The Board Game Thread

Auspice

@arkandel said in The Board Game Thread:

I've been thinking about Gloomhaven.

Is it as good as the reviews claim? Is it worth the price tag?

Double-post!

Gloomhaven is pretty. That's... all I know. The last game night I made it to for the lady geeks group, one gal brought a stack of games that she hasn't gotten to play yet and that was in the mix. She, apparently, buys games and then begs other people to teach her to play them.

I'm generally pretty good at grokking games, but I just sort of sat there and stared at Gloomhaven with a sense of feeling so overwhelmed. We ended up playing uhm- blast. I forget the name, but it was a very cute resource building game with a tree and everyone is forest animals.

I really feel Gloomhaven falls into the category of 'you need someone else to teach you' or maybe just watch a lot of videos? But it definitely hit my mark of feeling overwhelmed. Maybe someone who has played it can give a better review, but that was my initial sense of it. I looked it over, thought it looked gorgeous, but I began reading over the rules and just packed it up and told the other ladies let's find something else. >.>

Thenomain

@mietze said in The Board Game Thread:

Super excited to start a family game of Legacy Betrayal

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! Emmah, her roommate, and I are on Chapter 3 of 13.

Unlike Pandemic Legacy, there doesn't seem to be a way to "lose" the entire Legacy. And remember: @EmmahSue is always a witch.

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@arkandel said in The Board Game Thread:

I've been thinking about Gloomhaven.

Is it as good as the reviews claim? Is it worth the price tag?

I think I have to accept that I don't care for minis games. Do note that it's possible to play this game for years and not complete it.

It's not as downright depressing as Kingdom Death: Monster, and it's less about playing heavy metal band covers. (Note: You would be the scantily clad women in KD:M, even if you're playing a guy. The world is the giant bad-ass monster. Not you. Never you.)

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@auspice said in The Board Game Thread:

I really feel Gloomhaven falls into the category of 'you need someone else to teach you' or maybe just watch a lot of videos?

Pandemic Legacy and Betrayal Legacy both have their FAQ: "What if we discover we're playing the game wrong." The answer: "Don't sweat it."

Gloomhaven isn't that complex for rules. Its complexity is in how in the characters play. Each character is wildly unique and has their own advantages, and even then the randomness of the card draw could be the difference between succeeding the scenario by the skin of your teeth vs. failing it frustratingly near the end.

You can re-try any scenario as many times as you want, even after you succeed at it.

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Things I like about Gloomhaven:

It's weird.
The game mechanics are interesting, different, and creative. No dice!
And unforgiving as hell. The system pushes you to make the smartest moves possible.
Scenarios can be played fairly blind.
The monster AI is very straight-forward.
Your character doesn't get killed, just knocked out of the rest of the scenario.
Co-op.

Things I don't care for in Gloomhaven:

Once your character is knocked out you get to sit and socialize.
Minis movement and combat.
Can be pretty screwed by your card-hand draw.
XP earning system--accomplish a secret goal--is extremely random.
(Thankfully you can lose the scenario and still gain your xp, but there are times where you can either win the scenario or gain xp but probably not both. I had one that was "kill fewer than x creatures.")

Emmah knows people who adore this game. My gaming group owns it but now that I've played a round on TTS I know without sinking money into it that I can take it or leave it.

Too Old For This

In our household, we are eagerly awaiting the return of friends after holidays because we just added Epic Spell Battle and Munchkin (ALL THE MUNCHKINS) to our Tabletop Simulator. We also found a game in Barnes & Noble the other day that is legit a Choose Your Own Adventure game. Requires only a single player, though it can handle more.

BobGoblin

I and my group aren't fans of gloomhaven. We felt that the return in fun was far less than the investment of setup and getting ready to play. By time set up was done we were just meh about getting to it. I know some who swear by the game but from about 5 sessions on it I personally pass.

ZombieGenesis

I thought Gloomhaven was a huge disappointment. The mechanics are good and all but I just didn't click with any of the characters. I also didn't like how you will eventually have to retire your PC and start a new one. I've actually been tempted to sell my copy off.

Just started a campaign of Legacy Betrayal and I haven't had as much fun with a board game in a long time!

For X-Mas I have The Pursuit of Happiness coming my way and I'm VERY excited about that. It just looks like a box full of fun.

Misadventure

For a brief moment i thought y'all were complaining about the card game Gloom.

Thenomain

@misadventure said in The Board Game Thread:

For a brief moment i thought y'all were complaining about the card game Gloom.

An amusing story-telling card game with the right crowd, but wildly over-rated.

Unlike Lunch Money, which is a terribly designed game play-wise, but is fun as hell playground-insult-wise.

silverfox

I played a game with my sister today called Pirate Flux and really enjoyed it. I wish I could have played with a huge group!

Cobalt

@silverfox I love the flux games.

Ominous

I've been really getting into 18XXs lately. Then again, I am a bit neurotic.

Livia

@ominous said in The Board Game Thread:

I've been really getting into 18XXs lately. Then again, I am a bit neurotic.

I need to upvote this a million times. Just because someone mentioned 18XX. Any particular ones?

EmmahSue

Late to the thread, but I'll mention that while Gloomhaven is not my most favorite game ever (currently swinging wildly between Betrayal Legacy and Pandemic Legacy, with a solid honorable mention for Qwirkle, Patchwork, and Kingdomino), I don't mind it. My parents luuuuv it with a million tiny hearts, but I'm not quite that far gone. I'd like it more if it could decide if it's actually co-op or not. Make up your mind, Gloomhaven! I don't have time for your dithering!

Anyways, long-winded sentences aside: if you want to spring for a copy of Tabletop Simulator (cheap at $10) and give Gloomhaven a game or two, before deciding whether you shell out the big bucks for a hard-copy, I'm game. Just give me a ping. I figure two games would probably decide most folks. Once to learn the ropes, twice to actually play through with some mild comfort.

ES

Auspice

After watching some videos about it, I really want Sagrada. Has anyone else played it?

Thenomain

@auspice said in The Board Game Thread:

After watching some videos about it, I really want Sagrada. Has anyone else played it?

Imagine Yahtzee, but on a grid, and everyone else keeps taking your goddamn dice.

A++, would recommend. Best with 3+.

Auspice

@thenomain said in The Board Game Thread:

@auspice said in The Board Game Thread:

After watching some videos about it, I really want Sagrada. Has anyone else played it?

Imagine Yahtzee, but on a grid, and everyone else keeps taking your goddamn dice.

A++, would recommend. Best with 3+.

I'm guessing it's on TTS?
(Someday I need to... actually play stuff on TTS. My schedule is apparently utterly horrendous for being able to play things with anyone.)

Thenomain

@auspice said in The Board Game Thread:

I'm guessing it's on TTS?

It is, though its implementation is...okay. Could be a lot better, but it's still fun.

Vixanic

@livia said in The Board Game Thread:

@ominous said in The Board Game Thread:

I've been really getting into 18XXs lately. Then again, I am a bit neurotic.

I need to upvote this a million times. Just because someone mentioned 18XX. Any particular ones?

Yay, Spreadsheets the Board Game. My personal favourite is 1861, because the winner is the first to be lined up and shot by the Russian Gov't.

Derp

While not technically a board game, as it has no board, I have been enjoying Shipwreck Arcana, aka Deductive Reasoning: the Game.

Livia

@vixanic

Oooh I've not played 1861 yet but my order from All-aboard games that I should get this weekend includes it!

Ominous

I am really liking 18CZ at the moment. I am also excited to be playing 1817 soon. I hope to get 18OE sometime in the future. I have played 1830, 1846, 1856, 1858, and 1861, and I like all of them. Though, 1830 makes me pull my hair out at times.

@derp said in The Board Game Thread:

While not technically a board game, as it has no board, I have been enjoying Shipwreck Arcana, aka Deductive Reasoning: the Game.

I think most people would lump card games into board games. We could call them tabletop games, but that would lump Pen & Paper games into the category too.