewolf-likes.

[Gormongous]

By those criteria you really should have Dixit in your arsenal, Gorm. Especially because in my experience a lot of people get turned off by all the arguing and agonistic interaction in werewolf-likes.

 

I haaate Dixit just like I hate Cosmic Encounter. Both genius designs, both games I always lose by an implausibly large amount. I used to have a friend who'd bring it and I'd just volunteer to moderate because I've played at least a dozen games and been in last place every time. Good for my humility, but I'm not going to own a copy.

 

There was a Cosmic Encounter game where I didn't get a single colony. I don't even remember how it happened.

[osmosisch]

Ha, we appear to be polar opposites re: boardgames because I loathe (and lose at) werewolf-likes and school noobs at Dixit and Cosmic Encounter

[Nappi]

I adore Cosmic Encounter for multiple reasons: The basic rules and tactics are simple enough for even the beginners to get hang of it in the first round or so. Alien powers and flares constantly create interesting situations. Also due to alien powers and flares, there is no one killer tactic (that I know of) and people have to adjust all the time. Due to alliances and 'as any player' cards and powers no one has to be idle for long*. It is hard to take losing seriously because the endgame is typically completely fucked-up.

 

I'm really happy that I bought Cosmic Encounter, based on a recommendation on this forum. Thanks!

 

By the way, how are the expansions?

 

 

* Lords of Waterdeep is nice, but damn it gets tedious if one or more of the players start "counting cards".

[taterdactyl]

That sounds awesome dude, I definitely want to go if i can get some buddies interested, Indy is not a super crazy drive from Chicago. 

 

Has anyone had much luck getting their non-geeky significant others into board games? My wife always has a good time when I rope her into games (she has even rolled a DnD 4e character with us once), but I think the idea of board games really intimidates  her. Once she is playing, she digs it but crossing the barrier between "oh god, all of these rules" and " this is awesome" is kind of hard for her. I thought about maybe playing some 1 v 1 games with her to get her more comfortable with the process but most of my collection is better for 3+ .

 

I have a pretty short attention span, so listening to a bunch of rules is very hard for me, and at some point I just stop listening. It might be best to teach her the rules as you go. Tell her the basics of the game at the beginning, and then add on as necessary. I don't know that all games would work well that way, but it gets you started and hopefully the game will interest her enough to keep her in it. 

[Gormongous]

I have a pretty short attention span, so listening to a bunch of rules is very hard for me, and at some point I just stop listening. It might be best to teach her the rules as you go. Tell her the basics of the game at the beginning, and then add on as necessary. I don't know that all games would work well that way, but it gets you started and hopefully the game will interest her enough to keep her in it. 

 

Yeah! That's a good point, Tater. Perfecting the skill of rolling starts and dummy rounds is essential to being a good gaming host.

[Bjorn]

Yeah, that's like a mandatory skill for breaking people into a new game well.  I'm a rule book junkie, I sit down and read rulebooks for fun sometimes, and I despise just sitting and listening to someone read the book. 

[Gormongous]

Yeah, that's like a mandatory skill for breaking people into a new game well.  I'm a rule book junkie, I sit down and read rulebooks for fun sometimes, and I despise just sitting and listening to someone read the book. 

 

I actually have had the biggest problem teaching Space Alert, which has been praised for its rules, because they're written as introductory scenario that gradually ramps up into the full game. Even though they're very funny and readable, the fact that I have to spend two hours talking almost constantly blows out my voice along with my motivation.

[Codicier]

I actually had a really good response building a game night around Risk Legacy with a few of my friends, playing 1 round of it each time plus multiple rounds of smaller games. Not only is it something most people don't feel intimidated by it starts out balanced so the initial games play quicker, newcomers have a advantage, & most importantly it lets people tell a story even if they loose.

People would actually text me asking when the next game would be just because this wasn't just a game it was 'their game'.

[BusbyBerkeley]

I actually have had the biggest problem teaching Space Alert, which has been praised for its rules, because they're written as introductory scenario that gradually ramps up into the full game. Even though they're very funny and readable, the fact that I have to spend two hours talking almost constantly blows out my voice along with my motivation.

 

Vlaada rulebooks are best for learning the game on your own, but for teaching or looking up niche cases they aren't that great. Space Alert is SO GOOD though, it's worth going through two training missions for each new group you introduce. 

 

And yeah, rules explanations are the hardest and most crucial part of boardgaming. Especially when trying to get new recruits, you have to be concise and make it interesting and explain things in an order that makes sense and try not to double back too much. I'm sloooooowly getting ok at it, but my friends always interject and mix everything up. 

 

Also, apparently a game shop near me does Netrunner nights every Monday, but they are closed by the time I get off work.

[taterdactyl]

Yeah, that's like a mandatory skill for breaking people into a new game well. I'm a rule book junkie, I sit down and read rulebooks for fun sometimes, and I despise just sitting and listening to someone read the book.

I'm not a rule book junkie, but I am a bit of a rule meister. I was irritated recently when after playing my first game of Munchkin, I read the rules and realized that our 'facilitator' got something wrong. If you're going to be the 'rule person', I expect you to know the rules. Grrr.

[Bjorn]

So there's an Xcom Board Game coming soon:

 

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/08/06/xcom-the-board-game/

 

Not honestly sure if I'm excited about this or not.  I've become increasingly disenchanted with several of the FFG games I own.  While awesome, the setup and teardown times are so onerous that they don't get as much play as simpler stuff.  Plus the amount of time spent making sure you're following all the rules in a new game tends to be on the high side.  On the other hand, I have three local friends who are all Xcom junkies, and I'm sure this would be fantastic with them. 

[Cordeos]

So there's an Xcom Board Game coming soon:

 

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/08/06/xcom-the-board-game/

 

Not honestly sure if I'm excited about this or not.  I've become increasingly disenchanted with several of the FFG games I own.  While awesome, the setup and teardown times are so onerous that they don't get as much play as simpler stuff.  Plus the amount of time spent making sure you're following all the rules in a new game tends to be on the high side.  On the other hand, I have three local friends who are all Xcom junkies, and I'm sure this would be fantastic with them. 

 

The phone App element concerns me. I feel like it will be an excuse to make the game even more complex. It also kind of defeats the point of board games being not computerized. Maybe it will be really cool and work really well, but I am wary.

[Bjorn]

The phone App element concerns me. I feel like it will be an excuse to make the game even more complex. It also kind of defeats the point of board games being not computerized. Maybe it will be really cool and work really well, but I am wary.

 

For complex co-op games, I think an app can be a real advantage.  Players end up tasked not only with keeping track of their own decisions, but communally making sure that the game's clockwork is turning appropriately.  Offloading that to an app should, theoretically, make the game flow better and create a better sense of actually competing against something.

 

Of course, that's assuming it is done well. 

[Gormongous]

For complex co-op games, I think an app can be a real advantage.  Players end up tasked not only with keeping track of their own decisions, but communally making sure that the game's clockwork is turning appropriately.  Offloading that to an app should, theoretically, make the game flow better and create a better sense of actually competing against something.

 

Of course, that's assuming it is done well. 

 

I have no problem with companion apps. One Night Ultimate Werewolf comes with one and it's maybe the best single part of the game.

 

The main concern for me is them claiming that the app is necessary because it makes the game's AI more complex and unpredictable than would be possible with physical components. That just fails the smell test for me. I've seen and played a lot of solitaire board games with powerful and sophisticated card- and tracker-based AI processes, so for me to imagine that the XCOM game's AI is even more complicated is for me to imagine an AI that's out of proportion to the rest of the board game.

 

If it's just marketing BS, that's one thing. I'd love to have an app that handles all the admin. But if it's somehow so complex that an app was the only option to make it happen, that stinks of FFG design bloat to me, on the order of the infamous Android, and I'm much less enthusiastic about that. Still, I'm optimistic on the whole, because right now it looks like a version of Pandemic with more moving parts and that'd just be great.

[BusbyBerkeley]

Got some good deals on some new games in that Amazon Gen Con sale. Snagged Castles of Burgundy, Flash Point, and The Resistance: Avalon.

 

Not gotten a chance to actually get them played yet but I have read their rules and punched out their bits and holy christ does Castles of Burgundy look pretty brilliant. I mean, the game art/components are ugly as sin but the mechanics are BRILLIANT. At least, the rules read that way. I'll report back once I get a game or two in. This is my first pure euro and my first Stefan Feld game. I'm gonna have to look into these more than I have in the past.

[Gormongous]

Got some good deals on some new games in that Amazon Gen Con sale. Snagged Castles of Burgundy, Flash Point, and The Resistance: Avalon.

 

Not gotten a chance to actually get them played yet but I have read their rules and punched out their bits and holy christ does Castles of Burgundy look pretty brilliant. I mean, the game art/components are ugly as sin but the mechanics are BRILLIANT. At least, the rules read that way. I'll report back once I get a game or two in. This is my first pure euro and my first Stefan Feld game. I'm gonna have to look into these more than I have in the past.

 

I loved playing Castles of Burgundy more than a few times, but I never fight to get it on the table anymore, because it's one of the Euros where you set your brain on fire for a solid ninety minutes and end up with three more VPs than if you'd just played by the seat of your pants. Some people live for that crazy margin, wringing the last drops of efficiency from the machine, but I found it extraordinarily exhausting, at least among the people with whom I played it. Then again, they're all serious types who don't like jokey commentary on the state of play, so maybe that's what was missing for me.