OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Nov 17, 2023 8:29 am

Day 2:
Cascadia - Taught a couple of new folks along with one experienced player, kicked all their asses... I guess we weren't clear about final scoring and they thought only one biome counted.
Heat - Again taught some new folks (including Isg) with one experienced player and we both had some rules messed up and were able to help each other get a better handle on things... oh and I won, for the first time against humans.
Sniper Elite - Taught to Isg and won as the sniper.
Beast - Hidden movement game we hasn't heard about before, a little overwhelming initially but might deserve some more attention.

I am def not playing as many new releases or new to me games as normal, and that number wasn't ever crazy high. Those first three games from day 2 we were playing my copies. I guess I left the cult of the new a few years ago.

Moliere · Post by **Moliere** » Fri Nov 17, 2023 10:43 am

I can't believe there has been no mention of Tammany Hall here since 2013. I only found out about it a couple months ago and have really enjoyed the game.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Fri Nov 17, 2023 9:06 pm

Day 3:
Heat - I won this one pretty convincingly, bit was close until the last couple turns.
Sniper Elite - I got CRUSHED by the guy I was teaching the game to. He trapped me and I couldn't figure a way out.
-- are you starting to see a pattern here?
Orconomics - We bailed before the first turn because the rule book sucked
Bad Medicine - A fun party-ish type game, not really my jam but it was fun.
Space Race - Bailed on the third round because I was showing my frustration at not getting it and Isg took mercy.
Heat - second place in a six player race. My first full race and it was a lot of fun.

coopasonic · Post by **coopasonic** » Sun Nov 19, 2023 9:39 am

Day 4:
Wandering Towers - This was in the hot games room, it feels a bit like Santorini but in a circle that only moves clockwise
Tzaar - played this 3 times with Isg, it's a quick play and a game I love for it's simplicity.
Colony - Since we only play ever 3-4 years, I have only played the starter setup, maybe one day I will see the rest
Thunder Alley - This is interesting, but I think we messed up a few times and managing six races cars is a lot even if the rules are sorta simple. We bailed when we lost track of which cars had moved, oops.
Sagrada - revisiting, still solid
Wandering Towers - one more pass before I left, much better than the first play but end game is still pretty tricky and a bit frustrating (maybe a bit too much luck)

Wow I didn't play Heat or Sniper elite on day 4. Gasp.

Montag · Post by **Montag** » Tue Nov 21, 2023 9:52 am

Played Dune Imperium Uprising. I really like it. Direwolf tightened up the gameplay quite a bit from Dune Imperium. I have the full Dune Imperium kit and it is very high on my list of games - but Uprising took it up a notch. I found myself struggling more on what move to do - for the right reasons. Resources spice, water, and solaris are more balanced. The spy mechanic is a significant addition, but not over powerful. The built in CHOAM mini expansion is a must. It adds another layer of turn strategy to get the rewards. 7.5 out of 8 tentacles.

raydude · Post by **raydude** » Wed Nov 22, 2023 12:07 pm

Forgot to post this sooner, but a few friends and I got together for F-it-Friday a few weeks ago. I brought my "Heat: Pedal to the Metal" game and we all played it for the first time. We played with the basic rules, so everyone had the same starter upgrade cards. Very fun. We were a bit confused about the rules for paying heat when a car spins out but I think we figured it out in the end. I'm surprised by how close the race was, but I think it's because we're all still figuring out the best way to manage our hands.

Then we played Search for Planet X. An astronomy themed deduction game, where players are astronomers surveying the night sky and trying to find Planet X. The sky is divided into sectors, and each sector can contain only one thing: asteroid, comet, gas cloud, dwarf planet, empty space, or planet X. Players take actions surveying the sky sectors, doing research, or guessing where Planet X is located. It's app-based, so the actions one takes are put into the app and it spits back some clues that you then mark on your board.

Then as players take actions they move around the board, then the "viewable sky" board piece rotates to the position of the last player. Since players can only observe the "viewable sky" this prevents players from focusing on the same sectors over several turns and honing in on what those sectors contain. Also, as the "viewable sky" board piece rotates, it may touch upon a "conference" event, which is when players can put forth their "theories", i.e. educated guess on what object is in a given sector. If they guess right then they get the points, otherwise guessing wrong yields no points, but at least they know that particular object is not in that sector.

Oh, and the number of theories you can advance is limited by object tokens that each player has. 4 asteroid, 2 comets, 2 gas cloud, and one dwarf planet token. So regardless of whether your theory is correct or incorrect it is spent and can no longer be used. I thought I knew where the dwarf planet was, but I was incorrect so I lost out on those points and couldn't submit a new theory for the dwarf planet.

Everyone has a game shield so no one knows what information the other players have. And since it's app based, you execute the app on your turn only to get your clue. The app manages the locations of the objects in the sky so everyone is trying to guess the same "sky state". In other words, if the sky state has an asteroid in sector 6 then that's true for every player. The only thing you do know is what action a player takes, what sectors of the sky they are observing, or what kind of research they are doing.

By taking notes on what my friends were doing I was able to narrow down what sectors of the sky may contain certain objects. I also lucked out and figured out the location of several asteroids early on based on the logic rules for where objects are located. For example - asteroids always are in pairs next to each other, so they are either in 2 pairs in different sectors, or all 4 are adjacent to each other. Once I deduced one asteroid I was able to deduce the other asteroid location given some of the logic rules for the other objects.

I managed to find Planet X first, but still ended up in second place because another friend made some great guesses at the conferences. One final thing I like about the game - you can set the difficulty level for each player individually. This affects the number of clues they get at the start (beginners/kids get 12 and experts get none), and the kinds of clues they get when doing research. All in all, a very fun game.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Sun Nov 26, 2023 10:21 am

I got to spend Thanksgiving with my cousins for the first time since 2019, and we played so many board games.

Quiddler - A Boggle-ish word game. Each player is dealt a hand of cards with letters on them, and you have to create words from the letters. My aunt crushed us.

Secrets - A Cold War-themed hidden-identity game in which your identity can change with you knowing it. Quick and fun.

Inis (2x) - Still a banger. I'm very proud of myself for pulling off a victory in the second game with some extremely twisty cardplay.

Stationfall - It's a bear to teach, because you can do almost anything, but very funny to play. I spent most of the game controlling the Boarder, shooting people left and right, and then revealed myself as the Medical Bot, hoovering up points as I revived all the downed humans. It wasn't nearly enough to win, but very satisfying. Especially the time that the Medical Bot revived a human, then immediately bonked him over the head so that it could revive him again.

Innovation - I did what I usually do in Innovation, which is race ahead to the more advanced ages while forgetting to actually score points, and inevitably losing.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Mon Dec 11, 2023 9:48 am

This weekend, I played Steam Up: A Feast of Dim Sum, a fairly light game about hoovering up all the dim sum at the table. The board is a lazy susan stacker with steamers, each with a variety of dim sum to be snatched up. This lazy susan was by far the best part of the game, since you can spin a high-value steamer right out from under another player's nose. The rest of the game is pretty straightforward set collection: you're trying to collect specific combinations of dim sum to score the most points.

It's a lovely production, but too light and too random - there are constant card draws and die rolls - for my taste.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Sat Dec 16, 2023 10:10 pm

Friend of mine has been recommending Thunder Road: Vendetta every time we talk. I wasn't going to bite because the general Mad Max car race demolition derby theme doesn't do anything for me, but grabbed it on a whim this afternoon.

Holy cow, what an absolutely chaotic blast this one is. Cars smashing off each other causing massive chain reaction wrecks, bouncing other drivers into cliffs or sending them to their deaths down ravines, yeeting another car across the entire board with a missile, calling in helicopter air strikes...it's all just so much fun. Played with the kids and we were absolutely in fits laughing the entire time.

It's very light (can be taught in about 5 minutes), plays quickly, has fantastic components, and has a perfect mix of having well-planned strategy go to complete hilarious chaotic shit on a random bounce or roll.

Very fun.

Punisher · Post by **Punisher** » Sun Dec 17, 2023 4:26 am

I played that at Pax Unplugged and loved it.
I won on the last round only because it was my turn to go first. If the other player left had gone first he would have won.
The game was very fun and i went and pucked up a copy.

They are having another kickstarter for ot around Feb 2024 snd i might back it for some of the extras.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Mon Dec 25, 2023 3:10 pm

Mrs Skinypupy spoiled me with Tales from the Red Dragon Inn, Roll Player Adventures, and Lockup for Christmas.

That’s gonna be lots of gaming goodness for the next few months.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Dec 25, 2023 3:15 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2023 3:10 pm Tales from the Red Dragon Inn

Picked this up last month and have been soloing it; believe the hype - it's a tremendously fun game with a very low bar to get to the table and play.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Mon Dec 25, 2023 4:11 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2023 3:15 pm
Skinypupy wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2023 3:10 pm Tales from the Red Dragon Inn
Picked this up last month and have been soloing it; believe the hype - it's a tremendously fun game with a very low bar to get to the table and play.

Heard nothing but good things about it, can’t wait to get started.

Unfortunately, we leave tomorrow for vacation, so it’ll be a week until I can try any of them.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Dec 25, 2023 4:53 pm

It's one of those games where you are only going to open and sort about 1/3 of the box contents - you'll be playing through a really detailed tutorial for quite a few scenarios, but they step you through everything. Just know when you open the box and see the mountain of stuff in side, you're not going to need to deal with everything immediately; only open what they tell you and when.

Unagi · Post by **Unagi** » Tue Dec 26, 2023 3:48 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Dec 25, 2023 4:53 pm It's one of those games where you are only going to open and sort about 1/3 of the box contents - you'll be playing through a really detailed tutorial for quite a few scenarios, but they step you through everything. Just know when you open the box and see the mountain of stuff in side, you're not going to need to deal with everything immediately; only open what they tell you and when.

Broadly speaking, on an appeal level - how would you compare it to the various D&D Board Games?

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Dec 26, 2023 3:58 pm

It feels like they studied numerous games that have come out in the last few years and taken bits and pieces from them. It's hex based movement (which makes you think it's going to be rules heavy), but they keep it simple. Line of sight for ranged weapons is counting spaces and you can "bend" around corners (because you're a hero, dammit). There aren't crazy rules for firing into a crowd (again, you're heroes) or using a ranged weapon when a monster is in melee with you. My take is they decided to lean towards "fun" and I think it works.

Even for the abilities, there's always something you can do each round and then you have more powerful abilities that are charged (like a spell) or need a cool down (timer) before you can use them again. You're rolling dice that can "explode" (give you more hits) and also potentially adding in the option to bank or use a special set of bonus dice (to help guarantee more damage).

Again, it seems like they really designed everything in a way to just make it fun without getting bogged down in rules or rule lawyering. It does have a healthy dose of cheeky humor (if you're familiar with the IP), so it's a not as "serious" as D&D (if that's the right way to describe it), but in terms of your archetypes and character classes, it definitely feels like you're playing a home-brew D&D adjacent game that is very focused on combat and tactics. I'm still in the tutorial stage and unlocking new skills/abilities, but I really like what I've seen so far.

For some clarification on the rules, neither you or the enemy is rolling to hit - the system assumes everyone hits all the time. It's just a matter of how much damage is being done (rolling dice) vs how much you want to try and mitigate (abilities, armor, etc...) based on how bad it is. So unlike D&D you're not rolling a D20 and trying to go higher than a target number. Instead, you're saying, "I'm using my sword and that rolls two yellow damage dice. I'm also going to add a black bonus die" and then you roll all three.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Wed Dec 27, 2023 2:58 pm

So after two aborted Oathsworn campaigns (first one I botched the rules so horribly I restarted, second one I got bogged down trying to play four full characters), I started my "proper" campaign with a buddy of mine last night. We only got through the first chapter, but had a blast. He really enjoyed it and I'm hoping we can meet up regularly and get the full campaign knocked out over the next few months.

I also got Fleet: The Dice Game for Christmas as a stocking stuffer. I used to shy away from roll and writes because they didn't appeal to me, but I absolutely LOVED Hadrian's Wall and have been dabbling in them for a bit now.

Fleet is definitely on the lighter side of the roll and writes I've played, but it's got a decent solo mode and I've had quite a bit of fun with it. I also own the app which is fairly well implemented, but I prefer the physical copy as the app plays too quickly for my tastes. This is fishing, it needs to be leisurely!

Good to hear all the great impressions on Tales from the Red Dragon Inn. That one's high on my list and I just happen to have a FLGS gift card in my pocket. Not sure if they carry it, but if they do then it's a strong consideration.

Incidentally, I just ordered Dawn of the Zeds: 3rd Edition as Miniature Market had it at the insanely good price of $60. That one has been on my wish list a long time. Can't wait to take a crack at that.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:02 pm

Dawn of the Zed 3rd edition is absolutely worth it. Great game that I still play to this day.

We had our annual holiday gaming event back in Ohio on Tuesday. A 3 hour-ish game of Dune in which the newcomer to the game who likes to feign ignorance cleaned our clocks, and a 4 or 5 hour game of My Father's Work. I know MFW has its detractors, but I absolutely love it. The stories it tells are so much fun. What other game allows us to decide to overcome the logistical shortcomings of war supplies by turning to cannibalism?

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 4:38 pm

Update - turns out my FLGS *does* carry Tales From the Red Dragon Inn and are currently out of stock because the one copy they had left now resides in my grubby little hands.

Between this, Dawn of the Zeds, and the complete set of "Alone Against the...." solo Cthulhu RPG books I got for Christmas, I've got some real gaming goodness lined up for 2024.

RMC · Post by **RMC** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 5:55 pm

hepcat wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:02 pm Dawn of the Zed 3rd edition is absolutely worth it. Great game that I still play to this day.

We had our annual holiday gaming event back in Ohio on Tuesday. A 3 hour-ish game of Dune in which the newcomer to the game who likes to feign ignorance cleaned our clocks, and a 4 or 5 hour game of My Father's Work. I know MFW has its detractors, but I absolutely love it. The stories it tells are so much fun. What other game allows us to decide to overcome the logistical shortcomings of war supplies by turning to cannibalism?

Yeah, my fathers work was fun enough, that I picked up a copy off Amazon.

And I was not the newcomer, but the loser in both games.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 7:41 pm

Wish I was there. My Fathers Work and Obsession turned out to be really good games.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 12:13 pm

hepcat wrote: ↑Thu Dec 28, 2023 6:02 pm Dawn of the Zed 3rd edition is absolutely worth it. Great game that I still play to this day.

It is indeed. Not sure if you're aware, but the same creator just released a new game through GMT - The Plum Island Horror.

The Plum Island Horror is a 1 to 4 player game featuring cooperative play that combines tactical-level unit management with a tower-defense style survival mechanic. Each player will control one of six unique factions which represent the various groups that populate Plum Island. Each of these Factions has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the system encourages you to optimize for the group’s strengths and marginalize its weaknesses. Players must coordinate with one another, and the resulting synergy will hopefully be enough to successfully evacuate a city under siege and contain the horrific outbreak that threatens to spread beyond the island itself. If the players can succeed, they will win together, and the world will most likely be none the wiser to the averted crisis. If not, they will lose together and share the blame equally for failing humankind.

My copy just arrived last night, so I need to sort it all out. However, the components all look great and the art style really pops. I'm not entirely loving the way the board is printed (it's not set up for solo), but I'm hoping that it's not a deal breaker like it was for me trying to play the solo Ranger game, which to this day, still kills me.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 12:25 pm

Yup, my order has been listed as shipping since Nov. 27th.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 12:27 pm

Yeah, mine shipped on 12/22 and was originally scheduled for delivery on 1/2 but somehow came early. I'd ordered Panzer 3E during their Fall warehouse sale and it literally took a month to the day from the time I made the order until it arrived at my doorstep. Absolutely not worth it.

I think it was you that mentioned elsewhere that they default to UPS unless you tell them to use the USPS, which for me is somehow cheaper and faster. I went back and made sure to update the few p500s that I have with them so that when they start shipping in 2037, they'll at least use the USPS.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 2:38 pm

Ditto. It cost me nearly 40 bucks to ship via UPS, whereas USPS is like 16 dollars. Unfortunately, I didn't make the change in time for Plum Island, but I did update my others.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 9:04 pm

paulbaxter wrote: ↑Thu Sep 08, 2022 11:28 am I had the chance to play Scout a couple of times in the past couple of weeks. Some of the folks in the local board game group managed to pick up copies at PAX. Scout bears a loose resemblance to Gin Rummy and similar games. It's simple and elegant and I think it's my favorite card game I've ever played. Just super clever design, easy to play, but lots of hidden depths.

I got Scout for Christmas and played it several times on the train with my family this afternoon. It's so clever, like you say, with a decision space that just keeps unfolding. I'm pretty sure this one's a keeper.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Sun Dec 31, 2023 2:33 pm

At brother’s house for vacation, so we’ve had quite a bit of gaming over the last couple days.

- Lost Ruins of Arnak: I’ve played it several times, but it was his first time. He didn’t like it at all, felt like there was way too much going on. I told him it gets much easier to grok with multiple plays, but I don’t know that he’ll try it again.

- Marvel United: A decent, simple game. Not something I’d pull down a lot, but wouldn’t say no if someone else wanted to play.

- Quacks of Quedlinburg: I had played this once before and enjoyed it, and it ended up being a big hit with the whole family. Just a fantastic game.

- Thunder Road Vendetta: Continues to be the game of choice for all the kids. They absolutely love its complete chaos. I find it’s more fun at higher player counts. 2 people is ok, 3 is better, 4 is amazing.

- Star Wars Deckbuilder: One of my favorite deckbuilders, but I find that if things go badly, it can snowball in a hurry. Got a very thorough ass-whupping because I simply couldn’t get cards to draw together.
-

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Mon Jan 01, 2024 1:48 pm

I played through the starter scenarios for Tales from the Red Dragon Inn and it's everything I hoped it would be already. There's a time in my life where I would call this a "dumbed down" dungeon crawler (though as I've seen pointed out in videos, it's less of a dungeon crawler and more of a tactical skirmish game). However I'm at a point in my life where game time is at a premium, and I've grown to appreciate simplicity and speed over complex rules systems.

It's really a perfect fit right now as I've got group games going of Oathsworn and Frosthaven that satisfy the "complexity" itch. But solo I now have this fun, simple campaign that gives me the enjoyment of those campaigns without all the overhead.

Currently I'm running a full group 4-handed and haven't found it overwhelming at all. I'll probably bump the difficulty up, but so far I've had a blast with it.

Malificent · Post by **Malificent** » Tue Jan 02, 2024 12:09 am

YellowKing wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2024 1:48 pm I played through the starter scenarios for Tales from the Red Dragon Inn and it's everything I hoped it would be already. There's a time in my life where I would call this a "dumbed down" dungeon crawler (though as I've seen pointed out in videos, it's less of a dungeon crawler and more of a tactical skirmish game). However I'm at a point in my life where game time is at a premium, and I've grown to appreciate simplicity and speed over complex rules systems.

It's really a perfect fit right now as I've got group games going of Oathsworn and Frosthaven that satisfy the "complexity" itch. But solo I now have this fun, simple campaign that gives me the enjoyment of those campaigns without all the overhead.

Currently I'm running a full group 4-handed and haven't found it overwhelming at all. I'll probably bump the difficulty up, but so far I've had a blast with it.

How’s the narrative/story?

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Tue Jan 02, 2024 11:04 am

Maleficent wrote:How’s the narrative/story?

I'm not super far enough in to say definitively, but so far it's well-written. It's definitely a light-hearted fantasy-trope narrative (adventurers in inns, deadly sewers under the town), but it's not as silly or juvenile as I was expecting. I had no familiarity with the Red Dragon Inn games from which these characters come, so I was going in blind. But I'm enjoying it. In terms of tone I'd put it at maybe a touch above Scooby Doo level. Or maybe the recent D&D movie? Some mildly wacky characters, but placed in situations that feel dangerous with real stakes.

I did change my mind on bumping the difficulty, as I didn't realize there was only one hard difficulty level above standard. And that difficulty level (while also adding additional traps/monsters) also requires rolling a "doom die" that can negate damage or cause character damage. That's just a bit too much luck thrown in the mix for me, so I decided against it.

Instead, I'm running a bit of a homebrew solution in which given a choice for monster pathing, trap placement, etc. I'll choose the outcome that's worse for my party and better for the monsters (within reason). That has made the game sufficiently challenging enough for me, considering it was designed around always doing the best thing for your party.

The only aspect of the mechanics I'm not a huge fan of is the fact that monsters always hit with a set damage amount. It takes away the thrill of an enemy swinging and missing at a critical moment. On the other hand, it forces you to think in a more tactical manner. I made the mistake early on of rushing in blindly with my tank into a horde of enemies, not thinking of the fact that every one of those enemies on their turn were going to hit him with no way to mitigate it. You really have to plan ahead and make sure you're positioned to handle the enemy turn if they haven't yet gone.

That said, the initiative system is a lot of fun and somewhat makes up for the lack of randomness in enemy attacks. Knowing what they're going to do but not *when* they're going to do it really gives the scenario a push your luck feel.

I'm still considering starting over and maybe just playing 2 characters. I'm not super interested in the true solo mode, as I like a bit of character interaction. But 2 would save a lot of table space, and I kind of want to experience the "half-turn" mechanic that the game utilizes for lower player counts. I haven't had an issue at all running 4, but I can see myself playing this campaign through again with a full group so part of me wants to keep the solo experience different. One nice feature is that you can swap characters out at any time, and even characters you don't utilize level up and get more powerful so there's never a difficulty gap. It might even be fun to choose a random set of 2 characters for each scenario and try to work with what I get - two mages and no tank might make for an interesting challenge!

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Jan 02, 2024 11:25 am

I think the story telling fits the theme quite nicely - there's actually a story unfolding as you're starting the campaign - why you're doing what you're doing and what's happening; it makes sense in the wacky in-game universe.

I'm doing the two adventurer thing and the half-turn element is definitely cool - giving you a chance at just being able to do one extra thing can really make a difference.

And yes, knowing ahead of time how the enemies are going to act could feel a bit "gamey" to some, but as you've noted, I think it adds so much more to the tactical element as you're trying to plan out what you'd like to ideally do while at the same time thinking about what tokens are in the draw bag and your chances of having an enemy activation before you can go.

I still think the game really gets it right - balance between fun and mechanics. If you're looking for the type of play the game delivers, I'm having a hard time thinking of something else that fits in the same space.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Tue Jan 02, 2024 2:13 pm

Playing a game called Earth on BGA and it has me intrigued so far. The most interesting new to me game since Ark Nova. There's a lot going on and I'm glad I'm playing it "Turn Based" instead of on a live timer. It's a thinker and playing it live would see my suffering with analysis paralysis.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/350184/earth

BGG doesn't think it as complex as I do. Maybe I'll settle in to it eventually.

Malificent · Post by **Malificent** » Tue Jan 02, 2024 2:41 pm

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2024 11:25 am I think the story telling fits the theme quite nicely - there's actually a story unfolding as you're starting the campaign - why you're doing what you're doing and what's happening; it makes sense in the wacky in-game universe.

I'm doing the two adventurer thing and the half-turn element is definitely cool - giving you a chance at just being able to do one extra thing can really make a difference.

And yes, knowing ahead of time how the enemies are going to act could feel a bit "gamey" to some, but as you've noted, I think it adds so much more to the tactical element as you're trying to plan out what you'd like to ideally do while at the same time thinking about what tokens are in the draw bag and your chances of having an enemy activation before you can go.

I still think the game really gets it right - balance between fun and mechanics. If you're looking for the type of play the game delivers, I'm having a hard time thinking of something else that fits in the same space.

That's good - my Saturday group wants some complexity but not a crazy amount. There's enough work stress to not have cycles for heavy difficulty on the weekends. But they love some narrative/story and this feels like it fits the bill pretty well. Added to my list.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Tue Jan 02, 2024 2:46 pm

LordMortis wrote:Playing a game called Earth on BGA and it has me intrigued so far.

I kickstarted Earth and love it, even just playing solo. It definitely has Ark Nova vibes but I feel it's slightly more accessible. Fits a great little niche between Ark Nova on the heavier side and Wingspan on the lighter side.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Wed Jan 03, 2024 3:47 am

After this week, I'll try to get in a game of Earth with you. I also picked it up on Kickstarter because I love engine builders. There's so much happening at the end, it's so satisfying to not have a clear "optimal" strategy.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Wed Jan 03, 2024 6:09 am

Zarathud wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 3:47 am After this week, I'll try to get in a game of Earth with you. I also picked it up on Kickstarter because I love engine builders. There's so much happening at the end, it's so satisfying to not have a clear "optimal" strategy.

If you are on BGA send me your handle or I can send you mine (Mort21). I haven't gotten to the end game yet. I'm playing asynchronously in a couple of games which is basically 1-3 plays a day with strangers, and even friends if we have similar check the Internet times. I'm not really up for a live game of this yet, as I said, there is a bit of analysis paralysis with this game for me at this point, especially as you have to track so many things that can't fit on a single screen.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Wed Jan 03, 2024 11:44 am

Played Scythe for the first time over the weekend. An interesting game with a lot going on, but I don't think I liked it enough to actually buy it.

Started Tales from the Red Dragon Inn last night, and I think I'm really going to like this one. I especially like the way they ease you into the game systems through the tutorial. After so many awful game manuals, that is much appreciated. Maybe it's just me getting old, but I appreciate the simplicity of the combat system while still making you feel like a bad-ass hero.

More to come, but first impressions are extremely positive. The only thing I really don't like is the art style, but that's not a dealbreaker if the narrative and gameplay are solid.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Wed Jan 03, 2024 10:42 pm

Stupid rules clarification on Tales from the Red Dragon Inn.

Is there a limit to the number of ability cards a character can carry? I just finished the first mission and it told me to pull new abilities and items from the vault, but it doesn’t give any indication of any sort of limit on them.

Probably just missed it in the scenario guide or walkthrough booklet, but I read them both twice and didn’t see anything.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Wed Jan 03, 2024 10:58 pm

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 10:42 pm Is there a limit to the number of ability cards a character can carry? I just finished the first mission and it told me to pull new abilities and items from the vault, but it doesn’t give any indication of any sort of limit on them.

I don't believe so, no. You'll notice that the new cards you just added will likely have limited uses (charges) or they require a cooldown (the hourglass tokens) before you can use them again. So you're getting more powerful, but you still have your core/basic moves you can do on your character card and whatever you started the intro scenario with. I don't know anything for sure, but I suspect cards are going be "leveled up" as the campaign progresses and you won't have 37 cards out in front of you for each character - you'll be instructed to replace and remove certain cards when the time is right.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Thu Jan 04, 2024 9:54 am

Re: Tales from the Red Dragon Inn, I started the campaign over with 2 characters and I think I'm enjoying it more. I do miss the variation and cooperation among 4, but 2 makes it much easier to focus on managing cooldowns, etc. I also like the "half turn" mechanic with the lower player count.

Right now I'm just choosing two random heroes at the start of each scenario, which can add a bit of challenge. But I'm enjoying it as it forces me to really think about positioning and strategy vs brute force.

So far I've been quite impressed with the game balance. I wouldn't say it feels super difficult by any means on Veteran (which is standard) difficulty, but it does feel like stupid mistakes or bad initiative draws can cost you. There have been so many times when I achieved the Objective on the last turn, which is super satisfying.