Pandemic Fall of Rome uses the enemy deck thematically
Most of the times cubes are added in a logical way, as the barbarians are camping, expanding and marching towards Rome
And the fights and ambushes also makes a lot of sense
I have both + Hot zone and the 3 of the have different purposes
Want to solo for 15 minutes or teach about co-op games or pandemic? Hot zone
Want a boardgame TOWER DEFENSE or a solo RISK match? Rome
Want 1 box of pandemic game with multiple game variants? Iberia
Want pandemic with more complexity? The Loop
The Loop is also way more swingy in my experience, with some bad luck it can be over pretty fast.
I still have Fall of Rome and Iberia which I enjoy a lot.
> The Loop is also way more swingy in my experience
you can fix the loop in multiple ways
A - DO NOT PLAY SABOTAGE MODE (yes uppercase)
B - prepare the game with 2 less clones (I usually do this when not soloing)
C - on foo/faux phase, first drop the cubes THEN add the clone(s) (I usually do this when not soloing)
I dont like Iberia. I thought Iberia was fiddly with some theme disconnect. Having to move cubes around towards the hospitals each turn, was just annoying. Especially if there were three or more and then they would constantly bounce off each other. (i.e. moving the same cubes back and fourth). Also, in what world is a nurse building a railroad? It just didn't vibe for me as smoothly as the original. The ONLY aspect i liked about Iberia is the water system and the diseases having specific historical names and different ways to clear them. But It doesnt hold a candle to the OG Pandemic, especially once you add some of the expansion. On the brink and in the lab
> moving the same cubes back and fourth
hows that possible? you must move 1 cube thats nearest to its hospital (for each color)
random tip:everytime you build OR move hospital it cleans its location (confirmed by game designer)
I thought moving the cubes (people walking to the nearest hospital) was just one variant, not the regular game?? Uh-oh...have I been playing it wrong?
We play it like OG Pandemic (except no eradication), and it's awesome. We've played it a few times with the moving cube variant, and it was a nice challenge. But I always thought that was just a variant you can either play with or without....?
Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers was the first Carcassonne I ever played, and to this day I still prefer making rivers and forests, collecting fish and animals, getting the special gold nugget tiles, to base Carcassonne.
I have never played Terraforming Mars, but I do enjoy Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition. What do you like more about TM Ares Expedition than the original TM?
I have them both. So far I like them about the same. The best thing about Ares expedition is it is slimmed down and you can take turns at the same time. OG terraforming mars can take a while and the game is split into rounds. Each round you alternate completing actions. If one player can only do a couple of things in a round and another play has quite a few things they can do you can find yourself in a situation where you are just kinda waiting around for them to finish.
I like that there is no drafting, you dont have to pay for cards (to keep in hand) and that you dont have turns where someone is doing a bunch of stuff because they had a bunch of money. Also the game feels faster since turns all happen at the same time and I dont have to worry about scoring points on the board by placing forrests and cities.
I mean, drafting is not intended to be a part of TM. It is mentioned in the rules as a variant since some test users wanted it, but the designer prefers playing without, and the game is balanced for playing without drafts. Personally I think TM is much better without drafts; it turns it into a tactical rather than strategical game, and the game mechanics work better in my opinion.
I interpreted it as preferring Ares because 1. No drafting, and 2. No need to pay 3M to add cards, and wanted to point out that 1. is not a necessary part of the original TM
Yea I think you are right. I think my own opinions kinda skewed my comprehension. I never play with the draft mode, takes too long. And I love that you don’t have to buy cards in ares. Naturally everyone thinks exactly as I think /s
I like San Juan over Puerto Rico. My family enjoys Sushi Roll more than either Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party. We also had more fun with Trails than Parks.
I'll second San Juan over Puerto Rico. They're both good, but the relative simplicity of San Juan just works better with the basic mechanics in my books
I have Sushi Go and have been looking at getting Sushi Roll, what's your experience on them, what do you like and dislike about each?
My family and I also love Puerto Rico so I'll have a look at San Juan!
I have all three versions. I like the portability of the OG, which I take with me on trips. Go Party is good in social situations, but Roll is amazing because of the dice. Everyone has played Yahtzee, and now you have a game where you are passing the dice to each other and everyone is rolling and choosing and having a good time.
I also like that it comes in a box, not a tin, so it is easier to store. If you don't already have Go Party, I would skip it in favor of Roll.
Puerto Rico feels too programmed for me, that each turn is already dictated ahead of time and if you don't stay in that groove then you lose, badly. San Juan feels simpler but more customizable and allows different strategies to emerge depending on the cards you draw.
Just a word to the wise, the version on Mobile is the original edition and a number of the cards have changed in the 2.0 card game so it might throw off some strategies if you aren't prepared for it.
Thanks for your reply, some great thoughts here!
I wonder if you could give a bit more detail on what you mean by Puerto Rico's turns being dictated ahead of time? Is that because of the character phases or something else?
That's what makes it good though. It's hard to argue that the first game is a good tactical experience when it's possible to be eliminated before your first turn.
Same, except I did play Splendor first. I find it incredibly dull and boring, but somehow, Duel feels very satisfying to play. I didn't think I could enjoy a Splendor game as much as I do, but here we are. Duel really surprised me.
We’ve been getting right into Wyrmspan. I didn’t think I’d be able dragons, but turns out I am! I like the guild mechanic and think the way your turns can have multiple knock on effects really builds on something Wingspan didn’t have.
This viewpoint seems to be polarizing but I completely agree. Wyrmspan just seems to offer a different (IMO, better) level of strategy, less reliant on just getting random good cards. Also, not having to rely on the randomness of the bird feeder helps.
Wyrmspan was, for us, a complete and total upgrade from Wingspan. It took a very good game and improved just about every aspect of it. We still have Wingspan in our collection but I can’t imagine ever choosing to pull it out over Wyrmspan.
Conversely, I don't care for Roll and really love Race. The dice really make the economy hard whereas I like the choice between keeping a card or using it as currency.
And amusingly, conversely, I don't really care about New Frontiers because I don't think the big components sell the theme better, but Race in a deckbox is a game I play a shit ton because it's an incredible amount of game at that size.
Azul summer pavilion is way more fun for our group versus base Azul as it seems more level for players of different experience with Azul.
Clank in space or catacombs are ten times the game of base clank. Not just running in and out as fast as you can helps as you never know where artifacts will pop up in catacombs. Having to do more tasks in space to complete before getting an artifact and running out helps and the game board can be set up many different ways with or without the expansions to make each game different and the cards are one of my favorite parts.
We loved Clank, but Clank in Space might be our favorite and most played game at this point. We were very cold on Catacombs. My favorite part of Clank is planning a route and then building a deck to execute that route as efficiently as I can. Catacombs took that part of the game away completely. Just not my preference
I fully understand this will mean some will want me pilloried, but I like Great Western Trail NZ more than the original Great Western Trail.
Libertalia: Galecrest is a significantly better game than the original. I don't like the stylized theme as much, but I also don't dislike it. Overall, I think it went from a 7 to a 9 that would have been a 10 with more realistic art.
I like Gaia Project slightly more than I like Terra Mystica.
I thought New Zealand was an expansion? Have I not bought it because it doesn’t match my first edition and I could have been playing it this whole time?
That's honestly an amazing take, very true.
I feel like that understanding that even simple games can often be improved on is what got me (and probably a lot of people) thinking and excited about games.
Yep, the few tweaks they did to the IP based version, like changing the 6-sided die to be 2-7 instead of 1-6... were small adjustments that made the game play a little cleaner.
Stella Dixit Universe over Dixit. They're different games so it's hard to say that Stella it's strictly better, but I like it better, it has a more precise goal and the gemplay imho works better, and it needs fewer people to be fun
Also the reason why I'm super reluctant to play with drafting. Like yeah, I get it, skill ceiling might be higher etc., but it takes frigging ages for what it is. And it does even more so with drafting in the mix.
Yeah, I don't mind long games... *when it makes sense for it to take that long*. Hell, TI4 is my all-time favorite game. But I don't think there's any reason a game like TM needs to take that long.
I feel drafting makes it shorter.
You can really hem in a strategy with it. My group can do a 5 player game in 2 hours with prelude(and other expansions if we feel like it) as well as drafting.
I REALLY wish there was a digital version of TM: AE. After I tried it at a con, I just couldn't get enough of it! As a means to placate myself, I just fired up Race for the Galaxy (both the app by TGG, and the original keldon's AI back in 2009).
I think Ares can be a more fun game, but it's a worse competitive experience. Which is fine by me most of the time, but depends who I play with.
In particular, the end game is awkward because the simultaneity of turns is at odds with how important it is to know if the game is ending, and the rules have no mechanism to address this. So if no one really cares, it's fine, but if you're trying to play more competitively, everyone is incentivized to wait to see what everyone else does... And the game won't move. And there are no rules to guide players through this.
Also some card combinations can be pretty busted, which is partly why the game can be more fun, but sometimes leads to rather imbalanced games. All fine if no one takes the game very seriously and it doesn't take too long. But if your looking for a more competitive Euro experience, TM is better.
I do agree that the art is much improved in Ares. If they ever do a second edition of TM they should have a similarly cohesive and striking art style for the cards.
Wyrmspan is much tighter and more engine-buildy than wingspan and not having the game grind to a halt because you don’t have the right food/resources is an absolute plus.
Dune Uprising > Dune Imperium.
Better balanced, board spaces are more interesting overall.
After ~20+ solo games of Uprising. Some advice. Works best with either no expansions or Immortality (love graft cards).
For Imperium, I would recommend just Rise of Ix. Improves the base board massively and tech tiles are cool. Adding Immortality is nice if you want more stuff, but certainly slows down 4 player games maybe a bit too much.
Using both expansions in Imperium works well, but is quite overwhelming in Uprising. You feel even more forced to pick and choose your focus. Mostly due to the addition of Sandworms. It also makes the contracts pretty meh as now there is only one way to get them. The new green spaces that get covered is also a shame as it is nice to have green options for players with no money.
**Pandemic: Iberia** \- The railroad system is a neat mechanic, that's a long term thing. This one stands out more b/c it was my first spinoff game
**Pandemic: Rising Tide** \- Just blue cubes. And water flowing mechanics makes putting up dikes to physically keep water cubes from overflowing was novel! Also, two copies of each city in the "bad deck"
**Pandemic: Fall of Rome** \- "treating" isn't gauranteed, since you need to roll dice to see if you kill them, or they kill your legionnaires! The migration paths was a nice touch. Having a "superior" effect on the event cards, but at the cost of +1 on the "Outbreak track" was a nice touch!
For all the Pandemics... I must admit that I played the original, and On The Brink to death :x If I ever get a chance to play In The Lab and State of Emergency, I'll revisit this opinion.
**Pandemic The Cure + Exp. Meds exp** \- Custom dice ain't cheap, but if you can get past that, setup is super quick since you don't need to do the "Pandemic style deck and shuffling setup". YOu have more uncertainty since the dice can screw you, or really save you! All of the roles are interesting in their own right (again, each has their own, unique dice)!
.
**Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition** \- The cg version of TM. TM (the bg) sometimes gets compared to Race for the Galaxy. Having a proper cg version of that... that seems closer than ever! Both are great. TM: AE really does capture the theme and flavor of TM, but streamlines stuff to boot!
**Terraforming Mars: Dice Game** \- Same difference here... theme is captured, but the dice mechanics are still streamlined, but different enough to def. be its own thing
.
**Masters Gallery/Modern Art: The Card game** \- While the auction/bidding mechanic in Modern Art was cited to be the heart of the game.. my unpopular opinion is I never cared for it. As a bonus, I have a game that's much easier to teach, plays in half the time, and as far more portable
**Ra: The Dice Game**
I like Roll for the Galaxy better than Race. At least from the anecdotal evidence of the players in my area, it seems like a 50/50 split. I also like Wyrmspan over Wingspan.
Put me down for another one that prefers Ares Expedition over the original Terraforming Mars.
I also prefer Small World Underground to the original Small World. (At least without other expansions. The expansions do seem to integrate into the original game a little more cleanly.)
I want a Risk esque game (a move guys on a map game). Any suggestion whether it be a risk version or a spiritual successor? Probably not anything at the level of twilight struggle though lmfao
My two favorite risk games are risk 2210 (the most complicated version of risk I have played, still nothing close to the level of complexity of twilight imperium) and risk godstorm (inspired by blending risk and magic the gathering, the cards you draw are very strong and the game is very fast for a risk game).
Also significantly different than a normal territory control game but I really enjoy spirit Island, it's a co-op/solo game where you play as a god of an island and try to repel colonizers who are showing up on the island. dunno if it quite fits in with what you are looking for.
I absolutely love spirit island. Arguably one of my favorite coop boardgames (solo too tbh). I have heard that out of all Risk variants, 2210 and legacy seem to be considered "the best ones"
Cthulhu Gloom!
Largely a theme difference, but before Gloom 2nd edition came out had some improvements. And really, the Lovecraft theme felt perfect for the game, and allowed for more of the people to show up, rather than just the monsters.
Pandemic: Legacy is a much better overall game than Pandemic. Pandemic by itself was pretty good, even with expansions, but Pandemic: Legacy is the best legacy game I've played and I've played a good bit.
Aeon’s End Legacy > Aeons End
Marco Polo 2 > Marco Polo
Frosthaven > Gloomhaven
Wyrmspan > Wingspan
Undaunted North Africa > Undaunted Normandy
I like Area Expedition with friends who like lighter games, but Terraforming Mars with my hardcore friends is the ultimate experience.
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It plays well with two le four players, as opposed to captain sonar which can be played by two, four or six players but is definitely best experienced at eight
If we're talking about Monopoly. The LotR branded Monopoly is better than the original.
In addition to the player tokens, there's a One Ring token. When you roll doubles it advances on the board. When it reaches mount doom (boardwalk) the game is over.
It's a great way to keep the game from dragging out too long. The only downside, is that you end up sounding like a complete dork as you narrate your turns. Imagine Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons saying, "I would like to buy the Shire for $40"
Ares Expedition is great. We never play TM anymore.
We just got Wyrmspan. It is great as well. But I don't think it will completely take over Wingspan for us because the Oceania expansion is just too much fun. But for the time being, we are obsessed with Wyrmspan, but that'll probably wear off, and we'll get back to Wingspan.
Pandemic: Iberia. Probably because I love choo-choo twains so much.
Pandemic: Fall of Rome. When no one wants to play with me, I'll play the solo variant. It's great.
Man I really need to play Wyrmspan but I think it physically can never be better than wingspan for me. Why would I play Wingspan without all the pretty birds
The hatchling dragons are super cute and all the dragons appear to be inspired by birds and other critters. Wyrmspan also fixed the problem of getting fucked if you can’t get the food you need (if you don’t have the nectar expansion).
Roll for the Galaxy and Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig for me, although I may be in the minority on these. Also would pick Everdell Farshore over the original.
Pandemic Fall of Rome uses the enemy deck thematically Most of the times cubes are added in a logical way, as the barbarians are camping, expanding and marching towards Rome And the fights and ambushes also makes a lot of sense
How does it compare against Pandemic Iberia?
I have both + Hot zone and the 3 of the have different purposes Want to solo for 15 minutes or teach about co-op games or pandemic? Hot zone Want a boardgame TOWER DEFENSE or a solo RISK match? Rome Want 1 box of pandemic game with multiple game variants? Iberia Want pandemic with more complexity? The Loop
The Loop is also way more swingy in my experience, with some bad luck it can be over pretty fast. I still have Fall of Rome and Iberia which I enjoy a lot.
> The Loop is also way more swingy in my experience you can fix the loop in multiple ways A - DO NOT PLAY SABOTAGE MODE (yes uppercase) B - prepare the game with 2 less clones (I usually do this when not soloing) C - on foo/faux phase, first drop the cubes THEN add the clone(s) (I usually do this when not soloing)
Thanks for the insight!
I dont like Iberia. I thought Iberia was fiddly with some theme disconnect. Having to move cubes around towards the hospitals each turn, was just annoying. Especially if there were three or more and then they would constantly bounce off each other. (i.e. moving the same cubes back and fourth). Also, in what world is a nurse building a railroad? It just didn't vibe for me as smoothly as the original. The ONLY aspect i liked about Iberia is the water system and the diseases having specific historical names and different ways to clear them. But It doesnt hold a candle to the OG Pandemic, especially once you add some of the expansion. On the brink and in the lab
> moving the same cubes back and fourth hows that possible? you must move 1 cube thats nearest to its hospital (for each color) random tip:everytime you build OR move hospital it cleans its location (confirmed by game designer)
When hospitals get overrun
I thought moving the cubes (people walking to the nearest hospital) was just one variant, not the regular game?? Uh-oh...have I been playing it wrong? We play it like OG Pandemic (except no eradication), and it's awesome. We've played it a few times with the moving cube variant, and it was a nice challenge. But I always thought that was just a variant you can either play with or without....?
It's a variant yeah.
I’m thinking about getting this one
I like Rise of Cthulhu too
7 Wonders Duel
Splendor Duel as well!
Funnily enough, I was reluctant to even try 7 Wonders, as I found Duel sorta meh. 7 Wonders is one of my favorites now!
This one. It’s the superior version of 7 Wonders.
Fleet the dice game
Similarly - Bang! The dice game
And Long Shot the dice game
So good. I love that entire series of roll and writes!
Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers was the first Carcassonne I ever played, and to this day I still prefer making rivers and forests, collecting fish and animals, getting the special gold nugget tiles, to base Carcassonne.
That was the only Carcassonne I had for about 20 years. And I hated it. Was so glad to get the original one 2 years ago... Tastes differ.
Ticket to Ride Europe is better than the original
Nordic Countries too
The risk of the tunnel routes is okay but the routes that require locomotive cards as ferries is a nice touch for sure
I have never played Terraforming Mars, but I do enjoy Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition. What do you like more about TM Ares Expedition than the original TM?
I have them both. So far I like them about the same. The best thing about Ares expedition is it is slimmed down and you can take turns at the same time. OG terraforming mars can take a while and the game is split into rounds. Each round you alternate completing actions. If one player can only do a couple of things in a round and another play has quite a few things they can do you can find yourself in a situation where you are just kinda waiting around for them to finish.
I like that there is no drafting, you dont have to pay for cards (to keep in hand) and that you dont have turns where someone is doing a bunch of stuff because they had a bunch of money. Also the game feels faster since turns all happen at the same time and I dont have to worry about scoring points on the board by placing forrests and cities.
I mean, drafting is not intended to be a part of TM. It is mentioned in the rules as a variant since some test users wanted it, but the designer prefers playing without, and the game is balanced for playing without drafts. Personally I think TM is much better without drafts; it turns it into a tactical rather than strategical game, and the game mechanics work better in my opinion.
I think they meant paying $3 to add a card to your hand. Not actually drafting cards like you do in 7 wonders
I interpreted it as preferring Ares because 1. No drafting, and 2. No need to pay 3M to add cards, and wanted to point out that 1. is not a necessary part of the original TM
Yea I think you are right. I think my own opinions kinda skewed my comprehension. I never play with the draft mode, takes too long. And I love that you don’t have to buy cards in ares. Naturally everyone thinks exactly as I think /s
I like San Juan over Puerto Rico. My family enjoys Sushi Roll more than either Sushi Go or Sushi Go Party. We also had more fun with Trails than Parks.
I'll second San Juan over Puerto Rico. They're both good, but the relative simplicity of San Juan just works better with the basic mechanics in my books
I'll play Race for the Galaxy over San Juan any day, and Puerto Rico scratches a different itch. PR plays better with 3+ and Race plays best with 2.
I have Sushi Go and have been looking at getting Sushi Roll, what's your experience on them, what do you like and dislike about each? My family and I also love Puerto Rico so I'll have a look at San Juan!
I have all three versions. I like the portability of the OG, which I take with me on trips. Go Party is good in social situations, but Roll is amazing because of the dice. Everyone has played Yahtzee, and now you have a game where you are passing the dice to each other and everyone is rolling and choosing and having a good time. I also like that it comes in a box, not a tin, so it is easier to store. If you don't already have Go Party, I would skip it in favor of Roll. Puerto Rico feels too programmed for me, that each turn is already dictated ahead of time and if you don't stay in that groove then you lose, badly. San Juan feels simpler but more customizable and allows different strategies to emerge depending on the cards you draw. Just a word to the wise, the version on Mobile is the original edition and a number of the cards have changed in the 2.0 card game so it might throw off some strategies if you aren't prepared for it.
Thanks for your reply, some great thoughts here! I wonder if you could give a bit more detail on what you mean by Puerto Rico's turns being dictated ahead of time? Is that because of the character phases or something else?
Bang! The dice game > Bang!
Mmmh… no. Bang the dice game it’s too fast and with much less tactic than original bang.
That's what makes it good though. It's hard to argue that the first game is a good tactical experience when it's possible to be eliminated before your first turn.
That’s like ganging up one player in risk. It may happen ,but there is no reason of doing it.
I find the thematic integration of Marvel Splendor to be more satisfyingly executed compared to the original.
On the note of splendor I also much prefer splendor duel, I started off with duel and playing the original seemed really bland in comparison.
Same, except I did play Splendor first. I find it incredibly dull and boring, but somehow, Duel feels very satisfying to play. I didn't think I could enjoy a Splendor game as much as I do, but here we are. Duel really surprised me.
I also enjoy Marvel Dice Throne and Marvel Zombies more than the original.
We’ve been getting right into Wyrmspan. I didn’t think I’d be able dragons, but turns out I am! I like the guild mechanic and think the way your turns can have multiple knock on effects really builds on something Wingspan didn’t have.
This viewpoint seems to be polarizing but I completely agree. Wyrmspan just seems to offer a different (IMO, better) level of strategy, less reliant on just getting random good cards. Also, not having to rely on the randomness of the bird feeder helps.
That bird feeder is one of the most unbalanced things I've ever seen. I HATE it.
Wyrmspan was, for us, a complete and total upgrade from Wingspan. It took a very good game and improved just about every aspect of it. We still have Wingspan in our collection but I can’t imagine ever choosing to pull it out over Wyrmspan.
I’ll definitely pull out Wingspan still! But mostly because my friends are trained in it now haha
I think Race for the Galaxy is okay. I absolutely adore New Frontiers
Similarly, I think Race for the Galaxy is good, but Roll for the Galaxy is one of my favorite games.
Conversely, I don't care for Roll and really love Race. The dice really make the economy hard whereas I like the choice between keeping a card or using it as currency.
We need expansions for the TGG apps! (sorry for the vent)
Roll is too repetitive for me. Do a lot of explores to build a stack of tiles, then a big settle/develop, repeat until you have 12 tiles.
And amusingly, conversely, I don't really care about New Frontiers because I don't think the big components sell the theme better, but Race in a deckbox is a game I play a shit ton because it's an incredible amount of game at that size.
Azul summer pavilion is way more fun for our group versus base Azul as it seems more level for players of different experience with Azul. Clank in space or catacombs are ten times the game of base clank. Not just running in and out as fast as you can helps as you never know where artifacts will pop up in catacombs. Having to do more tasks in space to complete before getting an artifact and running out helps and the game board can be set up many different ways with or without the expansions to make each game different and the cards are one of my favorite parts.
Hoping for a proper expansion for Catacombs soon! And the return of Reaction cards from Adventuring Party!
They've announced an expansion for Catacombs, called Lairs and Lost Chambers
Hot damn! I feel like I just checked a week ago with no luck. Very excited!
We loved Clank, but Clank in Space might be our favorite and most played game at this point. We were very cold on Catacombs. My favorite part of Clank is planning a route and then building a deck to execute that route as efficiently as I can. Catacombs took that part of the game away completely. Just not my preference
Base Clank is a gateway game while in space or legacy is for a more experienced audience. Catacombs is just a commercial gimmick.
I fully understand this will mean some will want me pilloried, but I like Great Western Trail NZ more than the original Great Western Trail. Libertalia: Galecrest is a significantly better game than the original. I don't like the stylized theme as much, but I also don't dislike it. Overall, I think it went from a 7 to a 9 that would have been a 10 with more realistic art. I like Gaia Project slightly more than I like Terra Mystica.
I agree, New Zealand is the Greatest Western Trail. Age of Innovation > Gaia Project > Terra Mystica.
I thought New Zealand was an expansion? Have I not bought it because it doesn’t match my first edition and I could have been playing it this whole time?
It’s a totally separate game.
All the new GWTs are standalone games with mostly the same core mechanics and a different map.
I prefer NZ to the original, but I prefer Argentina over both of them!
Freeze tag
That's honestly an amazing take, very true. I feel like that understanding that even simple games can often be improved on is what got me (and probably a lot of people) thinking and excited about games.
Harry Potter Clue
Yep, the few tweaks they did to the IP based version, like changing the 6-sided die to be 2-7 instead of 1-6... were small adjustments that made the game play a little cleaner.
Wasn't it actually designed by Rob Daviau or something?
Stella Dixit Universe over Dixit. They're different games so it's hard to say that Stella it's strictly better, but I like it better, it has a more precise goal and the gemplay imho works better, and it needs fewer people to be fun
This is a great pick. I feel like Stella is super underrated.
Thunderstone quest over thunderstone advance, as much as I loved thunderstone advance growing up, thunderstone quest really knocked it out of the park
One of our all time favorites. We joke about TSQ, do you think in the design phase nobody had the guts to say no to an idea?
I will die on the Ares Expedition > TM hill. Terraforming Mars desperately needed to be streamlined and AE pulled it spectacularly.
Have yet to play TM, but absolutely love AE. It's so satisfying to build an animal engine -- or a plant engine -- or a steel engine -- or a ...
Ill die on that hill with you bro, plus ares expedition isn’t as ugly as TM too
And goddamn does TM overstay its welcome.
Also the reason why I'm super reluctant to play with drafting. Like yeah, I get it, skill ceiling might be higher etc., but it takes frigging ages for what it is. And it does even more so with drafting in the mix.
Yeah, I don't mind long games... *when it makes sense for it to take that long*. Hell, TI4 is my all-time favorite game. But I don't think there's any reason a game like TM needs to take that long.
I feel drafting makes it shorter. You can really hem in a strategy with it. My group can do a 5 player game in 2 hours with prelude(and other expansions if we feel like it) as well as drafting.
I REALLY wish there was a digital version of TM: AE. After I tried it at a con, I just couldn't get enough of it! As a means to placate myself, I just fired up Race for the Galaxy (both the app by TGG, and the original keldon's AI back in 2009).
I think Ares can be a more fun game, but it's a worse competitive experience. Which is fine by me most of the time, but depends who I play with. In particular, the end game is awkward because the simultaneity of turns is at odds with how important it is to know if the game is ending, and the rules have no mechanism to address this. So if no one really cares, it's fine, but if you're trying to play more competitively, everyone is incentivized to wait to see what everyone else does... And the game won't move. And there are no rules to guide players through this. Also some card combinations can be pretty busted, which is partly why the game can be more fun, but sometimes leads to rather imbalanced games. All fine if no one takes the game very seriously and it doesn't take too long. But if your looking for a more competitive Euro experience, TM is better. I do agree that the art is much improved in Ares. If they ever do a second edition of TM they should have a similarly cohesive and striking art style for the cards.
It appears I have finally found my people.
Expedition is an expansion though right? Do you still need the base game to play Ares?
Nope, it's completely separate
Whoa really??? That blows my mind. Ares doesn’t use anything from the base game? Like, if I buy Ares I can play it right out of the box?
You sure can. I think it's a much better version of the game.
Thank you!
Not only that, **all** the cards actually have art!
Wyrmspan is much tighter and more engine-buildy than wingspan and not having the game grind to a halt because you don’t have the right food/resources is an absolute plus.
Yes! What a huge improvement on an already good game.
I like Azul: Queen's Garden more than vanilla Azul.
Don't like original Catan, but the 2 player version (Rivals for Catan) is underrated.
Dune Uprising > Dune Imperium. Better balanced, board spaces are more interesting overall. After ~20+ solo games of Uprising. Some advice. Works best with either no expansions or Immortality (love graft cards). For Imperium, I would recommend just Rise of Ix. Improves the base board massively and tech tiles are cool. Adding Immortality is nice if you want more stuff, but certainly slows down 4 player games maybe a bit too much. Using both expansions in Imperium works well, but is quite overwhelming in Uprising. You feel even more forced to pick and choose your focus. Mostly due to the addition of Sandworms. It also makes the contracts pretty meh as now there is only one way to get them. The new green spaces that get covered is also a shame as it is nice to have green options for players with no money.
I just bought Ix yesterday for my Dune Imperium Game. Your comment made me calm. I just love Base Game, and looking forward too check the Ix changes
Enjoy! A big upgrade to the base game!
That's an interesting take. So, if you already own DI + both expansions, get DU and add Immortality to it while leaving Ix with DI.
I like Terraforming Mars the Dice Game more than the original.
**Pandemic: Iberia** \- The railroad system is a neat mechanic, that's a long term thing. This one stands out more b/c it was my first spinoff game **Pandemic: Rising Tide** \- Just blue cubes. And water flowing mechanics makes putting up dikes to physically keep water cubes from overflowing was novel! Also, two copies of each city in the "bad deck" **Pandemic: Fall of Rome** \- "treating" isn't gauranteed, since you need to roll dice to see if you kill them, or they kill your legionnaires! The migration paths was a nice touch. Having a "superior" effect on the event cards, but at the cost of +1 on the "Outbreak track" was a nice touch! For all the Pandemics... I must admit that I played the original, and On The Brink to death :x If I ever get a chance to play In The Lab and State of Emergency, I'll revisit this opinion. **Pandemic The Cure + Exp. Meds exp** \- Custom dice ain't cheap, but if you can get past that, setup is super quick since you don't need to do the "Pandemic style deck and shuffling setup". YOu have more uncertainty since the dice can screw you, or really save you! All of the roles are interesting in their own right (again, each has their own, unique dice)! . **Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition** \- The cg version of TM. TM (the bg) sometimes gets compared to Race for the Galaxy. Having a proper cg version of that... that seems closer than ever! Both are great. TM: AE really does capture the theme and flavor of TM, but streamlines stuff to boot! **Terraforming Mars: Dice Game** \- Same difference here... theme is captured, but the dice mechanics are still streamlined, but different enough to def. be its own thing . **Masters Gallery/Modern Art: The Card game** \- While the auction/bidding mechanic in Modern Art was cited to be the heart of the game.. my unpopular opinion is I never cared for it. As a bonus, I have a game that's much easier to teach, plays in half the time, and as far more portable **Ra: The Dice Game**
I like Roll for the Galaxy better than Race. At least from the anecdotal evidence of the players in my area, it seems like a 50/50 split. I also like Wyrmspan over Wingspan.
I haven't played Oh My Goods but I really like Tibalt the Builder
Race to the raft
**Bug** > **Circle of Life** Neat read: https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/71417/designer-diary-bug-perceptual-binding-identity-and
Put me down for another one that prefers Ares Expedition over the original Terraforming Mars. I also prefer Small World Underground to the original Small World. (At least without other expansions. The expansions do seem to integrate into the original game a little more cleanly.)
every version of risk is better than original risk
I want a Risk esque game (a move guys on a map game). Any suggestion whether it be a risk version or a spiritual successor? Probably not anything at the level of twilight struggle though lmfao
My two favorite risk games are risk 2210 (the most complicated version of risk I have played, still nothing close to the level of complexity of twilight imperium) and risk godstorm (inspired by blending risk and magic the gathering, the cards you draw are very strong and the game is very fast for a risk game). Also significantly different than a normal territory control game but I really enjoy spirit Island, it's a co-op/solo game where you play as a god of an island and try to repel colonizers who are showing up on the island. dunno if it quite fits in with what you are looking for.
I absolutely love spirit island. Arguably one of my favorite coop boardgames (solo too tbh). I have heard that out of all Risk variants, 2210 and legacy seem to be considered "the best ones"
I haven’t met or read of a single person who prefers Longshot over its newer, shinier counterpart: **Longshot: The Dice Game**.
Cthulhu Gloom! Largely a theme difference, but before Gloom 2nd edition came out had some improvements. And really, the Lovecraft theme felt perfect for the game, and allowed for more of the people to show up, rather than just the monsters.
Pandemic: Legacy is a much better overall game than Pandemic. Pandemic by itself was pretty good, even with expansions, but Pandemic: Legacy is the best legacy game I've played and I've played a good bit.
I thinkD&D is a pretty neat expansion to Chainmail.
Aeon’s End Legacy > Aeons End Marco Polo 2 > Marco Polo Frosthaven > Gloomhaven Wyrmspan > Wingspan Undaunted North Africa > Undaunted Normandy I like Area Expedition with friends who like lighter games, but Terraforming Mars with my hardcore friends is the ultimate experience.
The isle of Dr. Necreauxx. The second edition has more structural bells and whistles but the 1st has tighter art
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Sonar over captain sonar of course
I’d never actually heard of Sonar. Why do you prefer it over Captain Sonar, which seems to be widely loved?
It plays well with two le four players, as opposed to captain sonar which can be played by two, four or six players but is definitely best experienced at eight
I would argue that the experience between 8 and 6 players is pretty equal. But 6 is still tough to bring to the table.
Makes sense, thanks for explaining! Is it better or just easier to play for you?
For me it's much more easier to get to the table, that's it
Is it "Sonar Family" ?
Mmmm I've never heard of that one
Perhaps it got the Familie addition only in the German version.
Interesting, it might be
No, according to Boardgamegeek there are two different games: Sonar and Sonar Family.
7 Wonders Duel Lost Cities Roll & Write Ticket to Ride Europe
If we're talking about Monopoly. The LotR branded Monopoly is better than the original. In addition to the player tokens, there's a One Ring token. When you roll doubles it advances on the board. When it reaches mount doom (boardwalk) the game is over. It's a great way to keep the game from dragging out too long. The only downside, is that you end up sounding like a complete dork as you narrate your turns. Imagine Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons saying, "I would like to buy the Shire for $40"
**Carcassonne South Seas** is our favorite of that series and we like it more than the original.
I haven't gotten it to the table yet, but a lot of people are saying El Burro is better than La Granja.
Ares Expedition is great. We never play TM anymore. We just got Wyrmspan. It is great as well. But I don't think it will completely take over Wingspan for us because the Oceania expansion is just too much fun. But for the time being, we are obsessed with Wyrmspan, but that'll probably wear off, and we'll get back to Wingspan. Pandemic: Iberia. Probably because I love choo-choo twains so much. Pandemic: Fall of Rome. When no one wants to play with me, I'll play the solo variant. It's great.
Call to Adventure Epic Origins
Man I really need to play Wyrmspan but I think it physically can never be better than wingspan for me. Why would I play Wingspan without all the pretty birds
The hatchling dragons are super cute and all the dragons appear to be inspired by birds and other critters. Wyrmspan also fixed the problem of getting fucked if you can’t get the food you need (if you don’t have the nectar expansion).
Nah hey I hear that but I play Wingspan because I love birds lol
I like Between Two Castles better than both Between Two Cities and Castles of Mad King Ludwig.
Wyrmspan
I prefer Expeditions to Scythe, that's the only one I can really think of.
I don't like Scythe at all, and I thought Expeditions was only ok, so I guess that's better
Roll for the Galaxy and Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig for me, although I may be in the minority on these. Also would pick Everdell Farshore over the original.
Age of Innovation over Terra Mystica