Tabletop Discussion

Birkal

We have the technology.
is a Top Artistis a Top CAP Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnus

TABLETOP GAMING

Hey y'all! This is a discussion for all things board game & tabletop related. They are my newest growing addiction that started almost a decade ago with Settlers of Catan. But through playing games like Dominion, 7 Wonders, Pandemic, Puerto Rico, and many others, I have grown to love this hobby a great deal. If you're new to the concept of tabletop (there are more to board games than Monopoly?), check out this video by online reviewers Shut Up & Sit Down:


This thread can be used for anything related to tabletop, but here's a few topics that could be discussed:​
  • What tabletop games have you played? Which tabletop games do you own?
  • Are you looking for a board game recommendation? If so, post here what you like or don't like, and I'll shoot you a recommendation!
  • If you have a collection of games, take a picture and show off your collection here!
  • Are you backing any tabletop games on Kickstarter? Have you backed any?
  • Interested in playing games with other Smogoners? We could get some of us to meet up on Tabletop Simulator to play games!
 

Pilo

uses walther
is a Smogon Discord Contributor Alumnus
Catan is my jam. I played the game once with some friends at a board game cafe and instantly fell in love with it, I've played it a few times after that and enjoyed each subsequent session. Despite that, I'm not very good at it.

I had previously played stuff like Monopoly and The Game of Life but those games always seemed to be more "the winner has fun at everyone else's expense" than anything else. They can also get incredibly heated which detracts from the overall enjoyment for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BP

Acklow

I am always tired. Don't bother me.
Sentinels of the Multiverse, Boss Monster, Dead of Winter, Bonanza, Sheriff of Nottingham to name a few... General Spoon get in here.
 

Lemonade

WOOPAGGING
is a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Team Rater Alumnusis a Social Media Contributor Alumnusis an Artist Alumnusis a Forum Moderator Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis a Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
My friend has a small collection of some interesting stuff,
LotR: The Board Game
This was quite the challenging game, iirc there were custom die that told you how to advance, and various bad events that basically rekt you every time. There were 3 boards with increasing difficulty, like Shire, middle something, and Mordor. Very cool though, pretty art and stuff.

The Hare and the Tortoise
This a simple racing game with a few extra characters, each with their own perks and stuff. idr the exact details, but basically you receive a card of the character you want to win. You have a hand of cards with the characters on them, and in each round how many of a characters gets played determines how all the characters move. Not much depth, but it's nice and light. Also, the person who says what time it is goes first, which is a nice touch that actually makes sense (instead of other criteria in those dumb party games)

Elder Sign
This is a Lovecraft themed game, iirc you work as a team. Basically there are 9 challenges and each round you pick one, roll die, and hope you can clear it. Obviously there are more factors at play. Not sure what style this game is called, but Star Trek: Five Year Mission is similar.

These are all the games I can think of off the top of my head, there are a few others but those are a bit less interesting.

Also Mystic Vale is pretty cool. It is a card building game, which I guess is an up and coming genre. Pretty similar to deck building I'd say, but cool stuff.
 

P Squared

a great unrecorded history
is a Site Content Manageris a Community Contributoris a Top Contributoris a Top Social Media Contributor Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnus
I LOVE Dominion but it is so expensive, and playing with only one set (aka no expansions) is too boring for me at this point. I also like Ticket to Ride and, in a similar but cuter vein, Takenoko Asmodee.

Also, the person who says what time it is goes first, which is a nice touch that actually makes sense (instead of other criteria in those dumb party games)
The instructions of the card game Love Letter say whoever was most recently on a date gets to go first. This resulted in my friends and I all sitting at the table quietly expecting someone else to start... none of us had ever been on a date.
 

Oglemi

Borf
is a Top Contributoris a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnusis a Top Dedicated Tournament Host Alumnus
The warehouse I work at is actually a distribution center that specializes in like 80% tabletop games and we distribute to solely to mom and pop shops. So I have a couple of insider secrets when it comes to the actual buying part of the games

Tip 1: Never, ever, ever buy a damaged game for anything less than 75% off MSRP. Even minor corner crunches. One of my company's main perks is that we do not ship damaged product, and our product is packed super well so shipping damages are rare. If the shop you are at is selling a damaged game, it is very very likely they got that free as a sample or it was credited if it arrived damaged, or more rarely a customer damaged it and they didn't catch them.

Tip 2: Never buy games from retail outlets like Wal-Mart or Target, they will 100% of the time be cheaper at a mom and pop shop. And those shops will very likely sell you expansions on the cheap or have cool promos to go with it. Not to mention the fact that no one at a Wal-Mart is going to know jack shit what the difference between the different Catans are (there are several).

Tip 3: Always ask the store if they have a demo or game night to see if you like the game before you buy. These games aren't cheap and you want to know if you and your friends are going to want to play more than once. Also helps you know if a game is even meant to be played more than once *cough Time Stories cough*

So ya, I also always get to see the new Pokemon TCG stuff that's coming out a couple weeks before they street which is cool, and if there are damages we usually get to cut them up and I get to sneak a couple cards I know my bf will like :>

I actually don't play tabletop games very often, but obviously being where I work I know which games are the top sellers and what my coworkers and stuff like to play.

My personal favorite game is Betrayal at House on the Hill. Super fun, totally different every time you play, great party game in general if you have a group of people that can focus for about ~45 minutes to an hour, less if they've played before and you don't have to explain everything.
 

Birkal

We have the technology.
is a Top Artistis a Top CAP Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnus
Also Mystic Vale is pretty cool. It is a card building game, which I guess is an up and coming genre. Pretty similar to deck building I'd say, but cool stuff.
Yah yah! My wife and I bought this game about a year ago. It is one of the most played games in our collection. It's a cool variation on deckbuilding that plays relatively fast. I'd love to get the expansions for this (there are three), but they are like MSRP $30 for what is basically more cards. I will wait until they have like a complete pack or something.

Catan is my jam. I played the game once with some friends at a board game cafe and instantly fell in love with it, I've played it a few times after that and enjoyed each subsequent session. Despite that, I'm not very good at it.

I had previously played stuff like Monopoly and The Game of Life but those games always seemed to be more "the winner has fun at everyone else's expense" than anything else. They can also get incredibly heated which detracts from the overall enjoyment for me.
Catan was my introduction to modern board gaming. I've since moved on from it, but there's a lot of great things about this game. To get good at Catan you have to get lucky remember that it's first and foremost a negotiation game, and everything else comes second. If you're not making trades with the people around you, the odds of you winning go down. So don't be afraid to cut a deal even if it isn't completely ideal for you. Making alliances in this game can boost you later down the road.

You should try out some more modern board games too! Ticket to Ride and Dominion are two of the most popular ones, but you can really just search lists of favorite board games and see what all pops out at you. Also, the later expansions of Catan are pretty good and add some extra zest to the game, especially the Explorers and Pirates one.

My personal favorite game is Betrayal at House on the Hill. Super fun, totally different every time you play, great party game in general if you have a group of people that can focus for about ~45 minutes to an hour, less if they've played before and you don't have to explain everything.
I wish that my local store had better pricing. Unfortunately, everything is increased ABOVE MSRP, making it a no-brainer not to buy from them. It's a shame, because I'd like to support their business, but it's almost inexcusable that they charge close to $30 more for a game than MSRP, which is often $20 more than what you can get a game for on Amazon. I recently made an order from CoolStuffInc that should have cost me around $160 for roughly $100, so I feel alright about that. But yeah, usually I just buy from Amazon and search for deals online.

Betrayal is a staple at our house too. We have the expansion, Widow's Walk, which adds in another 50 haunts and provides some mechanics for moving around the house a little easier. One of our favorite games, but in my opinion, you really do need someone to be the "dungeon master" of the rules, meaning someone who knows the rules inside and out and can explain them to the group if they have questions. There are lots of "what if" situations that can arise in this game, and being unfamiliar with the rulebook can make this game way longer than it needs to be. But yah, it's ultra thematic and is always different every time we play.
 

Oglemi

Borf
is a Top Contributoris a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnusis a Top Dedicated Tournament Host Alumnus
CoolStuff is both a supplier and customer of ours so I approve, they usually have some stuff that's hard to find elsewhere and are a main distributor for Quick Simple Fun which has some cool games like Celestia
 

Birkal

We have the technology.
is a Top Artistis a Top CAP Contributoris a Top Smogon Media Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Battle Simulator Admin Alumnusis a Senior Staff Member Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnus
Amazon Tabletop Day Sale

So Amazon is doing its yearly tabletop day sale, and you can pick up some great games at pretty low prices. I recommend Pandemic, Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride: Europe, and 7 Wonders to people who are looking to get into this hobby. All four are on sale! If you have any questions or want a personal recommendation from me, ping me here :) Or let me know what your haul was!

If you are familiar with Dominion, you HAVE to try The Quest for El Dorado. Amazing game that’s a steal at $20.

I own most of the games in this sale, but I snagged a few Exit games and Imhotep!
 

Acklow

I am always tired. Don't bother me.
So since I'm living in Korea, I had a chance to bring only a few ttgs along with me. I did end up picking up a few after moving that I had either imported or brought to me from the States thanks to family visits:

Mysterium

This game plays like Dixit, except with a bit of a twist. Instead of everyone playing to win on their own, in this game, a host hands out dixit-like cards and the goal is to narrow down the murderer who "killed" the host (the host acts as the ghost and the players act as psychics). It's a great game that can have up to 7 players (host included). I brought it because I think its a good way to get students and English Language learners talking in English as they will have to try to communicate with the other people in the group in order to succeed. It's cooperative and fun and it's only as difficult as the host makes it out to be.

Powergrid

I played this game with GeneralSpoon back in the states and I really, really enjoyed this game a lot. Thematically, the game feels like as if Monopoly and Risk had a baby and gave birth to this factory-resource simulator. The goal of the game is to purchase power plants that you obtain through a bidding process that help power your cities with electricity. There's a lot of resource management in the game, but it's very simple and uses very minimal text on the components provided in the box which makes it a very non-speaker friendly game.

Hannabi

This is a simple card game. I actually found a copy here in Korea at a game store in Masan that carried it with the rules in Korean. The game is very simple and I am going to be picking up a few more copies to use in my classroom here. Hannabi is a cooperative game in which you face the cards away from you so that you cannot see what cards you have been dealt but everybody else can. Players work together to build stacks of each color suite from 1-5. It's simple in practice but can be mastered by simply counting cards (which can be valuable if you want to min/max risks). The only information that players can give each other is a single color suite in another player's hand or a set of the same number regardless of the color suite in that other player's hand. This obviously adds to the built in difficulty. The group gets 3 strikes before ending the game, and the game does not award a winner, as the group is cooperatively trying to score the highest amount of points possible.

____

Games I brought with:

Boss Monster

I already mentioned it in this thread, but I own every expansion of this game. The game is purely card based, and as such requires minimal set up but the learning curve can be a bit steep at first. Usually when I'm introducing the game to others it can take a good 20-30 minutes to explain the rules. I usually play this game with other expats, since it's not an English newbie friendly game.

Chocobo Crystal Hunt

This is another simple card game. The artwork and relative theme is based on Final Fantasy's chocobos and involves two ways of play. The first is an old maid-esque game where players take cards from other players hand and try to collect one of four elemental crystals or a six card mix of those four elements (this version of the game can be abused by hoarding chocobos in your hand to create dud draws from other players). The second way uses the same rules as the first but adds a twist where those crystals are used to "defeat" monsters from one of four "dungeon" card stacks. The way to win is the same, but slows the game down a little bit and makes hoarding chocobos in your hand much more difficult. The game is extremely simple and requires little explanation making it an ELL-friendly game.


I am also currently importing Root. I have not played it yet, but after seeing the art style and the rules of the game, it reminded me of Redwall so much so that I felt like it would be a lot of fun to play. If anyone else has had experience playing Root, let me know what you think.
 

Acklow

I am always tired. Don't bother me.
Happy International Tabletop Day!

My Running Boardgame/Cardgame Tier List (games listed are not in particular order other than their respective tiers):

S
-Root (Does not have to include but can include all expansions, especially for 5+ games)
-Rising Sun (Does not have to include but can include all Expansions, especially for 5+ games)
-Power Grid


A
-Chocobo Crystal Hunt
-Secret Hitler
-Dominion
-Arkham Horror: Card Game


B
-Sentinels of the Multiverse (Including all Expansions)
-Boss Monster (Including all Expansions)
-Mysterium
-Bohnanza
-Evolution
-Cover Your Assets


C
-Hannabi
-Dead of Winter
-Sheriff of Nottingham
-Carcassone
-Betrayal at House on the Hill
-Oregon Trail
-Axis and Allies
-Justice League Deck Building Game


D
-Monopoly
-Risk
-Bananagrams
-Rook
-Coup
-Marrying Mr. Darcy
-Apples to Apples


F
-Cards Against Humanity
-Apocrypha (I wasted $100 on this because I thought it looked sorta neat on the store shelf, but after trying it it was boring as heck)


This list is not conclusive and is subject to change (as I add new games and/or raise/lower games in each tier).
 
Last edited:

Oglemi

Borf
is a Top Contributoris a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnusis a Top Dedicated Tournament Host Alumnus
Happy International Tabletop Day!

My Running Boardgame/Cardgame Tier List (games listed are not in particular order other than their respective tiers):

S
-Root (Does not have to include but can include all expansions, especially for 5+ games)
-Rising Sun (Does not have to include but can include all Expansions, especially for 5+ games)
-Power Grid


A
-Chocobo Crystal Hunt
-Secret Hitler
-Dominion
-Arkham Horror: Card Game


B
-Sentinels of the Multiverse (Including all Expansions)
-Boss Monster (Including all Expansions)
-Mysterium
-Bohnanza
-Evolution
-Cover Your Assets


C
-Hannabi
-Dead of Winter
-Sheriff of Nottingham
-Carcassone
-Betrayal at House on the Hill
-Oregon Trail
-Axis and Allies
-Justice League Deck Building Game


D
-Monopoly
-Risk
-Bananagrams
-Rook
-Coup
-Marrying Mr. Darcy
-Apples to Apples


F
-Cards Against Humanity
-Apocrypha (I wasted $100 on this because I thought it looked sorta neat on the store shelf, but after trying it it was boring as heck)


This list is not conclusive and is subject to change (as I add new games and/or raise/lower games in each tier).
Some suggestions for games to try based on what you've played so far (also ask your game store if they have demos or a demo night):

Kingdomino
Planet
Photosynthesis (noticed Blue Orange was missing from your list, these three are all gr8)
Vast (especially if you liked Root, made from the same people, although the games themselves aren't super similar)
Scythe (huge game and can take hours, very expensive, but is way more engaging than, say, Risk)
Tsuro (tile laying + strategy)
Onitama (kinda Chess-like)
 

Surgo

goes to eleven
is a Smogon Discord Contributoris a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Programmer Alumnusis a Top Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnus
I love Betrayal but does anyone else think the expansion Widow's Walk is pretty mediocre? Every haunt we've gotten from there has been some drawn-out or otherwise confusing affair. Nowhere near as tightly written as the original game, and I'd rather play it sans expansion these days.
 

earl

(EVIOLITE COMPATIBLE)
is a Community Contributor
I played Disastles a few months back with some friends. It was a fun and interesting concept (being to build an optimal castle that can withstand “disasters” through connections but also have the most treasure points by the end). According to my friend it was hard to find and order so idk how well it’s known though.
 

Oglemi

Borf
is a Top Contributoris a Tournament Director Alumnusis a Site Content Manager Alumnusis a Community Contributor Alumnusis a Researcher Alumnusis a Tiering Contributor Alumnusis a Top Smogon Media Contributor Alumnusis an Administrator Alumnusis a Top Dedicated Tournament Host Alumnus
I love Betrayal but does anyone else think the expansion Widow's Walk is pretty mediocre? Every haunt we've gotten from there has been some drawn-out or otherwise confusing affair. Nowhere near as tightly written as the original game, and I'd rather play it sans expansion these days.
Widow's Walk was extremely mediocre and very disappointing, considering I LOVED the base game. I was so hyped when it was announced and luckily I didn't have to buy it to try it. It's too bad, there's so much potential there.

Related, don't try Betrayal at Baldur's Gate either unless you're a big D&D fan.
I played Disastles a few months back with some friends. It was a fun and interesting concept (being to build an optimal castle that can withstand “disasters” through connections but also have the most treasure points by the end). According to my friend it was hard to find and order so idk how well it’s known though.
Disastles was a Kickstarter which explains why it may still be hard to find. Some Kickstarters have really "kicked" off (heh) so major distributors (ACD, Alliance, big box stores a la Target/WalMart) picked them up (some recent examples of Kickstarters that made a big run are Rising Sun (from Cool Mini or Not) and Vast (Leder Games)), but most falter out the gate because they don't have a major studio backing them up and therefore the major distributors don't want to take the risk on them, especially if they weren't super impactful at any of the major cons (GenCon, Games Day, etc.).
 

Acklow

I am always tired. Don't bother me.
Some suggestions for games to try based on what you've played so far (also ask your game store if they have demos or a demo night):

Kingdomino
Planet
Photosynthesis (noticed Blue Orange was missing from your list, these three are all gr8)
Vast (especially if you liked Root, made from the same people, although the games themselves aren't super similar)
Scythe (huge game and can take hours, very expensive, but is way more engaging than, say, Risk)
Tsuro (tile laying + strategy)
Onitama (kinda Chess-like)
Tsuro is great. I actually forgot to include it because it’s such a subtle gem.

I played dnd: assault of the giants board game recently and that was a bit entertaining. Oddly enough, I’m not much of a dnd fan (sorrrrrry friends!!!) but this game was nice.
 
Loves board games, but too bad, my country only have monopoly, chutes & ladders, or maybe checkers and chess. But tried Ticket to Ride and Star Realms digitally and even more addicted
 

Acklow

I am always tired. Don't bother me.
Bumping this thread to add that The Captain is Dead is an extremely fun co-op game that is challenging and well-designed.
 
Board games are 'under spoken' rather than under played IMHO. Almost everyone has played Monopoly, Cluedo, Scrabble or similar. Board games are definitely not a niche interest but for most of us I guess it's just something you play with family at Christmas?

Christmas Board Games are as ubiquitous as Die Hard (a Christmas Movie).

These underground board games you speak of are a bit like Heavy Metal. Millions are into them but few mention it. They just get on with enjoying it.

It's not veganism after all. Board gamers aren't compulsive about people knowing their business, I guess.


TABLETOP GAMING

Hey y'all! This is a discussion for all things board game & tabletop related. They are my newest growing addiction that started almost a decade ago with Settlers of Catan. But through playing games like Dominion, 7 Wonders, Pandemic, Puerto Rico, and many others, I have grown to love this hobby a great deal. If you're new to the concept of tabletop (there are more to board games than Monopoly?), check out this video by online reviewers Shut Up & Sit Down:


This thread can be used for anything related to tabletop, but here's a few topics that could be discussed:​
  • What tabletop games have you played? Which tabletop games do you own?
  • Are you looking for a board game recommendation? If so, post here what you like or don't like, and I'll shoot you a recommendation!
  • If you have a collection of games, take a picture and show off your collection here!
  • Are you backing any tabletop games on Kickstarter? Have you backed any?
  • Interested in playing games with other Smogoners? We could get some of us to meet up on Tabletop Simulator to play games!
 

Paulluxx

[Regional Manager of Big Shifu]
is a Community Contributor
Just found out this thread exists. I used to be super into board games but haven’t had a chance to have friends over and not play DND for a little while. My partner and I have been playing Coup at our little middle of the week coffee shop dates and it’s fun to just hang out and do it. If there are any 2 person easy to carry around in a tote bag games to try out Id love to hear back. Or if anybody has any recs for any time my party wants a break from DND.
 
Just found out this thread exists. I used to be super into board games but haven’t had a chance to have friends over and not play DND for a little while. My partner and I have been playing Coup at our little middle of the week coffee shop dates and it’s fun to just hang out and do it. If there are any 2 person easy to carry around in a tote bag games to try out Id love to hear back. Or if anybody has any recs for any time my party wants a break from DND.
For two players at that size I recommend Hanamikoji: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/158600/hanamikoji

It's a fast psychological game where you and your opponent draw these gifts that each go to a specific geisha and you want to win over a majority. The catch is that most of the ways to give gifts involve "fact or fiction" type choices where you group your gifts into piles and your opponent gets to take one before leaving you with the rest. I personally always enjoy the kinds of decisions you have to make; every game feels fresh.

Hive: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2655/hive

It's a well studied chess like abstract strategy game that's been around for a long time. Basically you can either put bugs in play or move them around, trying to surround the enemy queen. You don't even need a board for it and it comes in a pocket edition. The moves are natural and interesting, the game plays pretty fast, there's a lot to love.

Radlands: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/329082/radlands

A dueling card game where both of you play off the same deck. You've each got random camps that represent your life and also have abilities you can activate, directing your strategy. You defend your camps with people and events that you draw from the shared deck, and you can even "junk" your cards for a minor effect if you don't have the resources to do everything you want. I have playmats for this which make the layout easy but without those you can easily fit this in a tote bag. Really well balanced with a great art style to boot.

I've got more but that's a good start I think.
 
Last edited:

Sijih

game show genius
is a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributor
Just found out this thread exists. I used to be super into board games but haven’t had a chance to have friends over and not play DND for a little while. My partner and I have been playing Coup at our little middle of the week coffee shop dates and it’s fun to just hang out and do it. If there are any 2 person easy to carry around in a tote bag games to try out Id love to hear back. Or if anybody has any recs for any time my party wants a break from DND.
i'd recommend getting coup reformation if you don't have it already because I find the inquisitors to be more fun to play with
i've always been a fan of exploding kittens. no thanks is also pretty decent.

i don't know what level of tactical depth you like but you can try cribbage if you're willing to roll with some harder stuff. two player blocus and backgammon are also both pretty fun if you wanna bring a slightly bigger tote.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 1, Guests: 0)

Top