This is coming up for me right now as I am currently backing Agemonia, and I have a lot more games coming. How many campaign, story driven, potentially solo board games do I need? But to go with that, how many do you need of any type of game.

This also comes from DrGloryHoundd talking about the same thing when they, him and GloryHoundd, think about backing Kickstarter games. The question he asks quite often is when backing a game will it replace a like game on their shelf. They have their go to worker placement game(s). If the back another worker placement game, it needs to be better than the previous ones to stay on their shelf. But let’s get to the main question before we dive into some reasoning for adding or not.

How Many Board Games Do You Need Of Each Type?

This isn’t a number that anyone can really say. Now, that’s a cop out answer in some ways, but I think it comes down to the gamer. Lets say that someone only plays party games, they might want to have 20-30 different party games so they can have a big rotation. And that person only needs party games because they only play party games.

I, on the other hand, do not need that many party games. This is for two reasons, firstly, I don’t only play party games. I play all sorts of games and that means that I will buy and want a more diverse game collection. Secondly, since I don’t play only party games, that means that I don’t burn through the content on party games nearly as fast. So I don’t need all the content.

This is really true with how I game in basically any type of game. I don’t need a ton in any particular type because I play most types. That means that unless I really love a game, it’s going to take a longer time for me to fully explore it. But that’s getting beside the point, let’s talk about some of the reasons to or not to get some games.

Why Get More Or Not?

There are a number of reasons to get more in a type of game or not. Let’s start with the one thing to consider that I’ve already really touched on.

Is There A Spot on The Shelf Next To Other Similar Games?

This is the question that DrGloryHogg is always asking. And I think for a lot of types of games, this is something to strongly consider. Especially if you have a big game collection. My game collection is sitting at just over 400 with what I own for base games and expansions. That’s a lot of games, so I need to ask myself, if I get another deck building game will I play it over on Aeon’s End, Xenoshyft: Onslaught, Ascension, or Clank?

But not only if I’ll play it over them, but will it make it into the rotation. Does it do something that sets it apart so even if I keep and play all the others that I’d be playing this new deck building game? Which actually leads into the next question.

Does It Do Anything Different?

So you think that there might be a spot on the shelf for it. Not that it’d bump out a different game, but that it can get added. Why is that? Does the game just fit into that niche that you love so much, or, does it do something different?

I think when consider what game to buy if a game does something different or unique to what you’ve done before, that means that there might be room. If it’s just more the same type of game that you already have, then you have to ask will it replace the old favorites.

But let’s look at deck building again. Lost Ruins of Arnak has deck building in it. I bought it because Lost Ruins of Arnak is a worker placement and deck building game. I mention that I have Ascension, that’s just pure deck building, Clank is deck building and push your luck, Xenoshyft: Onslaught is deck building tower defense, and Aeon’s End is deck building, tower defense, and a boss battler.

Do You Need More Of Your Favorite Type Of Game?

I think one thing to consider is how much you like the type of game. I don’t need that many worker placement games in my collection. There’s a simple reason for that, I don’t pull them off the shelf because I don’t gravitate towards that type of game. I want a game with narrative and more high moments, in my opinion. Now, I don’t hate worker placement euro games, I am just never going to gravitate towards them. So I have a few that I like in my collection and it’d take something special, or the theme of beer, to get added to my collection.

On the flip side, I really love story driven and adventure games. That is why I am debating about Agemonia now. With games like 7th Continent, Midarra, Gloomhaven, Clank Legacy, Betrayal Legacy, Forgotten Waters, and more already in my collection, do I need another game with a lot of story? Add in the fact that I have Oathsworn, Frosthaven, ISS Vanguard, Etherfields, Isofarian Guard, and again even more, do I need another adventure game? This is really where I start considering differences as I mention above.

Can You Get It Later?

This one is fairly different but also an important consideration. Can you get the game later? This is something I talk about fairly often with crowdfunding games. And I won’t dive into all the details on it because, while, there are a lot and that is it’s own article. I talk about most of the points in my article on whether or not to late back a game which you can find here. But even for retail games it does matter.

Why, because over time games generally go down in price. I say generally because when a game gets extremely popular it can be more expensive on the second hand market. Everything for Battlestar Galactica costs $600+. Spire’s End was going for $150 for a $50 game. There are obviously exceptions but for most games you can get them water. So for a retail game, consider if you want/need to play it now. Or can you wait until you’ve played another game of it’s type enough times that you are done with it and then you replace it.

Final Thoughts

Like I said towards the beginning, there is no right number. But I think that it is something to be mindful about when purchasing a game. I keep on going back to how DrGloryHogg talks about it. Will it replace something already on my shelf. Because I might have room for more board games but how many do I have room for?

I think most hobby board gamers would be perfectly fine keeping every game we ever bought. Why, because there is an element of collecting that goes on as well. But we don’t, generally, have that room. And we don’t generally have that money. When I do a point of order/sale article it isn’t always because I’m 100% done with a game, it’s that I want to try something new.

How do you decide if you need to get another board game?

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