What boardgames have you played recently?

[RobZagnut]

Had a couple of days off between Christmas and New Years. Made the most of them playing multiple games of:

Terraforming Mars with the Lexus/Nexus board expansions and the new Venus Next expansion. The Venus Next expansion adds quite a bit of goodness to an already great game.

Orleans. Really well constructed Worker Placement game that stays fresh given the number of expansions that are available for the game. Great artwork and very high quality components. Highly recommended.

The Voyages of Marco Polo. Worker traveler, dice driven game set during the age of Marco Polo. I really enjoyed the game mechanics but one needs to be comfortable with the range of variability in rolling 5+ dice per Round. The system worked well in my opinion, but that feeling was not shared by all of the participants. Beautiful board layout and quality components.

Great Western Trail. Awesome way to spend two hours driving cattle to Kansas City and then shipping them to points west.

I've said for the last few years that we definitely live in a Golden Age of board gaming and IMO all of the above games help reinforce that argument.

Other games seeing play included:

Ra. Always a great, relatively quick moving game.
NMBR 9. Highly enjoyable, super quick puzzle game.
Kingdomino. Fun, quick little filler game.

For those interested, in order to play a slightly quicker version, we played a three-player game of Terraforming Mars wherein each player controlled two Corporations at game start (1 Venus Corp. and 1 "standard" corp). Makes for a pretty fun TM experience as our game had final scores of 100, 100, 80+.

Also, had a chance last month to play 1914, Serbien muß Sterbien. Highly enjoyable experience with a pretty clean system that has much in common with the better aspects of MMP's GCACW series of games.

Terraforming Mars, Orleans and Marco Polo are all excellent games and in my Top 25 of euros. All of them offer multiple avenues to win and are engaging time after time. I especially like Marco Polo because each of the starting characters are so wildly different and each change the way you play. I would suggest the New Characters mini expansion with 4 new guys, but if your group doesn't care for it then there's no need.

If you enjoy those then I recommend Lorenzo il Magnifico. Our group can't get enough of it. So, I just preordered the expansion. We've also had great success lately with Amerigo and Concordia.

 

[Bill Cirillo]

Terraforming Mars, Orleans and Marco Polo are all excellent games and in my Top 25 of euros. All of them offer multiple avenues to win and are engaging time after time. I especially like Marco Polo because each of the starting characters are so wildly different and each change the way you play. I would suggest the New Characters mini expansion with 4 new guys, but if your group doesn't care for it then there's no need.

If you enjoy those then I recommend Lorenzo il Magnifico. Our group can't get enough of it. So, I just preordered the expansion. We've also had great success lately with Amerigo and Concordia.

Rob,

All I can say is that you have EXCELLENT taste in board games!

We have been playing a ton of Lorenzo over the last two months. Awesome game, both the base game and the expansion that adds a fifth tower as well as a fifth player (along with several other really great features). We are still thoroughly enjoying trying to find different winning strategies!

Also, recently played and really enjoyed Sagrada.

Concordia is on deck along with Trajan.

Also, we added the New Characters expansion to our Marco Polo play and I concur that it is a very nice addition that adds flavor to an already great game.

Bill

PS Other popular games that have hit the table among the group, but I haven't personally played yet:

Bunny Kingdom
Dinosaur Island (super ugly box!)

 

[Uncle_Duke]

I just finished up a game of High Frontier with some of the wonderful folks of the First Minnesota Wargamers. High Frontier is hard sci-fi space exploration at its finest-- a game by rocket scientists, for rocket scientists, as it were.

It's also a rogue-like in some regards, in that you're playing as much against the board as you are against the other people at the table. Bad things happen to good mission plans, and poor mission plans are punished severely. Despite the alleged randomness provided by the hate cubes dice, poor results are all but guaranteed at the worst possible times.

This game was no exception. Realizing that it was down to the wire, and that I didn't have any time to lose, I hit the afterburners as my mission departed 10 Hygiea. I made a quick flyby of Jupiter, picking up ~10km/ sec in the process, delta v that was desperately needed for the journey out towards Saturn. The approach to the Saturn system was flawless. The craft passed safely through the rings, and then the radiation belts. Even the aerobraking maneuver intended to ensure the mission was captured by Saturn's gravity went smoothly.

Things went wrong on the approach to Hyperion though. The ship's onboard computer could not correctly compensate for the moon's chaotic rotation, and the spacecraft hit the surface at high velocity. There were no survivors, and I came in dead last, with 13 points to the eventual winner's 34.

So it goes. I can't wait to play again.

 

[Honza]

How civilised.....

 

[Finngall]

I just finished up a game of High Frontier with some of the wonderful folks of the First Minnesota Wargamers. High Frontier is hard sci-fi space exploration at its finest-- a game by rocket scientists, for rocket scientists, as it were.

It's also a rogue-like in some regards, in that you're playing as much against the board as you are against the other people at the table. Bad things happen to good mission plans, and poor mission plans are punished severely. Despite the alleged randomness provided by the hate cubes dice, poor results are all but guaranteed at the worst possible times.

This game was no exception. Realizing that it was down to the wire, and that I didn't have any time to lose, I hit the afterburners as my mission departed 10 Hygiea. I made a quick flyby of Jupiter, picking up ~10km/ sec in the process, delta v that was desperately needed for the journey out towards Saturn. The approach to the Saturn system was flawless. The craft passed safely through the rings, and then the radiation belts. Even the aerobraking maneuver intended to ensure the mission was captured by Saturn's gravity went smoothly.

Things went wrong on the approach to Hyperion though. The ship's onboard computer could not correctly compensate for the moon's chaotic rotation, and the spacecraft hit the surface at high velocity. There were no survivors, and I came in dead last, with 13 points to the eventual winner's 34.

So it goes. I can't wait to play again.

I like High Frontier, but I find it works better for me if I just concentrate on building and completing successful missions to somewhere, and focus more on enjoying the space-exploration experience rather than worrying about my opponents' point totals. When one bad die roll can kill many turns of work in assembling your mission, I think any other attitude invites madness.

 

[Uncle_Duke]

I like High Frontier, but I find it works better for me if I just concentrate on building and completing successful missions to somewhere, and focus more on enjoying the space-exploration experience rather than worrying about my opponents' point totals. When one bad die roll can kill many turns of work in assembling your mission, I think any other attitude invites madness.

My approach is similar to my approach to ASL: Learn to enjoy failure. Another player might get satisfaction from winning the game. I get satisfaction from creating a terrible radiological accident by spectacularly blowing an aerobraking roll over Earth while flying a nuclear powered spacecraft.

 

[RobZagnut]

I like High Frontier, but I find it works better for me if I just concentrate on building and completing successful missions to somewhere, and focus more on enjoying the space-exploration experience rather than worrying about my opponents' point totals. When one bad die roll can kill many turns of work in assembling your mission, I think any other attitude invites madness.

Good game, gorgeous map.

The only game where I bought a poster of the full map from the expansion to put on my game room wall.

 

[djohannsen]

Good game, gorgeous map.

It certainly looks intriguing. If one doesn't have an opportunity to play it before purchasing, though, the sticker price certainly is daunting. "High Frontier" looks like it will become a saved search at eBay, in the hopes that a copy might some day fall unexpectedly into my lap. Thank you for bringing interesting looking simulation to my attention.

 

[Uncle_Duke]

It certainly looks intriguing. If one doesn't have an opportunity to play it before purchasing, though, the sticker price certainly is daunting. "High Frontier" looks like it will become a saved search at eBay, in the hopes that a copy might some day fall unexpectedly into my lap. Thank you for bringing interesting looking simulation to my attention.

If you're going to get a copy, make sure it's the third edition. Third edition includes all the material from the second edition and its expansion, as well as new cards, the most comprehensive rulebook, and it generally has the highest quality components.

Another game to consider if you're into the space exploration genre is Leaving Earth. At least at the base game level, it's a much lighter rules set, though it's pretty math intensive. It also has the advantage of being both cheaper and much more available than High Frontier.

Conceptually, High Frontier can be compared to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Leaving Earth bears more of a resemblance to The Right Stuff or Apollo 13.

 

[djohannsen]

If you're going to get a copy, make sure it's the third edition. Third edition includes all the material from the second edition and its expansion, as well as new cards, the most comprehensive rulebook, and it generally has the highest quality components.

Another game to consider if you're into the space exploration genre is Leaving Earth. At least at the base game level, it's a much lighter rules set, though it's pretty math intensive. It also has the advantage of being both cheaper and much more available than High Frontier.

Conceptually, High Frontier can be compared to 2001: A Space Odyssey. Leaving Earth bears more of a resemblance to The Right Stuff or Apollo 13.

Thank you for the recommendations and pointers. Though I am not a "space nut," I've read several books on the history of the space program and find it a fascinating chapter in US history. I also like "study sims." Blending the two interests was something that I didn't know was a possibility. Neither game is inexpensive, but both seem to be very well-reviewed. Thank you.

 

[djohannsen]

If you're going to get a copy, make sure it's the third edition.

Well, I disregarded your sage advice... As it was quite literally less than one quarter of the cost, I ordered an unplayed copy of the Second edition. If I find myself playing a lot, then perhaps I will look into upgrading. For now, though, I just couldn't spend something like $275 on a game that I haven't ever tried. I've downloaded some "Walk throughs" from BGG and the living rules and will take this for a spin when it arrives. Again, thanks for pointing this out to me.

 

[Uncle_Duke]

Well, I disregarded your sage advice... As it was quite literally less than one quarter of the cost, I ordered an unplayed copy of the Second edition. If I find myself playing a lot, then perhaps I will look into upgrading. For now, though, I just couldn't spend something like $275 on a game that I haven't ever tried. I've downloaded some "Walk throughs" from BGG and the living rules and will take this for a spin when it arrives. Again, thanks for pointing this out to me.

You're welcome!

That kind of discount makes the second edition a good move. If you have any questions about rules, mechanics, strategy, etc., please feel free to shoot me a PM.

 

[RobZagnut]

Rob,

All I can say is that you have EXCELLENT taste in board games!

We have been playing a ton of Lorenzo over the last two months. Awesome game, both the base game and the expansion that adds a fifth tower as well as a fifth player (along with several other really great features). We are still thoroughly enjoying trying to find different winning strategies!

Also, recently played and really enjoyed Sagrada.

Concordia is on deck along with Trajan.

Also, we added the New Characters expansion to our Marco Polo play and I concur that it is a very nice addition that adds flavor to an already great game.

Bill

PS Other popular games that have hit the table among the group, but I haven't personally played yet:

Bunny Kingdom
Dinosaur Island (super ugly box!)

Just used a $25 Amazon gift card and ordered Austria Grand Hotel. 3 of my favorite games are Tzolkin, Voyages Marco Polo and Lorenzo. I discovered that the same guy designed all 3 and AGH, so it was a must buy.

I did research on Dinosaur Island and I’m going to pass. Doesn’t seem like it has enough varied units or the replayability that I’m looked by for.

Last weekend we play Flick ‘em with 9 players. Good stuff. Sushi Go Party was a big hit. I liked Mysterium, but we should have played it earlier, because some people were to tired to think.

 

[hongkongwargamer]

I spent an afternoon talking to the designers of an upcoming wargame "Glory Recalled : Hong Kong 1941" and heard the story about a Canadian wardog called "Sgt Gander"

"Gander, initially a family pet named Pal, accidentally scratched a child's face with his paw. Worried that he would be forced to have Pal put down, the original owner gave the large dog to The Royal Rifles of Canada, a regiment of the Canadian Army stationed at Gander International Airport, Newfoundland and Labrador. The soldiers quickly renamed him Gander and "promoted" him to sergeant. When the unit was shipped to Hong Kong in the fall of 1941, Gander went along.

The Battle of Hong Kong began on December 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Gander helped fight the Japanese invaders on three occasions. The last time, Gander picked up a thrown Japanese hand grenade and rushed with it toward the enemy, dying in the ensuing explosion, but saving the lives of several wounded Canadian soldiers."

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gander_(dog)

Glory Recalled https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/228686/glory-recalled-hong-kong-1941

 

[Robin Reeve]

I am playing Battle Hymn these days.
Not the PTO Ambush! by VG, but theACW game just published by Compass Games.
The designer, Eric Lee Smith, was the pioneer of the activation chit drawing system which past 700 wargames now feature.
Battle Hymn can be considered as an ameliorated version of his famed Across 5 Aprils game. Covering the battles of Pea Ridge and Gettysburg, it remains a simple game, with an elegant combat system, more finer attritional results than the one or two steps of A5A units.
Very solitaire friendly.
I am having a blast.
I played Pea Ridge, with a marginal CSA win.
Now I just finished the first day of Gettysburg, with the USA nearly losing the battle - CSA occupies Culp's Hill and nearly reached the cap of a 1.5 ratio of USA casualties compared to the CSA's.
Night has seen some shattered units come back into the battle, and some on board units partly recover from demoralization hits.
Day two will be decisive.
The map - which has a 19th century battle map look - is gorgeous.

 

[Bill Cirillo]

Just used a $25 Amazon gift card and ordered Austria Grand Hotel. 3 of my favorite games are Tzolkin, Voyages Marco Polo and Lorenzo. I discovered that the same guy designed all 3 and AGH, so it was a must buy.

I did research on Dinosaur Island and I’m going to pass. Doesn’t seem like it has enough varied units or the replayability that I’m looked by for.

Last weekend we play Flick ‘em with 9 players. Good stuff. Sushi Go Party was a big hit. I liked Mysterium, but we should have played it earlier, because some people were to tired to think.

We have been playing a bunch of Viticulture, Dinosaur Island, Lorenzo, NMBR 9, and Sagrada the last couple of weeks. I’ve really enjoyed all of the a lot except potentially for DI. I’ve only played it once on the Medium level and I’m not sure how much I liked it as a game. Dinosaurs eating park attendees neve gets old, but I need to play it more to get a sense of how good a game it is.

Playing 3-Player Terraforming Mars with each player controlling 2 Corporations later this afternoon.

 

[Jeffrey D Myers]

I am playing Battle Hymn these days.
Not the PTO Ambush! by VG, but theACW game just published by Compass Games.
The designer, Eric Lee Smith, was the pioneer of the activation chit drawing system which past 700 wargames now feature.

Robin, the designer, who now lives in my home town, appreciated your kind comments!

 

[MAS01]

Recently picked up the 2nd edition of Panzer and am going through the rules now. I've always felt that ASL was a better infantry/ordnance game than a vehicle game.

 

[witchbottles]

Began a Simulation Rules 3rd Edition game of TP:S from TAHGC. The bid got me the Germans, at 1 VP. so I'll need 6-8 by week's end to make it to week 2. Historical setup in play. Sept 13th got me Krasponye and into the Sawmill (VP areas). Latashanka is secured by the Leaping Horsemen of the 24th, so I will be at 3 VPs by the end of day 2, and Minina gully fell to a sweep on the end of the night impulses of the 13th, with a german regroup into an empty area, followed by moving the garriso ned Fresh PAK and PNR units, after a miffed Russian counterattack earlier that night. Happy overall, but my opening bombardment was squat all- killing a single 226 tank and disrupting 4 NKVD battalions, total , from 4 arty and an airstrike. low DRs killed me early on, so the initial attacks were not as widespread as I hoped for, but they did get me to the riverbank.,

We do day 2 next tuesday - looking to secure the sawmill and get into the Grain elevator, while taking Tartar Wall and Hill 126.3 as my main goals.

Happy for another game of this classic.

 

[62nd Army]

Gentlemen


After having March "off" my non-ASL group is looking to get back into some New World. I would like to try the
hidden tile variant, but we will see. Is Dan V games releasing a "version" of conquistador? I need to check the web site out.

Also hoping to start Pacific War in May or June??

Thanks
Joe