[psychomansam]

While injured and getting fat, this is taking lots of my time. Just me?

[Will Hunt]

Really enjoying discovering this genre of entertainment recently.

I enjoy Pandemic but it's a bit high brow and dull if not everybody has played before.

Settlers of Catan is good. Going to get the Seafarers expansion next.

MUNCHKIN! Hilarious to play at parties. Just a piss take of dungeons and dragons. The winner is always the last person to get completely fucked over by everyone else.

Cosmic Encounter is incredible but not in print at the moment? Couldn't find a copy for anything less than 40 quid which I can't really justify. The rules of the game couldn't be simpler but are modified by a huge selection of alien races which each player randomly selects at the start of the game. Each race 'breaks' the rules of the game in some way. Thus each game requires slightly different strategy as each race is forced to deal with the others in different ways.

Played Dixit at a NYE party tonight which is a very well thought out, but very simple game. Nice, trippy artwork too.

[psychomansam]

Really enjoying discovering this genre of entertainment recently.

I enjoy Pandemic but it's a bit high brow and dull if not everybody has played before.

Settlers of Catan is good. Going to get the Seafarers expansion next.

MUNCHKIN! Hilarious to play at parties. Just a piss take of dungeons and dragons. The winner is always the last person to get completely fucked over by everyone else.

Cosmic Encounter is incredible but not in print at the moment? Couldn't find a copy for anything less than 40 quid which I can't really justify. The rules of the game couldn't be simpler but are modified by a huge selection of alien races which each player randomly selects at the start of the game. Each race 'breaks' the rules of the game in some way. Thus each game requires slightly different strategy as each race is forced to deal with the others in different ways.

Played Dixit at a NYE party tonight which is a very well thought out, but very simple game. Nice, trippy artwork too.

Cosmic encounter is excellent. I think its in print, just expensive. If you like these games, try king of new York. For party gaming a lot of people are into ultimate werewolf type stuff too, or something like spyfall. Not really my bag as I'm shite at lying.

Go download the star realms app...

[r-man]

I quite enjoyed Settlers of Catan. Was recently intrigued by a mate's blogpost - would like to play some of these... http://www.timclarepoet.co.uk/?p=2746

[Sidehaas]

I play quite a few board games with my wife.

Carcassonne is good at similar level of complexity to settlers of catan.

Would second pandemic, particularly as a 2 player it's really good.

At the quicker to pick up end, Ticket to Ride is really fun, much better than the traditional monopoly cluedo etc. Recommend the Europe edition.

Last Night on Earth is also fun but has less replayability (my wife loves it - it has lots of zombie theming.)

At the more complex end, I really enjoy Agricola, although we have suffered from not having more people to play with. It's not something you can teach to non regular board gamers in an evening, you really need a keen group.
At the more complex end and for 2 people is Android Netrunner. This is really good but it's a collectible card game as opposed to a one off board game, so for extra replayability (not that the starting aet is bad - it isn't) you'll want to buy the expansion data packs.

Boardgamegeek.com is a great source of info.

[Mike Tyson]

I'll second the Carcassone shout, had my first game tonight, excellent fun for all ages.

[Three Nine]

I played a few games of Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers this Christmas and enjoyed it, and I generally hate boardgames

[tomtom]

We played 'DEMOCRACY' before Xmas. Was kind of good fun (one person plays a dictator and the rest budding democracies in a slightly weird monopoly/risk cross over. Was pretty good (I was dictator) until early  one 'chance' type card meant it was impossible for me to succeed which rendered the game pretty much pointless.

I've payed a lot of solitaire too

[36chambers]

I used to be a huge fan of Catan, but after playing it nonstop over christmas a few years ago, I now can't stand it. Too luck based for my liking and I get pissed off never getting my numbers rolled. 

Carcassonne is a recent favourite of mine, particularly with the Inns & Cathedrals expansion pack. It's simple and plays well with first timers.

For more heavy duty games; Caylus, Terra Mystica and 7 Wonders are all good.

These and Carcassonne were played on rotation at my parents over this christmas. TM is pretty epic, and gets better and better the more I play it, but the crux is finding enough people who know the microbeta well enough to ensure a good game. Otherwise it can feel tedious. But I suppose that's common for many board games.   

[Will Hunt]

Does anybody know any good games that work well with two people? The games I have at the moment tend to work best with 3 or more which isn't much use when it's just me and the wife. We bought a Settlers card game (Struggle or something like that) and its OK but is quite formulaic and now the winner is basically just decided on luck.

The Leeds game shop has got a sale on today so going to have a mooch over there. Was thinking about the Seafarers expansion for Catan as I agree with Nathaniel when he says the base game can be a little too basic and luck dependent after a while. I find the expansions make things more involved but haven't played Seafarers yet - any good?

[Sidehaas]

Does anybody know any good games that work well with two people? The games I have at the moment tend to work best with 3 or more which isn't much use when it's just me and the wife. We bought a Settlers card game (Struggle or something like that) and its OK but is quite formulaic and now the winner is basically just decided on luck.

The Leeds game shop has got a sale on today so going to have a mooch over there. Was thinking about the Seafarers expansion for Catan as I agree with Nathaniel when he says the base game can be a little too basic and luck dependent after a while. I find the expansions make things more involved but haven't played Seafarers yet - any good?

Netrunner or Pandemic in my experience. Ticket to Ride with the Switzerland or Europ1912/Big Cities expsnsions.

[Doug]

We primarily play Settlers with Seafarers expansion and keep it fresh by playing the different board set ups and randomising the resource tiles and numbers. We also have Traders & Barbarians expansion which we use with Seafarers at least half the time. They both expand the ways you can get victory points, risks and ways you can use your cards and therefore the potential game play strategies you can employ.

If the number of points to victory is high enough then strategic play will overcome dice luck with time. It's common for some people to race ahead then slow up in the mid to end game only to be caught up and having a closely fought finish. I'll admit that in a very close finish then luck can mean one player wins just before someone else, but I've never come close second and thought that I hadn't cocked up a couple of crucial decisions.

Settlers and Ticket to Ride are also available as apps, which van be a cheaper way to try out the full game.

[36chambers]

Does anybody know any good games that work well with two people?

Although I haven't played it, Twilight Struggle was, until very recently, the highest ranking game at boardgamegeek.com (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12333/twilight-struggle). It's exclusively a two player game.

Carcassonne is also great as a two player. 

Just browse the highest ranking games when deciding upon you next one. That's how I pick mine and I haven't bought a bad one yet. (Apart from maybe Catan...) http://boardgamegeek.com/browse/boardgame?sort=rank&sortdir=asc

[andy_e]

Just discovered through rereading the rules that we've actually won pandemic in the past despite having thought we've never won it before.

[psychomansam]

Does anybody know any good games that work well with two people? The games I have at the moment tend to work best with 3 or more which isn't much use when it's just me and the wife. We bought a Settlers card game (Struggle or something like that) and its OK but is quite formulaic and now the winner is basically just decided on luck.

The Leeds game shop has got a sale on today so going to have a mooch over there. Was thinking about the Seafarers expansion for Catan as I agree with Nathaniel when he says the base game can be a little too basic and luck dependent after a while. I find the expansions make things more involved but haven't played Seafarers yet - any good?

Eclipse is fun with 2 players and even more fun with 6. Expect ~3 or ~7 hours respectively. So not one for after work.

My current favourite shorter game is Roll for the Galaxy. Brilliant with 2 players, or more. Expect 25-55 mins. But this is only once you've learnt to play. Good luck with that - f*cking awesome, but not one for beginners. (This game is based on Race for The Galaxy - a card game which is similar but a bit more painfully strategic and less fun (I love it as well). Also very tough to learn. Search the name along with "keldons AI" to download it for PC/IOS for free)

For a smaller investment, consider Star Realms. It's a deckbuilding card game. £12? Almost always played as a 2 player game (but can be bloody hilarious as 2v2 if you get a chance). And if you like that, or perhaps instead, buy Dominion, the grand-daddy of deck-builders. These are both easy to learn and pretty swift.

Waggle Dance is a nice intro to worker placement (the same genre as Agricola, which is one for accountants). If you do decide to play heavier worker placement, f*ck Agricola, buy Brewcrafters and build a bloody brewery son!

5 tribes is great with 2 players (or more). Quite a unique game but a great mix of fun and strategy and not too long.

Quite a lot of people like the Castles of Mad King Ludwig. Strange game, but enjoyable if not as 'fun' as some.

Galaxy Trucker - pure stupidity and very different. Works with 2 once in a while, but fun to introduce to other light gamers too.

Tiny Epic Galaxies / Eight minute empire (latest edition) - these are two of the nice quick 'filler' games out there for playing in a break or before/after a larger game. Quick, small, cheapish games but good fun.

Now find a third player and play Cosmic Encounter, King of New York (/Tokyo) and 7 Wonders.

--
FYI, here's my list of the games I played in 2015, apart from the ones I've forgotten:
504
7 wonders
8 minute empire
Aladdin's Dragons
Among the Stars
Archipelago
Ascension(e)
battle line
biblios
Black Fleet
Blokus
brewcrafters
carcassonne
Castles of Mad King Ludwig
Cash n Guns
catan
Colt Express
Concept
cosmic encounter
Coup
dead of winter
Doctor Lucky
Dominion
the duke
Eclipse
Eight Minute Empire: Legends
eminent domain
Epic
five tribes
Forbidden Island (&desert)
for sale
Galaxy Trucker
Game of Thrones
Gates of Loyang
go sushi
Gravwell
Guillotine
Hanabi
imperial assault
jaipur
Jamaica
King of New York
Last Will
Libertalia
Lords of Vegas
lost cities
Love Letter
machi koro
Mafia de Cuba
Memoir '44
Neuroshima Hex!
New Dawn
race for the galaxy
Resistance, The
risk – paranoia
roll for the galaxy
San Juan
sherriff of nottingham
Small World
Smash  Up
Splendor
Spyfall
star realms
Stellar Conflict
summoner wars
Sushi Go
Terra Mystica
Ticket to Ride
Tigris & Euphrates
T.I.M.E. Stories
Tiny Epic Galaxies
Tragedy Looper
ultimate werewolf
x-wing miniatures
zombicide

(BTW, going down this particular rabbit hole means I now know plenty of people who OWN more games than that).

[Grubes]

pulled out of the games games game thread

yup want suggestions or opinions?

Family games
Hare and the tortoise - card based race game. Very simple 15-20 mins per game. I play this with my 5 year old nephew and friends who are mid 20's to late 40's
Sheriff of nottingham - a great game of lying and deceit. Especially fun if people are willing to roleplay/act a bit. better for older kids 9+.
Treasure island/desert - Cooperative game fighting against the game. Really fun.
Adventure tours - fun game very easy.
Keep an eye out for looney quest. Fantastic game. I played a demo as part of voting for games awards recently. Its like an old arcade game but as a board game

Flux (many variation) - The rules keep changing. Card game of randomness - either annoying or amazing

Not so Family
Zombiecide is great fun for co oprative miniature fighting game.
Witcher - great fun! takes hours though.
Xcom - fun but hard. each round is times and the pressure builds. Co operative against the game.

I recently got the new zombiecide (medieval based) not played it yet though.
I also got Blood rage before christmas a great game for a group of 3 - 5 not played it two player yet so can't comment.
Smallworld is great if you have a few players. very replayable as every game is different


Will if you like dixit look up mysterium. Its dixit crossed with cluedo. very good with more people. (just spotted this on r-mans mates blog)
If you are serious about games try dead of winter. Warning this is not a fun game. Its awesome but incredibly stressful.

King of tokyo is okay for 2 players not tried new york.

for two player games I recommend Pandemic as said below and forbidden island. both cooperative games against the game and very fun to play. Also look up the alien / predator verson of legendary. absolutely fantastic games again co op but very fun. The game is expensive (£50) but you do get a lot for your money.
The lord of the rings card game works as a two player as does netrunner. the core set for net runner is meant to be very good for just two of you playing the game but it has a lot of expansions.
I recently got a game off of kick starter called burgle bros and really enjoyed my first play through.

I am quite fortunate that my local game shop has a massive library so I can play loads of different games all the time. Also they run the family area at the UK games expo and have an awards so I constantly get to try new or even pre-release games.

[Palomides]

Loads of games I've never heard of up there! Will be looking at them more closely later, especially as the two I've been playing a bit recently aren't there:

Citadels - I think it's a bit like Carcasonne (which i haven't played), building a city and taking the role of different characters per turn. Not that much fun with two players, but good with three or more

The Island - EU-named version of Survive / Escape from Atlantis. Played this for the first time yesterday. Enjoyed the way that the whole situation and board change as you play, but need to try it a few more times to really get into it I think.

[Oldmanmatt]

For a family, aged from 7 to 45; 221b Baker Street works really well.
Complex enough to tax the adults and doable for the7 year olds with some guidance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Grubes]

Ticket to Ride with the Switzerland or Europ1912/Big Cities expsnsions.

A UK version of ticket to ride came out end of last year. not played it but heard very good things from people who have.

[chris20]

For party gaming a lot of people are into ultimate werewolf type stuff too, or something like spyfall. Not really my bag as I'm shite at lying.

Another game similar to werewolves is bang, spaghetti western game where you have to work out who different characters are and kill/protect allies/enemies.  My partner prefers it over werewolves as you try to work out who people are based on how they are playing the game

[SA Chris]

https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

Not a board game, more a card game, but fucking funny, especially if pissed. And free to print if you can be bothered. The more mixed the company the better.

[Nutty]

Does anybody know any good games that work well with two people?

http://www.shutupandsitdown.com/ claim that Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective is the best game for couples. I've not played it myself, but intend to pick it up. It's co-operatively solving mysteries, and a review is here: http://www.shutupandsitdown.com/blog/post/review-sherlock-holmes-consulting-detective/

[Grubes]

https://cardsagainsthumanity.com/

Not a board game, more a card game, but fucking funny, especially if pissed. And free to print if you can be bothered. The more mixed the company the better.

i once played with a group 10 including
2 grumpy lesbians
3 Chinese people with english as a second language
1 person from hyde

[SA Chris]

Can't get more mixed! I assume alcohol featured.

[Grubes]

I was on vodka think that should explain enough

[Durbs]

Big BG fan here...

Best 2 player games that I play/own:

Carcasonne (Been playing for about 8 years, still love it, certain expansions are excellent) - Checkout JCloisterZone for a Java version, which I'm on quite a bit.
Personally I put a 3-player cap on Carcasonne, or it becomes too luck-based and slow if waiting for 4 other players.

Jaipur - A rare beast in that it's designed for 2 players only. Very subtle, lots of fun, highly portable

5 Tribes - Slightly more complex, but very good.

Party games (i.e. no/few cards or board, works well with random people)
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Spyfall
Two Rooms and a Boom (8 - 30 players)
The above are all good social deduction games, where you lie, bicker and throw accusations around. They can be as fun as you want them to be. I've learnt my wife is an excellent liar. Spyfall and 2R1B can also be printed out for free, or played for free via a mobile website.

Codenames - Really clever game, ignore the theming, it's just very clever and creates some excellent facepalm moments.

Family fun (Easy/simple rules, not too agressive)
Ticket To Ride Europe
Settlers of Catan
Zooloretto
Camel Up / Camel Cup

[Baldy]

Agree with many of the above.

I was looking at picking up one night ultimate werewolf just before christmas, but the price was a touch offputting.

Would you say it is worth it?

Other games I love would include:

Bananagrams - A great word puzzle solving game. It's not terribly competitive, since you all play on your own, but it can sure get engrossing if you like that sort of thing.
Very simple, like scrabble, but I'm sure there is a high skill cap for the top players.
Smallworld - A really well made game, lots of replayability, with an almost infinite number of race/power combinations. I've lost every game that I have played, but I have had too much fun to care. Highly Recommended.

[36chambers]

Family fun (Easy/simple rules, not too agressive)
Ticket To Ride Europe
Settlers of Catan
Zooloretto
Camel Up / Camel Cup

Uncharacteristically, my brother called my dad a "tw*t!" the last time we played this as a family...

But of course what is said during a game of Catan stays in the game of Catan. 

[Grubes]

Jaipur - A rare beast in that it's designed for 2 players only. Very subtle, lots of fun, highly portable

I forgot about that its great,.
My friend bought and and we played it about 4 games straight then I have not played it since. very good game

[psychomansam]

For party gaming a lot of people are into ultimate werewolf type stuff too, or something like spyfall. Not really my bag as I'm shite at lying.

Another game similar to werewolves is bang, spaghetti western game where you have to work out who different characters are and kill/protect allies/enemies.  My partner prefers it over werewolves as you try to work out who people are based on how they are playing the game

I've played that one too actually. If she likes that for that reason, try spyfall.  Personally I thought it was better as an app.

[JamieG]

Jaipur - A rare beast in that it's designed for 2 players only. Very subtle, lots of fun, highly portable

I forgot about that its great,.
My friend bought and and we played it about 4 games straight then I have not played it since. very good game

 

Also a fantastic IPA from Thornbridge in Bakewell. http://www.thornbridgebrewery.co.uk/product.php?s=jaipur

[Sidehaas]

Ticket to Ride with the Switzerland or Europ1912/Big Cities expsnsions.

A UK version of ticket to ride came out end of last year. not played it but heard very good things from people who have.

Cool, what did they say about the new game mechanism/features?  The online review I read was a bit mixed. I was recommending the Switzerland one purely because it's supposed to be the best map for 2 player btw.

[Grubes]

Jaime I find beer is never off topic when playing games.
I find Jaipur by thornbridge has a couple of issues.
1 it is very drinkable
2 they serve it at Manchester airport

Both of these are not necessarily bad except its almost 6% and less than £3 at my local. Too many Wednesday s after the wall resulting in hung over Thursdays

[Durbs]

Both of these are not necessarily bad except its almost 6% and less than £3 at my local. Too many Wednesday s after the wall resulting in hung over Thursdays

Fuck me - it's £5.60 at mine! The joys of Surrey...

[Grubes]

I had a mate staying at mine he had lived in leeds or manc for the past 7 years. He could not believe how cheap and how much good beer was available in hudds.
Pints he was paying £8+ for in the norther quarter in manc were around £4. Lets just say he drank a lot when he was here.
The bad part about it is I feel sad when ever I pay over £3 for a pint of ale ..


back to ticket to ride UK. I have heard the routes are quite contrived but that is to be expected when compared to the whole of the US or europe.

[JamieG]

As a rule the northern quarter is over-priced. I guess you are paying for the 'cool' factor.

Staleybridge buffet bar on the other hand is fantastic and on my train ride home. Literally step off the train straight into the bar. It also serves many other tasty treats besides Jaipur. A very dangerous place indeed.

Eh . . . . I'd better say something about games. I really enjoy Exploding Kittens with my wife. Also King of Tokyo with my younger cousin was great fun. Phew!

[Grubes]

geek and sundrys top 5 gaves of 2015
http://geekandsundry.com/geek-sundrys-top-5-board-games-of-the-year/

[Will Hunt]

So to follow up my post before, the games shop in Leeds didn't stock the Europe Version of Ticket to Ride so I bought the original. Having lots of fun with it so far - it works OK as a two player and have had one game with 3 people. Looking forward to trying it with more people.

Also went with Seafarers and thus far have had no opportunity to play due to lack of a third person but it looks good.

[andy popp]

Don't ask me why, but I hate board games with a violent passion. Always have done.

[andy_e]

Were you assaulted by the man off the monopoly board as a child?

[rginns]

Good thread.

I've enjoyed playing 'run,run as fast as you can' with the kids this Christmas, where you're a gingerbread man who has to get to and cross the bridge as fast as you can, but the second die gives the option of fucking up your opponent by sending the cook/cow/horse to break up their gingerbread man before they get to the bridge if they're beating you.
It's designed for 4+ which means
A. I understand how to play it.
and
B. you see how good your kids are at trying to destroy you.

Orchard do a good line in games for 4 to 8 year olds that are well worth getting if you've got kids that age

  http://www.tesco.com/direct/orchard-toys-run-run-as-fast-as-you-can-educational-game/211-6298.prd?skuId=211-6298&pageLevel=sku&sc_cmp=ppc_sh-_-sh-_-tesco-_-211-6298&gclid=CIHmpuT_l8oCFQEFwwodi0wLEg&gclsrc=aw.ds

[tomtom]

Don't ask me why, but I hate board games with a violent passion. Always have done.

Why? I'm scrabbling for  cluedo(s). Is there some risk involved or do you worry about going directly to jail?

[psychomansam]

Were you assaulted by the man off the monopoly board as a child?

My mother used to try to make us play family games. Luckily this was a long time ago and I've gotten over it.

[lagerstarfish]

Orchard do a good line in games for 4 to 8 year olds that are well worth getting if you've got kids that age

fuck yeah!

we've got a few - they are ace

it surprised me how much the kids liked them

[Mumra]

My mum loves scrabble

[Grubes]

just found out I am working at the uk games expo in a couple of weeks at the NEC
 

[Grubes]

Had an amazing weekend playing games constantly for 3 days.

Highlights of new games

Tatsu - two play game very tactical with an touch of luck. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/181811/tatsu
Ice cool - Its like subbuteo but you don't have to like football. You flick little penguin models through doors and hall ways to catch fish while being chased by another penguin.

CVilisation - Resource management game with cool mechanics. The winner is the one with the happiest tribe http://www.gaminglib.com/products/cvilizations-pre-order
Burger boss - Worker placement and resource management. Very fun.

Vienna - This was also a good game I enjoyed playing https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171492/vienna

[psychomansam]

Spent Saturday wandering around the expo while off my face on meds. Didn't seem to play much but bought lots. Played Odins Ravens for a nice simple two player filler game (though not nearly as good as the slightly heavier 2p patchwork & 7wonders:duel). The diazepam was good.

If any Sheffielders ever want to try some medium-heavy boardgames, just drop me a line.  Plenty of obliging pubs etc

[Grubes]

I was working in the family zone s did not really see much.

I wanted to try Cthulhu pandemic but never got the chance. I heard beyond baker street was very good and smugglers was good too

[Will Hunt]

Cosmic Encounter seems to be back in print. Bought a copy which hurt my wallet and now I need some people to play with! Do none student types join one of them board game club things? I can imagine it being an absolute beard-fest.

[psychomansam]

The Sheffield Board game club has a few beards - a couple of old straggly ones and a couple of hipsterish ones. But mostly not. It's clearly a geeky hobby but consists largely of loads of 20s-40s year olds with too much free time. People are generally either friendly, or slightly too autistic/engrossed in their games to be friendly.

Boardgaming is increasingly mainsteam. The proper beard&b.o. brigade operate on a range of next-level-geekism planes, including role-playing (e.g. dungeons  and 73-sided dice), wargaming (lots of miniatures and 6-sided dice) and CCGing (Magic: The Gathering, et al.). Sheffield board game club does what it says on the tin and is pretty well purified of such scourges. Some clubs are more mxed. Beware local 'board game shops' which run events for people focussing on the 3 planes above.

Your location is listed as Bingley. As it happens, I recently visited Aireborough Community Gamers, 20 minutes from Bingley. They were very friendly and welcoming and we had some good games. I've looked up Diced Tea, they seem friendly. There's basically a bunch of smallish groups around Leeds and various irregular weekend meets. For the full shebang I'd recommend visiting York and Beyond Monopoly - on one of their fortnightly Saturday meets. In fact, I'm considering it for this Sat. Conference/meeting rooms type venue attached to a cafe. Club library of ~700 games.

Drop me a line if you want more guidance on such matters....

 

[Will Hunt]

with too much free time

Well that's me fucked then. Thanks Sam.

[Grubes]

Will my mate James (not the one you met) goes to a gaming club in keighley on thursday nights to play board games can send you his details if you are interested or looking for people to play with. I can confirm he has a beard.