Cooperative Games

[Umbran]

I've any number of friends who are RPG players. Sitting around a table and playing a game is by no means a strange idea to them. Nor is rules-based strategizing. However, for several of them, the competitive aspect of most board games - having a set winner and loser, having individuals knocked out of a game that may continue for and hour or hours without them, and so on, is a major turn-off.

However, there's been a major run on cooperative games these days - games in which the human players are all on the same side, working together to achieve a goal, rather than working against each other. Sentinels of the Multiverse is one such.

So, what's your favorite cooperative game?

 

[Jhaelen]

My favorite is still Arkham Horror. Maybe it will be replaced by Eldritch Horror eventually.

Then there's the games that are 'mostly' cooperative. My favorite in that category is Battlestar Galactica. I also like Middle Earth Quest.

 

[Lindeloef]

I second Arkam Horror. Though you need a big table for it ^^

I also like Pandemic and the Lord of the Rings Board game from 2000.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Coming originally from the board gane world and having suffered a lot of the old cooperative games, which were èn vogue in the 80s and early 90s, the only cooperative game I really like is Sauerbaum.

It's cooperative only in so far as alle players together can lose; on the other hand, a single player can win the game.

 

[Crothian]

Pandemic I really like and the two add ons really make the game play differently in good way. It is one of those rare games that plays great with just the main game or with some or all the additional options. Shadows over Camelot is another one I really like. It does have a traitor mechanics like Battlestar Galactica but it works well with out it.

Tonight I'm going to play a newer coop game called Sentinels of the Multiverse. I've never played it before but some friends are really wanting to try it out so much so we are doing this on a weekday night which is rare for us.

 

[biotech66]

So far my favorite co-op has been Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. This way my wife and I get to play Pathfinder on the same side of the GM screen.

 

[Crothian]

Sentinels of the Multiverse is one such.

I played that for the first time tonight. It is fantastic. There is a lot more depth to the hero decks then I was expecting. I only played two of them but I saw enough variety that with different allies I can see using the character differently.

 

[Umbran]

I played that for the first time tonight. It is fantastic. There is a lot more depth to the hero decks then I was expecting. I only played two of them but I saw enough variety that with different allies I can see using the character differently.

Yes, and it has characters to fit various player's styles as well. The villains have different win conditions, some of which are pretty cleverly different.

 

[Jhaelen]

Coming originally from the board gane world and having suffered a lot of the old cooperative games, which were èn vogue in the 80s and early 90s, the only cooperative game I really like is Sauerbaum.

I'm not sure if it's at the root of your dislike for cooperative games, but the most common argument against them is that a dominant player can turn them practically into a solo game by telling everyone else what they should do for 'the common good'.

There are, however, also cooperative games where this isn't possible, eg. Hanabi.

I also like Sentinels of the Multiverse, mainly for its very thematic artwork. I think it's best if you play it regularly, since, to play it well, you need to have some idea about the abilities of the various heroes and villains.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

I'm not sure if it's at the root of your dislike for cooperative games, but the most common argument against them is that a dominant player can turn them practically into a solo game by telling everyone else what they should do for 'the common good'.

Yepp, that's a big part of the problem. Do you remember Herder's line of cooperative children's game? Ever watched chilrdren playing it? I actually watched several groups doing so, and in at least 80% of these games. the loudest player dominated the others. There isn't much more of a turn-down possible for a boardgame.

There are, however, also cooperative games where this isn't possible, eg. Hanabi.

Upps, didn't think of Hanabi when writing. That's a clever game, indeed, as it forces 'silent cooperation' thus removes the bossing.

The other problem I have with cooperative games is the notable lack of decision points. I played just one game of Pandemia and found myself running in automatic mode. Whenever my turn came up, it was pretty clear what I had to do in order to contain the problem or rooting out the source of it. Even though the story unfolding was somewhat thrilling, my play was extremely boring.

The same experience with Robinon Crusoe. The number of sensible options was very limited for all involved.

If I had to add to the lists of cooperative games this grumbling player likes, it would be Escape. It's short, leads to a hectic rush, and you don't have time to communicate.