Mysterious Sue
Strata Poster
I wanted to start an alrernative topic to the computer gaming thread. I've no idea if anyone else on CF is interested. More likely this topic will quickly fall off a cliff but here goes anyway...
So board gaming is something I've been getting into recently through my non-coaster friends. In general I prefer the tactile nature and sociability they encourage over the individual experience of computer games. This weekend I visited the annual Spielfair in Essen, Germany. Basically a huge expo for games companies that attracts about 150 thousand people over 4 days. For the uninitiated, Germany is the HOME of boardgaming (or at least the point scoring 'Eurogame' genre. The US tends to produce more lengthy and tacticle war games). Spielfair was a LOT of fun and I spent way too much. I'll put some photos at the end of this post but for now I thought I'd start with a list of some of my favourite games to get the discussion going and later review the games I bought at Essen as I play them. I'm still getting into this so my choices are fairly limited but I'm open to suggestions of new things to play
Like my coasters, I love thematic and story-based games.
Settlers of Catan - A really simple and classic game that's always fun to play. You use resources like wood and sheep to buy roads and cities. The best parts are screwing over your friends by blocking their roads and shouting 'I need wood, will anyone give me wood?' (as made famous by The Big Bang Theory).
Ticket to Ride - Another classic with brilliant artwork. You buy and add trains to set railway lines across a map (you can get Europe or the US or fab historical maps which I always use). Again, screw your friends by buying up the lines you think they need.
Formula D - as close a recreation of a Formula 1 race as a board game can give. I have the Monaco board but there are lots of others (including the Nurburgring). You play with little plastic F1 cars and change gears (role different dice) to speed up and slow down and have to time your entry to corners perfectly. You loose points for wear to brakes and gear changes and damage, you have to pit stop, there's a chance your engine might explode, crashes affect that bit of track for the rest of the game, rain can happen and you can utilise slip streaming. It's so fably realistic yet somehow not overcomplicated. Sadly the game's now out of print.
Alhambra - Build your own 9th century Spanish palace room by room (according to the strict building regs) and stop others getting the rooms they need. I love that you never know when the game will end as it changes every time you play.
Game Of Thrones- I don't usually like 5 hour long fighting games but GoTs is very good at keeping your interest, plus I love the books and HBO show. I play this with people from my office once a month or so when the show's on and it's so cut throat. We decide who plays which house a week before and Tyrell brings the crisps and Martell the booze! I also really like the 2 player card game version.
Steam Park - I love the company that make this game Cranio Creations. The stories and the artwork are top notch. This game lets you build a steam punk amusement park to be visited by robots where you buy in coal-powered coasters, dark rides and game stalls. You pay with the dirt that you dig up to build your attractions. Never get bored of this.
Temple Run - A 10 minute filler game that has its own audio. Based on Indiana Jones you have to frantically roll dice to get round a collapsing temple, finding gems and rescuing each other before the roof caves in. So much shouting and dice flying everywhere!
Dix-It - the most beautiful and strange game I've ever played. All you have are some really surreal picture cards and a counter and you have to bluff what you have on the card so that neither all or none of the other players guess which card it is. Easier to play than to explain. It just looks gorgeous.
Survive - Save all your guys from a sinking island, avoiding the whales and sharks and sea monsters controlled by the other players.
Jamaica - A pirate racing game where you have to be the first to get your ship home while getting all the treasure and food and fighting off your enemies. Sneakily give people the cursed treasure. Only to be played with the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack on.
Pandemic - I don't normally like cooperative games as I'm too competitive but this one is very good. Your team have to beat the board by stopping a global infection spreading. You have to contain it, stop the out breaks and find a cure.
King of Tokyo - Quick dice-based game where you play a giant monster that tramples Tokyo and fight off other monsters.
So Essen was fab. People came from all over the world, there was lots of hilarious cosplay stuff, loads of games and silly things you could join in with (giant versions of Subbuteo, Scalextric and bouncy balls, sand pits, confetti cannons) and just lots and lots of people playing board games.
So board gaming is something I've been getting into recently through my non-coaster friends. In general I prefer the tactile nature and sociability they encourage over the individual experience of computer games. This weekend I visited the annual Spielfair in Essen, Germany. Basically a huge expo for games companies that attracts about 150 thousand people over 4 days. For the uninitiated, Germany is the HOME of boardgaming (or at least the point scoring 'Eurogame' genre. The US tends to produce more lengthy and tacticle war games). Spielfair was a LOT of fun and I spent way too much. I'll put some photos at the end of this post but for now I thought I'd start with a list of some of my favourite games to get the discussion going and later review the games I bought at Essen as I play them. I'm still getting into this so my choices are fairly limited but I'm open to suggestions of new things to play
Like my coasters, I love thematic and story-based games.
Settlers of Catan - A really simple and classic game that's always fun to play. You use resources like wood and sheep to buy roads and cities. The best parts are screwing over your friends by blocking their roads and shouting 'I need wood, will anyone give me wood?' (as made famous by The Big Bang Theory).
Ticket to Ride - Another classic with brilliant artwork. You buy and add trains to set railway lines across a map (you can get Europe or the US or fab historical maps which I always use). Again, screw your friends by buying up the lines you think they need.
Formula D - as close a recreation of a Formula 1 race as a board game can give. I have the Monaco board but there are lots of others (including the Nurburgring). You play with little plastic F1 cars and change gears (role different dice) to speed up and slow down and have to time your entry to corners perfectly. You loose points for wear to brakes and gear changes and damage, you have to pit stop, there's a chance your engine might explode, crashes affect that bit of track for the rest of the game, rain can happen and you can utilise slip streaming. It's so fably realistic yet somehow not overcomplicated. Sadly the game's now out of print.
Alhambra - Build your own 9th century Spanish palace room by room (according to the strict building regs) and stop others getting the rooms they need. I love that you never know when the game will end as it changes every time you play.
Game Of Thrones- I don't usually like 5 hour long fighting games but GoTs is very good at keeping your interest, plus I love the books and HBO show. I play this with people from my office once a month or so when the show's on and it's so cut throat. We decide who plays which house a week before and Tyrell brings the crisps and Martell the booze! I also really like the 2 player card game version.
Steam Park - I love the company that make this game Cranio Creations. The stories and the artwork are top notch. This game lets you build a steam punk amusement park to be visited by robots where you buy in coal-powered coasters, dark rides and game stalls. You pay with the dirt that you dig up to build your attractions. Never get bored of this.
Temple Run - A 10 minute filler game that has its own audio. Based on Indiana Jones you have to frantically roll dice to get round a collapsing temple, finding gems and rescuing each other before the roof caves in. So much shouting and dice flying everywhere!
Dix-It - the most beautiful and strange game I've ever played. All you have are some really surreal picture cards and a counter and you have to bluff what you have on the card so that neither all or none of the other players guess which card it is. Easier to play than to explain. It just looks gorgeous.
Survive - Save all your guys from a sinking island, avoiding the whales and sharks and sea monsters controlled by the other players.
Jamaica - A pirate racing game where you have to be the first to get your ship home while getting all the treasure and food and fighting off your enemies. Sneakily give people the cursed treasure. Only to be played with the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack on.
Pandemic - I don't normally like cooperative games as I'm too competitive but this one is very good. Your team have to beat the board by stopping a global infection spreading. You have to contain it, stop the out breaks and find a cure.
King of Tokyo - Quick dice-based game where you play a giant monster that tramples Tokyo and fight off other monsters.
So Essen was fab. People came from all over the world, there was lots of hilarious cosplay stuff, loads of games and silly things you could join in with (giant versions of Subbuteo, Scalextric and bouncy balls, sand pits, confetti cannons) and just lots and lots of people playing board games.
