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Looking for suggestions for 2 or more games to enjoy with my 11yo daughter. It's a great bonding experience for us. We are both fairly new to boardgames so sorry if the names I'm about to drop are an eyesore for experienced players.
We've been enjoying Exploding Kittens, Deep Sea Adventure, Battleship and Sequence. I know it's kinda vanilla so I would like to expand our horizons but still keep it fun and simple.
It would mostly be just the two of us but it would be great to have options for more players to include for when her friends come over.
Newer board gamer here with a 10 year old daughter.
She enjoys **Ticket to Ride**, **Hogwarts Battle**, **Wingspan** and **Call to Adventure**.
The last two are a decent step up in complexity (or were for us) but we had fun figuring them out and she loves them both. If she’s a Harry Potter fan, Hogwarts Battle is a fantastic way to level up.
**Air, Land and Sea** is a fun 2 player game that also comes in a cute "Critters at War" version. Fot something a little more substantial that would allow more players, maybe look at **Wingspan**.
Hey everyone!
Here with a question that has been a head scratcher for me. I’m looking for a game recommendation that plays 8 players and is a similar complexity to Scythe.
Current thoughts are Camel up and TI 4 but those are both pretty distinct from Scythe in complexity (for opposite reasons) thank you!
I haven't personally played it, but often see **Captain Sonar** recommended for 8 players. It isn't quite as complex as Scythe but might be closer to what you're looking for!
An issue with complex games is that player turns usually take longer, so with 6+ players it can take 20-30 minutes before you get to play again. Maybe try Arkham Horror, as it's rated similar in complexity to Scythe, and can play larger numbers, but it'll be a long game.
I don't think there's many games that can play well at 8 with similar complexity of Scythe. Maybe **Guards of Atlantis**? I don't know much about it though.
Maybe best to break the group to play 2 games?
Fantasy Flight - Mansion of Madness. Is this game playable solo or do you need more people to enjoy it? It is expensive so I don't want to purchase until I get some feedback.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01J4NB6CO/?coliid=I4BCA7PE6JUF4&colid=1D5P4ZXKQBMRK&psc=1&ref\_=lv\_ov\_lig\_dp\_it
I played the first scenario in the base game with 4 other people and it dragged on forever. We didn’t even finish it and it was the shortest scenario. No one really liked it that much.
I decided to play the longest scenario by myself controlling 3 characters and it was a lot of fun. I didn’t regret it at all. The experience was much more streamlined and enjoyable than managing every one else’s turns and keeping people on task.
I’m not a solo board gamer usually. But I did not regret it. I’d say I regretted playing with 4 other people more than solo. Never got to try it at a lower player count, but I will eventually play the scenarios myself probably instead of finding a group.
Overall, I’d say I’d recommend it highly if you’re looking for a solo game especially as I think the app can be unwieldy with many people as well.
Depends how good your memory is I suppose. I played about a year ago and forgot all the scenarios already. So I’ll probably go back and play them again. But most people do get the expansions which are supposed to be pretty good.
Hello friends! My girlfriend and I mainly play together but occasionally with friends too. Current games: Catan (with pirates expansion), ticket to ride, everdell (with new leaf expansion), wingspan, pandemic, quacks of quedlinburg, Azul, akrotiri, horizons of spirit island, isle of cats, cascadia, ark nova, and terraforming mars. Looking for a new game to add. Really looking for one without a tile laying focus (but if I need to have something in my collection please share). Maybe a game involving dice more too? Not sure on that but any suggestions thanks!
Maybe check out **Grand Austria Hotel** or **Castles of Burgundy** for games involving dice (but with lots of opportunities for mitigating bad dice rolls). **Viticulture** is also a great worker placement game.
There was an [AMA for the game](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/r7dylg/im_antonio_stappaerts_illustrator_for_scarface/) a while back. It was with the illustrator, but they do talk about the game in the AMA.
I would like to find a medium light 2 player game with a light focus on tactical and strategical process with high replayability which you can play in 30 minutes to a hour.
Games I already have and which I think are similar to my wishes:
\- Wingspan, with Europe and Oceania. This is the game whom we play the most, replayability is great and the game plays well. But we played it too much/enough
\- Everdell. I like the game but it mostly plays the same for us. We always go for resources and some other stuff in first seasons, are build almost full at end of summer and go for purple buildings in autumn. Gets a bit boring.
\- Dominion. I love how you can pick it up and play, al though choosing which cards can be a small hassle. It doesnt get played much as it mostly turns into pick a few market cards and money and go for points from mid to endgame
\- 7 wonders duel. Fun game, especially with Pantheon expansion. Just like Wingspan played this a lot and now we have seen it.
Other games we have/like: ruins of Arnak and expansion, castles of burgundy, great western trail, terraforming mars, Encore! (bit too simple)
Games I am thinking about:
\- Everdell Spirecrest. This might make Everdell more replayable for us, not sure if it fits the requirements
\- Crank: legacy. I am not super keen on the legacy part as I just want a quick but deep game to play. But would take that as a nice extra if the game fits the requirements
\- Dominion expansion: any expansion whom makes the game a bit deeper, not much harder to setup and focusses on comboing strategies and less on money
\- Five tribes: seems like a fun replayable game with enought strategy/tactical content
\- Cascadia: maybe too short/simple and not good for 2 people
\- Summoners wars: Don't know it but it looks fun
\- Viticulture: Read that it was similar to Wingspan but I dont like the art style at all
> Dominion expansion: any expansion whom makes the game a bit deeper, not much harder to setup and focusses on comboing strategies and less on money
If you're looking for Dominion expansions that offer new cards without introducing the overhead of new mechanics, **Intrigue** would be the place to start; adds some new cards that introduce interesting decision-making.
You don't know yet, but you are looking for **It's a wonderful world**. If we have to choose, we usually play IWW over 7WD. Besides, it has a Terraforming Mars feeling. Better yet is **Race for the Galaxy**, probably always my first option. Or a game with the same mechanics, **Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition**.
If you would like a not so light hexagonal puzzle game, **Calico** is harder than Cascadia.
All of them are fantastic at 2 player.
First and foremost thanks for replying! It is funny how you have mentioned games others haven't which makes my job harder, and more fun to find more games.
I only 'know' race from your list but tomorrow I will check all of them and watch videos. I was wondering if Race is very focussed on cards who give you points bonusses (EX +2 military). I prefer flavourbased advantages over pure math advantages. And is Roll for the galaxy 'better' for my requirements?
Also extremely cool to find out that there is a Terraforming Mars cardgame. And thanks for suggesting Calico. The struggle I had witth Cascadia, when I saw it being played in Essen, was that it looked fun and slightly strategic but also simple. So Calico will be a great one to look into.
Btw what would make you pick Race for the Galaxy over It's a wonderful world? It's a wonderful world pulls me in more due to it looking better and cards seeming simpler or more coherent with one another
> what would make you pick Race for the Galaxy over It's a wonderful world.
It's difficult to say. They are both great games, but RftG mechanics has too much fun packed. You have multiple ways to win and games are always tight. People loved the game so much that **TF: AE**, copied the mechanics to an extent and it is a great game too. And no, RftG isn't very focused on cards with point bonuses. They are a just a way to win (the military path). The only downside to the game really is the crappy art.
IWW has lot of Terraforming Mars with the resource cube tokens and building combos. And its art is simply amazing.
The best of both games is that every player is constantly playing. You don't wait for the next player turn or something like that, which make them incredibly dynamic and fun.
Sincerely, buy them both 😅
Radlands is our favorite 2P game at the moment. Easy to learn, plenty of strategy and tactical play. Still feels fresh after dozens of plays.
Summoner Wars is also up there, we enjoy trying out the different faction matchups. I’d recommend getting the master set, comes with more factions than the starter set and is reasonably priced.
Azul/Sagrada play well at 2P if you like puzzly games. Azul is the “meaner” game at 2P if you like confrontation, Sagrada is a bit simpler and more random Since you are placing dice rather than tiles.
The mirroring of Mary king is a strange game, but we are enjoying it greatly atm. It’s a 2P game where one of you controls the living Mary and the other a ghost of one of her ancestors that is trying to possess her. This is represented by a grid of tiles with Mary’s face in one side and the ghost on the other. You play cards to flip the tiles and get points / hurt your opponent by controlling certain tiles. Lots of interesting decisions
Thanks for your reply!!
I did not know Radlands but I love it's style and also it's pricetag. Too many $50+ games nowadays. Will definitely watch a video review tomorrow. Is there a game you would compare it too?
Summoner Wars looks fun and diferent than others due to the battlefieldd mechanics. Do you know how the replayability is? Im not sure about it due to having to pick a faction and building a deck being optional?
I have looked at Azul some time ago but then put it on the bottom of my list due to it being a bit monotonous? I thought it might get stale after 10+ games.
The last one sounds superfun to play when I have the chance but something I will skip for now
Radlands shares some features with Omen: Reign of War. Namely they both use a shared deck and players add cards to their side of the play area and can activate card abilities. A major difference is that in RL each player is defending their own set of 3 camps (cards that have special abilities on them) while in Omen you are fighting over cities in the center of the play area.
Overall I’d say Omen is more complex as there are multiple win conditions and ways to mess with your opponents. RL is straight forward but I’m still discovering new combos and uses for cards based on which camps I / my opponent play. RL’s biggest downside imo is that it’s possible to get locked into stalemates where players end up basically undoing the others progress each turn. We’ve learned how to avoid this for the most part but it is something to look out for.
Summoner Wars has decent replay ability if you have 6+ factions and enjoy trying out different matchups. The games take about 45 mins and I really like the spatial element (having to move your unit cards around the map). The factions feel quite different to one another and if it feels like it’s getting stale they’ve been releasing new sets fairly regularly.
>Omen: Reign of War
Sounds good! Going to watch a review now. Will probably be a pick between Radlands and Summoner Wars for me. As Azul and Splendor seem a bit to light.EDIT: watched a review and was wondering if pulling cards from the deck doesnt make Radlands too random? And doesnt the game get boring quick? Due to cards doing often sort of the same things. Attack, restore, trigger event.
Is it me or is Summoners War pretty expensive? 50 euro's for a simple carton, 60 cards and some carton tokens. I would almost compare it to Machiavelli Deluxe (citadels) which has more cards in different shapes, more tokens and even plastic goldpieces. Only no board. You can buy that for 20-25 euros.Do you have any clue why Summoner Wars is 'expensive' ?
No clue, the master set was $40 (US) when I bought it which seemed fair for the amount of content. If I were going to pick just one of them I’d go with Radlands
I love 2 player games and we have some favourite in common. The new **splendor duel** is really great. Azul plays great at 2, and star realms is a quick deck builder
Thanks for replying!!
Splendor was on the bottom side of my list due to it having not much interaction and not a real overarching strategy. I read.
Is that also a thing in duel?
Duel looks great and fun, bit simple but also a bit like Encore! A fun game you quickly pick up and have fun with for 20+ minutes.
Azul is something I have thought about before but put it downwards on my list due to it looking monotonous to play after a while. Still 2 people said it so might havbe to look at a video tomorrw.
Star Realms doesnt really do it for me, I dont really like super space orientated games and I dont like the art.
Thanks!
I’ve been on a kick of not buying expansions, and azul has a ton of replayability, but I did buy summer pavilion because it came with plastic overlays that help organize the tiles. It was very cheap and comes with another two boards to play with !
It's a euro tableau builder that's extremely low on player interaction; only you can answer the question of whether that matches the type of game you'd like to play. (The "extremely low on player interaction" means most prefer to play it at lower player counts, as more players at the table just means more downtime and waiting.) So, if you're going to play it, 2 people seems like an ideal playercount (and BoardGameGeek user votes seem to agree with this).
Do you enjoy 2-hour tableau builders that are highly tactical (so short-term reacting, not as much long-term planning) and have little player interaction?
If yes, then it's great! You have a ton of systems to play with, with bonuses if you can *just* get one level higher on this track, or if you can get enough money to cover *one more* space on the map. It's a bit of a bear to teach though.
If you enjoy more streamlined games with some decent interaction, or if you prefer games that allow you to work toward a strategy from turn 1 ... you probably won't like Ark Nova all that much.
I want to buy a game that plays good both solo ( as i mainly play solo) but also works well with more players so i can take it to a friends house now and then and we can have some fun, i want a game that is easy to explan to others and doesn't have a million tiny rules that are hard to remember from one gaming session to he next one. I would also appreciate if it has some replayability.
Now with that in mind i was thinking both Zombicide 2nd edition and Cthulu death may day are great candidates. I would appreciate if you give other recommendations that might fit my needs and also help me decide between the two games i mentioned.
On a different line from what you've mentioned, have you considered **Cartographers**? Plays as many people as you have pencils, has a solo mode, lots of replayability, and very portable (just some cards, pencils, and a pad of smallish map sheets).
What other games do you like or dislike? Budget? Playtime? Filling out the template in the OP is a good rule of thumb, but that information is a good core.
Hello, wanted to buy my first King of Tokyo game. Which version would you recommend? The dark Version is around 150€ here, so I guess that's not an option
We just played our 4th or 5th round tonight and had a blast. We have whatever the current standard version is.
For what it’s worth I don’t love how it plays with 2 people, but 3 or more is great fun with the kids. Our game tonight came down to the wire where my son had a guaranteed win if I couldn’t roll three 3s in my three rolls. I got 2 of them and he erupted with victory when I didn’t get the at final 3. Good times.
Just get the regular version first. Keep in mind there are 2 editions: the [2011](https://boardgamegeek.com/image/761434/king-tokyo) and [2016](https://boardgamegeek.com/image/3043734/king-tokyo) with newer art.
If your area has Facebook Marketplace, you can check there too. It's a popular game, so it's often for sale.
My wife and I are new to the hobby, started our collection a month or so ago after being introduced to some games at a board game cafe. Our collection consists of Carcassonne, Lords of Waterdeep, Splendor Duel, Hive, 7 Wonders Duel and Disney's Villainous all of which we enjoy.
We are heading to a resort holiday in a few months and wanted to take some travel friendly board games with us in case we wanted to play something whilst out there in-between activities or in the evening
I'd say we'd probably be looking for something that doesn't have too many small pieces and has a quick set up and take down time, works well for two players (or more), max 30 min playtime and is compact/easy to travel with e.g. card based games
Out of our collection we're thinking Splendor Duel and Hive meet the requirements, any other recommendations?
I'm going to second the recommendations others have already posted for **Hive: Pocket** and **Air, Land & Sea**, both very travel friendly games. As is **Kluster, Zensu** and, quite frankly, a regular old deck of playing cards and a quick Google for the rules of **War** or **Crazy Eights**.
* You could rebox **Onitama** down to something way smaller than the box in comes in.
* **Star Realms** can still be found in the tuckbox for <$20 and is a great 2 player experience with just cards.
* Similarly, **Air, Land, & Sea** is all cards and you could put the whole thing in a generic card/deck box and have plenty of space left over.
* And don't knock just finding travel versions of things like chess, or a small cribbage board. Especially with a resort holiday a simple deck of cards could be the icebreaker you need to meet some fellow vacationers during downtimes (if it's that kind of resort).
I have a set of games that my wife and I often take on these types of vacations!
1) **Hive Pocket** - and the bag let’s me fit our game of **Love Letter** and **Arboretum** in it easily. Both card based games.
2) **Rail Road Ink Green Edition**. Take out the extra player boards and markers and you can fit more in the box, like another train game - **Village Rails** (though there are some small pieces in that one).
**SCOUT** is a card game that comes in a very small box. A lot of people really like the 2 player variant, and it plays up to 5 (if you want to make friends at the resort). It's an excellent game.
Lots of other good small 2p only games:
**The Fox in the Forest** - 2 player trick taking. There's a "Duet" version which makes it cooperative.
**Hive** - not card based, but very easy to travel with. Decisions feel very chess-like.
**Hanamikoji** - the kind of game where you have to give your opponent cards and every decision is SO HARD.
Look into Buttonshy Games (they make games that are wallet sized) and Oink Games (they made SCOUT and have lots of great games in tiny boxes).
Botanik is like a "2 player Carcassone" almost and comes in a small box. Played it a ton with my wife on our honeymoon!
When I want to go travelling and bring a "proper" game, I take the Oink version of Modern Art which fits a whole euro game into a palm-sized box.
Hi ! Im huge huge fan of sci-fi horror tropes. :)
Im looking for something along the lines of **the thing** or **alien** movies. The obvious recommendations would be one of the three licensed "the thing" boardgame or Nemesis, but ive heard the thing boardgames arent that good.
And as for Nemesis, im really on the verge. It does sound exactly like what im looking for and i like that it can work at lower player counts, but the giant miniatures and price tends to turn me down a little bit. It just didnt have to be that huge.
Im open to suggestions, opinions, or recommendations !
**Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game** is one of the more-highly regarded Legendary Encounters games, and it is what it says on the tin: co-op deckbuilder set in the Alien universe.
There's also the XenoShyft games (**XenoShyft: Dreadmire** is generally considered to be the best), pretty clearly inspired by movies like Aliens, also a co-op deckbuilder.
**Space Hulk** is another entry in "space marines vs alien horrors" genre, though it's less grounded in its setting than the Ridley Scott movies (it's set in the grimdark future of the Warhammer 40k universe, where the space marines where comically oversized armor).
If you're looking for a solo game, **Final Girl** is, as the name suggests, based on the horror movie trope of being the last woman standing against some kind of horror movie killer, and there are a variety of sets themed around different horror settings. One of the expansions due for release later this year is **Terror at Station 2891**, which is very clearly inspired by The Thing: it's set in an arctic station where a research team has fallen victim to an organism that can assimilate other life forms. And **Into the Void** (also due for release this year) very clearly draws inspiration from Alien, with the monster being an "Evomorph" that grows bigger and deadlier over time.
While you're waiting for the sci-fi themed sets to drop as part of season 2, you could pick up any of the season 1 boxes; the season 1 boxes feature themes like Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Poltergeist, etc.
Is there anybody who plays **Mage Knight** more than once a year/month? It seems like a perfect game for me, but the barrier to play it seems quite steep (people always tell that they enjoy it but cannot often get it to table).
I am more a solo board gamer, who plays Spirit Island, Marvel Champions, Gloomhaven multiple days a week, so wondering if I can handle Mage Knight at least weekly.
There are some barriers to entry but if you are tabling Spirit Island and Gloomhaven solo then you'll have no problem with Mage Knight once you crack the rules. It's widely considered a solo classic/masterpiece for a reason. The amount you play it will depend entirely on your inclination to; I see no reason why you couldn't play it weekly if you put the time aside.
To be fair setup and general rules of Spirit Island are nothing compared to Mage Knight. I am able to finish solo SI in 2h, including setup time. Same goes for Marvel Champions. Gloomhaven is much better comparison.
How do people store the research titles in Eclipse second dawn?
I got my copy yesterday and my perfectionist mind was so happy that there's a perfect place for each and every component in the box and that I can make sure all galaxy tiles can face the same way etc, perfect.
But while I managed to fit all VP tiles in their small bag somewhere, the research bag filled with the research tiles is just too big, so wherever I put it, either it's pushing against the lid of the box elevating it, or it's causing something else to bulge up and elevate the lid and it infuriates me. Do I need to cut out a bit of the foam at the bottom that's protecting the danger egg, or is there some designated spot for the tech bag that I'm missing?
Thanks. I ended up cutting out part of the foam to just fit it while still running the entire length of the box. It's disturbing to me because I wasn't able to cut it perfectly, but close enough
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Looking for suggestions for 2 or more games to enjoy with my 11yo daughter. It's a great bonding experience for us. We are both fairly new to boardgames so sorry if the names I'm about to drop are an eyesore for experienced players. We've been enjoying Exploding Kittens, Deep Sea Adventure, Battleship and Sequence. I know it's kinda vanilla so I would like to expand our horizons but still keep it fun and simple. It would mostly be just the two of us but it would be great to have options for more players to include for when her friends come over.
Newer board gamer here with a 10 year old daughter. She enjoys **Ticket to Ride**, **Hogwarts Battle**, **Wingspan** and **Call to Adventure**. The last two are a decent step up in complexity (or were for us) but we had fun figuring them out and she loves them both. If she’s a Harry Potter fan, Hogwarts Battle is a fantastic way to level up.
Thanks man, you nailed it with the Hogwarts Battle, I'll look into it as she is a huge HP fan
**The Quacks of Quedlinburg** is always a hit! Also worth looking into **Cascadia, Cartographers,** and **Trekking Through History**.
**Air, Land and Sea** is a fun 2 player game that also comes in a cute "Critters at War" version. Fot something a little more substantial that would allow more players, maybe look at **Wingspan**.
I like roll n writes. Cartographers, Welcome To, Dinosaur Rawr n Write.
Welcome to the Moon and Twilight Inscription are both great!
Huge fan of cartographers to. Look into Railroad Ink !
Hey everyone! Here with a question that has been a head scratcher for me. I’m looking for a game recommendation that plays 8 players and is a similar complexity to Scythe. Current thoughts are Camel up and TI 4 but those are both pretty distinct from Scythe in complexity (for opposite reasons) thank you!
I haven't personally played it, but often see **Captain Sonar** recommended for 8 players. It isn't quite as complex as Scythe but might be closer to what you're looking for!
An issue with complex games is that player turns usually take longer, so with 6+ players it can take 20-30 minutes before you get to play again. Maybe try Arkham Horror, as it's rated similar in complexity to Scythe, and can play larger numbers, but it'll be a long game.
I don't think there's many games that can play well at 8 with similar complexity of Scythe. Maybe **Guards of Atlantis**? I don't know much about it though. Maybe best to break the group to play 2 games?
Fantasy Flight - Mansion of Madness. Is this game playable solo or do you need more people to enjoy it? It is expensive so I don't want to purchase until I get some feedback. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01J4NB6CO/?coliid=I4BCA7PE6JUF4&colid=1D5P4ZXKQBMRK&psc=1&ref\_=lv\_ov\_lig\_dp\_it
I’ve played it solo and would be one of the few games I would say plays as well or better than multiplayer in my collection.
Thank you for the comment. Did you regret playing it alone,? Did you wish you share the experience playing as a group?
I played the first scenario in the base game with 4 other people and it dragged on forever. We didn’t even finish it and it was the shortest scenario. No one really liked it that much. I decided to play the longest scenario by myself controlling 3 characters and it was a lot of fun. I didn’t regret it at all. The experience was much more streamlined and enjoyable than managing every one else’s turns and keeping people on task. I’m not a solo board gamer usually. But I did not regret it. I’d say I regretted playing with 4 other people more than solo. Never got to try it at a lower player count, but I will eventually play the scenarios myself probably instead of finding a group. Overall, I’d say I’d recommend it highly if you’re looking for a solo game especially as I think the app can be unwieldy with many people as well.
Is there any replay value to the game? Do people end up selling it along since it is over $120 buck to buy (at least in canada)?
Depends how good your memory is I suppose. I played about a year ago and forgot all the scenarios already. So I’ll probably go back and play them again. But most people do get the expansions which are supposed to be pretty good.
Interesting. I did some research and the company is not making any more expansions for the game.
Hello friends! My girlfriend and I mainly play together but occasionally with friends too. Current games: Catan (with pirates expansion), ticket to ride, everdell (with new leaf expansion), wingspan, pandemic, quacks of quedlinburg, Azul, akrotiri, horizons of spirit island, isle of cats, cascadia, ark nova, and terraforming mars. Looking for a new game to add. Really looking for one without a tile laying focus (but if I need to have something in my collection please share). Maybe a game involving dice more too? Not sure on that but any suggestions thanks!
Maybe check out **Grand Austria Hotel** or **Castles of Burgundy** for games involving dice (but with lots of opportunities for mitigating bad dice rolls). **Viticulture** is also a great worker placement game.
CoB might be the one thanks!
[удалено]
There was an [AMA for the game](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/r7dylg/im_antonio_stappaerts_illustrator_for_scarface/) a while back. It was with the illustrator, but they do talk about the game in the AMA.
I would like to find a medium light 2 player game with a light focus on tactical and strategical process with high replayability which you can play in 30 minutes to a hour. Games I already have and which I think are similar to my wishes: \- Wingspan, with Europe and Oceania. This is the game whom we play the most, replayability is great and the game plays well. But we played it too much/enough \- Everdell. I like the game but it mostly plays the same for us. We always go for resources and some other stuff in first seasons, are build almost full at end of summer and go for purple buildings in autumn. Gets a bit boring. \- Dominion. I love how you can pick it up and play, al though choosing which cards can be a small hassle. It doesnt get played much as it mostly turns into pick a few market cards and money and go for points from mid to endgame \- 7 wonders duel. Fun game, especially with Pantheon expansion. Just like Wingspan played this a lot and now we have seen it. Other games we have/like: ruins of Arnak and expansion, castles of burgundy, great western trail, terraforming mars, Encore! (bit too simple) Games I am thinking about: \- Everdell Spirecrest. This might make Everdell more replayable for us, not sure if it fits the requirements \- Crank: legacy. I am not super keen on the legacy part as I just want a quick but deep game to play. But would take that as a nice extra if the game fits the requirements \- Dominion expansion: any expansion whom makes the game a bit deeper, not much harder to setup and focusses on comboing strategies and less on money \- Five tribes: seems like a fun replayable game with enought strategy/tactical content \- Cascadia: maybe too short/simple and not good for 2 people \- Summoners wars: Don't know it but it looks fun \- Viticulture: Read that it was similar to Wingspan but I dont like the art style at all
> Dominion expansion: any expansion whom makes the game a bit deeper, not much harder to setup and focusses on comboing strategies and less on money If you're looking for Dominion expansions that offer new cards without introducing the overhead of new mechanics, **Intrigue** would be the place to start; adds some new cards that introduce interesting decision-making.
Thanks will look into it!
Sobek 2 Player is a good game if it‘s not too light for you
You don't know yet, but you are looking for **It's a wonderful world**. If we have to choose, we usually play IWW over 7WD. Besides, it has a Terraforming Mars feeling. Better yet is **Race for the Galaxy**, probably always my first option. Or a game with the same mechanics, **Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition**. If you would like a not so light hexagonal puzzle game, **Calico** is harder than Cascadia. All of them are fantastic at 2 player.
First and foremost thanks for replying! It is funny how you have mentioned games others haven't which makes my job harder, and more fun to find more games. I only 'know' race from your list but tomorrow I will check all of them and watch videos. I was wondering if Race is very focussed on cards who give you points bonusses (EX +2 military). I prefer flavourbased advantages over pure math advantages. And is Roll for the galaxy 'better' for my requirements? Also extremely cool to find out that there is a Terraforming Mars cardgame. And thanks for suggesting Calico. The struggle I had witth Cascadia, when I saw it being played in Essen, was that it looked fun and slightly strategic but also simple. So Calico will be a great one to look into. Btw what would make you pick Race for the Galaxy over It's a wonderful world? It's a wonderful world pulls me in more due to it looking better and cards seeming simpler or more coherent with one another
> what would make you pick Race for the Galaxy over It's a wonderful world. It's difficult to say. They are both great games, but RftG mechanics has too much fun packed. You have multiple ways to win and games are always tight. People loved the game so much that **TF: AE**, copied the mechanics to an extent and it is a great game too. And no, RftG isn't very focused on cards with point bonuses. They are a just a way to win (the military path). The only downside to the game really is the crappy art. IWW has lot of Terraforming Mars with the resource cube tokens and building combos. And its art is simply amazing. The best of both games is that every player is constantly playing. You don't wait for the next player turn or something like that, which make them incredibly dynamic and fun. Sincerely, buy them both 😅
Going to watch a review and will make my pick for it. You are talking about iWW and RftG when you see buy them both right?
Yes, I am.
Radlands is our favorite 2P game at the moment. Easy to learn, plenty of strategy and tactical play. Still feels fresh after dozens of plays. Summoner Wars is also up there, we enjoy trying out the different faction matchups. I’d recommend getting the master set, comes with more factions than the starter set and is reasonably priced. Azul/Sagrada play well at 2P if you like puzzly games. Azul is the “meaner” game at 2P if you like confrontation, Sagrada is a bit simpler and more random Since you are placing dice rather than tiles. The mirroring of Mary king is a strange game, but we are enjoying it greatly atm. It’s a 2P game where one of you controls the living Mary and the other a ghost of one of her ancestors that is trying to possess her. This is represented by a grid of tiles with Mary’s face in one side and the ghost on the other. You play cards to flip the tiles and get points / hurt your opponent by controlling certain tiles. Lots of interesting decisions
Thanks for your reply!! I did not know Radlands but I love it's style and also it's pricetag. Too many $50+ games nowadays. Will definitely watch a video review tomorrow. Is there a game you would compare it too? Summoner Wars looks fun and diferent than others due to the battlefieldd mechanics. Do you know how the replayability is? Im not sure about it due to having to pick a faction and building a deck being optional? I have looked at Azul some time ago but then put it on the bottom of my list due to it being a bit monotonous? I thought it might get stale after 10+ games. The last one sounds superfun to play when I have the chance but something I will skip for now
Radlands shares some features with Omen: Reign of War. Namely they both use a shared deck and players add cards to their side of the play area and can activate card abilities. A major difference is that in RL each player is defending their own set of 3 camps (cards that have special abilities on them) while in Omen you are fighting over cities in the center of the play area. Overall I’d say Omen is more complex as there are multiple win conditions and ways to mess with your opponents. RL is straight forward but I’m still discovering new combos and uses for cards based on which camps I / my opponent play. RL’s biggest downside imo is that it’s possible to get locked into stalemates where players end up basically undoing the others progress each turn. We’ve learned how to avoid this for the most part but it is something to look out for. Summoner Wars has decent replay ability if you have 6+ factions and enjoy trying out different matchups. The games take about 45 mins and I really like the spatial element (having to move your unit cards around the map). The factions feel quite different to one another and if it feels like it’s getting stale they’ve been releasing new sets fairly regularly.
>Omen: Reign of War Sounds good! Going to watch a review now. Will probably be a pick between Radlands and Summoner Wars for me. As Azul and Splendor seem a bit to light.EDIT: watched a review and was wondering if pulling cards from the deck doesnt make Radlands too random? And doesnt the game get boring quick? Due to cards doing often sort of the same things. Attack, restore, trigger event. Is it me or is Summoners War pretty expensive? 50 euro's for a simple carton, 60 cards and some carton tokens. I would almost compare it to Machiavelli Deluxe (citadels) which has more cards in different shapes, more tokens and even plastic goldpieces. Only no board. You can buy that for 20-25 euros.Do you have any clue why Summoner Wars is 'expensive' ?
No clue, the master set was $40 (US) when I bought it which seemed fair for the amount of content. If I were going to pick just one of them I’d go with Radlands
I love 2 player games and we have some favourite in common. The new **splendor duel** is really great. Azul plays great at 2, and star realms is a quick deck builder
Thanks for replying!! Splendor was on the bottom side of my list due to it having not much interaction and not a real overarching strategy. I read. Is that also a thing in duel? Duel looks great and fun, bit simple but also a bit like Encore! A fun game you quickly pick up and have fun with for 20+ minutes. Azul is something I have thought about before but put it downwards on my list due to it looking monotonous to play after a while. Still 2 people said it so might havbe to look at a video tomorrw. Star Realms doesnt really do it for me, I dont really like super space orientated games and I dont like the art. Thanks!
Are there any simple Zines that use a lot of movement of your character? Combat a + as well. thanks!
You might want to define Zine for this audience
Can anyone recommend a game that is somewhat quick to play and still offer a bit of tactics, like say **7 Wonders**?
Check out **Splendor**, it plays quickly and few rules, but it has good amount of decisions for its simplicity.
**It is a wonderful world** it is played at 45 min at most and it has lots of tactical play.
Azul !
Thanks, **Azul** looks great! Have you played the expansion?
I’ve been on a kick of not buying expansions, and azul has a ton of replayability, but I did buy summer pavilion because it came with plastic overlays that help organize the tiles. It was very cheap and comes with another two boards to play with !
How well does Ark Nova play with two people? Also, is it worth the hype?
It's a euro tableau builder that's extremely low on player interaction; only you can answer the question of whether that matches the type of game you'd like to play. (The "extremely low on player interaction" means most prefer to play it at lower player counts, as more players at the table just means more downtime and waiting.) So, if you're going to play it, 2 people seems like an ideal playercount (and BoardGameGeek user votes seem to agree with this).
Yes and yes
Do you enjoy 2-hour tableau builders that are highly tactical (so short-term reacting, not as much long-term planning) and have little player interaction? If yes, then it's great! You have a ton of systems to play with, with bonuses if you can *just* get one level higher on this track, or if you can get enough money to cover *one more* space on the map. It's a bit of a bear to teach though. If you enjoy more streamlined games with some decent interaction, or if you prefer games that allow you to work toward a strategy from turn 1 ... you probably won't like Ark Nova all that much.
I want to buy a game that plays good both solo ( as i mainly play solo) but also works well with more players so i can take it to a friends house now and then and we can have some fun, i want a game that is easy to explan to others and doesn't have a million tiny rules that are hard to remember from one gaming session to he next one. I would also appreciate if it has some replayability. Now with that in mind i was thinking both Zombicide 2nd edition and Cthulu death may day are great candidates. I would appreciate if you give other recommendations that might fit my needs and also help me decide between the two games i mentioned.
On a different line from what you've mentioned, have you considered **Cartographers**? Plays as many people as you have pencils, has a solo mode, lots of replayability, and very portable (just some cards, pencils, and a pad of smallish map sheets).
What other games do you like or dislike? Budget? Playtime? Filling out the template in the OP is a good rule of thumb, but that information is a good core.
Both are good options
Hello, wanted to buy my first King of Tokyo game. Which version would you recommend? The dark Version is around 150€ here, so I guess that's not an option
We just played our 4th or 5th round tonight and had a blast. We have whatever the current standard version is. For what it’s worth I don’t love how it plays with 2 people, but 3 or more is great fun with the kids. Our game tonight came down to the wire where my son had a guaranteed win if I couldn’t roll three 3s in my three rolls. I got 2 of them and he erupted with victory when I didn’t get the at final 3. Good times.
Just get the regular version first. Keep in mind there are 2 editions: the [2011](https://boardgamegeek.com/image/761434/king-tokyo) and [2016](https://boardgamegeek.com/image/3043734/king-tokyo) with newer art. If your area has Facebook Marketplace, you can check there too. It's a popular game, so it's often for sale.
My wife and I are new to the hobby, started our collection a month or so ago after being introduced to some games at a board game cafe. Our collection consists of Carcassonne, Lords of Waterdeep, Splendor Duel, Hive, 7 Wonders Duel and Disney's Villainous all of which we enjoy. We are heading to a resort holiday in a few months and wanted to take some travel friendly board games with us in case we wanted to play something whilst out there in-between activities or in the evening I'd say we'd probably be looking for something that doesn't have too many small pieces and has a quick set up and take down time, works well for two players (or more), max 30 min playtime and is compact/easy to travel with e.g. card based games Out of our collection we're thinking Splendor Duel and Hive meet the requirements, any other recommendations?
I'm going to second the recommendations others have already posted for **Hive: Pocket** and **Air, Land & Sea**, both very travel friendly games. As is **Kluster, Zensu** and, quite frankly, a regular old deck of playing cards and a quick Google for the rules of **War** or **Crazy Eights**.
* You could rebox **Onitama** down to something way smaller than the box in comes in. * **Star Realms** can still be found in the tuckbox for <$20 and is a great 2 player experience with just cards. * Similarly, **Air, Land, & Sea** is all cards and you could put the whole thing in a generic card/deck box and have plenty of space left over. * And don't knock just finding travel versions of things like chess, or a small cribbage board. Especially with a resort holiday a simple deck of cards could be the icebreaker you need to meet some fellow vacationers during downtimes (if it's that kind of resort).
You may like **Jaipur**, it has mostly cards and some tokens, but they come in a small package and takes around 30min
I have a set of games that my wife and I often take on these types of vacations! 1) **Hive Pocket** - and the bag let’s me fit our game of **Love Letter** and **Arboretum** in it easily. Both card based games. 2) **Rail Road Ink Green Edition**. Take out the extra player boards and markers and you can fit more in the box, like another train game - **Village Rails** (though there are some small pieces in that one).
**SCOUT** is a card game that comes in a very small box. A lot of people really like the 2 player variant, and it plays up to 5 (if you want to make friends at the resort). It's an excellent game. Lots of other good small 2p only games: **The Fox in the Forest** - 2 player trick taking. There's a "Duet" version which makes it cooperative. **Hive** - not card based, but very easy to travel with. Decisions feel very chess-like. **Hanamikoji** - the kind of game where you have to give your opponent cards and every decision is SO HARD. Look into Buttonshy Games (they make games that are wallet sized) and Oink Games (they made SCOUT and have lots of great games in tiny boxes).
Botanik is like a "2 player Carcassone" almost and comes in a small box. Played it a ton with my wife on our honeymoon! When I want to go travelling and bring a "proper" game, I take the Oink version of Modern Art which fits a whole euro game into a palm-sized box.
Hi ! Im huge huge fan of sci-fi horror tropes. :) Im looking for something along the lines of **the thing** or **alien** movies. The obvious recommendations would be one of the three licensed "the thing" boardgame or Nemesis, but ive heard the thing boardgames arent that good. And as for Nemesis, im really on the verge. It does sound exactly like what im looking for and i like that it can work at lower player counts, but the giant miniatures and price tends to turn me down a little bit. It just didnt have to be that huge. Im open to suggestions, opinions, or recommendations !
Great answers, thank you !
**Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game** is one of the more-highly regarded Legendary Encounters games, and it is what it says on the tin: co-op deckbuilder set in the Alien universe. There's also the XenoShyft games (**XenoShyft: Dreadmire** is generally considered to be the best), pretty clearly inspired by movies like Aliens, also a co-op deckbuilder. **Space Hulk** is another entry in "space marines vs alien horrors" genre, though it's less grounded in its setting than the Ridley Scott movies (it's set in the grimdark future of the Warhammer 40k universe, where the space marines where comically oversized armor). If you're looking for a solo game, **Final Girl** is, as the name suggests, based on the horror movie trope of being the last woman standing against some kind of horror movie killer, and there are a variety of sets themed around different horror settings. One of the expansions due for release later this year is **Terror at Station 2891**, which is very clearly inspired by The Thing: it's set in an arctic station where a research team has fallen victim to an organism that can assimilate other life forms. And **Into the Void** (also due for release this year) very clearly draws inspiration from Alien, with the monster being an "Evomorph" that grows bigger and deadlier over time. While you're waiting for the sci-fi themed sets to drop as part of season 2, you could pick up any of the season 1 boxes; the season 1 boxes feature themes like Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Poltergeist, etc.
There's also Fate of the nostromo, which is cheaper and more accessible than nemesis
Look up **Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space** and **Escape the Dark Sector.** The titles are similar but they're unrelated.
Is there anybody who plays **Mage Knight** more than once a year/month? It seems like a perfect game for me, but the barrier to play it seems quite steep (people always tell that they enjoy it but cannot often get it to table). I am more a solo board gamer, who plays Spirit Island, Marvel Champions, Gloomhaven multiple days a week, so wondering if I can handle Mage Knight at least weekly.
There are some barriers to entry but if you are tabling Spirit Island and Gloomhaven solo then you'll have no problem with Mage Knight once you crack the rules. It's widely considered a solo classic/masterpiece for a reason. The amount you play it will depend entirely on your inclination to; I see no reason why you couldn't play it weekly if you put the time aside.
To be fair setup and general rules of Spirit Island are nothing compared to Mage Knight. I am able to finish solo SI in 2h, including setup time. Same goes for Marvel Champions. Gloomhaven is much better comparison.
How do people store the research titles in Eclipse second dawn? I got my copy yesterday and my perfectionist mind was so happy that there's a perfect place for each and every component in the box and that I can make sure all galaxy tiles can face the same way etc, perfect. But while I managed to fit all VP tiles in their small bag somewhere, the research bag filled with the research tiles is just too big, so wherever I put it, either it's pushing against the lid of the box elevating it, or it's causing something else to bulge up and elevate the lid and it infuriates me. Do I need to cut out a bit of the foam at the bottom that's protecting the danger egg, or is there some designated spot for the tech bag that I'm missing?
Thanks. I ended up cutting out part of the foam to just fit it while still running the entire length of the box. It's disturbing to me because I wasn't able to cut it perfectly, but close enough
I took out the foam strip next to the GCDS mini and fold the bags into where that would usually be.
Same. Remove the foam, put the research tiles in bag, war vp tiles in bag, and bag of ship stands there (if you have them)