Board Gamers?

[KingODuckingham]

I'm a big board game fan, and I don't get to play them enough in real life, even outside of the current quarantine measures. Therefore, many of my board game purchases have been digital, or I have looked into other ways to play board games online, and I thought I'd throw out feelers to see if there were enough people that we could play on, say, boardgamearena, or on one of any number of digital board game apps/programs that are game-specific, or even on tabletop simulator (though I don't know how to use that well, there are few scripts for that game, so you really have to know what you're doing). Boardgamearena has real-time and turn-based options, and so do many other games or ways to play. I am KingODuckingham on any relevant site or game platform. I would love to play board games with friends!

Oh, as a list, in digital format I have the following:
Ascension
Armello
Catan
Isle of Skye
Mystic Vale
Scythe
Small World
Splendor
Terraforming Mars
Ticket to Ride

And more!

[Nessa Saelind]

Oooh I love all versions of Ticket to Ride and I think I played almost all of the versions in RL with a group of friends at cons and meetings of an association I'm a member of! I'd love to have a chance to play it again :-)

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

I enjoy playing board games, though I don't have any digitally. I've played board games digitally over Zoom where one person mans the board and we all play together with video chat enabled.

[Mojo]

My kids really like Ticket to Ride and Splendor. (As do I.)

Two of my personal favorites are Kingdom Builder and Ethnos (with game art done by John Howe so it has a very Tolkien-y feel) but they are better for adults or older kids and not well-suited for young kids.

Some others I'd recommend: Azul, Carcassone, Imhotep, and 7 Wonders.

I don't have any games digitally, but enjoy playing.

[Almarëa Mordollwen]

I too love playing board games! Have never really played online, but am certainly up for learning how. Particularly enjoy strategy and light strategy games, but am up for anything really. Terraforming Mars and Ticket to Ride are both fabulous. :smiley8:

[Nia]

Love Catan! Keep meaning to play Ticket to Ride but so far haven't got round to it and I don't own in.

Agree Carcassonne is also great @Mojo

Sushi Go is also a favourite of mine.

[Lirimaer]

I have no knowledge of these games. At all.

[Fairy Nuff]

I love board games, I play, amongst others:

Catan
Carcassone
Agricola
Mysterium
Ticket to Ride
Coup
Love Letters
7 Wonders
Splendour
Citadels
Dominion

I prefer deck building and worker placement games. I've never played any online.

[Elvheimdros]

I play boardgames, but I don't own many, and don't own any digital.

Online I mostly play chess (gameknot & chess.com) and Diplomacy (primarily playdiplomacy.com), though I also have accounts for Dominion online and Conquer Club (Risk, with variants).

[KingODuckingham]

Dominion has its own site for playing online, but I have not explored it. I know boardgamearena is pretty easy to use and has a decent number of games available, from simple or popular stuff everyone might know (like hearts or chess) to heavy strategy games like Through the Ages and Terra Mystica. It also lets you set up a lobby for just friends, so if you add me you can join a lobby I create.

https://boardgamearena.com/welcome

If people are interested just add me and when we get a few I'll set up a table.

Also, love the game lists and recommendations!

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

Ok, I just made an account there and added you as a friend. What's one more internet thing to eat up my time?

[Almarëa Mordollwen]

I have just attempted to add you as a friend - hope it works!

[KingODuckingham]

I added you guys back, and set up a board for a game I like (although if there's one you like we can set that up too, except I'm not a premium member so our choices are a bit limited)

[Nerwen Nuke-queen]

I added you @KingODuckingham

[Wamba_the_Fool]

Don't forget VASSAL for playing online - wargames abound in the module lists but there are other board and cardgames as well.

Also Humble Bundle has TableTop Simulator at 50% off right now.

[Elvheimdros]

I also joined the boardgamearena - account there is VGhostPDS.

I'll have to check out VASSAL as well at some point.

[Wamba_the_Fool]

I've got Imperial Struggle from GMT coming in the mail soonly... I am quite excited, especially given the changes I've seen from its older sibling Twilight Struggle. My daughter gave me a "play whichever boardgame YOU want" coupon for Father's Day... I've already warned her that Imperial Struggle is my choice, and that accents (French and English) are mandatory! :smiley8:

[Fairy Nuff]

I just joined Board Game Arena too. I am there as Fairy Nuff. I added some of you who I could find. Feel free to add me if I didn't add you :)

[KingODuckingham]

I added everyone I could find. Not sure what game is best to play though! Especially since only premium members can start certain games. I am thinking about going premium, but I'm not for now.

Also, I downloaded VASSAL and I have to admit myself overwhelmed a bit.

[Aethelu]

I signed up too as Aethelu.

I've got a few boardgames at home but the only digital one I have on my laptop is Ticket to Ride.

I got into boardgames from watching Tabletop on YouTube, so most of the games I know or own are the ones featured on there. Sushi Go is a favourite.

[Vorondir]

Vassal and Board Game Arena look like a lot of fun! I've played board and war games on tabletop simulator and I appreciate it a lot, so I might try them.

I love Hell Boy, Battlestar Galactica, Elder Sign, and Cosmic Encounter. The last two I actually got irl, too.

[Aodh Hammerhelm]

My family love board games, I did too, back in the 80s. Risk was a particular favourite and backgammon. Unfortunately my gang are ultra competitive, so more time is spent splitting hairs over rules than playing the game/s. I may send them some of the links provided. It might free up one of the rooms in a crowded COVID house... :smiley10:

[Androthelm]

There's a game I'd nearly forgotten until we dug it out and have been playing like crazy recently. It's called Stratego and it's spectacular.

[KingODuckingham]

I introduced some of my 7th graders to Stratego this past school year (before we closed the doors, obviously) and they LOVED it, I was so happy. Great game.

[Wamba_the_Fool]

If you love Stratego, definitely try Santorini. Great for that age group too, and adults!

[Elvheimdros]

World's greatest boardgame? I'm referring of course to Diplomacy, and with the coronavirus situation being what it is most of the tournaments/cons this year have gone virtual. Next one up is Liberty Cup on Saturday, August 1st, nominally hosted in Philadelphia.

What is it? Diplomacy was conceived as a recreation of the European balance of power tangle in the early 20th century that eventually led to World War I. Its unique rules are moves all being made at once, and those moves being subject to (not necessarily honest) negotiation. If you've never played, here are the rules and one of the better introductory strategy overviews I've seen. If you haven't played online you might want to take a gander at the implementation on Backstabbr, which so far all virtual events have used, beforehand. Organization and communication (the game involves a lot of talking) will be run on Discord but the tournament server's not live yet.

If you're new to the game, I'd strongly suggest only signing up for one round. Because you're talking with people live for hours and essentially role-playing 20th-century European politics, complete with allowed (some would say encouraged) dishonesty, it's a very high-stress experience. (Note: actual role-playing in the persona of a statesman is highly unusual within the Hobby.) However, if you sign up for just the first round (morning on the US east coast) and love it you'll find you're more than welcome to play the second - sign-ups are generally estimates, not expectations.

[Fairy Nuff]

Any of you who have befriended me on Board Game Arena, I have invited you all to a game of Carcassonne, no obligation but will be fun to play with you :)

[KingODuckingham]

I joined, I enjoy Carcassonne, though I have not played with the expansions except I think the one that came with the base game when I bought it.

[Reikon Suchi-ru]

Woe are the three dozen board games sitting on my shelf yearning for a time to be played with friends around a table with beers in hand. Particular favorites are Settlers of Catan, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Dead of Winter, Ex Libris, Tiny Towns, and Star Wars Rebellion. Also have Root, Twilight Imperium, and Star Wars Outer Rim waiting to be played.

[Fairy Nuff]

OOh Dead of Winter is a good one!

I've never heard of Root though?

[Elarith]

Anyone got particular recommendations for co-op / everyone vs the game type games? I have friends who are quite hard core board gamers and we used to have a session most Mondays until lockdown. We prefer co-op stuff. Actually we hadn't long finished Pandemic when Covid hit!

Am also on Boardgamearena as HelenHotChicken (long story!)

[Dimcairien Luiniel]

My roommate and I played Black Orchestra not too long ago. In summary, you're playing as various characters in the Black Orchestra (a conspiracy group in Germany dedicated to assassinating Hitler) and you're trying to just that before WWII is over. The earlier in the game you accomplish your goal, the more people ultimately survive. It's entertaining, logical, and very hard to win.

And yes, it's a you (team) versus the board.

[Reikon Suchi-ru]

@Elarith Dead of Winter is a fantastic co-op game with a betrayal mechanic in that one of the players could secretly be working in cross-purposes with the rest of the group. There isn't a betrayer in every game, though. But in general everyone is trying to survive and help the colony survive. Highly recommended!

@Fairy Nuff Definitely check out some reviews / gameplay videos of Root! It's incredibly well-reviewed and deceptively complex for how cute it looks.

[Winddancer]

Woe are the three dozen board games sitting on my shelf yearning for a time to be played with friends around a table with beers in hand. Particular favorites are Settlers of Catan, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Dead of Winter, Ex Libris, Tiny Towns, and Star Wars Rebellion. Also have Root, Twilight Imperium, and Star Wars Outer Rim waiting to be played.

Tried Twilight Imperium once. 8 hours played and we did NOT finish..

[KingODuckingham]

And that's why it sits on the shelf!

@Elarith I haven't played it but Spirit Island is the top ranked co-operative game I see after Pandemic.

[Winddancer]

Oh and for recommendations for co-op, get a copy of Village Attacks: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/212 ... ge-attacks

YOU play the bad guys who have to defeat the villagers and town heroes! So much fun <3 Also, Naith wrote some of the missions for it :P

[Wamba_the_Fool]

Woe are the three dozen board games sitting on my shelf yearning for a time to be played with friends around a table with beers in hand. Particular favorites are Settlers of Catan, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Dead of Winter, Ex Libris, Tiny Towns, and Star Wars Rebellion. Also have Root, Twilight Imperium, and Star Wars Outer Rim waiting to be played.

Tried Twilight Imperium once. 8 hours played and we did NOT finish..

You can't turtle in that game! You gotta get one-two points a turn 'til you have 7 or 8 and then SWOOP IN for the finish with a 2 or 3 point turn before anyone can stop you! Remember, you don't have to declare secret objectives as soon as you qualify for them (but be careful not to lose your qualification if you delay!).

(TI:3 is one of my favorites of all time. TI:4 is a worthy successor but not so great that I feel obligated to upgrade.)

SW:Rebellion is on my dream-list right now, the wife and I would love to give that a try. Root is good, can get a little bash-the-leader-y for me, but I suppose some of the charm is navigating the tensions around the table so that you're not viewed as the threat before it's too late. (Similar to TI above!) Oh, @Elarith, Root's expansion has an all-against-the-bot mode you can play for co-op fun if you want to try that!

[Winddancer]

Tried SW Rebellion and played the Rebel side. Dont know what I think of it yet, would like to try it 1-2 more times before I make a call on it, but it does seem heavily stacked against the rebels.

[Fairy Nuff]

We never finished Twilight Imperium either, but we did work out half way through that we were interpreting one of the rules wrong, which probably didn't help. We will probably try again as we did enjoy the game once we got the hang of it.

For co-ops, try Shadows Over Camelot - Athurian legend based, lots of mini games in one, lots of fun, and for something a bit different, try Mysterium.

[Elarith]

These recommendations are great guys, thanks all! Friend’s birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks so just in time

[Fairy Nuff]

I thought you all might enjoy seeing my board game shelfies:












Our over-size games like Diplomacy and Civilisation are on top of the wardrobe and I can't reach those.

[Wamba_the_Fool]

I really like that little Star Wars: Empire vs. Rebellion card game. It's very inexpensive and packs a lot of game into a bluffy 1v1 package.

[Winddancer]

Yay @Fairy Nuff you have Village Attacks! :D If you go to their site, you can download more missions and they are written by Naith :D

[Elvheimdros]

@Fairy Nuff I'm curious what Diplomacy set you have that's "over-size"!

[KingODuckingham]

Those are some awesome board game pictures!

[Fairy Nuff]

@Wamba_the_Fool yes, it's perfect to take on holiday too!

@Winddancer I know, it's so cool, I am always boasting to my husband that I know one of the game collaborators!

Ok, to satisfy curiosity for @Elvheimdros , I got the games off the wardrobe to take a photo. I can't get them back up though..they live on my bed now

So here are the rest of my games, including the Diplomacy we can't fit on the normal shelf :)

[Winddancer]

@Fairy Nuff so do I, obviously :P

Ok here is a 2 year old pic of some of ours (obviously 97% is Naith's). Now all the cubbies are filled with games and on top it stacks all the way to the ceiling. And this is only about half of it.. He has loads more that doesnt even fit, they are stacked under the playing table, on more shelves and now spilling out into the front room as well (haha he put most of mine there as most of those he is not that keen on :P )

[Fairy Nuff]

That is an EPIC games shelfie!

[KingODuckingham]

@Fairy Nuff I own that Civilization game but have not played it yet, have you? And if so what was your experience like--worth the estimated time?

@Winddancer Wow I suddenly need WAY MORE GAMES. Also, do I spy some shelves of Pathfinder down there at the bottom?

[Winddancer]

Yep! Those got moved into the living room as he has so many now: