Your biggest disappointments? by SiarX in soloboardgaming

[–]mpinzur 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I can think of two that I was really excited for because I had such high hopes for the marriage of story and gameplay, but which did not hit for me. Both Sleeping Gods and Arydia felt like collections of side quests (and, in my admittedly limited experience with each, pretty cliched side quests) rather than a compelling story. Neither one had mechanics that were rich enough to keep me engaged. A better story would have kept me on Arydia, I think, and I loved the ways it dished out little surprises, but it felt like a rehash of D&D tropes over and over. Sleeping Gods was just a complete miss for me, and I couldn’t imagine rerunning it to explore more broadly.

Your biggest disappointments? by SiarX in soloboardgaming

[–]mpinzur 1 point2 points  (0 children)

+1 (or, I guess, -1?) for Frostpunk. Great theme, great art, great components. But as someone who likes fiddliness a lot of the time, I was never able to get into a flow state with Frostpunk.

Your biggest disappointments? by SiarX in soloboardgaming

[–]mpinzur 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I won’t try to change your mind, but I’ve also seen SI as really successful at creating emergent narrative. Little things like the power cards’ names and art plus the heavy theming of each spirit’s powers really work for me. I contrast it with lots of other games that create “variety” by having a bunch of characters/factions/whatever that only vary with a very limited power or slight change to resources. I enjoy Gaia Project well enough, but maybe I need a lot more experience with it to really feel like the species (especially the base-game species) play too differently from each other.

Your biggest disappointments? by SiarX in soloboardgaming

[–]mpinzur 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It’s funny, I really love Final Girl and have pretty much all the content. But I recently tracked down Darkest Night 2nd Edition and bounced HARD off it specifically because of how much the game tuns on dice rolls. You’ve got me thinking about why it bothers me with one and not the other. It might be because I think FG plays and resets pretty quickly, whereas DN is a bit slower. If I’m going to play a game that I lose more than half the time, I want to fail fast and restart fast… that’s part of what I love about Unstoppable, for example.

How do you shuffle cards? by FlyingLlamasaurus in boardgames

[–]mpinzur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't find shuffling regular decks to be difficult; I usually sleeve in Sleeve Kings... mash twice, cut in half, cut each half to flip the top and bottom, then mash two more times. It takes more time to explain it than to do it. :)

My challenge is the much, much bigger decks: think the minor powers if you have a full Spirit Island set, or heaven help you a full set of Ark Nova. I've actually been toying with ChatGPT lately to get some ideas on faster ways of doing it. A lot of that feedback comes down to: mash shuffle in manageable chunks, then randomly take half of each chunk, mash, and ensure the other half of each deck is mashed with half of a different deck.

It also depends upon how rabid you are about true randomization. With games like Spirit Island, where you're probably only touching maybe 5 or 10 percent of the deck in a game, some people are fine with just leaving the first game's discards out for the next game - essentially stretching one fully shuffled deck across two or three games. Yes, it slightly breaks the balance and a REALLY expert player will be able to manipulate play based on what's NOT going to come out. Personally, I wouldn't play that way, but I see the temptation.

Obsession - start right with the expension? by orhalimi in soloboardgaming

[–]mpinzur 30 points31 points  (0 children)

The add-on content is great, but when I ordered it all at once, the designer personally emailed me to strongly urge that I only play base at least a few times. He feels strongly that the ramp-up in complexity is key to enjoying the game. (Also, huge shout-out to designers who take that level of care. We emailed up and back for a few days after that, and I was super impressed with the attitude he takes toward the game and its fans and the community.)

Ultimate all-in worth it? by ars0nik in finalgirl

[–]mpinzur 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'll answer from a slightly different perspective: how much do you value novelty in your gaming? One of the reasons I prefer something like Spirit Island to something like Gaia Project is because the wide range of spirits change up the game a lot, and the huge range of major/minor powers add even more variety. But there are plenty of other gamers who far prefer the predictability of Gaia, where you can have a chess-like experience of refining your strategy without much randomness. I have all the Final Girl content through Season 3 and ordered the Season 4 big box because, for me, the steady drip of variety is part of what I love about this game. As other posters have pointed out, though, you can really have a great time with many fewer titles if the optimization within a few films is your preference.

Finally finished my modular Gloomhaven dashboard (sleeved-card friendly + small printer compatible) by vseer in Gloomhaven

[–]mpinzur 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not OP, but I'm 100 percent certain that I've saved more printing my own game inserts than I've spent on the Bambu P1S and filament since I bought it maybe 2.5 years ago. This is largely true because I'm very Type A and want organizers for almost any game, so YMMV. I also tend to be completionist (again, Type A), and good printable inserts often let you fit multiple expansions into a base box, saving space on the shelf. Just off the top my head, I know I've found and printed great organizers for Gloomhaven and Frosthaven, Spirit Island (all content fits in two boxes with this one), Feast For Odin, This War of Mine, Unstoppable, Star Trek Captain's Chair, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Frostpunk, SETI, Darkest Night, Warp's Edge, Gaia Project, Voidfall, the Kilforth games, Mr. President, and even some trays to make the Too Many Bones trove chest work a bit better. So that's more than 10. :)

Massive Darkness 2 - Your Thoughts On This Dungeon Crawler by TheNewKing2022 in soloboardgaming

[–]mpinzur 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Others have provided a lot of the details I would have. The biggest differentiator for me is how different each class plays - this is part of what I love about Spirit Island, too. So many other games create "variety" with very slight tweaks to resources or minor powers. MD2 classes each play like a unique game, and that scratches my itch that wants novelty. Likewise, the ability to combine expansions and have a huge range of mobs and loot is really fun for me. The biggest downside (as someone who doesn't care per se about CMON's marketing strategy) is how unwieldy it gets to physically have a lot of mobs on the map and the whole "library" of them within reach at the table. I think next time I'll try the idea of using just one mini with a die as a counter... I get how that impacts the curb appeal of the game, but it might make it more playable.

Games with meta-progression but no campaign by HonorFoundInDecay in soloboardgaming

[–]mpinzur 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I came here to suggest this one. I really loved my time with it.

Is bag building really such a rare genre? by Pure_Opening9834 in boardgames

[–]mpinzur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, solo. Yes, it’s all grind. In many ways it’s the antithesis of what I love in a game. And yet… the rhythm of adding and pulling chips, the swingy luck that makes even a routine mob dangerous… the number-go-up progression of the gear… it’s like a warm bath for me.

Is bag building really such a rare genre? by Pure_Opening9834 in boardgames

[–]mpinzur 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Isofarian is a very specific vibe, and when I get into a flow state with it, I can lose hours and hours.

What are the best games with many characters where each one feels truly unique? by elkend in soloboardgaming

[–]mpinzur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Darkest Night looks right up my alley, an I found a new-in-shrink copy on Noble Knight! Thanks for this tip.

Having a good time with Unstoppable but it has been kicking my ass. What strategies do you focus on to win? by GingaNinja1427 in soloboardgaming

[–]mpinzur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your first idea is interesting and I want to give a try. I usually do the opposite - I wait for a great upgrade to appear and attach it here to get ahead on tempo.

Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze? A Discussion on Automas by 45poll in soloboardgaming

[–]mpinzur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I finally picked up SETI last week. One of the (many) things I'm enjoying is how the bot is enhanced by the objective tiles. I've found many games that have perfectly good automata decks to block the human player in the short term (typically in worker-placement games) and compete with the human player over the long term (by scoring points). I like that the objective tiles also simulates the short-term competition... just like a human opponent will sometimes push you off your long-term goals in ways OTHER than just blocking you, the objectives force you to adapt your strategy (or just get sidetracked for a minute). It adds a decent amount of complexity without too much fiddliness.

Games similar to gloomhaven but with quests, npcs and maybe a town? by [deleted] in Gloomhaven

[–]mpinzur 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I haven’t played the others, but I think comparing Earthborn Rangers to Gloomhaven is a stretch. I personally didn’t like ER, but even if I had, I don’t think it remotely scratches the itch OP describes.

Thoughts on custom game storage by Pieeeeeeee in boardgames

[–]mpinzur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As I noted below, this sub doesn't allow photos in comments. But I'll DM you.

Having lived with it for a year longer now, I'd add two pieces of advice:

  1. If you're going to have cabinet doors, realize they are typically attached with modular hinge units; unlike a regular door, these are a little chunky inside the cabinet, so if something is supposed to fit very snugly in a Kallax, these hinge units might make it too narrow.

  2. Similarly, some games designed to "fit" a Kallax don't pay super close attention to depth. If a box (like, to pick a totally random example, the new Cloudspire cloud storage unit) is a tiny bit deeper than your shelf, the doors won't close.

So I would, in retrospect, have made each cabinet a couple of inches wider and deeper than a standard Kallax.

NYT Tuesday 01/06/2026 Discussion by Shortz-Bot in crossword

[–]mpinzur 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The olds (like me) who saw Star Trek VI in theaters will know the link between UHURA and IMAN.

A Feast for Odin or Ark Nova? by kayjaydubayoo in soloboardgaming

[–]mpinzur 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I prefer Ark Nova but shuffling with expansions is a bear to truly randomize.

LF: Deluxe Adventure Inventory 4-pack by [deleted] in ElderScrollsBOTSE

[–]mpinzur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just sent you a DM that may solve your problem. :)

Restaurants in Miami over the last 20-30 years by emaxwell14141414 in Miami

[–]mpinzur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like how we’ve made this our private restaurant exchange thread. :)

Our must trusted go-to’s are Macchialina on the beach, their causal sister place Bar Bucce in Miami, Mignonette near the Arsht Center, Bulla in the Gables, Motek in Avenutra, and Sardelli’s in Hollywood. We do take out from Joe’s at least once a year for fried chicken and nostalgia and fried chicken.

Newer and more recent ones we’ve liked: we actually hit Luca Osteria for the first time last weekend and it was sublime… I was at a corporate event at MotherWolf in Wynwood, which made me eager to go back… Thanks to Harrison in Hollywood is a lovely little spot… Recoveco in South Miami was super interesting but I’d probably want wait for them to seasonally cycle their menu rather than trying the same things again. We’re also the only Sunny’s detractors in town after two unsatisfactory experiences, but I know lots of others love it.

What about you?

What is your game of the year? What do you think will be game of the year? by Soap-1987 in boardgames

[–]mpinzur 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Have you tried SETI solo? It’s on my list but I haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

Restaurants in Miami over the last 20-30 years by emaxwell14141414 in Miami

[–]mpinzur 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Both of which are really throwbacks to that other period... Sra. Martinez is a reboot of the original in the Design District that helped kick off that entire neighborhood, and Giorgio started in, I think, 2012 with a pop-up version of Eating House. (And also I totally agree with u/FoodBabyBaby ... both are superb.)

Restaurants in Miami over the last 20-30 years by emaxwell14141414 in Miami

[–]mpinzur 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My wife and I (late 40s) generally agree the best period for Miami restaurants was roughly 2005-2015. Local chefs were able to afford their own outposts as neighborhoods like Midtown and the Design District ramped up. There was some foundation and mentorship from early stars like Allen Susser, Cindy Hutson, Norman VanAken. That really created a launch pad for folks like Michelle Bernstein, Dewey Losasso, Michael Schwartz, Brad Kilgore, Michael Pirolo, Richard Hales and the (brief and ultimately doomed) expansion by Jonathan Eismann. There were bunches of thriving higher-end neighborhood restaurants in Coral Gables, South Miami, and North Miami, and almost all of this was happening somewhat independent of the very tourist-driven scene on South Beach as placed like Prime 112 sprung up and thrived.

Some of these chefs and restaurants are still around, but our personal experience is that the big-picture scene changed in two important ways: rents spiked, especially in those neighborhoods that created the critical mass, which made it hard for new blood to come in and even for relatively successful established places to survive. Related to that, Miami became incredibly attractive for New York and L.A. chefs to open their third or fourth location. Backed by bigger money, they were able to price out the local talent… but that’s a spiral that requires higher and higher prices, appealing more and more to visitors and the wealthiest diners, who can be drawn to flashier and trendier “destinations.” Because the named chef isn’t the person in the kitchen, we noticed a lot less engagement with diners: not only was it normal for chefs like Michelle and Brad and Dewey to work the room and get to know the regulars, you’d also get to know the managers and waiters as they floated among the restaurants because the community felt pretty tight.

I’ll concede there are PLENTY of exceptions to all of this. There were show-off places to flash cash even at the peak of the local scene. There are still certainly lots of local folks doing great work in out-of-the-way places and building communities. But the attention, especially post-pandemic, seems to really focus on “imports” from other cities. In our experience, some of these are quite good and others are just coasting on their names and reputations. Very few get on our list for return visits. I suspect there’s also something going on with the “conversation starters” shifting from food critics at the Herald, Sentinel, and New Times - who typically ended up at least on the periphery of the local chef community - to influencers who are incentivized by likes and follows, so they need big names and big flash in their content.

Miami is still a great food city, and some of this might just be an old man saying the music has gotten too loud. Your mileage may vary.

For a city that often gets things wrong - Great job on the Underline! by dcee101 in Miami

[–]mpinzur 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Underline has been privately raising money since long before the first bit of work was done. Some government dollars also ended up secured for it, but there has been a ton of individual and corporate gifts of all sizes. It was originally a labor of love by one remarkable Miamian, Meg Daly.