Small World is, in my experience, a (small) step up in complexity from your other games. My family had trouble with it just because the powers are omnipresent, whereas for example in King of Tokyo you have time to get your feet wet before contending with the rule-changing cards. Still, could very well be a hit because that step is pretty small, however it has more direct interaction which some people don’t do well with. Unlike King of Tokyo where you only have one target to hit (“I had to hit you, I had no choice!”), in Small World you have to actively choose to hurt someone at the table, which can cause hurt feelings.
You might be interested in Dixit. It’s a lot like Apples to Apples but with more meat so it appeals to gamers more. Its mechanics also make it so when you see the same card(s) a second time, it’s still interesting.
There’s the recent Dead Panic that’s a sequel to Castle Panic, might be worth checking out for a similar experience.
Ticket to Ride and Carcassone both have plenty of expansions to extend their interest value. Ticket to Ride: Asia maps are pretty cool. They come with a map for team play (good with 4 or 6 players) and a map with an interesting mechanic to lower the randomness of destination ticket draws. Carcassone: The City is my favorite Carcassone variant and works great with 2 or 3 players. It has a few extra rules, but less constraints on tile placement so you have more options every turn to consider.
You also might want to check out a Matt Leacock game if you’re interested in more co-op. Pandemic is a game about curing the world of diseases. There’s also Forbidden Desert and Forbidden Island, which have a sort of pulp-themed co-op adventure going on. All are accessible on the complexity scale, but with some interesting stuff going on to keep you interested.
tylertoo
6342
Thanks Porous. Dixit looks perfect. As you said, A2A-like but more meat.
hepcat
6343
Flash Point is still my favorite coop game. I loved Pandemic for a long time, but the theme in Flash Point is married to the mechanics so well that it’s hard not to actually be in awe of the game whenever things go tits up for your firefighters.
Chaplin
6344
King of Tokyo was a big hit for family game time. I HIGHLY recommend the Panda whatever expansion as it adds identity to the different monsters. It is a must buy expansion frankly.
Outside of that I am on the same hunt and plan to look over the iOS version of the dice game Quarriors that came out today as folks here seemed to indicate that it was not up to the buzz it has generated elsewhere online.
Beyond that, I stumbled upon Krosmaster Arena this weekend and really, really liked everything I saw. It is essentially a League of Legends or DotA type game played as a turn based tactical boardgame (or online too actually if you register your stuff) that has a Chibe Anime art style. It was theoretically a big hit as both the adults and the eight year old boy (plus another gaming couple) were rather excited after seeing a demo, but I had my hands slapped and reminded what time of year it is.
wisefool
6345
I’ve been playing dixit at thanksgiving and Christmas. I love its elegance. A small warning is that it works better with four or more players.
They do have a three player variant rule where each player puts down two cards. That seems to work a bit better.
In addition to Dixit, I ordered Bohnanza based on recc. elsewhere, and also Sentinels of Multiverse for me. If the wife and daughter want to join in on that, so much the better.
Chaplin
6347
Sentinels…SOOO good. If your daughter and wife are at least tolerant of super heroes, then that could be a real winner. The more expansions the better for that one as it is highly modular.
Has anyone played a Study in Emerald? Is it good? Is it a few acres of snow for 4 players?
It seems intent on arriving at my apartment a moment before I leave to spend Christmas with relatives who don’t play games at all. Just fantastic.
I finally played Coup last weekend, which I believe someone here had not liked very much and recommended against. I share their opinion. Fine game, but not terribly exciting. The lying / bluffing was less exciting then The Resistance, the deduction element was less interesting then Love Letter, and the rules were complicated enough as to be periodically confusing to a group that regularly plays games so it doesn’t quite count as light enough for non-gamers. The component quality on the kickstarter is really top-notch however. Really pretty game.
And in my quest to continually be impressed by Spiel De Jahres winners that I’m convinced I’ll hate, I played Alhambra twice and thought it was quite fun. Reading the rules had me expecting the game would be dull, but I ended finding a lot more to like during play then I expected. Pretty great light game with a bunch of extremely simple mechanics that mesh well enough to be interesting, but not so much as to be taxing. Certainly not the main course for a gaming day (I don’t think any Spiel De Jahres winner qualifies there), but I’m happy to have it in my collection.
Haven’t played Coup, but based on what it sounds like, you should try Mascarade. It’s by bruno faidutti so you can already guess what to expect. It’s got roles and bluffing like Coup except you can’t look at your card (unless you use your action for the turn) and cards get swapped face down and in secret. It’s very hard to keep your identity straight. It’s an absolute blast. I love it.
Wow, that game sounds way more fun. Definitely on the interest list.
Correction. The spelling is Mascarade.
ioticus
6353
Played King of Tokyo with two people and it doesn’t work well, guess I’ll have to trade it.
Chaplin
6354
Even if it is a great game, I can see that as it is essentially a King of the Hill game.
Gedd
6355
Yeah, King of Tokyo definitely needs more than 2 players to make it work. I think it even plays ok with 3, but it’s solidly in the “more the merrier” camp.
Chaplin
6356
I also feel a bit of this, though not as much, with Pathfinder. I think the game really shows off the tough decisions and game clock/blessings crunch when you hit the sweet spot of four players.
DarrenO
6357
A Christmas chock full of board gamey goodness is on the way. I am pretty sure our family has King of Tokyo, Pandemic, Firefly and Sentinels on the way either to kids or ourselves, so lots of choice on Christmas Day. We’re with completely non-board game savvy extended family on Xmas day, so should it all be held back or are any of those suitable to mass teach/learn all at once? I have had them all play Settlers and 7 Wonders before but I cannot say either of those was a complete success.
King of Tokyo is a game that demands 4 players. It’s such a blast and I’m looking forward to getting Rampage and having monster game night.
Hopefully my coolstuff order will ship in time for the holidays. I’m just waiting on Battlecon to arrive.
Speaking of…if you like level 99 games, they’re kick starting a new worker placement game Argent: The Consortium. Looks like a very interesting take on a worker placement game with a Harry Potter meets Anime theme. Cannot not wait to try it out.
King of Tokyo and Pandemic are both games you can play with non-gamers. King of Tokyo is a more interesting Yahtzee without being much more complex. Plus it’s super short, which helps it be unintimidating. Pandemic is moderately complicated, but made easier because it’s co-op so everyone wants everyone to understand and contribute. Plus, if they managed Settlers and 7 Wonders, Pandemic won’t be too complex. I don’t think Firefly or Sentinels are games you want to play with non-gamers however. Sentinels is a great game but can get pretty confusing with all the effects going on and is quite math-y which is a big turn-off for some players (especially if they don’t play regularly).
Also, if you’re looking for big group games fun for non-gamers (not sure of your family size), consider The Resistance for 5-10 players and Werewolf for 10+ players. Werewolf can be played with just a poker deck (you can read the rules online at BGG) and The Resistance is pretty cheap / readily available.
All that also comes out when you have two players each using two characters!
-Tom
