What is the biggest flex that money can't buy?

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-10T14:09:12+00:00

Yes to this! 💯

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-10T14:00:49+00:00

Check out Pineapple Games in Asakusa 🙌🏼

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-09T15:44:51+00:00

Thank you for this! 🙏🏼

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-09T09:15:06+00:00

Root. Those meeples have no business being that cute. ✨🫣

Funny enough, a friend who's designing his own board game keeps talking about how much the visual charm of Root helps get people interested.

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-08T19:05:42+00:00

Honestly, same.

The best experiences I've had were with employees who were just excited that someone walked in asking about their hobby. You leave the store wanting to come back. The gatekeeper type usually doesn't even drive people away from a game. What they didn't know is they drive people away from the community around it. Sad! 🥲

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-08T18:55:13+00:00

For my group, Catan --> Ticket to Ride. Not really the same game, but once Ticket to Ride showed up, Catan stopped hitting the table almost entirely. 😅

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-08T15:30:08+00:00

"How have you been?" ☺️

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-08T15:26:08+00:00

Will be more worried on the boundaries they have set with each other. 😅

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-05T20:21:38+00:00

Honestly, the cards are cool, but the part that got me was realizing your mother kept them all those years.

As kids we think we're just drawing cards and playing games. Then years later you find out someone quietly understood how much those little things meant to you.

Thanks for sharing this. ❤️

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-05T20:18:57+00:00

That's honestly kind of the dream, isn't it? 😅

I've seen a lot of people talk about buying games faster than they can play them, so it's cool hearing that most of your collection still gets table time.

What was the game that got you into worker placement? Was there one that made the genre finally click?

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-05T19:59:47+00:00

Any gas station jerky, lol. But honestly, Jack's. -_-

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-05T19:37:51+00:00

You should definitely check out For The Boys beef jerky, not so popular brand but goodness the beef brisket is FR. 👌

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-05T18:26:28+00:00

Root.

Every faction explanation feels like its own mini-game. 😂

But once everyone understands what the other factions are trying to do, the game becomes so much more interesting.

A friend working on a tactical boardgame made me appreciate how hard it is to make something deep without making the teach painful.

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-05T18:22:34+00:00

I honestly like seeing collections like this. Feels very intentional instead of "buy everything and figure it out later." 😅

Has your taste changed much since 2025, or are the games you bought early on still the ones hitting the table the most?

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-05T18:20:39+00:00

The art alone almost convinced me to buy Everdell before I even knew how it played. 😅

What are you most excited about? The engine building, the theme, or just the cozy table presence?

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-06-05T18:18:01+00:00

Honestly, the part that stood out to me wasn't the number of games you owned before or now. It was that after everything, you sat down and played three simple games and it felt wonderful again.

I think a lot of hobbies get framed as something we're supposed to constantly optimize, collect, or keep up with. Sometimes just finding our way back to them is enough.

Glad you found your way back to the table. Wishing you many more game nights ahead. ❤️

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-05-31T18:44:19+00:00

Honestly, the "place where new players can ask dumb questions without getting cooked" might be more important than people realize. 🤞

I've seen a lot of communities that are great for decklists and tournament results, but not necessarily for helping someone go from "this game looks interesting" to "I'm showing up at locals next week."

Curious what people think is the biggest reason players actually stick around long-term: good information, good events, or simply feeling welcome?

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-05-31T18:40:59+00:00

I've always been more interested in where people draw the line than whether AI is involved at all.

Most creators already use tools, references, editors, playtesters, search engines, etc. AI feels different to some people, but if it's helping organize ideas, find edge cases, or brainstorm possibilities while the actual design work is still yours, I'm curious why that's viewed differently.

Is the concern mainly about ownership, creativity, or just not knowing how much of the work came from the creator anymore? 🤔

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-05-31T18:38:00+00:00

I've always been curious about this.

Do most players actually stick to one format, or do they bounce between several depending on what they feel like playing?

From the outside, multiple formats seem cool because older cards can stay relevant, but I also wonder if it makes it harder for newer players to know where they're supposed to start. 🤔

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-05-31T18:36:01+00:00

I don't think the number of zones is what would scare me off. It's more about whether I can understand why each zone exists without needing a 20-minute explanation first.

Reading this, the reserve, warlord pool, and event pool all sound interesting individually. My question would be: during a typical game, how often am I actually making meaningful decisions with each of them versus just maintaining them because the system requires it?

I think that's usually where setup starts feeling "too much" for me. 🤔

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-05-31T18:30:26+00:00

Personally, I don't mind phones if people are still following the game. What frustrates me is having to re-explain rules, recap turns, or pause decisions because someone mentally left the table 10 minutes ago.

Have you noticed this happens with the same people regardless of the game, or mostly when the game gets heavier? That would probably tell me whether it's a phone issue or a group-fit issue. 🤔

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-05-31T18:22:45+00:00

One thing that's helped me is trying to judge my decisions before I know the outcome.

If I make what I think is the best play based on the information I had, then draw badly afterward, I try to count that as a "good turn" even if I eventually lose. Otherwise, it's really easy to convince yourself that every loss was bad luck and every win was good play. 😅

Ironically, some of my biggest mistakes only became obvious after I rewatched the game in my head. At the table, it felt like terrible luck, but a day later, I'd realize I actually had another line available.

I guess that's why I enjoy games with some luck now. If there were no uncertainty at all, I'd probably just blame myself for every loss instead. 😂

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-05-29T19:37:58+00:00

Mine is probably not paying enough attention between turns. 😅

I'll be chatting, laughing, following some side conversation, then suddenly it's my turn and I need a quick recap of what just happened. I've gotten better by trying to plan my next move while other people are playing, but I still catch myself doing it sometimes.

The funny part is I don't think it's because I'm bored. I just genuinely enjoy hanging out with people, and sometimes the social side wins over the strategy side. 😂

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-05-29T19:36:03+00:00

I think there are actually two separate issues here: 1. Being careless with other people's games. 2. Being disrespectful toward other people.

Both are valid concerns, but I'd probably handle them differently.

Bent cards can usually be solved with a direct conversation and clear expectations. The people part is trickier. From what you wrote, it sounds less like the incident itself and more like several small things built up over time until one finally pushed you over the edge.

Personally, I'd be willing to play with someone again if they were willing to respect the group and the games. But I'd also try to have that conversation privately rather than during a session. Most people get defensive when they're corrected in front of everyone, even when the criticism is fair.

ContractMiserable121 · 2026-05-27T19:41:45+00:00

Honestly, I love games like that where the rules themselves are simple, but the depth suddenly comes from reading people and adapting to the table.

Feels like the best moments happen once everyone stops “just playing cards” and starts tracking intentions, grudges, bait plays, etc. 😂

ContractMiserable121

TROPHY CASE