We finally played a game of Age of Steam last weekend with my new kickstarter deluxe edition. I’ve been bugging the other guys in my group to get into rail games for a long time, and finally they agreed to try. After a painful learning game (one guy took out 12 loans and just barely broke even), I expected them to not ever want to play again. However, when we ended, they all said that they enjoyed it much more than they expected, and want to play again soon.
Also, even though there are some printing errors in the kickstarter version, it is still a fantastic production. I love how clean and neat the visual design is. The group next to us was playing Orleans, and compared to AoS, that looked like a complete mess visually (one guy said it looked like three games set up next to each other).
Some of the tutorial missions aren’t real missions, really. The first three or four are just instruction on setting up the boards, how to move, etc. I think it’s not until tutorial 5 that they actually have two players opposing each other. Really a slow walk, but probably a good idea for a game like this.
Enjoy hearing your thoughts on your playthroughs. It’ll be a while before I can play this one with an opponent.
McCrank
3106
Any thoughts on Dungeon Degenerates? I saw the Goblinko store is having a 50% off sale.
Brooski
3107
There’s a guy here who is playing DD and posting like one million videos. Which you have to go and find individually since there is no “Dungeon Degenerates videos” tab.
Brooski
3108
Anyone who plays Advanced Squad Leader.
It’s as weird a game as it looks. I’m pretty crazy about it, but that’s largely because I find it disconcerting. As a game design, it’s got a couple of cool things going for it, a couple of disappointing bits, and some utter fumbles. But I still find it fascinating and I’ll take it over Gloomhaven any day of the week and twice on Sundays.
Shoot, really? I was worried about that. Don’t they queue up because they’re in a playlist? I really need to learn how the damn internet works.
My intent was that starting with the first video would set them up in a linear chain for anyone who wanted to follow along.
-Tom
McCrank
3110
Hey Tom - Do you like the game? How would you rank it?
(Oops, see edit above. Happy to answer any specific questions, as well.)
-Tom
Vesper
3112
Just a couple new games this week, including @hassanlopez’s Maniacal!
Speaking of boardgames… does anyone have an opinion on Wingspan (expansion pictured above)? My nephew’s fiance is getting a PhD in some sort of bird-related field and I thought the subject matter might be something that they find especially engaging. The cheapest copies I see on Amazon are around $50 so I don’t want to purchase a copy without knowing if people think the game is a keeper.
Matt_W
3114
The art and components are gorgeous. The turn-by-turn gameplay is slick and frictionless… and the game itself is pretty pedestrian. Gizmos is a similar game, but has superior strategic possibilities and more (i.e. some) player interaction. Also, Wingspan’s art kind of gets in the way of playing. It’s hard to read the cards from across the table, and you need to be able to do that to play effectively.
I agree with Matt W. Bog standard worker placement. But if your nephew’s fiance is really into birds, it might make for a more interesting gift than a better worker placement game without the bird theming. Depends on whether the gift is for relevance or design prowess.
-Tom
Hmm, well, she’s a definite bird (animal) person but I’d rather give a good game than a thematically appropriate one. So thanks for the input, guys.
Anyone have a line on a good game that has strong animal themes?
rowe33
3117
As an alternative opinion, we like Wingspan! Love the bird stuff and how the theme integrates. It’s not my favorite game around but it’s fun to play, has different ways to build your engine, and the components are top notch. The eggs are cool little bits too but don’t mistake them for mints.
Everdell has a strong anthropomorphic animal theme going on. It’s not nature-related at all but fun to play, beautiful art & components, and I believe it’s really well reviewed too.
tomchick
3118
Well, to be fair, me and Matt_W should be considered the alternative opinion. Wingspan is wildly popular!
This is kind of adorable, and it’s got mostly solid theming. Uniquely interactive, too. You’re all collaborating to build and populate the world instead of keeping you noses down in your tableau. One of the issues with Wingspan – and most worker placement games, frankly – is that there’s so little meaningful interaction. I really appreciate games that avoid the “multiplayer solitaire” pattern, so something like Ecos gets a big thumbs up from me.
-Tom
CraigM
3119
I’m curious, becuase I’ve heard you sing the praises of Le Havre. How do you feel that solves the multiplayer solitaire? Because that’s my biggest gripe, and why I largely dislike most worker placement games.
Or is it simply a case that you like the economic engine enough that the multiplayer solitaire aspect doesn’t bother you?
Matt_W
3120
In Le Havre, you can use your opponents’ buildings. In fact, it’s hard for you to use your own buildings. There’s a bunch of interaction potential there with timing and trying to finagle things so to position your opponents do things you want while you avoid doing things they want.
@tomchick, thanks for the suggestion. Ecos sounds great. We love cooperative games, plus our gaming group has six people. That one sounds like a winner!
tomchick
3122
I haven’t played LeHavre in quite some time, but I don’t recall it being multiplayer solitaire at all. Once a building is put down on the table, anyone can use it. But when I add a bird to my tableau in Wingspan, no one cares. Everyone is just waiting for their turn.
But a lot of the tension in LeHavre relates to each other’s buildings. When will someone use a specific building? Will they use it? If I build it, will other people use it? Is someone else going to build it? Is it even going to get built? In a way, like Ecos being about players collaboratively building a world, LeHavre is kind of about players collaboratively building an economic engine.
At least that’s how I remember it. Does that seem accurate? I’m making myself want to play LeHavre.
-Tom
Matt_W
3123
Anyone see this SUSD review of Don’t Get Got? This looks like a fantastic party game. I really enjoy strategic brain burners, but lately I’ve also been liking board games that facilitate deliberate social interaction in a more casual way. This sounds perfect for an upcoming cabin trip I’m doing with 4 other couples (and a liquor store’s worth of booze.)
