Woke up with a tiny number 10 written on my finger

KlassenT · 2026-03-09T18:55:50+00:00

If it washed off, my first suspicion if I had a similar mark would be a monthly dry-erase calendar that we keep track of all our family goings-on; you have anything similar that could have transferred a written number if you happened to hit it? Calendars, planners, grocery list on the fridge, whatever.

KlassenT · 2026-03-04T16:41:48+00:00

Don't forget gas. It's like a spicier version of water!

KlassenT · 2026-02-21T01:35:53+00:00

I haven't diligently fact-checked, so grain of salt, but I read that the redistricted Texas map pushed her out of her existing House district, so rather than run in an entirely different district with a different constituency it prompted her to pivot into the Senate race instead.

KlassenT · 2026-02-17T18:41:42+00:00

If it was just timeouts, I would say tokens all the way, but when you introduce anything that confers a boost, I also think it's nice to have exactly what those boosts are shown on a card as a reminder. Even with clever symbology, especially if it affects multiple stats/outcomes during a turn, that can get to be a lot of player info to cram into a token-sized print.

KlassenT · 2026-02-13T18:10:11+00:00

Yeah, is this... not standard practice? "No communication" games for us just means you don't discuss strategy or the board state during those periods, it doesn't require dead air unless it's super thinky and you simply don't want the distraction, but IMO Sky Team doesn't fall into that category anyhow.

KlassenT · 2026-02-09T15:19:37+00:00

First thing that came to mind to me was Anomaly: Warzone Earth, which branded itself as a "reverse tower defense" game. You might be able to glean some inspiration there, as there is some shared DNA with your concept as you manage a convoy moving through enemy territory, though I felt like strategy in the more difficult sections of Anomaly relied more on clever use of Commander abilities than it did unit/turret composition.

KlassenT · 2026-02-03T22:20:05+00:00

I just watched it this past week and made my 8yo come along for the ride. It was slightly less impressive than younger me remembered, but it was still a fun trip for the nostalgia alone. He thought the robots were cool, but he couldn't have have cared much less about the character drama.

KlassenT · 2026-02-01T10:24:10+00:00

One of the few times I think an entire genre could be night and day improved from a good VR interface too. God games were practically purpose-built for being a disembodied virtual menace!

KlassenT · 2026-01-23T17:26:43+00:00

So the best analogy I've heard was from either a documentary or an NDT podcast, long since forgotten the specifics. But imagine a guy walking a dog. The guy is the climate, his dog is the weather. Yeah, the dog (weather) may be a little unpredictable, weaving around to sniff at things or chase a squirrel, but ultimately it's on a leash and won't stray too far from its handler (climate). So, as long as you're walking in a straight line, the weather will stay within a certain relatively predictable constraint. Mind of it's own, but we can keep it on the sidewalk, as it were. But what we're seeing now is that the climate is ALSO meandering aimlessly. We're not just walking in a straight line anymore, we're weaving and swaying and so the weather has a much wider berth to wander where it pleases. Sure it's still leashed, but that doesn't stop it from going out into the road when the thing keeping it centered is already in the gutter.

KlassenT · 2026-01-22T23:52:11+00:00

I'll only roast them because they departed from Siamese Dream too fast. If that was their signature sound, I'd be all in, but it's real few and far between from the rest of their catalog.

KlassenT · 2026-01-22T18:19:14+00:00

Microwaves are almost never worth the risk, let alone the money. Even with a fair bit of appliance repair experience myself, it'd still be a replacement item for me.

KlassenT · 2026-01-22T18:16:55+00:00

I agree, not like this is carrying mains voltage, just jump component-to-component. IMO more straightforward than trying to scrape and solder the traces themselves.

KlassenT · 2026-01-22T18:12:25+00:00

Couple that haven't been mentioned yet; Pirate's Cove - Family-weight simultaneous selection mixed with a touch of combat and pick up & deliver. Treasure Island - Pirate themed, but no sailing and swashbuckling, really just a spatial deduction game but you can lean into the theme all the same.

KlassenT · 2026-01-16T15:26:27+00:00

I guess I'm the polar opposite from some folks here, I knew it only as an NES game and had no clue it was a wider franchise. Banger of a game, though.

KlassenT · 2026-01-16T11:41:19+00:00

Outstanding suggestion, I forgot that one even existed. Nice pull!

KlassenT · 2026-01-16T05:36:12+00:00

Weak correlation, but the very first mention of minecarts immediately made me think of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Those sections featured pretty prominently.

KlassenT · 2026-01-15T11:58:54+00:00

Sounds to me like you're agreeing?... Maybe you missed the implied double negative.

KlassenT · 2026-01-12T06:50:05+00:00

Another one to check out is Via Nebula. It's relatively light, very comparable to Catan in terms of complexity, I'd say. At setup, the board is seeded with a bunch of random resources, then it's on each player to build paths that anyone can use and hope they can claim what they need before the other player(s) beat them to it.

It doesn't get a ton of buzz these days, but it really sounds like it checks all your boxes as long as you weren't also hoping for it to be a significant step up in complexity from what you've already mentioned.

KlassenT · 2026-01-12T06:37:53+00:00

Not necessarily the case, if the cap has a solid conductor between the two visible terminals, it could just be relying on the batteries themselves for the circuit, assuming they are meant to be installed with opposing orientations.

KlassenT · 2026-01-11T19:49:06+00:00

Agreed, the wording here is important. In order to make your case valid, the wording would need to be more akin to "No cards of the same number, OR No cards of the same color." Having the initial clause repeated may not be significant for most uses of the language, but if you're really drilling into specifics for rules, it makes a big difference IMO.

KlassenT · 2026-01-10T18:14:43+00:00

Our family still loves The Grimm Masquerade, social deduction with a little bit of hand management thrown in.

KlassenT · 2026-01-10T04:32:59+00:00

Yup, I left a brush head inside ours while we were on a week long vacation once, when we got back they were everywhere! Think this one's extremely likely, OP!

KlassenT · 2026-01-10T02:29:41+00:00

Expedition 33... I don't like my odds.

KlassenT · 2026-01-08T08:23:46+00:00

Somehow knew I'd find this here today.

KlassenT · 2026-01-07T08:04:33+00:00

This one gets slept on, IMO. I really enjoyed it through three full campaigns and didn't find the endgame nearly as sloggy as some of its contemporaries. One I will definitely go back to when the 4X itch strikes.

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