Boardgaming 2022: the year of "point salad really isn't very filling"

I want to play! I’d play a forum game! I’ve never played it before.

Yes, that would be great, but how do we do the card play, drafting??

Played my first two player game of Beyond the sun Wow, what a conflict-heavy game. I thought it would be some sort of multiplayer solitaire where everybody is on his own. Instead, we were fighting for those sweet planets to get the right to colonize it (first you control, then you colonize).

In the 2-3 hours we played (with teaching), there was no boring turn. The flow of the game was perfect.

For my taste, it looks and feels great. Tech Tree, the game, pff, this is way, way more than a tech tree. But the tech tree part is great.

This is on the same level of enjoyment like Dune Imperium.

That’s my current fave game with Dune Imperium just behind!

Ended up getting Marvel United while it was on sale at Amazon and the kids and I had a blast with it this weekend. We got 3 games played which is quite a bit for us. It’s definitely a keeper and the family is already asking about getting expansions. Luckily there looks to be a game store close to me that has a bunch of them in stock so I might be able to go pick a few up. I do sort of wish the figures came pre-painted as I’m probably never going to paint them and it’s boring having just grey heroes on the board.

I also picked up Marvel United during the Amazon sale, and I’m hoping to get it to the table soon.

Hopefully those expansions are reasonably priced at your LGS - the prices online look nuts.

They only have a few of the season 1 expansions and they are $40-50 which I think is more than the kickstarter price but not crazy pants land pricing that I’ve seen other places. I probably should pick up a couple at least before they go out of stock but part of me is hoping a season 3 kickstarter will be announced and we’ll have a chance to buy them then. With that said I’m not sure what is left for them to do as a season 3, maybe a non Marvel themed United game?

They’ve picked the lowest hanging fruit but Marvel has thousands of characters.

That said, all in on season 2 was like $800 so a season 3 setup would be at least $1200 I’m guessing. I’d resign yourself to never having the complete spread.

So I was watching a SHUX preview on SUSD channel on YouTube and came across a game called Trick Shot which looks like a hockey version of Blood Bowl and I thought I must own this game. Apparently the 1st edition was Kickstarter only but I guess the 2nd edition is getting a general release? Does anyone know what the release date is and whether it will be available at boardgame stores everywhere?

Here it is on Game found. Looks like an Oct 18 release. I don’t see an option to order or back it though.

I’m keeping an eye on it. Love me some hockey, but want to see more of the gameplay loop

No one played Obsession (Downtown Abbey for board gamers) ??

It is 1-4 players. A lot of folks are all over it. I just can’t understand the appeal (I like the theme). Is the gameplay really that good? Playing cards, moving servants etc…

Just got my copy with all the expansions. For solo only. Wlll try it this weekend.

Obsession is in alpha on BGA right now. I’m playing it, it’s quite a good implementation.

The game is actually not super complicated, but there’s a bit of interesting strategy in there. I know that because my one friend keeps beating us by ludicrous margins, so it can’t be all luck. The theme is… what it is, it’s not something I’m interested in, but the game does a good job with it.

It’s quite hard to learn from the rules, they make it seem way more complicated than it is (although there are some ‘special’ rooms that are quirky to figure out). But at heart it’s quite simple, you pick an activity, assign servants and guests, and take the rewards they give you. That’s pretty much it.

It’s been a while since I last played, so I may be a little fuzzy on the details.
The game play, though simple is interesting. You have a limited number of cards (family members) to play on events and depending on the event and the person they may require additional people and servants to be placed with them. The cards give special abilities so you’ll want to acquire more and and cycle the ones you already have. Also those servants are required a day off (there not slaves) so you have to make sure you have additional servants to replace/cover for them. You’re spending money you don’t have to throw these events and increase your prestige level. So you’ll need to make some money and earn prestige. Hopefully your American Aunt with the drinking problem doesn’t show up and botch you your badminton tournament with the duke.

As you can probably guess, the theme is on point. Every game gives you your own little episode of Downton Abby or Upstairs Downstairs. There’s definitely decisions to vacillate over. It’s not Rosenburg or a LaCerda level complexity game and it doesn’t need to be. The base game alone I’d rate a 7. I think you really do need the Upstairs Downstairs expansion which adds more cards/ events and worker types. It really does a lot for the game. I have the other expansion but it’s not as necessary unless you want more families (players) to choose from or you want to play with more players.

Obsession does theme so well - not just in the art and text, but in the mechanics. Hosting a gauche American heiress will bring you oodles of cash, but tank your reputation. Your peers will admire you for bringing the old war veteran to your garden party, but he’ll require extra servants to help him get around.

The round-to-round gameplay is solid and satisfying, but it’s the theme - how well it executes its theme - that keeps Obsession on my shelf.

Obsession holds a special place in my heart because it is one of two medium-weight games (the other being Viticulture) that my wife and college-age daughter love to play. Prior to those games, we played only simpler and (to me) excruciating games like Ticket to Ride. My wife, in fact is pretty, uh, obsessed with Obsession and wants to play it constantly.

I enjoy it alot, though the point salad ending leaves me a bit flat. But the play itself, and as others have mentioned its awesome merging of gameplay and theme, far outweighs the less-than-satisfying ending. I have yet to try it solo.

I love Downton Abbey, that’s why I got interested in Obsession.

Does anyone have a copy of The Great Zimbabwe to sell or trade? Lemme know!

I wish I had one I could give you. Like all Splotter games, it is brilliant.

Not the busiest week.

I was pleasantly surprised by The Wolves. It’s an area control game, but you don’t ever receive very many pieces; instead, you spend much of your time moving your pack strategically to surround prey, occupy dens, claim points, or howl at rival wolves to convert them to your team. Is it biologically accurate? I suspect not. But I had a great time with it. Can’t wait to try again.

My game of the week, though, was Return to Dark Tower. Wow. I’m not often a fan of adventure or dungeon games, but this one blew me away. I keep thinking about it.