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friendofgunnar
Honorable
Legendary Hero
able to speed up time
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posted January 16, 2015 10:43 AM |
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ahhh right, it was "Camel Up" that won. The reason I think "Splendor" would be perfect for kids is because it contains the essence of the engine-building mechanic. For somebody that's never encountered that before it would be a fascinating concept, and I think splendor has that concept at exactly the right level that an 7-11 old would easily grasp it. Yes it is dry and themeless, but I've noticed kids of that age don't care so much about theme.
Another game I think would be perfect to introduce to somebody of that age is "San Juan", for similar reasons.
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JollyJoker
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
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posted January 16, 2015 11:42 AM |
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I do have San Juan and wouldn't recommend playing it with an 8-year-old or younger (I don't think Corribus's little princess isn't even that old). It's recommended 10+, but that's a stretch already. as well.
I also think that Citadels
is better for kids, since it's more fun. It's still recommended 10+.
There is a ton of good games, and especially card games. I could recommend so many, since I'm always on the lookout for good card games, but
@ Corribus
are you looking for something special? A certain kind or theme? Or game category (for example, trick taking)? # of players is often quite important. For example, I'd recommend Love Letter (8+, very neat), but only for 3 and 4 players.
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OmegaDestroyer
Hero of Order
Fox or Chicken?
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posted January 16, 2015 05:11 PM |
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I do not remember how old your daughter is, Corribus, but you may want to consider Robot Turtles. The goal is to get a robotic turtle to a crystal by programming movement cards. As players become more adept at the game, more challenges and cards can be added. Since programming is a useful skill, I figured it would be a great game for my 5-year-old niece.
If you are looking for something less educational, I would check out either King of Tokyo or King of New York. Since I've already talked about King of Tokyo, I will focus on King of New York for now.
King of New York
Players: 2-6
Ages: 8+ (User suggested on BGG as 6+)
Play Time: 40 minutes
Price: Currently about $35.00 on Amazon.com
In short
Grab your favorite monster and rampage through New York. Will you be a superstar, a defender, or will you take a bite out of the Big Apple?
In long
King of New York is a modified version of King of Tokyo that places more emphasis on the destructive aspects of giant monsters.
Contents of the box courtesy of 3wgames
For those unfamiliar with King of Tokyo, in that game, use use Yahtzee dice-rolling mechanics to attack, heal, gather energy, or score victory points. You win by being the first player to reach 20 victory points or by killing your opponents. Energy can be used to buy special active or passive power cards. Victory points are earned by starting your turn in Tokyo or rolling three of the same die (three 3's gets your 3 victory points, three 2's gets you 2, etc.). A player is allowed to re-roll any number of dice two times. If you were in Tokyo when you rolled claws (attack), you attacked every other player outside of Tokyo for X damage. If you were out of Tokyo when you attacked, you only attacked the player in Tokyo. When in Tokyo and attacked, a player had the option of ceding Tokyo in order to be able to heal later.
King of New York changes the formula quite a bit. Instead of Tokyo, you can get victory points for controlling Manhattan with increasing bonuses for how long you are there. There are a number of areas for monster to run amok in (Burroughs) and every area now contains buildings (more on that later). The dice now have symbols for attacking, healing, energy, destruction, military attacks, and fame. The end game is the same, though, with needing either 20 victory points at the end of your turn or being the last monster standing.
One advantage of living in Podunk Nowheresville is that the odds of giant monsters rampaging through my city are way lower than New York's. Image courtesy of Draddict
Let's talk about the dice. On your turn, you roll six dice and can re-roll the dice twice. The configuration you decide to keep or end up with, is what you get. The faces are:
Claw - Attacks. If you are in Manhattan, you hit everyone out of Manhattan for each claw you rolled. Roll 6 claws, deal 6 damage. If you are outside of Manhattan, you hit everyone in Manhattan (depending on the players, there can be multiple monsters in Manhattan). In the event a monster is damaged in Manhattan, that monster can evacuate to a new area and you can take control of Manhattan. More on that later.
Heart - Healing. If you are outside of Manhattan, you heal damage up to the amount of hearts you rolled. If you are in Manhattan, you cannot heal using dice. You can still heal by destroying certain building, eating military units, or using powers.
Lightning - Energy. For each lightning you roll, you gain an energy. Energy is mostly used to buy active or passive super powers.
Building- Destruction. In each area of the board, there are three stacks of three building tiles. Each tile has a certain cost on it ranging from 1 to 3. For each building die you roll, you can destroy X amount of buildings. Each building also comes with a bonus for destroying it. Apartments generally grant you victory points, power plants grant you energy, and hospitals grant you health. When you destroy a building, you flip the tile over to reveal a military unit. Military units can be destroyed through destruction as well and can provide the same benefits of buildings upon destruction.
Skull - Military attacks. New to the game is the military. As mentioned above, each time a building is destroyed, a military unit appears on the board. When you roll 1 skull, any military units in your neighborhood attack you. So if there are 3 units, you take 3 damage. If you roll 2 skulls, military units in your area attack all monsters in the area. If you roll 3 skulls, every monster in the game is attacked by the military units in their area. Additionally, if you roll 3 skulls, you become New York's Defender, gain the Statue of Liberty card, and immediately gain 3 victory points. In the event someone else rolls 3 skulls, they become the new Defender, gain the 3 points, and you lose the 3 points.
Star - Fame. Fame replaces the 1/2/3 faces of King of Tokyo. Fame means nothing until you roll 3 fame. Upon rolling 3 fame dice, you become a Superstar. You gain 1 victory point and an extra victory point for excess fame you rolled. So if you roll 6 fame, you gain 4 points this turn. While a superstar, any fame you roll on your turn nets you a victory point. Just like the Statue of Liberty card, Superstar can be stolen, so be cautious.
Image courtesy of punkin312
Once you have rolled all of your dice, if you have any energy, you can choose to buy any of the three available power cards. Additionally, for two energy, you can wipe the cards and draw three new cards.
Power cards. Image provided by W Eric Martin
In the upper right-hand corner is how much energy you need to buy the card. Keep cards offer passive abilities that alter the game. Discards are one-shots that can be saved for later use or in some situations, used upon purchase.
After you have rolled your dice and had a chance to buy cards, your monster has the option to move. In the rare event nobody is in Manhattan, you must move to Manhattan. If you were in Manhattan, you move to a higher place in Manhattan (more on that in a bit). If Manhattan is full up, you can move to a new neighborhood if you want or stay put.
So why is Manhattan important? If you take control of Manhattan, you immediately gain a victory point. Manhattan is divided into 3 sections. You start off in the first, then on your next turn move to the second, and do the same with the third. In the first area, if you start your turn in Manhattan, you gain 1 victory point and 1 energy. In the second, you gain 2 victory points and 1 energy. In the third area, you gain 2 victory points and 2 energy. Since you get these bonuses every turn, it is very advantageous to stay in Manhattan as long as you can. Also, depending on the number of players, multiple monsters can be in multiple parts of Manhattan at any given time. Furthermore, when in Manhattan you attack everyone who isn't there, making your attacks very deadly. As mentioned earlier, you cannot heal, so you need to be very careful in Manhattan, especially if the military attacks.
Captain Fish rampaging through Manhattan. Image courtesy of W Eric Martin.
Again, the game ends when a monster survives their turn with 20 victory points (I have gotten 20 but was killed in the end) or all other monsters are dead.
So what do I think about it?
King of New York is a great game. It is really each to teach, quick to set up, and plays fairly quickly. It is a more combative version of King of Tokyo. The focus is more on the destructive aspects of giant monsters more-so than points. If you like points, however, you can still win by being a superstar.
The buildings and military units are a welcome addition. You do not necessarily need to control Manhattan to win the game. Destroy enough of the right buildings and you'll be raking in victory points. Plus being able to heal outside of Manhattan while gaining victory points is huge. The military units really make the game interesting. Destroy too many buildings and you'll find yourself swarmed by the army. One wrong roll and you could very easily be killed by a military counter-attack. I have won a couple of games by triggering a city-wide strike and wiping out monsters just about to win the game.
Should you get it if you have King of Tokyo? That's a tricky question. If you are a die-hard fan of King of Tokyo, chances are you already have the game. If you merely like the game, you may want to hold off and watch some reviews. This is how I would sum up the pros and cons (Manhattan/Tokyo being the same areas):
King of New York:
+Buildings and Military units
+More thematic
+Manhattan has variable rewards
+Easier to win the game outside of Manhattan
King of Tokyo:
+Cooler monsters
+Expansions add variety
+Evolutions (Expansion mechanic. Roll 3 hearts, gain passive or active ability)
+Easier to score victory points.
Honestly, it's a toss-up and I do not know what to tell you if you already own King of Tokyo. I am certain we will see at least one King of New York expansion this year. If you like KoT and want something new, I would pick it up. You can use the old monsters in game easy enough (just not their evolutions). If you do not have either, I would recommend King of New York. It feels like a more a monster game in general. Destroying buildings and gobbling up the military are way more thematic than rolling three 2s.
Personally, I prefer KoNY and do not see myself returning to KoT anytime soon. I like the monsters better in KoT but that really isn't a huge selling point. If they add evolutions to KoNY, I will most likely give KoT away. As always, I advise you to watch reviews before making a decision.
In Conclusion
King of New York is a great monster game worthy of being in your collection. If you own King of Tokyo, watch reviews and think about whether or not it is worth having a somewhat-different version of a game you already own.
____________
The giant has awakened
You drink my blood and drown
Wrath and raving I will not stop
You'll never take me down
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Corribus
Hero of Order
The Abyss Staring Back at You
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posted January 17, 2015 03:36 AM |
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The little princess (devil?) is 7, going on 15. I'm not looking for anything in particular; just something that'll hold her interest but isn't so insipid that I fall asleep. Anything that will help her develop cognitive skills without her realizing it is a plus. I have purchased a few games in the last year that I thought would be appropriate for her age, but I've liked them far more than she has.
I do think the ages printed on the boxes are fairly accurate, but being age appropriate isn't any guarantee that it'll be enjoyable. I might just have to face the fact that she doesn't like games, but I've been hoping it's not true.  I get a pang in my heart every time I walk past the game section at Barnes and Noble: so many interesting options and nobody to play them with.
Speaking of games at Barnes and Noble, I saw this one and it looked interesting.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/toys-games-krosmaster-arena/27485555?ean=3760162398298
____________
I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're goin', and hook up with them later. -Mitch Hedberg
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JollyJoker
Honorable
Undefeatable Hero
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posted January 17, 2015 10:18 AM |
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Pretty costly, so I would consider at least this 43 $ offer.
I don't think, you'll play it any time soon, though.
Same kind of problem here. We have a monthly gaming round - strictly card games, though. That's a bit unfortunate, since my wife and me both like complex board games, and while we can playThrough the Ages - easily the best board game ever - just we 2 and have a ball, playing it with 3 or even 4 would definitely add. (Don't get me started about that game!)
There are lots of different game areas that hone different cognitive skills. For example, the deductive stuff, in which you have to find things out. The "detective games".
Anyway, before I start something I probably can't handle - ask the pros! There are this really amusing and informative "Dice Tower Top 10 vids" at youtube's, for your pleasure, for example Top 10 games not to play with an angry person which, when you look for the kind of games that really interest you should give you an idea about it.
I took that example, both because it's obviously quite hilarious a theme and, well, depending on the temper you may really want to avoid those playing with kids.
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blob2
Undefeatable Hero
Blob-Ohmos the Second
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posted July 14, 2015 12:34 PM |
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Edited by blob2 at 13:11, 14 Jul 2015.
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Had a long pause from board games (only played some Battlelore 2ed and Talisman the last couple of months), but I'm making a "comeback" with this:
It's called Golem Arcana and it's something fresh. Basically the game combines a skirmish-type board game with the power of technology. The game plays like a normal mini-figure board game (the figures are nicely designed and detailed, plus they're painted from the get-go), but it's supported by a Stylus and a free Mobile/Tablet app that adds a lot of functionality and nice features (also, microtransations  ). The game's setting is a war for domination between factions that use these "Golems" as war-machines for battle.
The Stylus is used as a tool to play the game. It works with a Tablet via Bluetooth. You move your units about by touching them with it and issuing commands. The app is like a game in itself with animations (it recreates the whole battlefield for the purpose of playing) and adds customizable features for your "Golems" like pilots with different abilities (yes they have to be piloted) or special powers. There are also things like equipable artifacts. But it's most impressive function is that it makes all the calculations (like dmg, mana, evade-rolls or even dice-rolls!) for you. It's one of the reasons why I was interested in this game, cause imo one of the biggest downsides of board games is that you must remember all those little specs, effects or modifiers and with games like Talismans it can become really cumbersome. Well, the app does it all for you!
Plus it gives a whole new level of interaction for the game in general. The app features things like downloadable ready-to-play scenarios, randomized NPC's and quest-givers that appear via the app when you play a scenario or online events that shape the lore itself (and you can get prizes for it too, like in-game currency etc). I must say this also opens many new possibilities for other future board games if they ever try to take inspiration from GA...
Now, I know it has some downsides. Firstly, it's not cheap (80 USD $!). The base set contains 6 Golems and everything you need to play, but buying additional Golems is costly. Most expansions contain three Golems and cost almost half of the base set price. Secondly, some people say it's more of a computer game then a board game, or that it's limited by the app (without it all the calculations can be hard to manage). And nobody guarantees if the app will be available in the future. Also the apps requirements can pose some problems (not all Tablets support it).
But I'm really optimistic about this. I was looking for a quick (sources say that single GA sessions take around 30-45 mins), 2-player skirmish-style fantasy board game with as little complicated rules/tokens/mechanics as possible. Well, the game might still have some complicated rules, but everything is managed for you. Most of those tokens/cards/sheets are in the app. The game has a whole lore to back it up (mostly Arabic-style setting) so a player can immerse himself in it even more. And I must say this whole concept of piloted "Golems" hits the right tones with me (they look more like fantasy beasts then your traditional Tin-man). Just check some of dem designs:
I've yet to play it, but I'll try to write my impressions after some playthroughs...
PS: Also I'm buying Talisman Forest (it's available from today in my country) and Firelands...
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markmasters
Famous Hero
Dragon of justice
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posted July 14, 2015 04:23 PM |
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Personally I love board games and frequently me and some buddies hide ourselves in a room for 4-10 hours of fun via an old-school board game ^^
The cathegory i personally like are deep strategic games, sure I can enjoy myself with a game of monopoly or Risk, but those games are peanuts compared to what we normally play. We like games that include:
- Strategic planning
- A game that can have a turnover all of the sudden (So you can't determine a winner in turn 3)
- a low luck factor
- non repetetive
If you know a game that fits those criteria, please let me know
Alright: now my part
I Will share a few games I have played, and especially games that are less populair amongs the crowds (don't worry, i won't explain monopoly or snakes & ladders,unless you badly want it....)
I will give each game a personal score ranked with a number between 1 - 10, 1 is a poor game. 10 is a great game. each game has between 1 and 10 stars. (their order is random below)
Current legend:
1. Shadows over camelot
2. Werewolves of millers hollow
3. Axis & Allies
4: Alchemists
5. Game of Thrones: the Board game
6. Terra Mystica
On with the show!
1. Shadows over Camelot (9 points) http://novonerd.com....componentes.jpg Type: coorporation, strategy, roleplaying
Shadows over Camelot is a game that is unique because of the following concept: You and the other players work together as a team versus.....the board! Sounds easy right? Well, in the beginning this will trouble you enough but sure, you will be able to beat the board after a few tries and then the challenge is gone. Unless.....There is a traitor among thy midst. Once of the players will secretly work against you and your crew while seeming loyal....But who is it? Accusing is possible but at high risks, think carefully and....trust no-one!
The game's concept is about the popular story of King arthur and the knights of the round table (if you don't know the story you can read it here http://www.kingarthursknights.com/). The king and his loyal knights (3-7 players) are in war against the saxons and the picts and the evil Mordred and the witch Morgan. Gladly Merlin helps our heroes gladly. But sadly there has been some conspicious accidents lately, and the knights know someone of them works against them, but who?
Gameplay:
The game stops whenever there are 12 sword icons on the table. Swords are gained by doing quests Losing a quest grants bad swords, winning gives good swords. On the board there are various quests that can all be completed with cards. Those quests vary from making a full house with your card numbers (cards are worth 1 to 5 points) or sacrificing cards or play symbol (holy grail) cards. Those cards can be obtained by skipping a turn inside the castle or by completing quests. Generally every move (placing a single card) takes a turn, as well moving takes a turn. Before you start your 'good' turn you have to play an 'evil' turn first. These consist of :
A: Playing an evil card from the deck
B: Playing a siege engine against the castle (instant defeat when 12 are on the board)
C: Sacrificing a life point (each knight has a maximum of 6)
Only after doing an evil turn you can do a good turn. Furthermore every knight has a special power like drawing extra cards, being allowed to move freely or gaining extra health points from winning quests.In both evil and good decks there are special cards which will benefit the team, or cripple the team.
When the odds of winning look grim everyone seems like a traitor on the table, this makes the game so much fun. Who is the traitor? and there is even a possibility that you are hunting ghosts because there is no traitor at all....wrong accusations are costly....
Short pro's and cons:
Pro's: Coorporate game with a traitor, only a few concepts like this i have seen before.
- High replay value (different setups, easy to make it harder)
- Beautifull artwork
Con's:
- Requires honesty players, easy trolling (your cards should remain secret, but people can easily show each other cards for example)
I have not tried the expansion yet.
Next game!
2. The werewolves of millers hollow (7 points) (de weerwolven van wakkerdam is the dutch version). Genre: Roleplaying
This card game is really simple but simply brilliant. In your group there are 2 teams: civilians (with a few special professions which i will explain later) and werewolves.
You will require 1 person that will be the storyteller, he will guide the game.
Every player gets a single card with his identity (except the storyteller)
The game has a night and a day phase. In the night phase the werewolves eat a civilian while in the day phase the angry civilians demand to kill one of their town members because they think that is a werewolf.
Night phase: The storyteller will ask the players to close their eyes, and will call certain special civilians one by one their turn (for example: there is a witch that can either save and kill a person with a special potion, but nobody may know that that player is the witch). The werewolves are called as well and the persons that have a werewolf card silently point towards the player they want to kill. The storyteller declares that the night has ended after this, tells which player has been killed, and reveals that card.
Day phase: The players randomly chose (or votes) a mayor. He will give evryone the turn to accuse others, or to defend theirselves. After a lot of discussing players make up their mind and choose someone to vote on (werewolves try to conceal their true nature by acting like innocent civilians). The storyteller asks the players to raise their hands simultaniously and to vote. The person with the most votes is killed and shows his card.
This goes on untill one of the teams wins! there are occasionaly for example 3 werewolves and 10 civilians.
Pros and con's:
Pro's: -Fun game with a big group, good roleplaying
- high replay value
- easy to learn
- fun for every age
Con's:
- requires serious players because it is easy to cheat
- some people just do not have a poker face and are really bad in it
- requires a large group.
- Good players are often eliminated quickly because they oppose threat, when they are not eliminated, they are accused
There are as well a lot of expansions which make it even more fun imo.
3. Axis and Allies (8 points) http://3.bp.blogspot...101105_4760.jpg
Genre: Strategy, planning.
This game requires some time to play and learn and the gameplay of a single game is often 5+ hours. I often call it 'Risk for advances players'
The game takes place in World War 2, where the Germans and Japan (axis) fights vs USA, UK and the USSR (allies) So obviously there are 2 teams, it can be played with 2 players, but 5 is by far the most fun (because a big part of this game includes discussing tactics with your ally//allies.
The goal is to capture the capitols of your ennemies, but between that there is a high line of defense. Every turn you get income which is determine by the amount of land you control. Every land gives some points where capitols give like 8 to 12 and outer lands give 1 point. With that income you can recruit units like:
Land units: Tank's, infantry, Anti Air canons, Artillery
Flying units: Fighters, bombers
Ships: Submarines, transports, destroyers, cruisers, battleships
Funds are limited depening on the faction you play, USA starts with the most funds (36) and the ussr with the lowest (25) infantry is weak and battleships are amazing....but infantry only costs 3 while a battleship is.....24 so you have to think about what you recruit.
This game has a luck factor, but not as big as Risk gladly, when 2 armies meet each other all units are sent to 'the battle board' where every units strength is determined.
There are 8 slots on the battle board (BB) from 1 to 4 on the attackers side and from 1 to 4 on the defending side. Some units are better as attackers then defenders (bombers for example are 4 in attacking, but logicaly hardly ued in defending, placed on sector 1).
Example: germany attacks russian territory with 2 infantry, 2 tanks and 1 fighter. Defending troops are 3 infantry and 1 fighter.
units are placed on the battle board. attacking infantry are placed on 1, defending infantry on 2. attacking tanks on 3 and the fighter as well. the defending fighter is placed on 4.
Now every unit rolls, and everything BELOW OR EQUAL the number you stand on is a hit. So 2 infantry throw 2 dice.....a 4 and a 2, both miss since they required an 1. now the 2 tanks and the fighter roll, 3, 3, 5. .....2 hits! (3 and lower are hits) the defender picks 2 infantry as casualties (which are able to give a final shot) and throws 3x 6 with his infantry (all miss) and a 4 with the fighter, hit! 1 attacking infantry is removed and 2 defending infantry. Battle goes on till the attacker retreats or 1 side is destroyed.
This game has a lot of different units, all their own strategies and counters. A very good game imo.
Pro's and con's:
pro's:
- Great artwork, hours of fun
- becoming better is challinging but feels great
- balanced
- strategic planning pays off
Con's:
- Can get repetitive, always has same starting conditions and this opften gives a few starting moves the most logical moves
4. Alchemists: One of my favourites, I'll have to work this out in more details later.... (9 points)
5. A Game of Thrones: The Board game (8 points) http://www.geeky-gad...-Board-Game.jpg
Genre: Planning, strategy
A Game of Thrones: The board game is based on the populair book/tv series (if you do not know iet yet i recommend reading/watching them )
And where a lot of games ripped from the stories are often awfull, This game is pretty awesome! It is for 4-6 players but i would recommend to play it with 6 players onkly because with less a lot of the fun is killed.
Gameplay:
Each player takes the one of the 6 houses (Stark, Greyjoy, Martell, Tyrell, Baratheon, Lannister).
Every player starts with a few units (ships, footmens, knights and siege engines are the units possible to recruit) and a Castle. The board shows some different rescources that can be collected if the areas are claimed. The goal is to obtain 7 castles, which is possible because there are quite a lot empty castles on the map. However after playing some turns you find out that, if you want to expand any further (most likely your 4th castle) you got to stab a knife in your neighbours back with whom you had fair deals so far. This is the most fun part of the game.
Every turn a land with a unit/units is given a order (raiding enemy orders, march, defend, collect rescources or support). Making deals with your neighbouring players often happen so you both benefit from a bonus. However later in the game, people will have to lie, promissing to support another player in a battle, but when the battle occurs, your so called ally shows a evil smirk on his face, and faces his units towards your units.....You have been screwed by your best friend....
This makes the game so much fun, when 2 players fight they pick one of their 7 house cards and this has effect on the battle (both with battling numbers or special effects) (the famous characters of the book/show like Eduard Stark, Sir Jaime Lannister etc).
Pro's and con's:
Pro's:
- strategic depth
- Low luck involved
- Classic backstabbing
- Very interactive
Con's:
- Rules sometimes unclear
- It is not half as fun when you are with less then 6 persons.
My personal advice: forget you are friends while playing
6.Terra Mystica (9 points) http://www.stonemaie...rra-Mystica.jpg
Genre: Strategy
Brilliant game, currently one of my favourites. It has NO LUCK factor at all, it has a lot of different strategies, there are plenty of different races to play and it is easy to learn, but hard to master.
The goal of the game is: after 6 rounds you need to have as much points as possible.
Another good aspect of the game: buildings directly give no points....but it depends on the (randomnised) board bonuses. For example, a town might give 2 points in round 1, but 0 for the remaining game, depending on what ou build you gain extra points and bonuses (depends on your race as well). It is important to decide where you build, because when you build your enemies are allowed to obtain 'power' from the elements (which can be used for rescources and money). on the other hand,.....it is cheaper for you as well....So what do you do?
Pro's and con's
Pro's:
- No luck, zero! everything is planned.
- a lot of different races to play
Con's:
- non-adjustable board makes a lot of the starting positions fixed, this is the only part that could be improved, together with some of the artwork).
*To be continued:*
Stone Age
Legends of Andor
Mageknight
If you have any question about a specific game, i'd be glad to answer them.
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EnergyZ
Legendary Hero
President of MM Wiki
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posted July 14, 2015 06:33 PM |
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Find it odd nobody mentioned Monopoly.
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Minion
Legendary Hero
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posted July 14, 2015 07:08 PM |
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It is simply not that interesting a game by todays standards.
____________
"These friends probably started using condoms after having produced the most optimum amount of offsprings. Kudos to them for showing at least some restraint" - Tsar-ivor
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OmegaDestroyer
Hero of Order
Fox or Chicken?
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posted December 17, 2015 10:01 PM |
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Sorry it has taken me so long to update this thread. I've been a little busy and kind of forgetful... Anyways, allow me to tell you (what little I can) about the greatest gaming experience I have had this year.
 
Pandemic Legacy
Players: 2-4
Ages: 12 and up
Play Time: 60 minutes
Price: Currently about $54.00 or so on Amazon.com
In short
You have one year to save humanity from four viruses in this constantly mutating game. Will December 31 be a day of celebration or the end of human race?
In long
Pandemic Legacy is a legacy version of the popular game, Pandemic.
"Wow, thanks Omega. I could not have figured that out on my own." -Everyone.
This is going to be a very difficult game to describe because of spoilers. I am going to start off describing Pandemic and Legacy to you.
====================================================================
Pandemic
Players: 2-4
Ages: 12 and up
Play Time: 60 minutes
Pandemicis a very popular, cooperative game about saving humanity from four different viruses. Each player assumes a role and uses their special powers trying to collect research, treat, cure & eradicate viruses.
The Pandemic board. The colors denote which viruses are ravaging which continents. The infection deck denotes which cities will be hit by viruses. The player deck will have city cards used for research and also special cards, which give you great bonuses. Lastly, off to the left is the outbreak track. If there are 8 outbreaks, kiss humanity good-bye. Image courtesy of W. Eric Martin
When you start Pandemic, you will draw 3 cities from the infection deck and place 3 disease cubes of the corresponding city color on the city. You then will draw 3 more cities and infect them with 2 cubes. You then will draw 3 more cities and infect them with 1 cube. Players will then be dealt cards from the player deck and the game begins.
The game is played in three phases:
4 player actions.
Draw 2 cards.
Infect.
Take 4 Actions
A player may perform up to 4 of the following actions:
1) Move - move to the next adjacent city or discard cards to fly from one city or another, or move from one research center to another.
2) Treat - Remove 1 disease cube from the city you are in. If a disease is cured, remove all cubes of that color.
3) Trade - Trade a city card with another player if you are in the same city.
4) Build - Build a research center by discarding the city card you are in.
5) Cure - Turn in 5 of the same colored city cards in a research center to cure a disease. When a disease is cured, it is easier to treat, if at the end of a players turn all of the cubes of a cured color are off the board, the disease is eradicated.
Every player gets a role which generally enhances the above abilities. Briefly, the Medic can cure all cubes in a city and can cure for free when a disease is cured. The Dispatcher can move other characters as if they were his own. The Scientist can cure with 4 cards instead of 5. The Researcher can trade ANY city card with someone she shares a city with. The Generalist can take 5 actions. Those are not the only roles either. Expansions add many, many more, all of which are very useful.
Draw 2 Cards
Mandatory. After you have taken your actions, players will then draw 2 cards from the Player Deck. The player deck is full of city cards that you use to travel to or use for research. It also contains special cards (more on that in a bit). If you pull an "Epidemic card" you have to take the bottom card of the Infection deck, and add 3 disease cubes to the city listed, you increase the infection rate (how many infection cards get drawn; default 2), and then shuffle the infection discard pile, put it on top of the deck, and then continue on to the Infect phase.
Special cards are one-shot cards that can be used at any-time that provide incredible bonuses, such as skipping the infection phase, adding research centers, switching roles, or even removing cubes from the game. You only have a limited amount so they must be used judiciously.
Infect
Draw Infection cards equal to the infection rate. Every time you draw an infection card, you add a disease cube to the city on the card. If you are lucky enough to have eradicated a disease, disease cubes of that color can NEVER be placed on the board.
In the event a city ever has 3 cubes and would get a 4th cube, there is an outbreak. You increase the Outbreak track by 1 and then place a cube of that color in each adjacent city. This can cause multiple chain reactions. For each chain reaction, the Outbreak track goes up. If it ever reaches the end, you lose.
The game ends when one of 4 conditions are met:
1) All diseases are cured.
2) You are required to draw cards and cannot do so, you lose.
3) You run out of disease cubes to place for a color.
4) The Outbreak track reaches the end.
As I said, Pandemic is a very popular cooperative game and one of my favorites. It's a great addition to any collection. It is easy to teach and play. The expansions are great and add a lot, although the "In the Lab" expansion is not compatible with the first edition of the game (which I have). That is not a huge loss though, because the On the Brink expansion adds enough that I am happy.
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Legacy is a style of game that revolves around the idea of mutation. The first game to popularize this style of game (for the whole two that are really on the market right now) was Risk Legacy. Unfortunately, for the same reasons I cannot describe Pandemic Legacy that much, I cannot tell you too much about Risk Legacy; sorry.
As you play a legacy-style game, components will unlock, cards will be destroyed, the board will be stickered and written on, rules will be added to the manual, boxes will be opened, compartments unlocked, and so-on. The idea is that the game board will start to reflect the actions you have taken in the game. So for example, as a reward, you get have two bonus cards. You keep the 1 you want and tear up the other. Another example would be naming a city or continent at the end of the game. In my copy of Risk Legacy, South America is now called Nicholas Land and its capital is Indiana, Argentina. For some reason, I thought that was funny at the time. Now, not so much.
So far, both Legacy-style games have a finite point when content stops being added-subtracted from the game. Risk Legacy is complete after 15 plays (but still can be played) and Pandemic Legacy can be played up to 24 times, which at that point, you have either won or lost. Legacy is more about the journey than the destination.
If you are the type of gamer who cringes at the idea of tearing up cards or writing on boards, Legacy may not be for you. But if such actions do not bother you, I strongly recommend trying such games out; they make for amazing experiences.
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So what can I tell you about Pandemic Legacy? What I am describing here is in the core rule book, so do not worry about spoilers. The game is played over the course of the year. At the start of every month, you will be given objectives, snippets of story, and new resources. Each month is broken into two parts, allowing you to retry a month should you fail. If you beat the first half of the month, you move on to the second with less funding (more on that in a bit) but a reward. If you fail the first half of the month, your funding increases and you get to retry the month. If you fail the month entirely, you do not get the reward (we failed to get July's which hurt on so many different levels).
After you play through a month, whether you win or lose, you get to add upgrades. You can give you roles upgrades, you can make it so you start the game with research centers, or you can make viruses easier to treat. You can only pick two options and you have to live with your choices. Unfortunately, I have a few regrets regarding my choice of upgrades but such is life.
Funding is an important but not necessary aspect of the game. Funding in this game relates to the Special cards I mentioned earlier. As in real life, when you are doing very well, the government will cut your funding, expecting you to do more with less. You start Pandemic Legacy with 4 Funding, so 4 special cards. If you win a game your funding decreases by 2. If you lose a game, your funding increases by 2. This helps keep the difficulty somewhat balanced by giving you a boost if the game is looking grim. If you lose 4 games in a row (which we are coming close to doing), you open Box 8.
"Wait, Box 8? What boxes? Get your crap together, Omega!"
-Everyone.
Like I said, it's difficult to describe this game without giving too much away. When you open the game box, you will 8 sealed boxes:
Gaze upon the boxy glory! Image courtesy Mathias S.
You will also find a folder labeled "Top Secret":
Admittedly, this picture was unnecessary. Image courtesy Mathias S.
Both of these are unlocked as the game unfolds, generally when you are given your objectives at the start of the month or when you open Box 8.
Unfortunately, that's about all I can tell you about the game without spoiling anything.
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So what do I think about it?
Pandemic Legacy is by far my favorite gaming experience of the year. I CONSTANTLY want to play it but due to all the players getting ill at some point (admittedly fitting), we have not been able to finish it. I have spent a lot of time planning out my future games and have silently cursed as I failed to prepare for various twists.
If you like cooperative games and are looking for an amazing experience, I strongly recommend you try it out. Be forewarned though: the game is consumable and will be complete at the end of December. You will not be able to replay it at that point. Being a consumable game, I recommend finding 3 players and seeing if they are willing to chip in on a quarter of the price. It couldn't hurt to try.
I wish I could tell you more about the game, I really do, but I would hate to spoil anything for you.
It is simply amazing.
If you are curious and want to read up more on the game, make sure what you review does not contain spoilers.
Oh yeah, I forgot one important thing: There is NO DIFFERENCE between the red box and the blue box other than the covers.
In conclusion
If you like Pandemic, cooperative games, legacy-style games, or are simply looking for something different, Pandemic Legacy is an amazing gaming experience.
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The giant has awakened
You drink my blood and drown
Wrath and raving I will not stop
You'll never take me down
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The_green_drag
Supreme Hero
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posted December 17, 2015 10:59 PM |
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Haven't had much experience with some great nerdy board games  I will be (slowly) checking out all the games everyone has posted. I have trouble finding the right ones. 
My brother and I had heroscape as kids and played the snow out of that. That's probably the closest thing that could compare.
Right now, my buddy bought world of Warcraft the board game and our group is trying to figure it out it's really sweet so far whenever we can find the time and place to play it.
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blob2
Undefeatable Hero
Blob-Ohmos the Second
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posted December 17, 2015 11:45 PM |
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They've opened a board game shop near my workplace...
DAMN THEM!
(Fortunately my will is strong so I won't be buying stuff in the nearest future, cause I decided to abstain from getting new stuff. I already have plenty of games to play )
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Geny
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
What if Elvin was female?
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posted December 18, 2015 08:43 AM |
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I haven't updated this thread for a while as well.
Between me and my roommates we have a collection of 17 board games and that's before I count the games the rest of our group has. Hmm.... maybe I should list that all here and expand on those that interest you guys first. Yeah, let's try this.
List of games:
Ankh-Morpork (Discworld board game)
Small World (with expansions)
King of Tokyo (with expansions)
Fluxx (Monty Python, Star, Chtulu)
Munchkin (Regular, Zombie, Chtulu)
Eldritch Horror(with Mountain of Madness expansion)
Smash Up (with expansions)
Relic (with expansions)
Chaos in the Old World
Dixit
Settlers of Katan
Carcassonne
Coup
Citadels
Saboteur
Tsuro
Battlestar Galactica
Mansions of Madness
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Forbidden Island
Yedo
Pandemic
Legendary (the Marvel Deck Building Game with expansions)
Epic Spell Wars
Resistance/Avalon
Lords of Waterdeep
Red November
Doctor Who the card game
.......
That should be it for now. There are a couple more in the mail right now, but I haven't played them yet so I can't expand on them yet.
Any specific games you want to know about or should I choose at random?
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DON'T BE A NOOB, JOIN A.D.V.E.N.T.U.R.E.
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OmegaDestroyer
Hero of Order
Fox or Chicken?
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posted December 18, 2015 02:21 PM |
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Nice, Geny. Here is what I have on your list:
Small World (with expansions)
King of Tokyo (with expansions)
Fluxx - Vanilla
Munchkin (Regular, Zombie, Chtulu)
Eldritch Horror(with Mountain of Madness expansion)
Smash Up (with expansions)
Chaos in the Old World
Coup
Tsuro (of the Seas)
Yedo
Pandemic
Legendary (the Marvel Deck Building Game with expansions)(I sleeved ALL OF MINE and that is why I now hate the game.  )
Resistance
Lords of Waterdeep
Red November
Doctor Who the card game (got it for my wife; never been played).
____________
The giant has awakened
You drink my blood and drown
Wrath and raving I will not stop
You'll never take me down
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Geny
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
What if Elvin was female?
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posted December 18, 2015 02:23 PM |
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Edited by Geny at 14:25, 18 Dec 2015.
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Quote:
(I sleeved ALL OF MINE and that is why I now hate the game.
About 70% of what I posted is fully sleeved, including Legendary and Eldritch Horror. We're crazy like that.
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DON'T BE A NOOB, JOIN A.D.V.E.N.T.U.R.E.
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blob2
Undefeatable Hero
Blob-Ohmos the Second
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posted December 19, 2015 12:25 PM |
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I've played Smallworld and didn't like it that much, but my friend is engrossed with it (he practically has all the expansions). Might give it one more try though...
What are your opinions on King of Tokyo guys? I wonder if I should buy it to play with my family...
I would also like to hear about Tsuro.
Btw did you see the newest announced expansion for Talisman called "Cataclysm". I mean what the hell? Are there trying to open the way for another batch of corner expansions? Gimmie a break... (please, I don't wanna spend so much more money on this game )
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Geny
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
What if Elvin was female?
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posted December 19, 2015 12:36 PM |
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Edited by Geny at 13:42, 19 Dec 2015.
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King of Tokyo is fun and it's suitable for all ages. Easy to learn, there's not much to master, it's mostly reduced to chanced which makes it a fun family game. One of the downsides is that sometimes people can get eliminated fast and then they have to wait for the rest to finish.
Tsuro is an amazing filler game. It takes almost no time at all to play and you can play it with 2-8 players. The more the better. After a couple of turns the board becomes a clustersnow of squiggly lines and no one knows what their next turn will bring. Tsuro is not so much about winning the game as it is about seeing people crash into one another in the most complicated way possible.
And on the subject of Smallworld, I am on the other side of the fence. I own the game with three expansions and absolutely love it, but many of my friends are 'meh' about it and I just don't get them.
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DON'T BE A NOOB, JOIN A.D.V.E.N.T.U.R.E.
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OmegaDestroyer
Hero of Order
Fox or Chicken?
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posted December 21, 2015 01:32 PM |
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I received the nautical version of Tsuro, Tsuro of the Seas, as a gift awhile back. It was bold of my friends to blindly buy me a game with my collection but they took a gamble. I did not know what to expect of it.
It is an excellent game. We have played it many times and have had many exciting games.
____________
The giant has awakened
You drink my blood and drown
Wrath and raving I will not stop
You'll never take me down
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Geny
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
What if Elvin was female?
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posted December 21, 2015 02:27 PM |
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We played it once at an organized game evening recently. We found it to be too... full of stuff. We felt like we spent more time rolling for dragons than actually playing the game. Sure, the added chaos factor was fun in theory, but it made the game too complex to be as enjoyable as the vanilla version.
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DON'T BE A NOOB, JOIN A.D.V.E.N.T.U.R.E.
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dredknight
Honorable
Supreme Hero
disrupting the moding industry
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posted January 03, 2016 11:33 AM |
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Heya !
I am a big fan of Battlestar galactica the board game.
Does anyone plays boardgames on Vassal?
I am quite keen to try it out with the BSG module .
Here is how a session is held -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk-MCWalRoo
Here is how vassal is working -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCxAaM3g7Os
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Join our official discord channel | NCF Utility Beta
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