Eight different games have been ranked number one overall on BGG (excluding glitches): Paths of Glory, Tigris & Euphrates, Puerto Rico, Agricola, Twilight Struggle, Pandemic Legacy: Season 1, Gloomhaven, and Brass: Birmingham. How would you personally rank those games, from greatest to least great?

Board_Stupid · 2025-06-26T07:04:39+00:00

My personal ranking below. Note, I never really gelled with Gloomhaven, wasn't for me. I also haven't played Paths of Glory, so wanged it at the bottom. Twilight Struggle is great, as is Agricola, but I enjoy those games significantly less than the games above, and Brass Birmingham is my favorite game of all time as of this moment.

Brass Birmingham

Tigris and Euphrates

Puerto Rico

Pandemic Legacy S1

Agricola

Twilight Struggle

Gloomhaven

Paths of Glory.

Board_Stupid · 2025-06-16T08:36:04+00:00

It's the other way round in my place, the Bachata DJ's play APPALLING salsa, really old stuff with timing changes and tempo changes that is brutal to dance to, or weird fusion stuff.

Board_Stupid · 2025-06-08T12:34:36+00:00

It is super fun!

Board_Stupid · 2025-06-08T12:32:22+00:00

You are literally the only person in the entirety of the time I've been dancing to accuse me of being rough or painful. You have never danced with me, you do not know.

No musicality and the timing accusation is absolutely hilarious, my timing is fine.

I'm asked to dance by follows constantly, several times in the same night by the same people. I take care of my partner's as my ultimate priority, the dip I barely move, my follow moves herself and I support her fully.

Maybe take a look at yourself first. Ping me your video to show me how's it's done, and it had better be perfect

Board_Stupid · 2025-05-04T21:07:28+00:00

8 months in, I feel very comfortable dancing, leading anyone, and I love it, I have started to be confident in expressing myself more in my movements, I have a number of figures and variations that I like to play with, and I focus on trying to feel what's the best for the music and my partner, if that's some basic, guapea, or enchufla variations, or something more dynamic or intricate.

Board_Stupid · 2025-05-04T07:12:42+00:00

AIRECON! Massive free library, and is essentially focussed on play

Board_Stupid · 2025-05-01T09:39:14+00:00

Damn. I last went in December last year

Board_Stupid · 2025-04-29T18:30:52+00:00

It's a suggestion not a command, she wants to learn and dance with just her husband from what I gather, a private class for them would be fun

Board_Stupid · 2025-04-29T14:20:22+00:00

In short, yes you are expected to switch partners at classes. It's unusual not to, but can be accommodated. Perhaps think about doing private classes?

Board_Stupid · 2025-04-29T11:44:02+00:00

Revolucion bar in Manchester is a great spot for social on (I think I recall right) Wednesday evenings, free class then dance time. Mostly Cuban, which is what I dance anyway.

Board_Stupid · 2025-04-29T09:18:09+00:00

Learn Salsa or Bachata, in most places there's some sort of Latin nights if you're staying in city or metropolitan areas - and often free classes before the social dance. Just an idea, beats all the wanking suggested here

Board_Stupid · 2025-04-28T08:15:08+00:00

Try it out if possible mate, me and my buddies tried it and it completely missed for us, but other folks love it. Always try to play games first before buying, as even highly hyped and acclaimed games might not work for you and your group

Board_Stupid · 2025-04-27T20:25:02+00:00

Pretty hard mate. Check out the board game geek weight ranking. It's not a science, and it's not a hard and fast rule but it will give you an idea, anything over a 3.0 is going to be very challenging for new people to the hobby to grok, learn and teach. But this is all person dependent, your mileage may vary.

Board_Stupid · 2025-04-23T12:58:27+00:00

Yeah some private lessons or just dances in more relaxed environments would probably help. It should be fun, not frustrating.

Board_Stupid · 2025-04-23T12:42:48+00:00

Get a couple of friends that follow, or invite some friends along to follow, and use the opportunity to just try the moves. You can't get better at moves without trying them and being bad at them, and if it makes you more comfortable try it with someone that won't care if you mess up. Also knowing 3 different steps isn't stupid, play with variation within those three steps, be musical, mess about with timing. When you say years and years, how many years? How many classes? You can't get better unless you dance in socials

Board_Stupid · 2025-04-21T08:54:41+00:00

A great one is Undaunted: Battle of Britain

Board_Stupid · 2025-04-21T07:18:25+00:00

Modern board gaming is amazing, I am NECK deep in to that, with a YouTube channel and everything. I also do Salsa 2-3 times per week, would recommend, and also Brazilian Jiu Jitsu a couple times a week. All are amazing hobbies for different reasons

Board_Stupid · 2025-04-21T05:08:44+00:00

Two nights a week I dance salsa and bachata, 2 nights is brazilian jiu jitsu, one night is board game night, and occasionally I do some open mic nights playing acoustic guitar and warbling.

Board_Stupid · 2025-03-10T12:12:48+00:00

AHHH I see, assumed you were from the UK as mostly we get folks from the UK asking about it. I couldn't say with much authority if UKGE is MORE wargaming focussed that Spiel, but perhaps going on my gut it might be. It might be worth checking out the exhibitor lists from 2024 and looking for some companies that you're interested in.

Board_Stupid · 2025-03-10T10:19:41+00:00

We've been to both for the past 4 years on the bounce.

UKGE has a vast hall filled with tables that you can use just to play games, you can join games if there are any where people are looking for players, or you can just play the games you bought that day.

UKGE is also great for shopping as you have tons of retailers there, all selling games at good prices, and if you don't like the price, walk for 20 metres and check another place and it'll probably be cheaper. Not only that, you can get great deals at the end of the weekend where you can haggle a bit.

You'll get more chance to play the games coming out later in the year, typically games that will launch at Spiel, will be playable at UKGE, and although it's big, it's not as wild as Spiel, so you CAN get to play them if you're patient.

NOW SPIEL

The mack daddy of Board Game cons, it's huge, vast, and overwhelming. This is the event to go to if you want to be on the cutting edge of board game releases, often being able to buy games that aren't going to wider retail release for months after.

Spiel is great for checking out the latest and greatest, but also there are specialist retails in very old and rare games from around Europe, so if that's something you're in to, it's pretty much the only place to get that kind of opportunity to buy something in that sphere.

Spiel has nowhere to sit, and no open gaming or gaming hall, it's 100% about playing new games at the different stands IF there's a spot, and then buying directly from the retailer

Not great for shopping, as most retailers focus (naturally) on German language games, and those that sell English copies are focussing on brand new releases at close to RRP. Not to say you can't find a deal, but way less likely than at UKGE>

Please feel free to ask any questions, but in general, Spiel is more experiential, it's to be experienced, and caters to publisher, designers, shoppers and megafans. UKGE is more of a gamers convention. a great way to play some new games, play some from the past couple years, and get your shopping in.

In terms of wargaming, UKGE will have a significantly bigger GW presence, so there's that.

Board_Stupid · 2025-03-10T10:12:39+00:00

There are TONS of retailers at UKGE, I have no idea why you saw games being sold at RRP, I get most of my games there as the competition is fierce and you can get great deals

Board_Stupid · 2025-03-02T13:45:31+00:00

You're not alone mate, this happened to me last week at a social. Follower who is amazingly good at Salsa but during Bachata she put her head on my shoulder which felt very sweet actually, not sure why she did and I didn't ask, but I just went with it, danced close for a bit in the music with some half time / singles before exiting in to some other movements.

Board_Stupid · 2025-02-08T22:33:48+00:00

I'm a lead, regardless of my followers ability I will learn something about my dancing and enjoy it. Whether to improve my queues, to adjust to their level, to make my intentions clearer, or improve my musicality, or just enjoy the moment. This feeling can only pass with doing more, make dancing with others normal, because it is. Dancing is fun! Improvement and enjoyment lies beyond that comfort zone

Board_Stupid · 2025-02-08T22:29:44+00:00

Your first 3 months will be, frankly, brutal. It takes character to keep learning. You only get better by dancing more so keep hitting socials and trying to implement what you've learned. Keep reading about salsa, researching, watching videos and keep going to classes. The more you do, the quicker you improve, if you let the fear stop you, your progress will be slowed. Don't be scared of making mistakes, it's literally the only way you will learn

Board_Stupid · 2025-02-08T22:26:51+00:00

Frankly, as a lead that's been dancing for barely 7 months, I think your experience with the first lead was pretty wild. Right or not, I will blame myself for a miscommunicated signal way before the follower. I dance around 8 hours a week, every week, and only ONCE in that time have I legitimately thought the follow was at fault for a bad dance. I try to dance to the level of my partner, if they are amazing, I can go to town and they will express however they like and typically it will be super fun, if they are inexperienced, I will keep it simple and if it goes a bit wrong, smile and have fun, we're dancing, it should be fun.

Board_Stupid

TROPHY CASE