I'm going to respond to Stone Age and then comment on some other games I've played a bit more since this thread was posted, in no particular order.
Longshoremen wrote:Stone Age is a game that I've only played solo, and only on the iPad. It's a resource gathering game like Settlers, but without the map, and without the annoying tendency of Settlers for everyone to gang up on the leader.
Stone Age has become one of our more regularly played games despite the fact that we don't own it. I actually bought it for some friends and it's always high on both our lists to play. If you're not familiar with the game, James' comment about Settlers should not be interpreted as it being a similar game to Settlers. Both involve acquiring resources, but the similarities stop there. Stone Age is a worker placement game, which means you have some people you can use to do things each turn, and the game is focused on who can get the most out of their people given several different options that can lead to points. It's a great gateway game to the worker placement genre because there aren't too many things to do and it's relatively clear how each thing can help you in the long run, whether or not it's a good idea for you now.
Dominion is a game that since this thread went up, I have played with some additional expansions. I have a friend who has almost all of them and I have 5 now. I won't be buying any more because there's really only so many you need and I don't care for some of the more aggressive/frustrating cards. What I continue to like about the game is that each time you start with a new tableau of cards to use in a game, it's like a new logic problem to solve in terms of what combination of cards will get you where you want to be. The mechanics from game to game are the same, but the path to victory is different each time. Often, the winner is whoever seems to have figured out the best combination of cards the quickest.
Love Letter - My wife gave me this game for my birthday last year despite the seemingly cheesy theme and the packaging (it comes in a fancy little red pouch with gold embroidery). There are only 16 cards in the game, and you never have more than 2 of them in your hand at a time. The genius of the game is the simplicity and the fact that the game is a combination of deduction and bluffing. It plays quick, so it often comes out when we don't have much time to play or want something light. It's really a great little game.
Compounded - This is by far the geekiest game we own. It was a Kickstarter game given to my wife by a college friend since my wife was a chemistry major. The game has you running chemistry experiments with the goal to complete molecules. Each time you complete one, you gain experience that allows you to do more in future turns. It's a bit hard to put my finger on exactly why, but we enjoy this one quite a bit and it plays well with 2 players, so that helps. The theme is extremely well integrated, but I feel like the game mechanics would make for a fun game even if the theme was completely different.
Forbidden Desert - This is a sequel of sorts to Forbidden Island, which I have not played, and I understand them to be fairly similar. The Desert version is a coop game where sandstorms threaten to bury you before you and your mates can gather the parts of your ship at the launch site for escape. We played incorrectly several times before realizing we were essentially cheating, and it got much more challenging after that. Still, I don't find the game all that compelling.
Pandemic - One of the most popular coop games, I like it but would generally choose to play something else. I find that too many times, it's a matter of one person (the most experienced) essentially coordinating everyone's actions and then hoping the cards flip just right. All coop games need some randomness to them or you'd always win, but it seems to flip abruptly from easy to really hard, and the strategic options just don't grab me.
7 Wonders - I now own this game and can say it gets a lot of play in our house. We like the fact that you can play it with a lot of people and while it's a challenge the first play through for new gamers due to all the symbols you need to know, by game #2 people typically know enough to do quite well. It's light and plays quick, but it feels like there are plenty of times where you can do something that feels strategic to help you win. Whether or not that move actually has as much of an impact as you want, you typically don't know right away. Games where everyone plays at the same time, like Robo Rally, are always popular since it feels like the game moves and there isn't much downtime, so this will stay high on our list.
I should note that I've played once with the Leaders expansion, and it was ok. It felt like it would make the game more "swingy", meaning your ability to win would be more dependent on if you got good leaders at the start of the game or not. I would need a few more plays to really make an informed decision, but I can't say I was left wanting to do that.
Coin Age - You owe it to yourself to get this game. First off, you can get a basic printable copy of it for free. Secondly, it's portable as it requires a credit card sized map and some change. Literally. You play with pennies, nickles, dimes and a quarter. It's a deceptively deep little area control strategy game for two players, and a game can be played very quickly. On that note, I should say that my wife hates it. The strategy of this simple little game is a bit too deep for what she enjoys, and I've beaten her every time we've played.
Samurai - Oh, why must this game be so hard to find at a reasonable cost? I had a friend introduce this to me and I loved it despite my analysis paralysis. It can be prone to that, particularly for new players. It's elegant and simple and complex and frustrating and looks so much easier than it is.