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The Optimum Game Selection Tool
Tony Ackroyd
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Remember those old "Choose Your Own Adventure" Game books? Well this uses that process to choose the game for you to play based on:

# Players
Game Genre you want to play
Game Weight
(Light, Medium, Heavy, and a few Very Heavy)

Obviously the Weight category is massively subjective and Medium Wargames are heavier than Heavy Kids games, Gamer games are heavier than Family games, etc, so the Weight is varied based on the Genre you select.

I referenced a lot of BGG resources to help put this list together. Notably were the following geeklists, but there were many more:

Monty Circus's "Plays best with 2? 3? 4? 173? You tell me! Ultimate Optimum # of Players List"
jaquino's "75 GeekLists About Number Of Players: 2,3,4,5,6,7,8"
Robartin's "A Tribute to Ameritrash"
1000rpm's "Little Kids Games Championship: THE FINALS"
Dalestephenson's "The Thumbs Up List of Party Games"

YOU can improve this tool!
Writing this list certainly exposed my own areas of ignorance, in particular around Abstract games, Negotiation games and Heavy wargames.

1. If you can think of a game which you think would be an as good or better result than the one(s) you get then add a Comment to that geeklist item and state the other game, ideally with reasons. Unfortunately the popups don't let you add comments so you have to do this in the main list.

2. If some other games have been added as comments then give the game you like most a thumbsup to support that suggestion.

Many thanks to Boltongeordie for teaching me how to do dynamic links within a geeklist!

Many thanks to rooboomr for summarising the list in an Excel file as of 6 July 2007:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/fileinfo.php?fileid=25267

As an aside, if you haven't used "I don't know, what do you want to play?" to create yourself a set of cards of the games you own then you need to check this out now! Go to:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/28567 to understand it
http://www.superpowernosissies.com/games/idkwdywtp/ to do it

Update: The poll feature on games about ideal number of players has made it easy to add games to this list - thanks Aldie! Using that I have made some more lists you could use to solve the age-old problem of what game to play:
The Best Games for 1 Player
The Best Games for 2 Players
The Best Games for 3 Players
The Best Games for 4 Players
The Best Games for 5 Players
The Best Games for 6 Players
The Best Games for 7 or more Players

And my full reference geeklist for choosing games:
The Which Game to Play/Buy Metalist
Posted Mon Jul 2, 2007 6:10 pm
Edited Sun Feb 15, 2009 3:47 pm
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1. Board Game: Players and Playwrights [Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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How many Players do you have?

1 Player: Go to 9
2 Players: Go to 2
3 Players: Go to 3
4 Players: Go to 4
5 Players: Go to 5
6 Players: Go to 6
7 Players: Go to 7
8 or more Players: Go to 8
4
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Edited Fri Jun 29, 2007 2:53 pm
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2. Board Game: I Don't Know, What Do You Want To Play? [Average Rating:6.95 Overall Rank:1894]
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Tony Ackroyd
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2 Players

What type of game do you want to play?

Auction: go to 10
Wargame: go to 11
Gamer: go to 12
Family/Gateway: go to 13
Abstract: go to 14
Co-operative: go to 15
Negotiation: go to 16
Ameritrash/theme: go to 17
Kids: go to 18
Dexterity: go to 19
Party: go to 20
3
2 comments [Hide]
Edited Fri Jun 29, 2007 3:02 pm
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Marco Fuini
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What about sport simulation games? or would these fit into one of the above categories?
Tony Ackroyd
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Gamer or Family/Gateway.

No way am I adding more categories at the moment. Its just too much work. Sorry!

If I do ever get around to it then possible other categories to date:

Sports -> currently in Family/Gateway or Gamer
Word -> Family/Gateway
Weuros (War Euros) -> currently in Gamer or Wargame

Feel free to add other suggested categories here as comments, but if you do then please add a load of games that fit them:
1-8 players x 3 weights = 24 games just as a baseline!
Edited Mon Jul 9, 2007 6:10 pm
3. Board Game: I Don't Know, What Do You Want To Play? [Average Rating:6.95 Overall Rank:1894]
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Tony Ackroyd
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3 Players

What type of game do you want to play?

Auction: go to 21
Wargame: go to 27
Gamer: go to 33
Family/Gateway: go to 39
Abstract: go to 45
Co-operative: go to 51
Negotiation: go to 57
Ameritrash/theme: go to 63
Kids: go to 69
Dexterity: go to 75
Party: go to 81
4
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Edited Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:10 pm
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4. Board Game: I Don't Know, What Do You Want To Play? [Average Rating:6.95 Overall Rank:1894]
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Tony Ackroyd
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4 Players

What type of game do you want to play?

Auction: go to 22
Wargame: go to 28
Gamer: go to 34
Family/Gateway: go to 40
Abstract: go to 46
Co-operative: go to 52
Negotiation: go to 58
Ameritrash/theme: go to 64
Kids: go to 70
Dexterity: go to 76
Party: go to 82
1
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Edited Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:50 pm
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5. Board Game: I Don't Know, What Do You Want To Play? [Average Rating:6.95 Overall Rank:1894]
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Tony Ackroyd
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5 Players

What type of game do you want to play?

Auction: go to 23
Wargame: go to 29
Gamer: go to 35
Family/Gateway: go to 41
Abstract: go to 47
Co-operative: go to 53
Negotiation: go to 59
Ameritrash/theme: go to 65
Kids: go to 71
Dexterity: go to 77
Party: go to 83
1
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Edited Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:50 pm
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6. Board Game: I Don't Know, What Do You Want To Play? [Average Rating:6.95 Overall Rank:1894]
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Tony Ackroyd
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6 Players

What type of game do you want to play?

Auction: go to 24
Wargame: go to 30
Gamer: go to 36
Family/Gateway: go to 42
Abstract: go to 48
Co-operative: go to 54
Negotiation: go to 60
Ameritrash/theme: go to 66
Kids: go to 72
Dexterity: go to 78
Party: go to 84
1
0 comments
Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 8:57 pm
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7. Board Game: I Don't Know, What Do You Want To Play? [Average Rating:6.95 Overall Rank:1894]
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Tony Ackroyd
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7 Players

What type of game do you want to play?

Auction: go to 25
Wargame: go to 31
Gamer: go to 37
Family/Gateway: go to 43
Abstract: go to 49
Co-operative: go to 55
Negotiation: go to 61
Ameritrash/theme: go to 67
Kids: go to 73
Dexterity: go to 79
Party: go to 85
1
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Edited Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:49 pm
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8. Board Game: I Don't Know, What Do You Want To Play? [Average Rating:6.95 Overall Rank:1894]
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Tony Ackroyd
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8 or more players

What type of game do you want to play?

Auction: go to 26
Wargame: go to 32
Gamer: go to 38
Family/Gateway: go to 44
Abstract: go to 50
Co-operative: go to 56
Negotiation: go to 62
Ameritrash/theme: go to 68
Kids: go to 74
Dexterity: go to 80
Party: go to 86
2
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Edited Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:48 pm
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9. Board Game: I Don't Know, What Do You Want To Play? [Average Rating:6.95 Overall Rank:1894]
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Tony Ackroyd
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1 Player

What type of game do you want to play?

Wargame: go to 87
Gamer: go to 88
Ameritrash/theme: go to 89
Kids: go to 90
Abstract: go to 328
Dexterity: go to 330

2
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Edited Mon Jul 9, 2007 12:22 pm
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10. Board Game: Auction [Average Rating:6.00 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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2 Player Auction Game

Medium? go to 170

Light? go to 91
1
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 2:37 pm
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Tom Rosen
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If St. Petersburg counts as an auction game (for Medium) then I suppose Goa could count as an auction game and be listed as Heavy. I'd also consider including Ra as either Medium or Light instead even though the 2-player game is a variant because it works very well and is more of an auction game.
Chris White
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Goa is, in fact, far more of an auction game than St. Pete is. I think it would be a great choice.
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Great list and lots of work put into it, but where is the auction in St. Pete?
11. Board Game: War [Average Rating:2.16 Overall Rank:5678]
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Tony Ackroyd
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2 Player War Game

Very Heavy? go to 258

Heavy? go to 257

Medium? go to 178

Light? go to 99
4
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 3:02 pm
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12. Board Game: Gamer Tycoon [Average Rating:1.92 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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2 Player Gamer's Game

Heavy? go to 266

Medium? go to 186

Light? go to 106
1
0 comments
Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 3:03 pm
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13. Board Game: Family Affair [Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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2 Player Family/Gateway Game

Heavy? go to 273

Medium? go to 193

Light? go to 113
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 3:03 pm
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14. Board Game: Abstracts [Average Rating:6.62 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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2 Player Abstract Game

Heavy? go to 280

Medium? go to 200

Light? go to 120
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 3:04 pm
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15. Board Game: Team Work [Average Rating:6.50 Overall Rank:2745]
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Tony Ackroyd
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2 Player Co-operative Game

Heavy? go to 285

Medium? go to 207

Light? go to 127
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 3:05 pm
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Chris Long
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State College
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Looks like Arkham Horror is item 207 and 285. Amazing job, btw!
Mike King
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IMHO, Vanished Planet would make a good entry for Medium cooperative game, and would allow you to avoid the repeat of Arkham Horror in two spots.

BTW, this is an incredible list. Good job.


Tony Ackroyd
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Great idea - Vanished Planet now in replacing the Arkham Horror in Medium
Yoki Erdtman
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What about Pandemic, in light perhaps?

16. Board Game: Deal or No Deal [Average Rating:3.45 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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2 Player Negotiation Game

Light? go to 134
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 2:50 pm
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17. Board Game: Pass the Trash [Average Rating:3.84 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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2 Player Ameritrash Game

Heavy? go to 299

Medium? go to 221

Light? go to 141
1
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 3:05 pm
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18. Board Game: Kids Rule! [Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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2 Player Kids Game

Heavy? go to 307

Medium? go to 229

Light? go to 149
1
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 3:06 pm
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19. Board Game: Touch and Feel [Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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2 Player Dexterity Game

Heavy? go to 314

Medium? go to 236

Light? go to 156
1
0 comments
Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 3:07 pm
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20. Board Game: The Party Game [Average Rating:3.71 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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2 Player Party Game

Heavy? go to 321

Medium? go to 243

Light? go to 163
1
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 3:08 pm
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21. Board Game: Auction [Average Rating:6.00 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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3 Player Auction Game

Heavy? go to 251

Medium? go to 171

Light? go to 92
1
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 2:43 pm
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22. Board Game: Auction [Average Rating:6.00 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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4 Player Auction Game

Heavy? go to 252

Medium? go to 172

Light? go to 93
1
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 2:43 pm
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23. Board Game: Auction [Average Rating:6.00 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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5 Player Auction Game

Heavy? go to 253

Medium? go to 173

Light? go to 94
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 2:44 pm
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24. Board Game: Auction [Average Rating:6.00 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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6 Player Auction Game

Heavy? go to 254

Medium? go to 174

Light? go to 95
1
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 2:44 pm
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25. Board Game: Auction [Average Rating:6.00 Unranked]
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Tony Ackroyd
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7 Player Auction Game

Heavy? go to 255

Medium? go to 175

Light? go to 96
2
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Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 2:45 pm
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Kenny Wong
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This is truly amazing! Great job man!

I especially love it, because it definately takes me back to the "Choose your own adventure" days. Plus, just like the book, you can always go back if you don't like the outcome. hehe

:meeple::meeple::meeple::meeple::meeple: 5 Meeples!
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Ⓦ Ⓢhubert
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Wow, this is incredible.

But...2 player/kids game/heavy = Lost Cities??? List cities is a kids' game?

I'd put Gulo Gulo in that category instead...or maybe Carcassonne, which is heavy for a kids game and plays all right with 2.
Edited Mon Jul 2, 2007 10:33 pm
Dan Scott
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This is a list that deserves a place on everyone's quickbar! Great work!!
Sean Doubt
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Vancouver
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Completely brilliant. I found my fav games nearly every time I went through the options... I am impressed.
Mandy Heiser
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Concord
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This is the best list ever. However it was a bit lacking in the party games department. Fortunately, I was up to the task and filled them out a bit more.

Edit: I'd like to suggest a card games option. For trick taking games and the like (things like Tichu, Sticheln, Mu, etc.)
Edited Sat May 10, 2008 3:54 am
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Light, Medium, and Heavy 2 or 4-player Dex game: Crokinole

Seems to me that dex games can be any weight depending on the raw skill and experience of the players...

On that note (whether or not you're tired of hearing this at this point), fantastic work man! You get my thumb (and I'd give you more if I were a bgg mutant)
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