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  • Board Games – what’re you currently playing?
  • Cougar
    Full Member

    That weight at 4 players… Small World? Sagrada? One of the Azuls?

    I got Mysterium for Christmas last year and rather like it, it’s kinda abstract Cluedo. Often on offer in various places.

    Again, I haven’t played it, but there’s a new Gloomhaven called something like “Jaws of the Lion,” supposed to be a more accessible version of GH at a not-stupid price.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    My problem with CAH is that the game takes too long.

    You’re not playing until you exhaust the entire black deck are you?

    CAH is as long at you want it to be. I don’t think there’s an actual end-game win condition in the rules, even. Play until you’ve had enough or decide ahead “we’ll have x rounds” and start with a black deck of x times player count.

    bigh
    Free Member

    Arriving tomorrow is Ticket to ride anniversary edition. I’m sure many here have already played it but I’ll let you know my impression

    Cougar
    Full Member

    I haven’t played the 15-year Anniversary edition which I assume you’ve just bought, but I have the 10-year edition and a couple of regular ones. Ostensibly the Anniversary edition is exactly the same game only with nicer components.

    It’s a classic game, it’s been a ‘gateway game’ for a long time for a reason.

    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    Just bought Azul. Jaws looks a little “involved” for Boxing Day afternoon.

    Killer
    Free Member

    i’m trying to ride this thread too now as XMas approaches.

    looking for party esque games for larger numbers of people (6+). with a realtively quick turnover per round. (so avoiding the traditional board game, 2 hr strategy etc)

    others games that would work so more along this theme please?

    Just One
    Jungle Speed
    Ligretto
    Exploding Kittens
    Perudo

    secondly, has anybody played “Silver”? if I combine multiple packs, can I increase the player numbers like i can with exploding kittens? is it aimed at the 12 year market, or will adults be able to play and enjoy by themselves?

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Cranium? That ticks your boxes so long as you’ve got an even number of players as it’s up to four teams of 2 players each.

    I don’t have many higher-player count games, it’s a it of a hole in my collection. Often it involves expansions. Carcassonne can be quick if you draw your next tile immediately after playing so that you have the rest of the round to think about it, but you’d need something like the Inns & Cathedrals expansion to give you a sixth set of meeple and sufficient tiles to keep it playable.

    A roll-n-write maybe? Anything that has simultaneous play will mean that player count doesn’t overly matter. It’s not a party game exactly but, “Welcome To…” perhaps?

    Perudo

    I love Liar’s Dice even though I’m terrible at it. I wouldn’t class it as a ‘party’ game though due to the knockout mechanic.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Oh, Telestrations? That’s basically Chinese Whispers meets Pictionary. Little downtime because everyone plays at once. I think that caps out at 8 players.

    I’ll ask in the FB group.

    Killer
    Free Member

    I love Liar’s Dice even though I’m terrible at it. I wouldn’t class it as a ‘party’ game though due to the knockout mechanic.

    I taught people to play it by reducing dive count for higher numbers, and stopping the game once the first person was fully eliminated ensuring there were no people just hanging around.

    Just to add to my own collection of similar games, SCRAWL is a good game for a reasonable number of people.

    futonrivercrossing
    Free Member

    I don’t think Gloomhaven is expensive for what you get. I’ve probably enjoyed over 120 hours of gaming so far! And nowhere near the end of the campaign. Frosthaven is greatly anticipated!

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Honestly, I’ve never played it (and would love to). I wasn’t suggesting that it wasn’t worth it, rather that it’s perhaps on both the spendy and the heavy side for family gamers more used to Carcassonne.

    tazzymtb
    Full Member

    gloomhaven is ace, mansions of madness is really good, zombioide is a good fun family fave

    for lighter stuff
    bears vs babies
    happy little dinosaurs
    munchkin
    organ attack
    for getring folks into co-op dungeon crawling with super easy gameplay, escape the dark castle is really jolly

    futonrivercrossing
    Free Member

    I have Mansions of Madness, but never really gelled with it.

    I have Eclipse 2nd edition arriving for Christmas. 🙂

    sweaman2
    Free Member

    Read the thread and not sure it’s come up yet so. It’s a little different but sweajnr (8) loves Labyrinth. Might be best for 10 and under but I know adults that play it as well (there’s lots of subtle ways to make it easier / harder / longer / shorter)

    benson75
    Free Member

    For 4 players I would recommend Quest for Eldorado which is a deck building race game.
    For 4-6 players Mission Red planet 2nd edition is a real fun role selection/area control game where you can really mess up other people’s plans.

    Cheaper card base games we like include The Crew and Hanabi both of which are cooperative.

    spacemonkey
    Full Member

    Sequence is a game we picked up before Covid to play with the elders. Sounds really dull but is actually pretty cool because you team up in pairs but can’t confer, so you end up trying to win the game yourself while hoping your partner has cottoned on and starts helping, only to find they have their own ideas that screw you over. Simple to play, and the pressure ramps up if both/all teams are level towards the end.

    +1 Forbidden Desert. We played three times as a foursome. Screwed up big time on the first attempt. Lost it on the penultimate turn on the second game – boy, was that frustrating. Then won it with 1 turn to spare on the third go. A really clever game and great for teamwork.

    Pandemic is cool. We also have the Cthulu version but not got round to it yet.

    Catan is surprisingly fun too. I think we have the basic/starter set.

    Scotland Yard is great for kids because you have an ‘invisible’ baddie on the run and you X moves to capture him/her.

    Sherlock requires a bit of lateral thinking, and is particularly suited to people who love words/saying/phrases.

    FTR, monkey junior started playing all of these aged 8 and had no problem picking up the rules and getting stuck in. He’s beaten us all at Catan and Scotland Yard, and contributed loads to the others.

    Have Betrayal at House on the Hill in the loft, and will give it a go now junior is a bit older (11).

    SmallWorld and Kings of Tokyo we wanted to get on with, but neither lasted a full game. Just didn’t engage with either of them.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Sequence is a game we picked up before Covid to play with the elders.

    Is that the one with the board of playing cards? I was visiting a friend once and I mentioned something about board games and she went, “oh, here’s one we (her and her young son) really like!” and produced Sequence. I quietly rolled my eyes. Turned out, it was great! I got home and immediately bought the travel edition.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    I’ll ask in the FB group.

    Well, I got a lot of replies. Pick the bones out of this lot.

    >>
    SpyFall
    One Night Ultimate Werewolf
    >>
    Happy Salmon, 1 pack 6 people, blue and green (2 packs) 12 people
    >>
    One Night Werewolf, Spyfall, Codenames, Dixit, Cockroach Poker.
    >>
    Wavelength
    >>
    I just bought Telestrations which accommodates 8
    >>
    I would check out Spaceteam and Ravine from Stellar Factory. The former literally takes 5 minutes to play but is really interactive and fun. Ravine is like Robinson Crusoe but much simpler and has an added madness mechanic thats hilarious!
    >>
    Skip-Bo
    The Game
    The mind
    All play pretty quickly and nicely interactive for groups too.
    >>
    Decrypto (even numbers)
    Telestrations (up to 8 )
    Dixit (there’s a version that does 10 players) [this is Dixit Oddyssey I believe]
    Camel up (up to 8 )
    >>
    Seconded for wavelength. It works great but requires splitting into teams. Also Monikers or fake artist.
    >>
    Growl, Codenames
    >>
    Cash n guns, Red November, wacky races.
    >>
    Shadow Hunters; Pitch Car; Crosstalk; Just One; Letter Jam; Decrypto; Concept; Monikers; Trapwords; Scrawl; Wavelength; Codenames; Magic Maze; Dixit (or anything using the Cards Against Humanity mechanic, including CAH, Apples to Apples, Joking Hazard, etc); Any social deduction games (Deception: Murder in Hong Kong, Antidote, Werewolf et al, Salem 1692, etc)
    Balderdash; Wits & Wagers; Say Anything; Any team games (I included several)
    >>
    Camel Up, Cash N Guns, Jamaica (6), Decrypto,
    >>
    Anomia
    >>
    Fake That
    >>
    Dixit (with expansion for more players), Mysterium (7 players)
    >>
    Dixit!
    >>
    Herd Mentality
    >>
    6 nimmt, coloretto
    >>
    Saboteur!
    >>
    Telestrations, grabola and sushi go party are good fun for bigger groups!
    >>
    So clover, dead last, happy salmon
    >>
    Just one
    >>

    … to be continued!

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Part the second. Comments in [square brackets] are mine.

    >>
    Dixit,codenames, apples to apples or cards against humanity for an older group
    >>
    Fake artist goes to New York or 6nimmt
    >>
    6 nimmit
    For sale
    Lamma
    >>
    7 wonders, 6 nimmt
    >>
    I always carry a copy of Zombie Dice with me. It’s got no limit on numbers of players, easy to teach, and pretty quick to play.
    Most times I’ve introduced someone to it they’ve wanted to play a second game immediately after the first.
    >>
    Go for Avalon Resistance simple rules but loads of interaction
    >>
    6 nimmt is great fun and No Thanks
    >>
    Bang!
    >>
    Cash n guns
    >>
    Dixit Odyssey is up to 12 players [aha, I was right!]
    >>
    Doodle dash … is a great game for up to 7 players you will laugh a lot
    >>
    Cash & Guns always seems to go down well with a variety of ages
    >>
    [deep breath]
    Best 8 player games we own: Pitchcar 9/10; Tsuro 8/10; Camel Up 8/10; 6 Nimmt! 8/10; Bang the dice game 8/10; Incan gold 8/10; 7 Wonders Cities 8/10; Midnight Party 8/10; Hexroller 9/10; Knaster 8.5/10; NMBR9 x2 9/10; On Tour with European Expansion 9.5/10; Skyjo 9/10.

    Best 7 player games we own: 7 Wonders 10/10; Bang 8/10; No Thanks 8.5/10; Between two cities 8/10; Hoppladi hopplada 8/10.

    6 Player games we own: Alhambra 10/10; For Sale 10/10; Medici 9/10; Medici the card game 9/10; Tiny Towns 9/10; Junk Art 8.5/10; Micropolis 9/10; Mi Tierra: New Ages 8.5/10; Doodle City 8/10; Patchwork doodle 9/10; Criss cross 9/10; Dodekka 8.5/10; Tumblin dice medium 9/10
    [phew!]
    >>
    Secret Hitler is a good quick party game with simple rules
    >>
    Shifty eyed spies!
    >>
    Muse is a more party- game version of Dixit/Mysterium and is great fun.
    >>
    Throw throw burrito/avocado
    On a scale of one to trex.
    One night ultimate…
    >>
    Sushi Go Party
    >>
    Happy salmon
    >>
    Ghost blitz
    >>
    I liked Masquerade, Dixit, Deepsea Adventure and Bang for this kind of thing
    >>
    Concept is also great for drop in drop out play with large numbers of people
    >>
    I would personally reccomend any dobbles, taco cat goat cheese pizza, ghost blitz, chameleon, dutch blitz is the same as ligretto but it can size up to 8, telestrations x x youve got crabs and chameleon could take up to 20tbh

    Cougar
    Full Member

    And finally, an answer to the other question:

    “Silver – I wouldn’t recommend it, but you probably could. It would be awful for downtime though, and info overload.”

    Out of that huge list, most I haven’t played and many I’ve never even heard of! 7 Wonders is a solid classic but not really a ‘party’ game. Alhambra is nice and gentle, I didn’t think it’d scale to 6+ players though? I’d have to check, there’s a buttload of expansions for it so that might make it more scalable. Secret Hitler would likely work well and I think there’s a free print & play version of it? Camel Up! crops up often in the group and gets a lot of love generally though I’ve not played it myself.

    vinnyeh
    Full Member
    Cougar
    Full Member
    blackbird
    Free Member

    Not a board game at all, but Dobble is a good giggle, quite competitive, multiple ways to play and each game is quick fire. There’s different versions too – our nephew proper beat us on the Star Wars version as we didn’t know the “modern” character names. Although ancient, always enjoyed Yahtzee and Trivial Pursuit.Cat is a fun drawing game and our German friend introduced us to Ganz Schõn Clever (that’s pretty / really clever), numbers and strategy game that takes a bit of getting your head around, it’s great though!

    Cougar
    Full Member

    There is – of course there is, it involves people – a degree of snobbery in some corners about “old” games. I bristle a little at this. There’s nothing at all wrong with Yahtzee, it’s a classic. People ask for recommendations for a quick-to-teach 2-player game, no-one ever says Backgammon and it’s about the best 2P game on the planet.

    I’ve had my eye on GSC for a little while, it looks a bit like a modern implementation of Yahtzee and that’s no bad thing. There’s a sequel too but I know nothing about that.

    Harry_the_Spider
    Full Member

    For old games we still like a round ot two of “Sorry”.

    I once heard it described as “Ludo for ****s”.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    That is a gloriously perfect description. I’m totally stealing that.

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    Arkham Horror card game has just arrived about 5 minutes ago 🙂

    Avoided it for ages as it looks like it could be a money pit with all the add ons, but couldn’t resist in the Zatu sale.

    Might give it a go after Strictly.

    Have played Terraforming Mars a few times now and it just gets better.
    A bit hard to get your head around initially, but there’s so much depth to it, crazy.

    Possibly getting Brass – Lancashire for Christmas,looking forward to that one too.

    Anyone up for a North West gaming night?

    RustySpanner
    Full Member

    Oh, another shout for Forbidden Island.

    The 8 year old granddaughter is now properly addicted.

    It’s a great little game, 12 year old nephew asked for it for Christmas after playing it recently.

    Not sure it has the replay value of Port Royal, but it’s a game that changes depending on who you’re playing it with. Well worth a pop.

    blackbird
    Free Member

    Bristle away Cougar, Yahtzee is still one of my favourite games, good numbers game to teach kids to help them learn adding up, number patterns and a bit of strategy too.

    spacemonkey
    Full Member

    Sequence is a game we picked up before Covid to play with the elders.

    Is that the one with the board of playing cards?

    Yep, sounds like it. Deceptively fun fo sho.

    spacemonkey
    Full Member

    BTW I’ve just ordered Memoir 44 because junior now has interest in WW2 after studying it for this term’s topic.

    It’s been on my radar for a while and always highly regarded so I figured we may as well give it a go. Lots of expansions available too.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    Love citadels, going to try and bully the family into playing at christmas.

    It never gets mentioned in these threads but I love, absolutely love London (2nd ed). Looks like a deckbuilder or a city builder, actually is a rube goldberg machine designer game in disguise. It’s probably not a good choice for more casual gamers or family play but it always seems to go down well with Adults Who Board Game.

    blanklook
    Full Member

    Not sure if 7 Wonders has been mentioned yet. On the face of it the gameplay is complex but once learned, it is actually very simple.

    Yep. but don’t get any expansions- it’s not that they’re bad, it’s just that they throw away a lot of what makes the core game so good. Like one of those old GW games that started out lean and ended up drowning under all its bolt-on parts.

    squirrelking
    Free Member

    Some may scoff but my missus got Villainous (Disney) for her birthday and it’s bloody good. With 5 players (of 6 with the basic set) it turned into a 3-odd hour game that my daughter damn near won at one stage (before I ruthlessly screwed her over, yes I’m a bad dad). With 2 players it’s much shorter but still good fun. Can see that getting a fair amount of mileage. The win conditions and powers/limitations of each character are completely different so it keeps things interesting.

    Cranium

    There’s a good way to fast track a holiday divorce. NEVER play it as a team with a significant other. Ever.


    @sweaman2
    By Labyrinth do you mean the MB (or whatever) game or the Movie game? We have the latter and it’s definitely kid friendly.

    spacemonkey
    Full Member

    @sweaman2 By Labyrinth do you mean the MB (or whatever) game or the Movie game? We have the latter and it’s definitely kid friendly.

    I’m assuming it’s the maze-like game where you find secret treasure by moving tiles around? We played that a fair bit when monkey jnr was maybe 6-9yrs. Simple and good for what it is. Enchanted is another where you hunt down ‘secret’ treasure. Requires more use of your memory than anything, but decent enough for kids.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Possibly getting Brass – Lancashire for Christmas,looking forward to that one too.

    I badly want to play that. Birmingham is supposed to be the nominally better game but, eh, I don’t live in Birmingham.

    Anyone up for a North West gaming night?

    Hell to the yes. Have you got space or do you want to do it here?

    There are local gaming groups. There’s at least one in Burnley, two I know of in Preston, and there used to be one in Ozzy. How active they are currently I’m less sure.

    stevomcd
    Free Member

    What are the top recommendations for 2 player games?

    Mrs and I love Carcassonne, but everything else we’ve tried seems to work much better with more players. Even Carcassonne is better when you add the element of “are we co-operating or backstabbing here?”.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    “The Castle” is a specific 2-player version of Carcassonne.

    And yeah, “Cutthroat Carcassonne” is a thing, but not a thing I’d recommend playing with someone you’re hoping to have sex with in the near future.

    gobuchul
    Free Member
    Cougar
    Full Member

    Talking only about 2P-specific games,

    I was going to suggest Agricola:ACBAS myself. It was hard to find for ages, but there’s a “big box” reprint now with the two mini-expansions included. I really like it, it’s got a ‘big game’ feel in a small package, doesn’t outstay its welcome and is a gentle introduction to worker-placement style games.

    Similarly, there’s a 2P twist on Caverna called Cave vs Cave. It’s decent, but I prefer Agricola.

    Kosmos do a range of 2P games in a similar size of box. They tend to be on the lighter side, I’ve not played them all because there’s shitloads but I’ve yet to play one that’s outright bad.

    Rivals for Catan is a specific 2P game… let’s say “loosely based on” Catan. Like the full game you roll a die, collect resources, spend resources to buy stuff, but it’s a card game so your actual play area is wildly different from its big brother. It’s good, but it’s longer and meatier than the above.

    And finally: Jaipur. I hated everything about this game from the premise to the artwork to… just everything, there was nothing about it that appealed other than people saying it was good. Then I found something that did appeal: the price when it went on sale. I impulse-bought it and, it is outstanding. Anyone with a passing interest in playing a card game at a 2-player count needs this in their collection.

    Cougar
    Full Member

    On multiplayer games that scale well to 2P,

    Dominion works well at any player count (well, above “one”). Sagrada is my new favourite “gateway” game and again player count is largely immaterial, the base game is 1-4 players. The baby Ticket To Ride games (London and New York) suit 2P as it’s a much smaller board and faster game.

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