What games would our group love?

March 18, 2008 7:55 PM

What are some good board games from my group of friends?

So in a similar manner to DetonatedManiac, I have a group of friends that love to play board games. As a group we have played Here I Stand and A Game of Thrones plus the two expansion packs. We play Game of Thrones the most consistently, as it is the easiest of the two to note positions and put away for another day. We love A Game of Thrones, but novelty is the spice of life, and we would like to try some new games.

Outside of the group, I have played Axis and Allies and Risk, I also have played some Euro games like Catan and Carcassone, and while great, I too would love to expand my gaming horizons beyond those games. I know that one of our members will be getting Puerto Rico in a few months too.

So what would be some good games to buy and play, especially outside the classic strategy games like Chess and Go? We would probably prefer more limited dice-rolling than Risk and Axis and Allies, but it doesn't have to be chanceless.

To sum up: complicated is fine, moderate to minimal dice-rolling would be good, what games would our group love?

posted by Carillon to grab bag (26 comments total)

Well, I don't know if this is anything like what you're used to playing, but Apples to Apples is pretty much the best game ever. Not really a board game, but it can be anything you want it to be.
posted by lunit at 8:05 PM on March 18, 2008

If you're HP Lovecraft fans, check out Arkham Horror, which manages to be coöperative and yet not unfun.
posted by Electrius at 8:06 PM on March 18, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

boardgamegeek is a great resource. here is their current top games list.

Of the games that are towards the top of the list I have played, I can't think of one that sucked. So it's a good place to start when trying to find a new game. If you want to find a very specific kind of game, the advanced search lets you search by more categories and gameplay types than I knew existed.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 8:10 PM on March 18, 2008

sigh. I just now moused over all your links, and to my great chagrin and embarrassment I noted that you clearly already know about boardgamegeek.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 8:13 PM on March 18, 2008

Roborally.
posted by pompomtom at 8:37 PM on March 18, 2008

previously on ask.me
posted by billtron at 8:39 PM on March 18, 2008

We love Ticket to Ride, and Blokus (limited to four players, though).
posted by dpx.mfx at 8:52 PM on March 18, 2008

Here's some longer, meatier games, which seems like it's your kind of thing:

Roads & Boats. Very fiddly (hard to mark down your location). It's a game of building up a civilization from nothing but three donkeys, some lumber, and a brick. (uh and some geese). Average play time: 2-3 hours.

Through the Ages. A board game version of the Civ computer games. More rewarding on the second or third play than the first. Playable in one long session, but you can pack it up and put it away if you need to.

Iron Dragon. My favorite of the Empire Builder series of crayon rail games, you build a rail network across a fantasy world, and deliver goods back and forth. It's also pretty easy to pack up.

The 18xx series of train / stock games also are well regarded. I don't have any and they're long enough that my regular group doesn't get to them often. There's a lot of them, and which one is best for your group I can't tell. Here's a rundown of a bunch of them.
posted by aubilenon at 8:59 PM on March 18, 2008

Although not a war sim or terribly involved story-wise, Bohnanza was an instant hit with my game group.
posted by GPF at 9:06 PM on March 18, 2008

How many people will typically play?
How long a game are you looking for? 2 hr, 4 hr, more?

Two immediate suggestions:
Tigris and Euphrates
Power Grid

Probably you will enjoy Puerto Rico.

The 18xx games are mathematically a step up in intensity; would your group enjoy that?

Do you like combat, or would you be happy with no combat (though still with chances to screw each other, just not framed as combat)?

Do you like abstract games, or ones with pieces that look like people and a bit more "backstory"?
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:12 PM on March 18, 2008

My friends and I play board games on a fairly regular basis and we always have fun playing Scattergories.
posted by MaryDellamorte at 9:19 PM on March 18, 2008

Seconding Ticket to Ride. I find Power Grid to be a little overcomplicated, but it's fun if you're in the right mood.

Some other suggestions: Manhattan (fast, easy, very competitive) and Infernal Contraption (slower, lots of reading the first couple games, but very satisfying if you like building stuff).
posted by hjo3 at 9:24 PM on March 18, 2008

So we generally play with about three or four, more rarely up to six people.

Any game length really, especially if the game can be written down so we can continue later. It is rare we all have an 8-hour block to play, but we often play a game for an hour every day for instance.

18xx could be fun, one of the group happens to be a math major whereas I am a history major that doesn't know how I could compete in a more math based game.

I prefer combat, but I know that the rest of the group doesn't care, so I guess so long as it is fun, we would play it.

I would say that backstory is preferable (a la Game of Thrones with a whole series of books behind it and Here I Stand with the whole history of the reformation and historical events) but I could foresee that a more abstract game could work, it might not hook us as immediately as something with more backstory.

Oh, and I love boardgamegeek, but I have only played one game on the top ten list, so I didn't really have a reference point for their actual quality.
posted by Carillon at 9:27 PM on March 18, 2008

Munchkin and Illuminati could be an enjoyable change of pace for you guys. They're card games with a lot of humorous text and pictures and dice rolling, however, wins usually come from deception and alliance-making, not the dice. Illuminati is longer and more ponderous. Munchkin is the lighter one.

I previously asked as similar question, albeit for three players specifically, and there's a lot of good suggestions there.
posted by ignignokt at 9:33 PM on March 18, 2008

Ticket to Ride: Europe is absolutely awesome. Carcassonne is also great and has more expansions than you can shake a stick at.

Citadels and Anima are also fantastic, with the latter being especially well suited to 3-4 people.
posted by Nelsormensch at 9:36 PM on March 18, 2008

i love Acquire
posted by dawdle at 10:08 PM on March 18, 2008

A few thoughts off the top of the head -

Heavy (3+ hrs)
18xx (begin with
Civilization+Advanced Civilization (old, out of print but great; not to be confused with the newer "Sid Meier's Civilization")
Diplomacy (heavy potential for bitter fights as a result of this game)

Medium (90 min - 3 hr)
El Grande
History of the World
War of the Ring (Tolkien) is great but only handles 4 players
Age of Mythology
Wallenstein / recently reprinted as Shogun (not to be confused with the old out-of-print game Shogun)
Tigris and Euphrates (beautifully balanced game, a bit abstract but there is combat)
Die Macher?
Caylus (kind of a more-complex Puerto Rico; may go longer than 3 hrs; definitely subject to people getting "analysis paralysis" and so dragging on; no combat)
Power Grid (can go more than 3 hr; logistics; no combat)
Puerto Rico (a nice weight, rules are confusing the first time around but they get clearer)
Zero! (air war with Japan) -- if you like airplanes, Wings of War the card game is very fun
Acquire (economic game, but lighter than the 18xx games)
Viktory (components aren't beautiful, but a good little war game)

Low-medium (usually under 90 min)
Nexus Ops (sci-fi themed war game)
Settlers w/Cities and Knights expansion
Ticket to Ride Europe
Through the Desert (fantastic game)
Citadels (? I haven't played but have heard it heavily recommended; might be a bit heavier than I'm suggesting -- it scales up nicely, being quite good with 5-6 players as I understand it)
Ra (an auction game that is very addictive; pretty abstract, though)
Illuminati (super-vindictive card game about secret societies; cutthroat like Junta)
Anachronism (collectible card game)

Lighter strategy (these feel lighter to me, judgment call between this and the low-medium category - easy to teach even to people who are suspicious of boardgames) -
Carcassonne
Ticket To Ride North America (original TTR)
Bohnanza (very fun, but a lot of luck)
Munchkin (very fun, but a lot of luck - goofy humor)
Alhambra (pretty, mathematically interesting while still having enough luck that non-mathers can hang in)
Blokus (abstract strategy, plays up to 4, very good at drawing in non-gamers)
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:26 PM on March 18, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

oh - up at the beginning under 18xx, I meant to say I can give recommendations for which 18xx to try if you're interested; from what you've said it doesn't sound like your style of game, but take a look on BGG to see
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:43 PM on March 18, 2008

Whenever someone mentions Puerto Rico, I'm obligated to suggest San Juan.
A simplified, 4-player, cards-only version of PR that's easy to pick up and play and very enjoyable.
posted by jozxyqk at 7:32 AM on March 19, 2008

I would like some recommendations for 18xx board games, I don't how well such a game would fit, but I would be more than willing to take a look at some of the good board games.
posted by Carillon at 8:06 AM on March 19, 2008

It can't be said enough: Ticket to Ride: Europe
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:06 AM on March 19, 2008

Shadows over Camelot might be fun (closer to light role playing, with a betrayer element)

About 18xx:
They're set in the 1800s, in an area where companies compete to build railroads. But the trick is, you don't represent a railroad. You represent an individual who starts, buys, manages, sells, (stock in) railroad companies -- you start a company, build its routes, try to get others to buy you out so you can buy a better company etc. So it's a stock market manipulation game.

It's what's called a "perfect information" game, no luck except seating order. So if someone is worse at strategy, they will be pretty decisively beaten in most cases because there's no luck to even things out.

Quickly, because I'm running off, but can answer more q's later if you have them:
18AL -- 18 Alabama would be a good one to start with; it's a "kit game" sold by a private individual - see BGG for details - might not be easy to find right now.
1830 would also be good, might be easier to come by
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:39 AM on March 19, 2008

A truly, truly incredible game is Cosmic Encounter (little known or well known, depending on what circles you travel in).

I don't know if it's currently in print. It's gone through multiple prints, publishers, variations.

My choice would be an Eon edition, with several of the expansion sets. Best artwork, rules, feel.

The complexities are interesting and unusual, and there are no dice.

Possibly available on ebay.


posted by coffeefilter at 12:07 PM on March 19, 2008

LOADED QUESTIONS.
posted by thebellafonte at 1:47 PM on March 19, 2008

Another thought:
Titan, the classic monster fighting boardgame, is being reprinted. For years it's been impossible to get a copy, which is why I didn't mention it, but I was just told it's being reprinted. Sounds like the kind of thing your group might really like.
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:01 PM on March 19, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Seconding Cosmic Encounter, although it's a little short on backstory, the permutations that can be played are truly staggering and fun. Supports up to 6 people, games can take 30 minutes to hours.

Get the Mayfair version that comes with some of the old expansions included, and buy "More Cosmic encounter" if you get through all the aliens in the core set. Unless you like flashy art, then get the Avalon Hill version ( I haven't played that one). Whoop, looks the Mayfair one I have is a collectible, $180 for the set! The Avalon Hill is probably fine then.

Also, there's a flash version of it:
posted by Four Flavors at 4:35 PM on March 25, 2008