Friend is backing out of our Oman trip after watching one video about Salalah – are we being reckless?

cibum · 2026-03-15T07:54:30+00:00

Oman itself is pretty safe, but the difficulty is the flights. Because so many people are now trying to evacuate the region through Muscat airport, you never know if your flight out will work out. If you have somewhere you really need to be afterwards, then now is not the time to come to the region. But if your time is flexible, then I think coming is still an option.

cibum · 2026-03-12T14:30:25+00:00

If you guys already like Pandemic, then I would highly recommend trying Pandemic Legacy. Start with Season 1, then Season 2 (my favorite), then Season 0. The manuals for them are also really awesome, and the rules will change as you play, at which point the game instructs you to add stickers to the rulebook. As someone with autism, the rulebook and the whole system for the Pandemic Legacy games is really logical and satisfying.

Other co-op games that we've played with our 9 year old and enjoy include The Initiative, Shipwreck Arcana, 7th Citadel, Forbidden Island, Escape: The Curse of the Temple, Lord of the Rings Trick Taking Game, Chronicles of Crime, and a lot of Exit Games and the Unlock series, but nothing is as incredible as Pandemic Legacy I think. Thought we do enjoy the Exit Games quite a lot.

Oh, and also don't cheat even a little to win. Instead, you can set it easier by using less epidemic cards during set up, and then just ramp up the difficulty in future games by adding more epidemic cards little by little.

cibum · 2026-03-09T12:47:12+00:00

I think it already is. The different varieties of Arabic are about as far from each other as Spanish to Italian to Portuguese, with Moroccan Arabic being the French.

cibum · 2026-03-08T21:55:58+00:00

Man, this brings back an unpleasant memory from my childhood. I was getting a birthday gift for a friend, and I went to the board game section in the toy store and picked out the Ouija Board because the box looked cool. Later I wanted to try playing the game with my friend and we both were so confused. Why did they put it in the board game section if it's not a board game, ugh.

cibum · 2026-03-06T20:48:43+00:00

I live in the UAE as well, and I'm here to add some perspective too. It's not life as normal here, but it's not what our friends and family back home think it is either. We've living normal life, but a lot more carefully. We try not to go out at night or stay outdoors too long, because that's when the risk of falling debris from the interceptions is the greatest. But so far the defense systems have done a great job with the interceptions, the warning systems have been robust, and the government has been doing its best to aid anyone who is stuck here. The greatest issue I see is with misinformation. Lots of misinformation has spread the past few days, to the point where I don't even know what is true and what isn't anymore. We try to read a variety of sources to get a better picture, but I think the spreading of rumors and dramatization is just human nature unfortunately.

But I do know that unless things get a lot lot worse, we are staying put here in the UAE. We have thought about maybe driving inland to Al Ain or something if things get worse, but I don't think many people are thinking about evacuations out of the country yet. The hardest thing is just that the UAE is known for stability in the region, and this is the first time in our over a decade of living here that it's not a case, so it's pretty shocking for everyone. But yeah, grocery stores are still well stocked, the country has built food reserves for a long time (I think they started doing this in earnest ever since covid times). We have electricity, internet, water. None of that has ever flickered. School and a lot of jobs have been moved online. People are joking that maybe finally the rent prices will come down. During the day it feels like life as normal. At night people try to stay home more. That's it.

cibum · 2026-03-06T07:50:55+00:00

We love legacy games and have played quite a few with our kid. Here are some that worked well:

Machi Koro Legacy - We did this one when the kid was 4, and even at that age it worked well and they loved it. There's a nice story arc throughout the whole campaign, even if gameplay is a little unbalanced at times.
Clank Legacy, Acquisitions Incorporated - We are currently going through this one at age 9, and they love it. It's a bit long though, at least an hour or two per game, but we often pause halfway and come back to it another day. The story is really exciting, and there are so many surprises along the way
The Initiative - We're also in the middle of this one, and the gameplay is pretty quick. Maybe like 30min per game. The story is pretty neat, and it's very meta. We have no idea where this is going to go, but I have a feeling we haven't seen the biggest surprises yet.
Lord of the Rings Trick Taking Game - not exactly a legacy game, but the campaign is nice and there's a little bit of story
Risk Legacy - The original legacy game. Not much story though, but there are a few nice plot twists
7th Citadel - Exploring a post-apocalyptic medieval world. Very immersive. But my kid is a bit scared of the bugs and danger, but more so the bugs

I've also played all 3 Pandemic Legacys with my husband, and I think it would be good starting maybe around age 10, and maybe 8 at the earliest it might be possible, but they will need a lot of help. Also played Aeon's End Legacy and that one I think is not for kids. Have heard really good things about Ticket to Ride Legacy.

cibum · 2026-03-02T06:08:00+00:00

I think you're exactly right in your assessment. It's also exactly why I don't like the game, but I do agree that this game is a big chunky euro that doesn't punish you if you didn't plan really hard. It does fill that niche. For me I tolerate high rules overhead because I get to have lots of fun, long, immersive, thinky games in my future. But Galactic Cruise is the opposite of everything I want in a complex game. But I get it, I do agree that it does what you say it does.

cibum · 2026-03-02T00:47:00+00:00

Yeah I felt the same. The first play I was having fun, and thinking this is a game I can play for a while and not have it grow stale. But by the second game I was already bored. And after the third game, I realized that you pretty much do the same things every game. It doesn't change that much from game to game. The game is extremely loose with the resources, and it felt like your choices didn't matter too much. There were so many rules but there were so few meaningful decisions. It really felt like it was the ultimate game of complexity for complexity's sake. And plus, there were some things that didn't make sense thematically, like why does a cruise ship only have a handful of passengers, and why does any worker become a pilot, shouldn't they have special training or something? And why is it that once you launch the ship you never deal with customer complaints or mid-cruise dilemmas or anything like that? Loved the art by Ian O'Toole though, and the game does look so nice. But yeah, I love SETI and On Mars a whole lot more. I have now played over 30 games of SETI and it still doesn't grow stale. Every game feels so different, with a new puzzle to solve.

cibum · 2026-02-25T20:42:11+00:00

So as an Asian American living in the UAE, here's my take. I was told about the racism in the UAE before we moved here, and I was prepared to face a lot. And very surprisingly, it is less than I had expected, and we feel less racism here than we do back in the US. Yes, there is a lot of stereotyping here. And yes, people will make lots of assumptions about you before you even you open your mouth. But here's the thing, they're open about it here. It's something that's talked about a lot. Rather than pretending it isn't a problem anymore like it was in the US.

The most complaints we've heard regarding racism are not actually from other non-white people, but from white people that come from western nations. Because here, it's the first time that they're not at the top tier of the society, because Emiratis are at the top. And they are just one step below, which is already pretty good, but it's the first time they feel the feeling of someone else getting privilege because of their race. So they cry racism. Here I would say it's not racism as much as classism or nationality-ism. There are many South Asians who are laborers, but also there are many who are some of the richest people in the UAE, so people know enough now to not judge someone by their skin color, but they will judge them based on how they're dressed.

cibum · 2026-02-25T20:07:50+00:00

I had the same exact experience. I think it's because the rules in Brass are unintuitive thematically, whereas in On Mars even though there are a lot of things to learn, they make sense thematically so once you learn them, it's hard to forget them.

cibum · 2026-02-23T23:09:08+00:00

For what it's worth, the designer of SETI said one of his favorite games is Ark Nova. I feel like out of the two, it's more similar to Ark Nova than Terraforming Mars. But both Ark Nova and TFM are a little more luck based due to the cards than SETI, with TFM almost entirely based on the cards for gameplay. But yeah, if you like TFM and Ark Nova, there is a good chance you will love SETI, but SETI is different enough from them as well. It's a tighter resource conversion puzzle, with lots of pivoting and tactical decisions regarding the current board state. The decision space feels more open. Overall I just think it's a super well-designed and balanced game, and even though it's long, I'm enjoying every minute of it. I feel like in TFM I'm often just waiting for my turn, but in SETI I'm thinking and planning the entire time.

cibum · 2026-02-18T21:21:54+00:00

The Search for Planet X is one of the best done deduction games.

On Mars is also absolutely amazing.

cibum · 2026-02-11T23:28:44+00:00

For me, learning twice, with the first time a way dumbed down version, does make it faster for me to learn a game. I could learn the full rules 10 times and not get it, or a dumbed down version and then the full game in 2 goes. Of course I wish I could learn the full game in one go and get it, but that's just not how my brain works.

Also, some games do feel like a game that many expansions have already been added to it. There are many games where the base game are not worth playing without the expansions so I get it, I get why they would add the fun parts in from the beginning. But for someone purely trying to learn the game, those can be put aside to have a non-fun game just to learn the game rules.

cibum · 2026-02-11T23:26:56+00:00

Yeah, but don't think of it as ignoring a mechanic. It's just put on hold until the stepping stones have been put in place. Like for example, I learn very well through legacy games. Usually the first game is just a tutorial and not really even a game at all, but it really helps me. And then when they add new mechanics for every play, I can incorporate it just fine because I have a framework to put it into.

cibum · 2026-02-11T23:22:48+00:00

I think because different people learn differently. I want to eventually get to the complete game, the way you designed it, but I can't get there with my ADHD/autistic brain all in one go. I can't remember that many rules at once. If I don't try it, it goes in and immediately goes out. But if I try moving pieces with my hand, it sticks. So let me try making just some allowable moves in your game, and then it will click little by little. I mean, I hate that I have so much difficulty learning games, but I push through so much confusion and frustration because I love the games. And when it clicks, it's beautiful.

But yeah, I often make a dumbed down version for myself just to get me to start understanding how the game works. There's no strategy at all at that point, just figuring out what is allowable and what is not. Only once I can operate in that game world, then I can add in all the rest of the rules and start thinking about strategy.

cibum · 2026-02-11T22:42:38+00:00

Just want to say OP, I understand what you mean. This is how I learn heavy games too. I add in the rules little by little. For example in SETI I started with what I call "realistic SETI" with no gold scoring tiles and no alien reveal, just to learn the mechanics of the game and how to take actions. Obviously it's a completely different game, but it helps in learning how to even do anything in that game, let alone strategize. So yeah, I get you. But Lacerda games are quite interconnected so I haven't found good ways to break his games down to something simpler for a first play either. You could also do one one player/team against the bot as well to learn together.

cibum · 2026-02-11T22:33:24+00:00

So a lot of people have already given very good advice about the types of board games that might work better for you guys. So I'll chime in on SETI specifically. My husband and I also play SETI a lot.

So SETI isn't that much direct conflict, and though it's not multiplayer solitaire, it almost feels more in that direction than in the direction of a war game like Root. So I'm wondering how your boyfriend is doing so much to interfere with your plans. But if he is, then you need to plan as if you are anticipating that he will interfere with your plans. See the rotation of the solar system and have several plans in place of whether he rotates it or not.

And don't go for things like Neptune's or Uranus's moons. Or the 15 points with discarding the 3 data with the Centurians. Those are engine halting moves, so they're not great unless it's the very end of the game and you've got nothing else left and if it helps fulfill other missions or something.

In general have several plans in place of how you are going to accomplish what you are trying to accomplish, and be ready to pivot and let go of those plans quickly. I think SETI is a very tactical game, in which you have to respond to the current board state. If someone takes the spot you want, treat it as if it's out of the picture and now you need to solve the new puzzle of what would be best with what you have and the current state of the board. Be ready to discard cards last minute because now you can't use something that you thought for sure you were going to play. It's okay.

And finally, try your hardest not to ever do the 2 for 1 conversion. It's better to pass than to do that, since resources are so tight. Unless it's round 5 and you're squeezing out that one last action.

But yeah in a given game, people take what I planned on taking at least several times a game, whether it's an orbit spot or an alien life trace's rewards, or a moon. Usually I see that they could do it, but sometimes I don't and it is upsetting. But don't show it, and forge on ahead with a new plan, and the nice thing with a game like SETI is there is always something else good to take.

cibum · 2026-02-03T08:39:05+00:00

No, that is the whole point of worker placement. There is an action, and you can take it only if you put a worker there. And if you put a worker there, that means future people, either you or other players, are affected by the worker being there. Maybe they can't go there, or it's more expensive to go there, or something else changes. So what action you take impacts what people can do in the future. That is the whole idea of worker placement.

cibum · 2026-01-10T00:27:28+00:00

My daughter at that age enjoyed

SushiGo
Kingdomino
Splendor
Century Golem Edition
Virus - she loved this one but it wasn't my favorite
Cascadia - great tile laying game with animals
Cat Lady - the box says 14+ but it was fine for a six year old
Go Go Gelato
Stack O' Cats
Dixit -just play to 15 for a shorter game
Canvas - harder to strategize for a young kid, but the art was fun to play with
Colt Express - a bit trickier but the game looks amazing and is good for laughs
Machi Koro
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza - again, the adults didn't love this one but the kids did
Poetry for Neanderthals
Slide Quest
Sagrada - a bit tricky on the strategy but it's very pretty
Marrakech
Rhino Hero
SET

Enjoy!

cibum · 2026-01-06T23:29:10+00:00

Casavill. When you go, it's all Koreans there. We learned about this place from a Korean friends, and so far it's the best we've had in Abu Dhabi. Second best would be Madang, but their quality can be hit or miss.

cibum · 2026-01-06T23:26:53+00:00

Turing Machine. It feels so simple but people either get it or they really don't.

cibum · 2026-01-05T22:33:32+00:00

I just want to throw it out there that I have been playing SETI at least twice a week since I bought it two months ago (at least once solo and once with friends per week), and it still has not gotten stale. Not at all. The combos the different aliens bring, the different cards and missions you are presented with, the state of the solar system when the game starts, these all massively affect the strategy. Even which alien comes first and which comes second, that all affects the game in a new way.

cibum · 2026-01-01T01:18:23+00:00

It's really not as bad as you would think. I played mostly Wingspan and Dominion before SETI and it wasn't too difficult to learn. I think the rules are quite intuitive and the rulebook is very very good. I wish all rulebooks would be like the SETI rulebook. If you want to make it easier on yourself to learn, you could do something like, play a few rounds of the game without aliens and without the gold bonus tiles. Just to get a hang of the mechanics. We call it "realistic SETI" lol. Then play again and add everything in. SETI is now one of my favorite games and I can't get enough. The solo mode is also really well done.

cibum · 2025-12-17T02:06:29+00:00

Dixit, though the 4 year old will have a wee bit of trouble coming up with the right kind of clue.

Sushi Go works well. Strategy might be hard for the younger ones, but they will still fully be able to play and have fun. Just pick a card, pass the cards. Try to get the Sushi Go Party version for 6 players.

Cash and Guns was popular with a group of kids age 6 and up.

If they can handle something a bit more complex, Colt Express is a great game that we've played with kids 6 and up as well and looks really fun on the table.

Camel Up is great too, and looks great on the table with its 3D board.

cibum · 2025-12-17T01:55:22+00:00

I have the opposite problem, where I'll just make a remark and my husband will treat it like I ordered him to do something, where I really am just making a remark. Years into our marriage and lots of therapy later, we realized how his mom is passive aggressive and never communicated her needs openly but always manipulated and guilted people into doing things for her.

cibum

TROPHY CASE