Need board game recommendations

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coopasonic
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by coopasonic »

Bad Demographic wrote:I've seen a couple of recommendations in here for Forbidden Island and Forbidden Desert and am wondering if you would recommend one over the other.
I would suggest Desert as I like the sandstorm/digging mechanic. There will be others that push the other way, so... they are cheap, get both! Or flip a coin.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by AWS260 »

Forbidden Island is incredibly intuitive and easy to get into -- great for kids (7+, maybe younger depending on the kid) and families that don't regularly play board games. Forbidden Desert is marginally more complex, so a slightly higher (but still low) barrier to entry.

Forbidden Island's theme is also a bit more compelling, in my opinion. "The island is crumbling beneath us!" vs. "The sandstorm is coming!"

Honestly, you can't go wrong either way.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Daveman »

I appreciate much of what Forbidden Desert does differently, but I still prefer Forbidden Island. Many compared it negatively with Pandemic (this was pre-Pandemic Legacy) but in my opinion it delivers the same gameplay experience and key decisions in a smaller package that's just as good. The one thing it does that classic Pandemic doesn't is the destructible board. The island does come apart as you play and that's not only very thematic but also impacts the game state. Imagine playing Pandemic and you suddenly can't enter Africa except through South America, or via special abilities.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Blackhawk »

I prefer island. I honestly just find it more fun. I've played both quite a few times. I've won Forbidden Island a good chunk of the time - maybe 60-70% of the time, which is what I like in a cooperative game.
A real chance of loss, but a better chance of victory if you play smart. Forbidden Desert? I've won it once. We usually don't even come close.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Bad Demographic »

Those are some good replies. Thanks!
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Need board game recommendations

Post by Chrisoc13 »

I'll be the dissenter. I prefer neither. Whenever I play them I would rather just be playing pandemic since... It basically feels the same but pandemic is better.

In my opinion.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Bad Demographic »

I like Pandemic but I'd like to get something that others I often game with don't already have.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Blackhawk »

I decided to research and sort my board game suggestion/wish list. It doesn't include many brand new or pre-release games I am generally very hesitant to buy games that aren't thoroughly reviewed and don't meet certain criteria that aren't always apparent before reviews, because a few of them mean that the game will never leave the shelf.

Anyway, I looked through the list I'd made over the years (mostly through my Amazon wishlist), checked out reviews for each one, and have a spreadsheet listing the name, publisher, MSRP, current retail online, and notes. I'll be printing it out to carry with me to game stores/cons/ebay/whatever. I will be able to tell at a glance how much I want a game and how much it's really worth.

Each game also has a ranking from 2-10:

2-4 = if it is really, really cheap.
5-7 = a game I would like to get
8-10 = WANT! It's a great fit for my needs

So, I'd welcome any observations or ideas. My current preferences are:
Spoiler:
~3+ players. I love some of the two player games out there, but it's either just me, or it is me and the kids. One or three, never two. My two player games never get to leave the shelf, which sucks, as I have a few I really want to play.

~Exception: I am becoming more and more interested in games with a solo variant.

~Takes less than two hours to play. I like longer games, too, but they rarely get played. Longer is fine for solo play.

~Not a $100+ buy-in or significant continued investment (I don't want to have to continually add cards/ships/expansions/etc at an extra cost after the first few plays.)

~No non-bypassable 'Legacy' play-once-and-toss games. They just don't fit the way we play board games.
I would be especially interested in some games with a sci-fi theme.

Some games that get the most regular play around here:
Spoiler:
Pandemic
Sentinels of the Multiverse
Carcassone
Forbidden Island
King of Tokyo
DC Deck Building Game
Settlers of Catan
Dominion
'Ticket to Ride
Tsuro
Batman Fluxx
Batman Love Letter
Exploding Kittens
Nuts
The D&D Adventures games (Ravenloft, Ashardolan, Drizzt, Temple of Elemental Evil), although less often lately.
So, anyway, here is my games list, including rank (explained above), with notes for my own reference.
Spoiler:
Arkham Horror: Card Game / 8 /
Blood Rage / 7 /
Elder Sign / 6 /
Eldritch Horror / 5 /
Five Tribes / 6 /
Five Year Mission / 6 /
Flash Point / 7 /
Friday / 6 / Solo only
Galaxy Trucker / 7 /
Legendary: Alien / 8 /
Legendary: Marvel / 9
LotR: Card Game / 5 / Solo or 2 player only
Mage Knight / 5 / Great game, but very complex rules. Primarily solo
Mansions of Madness / 6 / GM game
Onirim / 7 / Solo only
Race for the Galaxy / 6 / Solo w/ Gathering Storm expansion
Scythe / 7 /
Shadowrun Crossfire / 7 / 8 solo
Shadows of Brimstone / 5 /
Space Hulk: Death Angel /8 /
Specter Ops / 9 /
Terraforming Mars / 7 /
Tokaido / 5 /
Zombicide (any?) / 8 / Long game, early elimination possible
Last edited by Blackhawk on Wed Aug 09, 2017 3:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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TheMix
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by TheMix »

Just a quick note re:Zombicide... It's not generally that long (unless you are playing with someone with extreme analysis paralysis); and there isn't really much risk of early elimination (I assumed you were referring to character elimination and not losing the game early). With three players, you'll probably be playing at least 2 characters each, and can bump that up. I guess if someone lost all their characters, that you could transfer control of remaining characters. However, if you lose that many characters, you are probably not going to win the scenario anyway.

FYI, I don't recall if you have Tabletop Simulator, but I do have the DLC for the first Zombicide if you want to try it at some point.

I like Shadows of Brimstone, but unless you get really lucky, expect it to take longer than 2 hours. It definitely works with 1 or 3 players. The risk there will be if you end up with just one base box... it may get old quickly and then you'll want to start buying additional add ons. I also have that on TTS, if you'd like to try it.

I have Mage Knight but have only played the first scenario a couple of times. It's definitely a bit complex. I'm not sure what advice I have there.

Legendary Encounters: Aliens is good. But hard. You could easily play that solo or with 3. One thing to note is that the LE games have a slightly different engine. I don't know all the differences, but when I was reading it seemed generally accepted that they are better than the base Marvel engine. Unless, of course, you simply want the Marvel for the theme.

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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Smoove_B »

Mage Knight is complex, but I found the 37 page instruction tutorial to be fantastic. Like...one of the best I've ever read. It's a great game, though it tilt's more puzzle-like in you have to figure out how to best pull off your moves each turn.

Shadowrun Crossfire is currently out of print, though word on the street is that it's going to be re-printed and new expansions added. It was on my short-list for a while, but it fell away once I read that while it supports solo or 2 player games, you still need to play 3-4 characters. If you hadn't heard, they're using an tweaked version of the Crossfire model for an upcoming D&D version of the game called Dragonfire. This will apparently support 2 players natively (not requiring you to play 3+ characters) and (I think) tweaks some of the Crossfire rules a bit (which may or may not be incorporated into future reprint). I know you're not looking for future games or new games, but given your interest in Crossfire, I thought I'd mention it. Bottom line is you might just need to push that to the back burner and wait for reprint to happen.

I love Elder Sign, but other have complained it's really just Cthulhu Yahtzee (it is). It has theme, it plays quick and it involves chucking dice.

Eldritch Horror is great but (I think) it's one of those games that plays best with 4+ investigators. If you have enough people to play or you're willing to run more than one investigator per person, have it it. I don't care for that kind of game play. Definitely more engrossing (and longer) than Elder Sign.

Friday is fun - quick and small. Definitely strategic (which I haven't quite figured out) and thematic.

Space Hulk Death Angel is also out of print. It's a fantastic game that you can hopefully get. Retail is $25 for reference if you try and seek out copies. Amazingly thematic for a card game that uses positioning to make you feel like you're fighting in corridors against gene stealers. Tons and tons of strategy and replay.

Mansions of Madness - it's a solid game and with the app it really feels like you have a GM present. It's also very difficult and trying to understand some of the rules (like line of sight and movement) can be a bit strange. But in terms of making you feel like you're playing a Call of Cthulhu adventure? It works.

I've saved the best for last - Arkham Living Card game. I love this game. I think we are in 3rd Mythos deck for the Dunwich cycle (the first big box expansion). Depending on your inclination, you might find buying the single core set to be limiting. I think if you're looking for 3+ players, you're going to need two cores. Two players can use a single box, but only if you're not into the micromanagement of deckbuilding and want multiple copies of certain cards available to characters. Really amazing theme and the game continues to impress with how they're able to create "RPG like" situations with card effects and layouts. I have zero interest in deck building; I am playing for theme and story and have really been enjoying it.

I was afraid it was going to be like the Lord of the Rings card game (which is on your list) and it's not. They're similar in how they work, but the LotR card game (at least the core set) was very black and white in terms of winning a scenario. For Arkham, there's various win/lose outcomes possible and you're always able to finish a scenario and move forward. The final outcome of the campaign might be different, but unlike what I was seeing in LotR you move can move forward. I also felt like LotR was really, really expecting people to build decks and micro-manage card types/counts - like players needed to build effective decks. I tweak my deck a bit in the Arkham game but I never feel like we win or lose because I didn't have 3 copies of a certain card.

I've played Legendary Marvel but sold because of setup time and lack of interest from my local group. It's fun if you like the theme (and super heroes involved) but the setup and cleanup can get to be a bit much.

I own the original Zombicide and have played it half a dozen times. It's fun and can be quick, but the true variation comes in the characters you play, not the enemies you fight (IMHO). I think in small doses it was a fun game (for me) but I quickly lost interest.

I don't have enough time with Shadows of Brimstone to comment, but I'm hoping to fix that soon.

So yeah, apparently I have a gaming problem. :D
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by hentzau »

Is Five Year Mission the Star Trek dice chucker?

Personal opinion: Skip this one. We played it a few times and didn't really like it at all. Found it rather boring. Elder Sign gives you a much better play experience for that type of dice chucking game.

Or, for solo play, if you're feeling crafty try out Star Trek: The Dice Game. It's P&P on BGG, but it's a much better experience than FYM.

I'm still waiting for someone to do a retheme of Elder Sign using Star Trek as the setting. It would be perfect! FYM tries to be this game, but doesn't quite make it.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by AWS260 »

You can't go wrong with Galaxy Trucker. (Unless you've already tried it and don't like it, in which case I guess you can go wrong with Galaxy Trucker.)
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Blackhawk »

Lots of great feedback. A lot of the points brought up are the same ones that I took into account in giving them their preference rankings. A few others I will tweak. One thing that I should have mentioned. Just like with video games, I'm a sucker for theming. A good theme that is well communicated is a big plus for me. Lately I'm in the mood for sci-fi, and I'm also a fan of superhero games.
TheMix wrote:Just a quick note re:Zombicide... It's not generally that long (unless you are playing with someone with extreme analysis paralysis); and there isn't really much risk of early elimination (I assumed you were referring to character elimination and not losing the game early).
Ah. One of the reviews I read/watched (maybe Dice Tower?) said that early elimination was rare, but a possibility, and that it was a ~2 hour game. Having one of the kids eliminated 20 minutes into a gaming session would be a mood killer. If that isn't so, I may bump it up a point.
I like Shadows of Brimstone, but unless you get really lucky, expect it to take longer than 2 hours. It definitely works with 1 or 3 players. The risk there will be if you end up with just one base box... it may get old quickly and then you'll want to start buying additional add ons. I also have that on TTS, if you'd like to try it.
That's actually why it is ranked so low on that list. I kept it at a 5 rather than dropping it to a 4 (and probably culling it) because I really, really liked the theming. I'm fond of Weird West settings.
Smoove_B wrote: Shadowrun Crossfire is currently out of print, though word on the street is that it's going to be re-printed and new expansions added. It was on my short-list for a while, but it fell away once I read that while it supports solo or 2 player games, you still need to play 3-4 characters.
Thanks. That may drop it a point for me.
Space Hulk Death Angel is also out of print. It's a fantastic game that you can hopefully get.
I see this with so, so many games. It's getting to the point that it feels like if you wait for reviews, it's already out of print.
I've played Legendary Marvel but sold because of setup time and lack of interest from my local group. It's fun if you like the theme (and super heroes involved) but the setup and cleanup can get to be a bit much.
The theme is a big one here.
hentzau wrote:Is Five Year Mission the Star Trek dice chucker?

Personal opinion: Skip this one. We played it a few times and didn't really like it at all. Found it rather boring. Elder Sign gives you a much better play experience for that type of dice chucking game.

Or, for solo play, if you're feeling crafty try out Star Trek: The Dice Game. It's P&P on BGG, but it's a much better experience than FYM.

I'm still waiting for someone to do a retheme of Elder Sign using Star Trek as the setting. It would be perfect! FYM tries to be this game, but doesn't quite make it.
Ugh. This was more about the setting than the mechanics, but that doesn't mean I want a dull game. Mine is a very Star Trek houshold. I'm sitting next to a First Contact poster, and I have a whole shelf filled with nothing but Trek stuff. We have ST Catan and ST Panic (Catan is OK, Panic is pretty good), but I'd really like to have a few more Trek games, especially non-TOS stuff.
AWS260 wrote:You can't go wrong with Galaxy Trucker. (Unless you've already tried it and don't like it, in which case I guess you can go wrong with Galaxy Trucker.)
I will go research it and add it, thanks.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by TheMix »

AWS260 wrote:You can't go wrong with Galaxy Trucker. (Unless you've already tried it and don't like it, in which case I guess you can go wrong with Galaxy Trucker.)
I chuckled. :lol:

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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by hentzau »

Blackhawk wrote:
hentzau wrote:Is Five Year Mission the Star Trek dice chucker?

Personal opinion: Skip this one. We played it a few times and didn't really like it at all. Found it rather boring. Elder Sign gives you a much better play experience for that type of dice chucking game.

Or, for solo play, if you're feeling crafty try out Star Trek: The Dice Game. It's P&P on BGG, but it's a much better experience than FYM.

I'm still waiting for someone to do a retheme of Elder Sign using Star Trek as the setting. It would be perfect! FYM tries to be this game, but doesn't quite make it.
Ugh. This was more about the setting than the mechanics, but that doesn't mean I want a dull game. Mine is a very Star Trek houshold. I'm sitting next to a First Contact poster, and I have a whole shelf filled with nothing but Trek stuff. We have ST Catan and ST Panic (Catan is OK, Panic is pretty good), but I'd really like to have a few more Trek games, especially non-TOS stuff.
I hesitate to disparage a game because I found it dull, but you were asking for opinions, so, that one is mine. If you watched the TableTop episode where they played it and enjoyed the play through, you may very well like it. I was looking for more theme than what that delivered.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Blackhawk »

hentzau wrote: I hesitate to disparage a game because I found it dull, but you were asking for opinions, so, that one is mine. If you watched the TableTop episode where they played it and enjoyed the play through, you may very well like it. I was looking for more theme than what that delivered.
Oh, no - I appreciated the input, and it was the kind of input I was looking for. Thank you!
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by hentzau »

Oh, and I love, LOVE SoB. I need to get back to that one sometime soon. Especially now that I am flush with options from the expansions.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

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I just got the Derelict Spaceship expansion. I've been assembling them in anticipation of getting SoB to the table again soon. Of course, Terraforming Mars, Gloomhaven, Arkham Horror LCG and Mansions of Madness, and a renewed interest in Shadows Over Normandie with the upcoming release of even more factions/mythos goodness has me in a pickle over what to play.

I need to just quit my job and play games all day instead...
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Re: Need board game recommendations

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hepcat wrote:I need to just quit my job and play games all day instead...
That's my dream. My lifelong ambition.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

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Flash Point / 7 /

I'm a big fan. Though I never touch all the expansions I own. Would be great with 3.

Friday / 6 / Solo only

Simple but challenging puzzle game. I mean seriously challenging. I never won it.

Legendary: Alien / 8 /

Great game. Much better than Marvel, mostly due to the difficulty (and full co-op). Should work very well with three.

Legendary: Marvel / 9

Fun game, but a bit too easy. definitely works for 3.

LotR: Card Game / 5 /

Seemed like you had to have built the right deck to win. I think you need a second base set to play with three? Not sure.

Mage Knight / 5 / Great game, but very complex rules

The first game I ever played at BGG.CON... I was completely overwhelmed. I really want to go back and try again (possibly the sci-fi variant, star trek something?)

Shadowrun Crossfire / 7 / 8 solo

I think I am the only one that likes it, but I don't think it is very practical solo. You would have a lot more luck with three. It has been a while, but I seem to remember there are four symbols you need to match and each class focuses on one symbol, so with three players you will have a hard time with one of them. The game is hard anyway.

Specter Ops / 9 /

Bought it, never played it, sold it. I liked the idea of the game, but I just never got it to the table. Someday I will play it as I really like these deductive games.

Zombicide (any?) / 7 / Long game, early elimination possible

It's a fun game and thematic, but kind of repetitive. I have Black Plague now which is the last one released (I think), but I have owned them all. With three you would be playing two characters each which should work just fine.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Blackhawk »

coopasonic wrote:
LotR: Card Game / 5 /

Seemed like you had to have built the right deck to win. I think you need a second base set to play with three? Not sure.

Mage Knight / 5 / Great game, but very complex rules

The first game I ever played at BGG.CON... I was completely overwhelmed. I really want to go back and try again (possibly the sci-fi variant, star trek something?)

Shadowrun Crossfire / 7 / 8 solo

I think I am the only one that likes it, but I don't think it is very practical solo. You would have a lot more luck with three. It has been a while, but I seem to remember there are four symbols you need to match and each class focuses on one symbol, so with three players you will have a hard time with one of them. The game is hard anyway.
Something I should add to my notes. I picked these three specifically because I was looking for games that I could play solo, but which have decent group play as well. LotR obviously doesn't - I will need to note that. Part of my research was going off of the BGG 2016 Peoples' Choice Top 100 Solo Games. These three are ranked #2, #1, and #10, respectively.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Blackhawk »

Updated and tweaked the list. Copy:
Spoiler:
Arkham Horror: Card Game / 8 /
Blood Rage / 7 /
Elder Sign / 6 /
Eldritch Horror / 5 /
Five Tribes / 6 /
Five Year Mission / 6 /
Flash Point / 7 /
Friday / 6 / Solo only
Galaxy Trucker / 7 /
Legendary: Alien / 8 /
Legendary: Marvel / 9
LotR: Card Game / 5 / Solo or 2 player only
Mage Knight / 5 / Great game, but very complex rules. Primarily solo
Mansions of Madness / 6 / GM game
Onirim / 7 / Solo only
Race for the Galaxy / 6 / Solo w/ Gathering Storm expansion
Scythe / 7 /
Shadowrun Crossfire / 7 / 8 solo
Shadows of Brimstone / 5 /
Space Hulk: Death Angel /8 /
Specter Ops / 9 /
Terraforming Mars / 7 /
Tokaido / 5 /
Zombicide (any?) / 8 /
Now to see how many of them are actually still in print...
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Re: Need board game recommendations

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While coop didn't specifically mention it, I would definitely say that I like Zombicide:Black Plague over Zombicide:Season 3. I don't have the earlier ones for comparison, but I thought Z:BP brought more to the table.

Of course, Amazon likes to put the earlier ones on sale. So you'll likely find them for cheaper.2

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Re: Need board game recommendations

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Blackhawk: Since you're a sucker for theme, if you happen to come across it, I'd also thoroughly recommend one of Tom Vasel's all-time favourites, namely Duel of Ages II (you can see Tom Vasel's Dice Tower review of the game here). It's almost -- though not quite yet -- out of print; the gargantuan Master Set (essentially a colossal box of additional expansion content) is no longer widely available, but the Basic Set still is. Fortunately the Master Set isn't essential, and the Basic Set provides everything necessary to enjoy the full sweep of the game, and still provides for an astonishing amount of replayability. Themewise, it plays like a cross between Heroscape, League of Legends, Hunger Games and/or Running Man, with a great sense of humour mixed in. Suffice it to say, I can almost guarantee playing with your kids would be an absolute blast. If you have time, I'd suggest watching Ricky Royal's Box of Delights playthrough to get a good feel for how it plays and what makes it so unique (truly, there's nothing else like it).

BTW, don't forget that you can play a top-notch PC version of Race for the Galaxy (with expansions), completely free and gratis by way of Keldon's Race for the Galaxy AI. The AI is absolutely rock-solid and makes for a much more enjoyable solo experience than the Gathering Storm's solitaire variant, and online multiplayer support is also included. If you've never played before, I'd suggest first watching Wei-Hwa Huang's RftG tutorial videos, and then giving it a whirl.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by coopasonic »

Yeah I think I meant to render an opinion, but really I think it is up to the player if they prefer modern or medieval. The necromancers definitely change things for the better. I prefer black plague as well.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by TheMix »

Enough with all the links there, AB! You are making the rest of us look bad. :ninja:

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Anonymous Bosch
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

BTW, Star Trek: Frontiers is the Star Trek reimplementation of Mage Knight. YMMV, but personally I much prefer the Star Trek theme over Mage Knight's fantasy dreck.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by hepcat »

Blackhawk wrote:Updated and tweaked the list. Copy:
Spoiler:
Arkham Horror: Card Game / 8 /
Blood Rage / 7 /
Elder Sign / 6 /
Eldritch Horror / 5 /
Five Tribes / 6 /
Five Year Mission / 6 /
Flash Point / 7 /
Friday / 6 / Solo only
Galaxy Trucker / 7 /
Legendary: Alien / 8 /
Legendary: Marvel / 9
LotR: Card Game / 5 / Solo or 2 player only
Mage Knight / 5 / Great game, but very complex rules. Primarily solo
Mansions of Madness / 6 / GM game
Onirim / 7 / Solo only
Race for the Galaxy / 6 / Solo w/ Gathering Storm expansion
Scythe / 7 /
Shadowrun Crossfire / 7 / 8 solo
Shadows of Brimstone / 5 /
Space Hulk: Death Angel /8 /
Specter Ops / 9 /
Terraforming Mars / 7 /
Tokaido / 5 /
Zombicide (any?) / 8 /
Now to see how many of them are actually still in print...
Just a note: Mansions of Madness' GM is the app, so you can play it perfectly fine solo. Heck, I'd say it's one of the better solo-playable games out there.

...and man, I need to get my copy of Duel of Ages (both basic and master, 'cause that's how daddy rolls, people) back on the table someday.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Blackhawk »

Still tweaking the list and working through the comments. I wanted to ask about this one first:

TheMix wrote:While coop didn't specifically mention it, I would definitely say that I like Zombicide:Black Plague over Zombicide:Season 3. I don't have the earlier ones for comparison, but I thought Z:BP brought more to the table.

Of course, Amazon likes to put the earlier ones on sale. So you'll likely find them for cheaper.2
coopasonic wrote:Yeah I think I meant to render an opinion, but really I think it is up to the player if they prefer modern or medieval. The necromancers definitely change things for the better. I prefer black plague as well.
I'm actually really burned out on medieval right now. If not Black Plague, which of the others would be my best bet?
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TheMix
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by TheMix »

coop will have to weigh in since I haven't played the first two.

My basic grasp is that they are more or less the same, with each having one or two features that differ. Season 3 introduced crawlers, I think. Where sometimes you didn't kill the zombie outright, but instead just took off it's legs. Based on the TTS DLC, Season 1 had rules for cars.

Not sure what S2 offered.

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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by coopasonic »

The original zombicide just had walkers, runners, fatties and the abomination. Season two added berserkers and the toxic city mall expansion added toxic zombies. I think berserkers had to be killed at close range and toxics you wanted to kill at long range, but I don't remember the details. I'd get whichever is cheaper among the modern day games Be careful that you don't get an expansion without the base game. The boxes are all the same size so it might be confusing.
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Blackhawk
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Blackhawk »

coopasonic wrote:toxic city mall expansion
There wasn't any carrying of gas cans, was there? :hawk:
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Blackhawk »

Ok, I have my original list tweaked and polished with MSRP and current retail added in. The only ones that seem to be a problem are Five Year Mission, which isn't unavailable but is hard to find. Flash Point which is unavailable all all of my regular stores except Amazon, where it is $55, which I'm pretty sure is overpaying. Mansions of Madness, which is $120 to $140, way over the MSRP. And Shadowrun: Crossfire which is $160.

Of course, these are online prices and this isn't really an online shopping list, but still an indication of how they're going to be to find and buy.
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TheMix
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by TheMix »

Blackhawk wrote:
coopasonic wrote:toxic city mall expansion
There wasn't any carrying of gas cans, was there? :hawk:
Well, actually.... :P

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coopasonic
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by coopasonic »

Blackhawk wrote: Flash Point which is unavailable all all of my regular stores except Amazon, where it is $55, which I'm pretty sure is overpaying.
There is an option on the Flash Point: Tragic Events Kickstarter that is $45 for the base game plus the tragic events expansion. The expansion is $20 by itself, so that would be $25 for the base game. If it is a game you wanted to spend $25 on, I could change my pledge and charge you the difference.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/20 ... =user_menu

It is $29 at CSI.
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Blackhawk
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Blackhawk »

coopasonic wrote:
Blackhawk wrote: Flash Point which is unavailable all all of my regular stores except Amazon, where it is $55, which I'm pretty sure is overpaying.
There is an option on the Flash Point: Tragic Events Kickstarter that is $45 for the base game plus the tragic events expansion. The expansion is $20 by itself, so that would be $25 for the base game. If it is a game you wanted to spend $25 on, I could change my pledge and charge you the difference.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/20 ... =user_menu

It is $29 at CSI.
Nice, and I appreciate it, but I'm not looking to spend money right now. More specifically, I'm not spending money until GenCon, which is what prompted me to get my list organized in the first place. A lot of these older games won't be there, but it is still worth knowing what I want and don't (and what they're worth) ahead of time. I might kick myself for skipping it later, but I'd kick myself more if I spent what I have before the con.
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coopasonic
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Re: Need board game recommendations

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Fair enough.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Also, just to clarify, the Duel of Ages II Basic Set is currently still available direct from the creator for $49 with free shipping. Elsewhere it's now mostly unavailable or significantly marked-up in price (e.g. it's currently $69.99 + $6.99 shipping on Amazon). So if at all interested, I recommend grabbing a copy while you still can.

I also think Star Trek: Frontiers ought to rank fairly high on your list. It's an excellent non-TOS Star Trek game (though the upcoming Return of Khan expansion will apparently add content from TOS), with a more streamlined version of Mage Knight's rock-solid mechanics and solo play. Again, check out Ricky Royal's Box of Delights playthrough to see it in action.
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by LordMortis »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VB68KfqO5o

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Blackhawk
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Re: Need board game recommendations

Post by Blackhawk »

Anonymous Bosch wrote:Also, just to clarify, the Duel of Ages II Basic Set is currently still available direct from the creator for $49 with free shipping. Elsewhere it's now mostly unavailable or significantly marked-up in price (e.g. it's currently $69.99 + $6.99 shipping on Amazon). So if at all interested, I recommend grabbing a copy while you still can.
I really, really like the look of it, but I think the length of play would mean that it would rarely get to leave the shelf. For Mage Knight/Frontiers I can justify that because they support solo play, but Duel of Ages II doesn't. It's still going on my wishlist, just not on my main one.

Where I ended up at:

Image
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