Every board game has a limit in terms of how many players it supports. At a certain point, a game isn’t going to work at all if there are too many or not enough players present. Player count isn’t a binary thing either, as games oftentimes degrade to a certain degree before they completely fall apart. Over the last few years, many of the games I’ve played struggle with supporting two players. I’m fine with games that don’t work well in pairs, though I find it alarming and disingenuous how many games in the marketplace claim that they support two players when they really shouldn’t.
card games
Board Game Workshop Sessions
One of the best reasons to play board games at Snakes and Lattes is that you’ll always have access to a board game guru. With their vast knowledge in games and experience in teaching games to others, they always seem to teach me a new game in a matter of minutes, versus the hours it usually takes me to fumble through manuals and online tutorial videos. If it were possible, I would want to have access to one of their board game gurus at all times so that they can teach me a new game anywhere.
The harsh reality is that this will never happen. Most of the time, I’m going to have to figure things out on my own or with Steff. In order to avoid placing the burden of learning games the hard way on others, I usually take the time to workshop a game alone or with Steff so that we can make the learning experience better for others.
Board Game Night Playlist: Medieval Times
Ever since the advent of Dungeons & Dragons (and probably even before that if you look hard enough), the Medieval era of history has been mined by board games countless times. Even though I’m generally not a fan of medieval fantasy in any medium, I’ve played and enjoyed enough board games set in this era to fill out this playlist. Heck, I even included one extra because I couldn’t make it fit within the main list. If you’re in the mood for some medieval action, try these ones out!
The Yomi Business Model
Given the chance, I will sing the praises of the Yomi series every chance I get. Compared to anything else on the marketplace that is trying to replicate the Street Fighter experience in tabletop form, Yomi crushes them all. I love the core concept of Rock Paper Scissors combat, which is an accurate analogy for how fighting game combat works. I love being able to manage all of the different maneuvers that each character has and the nuances that make them different. For the hardest of hardcore fighting game fans, there are so many nods to how a real fighting game plays that it scratches the exact same itch for me.
Despite that, this marquee title from Sirlin Games suffers from a steep pricing challenge. The complete first edition, packed with 10 characters and two playmats, will set you back about $100 if you’re lucky enough to find it nowadays. I’m certainly glad to have it, but it’s a very difficult proposition for even the most enthusiastic customers. Instead of anchoring the series down with a complete big box – and potentially an even bigger box with the additional 10 expansion characters on the way – Sirlin Games is moving in a different direction.
Cool Stuff Inc. and The Dice Tower Release Their List of the Best Selling Board Games in 2014
With video games in North America, we get to see how well the top 10 video games each month are selling thanks to the NPD reports. Board games don’t get that level of tracking, at least publicly. Thanks to Cool Stuff Inc. and the Dice Tower though, Cool Stuff Inc. has released their list of the top 20 selling games of 2014. Sure, there are a few caveats to consider when analyzing this data, such as the fact that the consumer base is primarily of the hardcore board gamer variety, but it’s still a great glimpse into how well certain games are selling. Definitely watch the video above, and check out my thoughts on the games in the top 20 below!
Board Game Night Playlist: Family Game Night
Up until this very moment, I never really thought about all of the different meanings that “family game night” can entail. There’s a difference between parents playing board games with their young children versus adults playing board games with their even older parents, which is where I’m at now. The definition can vary even further, as there are a seemingly endless number of family configurations out there.
Trying to approach a family game night to fit every family configuration is a lost cause. However, coming up with one is a bit easier if you’re looking for games that are fun for all ages that don’t have any sort of objectionable content within them. Hopefully this isn’t too late for the holiday season. Here’s my Board Game Night Playlist that may work wonders for your next family game night!
The Board Game Night Playlist: Dueling Gamers
This edition of the Board Game Night Playlist is designed around two-player competition. Drawing from my own life for inspiration, my brother and I used to play video games together all the time. Growing up, the games we’ve played together were competitive in nature, from Goldeneye, to Mario Kart to Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Now that we’re adults and don’t live together anymore, this happens less often, but we still make time for it where possible. Once or twice we’ve also put the controllers aside to play some analog games. Next time we get together for a one-on-one board game night, here’s the games we would play. If you’re looking to host or partake in a two-player board game battle, try these out!
Splendor Review
Splendor is a game in which 2-4 players are Renaissance-era merchants. You’re all vying to be the most prestigious merchant, which you’ll attempt to achieve by buying gem mines, shops and other things that merchants buy in order to be the best at what they do. If this sounds like a super lame game based on its premise alone, I don’t blame you. However, by dismissing it at face value, you’d be missing out on a really cool strategy game.
DC Comics Deck-Building Game: Crisis Expansion Review
The latest entry in the DC Comics Deck-Building Game franchise is Crisis Expansion Pack 1. This expansion is compatible with the main game and Heroes Unite, though it cannot be played on its own. By adding this expansion to your collection, you’ll get new heroes, new main deck cards, and new cards to support Crisis Mode. This new gameplay variant turns this competitive deck-building game into a cooperative one by forcing players to collectively fight through adverse gameplay events in order to defeat the villains and super-villains before time runs out. Having this as an alternative to competitive play makes a lot more thematic sense, as it was bothersome before to think that the heroes would intentionally hurt each other in order to be the better hero. However, the execution of this gameplay variant leaves a lot to be desired.
DC Comics Deck-Building Game: Heroes Unite Review
Following up on the success of the original, DC Comics Deck-Building Game: Heroes Unite is a stand-alone game that is fully compatible with is predecessor. While the core gameplay is the same, this set contains new character cards and a new main deck; all of which have new abilities. For newcomers, is this the version you should start with? And for those who already own the original, is this worth adding to your collection?
In Third Person 