Board Gaming!

I figure we could all do with a board game thread. It’s a pretty popular hobby around my group of friends. Recently I went to a convention and had a chance to play several new games, so I figure I might as well blather on about my opinions!

Blueprints: 4/5 rating
It’s a very simple opener where you roll different colored dice and use the results to (literally) build a building out of said dice. Each color is a different material and is scored differently, so it behooves you to plan out your strategy as you’re collecting the dice. Also, if your plan requires you to stack your dice, you must put the lower number on the bottom, so it’s important to aim low at the start.

Gameplay-wise, I had a really good time. It’s not a difficult game to learn or play, but it is a thoughtful one. Everyone builds their buildings in secret, so if you’re good at remembering what everyone’s been taking, you can try to block them. It’s a fun little opener and can be finished in under a half hour.

Machi Koro: 2/5 rating
This is a city building game where you roll the dice. If your building’s number comes up, you get to activate the effect of that building. Sometimes they affect other people, sometimes they’re as simple as “get paid, son.” The end goal is to have the most money.

I wasn’t a huge fan of this game because it seemed like it was really hard to get any sort of momentum going. It was primarily luck driven, but it seemed unnecessarily hard to utilize the dice effectively unless you were very lucky early on. It wasn’t bad, but I don’t expect to come back to it any time soon.

Sheriff of Nottingham: 4/5 rating
Lying! Lies! The premise is that you’re trying to smuggle illegal goods past the sheriff. You put your goods cards into a little satchel with a loud snap. You toss them into the player who’s the sheriff that turn. From there, the sheriff decides if you’re telling the truth about what you’re shipping or if he would like to do an inspection. If he does open them (with a very satisfying snap) and you’re lying, expect a heavy fine!

This was a really fun game, but your mileage may vary depending on how well you know each other and how much of a liar you are. That’s why I didn’t give it a 5 above. But I did have a lot of fun with it, and I found out that most of my friends think I’m a liar (but I’m not, at least not in this context)!

Chinatown: 5/5
You are given lots on a few city blocks and have to build your business to earn sweet, sweet cashmoney. However, the lots and businesses are dealt randomly, so you have to negotiate with the other players to get what you want. And you can trade anything you want. Even if you’ve built your business to completion, you could give it all away if you so choose. But you have to think long term because whoever makes the most money wins!

This game was ridiculously fun. I’m a big fan of negotiation, mind games, and being obstinate (even though I’m not great at the first two). Chinatown is so wide open that you can play pretty much however you want. If you’re generous, people might be generous in return–same with being stingy. Or maybe you’ll make huge promises and break them immediately. It’s all up to you!

I have several other games to add to this list, but I’m starting to realize how long it’s actually become, so maybe I’ll do the rest later.

The Formula D World Championship

EvilDrReef

Evil Dr Reef

Evil Dr. Reef

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