Anyone think recent board games are becoming unnecessarily complex and deeply strategy based? It could just be what I've seen from my friends but a lot of the times you can tell from the box art and title alone that you're going to need tiles, tokens, cards a 3 page manual and a practice round before you can even start. For me, that's a slog. It's too hard to hold conversation or focus on anything other than the game…
The best board games of 2016
51–60 of 84 posts
Re: The best board games of 2016
#52Anyone think recent board games are becoming unnecessarily complex and deeply strategy based? It could just be what I've seen from my friends but a lot of the times you can tell from the box art and title alone that you're going to need tiles, tokens, cards a 3 page manual and a practice round before you can even start. For me, that's a slog. It's too hard to hold conversation or focus on anything other than the game…
> Are there any popular simple games in the latter category recently?
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Splendor
Love Letter
Coup
Re: The best board games of 2016
#53Anyone think recent board games are becoming unnecessarily complex and deeply strategy based? It could just be what I've seen from my friends but a lot of the times you can tell from the box art and title alone that you're going to need tiles, tokens, cards a 3 page manual and a practice round before you can even start. For me, that's a slog. It's too hard to hold conversation or focus on anything other than the game…
I don't think Catan is particularly complex. I play casual rounds with friends all the time.
Catan is more complex (but less complicated) than Monopoly.
Re: The best board games of 2016
#54Anyone think recent board games are becoming unnecessarily complex and deeply strategy based? It could just be what I've seen from my friends but a lot of the times you can tell from the box art and title alone that you're going to need tiles, tokens, cards a 3 page manual and a practice round before you can even start. For me, that's a slog. It's too hard to hold conversation or focus on anything other than the game…
A lot of these games just need a good editorial team or better design.
The rules are often not as concisely or clearly explained or the iconography is confusing.
Once you get down to it, it's easy.
Re: The best board games of 2016
#55Anyone think recent board games are becoming unnecessarily complex and deeply strategy based? It could just be what I've seen from my friends but a lot of the times you can tell from the box art and title alone that you're going to need tiles, tokens, cards a 3 page manual and a practice round before you can even start. For me, that's a slog. It's too hard to hold conversation or focus on anything other than the game…
My friends and I enjoyed a lot of rounds of Pit (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_(game)). It is a good game for when you have a group of 4 - 6 people and don't want the commitment of an overlong game.
Re: The best board games of 2016
#56Anyone think recent board games are becoming unnecessarily complex and deeply strategy based? It could just be what I've seen from my friends but a lot of the times you can tell from the box art and title alone that you're going to need tiles, tokens, cards a 3 page manual and a practice round before you can even start. For me, that's a slog. It's too hard to hold conversation or focus on anything other than the game…
3 whole pages... Today's active grognard community of hex based (and other) military sims with their 60 pages of manuals for MBT/Panzer or the COIN series games are providing plenty of pressure from the other end to keep things level. To say nothing of the guys with a lineal yard of book shelf space of pathfinder rulebooks or binders full of advanced squad leader and federation commander... I'm just saying theres man…
I also have to suggest Love Letter for a simple quick game. Something which is enough luck based that you can win the first time but has enough strategy to make it more entertaining.
Re: The best board games of 2016
#57I'm so happy with this resurgence of intelligent board games.
But as a fan I have to say, that board game is not based on Kim Stanley Robinson's trilogy. Because the game is about terraforming mars and not about politics, although there was a minor subplot about mars terraforming going on in the background of those books. Am I taking fucking crazy pills?
Re: The best board games of 2016
#58Anyone think recent board games are becoming unnecessarily complex and deeply strategy based? It could just be what I've seen from my friends but a lot of the times you can tell from the box art and title alone that you're going to need tiles, tokens, cards a 3 page manual and a practice round before you can even start. For me, that's a slog. It's too hard to hold conversation or focus on anything other than the game…
Totally agree. I've enjoyed Codenames, fun team game and each game doesn't take long. With family or friends we've had the most fun playing the Jackbox Games, specifically Drawful or Fibbage. You can buy them on Apple TV or usually I use the steam link my PC. Each player just needs a phone or tablet. Granted they are not board games but most people have a PC or a Apple TV or Android device hooked up to their PC.
Re: The best board games of 2016
#59+1 for Terraforming Mars. I enjoy playing it solo as well as with a group. There is enough variety in the cards to keep it fresh and the difficulty ramps up quickly.
What difficulty? The player cannot die or loose.
Re: The best board games of 2016
#60Anyone think recent board games are becoming unnecessarily complex and deeply strategy based? It could just be what I've seen from my friends but a lot of the times you can tell from the box art and title alone that you're going to need tiles, tokens, cards a 3 page manual and a practice round before you can even start. For me, that's a slog. It's too hard to hold conversation or focus on anything other than the game…
Check out Exploding Kittens - simple but requires a bit of tactical skill.
Played this last weekend with a group that included two young kids. It was a pretty fun diversion with a few simple mechanics, and the kids enjoyed the cards.
Munchkin is slightly more complex but worked as well.
I also think Zombie Dice is a pretty fun game while being relatively easy.