Board Games

"Carcassonne" was a revelation when I discovered it a few years ago. It's great because it's very accessible to a variety of ages, very intuitive.

I've since acquired "Ticket to Ride" (Europe edition) that's also a lot of fun as well as "Settler's of Catan" which is great but playing with my kids can be difficult as they hate the perceived vindictiveness when using the robber.

Lately I've got "Dominion" and that's absolutely fantastic; really loving it's gameplay and endless variety. One good thing about this game is that (once players know what they're doing) games can be over in about half an hour.

I'm now considering games such as "Puerto Rico" and "Agricola" that are apparently regarded very highly.
 
I like both Puerto Rico and Agricola, but both are a step more complex than Settlers or Dominion. Not ridiculously so (Agricola has loads of pieces, but the rules aren't that hard), but enough that you'll notice. We got Ticket To Ride India/Switzerland (We've had America for several years) over Christmas and have been playing that a lot.

Pandemic is great because it's co-operative - the players against the game - and has a good mechanic. In a similarish vein to Ticket To Ride is a game called "Thurn And Taxis", which is about building post-offices in Germany. Not complicated to learn or long to play.
 
I played Puerto Rico several months back at board game night and thought it was great, the mechanics are very smooth and I'm not surprised it is a classic. It is certainly heavier in terms of gameplay. It will seem very complex at first but once a few rounds have been played it is actually very simple. I've not played Agricola but it is also very highly regarded.
I don't think either will compare with the simplicity and easy flow of Dominion, it is a very straight forward game mechanic.
My wife doesn't like Carcassonne so we haven't played it much, I really like Dixit (its a sort of story telling game) it works well and is a short (ish) game.
I've not seen Thurn and Taxis but it sounds interesting.
 
Another with a fairly straight forward game mechanic that I enjoy is Kingdom Builder. Modular map and random victory points system mean that it has immense replayability.

Carcasonne is on my wishlist and I've also heard good things about Agricola and Puerto Rico.
 
For three seasons of HBO's Game of Thrones, my friends and I gather to play Dominion (our own game of thrones), eat dinner, and watch the show... and then play more Dominion. Once you know how to play, the game just flies along while we tell lies... I mean stories. It's a blast!

I bought it for my nephew's thirteenth birthday... and he loves it.

One of my friends told me yesterday that he's now hooked on Agricola.

Like any game, the system needs to be easily understandable, intriguing to play, and have a solidly measurable goal.... but it's probably only as fun as your playing partners.
 
Do you guys get the expansion sets for the games you play?

I have the "Inns and Cathedrals" expansion for "Carcassonne" and that gives you a few more interesting pieces that allow for filling in gaps previously impossible!

I also have the "Seafarers" expansion for "Settlers of Catan" that allows you to have multiple islands (with the ability to connect sea routes between them) and adds a lot more variety in terms of the map.

Has anyone tried any of the expansion sets for "Dominion"? I am considering getting one but don't know which...I would prefer one that doesn't change the game mechanics too much, just adds more variety in terms of kingdom cards available.
 
I don't yet have any expansions for my games, but I am looking at Dominion.
I like the look of Dominion Prosperity, as it gives greater money (platinum) and estates (colony) but I think it brings in an extra mechanic to do with coins.
The first expansion for Dominion as Intrigue is voted as better than the base set on Board Game Geek. there are quite a few but I've not got one yet. If you do get one I'd like to know which, and how it played.

Oh, I told a lie, I do have an expansion for Pandemic, on the brink, which includes a 5th disease and extra roles and virulent strain cards, there is a different role that someone can play as a bioterrorist, but we haven't tried it yet.
 
Fried Egg said:
Do you guys get the expansion sets for the games you play?
Click to expand...

In some cases. I've gotten Ticket to Ride Asia, two nice additional boards. Picked up the expansion for Kingdom Builder but haven't had the chance to play it. Bought it because it has the rules and peices for a fifth player. Got the expansion for Starfarers of Catan for the same reason.
 
Picked up Pandemic last month and we've enjoyed getting to grips with its tactics and cooperative strategies. Really good fun and the expansions sound fun too :)
 
Dominion expansions in order of release date...

Intrigue: (25 new action cards) Leads to cutthroat actions and negotiations. Really varies the effects of abilities of cards during action phase. New ways to get VP. If you want to laugh, grimace, and actually interact with your friends, then this is the expansion. It's Game of Thrones in a box.
Seaside: (25) Slows down the game due to persisting effects.... you must concentrate on game, so less chatting... but it has some really powerful cards. There are also coin and embargo tokens... you start managing stats.
Alchemy: (12) Introduces new potion currency. Can take longer to build effective deck. I don't like it at all, even though it has lots of plus action cards. If you play from multiple expansions, then Alchemy gets really watered down. I think it should only be played by itself or with the base game.
Prosperity: (25) Money, money, money. Congratulations, you're a Lannister. Higher denomination currency and VP. Winning player might have quadruple the VPs of base game. A fast and fortunate player may find him/herself gaining a huge economic lead... but this can be offset by Thief and other attack/trash actions.
Cornucopia: (13) I've never played it.
Hinterlands: (26) Buy phase (gain card) abilities are increased.
Dark Ages: (the internet says 35, but I think there might be more, I dont' remember) Lots of attacks and trash triggered abilities. It's complete anarchy.
Guilds: (13) I've not played it.

Fried Egg, I would strongly recommend Intrigue as your first expansion. Prosperity and Seaside introduce powerful cards and change the basic rules. They're fun, but they don't sound like what you want. Alchemy is a different animal altogether... In over a hundred games, I've only ever seen one person win by using Alchemy cards instead of Base or other expansion cards. Intrigue introduces enough trickery to be fun, but probably Dark Ages is... well, the Dark Ages... it can devolve into utter chaos.

So my friends and I draw from more than 170 action cards when we play. I cannot remember them all. I don't know what all of them do. Some have gain abilities, some attack, some defend, some trash cards, some steal, some give cards, some have abilities that endure for a turn, some give VP... What I'm saying is, you need to play with people you like and trust. Due to the speed of play, chatting, and reshuffling decks, it would be very easy for an unscrupulous player to cheat. And a person who cheats his friends over a parlor game is a total loser. With that being said, mistakes are inevitably made...

"Last turn, I forgot to get my copper from my Madman... Can I do it now?"

"After Thief, I'll play my Village... +2 actions... Wait! I needed to play my Village and then my Thief... Can I back up?"

"How can you still have five cards? I played Militia, you idiot!"

"Stop! Why are you drawing? It's not your turn... oh, I played Council Room... I forgot. Okay, everyone gets to draw a card. Doh!"

"You cannot Remodel a Silver into a Gold because the cost is three more. You played Remodel, it allows you to trade in for a cost of only two."
 
Thanks for the advice Boaz, Intrigue does look like the way to go...
 
Anyone played "7 Wonders"? Sounds like a good, fast paced game for up to seven players...
 
I've not played it, but it was on my list for Christmas (sadly I didn't get it)
It has good reviews on both Dice tower and Board Game Geek, so I expect it is a very good game.

I just checked and it is the number 1 ranked family game on BGG
It is number 18 in the over ranking, so it scores very highly.
I might keep an eye out for a copy, though I suppose I should play it first at board game night.
 
I just bought it and had my first game last night (with my kids aged 8 and 11). Went quite well although there is a bit of a learning curve...mainly because there are so many different ways to score victory points. Definitely one you need to play a few times before you can understand how to formulate a strategy...
 
This week I got to try Power Grid. I had been looking for a chance to play it and it is not high on my wishlist. The gameplay starts simple but builds very nicely. There is also a reasonable amount of strategy.
 
I've played Power Grid, Agricola, Settlers, Carcassone, and Peurto Rico. Enjoyed them all when I have people to play them with (though that never happens any longer). What is Ticket to Ride? Is it similar as far as depth of play/rules? I have been looking for slightly more in-depth games that I can play with myself (yes, yes, I know, sad).
 
I'd say Ticket to Ride is less complex than the games you've played. Color matching between wagons allows claiming of routes that others can no longer use or pass through (key difference when I played Power Grid, had to remember I could still pass through). It's fun but doesn't sound like what you're after.
 
I don't think Ticket to Ride is suitable for solitaire in any case.

Apparently co-op games can be played solo since you're playing against the game as it were so, although I haven't played it, "Pandemic" could be worth checking out. Very highly regarded by many.
 
I've played a few games of pandemic and I do enjoy it, not sure it has the complexity of Puerto Rico and settlers, but it is fun. The one player game will work ok, like other co-op games, I really enjoyed Eldritch Horror, which I have played single player, but I died quite quickly.
 
Fried Egg said:
I don't think Ticket to Ride is suitable for solitaire in any case.

Apparently co-op games can be played solo since you're playing against the game as it were so, although I haven't played it, "Pandemic" could be worth checking out. Very highly regarded by many.
Click to expand...

I shall ask around and see if anyone I know has it so I can take a look at it.

As far as solitaire, it is sort of similar to how one plays chess alone. Examining weaknesses for moves, etc.
 
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