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Top 25 Most Famous "Non-Gamer" Games
Steve
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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:5383]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: Acquire
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Yoki Erdtman
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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
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070809
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
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Or there's this gem: Fortune / Business from the 1970's.
All Men Pinch Fish
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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
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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:218]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: Go
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Harald Korneliussen
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Eurogamer alternative: Hive. If you really need an alternative.
drew spencer
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vintermann wrote:
Eurogamer alternative: Hive. If you really need an alternative.


Hive or the Gipf Project.
Lindsay Thomas
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Commands & Colors: Ancients: wargame set in ancient times, showing a picture of a "knight" here.

Taylor Liss
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3. Board Game: Poker [Average Rating:6.79 Overall Rank:356]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: Lost Cities
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Simon Wood
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06070809
I always think Felix: The Cat in the Sack is a good alternative to Poker.
JAE
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0408
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
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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
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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:5244]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: Wits & Wagers
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Jeff Wolfe
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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
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5. Board Game: Snakes and Ladders [Average Rating:2.69 Overall Rank:5400]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: ?
malvarma piedo
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Flip a coin and see who wins.
Lindsay Thomas
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Formula Dé Dice rolling race to the finish and watch you don't slide out.
All Men Pinch Fish
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Hare and Tortoise
Perfection in training
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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
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6. Board Game: Clue [Average Rating:5.59 Overall Rank:4186]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: Betrayal at House on the Hill
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malvarma piedo
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Jarred Handy
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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
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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
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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
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Also, Inkognito.
Patrick Wilz
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070809
Also, Code 777 or Black Vienna.
7. Board Game: Connect Four [Average Rating:4.78 Overall Rank:5349]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: Yinsh
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Jean-Philippe Depotte
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Laura Lawson
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Harald Korneliussen
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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:6.49 Overall Rank:635]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: ?
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Luke Morris
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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
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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
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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
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How about Keesdrow.
Sandy Petersen
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Scrabble a gamer's game?! No way. It's incredibly slow-paced.
9. Board Game: Top Trumps [Average Rating:4.10 Overall Rank:5361]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: ?
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Luke Morris
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05060708
Some kind of CCG no doubt.
Daniel Gerbner
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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
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the game is very popular in germany. i used to play it as a kid.
drew spencer
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Lindsay Thomas
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11. Board Game: Snap [Average Rating:3.17 Overall Rank:5321]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: ?
Giles Pritchard
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Gamer Alternative: Jungle Speed

Lindsay Thomas
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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
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Set is a good alternative.
12. Board Game: Twister [Average Rating:4.55 Overall Rank:5367]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: ?
Simon K
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Ca$h 'n Gun$ : Live is the only I can think of that might come close to this
14. Board Game: The Game of Life [Average Rating:3.85 Overall Rank:5397]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: ?
Simon K
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Gamer Alternative: Gloom
Linda Baldwin
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040809
Or the alternative I always preferred as a kid: Careers.
Chris Kirkman
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0809
HamsterOfFury wrote:
Koldfoot wrote:
Getting drunk and kicking each other in the crotch.


I always like to imagine that it's Brian saying everything you say. It always earns you a thumbs up when I hear him say it.


Dude, I'm so with you on this one.
Benny Sperling
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Woelf wrote:
All you really miss out on is going to college, but who really needs college when you have sheep instead?


That's why most of us went to college, to avoid the sheep...
Bill Gallagher
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Redneck Life is an alternative one might pull out - same basic mechanics, but definitely a bit more "grown up".
15. Board Game: Buckaroo [Average Rating:4.76 Overall Rank:5189]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: Loopin' Louie
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Schuk
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Isn't it a bit of a stretch to call Loopin'Louie a gamer game?
Dan Naylor
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Schuk wrote:
Isn't it a bit of a stretch to call Loopin'Louie a gamer game?


Aren't Gamers Games those games that get a lot of love from BGGers?
16. Board Game: Mouse Trap [Average Rating:4.09 Overall Rank:5387]
Steve
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Gamer Alternative: ?
Chris Broggi
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070809
HeroScape Master Set: Rise of the Valkyrie In both, most of the game play is setup. You could really insert any miniatures game here.
All Men Pinch Fish
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If you're looking for a gamer's game with some kind of "gadget" in it, how about Schrille Stille, or one of those with the cube-tower battle resolution thing, Wallenstien, IIRC?
Rob McFadden
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Brian Stevenson
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