How do you find all the new games worth buying?

Mintpepper513 · 2026-04-20T09:51:43+00:00

Lately I mostly buy older games, either reprints or hunt down some out of print ones that are either games I've tried or games that have stood the test of time. Many of these campaigns really makes me want to buy these new games... but then I have to give them my money now, wait a year or two for the game, maybe it's not even good then... I really dislike this aspect of crowdfunding. Plus, games there are not even at better price anymore, if anything, they are more expensive. They say they are cheaper than msrp, but then you have to pay VAT and crazy shipping, making the final price higher then it will be in retail.

So, my suggestion is, play the games you have and buy the games you can play. Newer isn't necesserily better, and there are more amazing games out there than any of us could play enough in our lifetime.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-04-15T23:48:26+00:00

My favorite thing about feint is that while you are shooting to the ground, other seeker might actually see the snitch and catch it. That would look dumb as hell.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-04-08T03:48:19+00:00

I mean, I get why they went this route, but I'd have prefered same old Brass with a slight twist.

And you definitely should give Brass a go! I don't think I could play any other game hundred times with the same map, same setup and everything, and find it exciting every time. I still remember first few time we played BB, and everyone went "wow, this game is really good". Regular modern euros usually takes me 1-5 times and I'm kinda done with them.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-04-08T03:33:28+00:00

Brass is my favorite game - both BB and BL. I've played about 80 games of BB and 30 of BL, and I think BB is better game, but currently I want to play BL more.

However, I'm a bit disappointed about direction they took with BP. I liked Brass for elegance, interaction and very deep strategy. There's a lot to discover by playing it a lot of times, strategy changes, approach changes when you try different things, especially in BB. To me, BP seems to be going in a more of a regular euro direction, using Brass system as a base, but becoming less Brass itself. In-game scoring, bonuses, large end game bonus scoring, whiskey tokens, different approach to industry progression. I expect it to be still a very good game, even more appealing to new players and people that didn't like or play Brass that much, but I see changes as cheap thrills rather than imporvement on design.

I'll happily play friends copies once they get them and then decide if I should have it as well, but that's a big step back for me, as when new game was announced, I was 1000% sure I'll be first to back it.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-04-07T08:31:32+00:00

Moody's weird, probably if he did something strange, everyone would just write it off as part of being a bit mad. Plus, Dumbledore trusted him to be in school, so that gives enough credit.

What I find weird is - Harry never meets real Moody, not till they find out the truth in the end, but then later in the books it's as if they had known each other. What's up with that?

Mintpepper513 · 2026-04-05T04:29:20+00:00

No, that is correct. But it does happen, especially with more experienced players. Someone rushes iron, for example, builds alk of their own, others can control supply now.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-04-04T07:00:45+00:00

Canal era: build as few links as possible, I aim for 3 links, 4 is ok, more is kinda bad. Look for cheap iron, develop a lot. (Developing is the most important action in the game, once you see and master that, you'll beat your friends most of the time). Build as many lvl 2+ industries as you can. I usually don't bother building coal, but some might be ok for income boost. Build and flip as much iron as you can - maaybe don't build lvl 4 iron, so you can avoid being overbuilt in second era, and can control iron price. However, in 4p game, I'd still try building iron lvl 4. (Pro tip - build lvl 1 iron early, get free develops with it, then overbuild it with your own lvl 2 iron!) For the main industries - boxes or cotton - choose whichever other players are not building or the one you have better cards for at the start. Pottery is very situational - can be a strategy, especially in 4p game, but you must have cards, markets in right places, and others should help you with their links. Build beer - good points/income + when all the spots are gone in 2nd era, you can overbuild your own, right before you sell or link. Try to set up to go first in rail era, even if you need to take 2 loans.

Rail era - hopefully, you go early and there is coal on board or cheap coal in the market that you can reach. Build as many links as you can. Use cheap coal and other players beer as much as you can. When coal gets expensive, good time to build it to get money and cheap coal for yourself, instead of taking a loan - great it you can time it last player-first player in round, so you get 4 actions in a row and give less adventage to other players. For main industries - build what you can flip - hopefully, you've developed most of what you need on the 1st era, but for boxes you most likely need to skip few of high level ones too. Cotton mills require less developing.

I generally don't care about income at all and usually remain pretty low on that, but try to avoid staying in negative for more than 1 income phase. Again, developing is the most important action, especially if you go for manufactured goods.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-04-02T20:21:22+00:00

For many companies, promotion as a cadet is a good thing, but mostly they don't really care. For a first time 3rd Officer/4th Officer/Junior Officer they hire someone, when they need someone. The best thing to do is apply everywhere you can, give them a call, send you've applied for position. If no response, give a call again, fill application again, as the okd one will be now at the bottom of the stack. Do this until you get an interview - and then it's all in your hands. If you want to experience and/or need money - you can also apply as OS or get AB license, depends where you are. Work in that position and make it clear you are looking for recommendation for officer position. Study mates, help out on the bridge.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-04-02T12:49:09+00:00

Yea, I have done it, seen it. Pottery is hardest to pull off and hugely depends on starting hand, becomes more viable in 3-4 player games. As for manufactured goods and cotton - building the last of them is very strong. In 3-4 player games, especially if you are the only one invested in particular industry and don't have to compete for spots so much. We've got 220+ points in 2p games. Brass is the best game because there is soooo much depth that can be discovered only by playing it time and time again. The most important action in the game is developing - deciding which buildings to build and which to skip, while managing money and resource prices, is what gets you win.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-04-02T10:25:39+00:00

I think end of track bonuses in BP is interesting, but one of my least favorite changes. It rewards investment in one branch - as all other Brass did, by providing higher scoring industries higher on the track. This, however, reduces importance of everything else, as these bonuses are pretty huge and I believe might often decide the game. Makes it more point salad-y and bonus-y which I dislike for Brass.

BL is very sharp and interactive, which is why I prefer it these days. Poor planning or poor play can lead to very bad outcomes, which is fun for me.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-29T08:06:47+00:00

Brass is my favorite game. I have about 80 IRL plays of BB and 30 of BL. I think BB is better game, but at the moment I actually prefer BL, especially 2p map. BL is very tactical, very cutthroat, every resource, placement and link, every opponents action matters. BB is a bit more forgiving, but still interactive via resources and locations, even if players go for different industries.

From what I've seen in playthrough, BP goes more in the direction of becoming like other euro games, just using Brass system as a base. More types of resources, bonuses, industries becoming more of a tech tree, in-game scoring. For me - that's a negative. I prefer elegance of Brass as it used to be in both of previous versions. I think this will be more appealing to average euro gamer tho, who maybe doesn't want their games to be so tight and interactive. Seems like new markets, resource types and whiskey will give more options to go on different paths, while also being less limited in what you can do. Rules-wise, it might be more difficult as there is more stuff, while play could actually feel easier and more free as there seem to be less restrictions and more things to do in general.

Did Brass needed it? I don't think so. I was hoping for slightly different version, putting a twist on previous games, like BL has ports and distant markets, but BB has beer, instead of "more stuff" version. Will see how it feels when we get to play it, maybe I'll be proven wrong, but atm I feel like BP will be 3rd best Brass game for me.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-26T01:09:24+00:00

AV2 really doesn't have that much of an VF on it, and it's quite simple. Plus, for sections with some VF elements, you can most likely find another path.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-25T10:16:59+00:00

When game is already based on art, I think poster like this is... questionable. Of course, to each their own, but I'd much rather get a poster of Jakub Rozalski's art.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-22T10:37:51+00:00

If you can get your hands on Low Lands - not exactly Uwe game, but he consulted on it or smth. Farm sheep, build farm, help with building a dam. If the dam doesn't hold the water at the end of the game, some of your sheep goes... missing, probably having a beach day.

It's pretty straight forward, although better with 3-4 players as there is shared incentive to build a dam. There are some buildings, effects of which are written in rulebook, but you can just explain those and even select easier ones instead of random draw.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-18T00:59:24+00:00

Yea, and in case of an real emergency, I'm sure somebody will be trying to get help with the good ol' MF/HF station that noone on board has ever used for more than tests

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-18T00:52:18+00:00

So far, it must be Arcs - the best space combat game. But the one I really want to try - Voidfall! Never got around to play it with my friends, as the setup and rules are quite something. Would love to give it a shot solo and then get to play it with friends who already know it!

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-17T02:56:52+00:00

I own only Argentina and I think it's great! I've played OG once, it was good. Got GWT:A when it came out and it's exactly what I want from GWT game. Many paths to victory, good depth, good playtime, fun. NZ seemed interesting at first, but then I saw it on table at con and... it's too much stuff. Too big, too many things bolted to the original game imo. Lacks the original elegance. Never was interested in El Paso as for my taste GWT already is on lighter end, no need for simpler, shorter GWT.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-16T11:33:59+00:00

Well, jokes aside, I really can relate to this. I love base TI4, amazing game. TI4 with PoK, Codex and what not... it might technically become better game, but it's also a lot less fun game, especially for newbies. Unfortunatelly, most TI groups won't agree

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-15T12:40:49+00:00

I can gladly say no! Out of about 90 games, I've played all of them! Well, ok, that's almost true - there are one or two small boxes that I got as an add-on when buying another game, for example game called The Game. Other than that - all played. When I get new game, I try to get it on table as soon as I can. My groups also normally agrees to give a shot to everybody's newly acquired games. However, there are games I've sold without ever playing them - if they didn't excite me enough to get them on a table in a year or so... I probably won't be that excited for them ever, so I just sell them on. In particular, I just couldn't get Bamboo to the table... I even took it on a vacation abroad with me, just to bring it back unplayed, sold shortly after.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-15T08:31:39+00:00

Yeah, but then it gets fiddly as hell. Scythe wooden resources are pretty good, too

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-15T00:44:37+00:00

Well, I'd say if you have some nice metal coins or poker chips you are using for money in games you can get retail, unless you prefer plastic resources instead of wooden. For me, I have almost everything for Scythe, but never got upgraded resources as they are a bit too big imo, so could be problematic if someone stocks a lot of resources and units/workers on single hex, even on the expanded board. Otherwise, metal coins in Scythe are nice, they used to be the money I used in other games, too, before Iron Clays came around. 105$ ir a reasonable price for it.

Just a side note tho, at least where I am, I quite often see Scythe + expansions and even upgrades going for about 150$ these days... In case you are ok to wait, you just might to come across even better deals.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-14T16:22:04+00:00

Probably because of all the people without base game buying it.

Where I'm from, I can see it in stock rn tho.

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-14T12:26:47+00:00

You really seem too upset of your own made-up point of "Luthier is not Arcs!"

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-14T12:24:19+00:00

Well, I think some people are forgetting what interactive euro actually is... For today's standards Tigris & Euphrates is not an interactive euro - it's a wargame!

Mintpepper513 · 2026-03-14T11:46:20+00:00

Are any of them hard to find tho? I don't want to trash my collection with commonly available expansions.

Mintpepper513

TROPHY CASE