C M
United States
New York
-
Hello fellow geeks.
My friends and I have just recently gotten into the whole German board game craze. We used to like to play risk a lot. For a while that was the only strategic board game we knew. But the constant dice rolling, the amount of time it would take (games could easily run over 4 hours), and the fact that most games ended up the same way, it got old. We got risk on the PS2, which did some good to shorten up the playtime, but some of the other aspects were too annoying and out interest.
Enter Ticket to Ride. My brother played this game away at school and brought it home to us. We have been playing it ever since. We like the fact that such a seemingly simple concept can have such depth of play. Its fun, strategic, competitive... all things I look for in a game. We also liked the fact that it eliminated much of the luck involved with rolling dice, and the fact that a game is usually less than hour. It's been a great addition.
After playing that a friend's relative suggested we try Puerto Rico, that it was the number one rated game on this site. So I went online and purchased a copy. It has been a hit with us also. I like the fact that every move you make affects all the players. It adds a whole new level to tactical play.
The two games end up fighting over which will be played on a given night, and when we have time, we just play both. I personally like Puerto Rico a bit better just due to its sheer depth of tactical decisions.
So now its time to liven things up a bit and we were thinking of purchasing a new game. So obviously the first thing I did was check out other highly rated games on this site.
Power grid looks awesome. My friend is going to purchase that one.
Tigris and Euphrates looks like its good also, but many people seem not to like it. I wanted some insights into whether you think my group would like it. We like the heavy strategy aspects of games like Puerto Rico. The fact that it is really complex made me want to try it. Our group likes complexity as it gives the game more depth to make strategic decisions. But some reviewers made it seem that all the complexity just made it confusing and didn’t add depth. I'd like some thoughts on that.
Also there are many other games that seem to be well known, such as Settlers of Catan, Carcassone, Caylus, etc… Could anyone recommend which of these is best? I also saw Acquire, which looked cool. There were also some from days of wonder, which I wondered about, such as Pirates Cove, Memoir 44 and their latest one, Colisseum.
Basically what we want is a game with very little luck and lots of strategy. Multiplayer is a must as our group has at least 3 or 4 people in it. Im not really too interested on what the theme is, just the gameplay mechanics.
Any other suggestions????
-
Thjodbjorn K.
United States
Minneapolis
Minnesota
-
I do like Carcassonne quite a bit. Princes of Florence is another very good one.
I really didn't care too much for Tigris and Euphrates at first, but I think it's grown on me quite a bit.
Thurn and Taxis seems like a natural, considering TrR...
-
Neil Whyman
United States
Williamsport
Pennsylvania
I need more TIME
-
Yes to Power Grid, its terrific! But here's some more worth a look:
Princes of Florence
Age of Steam
Santa Fe Rails
Manila
Have fun!
-
Joe Panciera
United States
Pendleton
Washington
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
For how simple the rules are, there's a lot going on in T&E. I think your group would enjoy it, but the introduction of more players increases the chaos, which might not be as welcome. Those reviewers don't know what they're talking about. T&E is a very subtle game, as far as I'm concerned. It will take several plays before you get a hold of all the strategy involved.
Caylus is the way to go, i think. Its nice and heavy, fulfills your requirements. Its a real brain burner, no chance. I would play it anytime. Another good one is Age of Steam (which is expensive) or Railroad Tycoon (which is a little lighter). Carcassone and Settlers are both classics, but light games. Yeah, get Caylus. You won't be disappointed.
-
Tim K.
United States
Seattle
Washington
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
My first suggestion would be to try Settlers of Catan if you haven't already. And take a look at the games on this list:
The Ultimate Next Step List: What should you choose after Settlers of Catan?
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/17146
[edit]
You seem to be looking at the list of games on this site in order of their ranking. Those rankings come from a variety of the population here but most likely are weighted to represent the opinions of much more experienced gamers and the games are not necessarily good choices for folks just getting into the hobby. Which is not to say that you shouldn't be looking to those games, just consider why they are ranked the way they are and what you are really looking for.
You might also try searching Geeklists for the word 'gateway' since TTR is the top gateway game du jour and if you liked that one you would most likely enjoy others in that category.
-
Chris
United States
Newark
Delaware
... ...
A horse is a bike that pedals itself.
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
I'm rather on the fence about recommending Settlers as you have already gotten into heavier stuff. However, if you have not played it I think it definitely is worth trying. It's hard to go from opposite directions as that was the game I played before I got into heavier games.
In any case, for a very different game I recommend Ra, and pretty much any other Knizia game, but Ra especially. As you have not yet gotten into any auction games, I highly recommend it as my favorite Knizia auction game. Very easy to get into, and some fascinating strategies I've found.
[edit] Also, yes to Tigris and Euphrates. It might not catch you the first time, but once you get the hang of it, it quickly grows on you. Another of my absolute favorites. Possibly a 10 for me.
-
United States
Houston
Texas
-
I second the recommendation for Settlers. Even though it is light and has a strong luck element (things you mentioned a distaste for), I think you'll really enjoy it.
I also highly recommend T&E. Some consider it dry, but from your description I think your group would really take to it.
I would actually steer you away from Caylus. It isn't a bad game, but there are just so many games that are better.
And because no one's mentioned an auction game yet, I'll throw Ra and Modern Art out there. Both are excellent.
-
Matthew Fisk
United States
Spanish Fork
Utah
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
Consider if your group likes a lot of conflict as you make you decisions. PR doesn't have a lot direct influence on the other characters, TTR CAN or cannot be depending on how the people are playing it.
If they like some confrontation then T&E is certainly something to look at. If the group isn't big into the direct conflict I would recommend:
Alhambra
Notre Dame
Goa
Fury of Dracula
Fury is a bit different in that 4 people can play the hunters and work cooperatively against the player that is Dracula, but this one has always been a hit for me among people that have enjoyed PR.
-
suPUR DUEper
United States
Villa Hills
Kentucky
-
Princes of Florence
Caylus Magna Carta
Citadels
Goa
-
Marshall Miller
United States
Medford
Massachusetts
-
Heavier games = Puerto Rico
Age of Steam
Power Grid
Imperial
El Grande
Tikal
Shogun
Lighter games = Ticket to Ride
Yspahan
China
Nexus Ops
Winner's Circle
Lightest games - For fillers/pre-bedtime
Can't Stop
That's Life
Memoir '44 = excellent light-wargame/war-themed Euro
-
Ryan Olson
United States
Topeka
Kansas
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
Power Grid is a great game.
I want to second Notre Dame, which went over very well with my group (and family) recently.
A couple others to consider would be:
Yspahan
Blue Moon City
Keythedral
Modern Art
These games are all some of my game groups favorites. We started out with games like TTR, and have only recently found PR, which is another one we really like...
Edit: There are ALOT of really good suggestions (Ra & El Grande to name a couple I didn't think about before) on this list. Check out the games carefully, and pick a couple that seem to sound the best. You can hardly go wrong  .
-
Kenneth Bailey
United States
Ypsilanti
Michigan
-
Puerto Rico is good
Settlers is good
Some of the other editions of TTR are good.
Caylus is not bad but some of my friends dont' like it.
-
John W
United States
Sacramento
California
-
Why not just try the obvious game, and go with Settlers of Catan?
If price is an issue, I'd highly recommend dropping by a Toys R Us and see if they still have a copy of Vegas Showdown for dirt cheap (from $4 to $10) - it's a solid game, with an American theme but tried-and-true Euro mechanics.
-
John Weber
United States
Laurel
Maryland
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
I would recommend Imperial, it's probably the best new game in the past year or so. Another one from a couple of years back, if you haven't tried it, is Vegas Showdown -- a great Euro design that was actually designed by an American and published by a US company.
-
Greg White
New Zealand
Upper Hutt, Wellington
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
imanarchy wrote: Also there are many other games that seem to be well known, such as Settlers of Catan, Carcassone, Caylus, etc… Could anyone recommend which of these is best? I also saw Acquire, which looked cool. There were also some from days of wonder, which I wondered about, such as Pirates Cove, Memoir 44 and their latest one, Colisseum.
Basically what we want is a game with very little luck and lots of strategy. Multiplayer is a must as our group has at least 3 or 4 people in it. Im not really too interested on what the theme is, just the gameplay mechanics. i would avoid Memoir 44 despite whatever marketing spin you've heard to the contrary it is a 2 player game. if i were you i would also avoid Pirate's Cove, i enjoy it but i think your group would not, it's probably too light.
Settlers of Catan is a good recommendation, try it, if you feel it is a little simplistic then add the Catan: Cities & Knights expansion, it changes the game considerably and gives it more teeth. If the base game seems too simplistic avoid the Seafarers expansion it doesn't really add more crunch. Undeniably the dice in Settlers adds a luck factor but in my opinion it doesn't effect the game drastically, a good player will take into account the probabilities of the dice into their strategy and tactics.
i would also avoid carcassonne, it is great as a two player game, but the more players that are involved the less strategic the game becomes and luck begins to play a greater role.
i would be surprised if your group gets to play much other than Power Grid though once your friend introduces it.
have a look at Shogun if you want something with a bit more of a confrontational feel to it.
-
Ray
United States
Carpentersville
Illinois
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
I really think the best list of games to try comes about from both looking at the best and from looking at the most diverse. Mathematically what Matthew did in his geeklist does just that as well as any subset can:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/20948
A few of these games might not be to your taste yet but by using this as a list of games to try you'll quickly cover a diverse collection of games.
Also if you do find any of these collection building block games not to your liking that will serve as a basis for what games to avoid recommending.
-
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
My boyfriend has had a similiar experience. Him and his friends started off Risk and moved to Ticket to Ride (with 1910 cards), Ticket To Ride Europe, and Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers. My bf and I together have gone into board games in a big way.
I highly recommend China, Samurai, Tigris & Euprhates, and Settlers of Catan if you are looking for more interactive games. We also like Alhambra and Princes of Florence, but they aren't as interactive (like a more fun version of solitaire). For fun, quick games, I recommend our current favourites, Guillotine and Hey That's My Fish.
-
Mitch Willis
United States
Kathleen
Georgia
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
On the heavier side (closer to Puerto Rico) I think you'll enjoy Power Grid and I'd second the recommendations for both The Princes of Florence and Glenn Drover's Empires: The Age of Discovery as well as add one for Railroad Tycoon. On the lighter side (closer to Ticket to Ride), you might try Elfenland (same designer as TtR) and Around the World in 80 Days...
-
The New Rasputin
United States
Morriston
Florida
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
I would very much encourage you to try any of the crayon rail games, ie: Empire Builder, Lunar Rails, India Rails (with the nuclear war expansion of course) or Iron Dragons if you can find it. These game have all the game play you want, are cheap and very strategic.
-
Walt
United States
Orange County
California
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
A meta-suggestion: find a gaming group. This lets you try hundreds of games free. It also exposes you to a wider range of strategies and tactics. If you were in my area, we could toss 10-20 different games a month at your group almost indefinitely. For resources to find other gamers, see: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/1689150#1689150
-
Todd Sweet
United States
Geneva
Illinois
-
I would highly suggest Age of Empires III and if you want to go back to a little more fighting try Shogun (the new Wallenstein rethemed game, not the old GameMaster Series also called Samuria Swords).
-
Gary Neumann
Venezuela
Caracas
-
Re: Need a game recomendation. Our group likes Puerto rico,
Mease22 wrote:
Memoir '44 = excellent light-wargame/war-themed Euro
Or Friedrich, better yet!
-
Marshall Miller
United States
Medford
Massachusetts
-
Neumann wrote: Or Friedrich, better yet!
I had forgotten about that one. I've only played half a game, but it was a good design and we were having fun.
-
John W
United States
Sacramento
California
-
Tall_Walt wrote: A meta-suggestion: find a gaming group. This lets you try hundreds of games free. It also exposes you to a wider range of strategies and tactics. If you were in my area, we could toss 10-20 different games a month at your group almost indefinitely. For resources to find other gamers, see: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/1689150#1689150
Winner!
Why go it alone, when you can get the best of all worlds, by playing somebody else's game and have them teach it to you so you can decide whether it's good in your group (or your group can go and try it themselves).
-
|
|
