This, to me, is an interesting topic as I look back at what I like or don’t like as well about board games. Mainly, I think that my tastes have changed over the years. And this isn’t a bad thing, but it’s something many gamers forget. Maybe they weren’t steeped in the original late 90’s early 2000’s classic gateway games. But often times gamers are, but it is forgotten when they talk about those games. That type of game isn’t as good anymore, so what have people cooled on in their gaming tastes?

Again, this isn’t a bad thing, tastes change over time. What I like today doesn’t mean what I liked yesterday or five years ago in board games was bad. It’s an evolution and a journey. And remembering that is not a bad thing. So as I put together my list, I can think of positive experiences with all of them, it’s just now that I’ve cooled on them.

Top 5 Board Games I Cooled On

5. Munchkin

I don’t think this is one that would surprise a lot of people. This is one of those games that shows up often when you start playing board games. It’s a silly system of kicking open doors and hoping you have enough to fight a monster so you can level up. Or you might need to run away.

There are two things that dropped this on my list. The first being the length of the game. It might be over fast, but it might overstay it’s welcome, especially with a larger group of players. If I could guarantee it is a half hour filler for four people, I’d probably still own a copy.

The other thing is how the game ends. A normal, I feel like Munchkin game goes until two players, normally, reach that second to last level. The first player gets a monster that would get them to that last level. Everyone plays their good cards to stop them. Then the second player to kick down the door to win does so, and they get an easy monster and they win because people spent their cards. It’s kind of anticlimactic. It does keep the same shorter, but not that interestingly.

4. Catan

Catan is another classic that I think it’s in favor to say that it’s a bad game now. Or that it is kind of a kids game now. I don’t own it anymore, but I’d have no problem playing it. Why, because there is strategy and a bunch of luck to it.

My issue or why I cooled on Splendor is that I’ve played it dozens of times. I guess that with it being the first game I was introduced to as a modern board game, I probably have played it fifty times. That is a lot to play a game that generally plays out fairly similarly with no one wanting sheep.

Now, I want to say that there are expansions as well. Some of them make the game more interesting, some more complex, and some longer. But generally what they add hasn’t moved it back up on the list for me of games that I really enjoy.

3. Splendor

Splendor falls into the same camp as Catan. Less luck, but one that I played a ton of times. And as I play it, I never think that Splendor is going to end differently or that this game is going to be that different.

Splendor has two strategies. You buy small cards until everything expensive is cheaper and discounted enough so you can get them very fast. Or you save up and buy bigger cards for the points. Which is a better strategy, it at times comes down to which cards are flipped over on the next flip of the piles.

So there is a luck element to the game. But it is really that Splendor doesn’t offer enough exploration of the game for me, at this point. I play Splendor and nothing is different from game to game. Which is a common problem or a common reason for games to drop or get cooled on.

2. Dominion

Now, Dominion is one I know a ton of people still love. And this one, I understand why people still like it a lot. I understand why new sets sell like hot cakes. But, for me, Dominion lost it’s luster pretty quickly and dropped for me.

The big reason is the fixed market. I find that if one person knows Dominion strategy well, they pick the best or most optimal play and stick with it. Dominion is winnable at the start of the game, and then you play the whole game still.

I also find that I want to explore a game and it’s strategies. When I play Ascension, I adapt to what comes out. I need to play different strategies depending on the situation. In Dominion, the exploration is solving that one puzzle first. And if I play with people who like to explore it as well, we play suboptimal and enjoy. But one person who knows how to win at Dominion, it lessens or makes that experience not that fun.

1. Cards Against Humanity

Finally is Cards Against Humanity. I am 100% done with the game. While I might play Dominion and Splendor again, and I would play Munchkin and Catan again, I will not play Cards Against Humanity again. And I do think some of it is that my tastes have matured. Cards Against Humanity uses sophomoric and gross out humor in it’s game. That is not a game just to use those. And not every party game needs to add a NSFW expansion.

But that is not the main reason. The main reason is that when you play you see most of the cards. At least that is my finding. People play and go through the cards in a big group in a sitting or two. So now each time after no card is new to you. It is why the expansions are so successful for it. I know all the cards, the jokes, potty humor, whatever it is, aren’t as funny anymore. So people buy more cards and more cards in hopes it will still be good.

But the cycle is there. Once you start, the same thing happens over and over again. And I don’t want to spend money each time I play in hopes I get new cards that make me laugh. That is where I felt like Cards Against Humanity, and a lot of party games let me down. And it makes much more particular with the party games I buy.

Final Thoughts

I hope even with Cards Against Humanity, I laid out well why it doesn’t work for me. If that is a game you love, play it. My theory is play more games, even if they aren’t ones I like, still play them. And explore more games because it is fun.

I know my tastes have changed over time. And I know my tastes are even changing now. I love dungeon crawler and campaign games, that might never change. But even with those, I am becoming more particular about what I back and what I play. Why, because I own and play a lot of them. But I don’t have time to own and play them all.

What are some games that you have cooled on during your time as a gamer?

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