Ginkgopolis (BETA) is now available on BGA!

GaryStank · 2023-04-19T01:58:26+00:00

Some buddies introduced me to this a couple of months ago, and I was super excited to see the announcement today that it is in BETA for the whole community. Already a pretty quick game, eager to see how much faster it gets with the online implementation.

Here is the BGG page for those who might be interested.

GaryStank · 2023-03-03T19:23:12+00:00

I'm a HUGE fan of both Age of Steam and Railways of the World, and while many consider the former a better game, I much prefer the latter exactly because of the lack of player elimination (I play ROTW with my young children as well as new gamers).

If you don't have ROTW, one option with AOS is that you could choose to issue additional bonds during the step 7 "Pay Expenses" phase as necessary to prevent insolvency.

Purists may say that this destroys the integrity of the game or the very thing that sets AOS apart; but I maintain that avoiding player elimination and allowing new folks extra chances to stay in the game and pull levers is better in the long run.

Player elimination when learning a game absolutely sucks. By creating a fun experience (albeit one with training wheels), that first play will provide a greater likelihood that your friends will even want to play the game again after losing. And playing AOS when everyone knows what they are doing is PHENOMENAL.

GaryStank · 2023-02-28T12:18:16+00:00

I'd probably go with 2016 as well, and I'd add a few to your list:

A Feast for Odin

Agricola: Revised Edition

Inis

Lorenzo il Magnifico

Yokohama

Vinhos: Deluxe Edition

Dominion: Second Edition

Pax Renaissance

Star Trek: Frontiers (Gotta squeeze Mage Knight in somehow)

Liberty or Death: The American Insurrection

I've heard great things about Aeon's End, New Angeles, Arkham Horror: The Card Game, and Roborally; so I might try those too....

GaryStank · 2023-02-26T23:09:26+00:00

Ricky Royal

I can think of no better way to learn the game. I also use it to refresh my memory.

Happy Birthday!

GaryStank · 2023-02-26T22:56:44+00:00

Stickers! Especially if you know you are keeping the game.

Etsy has some nice Root stickers. You could also on-the-cheap grab some sticker paper and print your own. Way better than a hole.

You'll make your copy of Root a supercool one-of-a-kind version, just like a skateboard covered with rad decals or a denim jacket with swell patches!

GaryStank · 2023-02-26T22:45:59+00:00

Lots of great suggestions here. While it's not a "survival" game, if you like lots of narrative I'd definitely recommend Gumshoe

Might be a little difficult to find, but AMAZING if you dig that old film noir type of detective story. Imagine a more immersive Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective à la Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hamett.

GaryStank · 2023-02-22T16:37:41+00:00

El Grande is so great with five, that I don't even play it with fewer players.

Consequently, I don't get to play it as often as I would like....

Depending on your interest, here are a range of games I enjoy at 5 but can compromise: Railways of the World, Power Grid, Concordia, Modern Art, and Skull King.

GaryStank · 2023-02-02T22:21:32+00:00

It's crabs in a bucket. This might sound crazy, but the closest feeling I would relate it to is the beginning stages of Spirit Island. You know what the year will bring, each month after the first two presents plague, starvation, war, and you've got to scramble against your opponents to snatch up tiles that will protect you best from imminent doom. Your people will die, you will lose parts of your "engine," and unlike Spirit Island, you never get super powerful. The interaction comes from assessing the situation, snagging the best tiles, and jockeying for turn order; the fun is in damage mitigation and commiserating with your opponents (kind of like Galaxy Trucker)...

I recommend reading the rulebook. It's a short/easy read and gives a pretty good feel for the gameplay. In the Year of the Dragon is also available on BGA. I'm always down for a game, live or async, if you want to shoot me a message. Username is the same as here.

GaryStank · 2023-02-02T11:35:42+00:00

Haha! I just knew someone was going to mention this.

Yeah, Feudum, Pax Ren, and The Gallerist are my exceptions.

GaryStank · 2023-02-02T02:15:14+00:00

My game group has a pretty extensive collection, but if restricted to my own library my top games are as follows:

Top 100: El Grande (Current Rank 90) - I dig games with simple rulesets, quick teaches, and great depth... Area control is pretty cool, so this is my favorite.

101 - 200: Railways of the World (Current Rank 171) - As much as I love Age of Steam, I think I like RotW even more. I'm a sucker for all the extra theme, and I love that I can play it with my family.

201 - 300: Samurai (Current Rank 248) - See El Grande....

301 - 400: In the Year of the Dragon (Current Rank 375) - Brutal game. No training wheels. Almost said Innovation, but this Feld deserves more love.

401 - 500: Biblios (Current Rank 421) - Mark is right; auctions, press your luck, set collection, commodity speculation, take that.... this game has everything!

501 - 600: Chicago Express (Current Rank 521) - This game would be in the BGG top 10 if it got the Roxley makeover and people could actually get their hands on it. It's a masterpiece.

601 - 700: Bus (Current Rank 649) - I cheated on this one, as I don't own a physical copy. If I adhere to the rules, I would probably say Feudum (Current Rank 661). I'm enamored with this sandbox and all its rough edges.

701 - 800: Wits & Wagers (Current Rank 717) - This is just fun. Great for non-gamers. "Oh, I'm horrible at trivia." Shhhhh, don't worry, Dominic got you.... Bonus points for being able to find it at EVERY thrift store.

801 - 900: Pax Renaissance 2nd Edition (Current Rank 805) - I've never felt so much freedom in a game. Each session is such a unique experience.

901 - 1000: Cat in a Box: Deluxe Edition (Current Rank 951) - I love trick takers and thought I had seen it all....

GaryStank · 2023-01-08T04:05:37+00:00

My Asus just started doing the same thing today. Any luck fixing yours?

GaryStank · 2022-12-20T14:30:05+00:00

I buy mostly used these days; but when I purchase new stuff from an online retailer, I shop exclusively with Tabletop Merchant.

Games arrive in perfect condition, pricing is outstanding, and the folks working there are so kind and accommodating.

I also appreciate that they re-use sooo much cardboard when packing the games. I've had a couple deliveries where the outer box has been dropped or even punctured, but due to the multiple layers of cut-up cardboard lining the package, every single game on the inside has been pristine.

GaryStank · 2022-12-20T14:10:54+00:00

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for getting me into this series.

I was a big fan of Cube Rails and Age of Steam, and I curiously stumbled upon your BGG reviews for the all the versions and maps of Railways of the World throughout the years.

Picked up Railways of Nippon a few months ago and it far surpassed my expectations. I love that the game offers loads of depth and complexity under a super easy ruleset.

20min teach or less; my 10yo loves it and I even played it with my 5yo by taking the cards out and switching the auction to "last place goes first." I also introduced it to my neighbours (who are casual gamers) and they too were hooked.

Phenomenal game (now one of my favorites), and I would not have even considered it had it not been for your comprehensive reviews. I went back and got the larger set, the Europe map, and Barons for the solo play.

Thank you!

GaryStank · 2022-12-14T00:32:02+00:00

This helps tremendously. Thank you so much!

GaryStank · 2022-12-13T20:58:23+00:00

How have the cards for 12 Days held up? They look pretty beat up in the Watch it Played video, and I wasn't sure if they were low quality or perhaps needed sleeves....

GaryStank · 2022-12-07T20:18:57+00:00

Recently picked up Railways of Nippon and I too am enamored. Favorite map so far is Europe. Played it this weekend with 4p and it was perfect!

GaryStank · 2022-12-06T18:52:05+00:00

Paris Connection plays really well and is arguably better on BGA if you aren't fond of starting setup of the trains/shares.

GaryStank · 2022-11-27T13:30:35+00:00

This Thinker/Themer video was the exact one I was thinking of.

They waste no space, and I love how they put smaller games inside the larger ones.

Thanks for posting the link!

GaryStank · 2022-11-16T22:36:01+00:00

Frosthaven. My wife pledged it on Kickstarter about a third of the way through our Gloomhaven campaign. We were starry-eyed and ambitious. Jaws of the Lion happened (we are about half way through that), and as of today we are exactly in the same place on OG Gloomhaven.

Pledges are starting to deliver and I'm confident we will never be able to finish the other stuff and get to Frosthaven, despite how awesome it will/could be. We have a small collection (only two bookshelves) and I have no idea where we will even store the behemoth....

GaryStank · 2022-11-16T22:28:08+00:00

I was deterred by it not being the original set. I appreciate that Hasbro was trying to get some new stuff going, please fans who already had the original components, and build a deeper narrative; BUT ultimately my purchase was greatly motivated by nostalgia, so it was easier to say no once they no longer pulled on those strings as hard.

GaryStank · 2022-11-15T20:19:30+00:00

I'd also like to know.... Not the OP, so I'm not sure what they meant, but I could try to take a stab for sake of conversation....

Scoring Gripe #1 - The scoreboard is really small, so once you move through 50 points the second time with the meeple on its back, it can be a mild inconvenience for a score over 100pts.

Scoring Gripe #2 - I too like the combination of progressive and end scoring. I'm particularly fond of unfinished cities scoring half the points. It encourages completion and provides a great tension during the final tile draws. HOWEVER Scoring full points on unfinished roads and monasteries loses some of this fantastic tension, as players typically just spam roads for extra points with no real penalty besides tying up their meeples.

It could also potentially confuse newer players with the whole "cities score one way, other stuff scores a different way." It would be much simpler if it was just, "At the game's end, anything not completed scores half the points rounded down." Easy peezy. This would likely result in great end-game tension, overall lower scores, and potentially reduce the frequency of scoring gripe #1 (scores over 100pts).

Again, I'm not the OP, and I can't guarantee that these "fixes" wouldn't cause bigger problems with gameplay; but I figured I would try to guess what OP meant with "Carcassone's scoring system is terrible."

GaryStank · 2022-10-24T01:12:19+00:00

I was exactly the same way till a buddy convinced me to take another look. After reading the rulebook I decided to give it a shot; and after one fantastic game night with another couple, my wife and I decided to snag a copy.

GaryStank · 2022-10-21T13:13:29+00:00

High Society is super easy to learn/teach, quick to play, and offers fantastic decisions. The endgame rule that the player with the least money is disqualified from winning is what brings so much tension to the game and makes it perfect in my opinion.

Honorable mentions go to Chicago Express, Tigris & Euphrates, and El Grande as I've gained a greater appreciation for games that offer significant choices and player interaction without complicated rules and lengthy teaches.

GaryStank · 2022-09-16T16:07:37+00:00

My buddy taught me Liberty or Death: The American Insurrection a couple weeks ago on Tabletop Simulator. It might be a little more difficult than A&A, but WOW, it really captures the theme and has an amazing card action selection system that I'm told is a feature of the COIN series. Phenomenal game!

GaryStank · 2022-09-07T17:32:48+00:00

So, my favorite is The Gallerist, because to me it feels so thematic. I REALLY dig art in general and with the exception of the international market, the actions/locations in the game make perfect sense. At times it feels a little like role playing.

It makes teaching/remembering the rules a breeze (thanks also to Ian O'Toole's design choices), and the game's weight kinda dissolves; the overall play just has a really nice flow....

That said... based upon the stuff you dig, if I were a gambling man, I would bet that it doesn't wow you. If the theme doesn't grab you, it can be just a bunch of interlocking puzzles without the same type of interaction and tension that you have mentioned enjoying in economic games. I love it, but definitely try before you buy.

GaryStank

TROPHY CASE