What BOARD GAME(s) have you been playing?

I suspect I'll end up getting it. We love the Orb expansion for roll for the Galaxy.

What counts have you played it with?

2p and 3p, mostly 3p. 4p hasn't happened yet (part of why I haven't reviewed it). Something over 10 plays at this point, not entirely sure how many. 2p feels a bit less confrontational as you're unlikely to run out of die faces, meaning attacks will typically have enough counters available (assuming that's how they play) and each player gets enough time to snag some of a particular die side before supply runs out. At 3p a run on particular faces can matter quickly and matter a ton. 4p is likely even tighter, and attacks hit everyone so they'll be even harsher. I look forward to trying it.

That's great, my use case would definitely be 2p.

If Dice Realms were half the price even if it had half the stuff it would hit right at that Dominion mark. It’s brilliant, one the most compact but robust systems out there. It’s Lehmann through and through- engine building, conversions, combos galore. But it’s also full of player agency and dynamic development. It’s really a tech tree game, and efficiencies are governed by die rolls.

I’ve played it about 20-ish times with my son and we love it, it’s the kind of thing you pop out and play twice in 45 minutes with minimal setup. I could see it taking over game nights because it is addictive like how Dominion was.

Like D said, there is no narrative. Which is fine because of there were one it would probably be crap.

But it is a $120 game (I got a ding and dent for like $70). And that understandably prices a lot of people out. It really is like a core game and a couple of expansions to whether, and I really think RGG likely just decided with the special components and all to just do it as an all in one since it is likely to be a low print run, limited release. I could see them doing an “expandalone” maybe which could function as a lower cost entry point, if this sells enough to warrant it.

Probably the best game of 2022 that I’ve played.

I played with a stranger from BGG and it was a super pleasant surprise, they were great and hit almost exactly my intensity with games.

We played a pretty dour euro on its face, Lorenzo il Magnifico, that really surprised me with how much I liked it. Thematically, it's every euro game ever made with mean looking Italian guys and a Pope track. But in play it hits that argent/anachrony worker placement zone with an incredibly dynamic tableau of card engine buys that really encourages flexibility, experimentation, and lateral thinking. Surprisingly big thumbs up.

We also played a trick taking game that was pretty good, Hanamikoji, which had quite interesting pass mechanics. Trick taking sort of just rolls off me even when it's clever like this was.

5 of us last night, so A Study In Emerald, but new to 2 of them, so I spent time blocking the leaders and the newbies were kinda off in their own little deck building world, so it didn't go well for me. I thought both leaders were on my team(turned out wrong), so I pushed the war track up so that they could end it by taking my cities, but to do so would probably push me to last place. (Couldn't think of anything else to do to get them to stop blocking me), but since one wasn't actually on my team, this didn't work out so well.

Then Modern Art - haven't played this for years. Couple players were just... Not great at it, like failing at basic strategy of not buying your own stuff all the time. But while playing I remembered how good this game is with good auction players. Lots of emergent depth and strategies arise from this super simple game, especially as the group gets some experience playing together.

ratpfink wrote: 5 of us last night, so A Study In Emerald, but new to 2 of them, so I spent time blocking the leaders and the newbies were kinda off in their own little deck building world, so it didn't go well for me. I thought both leaders were on my team(turned out wrong), so I pushed the war track up so that they could end it by taking my cities, but to do so would probably push me to last place. (Couldn't think of anything else to do to get them to stop blocking me), but since one wasn't actually on my team, this didn't work out so well.

It's so tough to play these (especially longer) more multifaceted faction/deduction games with new players with anything but complete randomness. If you don't know the game well enough to know what signals to send, how can anyone else read to intuit anything from those signals?

ratpfink wrote: 5 of us last night, so A Study In Emerald, but new to 2 of them, so I spent time blocking the leaders and the newbies were kinda off in their own little deck building world, so it didn't go well for me. I thought both leaders were on my team(turned out wrong), so I pushed the war track up so that they could end it by taking my cities, but to do so would probably push me to last place. (Couldn't think of anything else to do to get them to stop blocking me), but since one wasn't actually on my team, this didn't work out so well..

First or second edition ? If first, I applaud you for teaching; its got a bit of a learning curve to it. Played it a few months back after a long absence from the gaming table.

Its always hilarious when people "guess" wrong when it comes time to whose side someone is on.

I have first edition I've always wanted to get played, it's fucking bonkers as hell, but I've never had the experienced gamers to do it.

To celebrate my new house and my independence, I had a gaming day on Monday. I personally played:
Mysterium
California
Cubitos
Tenpenny Parks
Moonrakers
Planet
LLAMA

Other games that got played:
Dead of Winter
Sagrada
Santa Fe Rails
One Card Wonder
Cave Paintings
Fantastic Factories
Cascadia
TerraCrossing Mars

There were about 10 people and we went from 10am until 9pm. It was a grand day.

Msample wrote:

ratpfink wrote: 5 of us last night, so A Study In Emerald, but new to 2 of them, so I spent time blocking the leaders and the newbies were kinda off in their own little deck building world, so it didn't go well for me. I thought both leaders were on my team(turned out wrong), so I pushed the war track up so that they could end it by taking my cities, but to do so would probably push me to last place. (Couldn't think of anything else to do to get them to stop blocking me), but since one wasn't actually on my team, this didn't work out so well..

First or second edition ? If first, I applaud you for teaching; its got a bit of a learning curve to it. Played it a few months back after a long absence from the gaming table.

Its always hilarious when people "guess" wrong when it comes time to whose side someone is on.

First, of course. There is no second edition. Only landfill cardboard.

We're going to revisit it next week now that we're hopefully past the learning curve.

I'm not sure it's a good game, but it is totally bonkers like Gary Sax says, so it's still fun.

I lump ASiE in with Eklund games and other weird offbeat stuff - you play moreso for the experience than the game itself. My last game saw Holmes die in a fiery blast in London IIRC, this after a three way betrayal and his eventual assassination . Glorious stuff.

I did play the 2nd edition once.....while it wasn't as bad as I had feared, its predictably stripped of any flavor . About its only redeeming quality is that its faster and easier to teach. This BGG ratings comment sums it up best:

"1st Edition = amazing
2nd Edition = what the fuck"

Yeah, I traded for a copy of what I hoped would be 1st Edition but turned out to be 2nd. Played it once, found it, as Msample said, devoid of any flavor, and traded it again to someone who really wanted it (for some reason.) Meh.

Jackwraith wrote: Yeah, I traded for a copy of what I hoped would be 1st Edition but turned out to be 2nd. Played it once, found it, as Msample said, devoid of any flavor, and traded it again to someone who really wanted it (for some reason.) Meh.

I would have specified the edition before buying......or asked for my money back if you paid 1st edition pricing .

Didn't pay. Traded. It's fine. I sent away games I didn't want and got games that I wanted in both transactions.