Which tabletop games do or did you play? (if any)

[Antilogic]

Oh, I forgot to mention, I've tried the new Civilization boardgame. It was somewhat fun but finding people willing to play it was hard (and I worked at a game store @ the time!), the setup was tedious & the game felt a little imbalanced. IIRC I donated my copy back to the store when I moved.

If this is the Civilization I am thinking of, I agree with your assessment. I felt like there was a lot going on in the board game, a bit too much even, and it was difficult to keep track of everything going on. At least it was playable in one setting unlike the other Sid Meier's Civilization board game.

Twilight Imperium - (aka that game with the massive box and a butt-ton of bits) Complex and time consuming, but great fun if you're prepared to put some effort into it.

I think Twilight Imperium kinda falls into the above category for me. I have tried its lighter cousin Eclipse, we were able to learn and play that in a 5-hour time period which works for a weekend afternoon.

Nah, not bummed about getting the other games at all. Bummed i couldn't get all three and that the kids arranged sleep overs and wife was out of town so I couldn't try them out.

Ah. I hope you get a chance soon, I'd love to hear your first impressions of 'em.

I recently played Settlers of Catan for the first time and it was much more fun than I anticipated.

GATEWAY ACTIVATED. Now join us in the deep end, the waters are fine!

Anyone played civilization? The "old" boardame? It had some really fun elements.

I have only read about those on BoardGameGeek, I had an old gaming group that had tons of classic games from the 70s through the mid-90s but I'm not around there much anymore.

Pretty much agree with this on Catan. It's not my favourite board game (I like it, but there's others I'd rather play), but I have to admit it is fantastically well designed. It manages to be both the perfect game for getting people into playing "proper" board games (as in, not the crap like Monopoly and Risk you played when growing up), and still engaging for more experienced players.

Yeah, it's a great "gateway" game, but after some point over-reliance on dice and general unpredictability that comes with it becomes a bit frustrating.

I'm in this camp. I like the concept and the theme, but there is still too much of a random element for me, and the dice can lead to some long-term and persistent frustration I don't get with the random element in other board games (thinking of Power Grid, St. Petersburg, and Tammany Hall, for comparison).

I win Catan almost every time I play. It's not a very random game. 2 dice makes it fairly even.

Do you play with newbies every time, or are you just the polar opposite of my brother?

I've played Ticket to Ride, the others I haven't. 7 Wonders looked cool. If you could recmmend just one that's fairly easy to set up & teach to others but still contains depth which would you recommend?

I second 7 Wonders. I'm also a long-term fan of St. Petersburg with the expansion fix, that's fairly easy to learn, has good depth, and was my gateway (I consider it the unofficial 4th gateway along with Ticket to Ride, Carcassone, and Catan).

I think Paris Connection is a nifty variation on the train games, although it might be a bit too simple for what you are looking for.

 

[PhroX]

Sorry I missed your earlier post.

I saw the DiceTower review of Forbidden Island, I thought of getting it for my daughter (6), maybe in one or two more years.

I've played Ticket to Ride, the others I haven't. 7 Wonders looked cool. If you could recmmend just one that's fairly easy to set up & teach to others but still contains depth which would you recommend?

7 Wonders is easy to learn - the basic mechanics aren't that complex and can be picked up in a single playthrough with relative ease - but a lot of the best strategies might not seem immediately obvious. There's also several expansions which add extra mechanics into the game which you can add later if you so desire.

But if I had to say just one, it's Cosmic Encounter (yes, I love that game ). The mechanics are very straightforwards and easy to learn - with the exception of a few of the races, but they're clearly marked as such and the rulebook explicitly encourages them to be removed from the game when playing with new players. The depth and complexity comes from the interactions between the players, which you can take as far as you want. The only potential negative is that I'd say it's best played amongst a peer group. Due to the sheer amount of negotiation, backstabbing and general dickery that goes on in a game of CE, I wouldn't suggest you play it with your kids.

 

[mangxema]

I play a lot of games (regular local group, plus I've been to a couple game cons) so I'll focus more on stuff I didn't see above:

-Suburbia: I just got this, and I'm really happy about it. You basically build a suburb, which sounds kinda dry, but there's a lot of strategy involved, and there's a lot of opportunity for dark humor. The mechanics are solid and there's enough variability between games to keep things interesting.

-Bang! The Dice Game: An Italian elimination game about the Wild West where everyone (except the Sheriff) has a hidden agenda. Essentially, it's a bit like Yahtzee, except that people die.

-Red7: I've only played this once, but I really like it's simplicity. Every turn, you have to play a card (or two), and if you're not winning, you lose. That's pretty much it.

 

[Narz]

But if I had to say just one, it's Cosmic Encounter (yes, I love that game ). The mechanics are very straightforwards and easy to learn - with the exception of a few of the races, but they're clearly marked as such and the rulebook explicitly encourages them to be removed from the game when playing with new players. The depth and complexity comes from the interactions between the players, which you can take as far as you want. The only potential negative is that I'd say it's best played amongst a peer group. Due to the sheer amount of negotiation, backstabbing and general dickery that goes on in a game of CE, I wouldn't suggest you play it with your kids.

I think of heard of this one before, I'll see how cheap I can find it for.

-Suburbia: I just got this, and I'm really happy about it. You basically build a suburb, which sounds kinda dry, but there's a lot of strategy involved, and there's a lot of opportunity for dark humor. The mechanics are solid and there's enough variability between games to keep things interesting.

Wow, a board game with dark humor. I'll have to check this out.

 

[bhavv]

If you like dark humour you need to get cards against humanity.

 

[PhroX]

If you like dark humour you need to get cards against humanity.

Ah yes, I was meaning to mention Cards...

It's awful, but at the same time, with a bunch of friends, great fun. Particularly after a drink or two. Just don't bother playing if there is anything in this world that offends you...

 

[bhavv]

Nothing offends me, but I have no one to play it with. I was going to buy it but then I didn't.

 

[Narz]

Ah yes, CAH. There are a few problems with that game (I can't imagine playing it 100+ times, certain players don't appreciate subtlety & will always pick the most disgusting/ridiculous card as the winner) but overall its quite fun. Good for breaking the ice with people you don't know all that well.

 

[PhroX]

Ah yes, CAH. There are a few problems with that game (I can't imagine playing it 100+ times, certain players don't appreciate subtlety & will always pick the most disgusting/ridiculous card as the winner) but overall its quite fun. Good for breaking the ice with people you don't know all that well.

Yeah, I agree about the lack of subtlety amongst players. I drop things like Step 1: White Man's Burden, Step 2: The Trail of Tears, Step 3: Profit, and it gets a bunch of blank looks while a joke about paedophiles wins...

 

[Hygro]

I drop things like Step 1: White Man's Burden, Step 2: The Trail of Tears, Step 3: Profit, and it gets a bunch of blank looks while....

You should play with me and my people, we go deep with those.

 

[azzaman333]

Ah yes, CAH. There are a few problems with that game (I can't imagine playing it 100+ times, certain players don't appreciate subtlety & will always pick the most disgusting/ridiculous card as the winner) but overall its quite fun. Good for breaking the ice with people you don't know all that well.

Yeah, I agree about the lack of subtlety amongst players. I drop things like Step 1: White Man's Burden, Step 2: The Trail of Tears, Step 3: Profit, and it gets a bunch of blank looks while a joke about paedophiles wins...

It's not everyone else's fault your joke wasn't funny enough, you gotta play to the crowd you have.

 

[dutchfire]

I've played 7 wonders a couple of times, and I like it, but I haven't found many of the 'deep' strategies some of you are talking about. Care to share some of the juicy info, so I can beat my friends next time?

edit: Some other games I play are Ticket to Ride, Dominion, Genius, Agricola and Chrononauts.

 

[Arakhor]

I recently played Alhambra and Jet Set, the latter for the first time. Surprisingly, I won the latter too!

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I've played 7 wonders a couple of times, and I like it, but I haven't found many of the 'deep' strategies some of you are talking about. Care to share some of the juicy info, so I can beat my friends next time?

edit: Some other games I play are Ticket to Ride, Dominion, Genius, Agricola and Chrononauts.

Chrononauts, as in the card time with time travel?

 

[dutchfire]

Yes, the game by the makers of Fluxx. It's a bit unpredictable (but better than Fluxx), but it is nice if you don't want a too complicated game.

 

[mangxema]

Wow, a board game with dark humor. I'll have to check this out.

It's subtle, and not necessarily deliberate, but in a game-imitates-life kind of way. Like, there's one hex that's a housing project. It gives you a one-time infusion of population (victory points) but nobody wants to live next to it. It drags down the value of any other residential areas nearby. The best way to incorporate them into your city is to put them out past your industrial area and just pretend that they don't exist.

 

[Zamphyr]

Wow, no one's mentioned Dark Tower yet ?

Otherwise, was definitely a grognard, mostly The Alamo, lots of Avalon Hill stuff (esp. Blitzkrieg), and others.

Also many things Steven Jackson, esp. Car Wars!

 

[Perfection]

The same game I play on the couch and the bed.

 

[CivCube]

Oh em gee, it's a boardgame thread in OT. Whodathunker. You guys should watch Shut Up & Sit Down if you want some fun intros to games:

http://www.shutupandsitdown.com/videos/v/intro-boardgaming/ - Probably not necessary for the majority of people in this thread, but hey, you need players!

http://www.shutupandsitdown.com/videos/v/tales-arabian-nights/ - Quinns' enthusiasm is infectious.

http://www.shutupandsitdown.com/videos/v/review-village/ - Worth watching for the "Prisoner" homage.

 

[Smote]

DnD, 5th edition

Various Board Games (Terra Mystica and others)

Also enjoy dominion. The interaction with other players involves making piles run out at the right time so you win, even if they have a better economy.