Miniature Market Orders

Yes, it is plural. Though two of them are closely tied together. And the latest one was because they had a very nice sale for the 4th of July week, or the week leading into it.

Massive Darkness and Expansions

This one you’ve already seen on the website because I did an unboxing of it on Malts and Meeples. You can checkout that video below. I didn’t get this one on Kickstarter but I was very interested in it. Any game with a campaign mode is going to interest me. Plus this is generally a pretty well rated game, even the original version. So it is one that has been on my radar for a little while. And I want everything for it, but I know I don’t need it. So I got two character expansions and then the core box and the campaign box because of course I want a campaign game.

Fireball Island: Wreck of the Crimson Cutlass and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Bees

This is part of the sale. I want to say that they were 33-50% off so a good amount. And this is just going to add in more content for Fireball Island. The Wreck of the Crimson Cutlass actually adds to the board this ship wreck area that is cool. And the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Bees is an expansion that adds a tiger that you launch as well as then a lot of bee marbles.

Once it is in, I am going to make it a priority to table Fireball Island. I think it’s going to be a fun one for a number of groups. Plus it looks great on the table and is a simple enough game for almost any group. That combination is always a good way to get a game played.

The Quacks of Quedlinburg: Herb Witches

I enjoy The Quacks of Quedlinburg a good amount, I think that the game play is simple and fun. And while you can plan, you are really just pushing your luck, which is fun. I do think that out of the box, since they want you to play specific combinations, it might end up being a bit limited. That is where the Herb Witches expansion comes in.

The Herb Witches is going to be an expansion that adds in two more ingredients, I believe, that you can use, plus more scoring combinations. And while the new ingredients will change up the game play. I don’t know how much I really need more of those. But more ways to score is interesting to me.

All Systems Go

All Systems Go, as a reminder, is my preferred FLGS (Friendly Local Game Store) though not the only one that I go to, as you’ll see. But I currently have had a bunch of store credit there, so it is a good spot to get some games.

Pathfinder Adventure Card Game

You know that I am playing the 2nd edition over on Malts and Meeples. But while I am getting into that, I bought up the first edition stuff. Someone had traded in the Mummy core box and the Wrath core box, including the Wrath with all the story expansions for it. So I grabbed that to go along with my Skulls and Shackles core box. Now I have basically all of the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game that is out there. There is a 2nd Edition expansion that I kind of want to get.

Ra

Ra is a game that flirts with my Top 100 often. Why, because it’s such a simple game but with a good auctioning mechanic. I really like how there is a closed market and a loop to it. I bid, I win the bid, I get the bid token in the middle, mine goes into the middle. So if I bid with the 16, I think that’s the highest, now the next person to win a big will end up with a 16 to use the next round. It’s clever and it works well.

Zoo-ography

This is one that I don’t know too much about. It plays from 1-4 players and 15 minutes per player. So the game is going to be on the lighter end of things. But it looks like it comes with a lot of cool animal meeples, always a good thing. And it is a drafting game. I really enjoy drafting, see games like Draftosaurus, Sushi Go! Party, or drafting in Blood Rage. So this one with a lot of cute components really interested me.

New York Zoo

And sticking to the zoo theme and animal meeples, we have New York Zoo. This is a polyominal game where you are getting tiles to put into your zoo. Then getting animals and breeding more animals until you get enough to put in attractions. It seems like a pretty straightforward game like Zoo-ography, but one that will also get played. Plus much like drafting, I enjoy tile placement, and New York Zoo seems like a fun theme for that mechanic.

Target

So, every July, at some point in the month, Target rolls out some Target exclusive games. Most notably in that was Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion a few years ago and then Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition last year. I don’t know when that is happening this year or what the games are. But I do know that they often do clearance on games right before. So I picked up one new, and one clearance.

My Hero Academia: Plus Ultra!

I don’t actually know anything about this game. My Hero Academia is an anime that I enjoy but I struggle to watch consistently. Mainly the main character gets way to emotional way to often. But when they have action sequences it is good. Plus there is a really good story with it. I don’t know if this board game is going to be good. It looks like it just came out, but I figured I’d give it a whirl just for the theme.

Summer Camp

And from the clearance side of things there is Summer Camp. This is a deck building game about Summer Camp, oddly enough. You are trying to go up on three different tracks. From what I know of this game, it is a pretty light game but I figured I’d give it a go. Plus it was 50% off, so the price wasn’t bad at all.

The Source

This is the other local game store. But really it’s games, comics, manga, nerdy things store. And I mainly go there to pick up manga, which I’ll be writing sometime soon about the ones that I’m reading.

Dungeon Party: Starter Pack

This is a dungeon questing, monster fighting board game where you are bouncing a quarter onto a coaster. It is purely silly but I am down for that. I might even work it into my Thursday D&D game. Make that be part of what we are doing for fighting a monster this week. Bring the characters to another dimension or something like that. I haven’t worked it all out.

But this is a game that I want to own just for the goofy nature. You probably know by now that I like my dexterity games. And I’d love to find an evening to just have some beers and play this game coming up here. I think it’ll provide a lot of laughs and a good time.

Half Priced Books

HPB is a book store mainly for used books. I’ve picked up some fun series there. And they have a game section. That is where I’ve gotten games like Tannhauser before. This time only one game caught my eye.

Periodic

This is going to be a game about the Periodic table. I know of someone who might like the game better, they have Genotype as well from Genius Games. I’ve heard good things about Periodic, so when was used there, I figured that I’d grab it. I’m not sure it’s a game for me, but we’ll see. And like I said, I think I know someone who would like the game if it isn’t for me.

eBay

Stars of Akarios

I blame the GloryHoundd discord server for this. You can join me on that discord server here. But one of their members found it on eBay with a listing that had a number of the game as a slightly better price than going through the store.

But Stars of Akarios is going to be a game of fighting and exploring on the fringes of space. But it hits so many of the words that I look for in a game. This is a narrative-driven, cooperative, campaign game that can be plays solo. I don’t know why I missed this one on Kickstarter, but I’m glad to have grabbed it now.

Amazon

Yup, Amazon has gotten a little love too. Mainly I’ll toss on a cheap game from time to time. Or sometimes Amazon is the only spot I can find something.

Skull and Shackles Expansions

This is again more Pathfinder Adventure Card game stuff. The story expansions and I think two character expansions for Skulls and Shackles. The name might not imply it, but this is the pirate base game for Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. And that is a theme that I really like. So I am curious to see how they will make that game and story work. I always want to run a pirate D&D campaign, maybe this will inspire me.

Crowdfunding

Marvel Dice Throne

This is one that came in. And it’s already gotten to the table 3 times. The downside of it being 3 times is that I still have two characters I need to play. Black Panther and Captain Marvel are waiting for their shot in the sun. I’ll have a whole lot more on this probably around the end of the week.

Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread

This is one that I just late pledged. My curiosity for the game got the better of me. I again, am a sucker for a cooperative, solo playable, narrative-driven campaign game. And Arydia promises that for me, plus some cool minis that you can customize.

Overall, this is just one of those big box games that I’m going to have to start playing as a campaign. I really want to figure out some game to play as a campaign on my own, not stream. Or maybe one that my wife is interested in, and do that once a week just for a little time. I have half of the gaming table that should be free to play on a lot of the time.

Aeon’s End: Past and Future

More Aeon’s End, I am of course going to back this. It is an interesting project though, and it is available for late pledge. But Aeon’s End Past and Future is not a big box expansion like they normally do. Normally it is the next part of the story that they are going through. This actually goes back to the past and looks to the future and you need specific sets already to be able to play it. Of course it’s mainly just more content, so I am down for that.

Deathly Thrones

Deathly Thrones is the only print and play game on the list. This one is interesting, though because it’s not a roll and write game. It’s a solo print and play roguelike game where you use a deck of cards. I didn’t look into it too much, again it is one that was shared to me via the GloryHoundd Discord server. But I think it looks really interesting and unique. If it can pull off a fun game, I could see having this a smaller sized game to pull out and play.

GameNerdz

I said it was a big list and a lot of it is that it has been a while since I’ve done one of these. I don’t believe that I’ve written about this one.

Vampire the Masquerade – Chapters

This is another one of those games where I wish that I’d backed it on Kickstarter. The Kickstarter hasn’t even fulfilled yet and the regret got me, especially since I found it too late to late pledge. Or found it again too late to late pledge. This is going to be another one of those big story driven cooperative solo campaign games set in the world of Vampire the Masquerade.

What intrigues me so much about this one is that it has story and the story from Vampire the Masquerade where it isn’t just vampires chomping necks and sucking blood. But there’s this whole code of what you do. And then you get down to a tactical level map where you can interactions with people and battles that happen which is really interesting. I like that variety in what it does.

GameZenter

Another LGS (local game store) to go along with All Systems Go and The Source. All of them are very nice, I am lucky to have so many around me. And I like to buy something every time I go somewhere and play. And the GameZenter is my favorite spot to play out of the two that you can play at, GameZenter and The Source.

Spirit Island

Spirit Island is a game that I should have played sooner. And in all fairness I have yet to play it now. But it is a cooperative or solo game that has great puzzle elements to it. And it’s complex enough in what your spirit is doing to fight off the colonizers that are coming to the island. So I really want to give it a go and see how it plays. I suspect it’s going to be a game that is bigger that I really like to play solo or at two players.

Final Thoughts

That’s it, I think, that I haven’t talked about. It’s been a busy time getting in games, or getting them in soon. I need to start playing them. But I am close, still to that 100 game total which I wanted to get under for unplayed games. Granted, that number will go up a bit again soon with a few more big box games coming in. I know that Oathsworn is getting close, so I’m sure I’ll write about that in the next Point of Order.

And then other Kickstarters and Gamefound games are starting to get produced. There is a production copy that was unboxed for ISS Vanguard, so I expect that to show up October or November. And Grove is getting close as well as Tiny Turbo Cars. And I think even Spire’s End Hildegard just locked in it’s shipping addresses, though I might be off on that one. Oh, and Chronicles of Drunagor. So expect another big one coming, likely post GenCon.

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February Board Gaming

Sleeping Gods: 3 Plays

Lots of Sleeping Gods plays, and one of five with three plays. If you want to know what the game is about, I play it weekly on Malts and Meeples YouTube channel. Still enjoying the story, and I wonder how it’s going to end for me, I’m guessing I’ll wrap it up this month.

Tainted Grail: 3 Plays

Tainted Grail is another consistent one on the list. The game is a ton of fun, and the Last Knight campaign feels different than the Fall of Avalon. It’ll be on the list for a while, we still have another one after that to play through.

Squire’s End: 3 Plays

So, I just wrote about Spire’s End. You can read that here. But this is a good solo game, one that I’m going to stream once I’m done with Sleeping Gods. The game play is simple, and the story is good, but combined together, it makes an experience that feels very unique. And I like the mechanics with resting, and how you use health to determine what attack you do.

Project L: 3 Plays

Another one that I wrote about, Project L is a Tetris like game. But it’s also an engine building game. You pick cards and then use little pieces to fill in shapes on them. When you fill in a shape then you get those pieces used back and a new shape that gives you. You eventually want to start getting points, but how can you optimize your turns and actions.

Super Mega Lucky Box: 3 Plays

Another one that I’ve played before, 12 plays in January. I can see Super Mega Lucky Box being like Ganz Schon Clever last year where I’ll play it most months. Super straight forward roll and write game but in a good way.

The Quacks of Quedlinburg: 2 Plays

I held off on playing The Quacks of Quedlinburg for a long time and even getting it. But I wish I had done so sooner because The Quacks of Quedlinburg is a fun game. It’s a good push your luck game and bag building game. Which I can see playing this one with a lot of different people.

I think with the set-up of everything and the variability in that, the game, just the base game, is going to have a lot of replayability. And the ease of play, it definitely makes it more accessible to a lot of different gaming groups.

Fleet: The Dice Game: 2 Plays

Another one that I talked about recently, honestly, shouldn’t be a surprise, there were a number of games games. Fleet: The Dice Game is a big roll and write game. I think that it is solid, I’m not sure if it’s amazing. Not because I wouldn’t play it again or it won’t make the Top 100 for me when I do that later this year. But Fleet: The Dice Game is a lot to learn, so I can mainly see it being a solo game for me.

The Fox in the Forest Duet: 2 Plays

The Fox in the Forest Duet is a two player cooperative trick taking game. And I figured I’d like it, but I wasn’t sure how much I’d like it. Trick taking is generally something that works well for me. The cooperative nature is something else that is interesting. I think the push and pull of trying to get the fox to land where you need it to is a lot of fun.

Imperial Settlers: Roll and Write: 2 Plays

Most disappointing game of the month, Imperial Settlers: Roll and Write is an okay roll and write. Mainly, it doesn’t feel like it gives you interesting choices. Even something like Yahtzee offers more choices because you can push your luck. Imperial Settlers: Roll and Write doesn’t give you that, so most, if not all the options are obvious.

Skull: 2 Plays

Skull is another push your luck game, between this and Quacks it’s something I played a fair amount. Skull basically has you bluffing to try and get people to flip over roses and not hit a skull. But then you also read what other people are doing and try and guess what you can flip without getting a skull. That’s very basic for what it is, but a good simple push your luck game.

Floriferous: 2 Plays

Floriferous is what I’d call a relaxing game. The decision space is limited but not too limited. It feels like you do the right amount each turn. And I really like how turn order is determined. If you take something lower in a column, that means you’ll be going later. So there’s a decision that’s good, do you pick something high because you need a certain card in the next column and take a less ideal flower this turn. It falls into a nice and pretty style of game that is becoming more common.

Quoridor: 2 Plays

Good abstract game with nice pieces. I think that Quoridor works well with a lot of people, though, if everyone rushes across the board, it makes the game really odd. But, I think it works better when people meet in the middle and start blocking routes early. The game also falls apart a bit when someone is close to winning and you skip blocking them so the person before they needs to. Everyone can dictate who needs to block.

Aldarra: 1 Play

I got to play this one for the Kickstarter, you can see the play down below. And the play of another game as well. Aldarra launched and will be coming back, but I have to say, it is a fun game. It’ll feel different when it comes back at a smaller size, but that will make it cheaper which is good. It’s a nice area control game with a tight board, so you fight a lot. And you get knocked off the board, kind of, and then rebuild again. I like that Small World like feel to it.

Roll Player Adventures: 1 Play

I got to start Roll Player Adventures this month and I’m so excited. I had a chance to play this as a prototype at GenCon, as I always mention. And the game is a ton of fun, and that was my best gaming experience there. To now have it in my hands and for the expansion stuff as well, I’m so excited to play this. It takes choose your own adventure and then adds in some cool dice combat. The game isn’t that difficult, but the choices are really good.

Rogue Angels: Legacy of the Burning Sun: 1 Play

Another one that was on Kickstarter, and I was supposed to do a live stream while it was on Kickstarter. Rogue Angels launched the same time as Marvel Zombies and Final Girl Season 2 were finishing up. So it got lost in the shuffle. It is coming back. And I still played, and streamed it with the creator. Great game, I love the story and the differences in the scenarios. It does with the scenarios, something I think Frotsthaven is going to fix from Gloomhaven, where it isn’t so much just kill everyone.

Final Girl: 1 Play

When my local game store, All Systems Go, took in a trade of Final Girl, I was so excited. This is a game that I looked at on Kickstarter, but ultimately passed on. The backers started to receive their copies and people loved it. When it made it to my FLGS, I called immediately and had them set it aside for me, and I’m glad I did. I played once thus far, as you can see, but it is amazing. I love the theme so much.

No Thanks!: 1 Play

I enjoy No Thanks! a lot. Mainly because it is another one of those simple games where you don’t have a lot of decisions to make. But the decisions you do make, mainly take a card or pass on it, it matters a lot. I won’t say much more, it is one I’ve played and talked about before, but if you want a simple but difficult game, No Thanks is really interesting.

Year Totals

So, 34 plays in February, taking that with January’s 50 plays, I’m now at 84 (well, 86 counting two thus far in March). So it’s very strong in terms of a start and I hope I can end around 500 plays for the year, or maybe even higher.

And for the secondary goal of getting through a lot of my unplayed games, 9 of my plays were games on that list. Well, kind of, I don’t know that Project L was on the list, because I didn’t have it in yet. And Final Girl got picked up in February, so it wasn’t on the list. Still, the list is getting shorter, I do believe. And I actually knocked out another one last night.

Which is the most exciting game for you, or one that you’d want to play from my February list?

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Cooperative Games Rankings

So just be aware I’m going to talk less about these games because there are a grand total of 52 that I ranked. Expect a sentence or two on each one of them.

52. FUSE

Fast paced game of rolling dice and then using them to try and complete enough cards to diffuse the bomb. I don’t love games that are only real time, and FUSE is only real time. It plays fast, but the game isn’t that interesting the more you play it.

51. Magic Maze

Another real time game, this time taking adventurers through a shopping mall. This one is more interesting because you need to work together more. But it’s going really fast without talking and sometimes it works and other times it doesn’t.

50. Forbidden Island

This one is a great introduction to cooperative gaming and gaming in general. It follows the standard, do something and then something bad happens. My issue is that the game is too easy and generally just an okay game.

49. Arkham Horror: Final Hour

Now, on the flip side of Forbidden Island, this game is hard as you try and guess some ruins to be able to stop ritual from happening. It basically takes Arkham Horror and tries to make it shorter. It succeeds on that, but it also just isn’t interesting. The couple clever things it tries to do are just misses.

48. God of War: The Card Game

And another game that was too easy when I played it. I wonder about playing a whole game if that would make it more challenging, but what I played was fairly boring. I also feel like the decisions weren’t that interesting in the game. Most of the time it was do the obvious thing.

47. Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game

I talked about this yesterday. It’s a fine deck building game. It is just too slow to get to the table and too slow to get to feeling powerful. If they were to come out with a second edition and make the game play ramp up faster, I’d probably like it a lot. But right now, the ramp is just too slow.

46. Forbidden Desert

I like this a fair amount better than Forbidden Island, it offers more to do and a more clever mechanism of figuring out where to get things. It follows that Pandemic formula for things of do good things and then bad things happen. Played it a few times, enjoyed it, and have moved on.

45. The Mind

This one is an interesting one. You try and play cards down in numerical order without talking. The concept is cool, and the game works, but only sometimes. This is one where it really depends on who is in the group. And I had some good times with it but moved on again.

44. Sword Art Online Board Game: Sword of Fellow

I need to try this one again, it’s been a little while. The concept isn’t bad, you are basically playing the boss battles from Sword Art Online the show, and it has the main characters. The downside is that the rules aren’t that great, and it’s pretty simple and lucky. That said, it is tiny, so I don’t mind luck as much.

43. Exit Games

Exit Games are fun, but any escape room game is always hard to rank. I’ve played less Exit Games, and I don’t love that you can’t pass it on. Granted, I did see it kind of work with them at Fantasy Flight Game Center (now GameZenter), but I don’t want to buy something I need to then replace.

42. Flash Point: Fire Rescue

This is basically Pandemic but with fires. You haven’t seen Pandemic yet on the list so you know it’s higher. I think that Flash Point: Fire Rescue might end up being one that I get. And that’s because it might replace base Pandemic for me, but we’ll talk about why later. Very standard cooperative game.

41. Legendary Encounters: A Firefly Deck Building Game

On yesterday’s list, it is one that I like the theme of. Firefly was a great show, and the game is playing through the episodes. The game isn’t that easy and the artwork is just okay. Again, the ramp speed doesn’t seem right for the type of game it is, but it’s better than Marvel Legendary.

40. Stuffed Fables

This is one that I had a good time when I played it, but ended up being one that I never wanted to come back to. The game has a cool story about a kid who has a blanket, I believe, stolen, and you play as animals going under the bed with all the broken toys to get it back for her. But the mechanics were not that well taught and things that changed up on each different storybook page were worse taught.

39. Legacy of Dragonholt

Another one that was in my collection and left. When I heard about an RPG in a box, I thought it was going to be great. And in all fairness, it is a fun game with a lot of story in the box. But the story and writing was just okay. The best I can compare it is that it was written like a YA novel, but not one of the great ones. I think the system was very good, but I wanted writing.

38. Marvel Battleworld

This is dumb little game. I know it shouldn’t be this high on my list, though we’re not even half way yet. It is just a game where you roll a die and advance a track. The fun of the game is buying blind packs and getting little Funko figures. So I have it this high because it’s a fun toy with a little game attached to it.

37. Ghostbusters: The Board Game

We’re still in the area of games that are just okay, but we’re soon to games that are still in my collection. I loved the minis in the game, and the translucent ones look cool. But the game play was just okay. While there were different scenarios, they weren’t bad, but it wasn’t all that interesting. I just wished there was more.

36. Elder Sign

Another one that left my collection, some of that was just because I had only the base game. I have heard that the expansions help improve the game, and add more to the story of what you are doing. The base game is basically a Yahtzee type game, and I wish that it played a little bit faster for what it is.

35. Legends of Andor

Story driven puzzle game, Legends of Andor is good. The reason that it left my collection is that I never wanted to just sit down and play through all of it. So when I did want to play it, I’d play through the introductory scenario again and I did that a few times. But I like the story and the mechanics are pretty cool.

34. Sword & Sorcery

I played this one a lot, I got through the base game and one expansion. And I do like this game. Once I played that, though, I got rid of it. Even though I had more characters to play with, I wasn’t interested in going back through. The story doesn’t branch enough for that. And I wish that you could retire characters like in Gloomhaven.

33. Castle Panic

I almost culled this game, and I might, the board is a bit dinged so the FLGS didn’t take it. But the game is still playable. We’re not here to talk about that, though. The game is fun, and it’s a very light tower defense game. I like that I can play it with almost anyone, and while you rarely lose, it feels like you might. If I don’t lose a cooperative game fairly often, though, I will move on from it.

32. Choose Your Own Adventure: House of Danger

This is a fun silly little game. I would say that it’s pretty much a solo game. Because you all play as one character and basically just do a choose your own adventure. You can make decisions as a group and pass around who is reading and rolling a die, but that’s how it’s cooperative. It is fun for that, though, because it’s so silly that everyone is laughing together.

31. Mysterium

Mysterium bounces all over for me. I think it was in my Top 100 games this past year and now with this ranking it wouldn’t be. If and when I play it again, it likely will move up. This is about figuring out who the murderer is. And there are rules about how that all works, but really it’s about giving clues as a ghost to everyone so they can figure theirs out. It’s cool concept that can get in it’s way with how it tries to be a game.

30. Unlock Games

The better escape room style board game. Unlock Games you don’t destroy anything, unless in a fit of rage. And I like how it counts down building up pressure versus Exit which is just see how long it takes you. And there are a lot of these with a lot of different themes. I want to play more, but it’s kind of a lot of a game night and works better with 3-4 people not 6.

29. Arkham Horror

This is the 2nd Edition, I haven’t played my 3rd Edition yet, but I need to. This is a grand epic game that takes forever to play. But it is a lot of fun. I felt like when I’ve played it that I get into what is going on in the game. The story is light, but the longer you play, the more story develops just from what you are doing.

28. Dead Men Tell No Tales

I like pirates, so that helps this game. And the supernatural twist on it is good. It again falls into that category of do some things and then bad things happen. What ended up causing this one to leave my collection is that it is that bit more. There are so many things to keep track of and the game isn’t as familiar, I didn’t pull it out over Pandemic.

27. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle

Another deck builder on the list, and one that I just got rid of as well. Why, because I own a lot of deck building games. This one I like the theme of it, and the mechanics are fun. The game gets a bit longer as you go, and I wish there were more characters in the base box. It’d be one I’d gladly get back when I have a group to play it.

26. Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle-Earth

It’s odd how many leave my collection, and this is another. And I actually just realized that I forgot to rank Star Wars: Imperial Assault which also just left. So this counts for both. They are great games, The apps work really well, and you can pick your preferred theme. These are campaign games with a nice sense of adventure, but because they are campaign games, that’s why they left.

25. First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet

This one is still in my collection, huzzah. And it’s probably surprising because when it came out people didn’t love it. But I really enjoy this game. It is a tough cooperative game where you can play all sorts of one off missions with different focuses. Or you can do a mini campaign. And it has an app, not a great one, to handle a lot of the bad things that happen, which I like.

24. Pathfinder Adventure Card Game

I really should buy a copy of this game. I played a few times at Fantasy Flight Game Center and really liked it. But never picked it up, and then played a bunch on the app. There is story, campaign, deck construction, and a lot of cool card play. I prefer the game that this is based off of, but I’d gladly have both in my collection.

23. The Lord of the Rings

While some might argue this game is fairly abstract, where you are pushing up on tracks as you go through the story of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I really enjoy this game. It is a very hard cooperative game, but it gives you rewards at just the right time. It’s one I haven’t played in ages, but now that I’m thinking about it, I want to play it again.

22. Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game

My favorite book series in a board game. When talking about this one, I always want to to point out that it is abstracted. And while the theme is there, it is mainly there if you know the books. I love picking out one of the books to play and then characters from that book and trying to beat the game. I like it best, I think at two, though three isn’t bad either.

21. Just One

Party game on the list, Just One is a great game. And I really like that we are getting a number of cooperative party games. Here one person is trying to guess a word, and everyone else gives them a one word clue. But any duplicate words cancel. Simple game, clever idea, don’t need to play for points, and always a blast.

20. Cross Clues

Another party game, I told you there are a few, Cross Clues I like just a little bit better. Though, last time I played it I was so tired that I messed up a few times. Here you are giving a one word clue to get people to guess the intersection of two words. So it might be day and octopus, what word is between those two? Eight might be a good option. Simple and a lot of fun again. You can play real time, 5 minutes, see how well you do, we never do that.

19. Pandemic

Here are all the Pandemic games. And I have to say, I don’t know that I need to play base Pandemic again. Pandemic Legacy games just kind of ruined it for me. Still in my collection, but like I said, I might get Flash Point and replace it. If I want to play Pandemic again, I’ll play legacy, I think.

18. Village Attacks

A bigger tower defense game, I am still waiting for my Kickstarter to come in. It funded in 2019. But I am excited for it when it does. Village Attacks has you playing as the bad guys with the villagers coming with pitch forks and torches. You might be grotesque or horrifying, but the theme is just funny to me, so while it’s a dark game, it doesn’t come across.

17. Arkham Horror: The Card Game

I really need to play more of this game, it’s another one that I just really love. Arkham Horror: The Card Game, is the living card game (LCG) from Fantasy Flight, and it’s so cool how they can do so many different things with the game. Great card play and fun deck construction that I want to do more of. I prefer it two player, I think, but it’s good solo as well.

16. Similo

Final party game on the list, but not final light game. Similo is game where one person is it. That person is giving clues of either a card being like or not like the secret card. Then the rest of the players eliminate cards. Simple concept for a game and a ton of fun, especially to mix decks. How do you tell players that a chicken is or isn’t like a vampire or medusa?

15. Apocrypha Adventure Card Game

This is the game that the Pathfinder Card Game was based on, though the Pathfinder one came out first, it’s confusing. But I like the dark theme of this one, there is warfare going on between supernatural forces, and not everyone can see it, but you can. So how can you stop it in the different scenarios. Good game, great art, and my sort of them. Horrible rule book.

14. Say Bye to the Villains

Definitely the hardest game on the list, at least in terms of winning. The play is simple, spend time to improve your stats, look at what a villain is doing, and hope that you can win when you run out of time. And there isn’t enough time to do everything in the game. I’ve come so close to winning so many times, I’m sure eventually I will.

13. The Reckoners

Pretty high on the list for limited plays, but I love the theme of the game. The Reckoners by Brandon Sanderson is a great series. And I love the game play, it’s tough, even on easy, but it has a lot of good choices. And you feel like you can do a lot on your turn as you roll dice and every face on the die is probably something you need.

12. Marvel United

Marvel United is a pretty easy game, but I love it a lot. In the game you are playing down cards to stop a super villain. As superheroes you all work together. So the last card you played, if I’m next to go, I’ll get to use as well. The villains also feel so different in this game, and while I have everything for it, the grab and go get it to the table is great.

11. Letter Jam

A game that just made me realize I forgot to rank Hanabi, I play a lot of cooperative games, Letter Jam is a game where you are trying to guess your word. But you can’t see the letters that make up your word. Only through clues and words given by other players can you infer what your letters are. There is some good strategy in figuring out what are good clues. Loads of fun and one that I think a lot of people will like.

10. TIME Stories

The highest escape room style game on my list, though this one has more going on than that. I really like TIME Stories for the puzzles that it gives. I haven’t played all of them yet, and I have heard that some are weaker than others. But every one that I’ve played thus far I really enjoy.

9. Roll Player Adventures

I’m really excited, I get to play into a campaign of this in February. Roll Player Adventures is my highlight from GenCon in 2019. Getting to playtest it was great. In the Roll Player universe, this takes characters you might have rolled up, or pre-made ones, and lets you take them on adventures. The adventures are fun, and the combat is interesting. It’s a lot of choose your own adventure and so good at that.

8. Mansions of Madness: 2nd Edition

Another Lovecraftian game, and another cooperative one. All of Fantasy Flights games in their Arkham Files line are cooperative. Mansions of Madness is app assisted and so much fun. Like Arkham Horror The Card Game, the game can be so different depending upon scenario. Some might have you stopping a ritual in a mansion, others exploring a town. One that I want to play more of to see what else they can do with it.

7. Sleeping Gods

You can watch me play this tonight, Jan 26th, on Malts and Meeples. Sleeping Gods is a big adventure game that I’m playing solo right now where you are the Manticore, a ship, and sailing around with crew that go on adventures. The game has an amazing aesthetic and story. Even though the story isn’t linear, it works well. And the world it’s set in is really cool.

6. Marvel Champions

I like Marvel a lot, and for me Marvel Champions is the best Marvel game. The different heroes feel like that hero, and you can take them up against any bad guy. While Marvel United you play as one hero they are a bit more generic. And Marvel Champions gives you that alter ego side, so you push and pull to keep the villain at bay. And there are so many heroes and villains already and there can be so many more.

5. Aeon’s End

Another one I talked about yesterday. Aeon’s End is a cooperative deck building game where you try and stop a nemesis. A great solo and two player game. There are so many set-ups and so many cards for it. Now this does include Legacy as well, which is a great introduction to the game. And I like that the randomness in the game isn’t shuffling your deck, it is turn order and what the monster does.

4. Xenoshyft: Onslaught

Another deck building game, this one is Starship Troopers and tower defense. I like how collaborative the game is. I build my deck, but if I have an extra troop and you need one, I can give it to you to defend your part of the base and it goes into your deck. It allows everyone to really balance out what is going on and have a chance, which is good, because it’s a tough game.

3. Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game

I feel like this one I talk about and always describe it in a way that doesn’t sound that fun. But in this game, I feel like I am a detective. It’s a bit like a detective TV show, but fun is how I put it. You get into the case and the theme and if you allow yourself to be immersed in figuring out the story going on it is a great time.

2. Tainted Grail

Another one from yesterday, Tainted Grail is an amazing story adventure game. You take these characters and build them up through a grim dark storyline. And the writing on the game is just so well done. In terms of thematic games, I feel like this one might top my list, though, not my favorite cooperative game.

1. Gloomhaven

For my favorite cooperative game, no shock, it’s Gloomhaven. I love this game. I love the leveling in this game and the card play in this game. And I love that you retire characters and get new ones. I think that the mechanics are amazing and the story is interesting. But overall it leads to a great cooperative experience.

Final Thoughts

I’m guessing since I missed Hanabi and Imperial Assault that I likely missed others. And I also found it interesting how many I’ve gotten rid of. I think a lot of that has to do with me having so many I’ve played. It means that they are fighting for playing time. So only the top ones stick around. Especially when you get down to campaign games, for those it’s even a tighter field because of Kickstarter games coming in and time.

What is your favorite cooperative game?

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Crowdfunding Games I Wish I’d Backed

I don’t have too many requirements for what can go on the list. The one that I do have is that the game is out, or at least production copies are close, there is one exception to my list, I think. But generally the game needs to be out. I missed these games and now I wish I had them because the game looks good. There are some games, Arkeis, for example, that I really am interested in, and I wish I’d backed it, but I don’t know enough about it still to say for sure.

Also this is a fairly long list, though some will surprise you on the list. You’ll have to see what they are, but let’s get into the list.

Final Girl

This one is going to be an interesting one, because I am going to back it. But I just said I’m sad that I missed it. I am because now we are onto season two. So that probably means that I’ll be getting more for the game, and clearly I need even more of a game that I already don’t own.

Final Girl is kind of what it sounds like. You are the trope of the final girl in the horror movie. Can you survive the serial killer and escape? Can you rescue others, or will you truly be the last one standing? I love that theme, especially since those Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th type of movies are my favorite for horror movies. This one I don’t know why I passed it by the first time, I won’t this time.

Unsettled

Another one that is coming back to crowdfunding, I believe Kickstarter. This is a planet exploration puzzle. It reminds me, in some ways of TIME Stories, but in space instead of this weird time travel mechanism for the game. So it’s modules that you explore to try and complete objectives. The game sounds really cool.

They are coming back to Kickstarter so that they can drop some more planets into the game. That is something that is great about this game and system, that I can tell, they’ll always be able to add in more planets. And from what the reviews have said, this has some really good writing with it as well. So while not a big campaign game like ISS Vanguard which I did back, this is going to give me a lot of planets to explore as well.

Solomon Kane

Now, this isn’t my exception, but you can watch on Malts and Meeples me unboxing Solomon Kane. Well, that’s because I bought it on eBay. I wish that I’d backed this on Kickstarter. I think that Mythic Games brought it to Kickstarter when I wasn’t checking as much. And by the time I heard about it, I think it was too late, or I didn’t know about the late pledging of things.

This is one that I still need to dive into my copy of it. It was an option to stream when we chose Sleeping Gods instead. And it is very possible that I will stream it later this year. Because, while it is kind of a campaign, it is shorter stories that are campaigns. That is similar to how Roll Player Adventures is doing their campaigns as well. I like that because it means that I am not signing up for 100 hours of game play.

Vampire the Masquerade – CHAPTERS

Here’s the cheater one, this one isn’t out yet. So why is it on the list, because Quackalope has a very polished looking almost production copy that I’ve watched played. I’ll add the video below. But the game looks right up my alley. It has tactical elements for combat where you need to think about positioning. But it is so much more about story, and I love a good story in a game.

Not to mention that the whole world of Vampire: The Masquerade sounds interesting to me. This world of vampires, but not vampires who are ripping peoples necks out. This is about the intrigue and codes that they have, and being subtle about the hunger and when and how you get your blood. And the different clans and how they interact amongst each other in a struggle for power.

Maximum Apocalypse

This is an interesting one because I’ve again, had a chance to get it. And not just a chance, two chances, and then there is more of a campaign version of Maximum Apocalypse as well that I could have gotten. So why do I regret not getting it, but also haven’t pulled the trigger? This is a survival post apocalyptic sort of game, or during the apocalypse. And it’s done with random tiles that you are searching and different objectives to complete. Plus you have a lot of different apocalypses you can play in.

So theme is great for me. Game play looks like a lot of fun. It just hasn’t caught my attention quite enough. And now, and this is a bad reason, there is a lot of it. And I’m going to want to own all of it. That is a bad reason not to get it. I can get a little bit and if I love it I can get more. I do that often with games. But this one, stuff like the Kaiju expansion I really want, but isn’t part of the base box. So I haven’t bitten on it, yet.

Mars Open

You’re going to see a lot of big games on the list. We know what I like my big campaign games, but this is a small game. And I don’t actually remember what kept me from backing this one. And I keep on looking at it on eBay thinking I should pick it up. Mars Open is a dexterity game, basically paper football flicking, but instead of football, it’s golf. And you are play some holes and low score wins.

That game sounds hilarious to play. I have to imagine that I’d be bad at it, but I’m okay with that because it’ll be a good end of game night game. It reminds me of PitchCar as a game where when someone has a crazy good shot, everyone is going to be excited for them.

Horizon Zero Dawn

This one I’m glad I didn’t back, but I also wish I had. The minis in the game are amazing. And the core box has a lot of cool things. but it has a limited number of things. I likely would only have backed the core, and while people seem to like the game, the general consensus is that you need more. The base box gives you a good gaming experience, but not enough to come back to and feel like it’s different.

That said, there isn’t only the base box, there is a lot more. And if you went all in on everything, there is going to be a ton that you can play. Plus the theme, I love the theme. I haven’t beaten Horizon Zero Dawn, but I need to get back to that game. Honestly, too many video games to get through right now. But in terms of setting this is one of the coolest.

Graphic Novel Adventures

From Van Ryder Games, these are basically mini choose your own adventure in graphic novel form. But they are more than that, it’s not just flip through and read stuff, you have a character and you have stats. That is going to determine how well some things go for you. And they put so many themes into the different graphic novels. Pirates, Sherlock Holmes, and werewolves just to name a few. And I own one, which I really need to play. If I love it, they seem to do more every few years, so I can get another one. I really need to play mine.

Sea of Legends

Another one that is coming back to Kickstarter soon, or maybe Gamefound, I’m not sure. Sea of Legends is a pirate game with app assistance. To me, this looks like it’ll be similar to Merchants and Marauders, a game I like but don’t love, and then add more story into it. In Merchants and Marauders there isn’t story, it’s what you bring to the game. And while the theme is solid, I like games that have story.

Sea of Legends did start out rough with an app that was bad, issues with the rule book, and generally felt like Guildhall sent it out before they polished it. I think that there are still issues with the rule book, but the app seems to be better. And it has a whole idea, that you pick out three different things, I forget what they all are, and enter them into the app and that drives your story. So you can change them up and the story is going to change as well.

This is one that I’m probably going to either grabbed use, my FLGS has had a copy, or back when it comes back. Pirates are a theme that I love, and a generally open world game with story, I like that too. I mean, you can see me now playing Sleeping Gods, a game that I almost put on this list. I own it now, and I like it.

Wild Ascent

This is kind of a Monster Hunter style board game. Or a boss battler game, where you have a village phase and then fight a monster. Kingdom Death Monster might be the one that popularized the genre. KDM (Kingdom Death Monster) is one that didn’t make the list, but was close. I want it, but that Kickstarter was insane.

Wild Ascent does a lot of the same things, and seems like it’s a shorter campaign. KDM feels more like a lifestyle game. And while I wouldn’t mind having a solo lifestyle game that I can keep set-up all the time. Until I get a board game table, which I want to do eventually, and can get two levels and leave a game up all the time, one is about all that I can manage.

That is why I passed on Wild Ascent twice. There was a Gamefound and Kickstarter campaign, and the Gamefound one I was so tempted by. But I held off because do I need another big game that will be hard to get to the table? No, but I really really want it.

Chronicles of Drunagor

Another campaign game, and one that I did end up backing the second time around. So why is it on the list, because I was interested in it when it came out the first time. And if I had backed it then, I could be playing it now. This is another big dungeon crawl campaign game that does some really cool things.

Firstly, the terrain is 3D, meaning levels to go up and down. And when you get to a door, that door tells you what is in the next room and you set it up then. Plus the action system is really interesting. You have cubes that determine what you can activate, which is great. Because as you activate spots you start to lose what you can do. And then you pull everything back, but you cover up an ability.

The puzzle of the game just seems good. And there are a number of reviews out for it now, and they are good. So I could be playing that now, but so many games that I probably wouldn’t actually be.

QE and On Tour

So, I own half of these games now, and I wish I owned both. But it’s also one that I kind of don’t mind I don’t own it yet. I own On Tour, a great roll and write game. And one with a great app. But QE is one that I think I want to own, but for sure want to try.

QE is a bidding game where you buy companies and get points. The trick is that you are bidding and there is no set amount. So I could be 20 trillion dollars. However, the person who has bid the highest total amount of money at the end is automatically eliminated. So bidding will escalate, I think it’d be impossible for it not to, because if one person gets everything, everyone loses. how much and how crazily, who knows.

QE really doesn’t sound like it should work. But everyone who reviews it says that it does, though, often, they don’t know why. I think it might be a bit group dependent, but in the right group could be hilarious. Another one that seems like a great game night game.

Canvas

I backed the second Canvas Kickstarter and I wish I’d backed the first. Not only could I be playing it now, but I wouldn’t need the expansion. On the second Kickstarter, the option was just there to get the expansion and base game together, not just the base game. I am sure that I won’t mind having the expansion, but do I really need it.

Canvas is a game where you are painting a picture. You do that by selecting cards and layering them on top of each other. The game Gloom is one that I have which does something similar. But in this one you are creating pictures. And depending on the symbols at the bottom of the picture, you score points. The game looks simple but also like a lot of fun.

That’s The Crowdfunding Wish List

Now, I could have picked more. Lords of Hellas, wish I’d backed it, maybe, same with Deep Madness, but I own most of both of those now. Or there were games like Monumental that almost made the list. Deck building with an interesting action mechanism sounds really cool. But I want to play it more than I want to own it. And maybe once I play it I’d want to own it.

Have there been any games for you that you wished you’d backed? Do you pick up those games on eBay or hope that they get a second crowdfunding campaign? Let me know what your top game you wished you’d backed is.

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But there were some sales from different publishers and online retailers. And I did go to Pop-Up GenCon and while Dinosaur Island Rawr ‘n Write wasn’t available, there were some interesting looking games that I picked up.

My FLGS

Marvel Champions – Nebula

Yup, I am still keeping up to date with Marvel Champions. It is fun to do so and the game is still fun to get to the table. Am I getting it to the table as often as the content comes out, absolutely not. But am I still getting everything for the game, I most certainly am. That means that one of these days I’m just going to have to play through a number of the characters I haven’t gotten a chance to play with yet. And you can add Nebula to that list.

Catacombs and Castles

This is a series of games, Catacombs, that I’ve been interested in. Why, well, some of it is because it’s flicking. But it’s a flicking Dungeon Crawl game which is just really unique seeming. One person plays as the monsters and kind of sets up the dungeon for a scenario/battle. The players pick heroes to take into the dungeon. On your turn you flick, play down cards that allow you to flick special things and more. The example would be flicking some tiny discs as you unleash a volley of arrows. Cool idea, seems like silly fun.

Miniature Market GenCon Sale

I said that I could blame this on GenCon and this is only the first part of it.

Root Expansions

I’ve been tempted to dive into Root for a long time now. I have loved it when I’ve gotten to play it. And I hope that I can get a group, somewhere, sometime to consistently play it. Root is an asymmetrical war game of woodland creatures. The artwork is cute and the game play is challenging. What makes it so interesting is the asymmetry but also makes it harder to table. It isn’t like Merchants Cove where I just need to know what my character is doing. I need to know all of them. This means it takes a long time to teach.

Nidavellir

A game that I know about from a lot of hype, it is being added to my collection. Now, I know hype isn’t the only reason to buy a game. I own The Mind which was much hyped and it is not a good game, it is a fun activity/filler, but not a good game. Nidavellir, though, seems to have a lot of game to it. It is a bidding game with set collection. But it does an interesting thing where you start with the same coins, but instead of bidding, you can upgrade your coins. So now you might be the only person with a 10 coin. Do you bid with that or upgrade some more.

Pop-Up GenCon

All the pop-up GenCons took place in game stores. And the one that I went to was at the GameZenter. The GameZenter has a pretty odd name, but a nice game collection. Plus there were a few new games for GenCon.

My Farm Shop

This is one that was there especially for Pop-Up GenCon. The game itself was very interesting. It reminds me of Machi Koro with how it plays. You roll dice and things get activated for everyone. But you have more choice and can manipulate that. Two of the three dice will determine what is activated. The other one will determine what card you add to your tableau. Smart concept for a game that plays very fast.

Everdell

Another game with woodland creatures, this one is a bit nicer. You are building your engine to score points. Kind of like My Farm Shop you’ll have a tableau of cards in front of you that can reach a certain point. This game is not that mean a game though, which I like about it. At least in theory, because it really is not the type of game I normally gravitate towards. But the aesthetic has been drawing me in and I feel like it’ll be a welcoming game to play. I am excited to try it and see what it’s like.

Unfathomable

This one is just a pre-order at this point. But I believe that it is supposed to come out next month. I think it was even supposed to be out in time for this event. But of course, with shipping it got delayed. And that is okay for me because I don’t to have it immediately. The game, though, is a lot of fun. it is a good version of Battlestar Galactica, which it is based on and also is a very good game. It’s a pretty big game, but I’m excited to get it to the table when it does come in.

That’s All The Games

It is a number of games but I’m quite excited for all of them. I think that I’m most excited to get Unfathomable to the table. It was a ton of fun playing at the GameZenter with three of us, but I’d love to play with a bigger group. And also in a spot where it is a bit easier to hear everyone. Very good game that worked better than BSG did for me, maybe some because I was on a pretty equal footing versus playing with experienced BSG players.

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I wrote last week about how it can be dangerous when Late Pledging is an option. But today I wanted to look at the time element of Kickstarter. Today though, I’m going to look at different things, because some of them do overlap, and I might still overlap, but I want to know if Kickstarters are really worth that wait.

How Long Is the Wait?

This is the age old Kickstarter and crowdfunding question, how long will you have to wait. They all try to give an estimate, but is it accurate? Generally, that answer is no. Most crowdfunded board games and projects in general deliver late. Why, because it’s hard to estimate.

When you look at a Kickstarter, you see a game that you want to get. And that’s great, and you want to get it sooner rather than later., also great. But what we don’t always see is where the game is at. Kickstarter and crowdfunding in general are to help get a game made. That means that no production is done. Fairly often it means that art assets are partially done. The game itself could still be going through development.

Each of these steps the companies are guessing at how long it’ll take. If it’s someone like CMON or Thunderwork, they have a decent idea. But even for them, a delay at the factory could shift the timeline by weeks or longer. And newer publishers, they generally underestimate.

What Should The Expectation Be?

Generally, I expect a Kickstarter to be 6 months late. That’s not a short amount of time, I understand. But for me, that way I don’t sweat it when it is well behind. Now, some games I’ve backed on crowdfunding have been much later than that. Some, also, surprise me when they show up on time.

For me, the expectation that they are late also comes with the expectation of updates. Some companies do a lot of updates. Others don’t post nearly enough of them. Right now I haven’t heard anything from Grimlord Games on Village Attacks in months. Last update was in April, actually. Is it annoying, yes. I fully expect delays. Plus, I know Grimlord Games isn’t the best at giving updates, but it is too long.

I also am not highly concerned. Why, because they have a proven track record. They delivered Village Attacks before. They just dropped an update for their other game as well. I knew going in they were bad at giving updates. Is this really acceptable from them, no, but shocking, no.

So Are Kickstarters Worth the Wait?

Simply put, sometimes. I like the shiny games that are up on there and for a few reasons it can be. A lot of them tie into the late pledging article. The game is exclusive to Kickstarter, well if you want it you might want to back it. The game comes with lots of Kickstarter extras.

But even then, is it worth the wait. I can go out right now and buy 100 games from my FLGS (friendly local game stores) and play them tomorrow. Do I need to get a game on Kickstarter with so many out there?

Like I said, it depends on the game. For some games me backing it means that the game can be made. So yes, I want to help in that process. Even in the case of Grimlord Games and Village Attacks, without backers the game wouldn’t get made. They are not a big company. So they need people to back it so they can make the game. For that reason I am fine being patient with them.

Other games, like Marvel United: X-Men, it might not come to retail. Plus, I get 50-70 extra minis because I backed the game. So my amount of content is much higher than someone who didn’t back the game. This could be FOMO (fear of missing out) but also means I have a lot of variety. My knock on the base game of Marvel United was that it didn’t feel that different. Marvel United: X-Men provides a lot more heroes and villains.

Is It Always Worth It Thought?

Most definitely not, because there are so many great games out there. Like I said, I could go to my FLGS and get 100 games today to play if I wanted. In fact, I will be swinging past one today in order to get my store credit and then use that store credit to pick up HEXplore It. So I can even find games that won’t come to retail but are used.

The question to ask is, do I want this Kickstarter game when it becomes available? If the answer is yes, back it. Let’s go with Marvel United X-Men. All in for that was $300, the base game for it was $40+ shipping, I think. Right now the regular, all in, Marvel United pledge on on eBay is about $300+ shipping. That’s about what the X-Men version will cost, but on Kickstarter the original games all in was only $220. So the secondary market sells at 1.5x higher.

So, you can always get a Kickstarter later, but it might cost more. This isn’t even the most extreme example. I went to look for Spire’s End on eBay when Spire’s End: Hildegard was up on Kickstarter. That was a $50 game that was selling for $150+. If you want a game enough, you can get it later. Just know that depending on the game, it might cost a whole lot more.

Do You Wait on Kickstarters?

Let me know if you back games on Kickstarter? Clearly I do a lot of written coverage on Kickstarters with my Back or Brick articles. I back Kickstarters somewhat often. Are they always worth the wait for me? Most of the time they are, but sometimes, such as Divineus, I drop my pledge because I don’t need the game slightly sooner than I can get it at retail.

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I already have done 10 games that I want to play post Covid. And I am sure that there are way more. For that list, it was a lot that were focused more on board game nights. I still stand by that, but there are so many other games that I could think about as well for playing.

But let’s talk about the first game night that I’m going to be planning.

When

This was the first question that I had to ask myself. Now, like I said, Minnesota is getting to about 50%, and my friend group, probably is about at 70-75% vaccinated at this point, at least for the board game night crowd. But I wanted to give people a really good chance to get vaccinated. I really want to have as close to 100% of the group vaccinated as possible. So when thinking about it and just about schedules, I decided that July would be when I had my first one.

What also went into consideration was just people getting comfortable being in groups again. For some people, like myself who is an extrovert, getting together in groups again is going to be amazing. For other people, who are introverts, like my wife, it is going to be more stressful. So it gives people time to start getting out and doing more with family first.

Any Extra Procautions

Honestly, not really, though, I did kind of think about that with the games I have to play. I will ask that if people are planning on attending that they be vaccinated. However, I am only going to do that in July. Why, because I don’t want to be a stickler about it, against by July close if not 100% of the friend group who don’t have a medical reason not to be vaccinated should be. But also because it’s not going to be a big group either. At most one person, or two people from a family wouldn’t be vaccinated. But obviously, we do want to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Otherwise, no masks required, no bring your own food, but the games are going to encourage some distancing. Depending on the temperature, I might throw open some windows so that there is better air flow. But with our furnace setup the fan is running all the time so that should keep air circulating and keep on bringing in new area as well for ventilation purposes.

The Games

So, the games that I picked are more so because you can’t play them not in person. But I do want to think about things that will keep people more comfortable. So the two main games for the night are going to be Pitchcar and Ice Cool.

Both of these games are dexterity games. So how do these help with any extra precautions. Well, you are not just sitting at a table with the same group of people for hours. You are getting up and moving around the table. Sure, you’ll be close to people a fair amount, but it won’t be sitting across from someone breathing at them.

But really, the main reason for both of these games, I couldn’t play them otherwise. Sure, Kristen and I could play them, or the one person who has been coming over to game with me could play them, but it’s not the same. Ice Cool is best at four or more if you have the expansion. I haven’t played Pitchcar yet, so I might do that before hand just to set it up and try, but again, seems better with more. You want to have that group around so everyone is getting excited when they make a great shot or when someone else does as well. That’s what really drives those gaming experiences to the next level.

What About Food And Drink?

So that is the only thing that I haven’t mentioned. And again, since everyone is going to be vaccinated, I’m going to feel very comfortable doing the normal potluck/sharing style that we do. Now, if we have chips, maybe I’ll throw a tongs into that so people aren’t touching everything as much. I can put out some hand sanitizer for people who want it. But most of the things, you are touching one items to put it onto your plate.

What Should You Do?

I think that is the question that everyone is asking themselves. I know a lot of people who are excited to get game nights going again and what does that mean for everyone it is going to be different. For us, I know the people I game with well, we do it in a home, so I can limit and control a lot of variables. If you play at an FLGS, it is going to look different than in a house. If you have people who can’t get vaccinated for a medical reason, that is going to look different as well. So I guess the advice that I can give is start small. No need to play games with twenty people, start playing with three or four and as things improve, go from there.

When do you want plan on your first big game night?

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From the Miniature Market Sale

Aeon’s End Expansions

We’re starting with something that wasn’t even on sale. This is just more of the small box expansions for Aeon’s End. I love this game, and I think it’s going to be one that I just start playing through all the content I have here coming up soon. The cooperative card play and deck building is fun. All the different mages are really good. And the Nemesis can play so differently.

But I got a lot of different expansions for it:

• The Void
• The Depths
• Shattered Dreams
• Buried Secret
• Into the Wild

Downforce

I’ve been enjoying racing games and the concept of racing games recently. Downforce has actually been on my radar for a long time, because it’s a different type of racing game. I have Formula D which is a big racing game with a lot of dice rolling. I have Camel Up which is a light racing game, and Downforce is more like that. In Downforce you bid on cars that are your car, but you also bid on other cards during the race. What is interesting about the race is that you spend your cards to move all of the cars, not just your own. So I play a card that moves green and blue forward five, red forward three, and pink, purple, and brown forward two (all colors are made up). It’ll tell me what order to move them forward in.

And you bid multiple times during the race. The better you do early, the more points you get at the end. But with the cards in your hand, you know some of what is going to happen. So you can manipulate it potentially to your advantage. Seems like a fun, light, different type of racing game.

Not Alone: Sanctuary Expansion

This is a a one versus all game that actually works well with a large number of players. The person who is the one plays as the planet and monsters on it that the all have crashed on. They are trying to survive long enough to get off of the planet. I am not totally sure what the Sanctuary Expansion adds. More locations is the most likely thing. This game is just fun, and I love the cooperative planning that can happen. It doesn’t always happen, but the all can talk about where they want to go. They must talk in ear shot of the one, but as much discussion as they want is allowed. Really excited to try some of the new expansion stuff for variety in the game.

From My FLGS (All Systems Go)

Marvel Champions: Galaxies Most Wanted

I love Marvel Champions. The game is just a ton of fun and offers so much content already. This is the second campaign box that they have put out. The first, Rise of Red Skull is a pretty simple and straightforward campaign, but the Guardians of the Galaxy focused one, with Groot and Rocket is supposed to be more complex. I am really excited to see everything that is in it. And I am really excited for the Guardians of the Galaxy to be coming to Marvel Champions.

Pitch Car

Finally, we have Pitch Car. This game has been on my radar for ages, and I was glad I was able to find it used. Pitch Car is not a cheap game, especially with expansions, because it’s all particle board and nice quality. Pitch Car is another racing game but really different from Formula D, Downforce, or Camel Up. In Pitch Car, you flick your car around the track. Everyone takes a turn flicking, trying not to fly off of the track and do amazing shots and jumps, banking off the walls. And what I picked up wasn’t just base Pitch Car.

The person had traded in three expansions as well. So I also got the long straights, the More Speed More Fun expansion, and the Stunt Race expansion. This is enough to build a pretty massive track. This will definitely be one of the first games that I get out for in person gaming. A lot of games work via Zoom, but dexterity games not so much. Pitch Car and Ice Cool will be two that are going to be a lot of fun when playing in person again.

Which Would You Want to Play?

Let me know in the comments below which you’d be most interested in playing. For me, I think that it has to be Pitch Car right now. The prospect of gaming in person is just so exciting after it being so limited for over a year. And Pitch Car, the concept and the tracks just seems like a ton of fun. It might even be a game that I take to a board game store and let people know when it is going to be there to come try and play.

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Marvel Champions: Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch

These did come out a few weeks apart, but just with how things lined up, not that far apart from when I went into the FLGS, All Systems Go, which sets them aside for me. Haven’t gotten either of them to the table yet, but I’m excited for them. Like I said, this was perfect timing with Scarlet Witch/Wanda coming out at the very end of WandaVision, same day in the United States. Accidentally great timing, though it was because it was pushed back a month. Excited for both of them, and they are a pair that can team up with each other, which is awesome, I like anything that can give me that super hero team-up feel, and while Marvel Champions does feel some like that, this bakes it into those two characters, like they did for Ant-Man and Wasp.

Deep Madness Expansions

Again from All Systems Go, they had a Deep Madness Kickstarter traded in. Now, there was a bundle of the core and a few core expansions that they sold, but I’d already gotten a previous trade in of those. So now they have some of the other Kickstarter expansions. I picked up two of them. One was Spawn of the Sleeper and epic monster that can be added into the game. I liked this one because it has weird little eggs or spawn or tentacles, something for this deep sea base that is just horrifying. And the Faces of the Sphere expansion, which I thought looked cool, and interestingly enough, ties into their next game, which I missed on Kickstarter, whoops.

Lost Ruins of Arnak

Now, this is a hot game. In fact it’s so hot that it’s basically sold out everywhere. You look online at Amazon, Cool Stuff Inc, and Miniature Market, all sold out. Checked with my FLGS, they have a call list going for when it comes in. But I was able to find it online and not at a massive marked up price. I found it over on Barnes and Nobles’ site. Now, I didn’t pick it up from my local one, but I had to order it in. I am interested in this one because it looks like a Euro game where they gave it more of a theme and more to do. I also really like the theme and deck building, though the deck building might not be the biggest part of it. Exploring lost ruins and having that Indiana Jones sort of feel, that’s really interesting to me.

Tiny Turbo Cars

I talked about this one a couple of weeks back in a Back or Brick. In that one I said it was a back for me, and I’ve still kept the pledge. Tiny Turbo Cars just looks f un to me, and I like supporting a good board game company that has made a bunch of games that I enjoy. They really do nail the toy factor in the game, the little controller looks almost like it’s going to be some sort of technology. I know I won’t see this for a while, but I think it’ll be a fun one for certain groups of people. I know that the real time aspect will probably be a bit to hectic for some players, but it’ll be a big success for others, and I’m hoping it’ll work for most people.

Aeon’s End: Legacy of Gravehold

I love Aeon’s End, that’s all there is too it. And the fact it’s another Legacy game in the series, that’s awesome. I will have all the big boxes for Aeon’s End when this arrives, and I need to dive into that first legacy box soon. I just need to figure out if I play it solo or not. If I do, I can get to it sooner, otherwise I might have to wait or find a person to play semi-regularly with. I think it might be one that I play solo, because I had fun playing Aeon’s End: War Eternal solo on Malts and Meeples. This just gives me more Legacy goodness, and I’m very cool with that.

Zombicide: Undead or Alive

This one I did my Back or Brick on last week. What had me on the fence with it last week was the price. But I’ve now backed it because I think it’s going to be really fun. I love the theme, I think that zombies in the Wild West is cool. I love CMON’s minis, I mean they were known as Cool Mini Or Not for a while. And while I did just sell Zombicide: Green Horde, some of that was because I have a lot of fantasy games already. I guess zombies in the Wild West is technically a form of fantasy, but not the standard middle ages fantasy. So this felt different than things I have my collection so I wanted to pick it up.

Which of these games sounds the most interesting to you? Have you backed any of the Kickstarters? Let me know in the comments below.

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What Are Grail Games?

I kind of talk about that already in the first paragraph, but let’s dive into the concept more so. A grail game is a game that is out of print, or hard to find for some reason. It is also a game that you really want to get your hands on. Why you want it so badly could be a number of reasons. For some people, the game just sounds fun, so they really want it, or it might be one that they played growing up, so they want to own it because of that. But for whatever reason, it’s a game that the person really wants and is very hard to find.

So How Do You Find Them?

Now, this completely depends on how quickly the person wants to get a grail game. For me, I have a few games that I’d consider grail games. I’ll talk about them shortly. But I won’t go out of my way to get them. For a lot of people, they want to get them faster, so they will go on ebay or other sites, Board Game Geek has a market place that often has most games for sale, and they will buy them or bid on them at those locations. That’s going to be a great way to focus on buying what they want.

I, on the other hand, am waiting for them to come to me for lack of a better term. One that was previously a grail game for me was Tannhauser which I talked about in the Point of Order article yesterday. I found that one at a used book store. I have some other games that I’m keeping an eye out for at my FLGS, All Systems Go!, to see if they ever show up used, or I’m keeping an eye for a local seller who is selling it on Facebook Marketplace via the board game selling group there. If it pops up, I will get some of my grail games.

What Are Some Of My Grail Games?

Battlestar Galactica

Let’s start with a big game. It oddly enough is in a genre of games, or around one, that I don’t love too much. It often gets lumped in with social deduction games, though this is closer to a Dead of Winter than something like The Resistance. Battlestar Galactica was a big game put out by Fantasy Flight Games, you are trying to get to Earth, but there are Cylons aboard your ship and chasing you who are going to try and stop you. The game always has that one goal, but you are dealing with issues that come up and adding things to help secretly. This game definitely blends both being a board game and a social deduction game, but gives you a little more to go on, and gives you a lot of game to play. However, it’s been out of print for quite a while without any indication that it’ll come back into print. Battlestar Galactica is a grail game for a lot of people as well, which makes it hard to find without paying a lot for it.

Solomon Kane

Now, this game is a newer game. But I failed to mention one way a board game can end up being a grail game. And that is if it’s a Kickstarter game. There are often games that are Kickstarter exclusives because they would be too big to go to retail, or the retail version will have less. Solomon Kane by Mythic Games is one that I am bummed I missed on Kickstarter. It seems to have a really unique concept to it. In the game you are controlling, kind of, Solomon Kane as he goes on adventures and deals with mysteries and monsters. It’s a campaign based, or at least story based game. I love that type of game, but you are only kind of controlling him, you play different virtues. You are prudence, courage, temperance, and justice, and using those things, you control where he goes and what he does. I like that it gives all the players at the table a communal character that they control. That is a unique concept that I haven’t seen before. However, this one is just fulfilling now or will be shortly, and it costs $200 for just the base game, and bundles are being sold for $500 or more on Ebay, so it’s a grail game that I’ll be waiting on and hoping for a second Kickstarter for.

Mechs vs Minions

Mechs vs Minions might be the easiest of these games to find. Originally put out by the same company that has been extremely successful with the video game League of Legends, this game comes with a ton of stuff. They sold it at a reasonable price point and it came with more minis than a lot of spendier games do on Kickstarter. The programming aspect of this game, creating basically a plan of what your characters are going to do was an interesting idea as well. Now we have more programming games, and there were even a few back then, Robo Rally, but Mechs vs Minions put it into a really big box. It’s one of those games that to play it, I know that I’ll have to buy it, because right now I don’t know anyone who has the game. But I want to give it a whirl and program my way through scenarios and play the campaign that they created for the game.

That’s what a grail game is and what my grail games are. What board games would you consider a grail game that you really want to get into your collection? Is there any overlap with mine?

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