Let me help you find the right board game

[Asmor]

Yes. When I say board games, I mean board games, card games, dice games, and basically everything else. It's just easier to say board games.

 

[demonking1]

Yes. When I say board games, I mean board games, card games, dice games, and basically everything else. It's just easier to say board games.

You still didn't answer my question about the H.P. Lovecraft games. I really want to know

 

[Asmor]

Sorry, that's beyond my level of expertise. Off the top of my head, here's a few:

Arkham Horror (and expansions)
Do You Worship Cthulhu (a Cthulhu-themed version of the classic Magic/Werewolves party game)
Innsmouth Escape
Munchkin Cthulhu

There's almost assuredly more, but I can't think of 'em.

 

[demonking1]

Sorry, that's beyond my level of expertise. Off the top of my head, here's a few:

Arkham Horror (and expansions)
Do You Worship Cthulhu (a Cthulhu-themed version of the classic Magic/Werewolves party game)
Innsmouth Escape
Munchkin Cthulhu

There's almost assuredly more, but I can't think of 'em.

Thank you

 

[scitadel]

Just jumping in to add a few other suggestions too:

2 player games - my GF loves Gloom and Shear Panic (both cute, though in different ways). If she's into something a bit more complicated, San Juan's a great game. If she at all likes Fantasy, Blue Moon is great (incredible art-work) - it's more a non-collectible card game in the likes of Magic, etc.


Co-op games - Pandemic is about the only other game that gets bandied around at the moment. Of course, getting a copy is a challenge right now!

Cthulhu Mythos - Cthulhu 500 is a card game based on Lovecraft and Indy 500 issues. Unspeakable Words is a word card game. I've heard of 'Do you worship Cthulhu', not a clue what it's about.

 

[Asmor]

I've heard of 'Do you worship Cthulhu', not a clue what it's about.

It's a retheming of a popular party game. The most well-known version is called Mafia, and uses a deck of playing cards; the first one I ever encountered was called Werewolf and used themed cards representing villagers and werewolves. Basically, every person is randomly-- and secretly!-- assigned a role. In Do You Worship Cthuluh, there are Villagers, Worshippers, Seers, Protectors and Vigilantes. Villagers are the most common by far. It's everyone against the Worshippers. One person moderates the game, everyone else "goes to sleep" by closing their eyes and making noise in some way (such as by banging their hands on the table).

In the end, the worshippers (probably) kill someone, and then everyone votes on who they think is a worshipper and lynches that person. Then everyone goes to sleep again. Villagers win by killing all worshippers, worshippers win when there are an equal amount of worshippers and non-worshippers left.

Plays best in large groups. Theoretically playable with as few as 5, but 7 is really a bare minimum, 9+ for best results. Do You Worship Cthulhu comes with enough to support, I think, 32 players, and this is the kind of game that just gets better with the more people.

 

[Agamon]

Thanks, the link is fixed. Haven't played any of them, though I've heard good things about Pandemic.

As have I. And I have now played In the Year of the Dragon. Great game, right up my alley, I was the newb with 4 experienced players and I kicked their butts.

Also played Galaxy Trucker that night. Now that's a crazy game. Factory Fun meets Roborally. Fun.

 

[MerricB]

Your collection looks a lot like mine, Asmor...oh wait, it is mine. (bad linkie)

LOL.

Anyhoo, just wondering if you've played the following games and what you think of them if you have:

Pandemic
Cuba
In the Year of the Dragon

I have those three.

Pandemic is nice, but limited. It's too easy for one player to take control and basically play the game solo. It's a good learning game about strategy, though, so I use it for that purpose in my boardgame class.

Cuba is an interesting resource manipulation & building game that reminds me of Caylus, Power Grid and Pillars of the Earth, although it plays very differently from each of those. There are a lot of things going on in the game, and I rather enjoy it, but not quite as much as the three I've already mentioned.

In the Year of the Dragon is a superior Eurogame. If you play a game, you really should play this one. It got lost a bit due to the chatter about Agricola (which is a really, really good game). You know what events are coming up, but trying to navigate their hazards is really difficult when your opponents are choosing options that restrict your own. (I prefer Stefan's previous design, Notre Dame, though).

Cheers!

 

[MerricB]

Arkham Horror, Shadows over Camelot and Lord of the Rings all spring to mind (Note that that's the 2000 Lord of the Rings designed by Reiner Knizia; unsurprisingly, there are several games called "Lord of the Rings").

I've never played any of them, but they all come highly recommended. I'd recommend choosing the one whose theme most appeals to you.

I've played all three of them.

* Shadows over Camelot is an excellent game, but it is at its best when there's a (hidden) traitor in the game working against you; it's not a pure co-operative game as a result. Gameplay is basically collecting and playing sets of cards to achieve quests; some quests need to be done by one lone player, others require a group effort. While you complete quests, other quests get closer to failing (and Camelot gets closer to being successfully besieged and falling!)

* Lord of the Rings is pure co-operative (although there's an expansion that adds a "Sauron" player who works against you). I think the theme is nicely integrated with the mechanics... for a puzzle game. You try to guide the hobbits to the Crack of Doom before events overtake them, with aid from the other companions and allies as represented by cards.

* Arkham Horror is pure co-operative, and the most complex of the three. It takes some time to play (3 hours or more is common), but is the most rewarding. You're trying to save the town of Arkham from one of eight Ancient Ones who is trying to awaken and destroy the town and/or the world. The expansions add a lot to it as well. The game also plays very well solitare, which is why I enjoy it so much.

I think Tigris & Euphrates might fit the bill. It's my favorite game, and considered by many to be Reiner Knizia's masterpiece (He's a very prolific game designer, in case you weren't aware. Comparable to Monte Cook in the RPG industry, perhaps).

Monte Cook is a child compared to Knizia.

Settlers of Catan might be good for you too, especially with the 5-6 player expansion. There's not a whole lot of games I can think of for 6 players that last that long and are terribly strategic. Doesn't mean they're not there, I just don't have much exposure to them.

Two hour strategy games for 6 players? Hmm. Yeah, I can't think of that many. 5 players is easy, I know many. 6 players? They tend to be shorter or longer.

Cheers!

 

[Asmor]

Monte Cook is a child compared to Knizia.

Just trying to put it into some perspective for people unfamiliar with his work. Monte Cook's the most prodigious name I can think of in the RPG industry off the top of my head (maybe Gary Gygax, but that brings other connotations that would misserve the comparison)