The Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance

I've read that game is pretty decent "if you can get past the theme".

I think that kind of applies to both baseball fans and non-baseball fans.

We've recently picked up One Night Ultimate Werewolf and it's been pretty popular as a filler game. It's been working well with some of our kids involved, too, and has proven to be a winner for larger groups since you can play with up to 10. Sometimes it feels a bit too obvious where the vote should go, but given the 10 minute time frame, that's not terrible. It is a bit odd that we seem to regularly have a player who always draws the same card.

I still like Dominion, but we don't play it as much right now. It's getting into that place of always enjoyable but no longer novel. The newer expansions don't hold a lot of interest to me, and with the base game plus 4 expansions, I feel like we get plenty of variety as is.

Formula D is my most frustrating game right now. I really want to get a league going with regulars and standings, but I can't seem to find a time that works for people. Probably need to start small and then see if we can grow it.

@ Mike - You rather he be called Sammy Bonds?

@ Frank - I recently picked up Formula D as well. I am interested to see if I ended up liking this or not. My group kinda tends to gravitate towards Euros. I am also concerned about the downtime for larger groups as well.

I was thinking about picking up One Night Werewolf but still hesitant as some people say it is more of a "puzzle" game (but I have seen arguments from either side). Another filler/party type game you might want to check is Spyfall. I am hearing good things about it.

I think Formula D is a tough sell for Euro gamers if they want a deeper game because strategy is rather subtle. You don't immediately recognize it, and it's entirely possible for a worse driver to get luckier and win a race. Experienced drivers will come out on top over several races, though. The advanced rules are a lot more fun for those wanting depth, and you can actually mix and match if, like me, you want to play with your kid.

One Night is a bit of a puzzle game in the same way that Mafia is a puzzle game. If you have all the information, you can solve the puzzle exclusively with logic. If you don't, you have to get people to talk and read their reactions. One Night is sometimes solvable, but at other times, not so easily. If people play it up, it's a lot of fun, and the games are quick enough that the solvable ones don't bother me. In my last session, we had one game where it was solvable, but the person with the information to solve it withheld enough to keep the discussion going until the end. Most of the time, it's possible to narrow down your choices but still have a hard time getting things exactly right. It's certainly lighter fare, though, which I've been gravitating towards lately. I played Agricola for the first time recently, and while I won, it was a brain burner. Sometimes I want something that's the opposite.

If anybody has an interest in space, High Frontier is coming down to it's last week on Kickstarter. I finally bit the bullet on this one:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hi ... =discovery

been on the fence because I'll end up playing it solo, but I love the hard science in it.

Leones wrote:If anybody has an interest in space, High Frontier is coming down to it's last week on Kickstarter. I finally bit the bullet on this one:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hi ... =discovery

been on the fence because I'll end up playing it solo, but I love the hard science in it.

Hmmm, looks a bit complicated at first glance. But could be fun in the right hands.

For Bob: Donner Dinner Party, "A rowdy game of frontier cannibalism!"

fhomess wrote:For Bob: Donner Dinner Party, "A rowdy game of frontier cannibalism!"

I could really dig my teeth into that one! It may cost an arm and a leg, but I gotta get me that game.

Reading through this thread is interesting. Back when it started in 2011, I knew absolutely nothing about board games. Over four years and a couple whimsical Black Friday purchases later and I'm, well, kinda an addict. No, I mean an addict. My collection of games is ridiculous. I could link you to the BGG page that lists them all, except that I'm almost embarrassed to. And now many of these games that Frank and Kevin mentioned on page one of this thread (like Puerto Rico and Pandemic) are well-known to and well-loved by me. Others like and Descent and War of the Ring are very much on my want-to-play list, alongside such newer developments as Gloomhaven and Through the Ages: A New Story of Civilization.

Modern board gaming is a hoot. It can be vastly more cerebral than the traditional classics most families grew up on (apologies to those of you who grew up with hardcore Avalon Hill war games - you guys pretty much defined cerebral). But they're also intensely social experiences, great for making and maintaining friendships. Each game is almost like a miniature work of art, an expression of the creator's mathematical and interpersonal acumen.

It's really quite something and I can't recommend the hobby enough, with one important caveat: It can be quite expensive. Stay far, far away from the Kickstarter board games section if you don't feel like burning $200 on a whim! But don't let that discourage you from dipping your toes into the water. Most of the great "gateway games" like Tokaiso and 7 Wonders (my personal entry point) are very affordably priced, and I guarantee you'll have a blast playing them.

Bulldozers wrote:

fhomess wrote:For Bob: Donner Dinner Party, "A rowdy game of frontier cannibalism!"

I could really dig my teeth into that one! It may cost an arm and a leg, but I gotta get me that game.

I could lend you a hand, but that might be going out on a limb.

John wrote: I could link you to the BGG page that lists them all, except that I'm almost embarrassed to.

You must.

Mike Dunn wrote:

John wrote: I could link you to the BGG page that lists them all, except that I'm almost embarrassed to.

You must.

Oh, God ... okay. Apologies in advance for crashing your browser with all the thumbnail loading.

In my defense! A few very lucky turns with a local used bookstore allowed me to acquire quite a few of these items for pennies on the dollar. But, yeah ... still.

Mike Dunn wrote:

Bulldozers wrote:

fhomess wrote:For Bob: Donner Dinner Party, "A rowdy game of frontier cannibalism!"

I could really dig my teeth into that one! It may cost an arm and a leg, but I gotta get me that game.

I could lend you a hand, but that might be going out on a limb.

Just don't be a heel about it! Though I do love a good ribbing!

Bulldozers wrote:

Mike Dunn wrote:

Bulldozers wrote:I could really dig my teeth into that one! It may cost an arm and a leg, but I gotta get me that game.

I could lend you a hand, but that might be going out on a limb.

Just don't be a heel about it! Though I do love a good ribbing!

We certainly can go toe-to-toe on this.

John wrote:Oh, God ... okay. Apologies in advance for crashing your browser with all the thumbnail loading.

Wow. Just wow.

So what is your favorite solo-able dungeon crawler?

John wrote:

Mike Dunn wrote:

John wrote: I could link you to the BGG page that lists them all, except that I'm almost embarrassed to.

You must.

Oh, God ... okay. Apologies in advance for crashing your browser with all the thumbnail loading.

Oh, you have Triumph & Tragedy! I really enjoy that game. One of the few games that is truly best with three players, and very clever mechanics.