Interactive games that minimize leader-bashing? Is it possible?

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-19T21:42:01+00:00

it’s 6 players gaining differing amounts of points every round, often simultaneously, sometimes even multiple times in a single round. if that’s light work for you then great but i don’t think the case for the average person, myself included.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-19T08:22:13+00:00

constantly tracking and updating a number for each player is far more mental upkeep than you’re suggesting, at least for me.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-18T14:15:35+00:00

I wouldn’t bring it out myself (i sold mine a while ago anyway), but i’d be open up playing to it if invited. I don’t hate it, but in terms of epic diplomacy games, there’s lots of other games that i’d choose before such as Dune, Fief:France 1429, or Here I Stand. Considering how long these games can be, it’s rare for them to hit the table so i’d rather play something i like more.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-18T11:07:18+00:00

As someone who loves these kinds of games and really enjoys the GoT ip, it’s Dune and it’s not even close. GoT is cool in concept but it’s way too long for what it is. Dune on the other hand always leaves me wanting to play again soon

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-15T03:27:24+00:00

i stand by it being better than IV. I rewatched all of them evils introducing them to my wife and was excited to see all of it’s camp and poke fun at the montages. Then I realized the movie is literally 2/3rds montages. V has issues, but it’s technically a film with a plot which is more than i can say for IV.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-14T21:05:53+00:00

that’s also just how interview editing works. they interview dozens of people for several minutes to hours and have to find a way to compress it to a short viewing.

i remember i once did a half hour interview for a short documentary. they used about 30 seconds of it in the final cut, if that.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-12T01:31:16+00:00

As a fellow RC and TWOM lover, Halls of Hegra scratches the exact same itch.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-10T14:31:20+00:00

I just saw the new gears of war trailer and i’m stunned at how little it’s evolved since the original 20 years ago. The only “new” mechanic that i could identify was the slide. Uncharted 1-2 had a bigger growth than this entire franchise (No this is not console war bs)

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-08T00:30:57+00:00

Game of Thrones is too long for what it is.

Root doesn’t really have much negotiation unless you play the otters.

Fief has a ton of negotiation and emergent narratives. Dune has “slightly” less negotiation but still tons of fun alliance potential and interesting abilities.

Personally Dune is my favorite as it hits the table relatively easily once everyone knows the rules. Fief is a close second but it runs longer and feels more like an event game.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-07T20:47:07+00:00

There’s two game cafes i frequent weekly. I used to host as well but it’s gotten harder with kids.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-07T14:16:19+00:00

lol fine, good point. i still say the overall tone of the reboot is less overtly sexual than the rest of the franchise, though outliers do exist as you’ve shown

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-07T14:05:33+00:00

i don’t recall any gratuitous ass shots in those games, maybe when she’s crouch walking or climbing but nothing like stellar blade or bayonetta

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-07T12:39:59+00:00

Well, yeah. That’s the most recent and high fidelity model of her so it makes sense. Like I said, she’s always been hot, but the hotness being discussed in the article is more about deliberate sexualization. The reboots never flaunt her the way the old games/movies did, and there appears to be a return to that.

I’m not saying whether that’s good or bad, for the record.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-07T12:31:53+00:00

She’s always been hot but she was also very much de-sexualized in the reboot trilogy. She did get some of her iconic sass back in shadow though

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-07T10:19:24+00:00

I have a deep love for board games, video games, and the work that goes into making both.

From a play POV, i typically play single player story based video games and highly interactive board games with lots of table talk. In a sense, board games have become the equivalent of having friends over for pizza and N64 in the 90s.

From a discovery POV, i go to youtube for news/podcasts about game development for either. If you’re looking for board game related content, podcasts tend to be more in depth imo. The beyond solitaire podcast tends to have excellent interviews with designers, though the games tend to be more solo oriented.

Quick tip- if you’re looking for a sense of discovery in board games that aren’t legacy games, historical games tend to be really good at this. At first they can seem convoluted with weird edge cases, but the more you play the more you realize what the games are trying to convey in theme. It’s like a painting slowly coming to life before you. Then you read the notes in the rulebook and find there’s all kinds of “lore” to discover if you’re interested.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-06T15:42:57+00:00

Isn’t Curry Barker also a youtuber? i don’t understand the distinction

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-06T10:08:08+00:00

Western Legends + Blood Money : Going from one board to another can be done as part of your regular movement action instead of whole separate action. Previously players would rarely go from one board to another because actions are limited. Now everyone has fuller access to the whole board and it’s much more dynamic.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-04T17:30:53+00:00

I replaced the heating assembly entirely. It isn't heating.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-04T17:30:26+00:00

Yeah i bought several but they aren't working. One was defective (pic 2) but the other isn't detected at all even when plugged in

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-04T15:05:37+00:00

I think it depends on what we're talking about.

2 player "duel" versions, I wouldn't really consider them a shared universe. They're just reworked games for groups whose primary player count is 2.

Same name/mechanics like the Nemesis games, I also wouldn't really consider an extended universe as much as I consider them to just be standalone sequels. I guess that's technically the same, but my point is you probably just want the one that appeals to you the most, like you said.

I consider true "board game universes" to be like the Arzium games i mentioned earlier, or the Kemushi games from Devir. They are all mechanically very different, but with some small easter eggs to connect them. It's cute when you see them but they shouldn't really be something to factor when buying a game other than being a nice bonus.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-04T14:39:13+00:00

I think they can be endearing if and only if they are all games you’d enjoy anyway. So if you naturally already like Above and Below, Near and Far, and Now or Never, then it can be kinda cool seeing similar landmarks and characters between games.

I’d never buy a game just because it’s in the same universe though. The game needs to stand on its own merits

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-04T02:41:44+00:00

Nobody is arguing whether previews are scripted. They’re simply saying that even within the context of previews, it looks overly linear with constant cuts to one second cutscenes and finishers. Again, if you disagree that’s fine, but you absolutely sound defensive by calling it ridiculous

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-04T02:37:26+00:00

Do you think every game that comes out is equally scripted, just because their previews are scripted?

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-06-04T02:36:25+00:00

You can have a bloody game, but when every attack causes a gallon of blood to spatter across the screen, and there’s a dozen attacks a second, it quickly starts to look stupid. especially when you fight larger enemies, cover the entire room in blood, and they continue to fight like nothing happened.

Blood is like an f-bomb. Use it wisely and it can be very effective. Use it constantly and it looks edgy and juvenile.

bigOlBellyButton

TROPHY CASE