Board Games!!

[Scarecrow]

I know this thread is generally dominated by video game posts but as I've always been more of a gameboard fan, particularly strategy and war games, I thought I'd check to see if there are any other board game fans out there.

What are your favorite board games? Right now I'm really getting into war/battle games again recently after really likeing Risk 2210 (I hate original Risk BTW... too much reliance on the roll of the dice and once someone has created the "invincible wall" its pretty much over) and its variant, Godstorm. 2210 is the best Risk game out there IMO, but only taunted me as a battle game so I've been looking for other games that quench the need for a good battle strategy game. I've just purchased Conquest of the Empire, a game based in Ancient Rome after the death of the emperor and you fight for the power of the empire against the other armies. I havent played it yet, it looks similar to risk but its quite differnt with much more strategy involved.

Purchased Quest for the DragonLords as well today but its still coming in the mail It sounds cool though. Sounds a bit similar to risk as well with a little RPG elements and adventuring put into it. Sort of a battle/adventure game I guess all in one. You have "quests" to go on in the dangerous wastelands to gain more power and ultamately hope to gain a DragonLord (hard to do) which gives you a much bigger advantage in conquring the the other Kingdoms. Hopefully it will be as good as it looks/sounds

Anyway, any other board game "geeks" here?

[rocklobster]

I used to be a huge fan of Monopoly. Still enjoy it. I also liked Mousetrap.

[ClosetOtaku]

I've been playing and collecting strategy boardgames for quite some time now. In fact, I just spent all of New Year's Eve and most of this early morning playing at a game store in northern Virginia.

Among my favorites:

Euphrat & Tigris
We the People
Age of Steam
Die Macher
Medici
Twilight Struggle
El Grande

Some that I play that are very popular, but not as high on my personal list, include:

Puerto Rico
Caylus
Alhambra
Power Grid
Settlers of Catan

See BoardgameGeek's Top 50 rated games here, and my own ratings profile here.

I've just purchased Conquest of the Empire, a game based in Ancient Rome after the death of the emperor and you fight for the power of the empire against the other armies. I havent played it yet, it looks similar to risk but its quite differnt with much more strategy involved.

Holy cow, that's a terrific and very challenging boardgame. That's the type of game you get your buddies to crowd into your dining room for an all-day gaming session (order pizza, and have soda and pretzels handy).

I'm not so much a fan of Risk 2210, as I find it kind of random and not very rewarding of careful planning. In the most recent game of it I played, I started to fall behind, so I launched a merciless salvo of nuclear weapons at just about everything that moved. I won the following turn (and made my opponents rather upset in the process). Not exactly a finesse move, if you will.

Very happy to talk more about this, if you like...

[TheMelodyMaker]

Board games are awesome, and way more fun than video games when large groups (as in more than two or three people... XD ) are involved! Come to think of it, group games (not just board games) in general are always a lot of fun, depending on the people playing.

Among my favorites are Scattergories, Balderdash, and too many more to try to think of now. ^____^

I got a board game for Christmas called Numaro, and it's almost like Trivial Persuit, except that all the questions require numerical answers and everyone tries to answer at once (not just one person) -- but the closest guesser wins that round, even if the guess isn't perfectly right on. Quite fun, and some of the questions are a little weird (like "how many pop cans full of spit does the average person produce in a year"... XD ).

[Omega Amen]

You know, now that I think about it.... I think one of the big reasons I got into video games was because I hardly had anyone to play with my board games. In my childhood, I had few to no friends and no siblings. While my parents did sincerely try to play board games with me while I was a child, I could tell that they were not actually interested in playing the games.

So I adopted video games in place of board games....

Oh well, I do remember I really enjoyed Sorry!, Clue, Scrabble, and Monopoly. I have fond memories of those games. If I had nearby friends who were interested in these games, I would love to play them....

[oro!]

I love board games, and savor every moment playing them, because the only people who'll play with me I see over breaks from school.

I recently received Risk 2210 for Christmas, and I really like it.

What else do I play?
Stratego(star wars)
Chess
Checkers
Life
Monopoly
and a few I can't recall at the moment...

[Myoti]

You know, now that I think about it.... I think one of the big reasons I got into video games was because I hardly had anyone to play with my board games. In my childhood, I had few to no friends and no siblings. While my parents did sincerely try to play board games with me while I was a child, I could tell that they were not actually interested in playing the games.

Heh, I feel like that often. Heck, I sometimes would even create my own (and still plan to do some more like that). Though, if anything, my family usually wouldn't play with me due to the kind of games I'd always want to play (in all their complexity o-o ).

[Scarecrow]

I'm not so much a fan of Risk 2210, as I find it kind of random and not very rewarding of careful planning.

Hence the sudden need for more strategic games 2210 I got for Christmas and kind of just taunted me. Felt like it was missing something. I think it is fun but I mostly agree with what you said about it. Although, as far as randomness goes, its not nearly as bad as Godstorm. Godstorm is a fun risk version for just chaotic casual play because the "death" god cards in particular are uber powerful, much moreso than the neuclear cards in 2210. Theres even one that sinks the continent of Atlantis so any armies on there are automatically wiped from the game. Actually, most of the god cards are overpowered resulting in in some pretty random play and makes it almost useless to plan anything really. 2210 I thought was much more balanced and IMO, the best Risk game out there... but yea it has its problems.

Nice list btw. I've kind of ran over my budget for this month but when I go game shopping again, I'll have to keep those in mind cause some of those sound really interesting.

[Esoteric]

Conquest of the Empire...now there's a game I haven't heard of for a long time. When I was younger I loved to play with all the soldier pieces and money, but I don't believe I ever played the 'real' game. I did used to play Stratego, Checkers, Chess (as a wanna-be, really), Pictionary, Marble Madness, and Rummy Tile. I always wanted to play Axis&Allies with the 'big kids' too, but we never could finish a whole game!
Nowadays, we play stuff like Guesstures, Cranium, Wordsters etc...

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I'm a big chess guy.

[Scarecrow]

I like chess but I suck at it. My grand plans are always foiled by some little thing I over look or just crappy planning cause I get lazy. I have about 7 differnt chess sets though Got a new one for Christmas too... I collect chess pieces more than I play the game.

Canceled my order for that QuestLord game BTW, ordering War of the Ring instead. I wasn't sure if I wanted it or not but after reading the reviews on boardgamegeek, I decided to change my order =D Anyone play that game?

[ClosetOtaku]

Canceled my order for that QuestLord game BTW, ordering War of the Ring instead. I wasn't sure if I wanted it or not but after reading the reviews on boardgamegeek, I decided to change my order =D Anyone play that game?

You bet. War of the Ring is one of the best -- dripping with theme, a lot of good mechanics, but isn't so complex that it gets in the way of the play. It wonderfully recreates the strategic situation in LOTR while still enabling the narrative of the Fellowship to come through.

I think you'll enjoy it immensely. All of the games of it I've played have been with three or four other good friends -- and it has always come down to a titanic struggle between good and evil at the gates of Mordor or the slopes of Mount Doom.

[termyt]

Sorry is the king of all board games. If you don't think it's a strategy game, you haven't played it since you were 10.

Anyway, I have pent many an hour playing Conquest of the Empire and Fortress America, but my favorite is Axis and Allies. Best played with four friends.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

Risk
Monopoly
Mouse Trap
Pictionary

[wingedfox]

i love bored games checkers rocks. tried to play chess but it was a lost cause. i also like dungeons and dragons. but if i try to play with my family someone gets mad if they lose and a fight breaks out so i hardly every get to play but it's still lots of fun ^_^

[Sammy Boy]

I enjoy board games too, but it's hard for me to find people to play with, since most of my friends are not into board games (or games in general).

I used to play Hero Quest with my neighbours, but then I moved.

Has anyone played any of the following:

- Heroscape
- Last Night on Earth
- Zombies!!!

If so, which one of these would you recommend?

I also enjoy Monopoly and Chinese Chess (not really a board game, but kinda).

[blkmage]

I like my board games the same way I like my video games: as large complicated messes. That is why my favourite board game is the eight hour sci-fi epic with a ridiculously detailed universe, Twilight Imperium III.

If I don't have the time or people for TI3, I usually like Settlers of Catan, but only with the Cities and Knights expansion.

[Tarnish]

I've been a fan of Cranium ever since I got to see my dad do a Jacques Cousteau impression.

I also got to see a total stranger do a Madonna song, with the dance and the "woo!" and everything...Fun.

[Robin Firedrake]

So anyone here like Heroscape? I have a ton of expansion packs for it. That's a fun board game!

[Nate]

I would have to put part of my vote in for History of the World, which is a great board game. I remember wasting many, MANY nights with friends on that game. You can play it with as few as three people, but it's really fantastic with more.

Another game I love, which is old and praised highly and difficult to find, was a little-known game called HeroQuest. HeroQuest is a fantasy board game that actually is a lot similar to D&D...it might even be called D&D Lite. It's really what got me into the fantasy element, we used to play it as a family when I was a kid. Man that game ruled so hard.

[Robin Firedrake]

Maybe you could link me to a web page that talks about heroquest Nate? I'm curious.

[Shiningmonk_e]

Though it's not a "board" game, Apples to Apples is an extremely fun game to play with a group of friends or at a party.

[Roy Mustang]

I'm a big Monopoly fan.

I would have to put part of my vote in for History of the World, which is a great board game. I remember wasting many, MANY nights with friends on that game. You can play it with as few as three people, but it's really fantastic with more.

Do they still make this time. I sounds like a game that I would want to try.

[font="Book Antiqua"]
[color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang[/color][/font]

[shade of dae]

Maybe you could link me to a web page that talks about heroquest Nate? I'm curious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeroQuest_(board_game)

Anyways, I myself don't play many board games anymore. I used to as a kid, but it was mostly limited to candyland and a few others because my Grandma is a lover of card games. I do like the classic monopoly, though, mostly because it carries memories of my family playing it together.

Btw, does battleship count as a board game? Because I loved that game.

[Cognitive Gear]

I have agroup of freinds that gets together to play board games pretty regularly. Recently we hve played:

Kronos
Munchkin Quest
Order of the Stick
Settlers/Knights and Cities/Seafarers of Catan. (Combining all three games is incredibly fun.)

[ich1990]

I, like a lot of people here, love board games but lack the friends and family members to play them. Nonetheless, I get to play on special occasions such as holidays. Standout favorites:

Risk (love the game, although it is a gigantic time sink)
Stratego
Chess (absolutely love it, although I mostly play against computers and mostly suck at it)
Catch Phrase (good for lots of people)
Clue (although I have gotten burned out on it recently)
Monopoly (my Dad is absolutely vicious at monopoly, thus the games drag on for an eternity)

I have always wanted to learn to play Go.

[ClosetOtaku]

New games I've played many times that I'd highly recommend:

Brass
Race for the Galaxy
Galaxy Trucker
Dominion
Le Havre
Battlestar Galatica: The Boardgame

Has anyone played any of the following:

- Heroscape
- Last Night on Earth
- Zombies!!!

I've played Last Night on Earth; a good multiplayer send-up of B-grade Zombie movies. But you really need several people to make it fun. Sometimes it can drag a bit.

That is why my favourite board game is the eight hour sci-fi epic with a ridiculously detailed universe, Twilight Imperium III.

Wonderful game, not for the faint of heart. Production, economics, space combat, and neat little miniatures all rolled into one.

I would have to put part of my vote in for History of the World

Another great game, normally takes an entire afternoon to get through. I prefer the pre-Hasbro version, but it's hard to find that one anymore. The Hasbro version, IIRC, is out-of-print but easier to locate.

I have always wanted to learn to play Go.

Very, very easy to learn the rules. Really only two or three rules of consequence. Remarkably simple. Very, very difficult to master. People spend several years to get to "dan" ranking (to say nothing of "pro"). Life-and-death, joseki, fuseki...but don't let that dissuade you from learning perhaps the world's most elegant game.

[Scarecrow]

I've played Heroscape. It's kinda fun... but I would recommend Battle Lore over it. Heroscape is too pricy when it comes to expansions and such. Plus it takes forever to set up and never fits back in its box. I do like the little missions and stuff but I don't know, I just felt a little bored playing it. Battle Lore is a similar game but way easier to set up, much faster paced, the expansions are not nearly as pricey, and the game is done in an hour or so. So great to pull out and play with anyone.

Anyway...

I also have Twilight Imperium... (is third edition the same as TI3 or are they different?) but I've never played it because I couldn't find anyone to play it with That and Descent: Journey through the Dark... don't know anyone who likes complicated games so they've never been played. I had no idea TI takes 8 hours... it said on the box 3 and I couldn't even get anyone to play it with THAT length.

Descent is like a more recent and more complicated version of Hero Quest... like I said, I never played Decent but reading the instructions and all, I think I prefer Hero Quest. First, there's a lot of down time updating your character after every turn. Second, the game is so complicated and long, it's much easier to sit down with a group and just play Hero Quest which practically anyone can learn to play quickly. And Hero Quest has been one of my favorite games since I was 10 ^_^ I've always wanted to get Advanced Hero Quest but... nope... never got it for my B-Day and my mom never liked the original just cause it seemed too much like D&D, which at the time she still thought was a demonic game

[Edit] Nevermind about TI3... should have clicked the link first

[Robin Firedrake]

It does seem to be a bit dull in the original rules yes. But that is one of few games where the rules can be changed with little trouble. I always play it a bit... differently... than normal. And here's a question for you. Do you play strategy games on the computer? The kind where you rule empires? Ever been able to play through one of those in a single sitting? Probably not. Heroscape is the same way. Set it up on a flat piece of wood then put the wood, pieces and all, up somewhere and you have just saved your game. Simple as that.

Note: My mom still thinks D&D is demonic.

[Whitefang]

I've got a group that I play with every now and then. We play strategy games but we try not to think too hard about the strategy. We like to joke that we would make very poor world leaders!

Games that I highly recommend:
Heroquest --It really is D&D lite, though I've never played D&D, all the miniatures are painted for you and there are many pre-made scenarios (that are fun) for the GM to easily make a balanced experience.

Britannia -- Largely historically accurate, but still uses myth and a balanced scoring system to create a very intricate and tense environment. The only drawback is that combat uses dice, but overwhelming numbers can overcome this and the 1-1 battles will tend to even out over time.

Colosseum -- A fun little trading/resource game where your goal is to put on a great show for the emperor and other Roman nobles. It has an interesting scoring system that requires you to plan your strategy until the last turn in the game. Very compelling and thought provoking.

Sid Meier's Civilization -- It generally requires some modifications to encourage conflict, but it's a lot of fun to explore the board and compete against your friends to build the ultimate civilization. It gets to be rather long at times, and you won't want to play it very often, but it is definitely worth it even for those few times.

There are other games that I'll briefly mention that are fun as well, such as History of the World, Tigris and Euphrates, and Warrior Knights.