Tempy wrote:

Oh? Oh? Is this anything to do with that really good BBC4 program a few years ago?

Hmm, I don't think so.

It's an educational schools festival at Magna, which is open to the general public for 2 days. Apparently there's a retro videogame area, arcade machines, educational/career stuff as well as a board game area.

Tempy wrote:

Oh? Oh? Is this anything to do with that really good BBC4 program a few years ago?

This is it.

Thread found.

So boardgames are my new jam. Now I am kicking 30's door down I find that I suck at action video games and get less and less time for video games generally, so have embraced boardgames as a way to play games but get the missus and other friends/family involved too.

My current collection is Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, Dominion, Survive, Lost Cities, The Resistance, and the most recent purchase Agricola.

Tempy, Agricola is amazing. Pure strategy, hardly any luck involved. The theme is very dry but quite relaxing in a way. My fav aspect is that each player gets their own farm board, so you get to see your efforts develop right in front of you.

Next on the wishlist is Flash Point Fire Rescue for a bit of co-op action.

Left to right: Wookie, Me, Elmlea.

Tempy how did you get Macaulay Culkins younger brother to join your gaming table?

Joking aside I wish I had friends that I could do this with. I used to play a war game with my dad that sided the Russians against the Germans. The battles used to go on for days with me always losing. "See now tanks cant move quickly through the forest, thats why i've destroyed them all with my infantry son"

None of my friends can swallow their percieved self pride enough to play them.

Tempy wrote:

Surveyor wrote:

Thread found.Tempy, Agricola is amazing. Pure strategy, hardly any luck involved. The theme is very dry but quite relaxing in a way. My fav aspect is that each player gets their own farm board, so you get to see your efforts develop right in front of you.

Agricola looks great. Amazon says it is 1 player too, is that correct? Puerto Rico is cheaper and I'm sure it is kind of similar, but has that awkward eurogame requirement of being 3+ players. I like 2 player games for convenience. I think I might get Agricola instead of Mage Knight when I get paid, it is £20 cheaper for starters...

Yeah Agricola is 1 player also, haven't tried that out yet. Played several 2 player games with the gf and they went very well, only on the Family varient initially so we could find our feet before we introduced all the occupation and minor improvement cards.

I haven't played PR so can't comment on that but don't think you can go wrong with Agricola. The component quality is first class and the different strategies available seems endless.

I have been buying the more obscure games from Games Lore and doing my research on BGG

I keep looking at Agricola. Play a lot of Catan and Carcasonne with my brother and father in law. Also a lot of 2 player Risk, which is great. 

We also have Axis and Allies, but it drags on for far too long to play in an evening. Ticket to Ride comes put if the girls want to join in, but they never do.

What iOS picks do you endorse then?

Thats the games btw not your bro & father in law, though i'm sure their great to.

Tempy wrote:

What iOS picks do you endorse then?

Besides the ones you know (Carc, Catan, Dominion, TtR) I also like Scotland Yard, Reiner Knizia's Battleline, Hive and Bang for ios.

Caylus also looks cool but not tried it yet.

@Cindemon I hear good things about Cities & Knights for Catan, my groups have hardly played Catan though so I am happy replaying the base game for a while until we get bored.

The neckbeards put me off.

Yeah, the theme is always an issue, correct.

For those interested, you have two spectrums - Eurogames and Ameritrash.

Eurogames are often mechanically brilliant, have reduced elements of luck coupled with simple core conceits and are very, very dry. Stuff about trains, power stations, farms, feudal lords. That stuff.

Ameritrash are all about theme, and are gurning hunks of GUNS, SCIFI, BATTLES, MURDER with obscenely complicated rules that take up tomes and novella of companion books.

There is a nice little venn diagram style crossover happening though, where theme and mechanics are convalescing into interesting games. That 'The Thing' style one sounds to fit the bill fairly well. Simple mechanics, lovely theme.

My family are looking for a good board game for Xmas - Cranium has outstayed its welcome. What's Apples To Apples? 

Any other recommendations? We do like officious rules and such in our games. It'd need to support 6 people - Me, Mum, Dad, Sis, Bro in Law and Mrs Reg.

Ah! Amazing. Cheers for linko.