What board game are you playing - chat thread

[frenchfancy]

I thought it would be nice to continue on the discussion about board games.

Our favourite game is 7 wonders.

Our favourite card game is Bohnanza.

We are currently learning to play Puerto Rico.

Anyone else.

The Discworld Ankh-Morpork game is great fun, though once everyone gets good at it, Vimes or failing that Chrysoprase always wins unless you amend the winning conditions for everyone else.

Dominion is really easy to learn (it's as easy as ABC, A=play an Action card, B=Buy something, C=clear up). We play a lot as its good for 2 people and even the original game has loads of variation.

Been playing the Nordic TTR (designed for 2 or 3 players) and it's quite fiendish. Loving it!

I love TTR, we only have the Europe one but I'm thinking of getting expansions for DSCs for Christmas as they have it too.

Would Dominion be ok for 7 and 9yo do you think?

We play the 2 player version of Agricola (All Creatures Big and Small), Cagliostro, which I think leaves a few steps of the main game of Agricola out because it's also much shorter to play. And it's quite strategic, ds1 loves strategic games and he's a whizz at it, so your dd might not like it.

Funny your mentioning Dominion and TTR Nordic ... Both those are pretty high on my wishlist but I mustn't get any for a while after Dungeon Petz and Smallworld. Mustn't!

But, out of curiousity, where did you pick up your second hand copies of games? I've bought new from Games Lore, who seem to have good prices and who have really quick delivery, but have been wary of buying second hand in case there are pieces missing.

Just eBay :) both sellers specified the games were 100% complete so not too worried as I'll have back up if they're not.

I do buy a lot of new games on Amazon TBH, but we also have an awesome indie game shop in the next town so I buy from there when I can.

Hopping on to get this thread on my lists so I can put together a wish list. We've taken to getting a new game for the family to play every Christmas. Dc are 9, 7 and 4 so we vary a bit from stuff like Sorry! Which we can all play to monopoly which we play with the older 2. We like ticket to ride too and play with the 9 year old. 7 year old does play sometimes but has a unique strategy which tends to involve pissing the rest of us off and then losing. Carcassone is another fave and we can all play that including the 4 year old who plays well. I taught his 3 year old best mate to play the other day and the jammy bugger beat me! I love how you can play really simply or add other aspects for more strategy. I really want to get more expansions for it now all the dc are competent players.

Oh ebay, OK then. I have looked on there before for games that are out of stock elsewhere, but not really at the second hand stuff. And now I know what I'll be doing for the next hour or so ...

Ha, sorry not sorry :o

I have to actually STOP buying games for a bit. We've run out of space. Actually need a bigger house. With a room for games. And books/Lego etc. We've already agreed we're calling it the Geek Library (DD's idea). :o

Still, I suspect some of my giftcard might just get me a little something. Some is earmarked for Studio Ghibli socks though

Hello Paleontologist (are you really one?!) be warned, that wishlist will be endless. Endless I tell you.

I currently have the following games wishlists:
Co-op
Big games
Small games
Word
Puzzle/brainteaser
Educational
Vintage
Nerdy (this is really old/world games, as I'm very interested in the history of board games)

This has given me some really good ideas! We and most of our friends are into gaming and hoping the children will be when old enough.

Our newer favourites are Maskerade - (very simple to learn but involves memory, strategy and beautiful artwork). Boss Monster - you each play as the baddies in retro computer games to build dungeons. The aim is to lure the hero's to your dungeon if you can kill them or to send them to your opponent if they can't. Great 2 player and under 1hr to play.

Desperate for pandemic legacy!

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).

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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... :)

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

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

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.

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...

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...

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!