Tabletop Gaming?

[metalsonata]

Yes, there are about a million other forums out on the Internet for tabletop gaming discussion, but given how broad and deep your average head-fier's interests are I was shocked to find that there doesn't appear to be a thread already here dedicated to tabletop. Figured there's got to be at least a few tabletop gamers here (or people interested in the idea), and I thought starting a thread on the topic would be the best way to pull them out of the woodwork. So what do you guys think about discussing recent acquisitions or plays, or reviewing games? I think it'd be pretty fun, and I'll go first--hopefully I won't be the last, too.
 
Anyways, my most recent acquisitions are both board game related--the most significant of which was a copy of the collector's edition of Scythe, which I've taken a (poor) picture of all set up:

 
Haven't had a chance to play it yet (and it will be a while yet before I get the chance, though I might have an opportunity to give the solo variant a try this week), but it looks great, the rules seem very strong, and some of the design choices are truly stellar. Very high hopes for this one.
 
My other acquisition was a custom game board from boardgamesmaker.com--specifically a new board for my 'print and play' version of Illya's Dune. I don't have a picture of the new board, but I am *very* happy with it, and will probably order a box from them for the game next. I do have a picture of the game set up with the old board I was using for it, as well as some of its components:
 

 
 The new board looks much the same, albeit a bit smaller, but of considerably higher build quality. 
 
As for games I've played recently:
 

1. Friends and I just lost our third campaign of Kingdom Death: Monster yesterday, and will be starting afresh probably within the month. Great game, albeit very punishing. At least with each campaign loss we've learned a bit more about the game, and I expect we'll get a lot further the next time around.
2. Played Exploding Kittens for the first time--not impressed. Annoys me somewhat that this and Cards Against Humanity are often considered gateway games to tabletop gaming, when neither are particularly good.
3. Played my second game of Dead of Winter (friend's copy). It's a good game, as long as you stick to the short or medium-length main objectives. It unfortunately has a tendency to drag quite a bit, and seems to lack the levels of group coordination that really pulls people together in other cooperative games like Pandemic and Shadows Over Camelot, which means that when it's not your turn, it can be a bit boring. Plus, aren't zombies kind of getting old by this point?
4. Played lots of Monikers. My new favorite party game, and even the people at the table who hate party games still had a blast with it. This is what tabletop newbies interested in social games should be given.

 
What I'm hoping to play soon:
 

1. Survive: Escape from Atlantis!: Actually, I've played a lot of this, but I did just pick up the 5-6 player expansion a month ago and it strikes me as being the sort of game where the more chaotic it gets the better it'll be.
2. Cosmic Encounter: My regular board gaming group hates this game without even having ever played it. I guess they just don't like the box art or the theme--they think it looks and sounds boring. If only I could get them to play it and prove to them how wrong they are!
3. Mage Knight: Going to be playing this for the first time in a few days and I'm very much looking forward to it.
4. Dungeons & Dragons: A few of my friends who have never played a tabletop RPG want to give it a shot, and I told them I can run a little mini-campaign for them if they're seriously interested. Probably won't actually be using a D&D ruleset, but will likely be using a derivative, like Lamentations of the Flame Princess or Dungeon Crawl Classics. No time frame on this one yet, but I should probably at least brush up on the rules and try to develop an adventure that can be completed in about five hours.

 

[WraithApe]

Good thread @metalsonata! I used to be a Games Workshop nut as a kid - Warhammer, 40K, Blood Bowl, Space Hulk - but haven't done any of that for many a year now. Also RPGs; TMNT, AD&D and Call of Cthulu were firm faves. Again, not played any for a long time. Still into board games though. You might consider it a bit entry level, but we're hooked on Elder Sign at the moment. In the main game it's too easy to defeat Cthulu - I don't think we ever lost - but the expansion packs make it a lot more challenging: Unseen Forces and Gates of Arkham. The latter is crazy hard! Played it three times now and failed miserably every time. It probably doesn't help that the monster we picked to fight was Yog-Sothoth two times out of three. I doubt there's a harder foe in the game.
 
Actually had some fun playing Cards Against Humanity - I get what you're saying, it's hardly the most sophisticated of games, but after a few beers it got some good laughs. Not something you can play sober I don't think.
 
I also enjoyed playing Betrayal at House on the Hill at a recent board games meet up. It's quite ingenious and will definitely appeal if you like haunted house / horror themed games.

 

[metalsonata]

Originally Posted by WraithApe /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Good thread @metalsonata! I used to be a Games Workshop nut as a kid - Warhammer, 40K, Blood Bowl, Space Hulk - but haven't done any of that for many a year now. Also RPGs; TMNT, AD&D and Call of Cthulu were firm faves. Again, not played any for a long time. Still into board games though. You might consider it a bit entry level, but we're hooked on Elder Sign at the moment. In the main game it's too easy to defeat Cthulu - I don't think we ever lost - but the expansion packs make it a lot more challenging: Unseen Forces and Gates of Arkham. The latter is crazy hard! Played it three times now and failed miserably every time. It probably doesn't help that the monster we picked to fight was Yog-Sothoth two times out of three. I doubt there's a harder foe in the game.
 
Actually had some fun playing Cards Against Humanity - I get what you're saying, it's hardly the most sophisticated of games, but after a few beers it got some good laughs. Not something you can play sober I don't think.
 
I also enjoyed playing Betrayal at House on the Hill at a recent board games meet up. It's quite ingenious and will definitely appeal if you like haunted house / horror themed games.

 
Did you see that they are bringing Blood Bowl back next year, along with some of their other long-out-of-print classics, like Necromunda? I plan on diving in, for sure. I think GW is finally wising up to how big of a deal board gaming has become recently and are gearing up to do something about it (assuming their support for their new Warhammer Quest game means anything). And I've been eyeing copies of Space Hulk for purchase recently--pretty sure one of my friends and I could have a mad time with it.
 
I like entry-level games just fine, I'm just a stickler for mechanics. Which is why games like Cards Against Humanity don't do anything for me--it's basically just a joke-generator where the game itself does the heavy lifting, not the players--pretty much the opposite of Monikers. I figure if a game doesn't task you with being either strategic or creative (or both, ideally), then you might as well just be playing slots at a casino. And I know people always defend it by saying that you've gotta play to the people you're playing with, but in my experience at any given time you only have one or two good combinations in your hand anyways, which doesn't exactly lend itself to making meaningful plays.
 
You know, haunted house type games are one of those genres I just never got into--the one I always really wanted to try was Mansions of Madness, but the new edition of that is all app-driven, which I've got mixed feelings about. I've seen Betrayal at House on the Hill played and it looked good; I just haven't prodded it any further. As for cooperative Lovecraftian games--I feel like my collection needs at least one of them, but there are so many out there that choosing just one is difficult. I have heard good things about Elder Signs and have enjoyed Eldritch Horror in the past, but now Fantasy Flight has a new LCG coming out soon that's yet another option, and I've always been curious about collaborative card games (wanted to get into the Lord of the Rings one but never did--guess it's not too late though). Do you have any experience with Eldritch Horror? If so, which do you like better, that or Elder Signs?
 
Edit: Oh yeah, and I played the solitaire-mode of Scythe and found it to be pretty intriguing. Basically it all revolves around very clever 'AI' cards that are like miniature little programs that you just follow through step-by-step to resolve your opponents' turn. The cards streamline all of the play mechanics for human players and just simulate their consequences, which almost entirely removes bookkeeping for the AI opponent. Would love to see more games ship with something like this, as of course the most difficult thing about being a tabletop gamer foremost is that actually getting people together to game with you can be an immense challenge, which means that most of your hobby time is just spent gazing longingly at your collection and wishing you could play with it more often.

 

[WraithApe]

Interesting news on GW, I wasn't aware of that. I must admit though, most of the appeal of GW for me lay in citadel miniatures - I was an avid painter of miniatures back in the day, until I graduated to proper painting (on canvas), then never really looked back! Space Hulk is the one game I'd really like to revisit though, so I might pick up an old set on eBay or something, assuming it's long OOP now.
 
Eldritch Horror is certainly on my radar - and in fact it's on me to buy a copy, since one of my friends has invested in Elder Sign and all the expansions. From what I understand, Eldritch Horror is an intermediate level FF game, between Elder Sign and Arkham Horror. The latter is supposed to be pretty hardcore - think I might have to work my way up to it by way of Eldritch Horror! Unlike Elder Sign, which involves a lot of dice rolling, I understand Eldritch Horror is purely card-based. If you haven't played any of them, I'd probably go for Elder Sign for a start as it does have a pretty compelling single-player mode so you don't need to wait for a gathering of friends when you're itching for a game.
 
Another card-based game we've played quite a lot is Splendor - the rules of play are simple, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of strategy on the face of it but it's surprisingly addictive! I'd definitely recommend looking into Betrayal at the House on the Hill if you get chance. I particularly like the fact that the floor plan is built up as you go along - makes for an almost cinemtatic experience (if you use a good dollop of imagination!) and the way that one character becomes the traitor, but with 50 different betrayal scenarios, each with its own set of rules, is a really neat idea.
 
I like the pic of your Scythe setup - you should post more pics when you get chance. That's a game I've not heard of before; I'll have to investigate. Like you said though, there's so much choice now and there does seem to be a resurgence in the popularity the board game. Maybe the remoteness and anonymity of online gaming has made people yearn for real life interaction and the simplicity of sitting around a table playing a game together.

 

[metalsonata]

  Interesting news on GW, I wasn't aware of that. I must admit though, most of the appeal of GW for me lay in citadel miniatures - I was an avid painter of miniatures back in the day, until I graduated to proper painting (on canvas), then never really looked back! Space Hulk is the one game I'd really like to revisit though, so I might pick up an old set on eBay or something, assuming it's long OOP now.
 
Eldritch Horror is certainly on my radar - and in fact it's on me to buy a copy, since one of my friends has invested in Elder Sign and all the expansions. From what I understand, Eldritch Horror is an intermediate level FF game, between Elder Sign and Arkham Horror. The latter is supposed to be pretty hardcore - think I might have to work my way up to it by way of Eldritch Horror! Unlike Elder Sign, which involves a lot of dice rolling, I understand Eldritch Horror is purely card-based. If you haven't played any of them, I'd probably go for Elder Sign for a start as it does have a pretty compelling single-player mode so you don't need to wait for a gathering of friends when you're itching for a game.
 
Another card-based game we've played quite a lot is Splendor - the rules of play are simple, and there doesn't seem to be a lot of strategy on the face of it but it's surprisingly addictive! I'd definitely recommend looking into Betrayal at the House on the Hill if you get chance. I particularly like the fact that the floor plan is built up as you go along - makes for an almost cinemtatic experience (if you use a good dollop of imagination!) and the way that one character becomes the traitor, but with 50 different betrayal scenarios, each with its own set of rules, is a really neat idea.
 
I like the pic of your Scythe setup - you should post more pics when you get chance. That's a game I've not heard of before; I'll have to investigate. Like you said though, there's so much choice now and there does seem to be a resurgence in the popularity the board game. Maybe the remoteness and anonymity of online gaming has made people yearn for real life interaction and the simplicity of sitting around a table playing a game together.

I've never gotten into miniature painting, primarily because I know that if I did then I'd have to paint all the miniatures in my collection, which would be a colossal time sink. Just assembling minis and clipping counters (for wargaming) is enough for me--it's rare that I don't have one or the other to do, and in those rare moments of time when I am all caught up on both I splurge on Lego sets and assemble those instead, lol. But maybe when I'm retired someday I'll finally get around to doing some painting. As for Space Hulk, it is indeed out of print, though it was reprinted just a couple years ago and can still be bought new for fairly reasonable prices ($125-$200ish).
 
I have played Arkham Horror, and personally think that Eldritch Horror renders it completely unnecessary. It is more hardcore yes, but that's mostly due to rules-bloat that I don't really think adds anything other than play-time. Mechanically they're both extremely similar, it's just that Eldritch Horror is far more streamlined. I guess if one wanted an insane expansion-crazed all-day Fantasy Flight *experience* Arkham Horror would have the edge over Eldritch, but frankly, if I do want to spend all day with a mad Fantasy Flight game I'd rather do it with something like Twilight Imperium or the evergreen Talisman. Just my two cents. I'll certainly need to give Elder Signs a closer look though, because it sounds like that might be more my regular group's speed. Though I might wait for the new card game to come out first and then compare the two.
 
Splendor is a very nice game that for some reason my regular group doesn't care for. I think they tend to gravitate either towards more heavily themed games or featherweight Euros, which drives me a little batty, but hey, you have to work with what (who) you've got lol. I will certainly give Betrayal another look--I feel like my group might get a kick out of it.
 
Scythe technically I don't think is out for retail yet--it was a Kickstarter game, and I managed to snag a copy from an early backer. I do think it has potential to become one of my favorite strategy games, and probably my favorite solitaire strategy game. Hoping to get it to the table with actual people sometime in the next month or two and I'll get back to you when I do--I've been looking for a Game of Thrones or Dune killer for a little while, and while Scythe unfortunately has almost none of the tenuous alliance-building and political backstabbing that the latter two do, I think it might make for just a better area-control/economic-engine building game. And indeed, whenever I get a new board game I always take the time to set it up just so that I can see all the components and how it looks/fits on the table--will try and remember to snap pictures while I'm at it. 
 
I do think that playing games with people in the same room is a big chunk of the appeal. With couch co-op or vs. basically extinct in video gaming these days I feel like there's a real yearning for just getting together with friends, eating pizza, drinking beer, and playing a fun game together--which is something that video games used to do more than they do now. I think the other part of it is the physicality of the experience--it's fun to roll dice and fiddle with board game bits and look under the couch for errant pieces, and it's funny when the analog experience betrays you, like when you make a decision based on incomplete information because actually a component that you didn't account for was tucked away out of sight behind a fat stack of cards or something. The whole thing has a more slipshod feel, like it's all barely being held together, which makes more room for actual conversation alongside the game playing.

 

[joe]

Betrayal on House on the Hill is one of my favorites that I don't own. I believe there was an expansion recently announced, s I need to get my hands on a copy of the base game and said expansion. I wanted to at GenCon, but WOTC wasn't in attendance.
 
In regard to Elder Sign, @WraithApe, it's a popular game in my house. We love the Unseen Forces expansion, but we're mixed on Gates of Arkham. There's another expansion out there too for it, but I haven't gotten my hands on it as of yet.
 
@metalsonata, I'm mixed as well on Mansions of Madness' new app-driven version. I can't seem to justify it (although, I'll download the app to see if I can houserule a way to use it without buying a whole new copy. I don't play it enough to justify the cost, and admittedly, the Keeper role is one I enjoy.
 
Since you guys touched on Dungeons and Dragons, I'm a D&D 5e guy. I hadn't played D&D since AD&D 2nd edition, and this new version is fantastic. It's pretty solid, in my opinion, allowing the rules to get out of the way when needed.
 
Other popular games in our house: Ticket to Ride, Witch of Salem, Quarriors, Castle Panic, and (for old-school guys) HeroQuest.

 

[metalsonata]

  Betrayal on House on the Hill is one of my favorites that I don't own. I believe there was an expansion recently announced, s I need to get my hands on a copy of the base game and said expansion. I wanted to at GenCon, but WOTC wasn't in attendance.
 
In regard to Elder Sign, @WraithApe, it's a popular game in my house. We love the Unseen Forces expansion, but we're mixed on Gates of Arkham. There's another expansion out there too for it, but I haven't gotten my hands on it as of yet.
 
@metalsonata, I'm mixed as well on Mansions of Madness' new app-driven version. I can't seem to justify it (although, I'll download the app to see if I can houserule a way to use it without buying a whole new copy. I don't play it enough to justify the cost, and admittedly, the Keeper role is one I enjoy.
 
Since you guys touched on Dungeons and Dragons, I'm a D&D 5e guy. I hadn't played D&D since AD&D 2nd edition, and this new version is fantastic. It's pretty solid, in my opinion, allowing the rules to get out of the way when needed.
 
Other popular games in our house: Ticket to Ride, Witch of Salem, Quarriors, Castle Panic, and (for old-school guys) HeroQuest.

Did you go to GenCon? Jealous. I've always wanted to go, but it's never worked out. Boggles the mind a bit that WotC wouldn't make an appearance.
 
Yep, I'm not 100% opposed to apps being used to supplement board games or anything, but when they take the role of an actual player and are required to play the game then I do have a problem with it. I can see their appeal when it comes to solo gaming, however.
 
I've poked around with 5th edition a bit and like what I see. I think it's a major improvement over 4th and 3rd, at any rate. Basic D&D is still where I primarily live, though I do have a fondness for 2nd edition. I'm going to stick with basic (or a roughly equivalent retroclone) for my group of first-timers, but eventually would like to get comfortable enough with 5th to give that a shot, or take them on a spin through an entirely different system instead, like something based on the Apocalypse World or Burning Wheel rulesets. And I'd love to get Call of Cthulhu to the table someday, as well.
 
HeroQuest. Man that brings back memories. I assume HeroQuest has aged well if it's still getting play with your group? Worried about picking it up and getting past the nostalgia only to find that maybe it's not nearly as great as I remember it being. Been looking for a copy of it nonetheless in decent shape that doesn't break the bank, but not a whole lot of luck fulfilling both criteria thus far. Ditto Warhammer Quest and Space Crusade.

 

[joe]

Yeah, I went to GenCon. A friend of mine actually developed his own offshoot of HeroQuest (tentatively calling it HeroQuest Prime), and I got to play it at GenCon. It was a blast.
 
And have you seen this?
 

​

 
I got to play a Savage Worlds one-shot themed as "The Goonies meets the Ghostbusters", and it was brilliant. It was a great way to get into that ruleset. I also got my first sampling of Fate.

 

[WraithApe]

Slightly OT, but I remember playing a game called Hero's Quest on the Atari ST. When the board game HeroQuest was adapted for computers, Sierra were forced to change the name of their game to Quest For Glory. That was a good single player RPG for its day... 16-bit era 

 
I've also played a lot of Ticket To Ride, @joe - I particularly like the Nordic Countries expansion, where you have to blast your way through mountains to make the train tracks. It's a game where you wouldn't think there's much strategy, but the same folks keep winning so I guess they have a plan! I'm not very good at it myself, but that whole railroad tycoon thing quite appeals.

 

[joe]

If you like Ticket to Ride, @WraithApe, check out Trains. It's like TTR but adds a deck-building mechanic. It's good fun.

 

[joe]

 
HeroQuest. Man that brings back memories. I assume HeroQuest has aged well if it's still getting play with your group? Worried about picking it up and getting past the nostalgia only to find that maybe it's not nearly as great as I remember it being. Been looking for a copy of it nonetheless in decent shape that doesn't break the bank, but not a whole lot of luck fulfilling both criteria thus far. Ditto Warhammer Quest and Space Crusade.

 
I've had to add a few house rules, but we take it very much like a beer and pretzels game.. We don't take it too seriously, and we only play it with a specific group, but it's still fun for us. I tend to paint minis and such, so I get to use them a lot more in HQ than say D&D (which I tend to play on Roll20.) I picked up Advanced HeroQuest a couple years ago, and I don't know if we'll get to it anytime soon, but it keeps the collector in me happy.

 

[metalsonata]

   
I've had to add a few house rules, but we take it very much like a beer and pretzels game.. We don't take it too seriously, and we only play it with a specific group, but it's still fun for us. I tend to paint minis and such, so I get to use them a lot more in HQ than say D&D (which I tend to play on Roll20.) I picked up Advanced HeroQuest a couple years ago, and I don't know if we'll get to it anytime soon, but it keeps the collector in me happy.

 
That's good to hear, as pretty much every fantasy board game from that era that we all took pretty seriously as kids have become 'beer and pretzels' games as adults (Wiz-War, DungeonQuest, and Talisman spring to mind). They're still fun, even if their flaws are far more visible and even if their fun just as often devolves into frustration. I'm also quite certain that HeroQuest remains to this day the best looking dungeon crawler ever made. 
 

 
And have you seen this?

 
I have indeed. Annoyed that he has three copies of HeroQuest and I have none. Dude needs to share his wealth.
 

  Slightly OT, but I remember playing a game called Hero's Quest on the Atari ST. When the board game HeroQuest was adapted for computers, Sierra were forced to change the name of their game to Quest For Glory. That was a good single player RPG for its day... 16-bit era 

 
I remember both HeroQuest and Quest for Glory with fondness. 
 

  If you like Ticket to Ride, @WraithApe, check out Trains. It's like TTR but adds a deck-building mechanic. It's good fun.

 
Trains is indeed a great game. Only played it once, but it is without doubt one of the best train games I've ever played, and would very much like to play it more.

 

[metalsonata]

Played a few games yesterday--Scythe with two players, Euphoria with two players, A Game of Thrones Card Game with two players, and Mage Knight with four. My favorite experience of the day was easily Scythe--both of us agreed that in spite of its daunting appearance it played extremely easily (with player turns rarely lasting over a minute, so that there's almost no downtime), and we managed to finish it in less than an hour and a half (including the rules explanation!)--a major accomplishment for a game that many have argued is a actually a 4X game. We can't wait to play it with 4 or 5, or even 7 when the expansion comes out. With the exception of Mage Knight, the others I've played before. Euphoria is a fantastic little worker-placement puzzle, and Game of Thrones is a decent card game, though I wouldn't put it on the same pinnacle as Android: Netrunner. Mage Knight I've not played and have been very much looking forward to... but in practice I found it more frustrating than fun. I feel like the game limits you in some very annoying ways, which honestly, just isn't that much fun in a fantasy board game where you're supposed to be a powerful hero rampaging across the countryside. Even in games where player death is extremely common and you're far more at the whims of cruel random chance (Talisman) you at least feel like you're capable of accomplishing something, whereas in Mage Knight it all comes down to how good your hand is. But with several major actions that you can take governed by several major card types and a starting hand limit of only 5 cards, most turns you can't do much of anything. I would have much rather had the game's movement governed by a silly roll-and-move mechanic than by playing cards--would have sped up the game considerably and given it a bit more of the casual fantasy feel I guess I was looking for from it. That said, I'd like to play it again after familiarizing myself with the tiles and cards more, as I feel like a big part of the problem was there was just too much going on and I didn't know what half of the spots on tiles could do for me, which led to me exclaiming frequently throughout the game, 'Wait, I didn't know you could do that?!?!' All that said, I still came second, so I must have been doing something right.

 

[metalsonata]

Guys play anything good recently? Finally got Cosmic Encounter to an enthusiastic table, and it was a roaring success. And here's a recent picture of my copy of Talisman; still one of my favorite board designs of all time. 
 

 

[WraithApe]

Picked up Eldritch Horror last week but haven't had chance to play it yet as I've been away at a film festival for the last 5 days (see movie thread!). I'll post a pic when I finally get chance to set it up. Never heard of Talisman before you mentioned it, but looks nice!