Is it just me, or are the Munchkin card games rather lame?

[JustKim]

I've had a blast playing Munchkin. I'm not a Kovalic fan at all and I don't find the puns that funny, but the lighthearted competition has been a really good experience.

 

[Swedish Chef]

Our group has the 4 Munchkin sets for the original set. None of the Cthulu or SuperHeros or other variations.

We have fun playing it, but we only play 1 or 2 games every few weeks, just as a break from RPGs. Yeah, the jokes get lame after the 5th viewing, but you actually can create some good strategies for playing. We've had games end with one person winning and everyone else at 5th level, strictly due to card pulls, and other games where there were 4 of 6 people at 9th level, and it was really thought out as to which cards to play to prevent 3 of the 4 from winning, yet allowing yourself to win.

I guess, like everything else, YMMV.

 

[billd91]

A lot of Munchkin's fun comes from experiencing funny new cards for the first time. Once that fades, you're left with just the game...and the game is merely OK.

I'd have to say that a lot of the fun comes from taunting the other players with your cards and talking trash. But that's mainly what beer and pretzels games are for, particularly games using the "thwart" model of play. Having light-hearted fun with like-minded people.

 

[WizarDru]

I'd have to say that a lot of the fun comes from taunting the other players with your cards and talking trash. But that's mainly what beer and pretzels games are for, particularly games using the "thwart" model of play. Having light-hearted fun with like-minded people.

Well, my understanding of a 'beer and pretzels' game is one that is extremely simple to play and plays quickly. Munchkin doesn't do so well on the second one, sometimes. Plus, you just highlighted a major factor about Munchkin: the people you play with have a radical effect on how much you enjoy the game, a metagame factor which is entirely external to the game itself, but upon which a lot of the game depends.

A 'dogpile' game like Munchkin has an equal tendency to really get some people irritated or angry when playing, for the exact same reason. While any game is dependent on it's players for enjoyment to some degree, Munchkin is much more dependent than say Chess, Hearts or Ticket to Ride.

 

[IceFractal]

I've still having fun with it. Of course, we don't play it every day, so the total number of games hasn't been as high as the OP yet. But there's definitely strategy involved, the way we play.

First off, we do have one house-rule - any kind of card can be traded, and you can make complex trades/deals like helping in a fight now for a better trade deal next turn plus not being the target of a particular curse. Secondly, we usually start backstabbing/hindering a lot earlier on than level 9. Especially if anyone assists against a monster with a nasty consequence, that's the chance to screw two people at once.

So the result is, if we're in the mood for that, lots of alliances, deals, and backstabbing. The cards you get may be random, but what you bluff people to think you have isn't.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

It's just you

 

[Ry]

The OP's description of hte gameplay is spot-on, and I think it's a real weakness in the game. I've had fun with it but I've also been aggravated by it.

 

[philreed]

. . . particularly games using the "thwart" model of play.

The common classification is "Take That!" Boardgamegeek has an excellent geeklist covering this style of game.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/277

 

[DonTadow]

It is lame. I enjoy it as a mindless time filler while we get everyone ready for d and d, but even that time could better be spent playing goa, drakon or some other cool 3o to 60 minute game.

I had a friend recently want to devote a whole night to playing munchkin. Wow that was boring.

 

[lrsach01]

yup...just you.

It is a quick and dirty play and laugh game. Play, drink, eat, enjoy....repeat as necessary