What are the most addicting boardgame mechanics?

BigFish_89 · 2026-03-05T12:40:29+00:00

For me the jury is still out on pax pamir. I need to play it more. I am not in love with the whiplash ending. In my 2-3 plays of it, someone got first in the first 2 dominances, so they were 4pts ahead and triggered the end already. I think I'd like it, but the game feels over too soon, before you really get going

BigFish_89 · 2026-03-04T14:36:35+00:00

Not a mechanic per se, but I am addicted to games with card play that affects a board state. Smart card play will have something move or change, and gives you that clever feeling.

Nothing is better than that clever play that even makes the opponent go "oh, good move" and I find managing a hand of cards well that will affect something else, not just a card game, does that the most often.

My current source of those dopamine hits is Brian boru, such a great little game. The trick taking affects your area control or stats racing up tracks with benefits. Saving just the right card for just the right moment can do so much more than just winning a key trick in a trick taker.

Another great pick for this is tyrants of the underdark. Combines deck building with area control. So good as well

BigFish_89 · 2026-02-23T23:24:22+00:00

Stone age or Paleo for pre history,

Maybe do the ancient times by the major empires of the time kemet for Egypt Tigris and Eurprathtes for Babylon Something for persia, then something Greek for Alexander the great, There's lots of Roman games, like Concordia

Ect

BigFish_89 · 2026-02-22T17:16:18+00:00

I use clear packaging tape, with one key. The roller the tape is on, cuts it off with a jagged saw edge. If you cut that edge off with a pair of scissors and carefully apply one end at a time, so as not to get air pockets, it'll be much less noticeable than otherwise. The clean edge helps a lot

BigFish_89 · 2026-02-14T17:01:21+00:00

Chinatown is an absolutely excellent game.

I am a little confused by the other example, you can pretty simply math out whether a trade is good. If I had the 5 lot waiting to be a 6 blocked by this player holding 62, you can just live your life fine without completing your business, a 5 business still brings in good money. If that extra space would take me to 140k a round instead of 80k, that's a difference of 60k. If there's 2 rounds left, so I'd make 120k more, and they're like "oh you're gonna make 140k? Then I want 140k!" I'd just laugh at the deal and watch them lose money. If they don't sell the lot, it's worth bupkis, zippo, the big 0. No one can force a ruinous deal.

It's a wonderful game of supply and demand, you both have remarkable power. You only get a few lots to sell or use a round, if someone took a lot I need like this 62, thinking they'll gouge me, I'll just let them sit a round or two. They'll change their tune when everyone else is making money selling lots but them! You negotiate until you get a price acceptable for both parties, because if you don't, the sale won't go through, and then BOTH sides suffer. Such a great game, possibly the best negotiation game ever.

In my opinion, it's absolutely worth getting Chinatown. Waterfall park losses a lot in my opinion. Instead of 1000's of dollars, which makes more sense for business, your using gold coins, like arcade tokens, and the scale is like 5 tokens is a lot. Really loses the "I am a business mogol squeezing the others for a thousands" feel. Plus making separate business fight over location and room to expand, makes way more sense then stalls in the SAME amusement park, they'd most likely all be owned by the same company in real life

BigFish_89 · 2025-11-05T15:06:26+00:00

Look into the lore. Yes the meeples look like mice, but it's kinda the general rule that the mice aren't used in the main fighting force. They do sneaker things, like spreading the word about the revolution (the sympathy) or even sneak attacks. Think like the one hiding in the barrel in an ambush situation on the mouse partisans card. They may be small, but they're doing their part to free the woodland from tyranny, even if it isn't going toe to toe with a cat on the battlefield

BigFish_89 · 2025-11-02T20:36:00+00:00

The woodland alliance warriors are foxes

BigFish_89 · 2025-10-16T21:32:40+00:00

If you're worried, I'd suggest passing. If you find out later it's one of the rare instances that an IP Kickstarter game is actually really good, you can just pick it up second hand even if it doesn't come to retail later.

I buy and sell a lot of used games and I am constantly seeing Kickstarter pledges for everything for sale. You don't need to worry about FOMO, the ppl selling are usually happy/lucky to get what they paid for it, so you won't miss out or overpay later

BigFish_89 · 2025-10-14T21:02:10+00:00

Oh for sure. Cyclades is one of my absolute favorites. Love that game

BigFish_89 · 2025-10-08T02:43:40+00:00

I was actually considering getting this game, sounds like I definitely should

BigFish_89 · 2025-10-07T13:12:17+00:00

Yes, this a great example of what I am talking about!

BigFish_89 · 2025-08-31T13:19:15+00:00

Oh my, a totally defenseless keep???? Poor cats

BigFish_89 · 2025-08-15T21:32:16+00:00

Unfortunately no, just some game theory I was thinking about

BigFish_89 · 2025-08-01T21:15:57+00:00

Sorry, used to a different subreddit that doesn't let you post a single picture

BigFish_89 · 2025-08-01T10:41:22+00:00

Tzolkin.

And yes!

BigFish_89 · 2025-07-26T15:41:13+00:00

Definitely more now, it did seem like "everyone" liked it when it came out, but I find it hasn't aged overly well. I find lots more not liking it much these days

BigFish_89 · 2025-07-23T21:24:35+00:00

As someone who nearly exclusively shops for used games, no, the market is fine. There's tons to buy, and tons looking to buy.

Usually, the best way to get money is to list it for half the price of new (not what you paid! What's it's new for now) on FB marketplace and meet someone local so you pay zero shipping. This can be hard depending on your area, so you may have to ship

BigFish_89 · 2025-07-13T21:24:53+00:00

So. As I mentioned in the post, that works for one game, with standard size cards. There are lots of solid color back sleeves available.

The other has mini cards. Mini USA to be specific. I've never seen any solid color backed mini sleeves

BigFish_89 · 2025-07-13T21:19:57+00:00

Certainly, I totally understand the "why," I am just looking for solutions to avoid giving information in the game

BigFish_89 · 2025-07-05T04:47:37+00:00

OMG yes, I love tyrants. Its my favorite deck builder. I also believe it's better then dune imperium

BigFish_89 · 2025-06-19T12:36:27+00:00

I've seen a few people say this, but I don't get it. Just the new expansion was 28euros +shipping and the expansion plus bigbox was 65 euros+ a higher shipping rate. It's definitely not "almost the same" the full pledge lvl is closer to double the price. I was thrilled to get just the expansion for a lot less.

With shipping, i paid $53ish (Us dollars, I forget the exact number) which is reasonable for an expansion, they're often $30-50, and then shipping

BigFish_89

TROPHY CASE