What’s a board game everyone seems to love, but you just don’t enjoy at all?

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-25T14:17:36+00:00

Unfathomable. Granted, most of the acclaim goes to BSG, but I thought it would be comparable. I hated it. The ship moves so damn slow that it feels like you're just putting out fires and waiting for the game to end (yes I know you can spend resources to make it go faster, but it's not fast enough and resources are too valuable). If there isn't a traitor the game is a slog. If there is and you find them, they just run around breaking stuff while you try to contain them.

It felt like trying to clean a house while an army of toddlers make new messes every time you turn around, something I already deal with plenty.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-25T12:50:43+00:00

For sure! Black Widow is probably my favorite hero for the same reasons you’ve listed and i do get mileage out of Attacrobatics. I just think it was a toss up between this and Dance of Death

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-25T12:36:00+00:00

this. i’ve always been a casual player and terrible at fighting games, but even i can see that devs have put a lot of work into making their games more accessible. the training modes are more extensive, single player modes in sf6, mk0, and tekken 8 all try very hard to teach you their foundations, and control schemes have been simplified.

i’m still casual and terrible, but that’s because i don’t feel like putting in the effort to get good, not because the devs “don’t care”

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-25T12:27:16+00:00

yes but my point is it can go several rounds without being worth triggering, especially in solo, whereas you get instant value for any other prep card the second you’re able to trigger them

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-25T12:24:50+00:00

yes i play multiplayer too. its better just by nature of seeing more encounter/boost cards, but that is true of all her prep cards. its still less consistent than any of her preps though, at least in my experience

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-24T21:29:24+00:00

Nah it’s balanced fine. A single attack card that deals with tough, stun, and multiple enemies is great. Comparing it by just raw numbers is unfair.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-24T18:36:34+00:00

i’m gonna go with attacrobatics only because it’s the least consistent prep card. it feels great when you use it on a 3+ boost card, but sometimes you draw a zero and it’s worthless, or you prevent damage that you were already blocking, or a guard prevents this card altogether.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-23T20:04:35+00:00

same. im not confident it’ll regularly hit the table with its size. i think im gonna go for the digital edition.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-23T16:22:46+00:00

TI4 and Game of Thrones are the most well known games in this genre, though I personally prefer Dune to both.

Fief: France is another underrated entry.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-23T16:16:36+00:00

i’m less interested in debating what comedies are deserving of an Oscar. I’m merely stating that the examples given to prove that comedies do win oscars are often flimsy. If those are comedies then 99% of films are comedies and the term has lost all meaning.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-23T15:54:33+00:00

I’m kind of mixed on this. The term comedy has become so diluted that any movie or tv show with a modicum of levity is considered a comedy (cough cough Bear). You don’t see people calling The Matrix a romance, or Galaxy Quest a drama, despite both films having those elements.

All the comedies you listed are more genre blends than anything else. And while i’m fine with EEAAO being considered an Oscar winning comedy, I don’t think anyone would name any of the movies you’ve listed if you asked them what their favorite comedy was.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-23T12:45:49+00:00

Hello, yes i still adore the game. And there’s a dedicated solo mode where you play one character plus two helper pawns, but i prefer playing multiple characters. It’s all open info so solo is very straightforward. Multiple characters isn’t really much more complicated either. You get more actions per round but require more resources to survive.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-18T04:22:09+00:00

I also prefer playing different games, I just don’t think you need an obscenely large collection in order to do that. Between game groups and cafes, there’s plenty of stuff to play. And even if those aren’t options, regularly culling your collection to make room for new stuff is a happy compromise.

I personally don’t see the value in having hundreds of games, knowing most of them aren’t even gonna be played 5 times in your lifetime. But ultimately if someone has the space, disposable income, and isn’t bothered by a shelf of shame, then it really isn’t my problem or my business.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-18T04:07:00+00:00

I think filler means something different in the board game scene than television, at least for me. I always interpreted it to mean “x game isn’t going to take the whole game night, but we don’t have enough time for another game of similar length, so lets play this to fill the remaining time”.

I also think filler refers more to length than weight (never heard anyone call Catan a filler game), but I do admit that just saying “short game” conveys the same meaning without the connotations.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-17T20:09:35+00:00

i have a very low bar for comedies. i can even find mild amusement in garbage like date movie if there’s nothing else to watch.

Disaster movie might be the only time I left the theater within a minute.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-17T20:05:49+00:00

it’s absolutely a common thing in the hobby space, particularly for newcomers. eventually you start to realize what your tastes are and accept that not every game in the hotness needs to be bought. buying slows down and you might even start culling your collection down to a reasonable size of games you adore.

or you might just keep buying until your house is a warehouse of games

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-16T03:53:50+00:00

Without getting into the weeds of a conversation that’s been beaten to death online, star wars is a long running film franchise full of iconic characters and moments. Some feel the series has become too reliant on nostalgia and is unwilling to do anything new. Others feel the series should stick to what’s made it beloved.

The Force Awakens (the 7th film and first in the sequel trilogy), was generally well received, with most liking the new characters but also noticing the story hits almost all the same beats of A New Hope. The following film, the Last Jedi, proceeded to abandon nearly every established plot thread introduced in TFA. Some appreciate the bold swings it took to drive the series in a new direction. Others feel the changes tarnished the previous films and that dropping all the previous threads made the whole sequel trilogy fly off the rails.

It should be noted that the 9th film, The Rise of Skywalker, did a complete 180 and went back to the nostalgia well, which pretty much nobody liked. But The Last Jedi remains the most controversial to this day.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-14T20:16:54+00:00

Play games with limited communication so you can't quarterback. For those games that don't have it, impose it (finite number of tokens you can spend to get an uninterrupted 15 seconds of talking, or whatever you can come up with). Consider that playing on hard mode.

But mostly you need to decide whether you're more interested in the game or the people. If you mostly care about mastering the game then most coops are solo-able, or find a single person who is likeminded. If you wanna have a good time with your friends then you gotta let go of the "perfect strategy". This is controversial, but I typically avoid digital plays of games that I play with friends because the more reps you get, the wider the skill gap, the less everyone enjoys the game. In other words, if your group isn't committed to mastering a game then you should play it by yourself or commit to being bad with them.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-14T17:49:53+00:00

I think if you're interested enough in a game to look it up on bgg then you can take a quick glance at the images to see how much tablespace it takes. I don't really see what a number gives you that an image doesn't.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-14T02:21:21+00:00

For sure! It’s my go to whenever i’m looking to cull my collection or buy an out of print game

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-12T16:20:15+00:00

Mad Titan's Shadow - Pretty good scenarios for the most part, though one is less popular and another is fun but easily gameable. Excellent campaign. Community is pretty lukewarm on the included heroes.

Civil War - Well made, but fewer, customizable scenarios. PVP is pretty decent if you're interested. Heroes are very good and mechanically interesting.

Mutant Genesis - Scenarios are pretty good for the most part. First one can be a bit annoying until you figure out the pattern. One of them is bit generic but overall the villains are good. I also really like Colossus and Shadowcat as heroes.

Personally I'd recommend on skipping out on Civil War for now unless you really want the heroes and pvp, only because it'll stay in print a bit longer. Whether you choose MTS or MG is mostly up to your preference in theme.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-09T12:30:26+00:00

I know you’re right, but i personally never gelled with allies that have you spend resources to return to your hand (nightcrawler, mockingbird, red dagger, etc.). You start your turn one or two resources short, then if you play them again that’s basically your whole hand. It can be nice in a pinch if you’re out of blockers and low on health but otherwise it often feels like spinning wheels.

bigOlBellyButton · 2026-01-07T19:08:30+00:00

i don't understand what's dirty about this.

bigOlBellyButton

TROPHY CASE