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Top 25 Most Famous "Non-Gamer" Games
Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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I'm slowly making the transition from Non-Gamer to Gamer. A few months ago, if anyone had asked me "name a board/card game", what would I have been able to think of?

Many of the games on the list are children's games, probably because many of the things I like are erroneously thought of as degenerate by people who don't understand or appreciate the field, such as comics and animation.

Not long ago I would have thouht that a Eurogame would be European Monopoly and I wouldn't have had a clue what a meeple was!

So, anyway, on with the list! I've tried to suggest "Gamer" alternatives from what I've learned in my limited research and would appreciate any other suggestions.
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Posted Sat Nov 8, 2008 9:17 am
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1. Board Game: Monopoly [Average Rating:4.50 Overall Rank:5663]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: Acquire
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Yoki Erdtman
Sweden
Södertälje
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Or something much simpler than Acquire, how about For Sale? It's sticking with theme, and is a great filler. You could easily play it a few times in the amount of time it takes to play a regular game of Monopoly.
Chris Broggi
United States
Southwick
Massachusetts
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I would say Settlers would be a gamer alternative. The primary aspects of Monopoly are trading and saving money to buy buildings. The primary aspects of Settlers are also trading and saving resources to buy buildings. Also, they both have the random element of two six-sided dice.
Lindsay Thomas
United Kingdom

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Or there's this gem: Fortune / Business from the 1970's.
Bing Hsu
United States
Pasadena
California
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Pinch 'n' Half Smile
United States
Santa Ana
California
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Or Rail Baron. Sure, it doesn't *look* like Monopoly, but it is similar in many ways: you buy specific "properties," and collect "rent" when other players use them.
John Clark
Australia
Canberra
ACT
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broggi wrote:
I would say Settlers would be a gamer alternative. The primary aspects of Monopoly are trading and saving money to buy buildings. The primary aspects of Settlers are also trading and saving resources to buy buildings. Also, they both have the random element of two six-sided dice.


I am inclined to agree, but I also think that Monopoly is just fine as a 'gamers game' as well ...
2. Board Game: Chess [Average Rating:7.05 Overall Rank:214]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: Go
2
Simon K
Netherlands
Zaanstad
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Harald Korneliussen
Norway
Oslo
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Eurogamer alternative: Hive. If you really need an alternative.
Drew Spencer
United States
Tucson
Arizona
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vintermann wrote:
Eurogamer alternative: Hive. If you really need an alternative.


Hive or the Gipf Project.
Lindsay Thomas
United Kingdom

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Commands & Colors: Ancients: wargame set in ancient times, showing a picture of a "knight" here.

Taylor Liss
United States
Quincy
Massachusetts
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3. Board Game: Poker [Average Rating:6.78 Overall Rank:368]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: Lost Cities
3
Simon Wood
England
Manchester
Lancashire
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I always think Felix: The Cat in the Sack is a good alternative to Poker.
Donovan Loucks
United States
Victoria
Minnesota
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JAE
United States
Bryan
TX
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you got this one very wrong.

Liar's Dice is very much the GAMER(TM) version of Poker.
I've even played liar's dice for money...
Harald Korneliussen
Norway
Oslo
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Gamer Alternative: Free Ride poker by Reiner Knizia. Not in the BGG database as far as I can tell (probably fell afoul of the "standard deck of cards" rule)
Greg Jones
United States

California
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Citadels. Take a risk by taking a good role and risk being targeted, or play it safe and just play the hand that's dealt you. There's bluff, but also strategy.
4. Board Game: Trivial Pursuit [Average Rating:5.22 Overall Rank:5528]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: Wits & Wagers
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Jeff Wolfe
United States
Columbus
Ohio
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Accept no substitutes, Wits & Wagers is the gamer trivia game. Second edition, if you can get it.
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Edited Sat Nov 8, 2008 8:11 pm
Laura Lawson
United States
Cincinnati
Ohio
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5. Board Game: Snakes and Ladders [Average Rating:2.70 Overall Rank:5679]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: ?
Brian Griffin Waters
United States
North Pole
Alaska
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Flip a coin and see who wins.
Lindsay Thomas
United Kingdom

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Formula Dé Dice rolling race to the finish and watch you don't slide out.
Pinch 'n' Half Smile
United States
Santa Ana
California
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Hare and Tortoise
Tiffany Jones

San Antonio
Texas
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I wouldnt say alternative -- but variant -- Chutes and Ladders the Drinking game. Take a shot every time you go down the chute. Works like a charm :) Though I have a nasty habit of getting stuck on one chute repeatedly until my friends take pity on my and rig the spinner.

What can I say -- my non gamer writer type friends don't like my other games. I have tried. So we play chutes and ladders. and Fact or Crap. :shudder: :gulp:
Laura Lawson
United States
Cincinnati
Ohio
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6. Board Game: Clue [Average Rating:5.59 Overall Rank:4314]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: Betrayal at House on the Hill
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Brian Griffin Waters
United States
North Pole
Alaska
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Jarred Handy
United States
University Place
Washington
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Mystery of the Abbey

Betrayal at House on the Hill doesn't really work here because you're not deducing anything, you're just wandering around until you KNOW who the bad guy is.

29
Edited Sat Nov 8, 2008 10:29 am
Yoki Erdtman
Sweden
Södertälje
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A twisted alternative would be Kill Doctor Lucky, but I agree with Jarred on Mystery of the Abbey. You could also try Scotland Yard, The Name of the Rose, Garibaldi: La Trafila, or Mr. Jack.
Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Yokiboy wrote:
A twisted alternative would be Kill Doctor Lucky, but I agree with Jarred on Mystery of the Abbey. You could also try Scotland Yard, The Name of the Rose, Garibaldi: La Trafila, or Mr. Jack.


Oh poop! Kill Doctor Lucky was what I was thinking of as an alternative, but I couldn't remember the name!
Jeff Wolfe
United States
Columbus
Ohio
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Also, Inkognito.
Patrick Wilz
United States
Bay St. Louis
Mississippi
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Also, Code 777 or Black Vienna.
7. Board Game: Connect Four [Average Rating:4.80 Overall Rank:5628]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: Yinsh
7
Jean-Philippe Depotte
France
PARIS
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Laura Lawson
United States
Cincinnati
Ohio
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Harald Korneliussen
Norway
Oslo
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Yinsh is a great deal heavier than connect four! I would recommend that old Knizia classic that was recently republished by Steffen Spiele: Tiku. It is a very nice light abstract.

But so is Connect Four. There's really no need to replace it unless you want variation.
8. Board Game: Scrabble [Average Rating:6.48 Overall Rank:660]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: ?
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Luke Morris
Japan
Nagoya
Aichi
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Scrabble doesn't need a gamer alternative. It is a word game stripped down to the most direct it can be.
Mark Chiddicks
New Zealand
Auckland
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Competitive Scrabble, like high level chess, isn't a game, its a test, and as such, dry as dust.
Brian Stevenson
United States
tempe
Arizona
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Bananagrams!!

Although it might be even more stripped down than Scrabble, I find it a better and more fun word game.
Paul Whittenhall
United States
Des Plaines
Illinois
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How about Keesdrow.
Sandy Petersen
United States
Rockwall
Texas
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Scrabble a gamer's game?! No way. It's incredibly slow-paced.
9. Board Game: Top Trumps [Average Rating:4.09 Overall Rank:5643]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: ?
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Luke Morris
Japan
Nagoya
Aichi
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Some kind of CCG no doubt.
Daniel Gerbner
Hungary
Budapest
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JohnRayJr wrote:
Quote:
This is a famous game? I've never heard of it.


Seconded.


I've never heard of it, but I played a few hundred times about fifteen years ago. Please read the description of the game! You haven't heard of this name, but you must know the game.
clemens kremer
Germany

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the game is very popular in germany. i used to play it as a kid.
Drew Spencer
United States
Tucson
Arizona
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Lindsay Thomas
United Kingdom

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10. Board Game: Pictionary [Average Rating:5.83 Overall Rank:2362]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: ?
Giles Pritchard
Australia
Shepparton
Victoria
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Gamer Alternative: Barbarossa



brian
United States
Cedar Lake
Indiana
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JAE
United States
Bryan
TX
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GAMER(TM) version: Eat Poop You Cat
Drew Spencer
United States
Tucson
Arizona
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11. Board Game: Snap [Average Rating:3.20 Overall Rank:5595]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: ?
Giles Pritchard
Australia
Shepparton
Victoria
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Gamer Alternative: Jungle Speed

Lindsay Thomas
United Kingdom

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This, of course.

Well, it has to make an appearance on every Geeklist, anyway.
3
Edited Sat Nov 8, 2008 8:50 pm
Bill Gallagher
United States

California
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Set is a good alternative.
12. Board Game: Twister [Average Rating:4.57 Overall Rank:5646]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: ?
Simon K
Netherlands
Zaanstad
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Ca$h 'n Gun$ : Live is the only I can think of that might come close to this
13. Board Game: Guess Who [Average Rating:4.83 Overall Rank:5614]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: ?
Simon K
Netherlands
Zaanstad
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Giles Pritchard
Australia
Shepparton
Victoria
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Gamer Alternative: Citadels

Andy Malcolm
United Kingdom
Norwich
Norfolk
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Jarred Handy
United States
University Place
Washington
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Guess Where? has a little more meat.
Timo Kauppinen
Finland

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MGS
United States
Fitchburg
Wisconsin
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Mr. Jack.
14. Board Game: The Game of Life [Average Rating:3.86 Overall Rank:5676]
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Steve
United Kingdom
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
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Gamer Alternative: ?
Simon K
Netherlands
Zaanstad
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Gamer Alternative: Gloom
Linda Baldwin
United States
New York
Unspecified
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