What board game are you playing - chat thread

Ha, I thought we were building quite a good games collection up over the last year or so - but 170 leaves us standing!

I'm one of the ones who bought Dragonwood after reading about it on this thread - ds1 loves it, he's really good at mental arithmetic so adds up the dice (up to 6 rolled at a time) to see if his score beats the monster very quickly. He loves the game. I enjoy it, but I'm not sure if it's because of the combination of it using cards and dice that means I find it's a bit mechanical, with less flow than other games. But my heart doesn't sink when he picks it, so it can't be that bad!

We've finally opened Citadels which I bought a while ago - we're both really enjoying it. Easy to learn so you can get cracking on with playing it and nicely made. I like the fact you play as different characters, with different 'special powers' each round.

Oooh sounds good!

My problem is that any games storage will have to have enough room for further purchases...

Vikjul, thanks for the Port Royal recommendation. I will have a look.

We are moving house and planning to convert garage. I am planning a cupboard for games (and photos) but mainly the games

Oh by the way I continued my games inventory and we got up to over 170. I'm thinking about putting them into some kind of database (home ed ICT project :o).

Also we tried Marrakech recently. WOW. It's a really simple game - I think having read the rules during our first game, I won't need to look again - but there's a lot of strategic thinking required to get winning techniques I reckon. And... it's BEAUTIFUL. The little fabric rugs and the coins and...

Hello everyone, I am glad the thread is still being posted on!

We played Forbidden Desert for the first time today. It is quite complicated, but I think it's one of those games where once you've learned the process, it's really simple, IYSWIM? DH, DS (nearly 7) and I played.

I am itching to buy more games. Sigh.

Have now ordered the following small games and am waiting in happy anticipation! I am forever looking for something that will appeal not only to DH, DS(10) and myself, but also to DD(7) who is less strategically minded.

Best Treehouse Ever (simple drafting card game with great art)
Pickomino (dice push your luck, thought it might help improve DD's addition skills)
Get Bit
Hanabi

I am also considering Dragonwood and am encouraged by the endorsements up-thread! I have heard mixed reviews though. Anyone disappointed by this?

Port Royal is a brilliant little card game, we have been playing it all summer. Plays 2-5, no setup time, combination of push your luck and light engine building. Great fun, very addictive!

Great to see the thread ticking along.

Have had a read back and determined to crack Dominion. We always fail to get to grips with it. This is despite my DC being mostly teens who are really into card games at local games shop. I'm not sure what is going wrong.

We have like loads of games but little time to play

Last Christmas we bought Lords of Waterdeep, Cash n Guns, Blokus and Love Letters. Great.

We are a family of 6 but DH and DC1 really only play chess, cards, Qoridor. Although we did get DH to play, win and enjoy Cash n Guns. The rest of us will try most things. Kids aged 10 to 20.

Thinking ahead to Christmas wish list I'm after some recommendations please:

Which coop? We only have some for tiny kids (Go Away Monster, Little Orchard, Max are all great) so need something for teens and up.

Which TIcket to Ride?

We don't have Settlers of Catan and our local shop has a Star Trek version - any thoughts?

New little card games? (Not big like Dominion )

I have found my people!

Munchkin is my all time favourite. Different every time.

King of Tokyo is a close second - short, pacey, fun.

OH has just bought me Cash N Guns for my birthday so looking forward to playing that.

Have also played longer games like Firefly and Arkham Horror, which I enjoyed but don't own.

We've just discovered there's a digital version of Game of Life in the App Store, which is going to be brilliant for our long drive down to Cornwall!

Also love Eye Spy!

Ah see I disagree there, I rather like the mishmash of different shaped boxes, it makes for an interesting shelf

Agree on the rubbish quality game pieces though. I feel superficial for saying it but meh.

Bought Monster Cafe the other day as I had a voucher from the Expo. Putting it aside for Christmas for DS, and will look for something vaguely equivalent for DD (last year they got Super Tooth and Sleeping Queens respectively - they will be hard to beat though!).

I was bored earlier and started writing a games inventory. Up to 72 so far and that's without looking in the bottom cupboard or the small games drawer. Shiiiiit.

Going to pop into my favourite game shop on Tuesday as we are at a museum workshop nearby. Mustn't buy anything...

Or go to the Cheapass Games model and only provide the special cards and any board, and you supply your own dice and counters?

Though ideally not on the really cheap paper and thin card with rubbish photocopying. Sometime I must get some decent coloured card and make myself a nice version of Starbase Jeff, as mine is unplayable as the rips, wrinkles, and tea/wine stains make each card recognisable...

Just a quick gripe - why don't game makers have standardised size game boxes? It would make them so much easier to fit them on my bookshelf.

Cranky this seems the perfect occasion for the popular hashtag #sorrynotsorry :o

Seriously though, glad you like it. :)

DD was excited to open Banana Split among her presents - she'd specifically asked for a new game as she's never had one as a present (whereas DS, who is more into games, has) - basically I chose it because it's like a card game version of a game she likes playing on my mum's old phone where you build ice creams with particular elements in order. Will be playing it on Monday when the family is round for game night. :)

Had a mad spending spree this week. Searching board/card games on eBay is a spectacularly BAD IDEA.

I've got the following bargains (although not so much of a bargain when you add it all up!) heading our way:
Kobayakawa (as we're going to a Japan day thing next month)
Haru Ichiban (ditto)
Frenzi
Mapominoes (counts as an educational resource surely?)
Across Africa (this one's still sealed, think I'll save it for the DCs for Christmas)
Miam

After reading about it on here, I decided to look at Dragonwood to see if we'd like it and the next thing I know we now have our own copy (I blame you Cagliostro, for making it sound good )

Anyway, we do like it - rolling the dice to fight the monster adds a nice element of luck for those days we're wanting a quick game that's not too strategic.

All in all we are building up quite a nice little board game collection, in part thanks to this thread, and it's making me very happy

Not yet sadly! Been a crazily busy week. Damn real life getting in the way of games time :o. I have had a thorough read of the rules though and it doesn't seem as complicated as I feared! :)

We have tried Swish Junior though - I used some of a gift voucher on it. Really fun little game and the DCs love it. Especially pleased that DD likes it, as she really struggles with anything involving spatial reasoning, so it is a bit of a confidence boost.

DD's birthday is next week, we're having some family over for a game night - she will get to stay up later, and for once ALL the games we play will be her choice. Swish Junior, Sleeping Queens, Carcassonne Junior and Dobble are apparently top priority. :) And possibly Banana Split if it's after her birthday, as that's one of her presents... :)

Priests of Ra is a great game- have you had chance to play it yet?

Priest of Ra arrived. Oh my word it's gorgeous! Haven't got my head around the rules yet but excited about playing it. :)

Ooh just discovered one of DS' home ed friends also likes board games. Will invite them round to play :o and they mentioned a company called Peacable Kingdom which does co-op games. The cauldron one looks good.

You know what, it mainly just made me so happy to see so many people there who are as (and much more) nerdy about board games as I am! I'm very open about it being my obsession :o but often see people's eyes glazing over if I talk about it too much. It was just brilliant seeing such enthusiasm.

A lot of my friends are amazed the DCs play board games TBH. In some ways they seem to be dying out as a family pastime.

Anyone played Swish/Swish Junior? The concept is very appealing to me.

Yeah- we had to miss the dice tower Q&A on the Sunday because the children were way too tired by then to sit through it. Tom Vasel has put a few things about the expo onto the Dice Tower channel now, for anyone that follows it. He said it was one of the best expos he'd ever been to, which was nice

Didn't really get to see anyone particular at the Expo - I think at the moment we don't really know enough about different designers etc. We mostly just wandered and tried out stuff this time. I'd definitely like to go to the panels etc in the future though. Probably without DCs! :o

Oh, sorry- cheeswhizz The game of trains is a card game- we tried it at the expo, then bought it.

cagli my dc are almost same ages as yours (just turned 7 and 10), and they've been playing Dominion for about a year now (and absolutely whupping us).
I love Priests of Ra, we have that too- did you get to see Reiner Knizia at games expo?- I really like the auction mechanism in it.

cheesewhizz card games we like are chinese poker (which is sort of mah jong with cards, using poker hands- need 4 to play though), my children adore cheat, but they're too good at it for me to play them any more.
We also have Star Realms which is a good two player game. You can play multiplayer if you buy two sets. We have hanabi, an indie game called 'village in a box' which I adore, though we had to mod the rules slightly.

We have TTR original (which I think is still the absolute best), and the UK/Pennsylvania expansion. I find UK v hard, as there's so much to remember (the technology stuff, keep forgetting to get cards), but the Pennsylvania TTR is just awesome, I love the stocks part, the children love it too, so we probably play that and original equally most.

I am really not a fan of co-operative games, though my children are- they love pandemic. We also have The Musketeers du Roi which is a co-operative, and quite good (one player is Milady, all the rest are Vs her, and take the roles of the musketeers, treville, and D'artagnan).