Recommend a good fantasy boardgame?

[Particle_Man]

Settlers of Catan And Star farrers of Catan are both excellent games. I have the 4 and 6 player versions for both.

Just a warning. Although I love the 4 player Starfarers of Catan, the 6 player version has a flaw. They added a "Travellers" planet that gives an uber ability to the first player to land there. Which means that the 6 player game is now less about resource allocation and much, much more about "get thee first to the travellers' planet, at all costs!" I guess that could be house ruled, though.

Also, be VERY careful with the plastic rocketships. They break way easy. Don't put the engine boosters on the rockets at all, I'd say.

 

[Jhamin]

If you want light fun, try Munchkin or it's variants.
Its a card game simulating a role playing game. It helps alot if you are or know a couple of real munchkins. It's filled with cards like "Loan Comic collection to DM, gain 1 level" and the Plutionium Dragon.
It's sort of about helping the party, but it is mostly about kicking in doors and looting bodies until you get a higher character level than your buddies.

Slighty more complex, try Betrayal at the House on the Hill.
It is basically a session of Call of Cthulu in a box. In each of the games the players start out exploring a haunted house. As the omen cards pile up, eventually a "haunt" starts. You check which of the 50 end-game scenarios has started. One player (determined by scenario) turns on the others and gains power over the house and it's assorted monsters while the other players get various ways of winning/getting away/surviving according to the scenario.
Best of all, the game only takes about an hour once you know the rules so you can even whip it out if somebody is going to be late for an RPG.

If you are ok with a 8 hour game, the new Axis & Allies is pretty fun. The rules are different than the old version from the 80's & 90's. The Axis actually have a good chance to win & naval combat is alot more important.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Okay, here goe:
Frag by Steve Jackson Games
Kill Doctor Lucky
Get Out
Give Me the Brain
Lord of the Fries
Huzzah! (All by Cheap Ass Games)

And a pretty fun minis game that plays fast - Modheim by Games Workshop. Curently the rules are available free at http://specialist-games.com/mordheim/default.htm If you already have minis it is pretty quick to get into and play.

The Auld Grump

 

[Zog]

Puerto Rico is a great one.

Vinci is one I haven't seen mentioned - rise and fall and rise of empires across europe - solid fun game.

Twilight Imperium is a great Sci-fi wargame, similiar in genre to Axis&Allies.
And there is a fantasy version, Battlemist which is also fun.

Iron Dragon is fun - you get a great game, and a fantasy world with one purchase. It would be trivial to run a D&D game in the world of Iron Dragon - you have a map, kingdoms, towns, goods produced in each town, trade routes, and a short description of each kingdom.

 

[CCamfield]

Puerto Rico is a great one.

Vinci is one I haven't seen mentioned - rise and fall and rise of empires across europe - solid fun game.

Probably because it's not fantasy? But I agree these are very good games.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

There's an Iron Dragon novel that's been sitting on the shekf of my local thrift store for ages. It's got a blurb about being based on a new game.

 

[Storminator]

Citadels is a pretty good fantasy game, in a Puerto Ricoesque kind of way. And the artwork on it is simply awe inspiring.

If you can get ahold of copy, get Incognito. It's a super-Clue game, set in Vienna, and it's fantastic.

PS

 

[PieAndDragon]

*has a quick look at board games shelf*

- A Game of Thrones from Fantasy Flight Games. Good strategy game, although best with 4 or 5 players [enough to play D&D with anyway]
- Runebound, also by FFG. If you liked Talisman, you may well like this
- Munchkin in all its card game forms
- Tongiaki, a fantastic little game which is easy to play and caters for 2-6 players
- Colossal Arena [siverline games] is a rerelease of an older game which is quite frenetic and fun
- Pirate's Cove [Days of Wonder] plays well from 3 to 5 players with a nice mix of strategy and luck.

 

[velm]

how about the DRAGONLANCE boardgame? if they still make it, that is.
If not, just go for the old standby of AXIS AND ALLIES, not quite fantasy, but hey.

 

[RedShirtNo5]

I guess this makes me a grognard, but the original Car Wars.

Has anyone tried the newer edition, Car Wars Card Game?

-RedShirt

p.s. Ditto on Settlers, but ask to inspect the contents before purchasing. The box I got was missing pieces!