6581

I much prefer flashpoint for a single play co-op game as well.

6582

7 Wonders all the way. It is quick in the sense of no downtime for players, easy to set up, and also easy to learn. I’ve taught it 3 times now, and I guarantee every new player that by the time we make it to the second age, they’ll have a firm grasp of what they are doing. The first game or two might take a while (roughly an hour) but it is good in that sense because it is an hour, then there’s a chance for a quick unwind, talk about the game while its fresh, then dive back in for a second round to consolidate.

3 players makes it a little intimate in that everyone is neighbours so getting access to required resources is easy. 7 Wonders is also the game I got my current gaming group hooked on gaming with.

6583

I love 7 wonders too. More is always better with that game but 3 is plenty of fun. First game players are usually lost until about half way through and then it clicks. 2nd game goes twice as fast, and they’re just starting to understand strategy. Third game, they’re contenders… has been my experience.

6584

Learning the card icons in 7 Wonders is the hard thing for new players IMHO.

6585

But not that hard, especially compared to something like Race for the Galaxy.

6586

Well, I would say they are hard for a new gamer to grasp. I never try this game out on casuals for that reason. Otherwise it would be perfect because it can play seven very quickly.

6587

Yes, the card icons are a hassle. Even after maybe a dozen games, I’m still a little lost with some (mostly from the cities and leaders expansions). There are cheat sheets though that can be printed because passing the manual around gets a bit tedious.

6588

Well, if there are three of you, there’s no need for those two solitaire games at the top of your list. :)

By the way, with the Weyland-Yutani corporate spy cards, Legendary Encoutners Alien is a really great twist on the usual traitor mechanic. I’ve been in situations where I’m the spy and if I’m outed, I try to negotiate to help everyone else stay alive until there are just two of us left. It’s really tough to hold out when you’re one man down. But so far, no one has ever taken me up on the offer.

Oh, and do let us know what you play and how it went!

-Tom

6589

Absolutely agree. Flashpoint’s co-op dynamic, theming, pacing, and the general (lack of) frustration level makes it sooooo much better in so many ways, especially when trying to get new people into boardgames. I think you were instrumental in getting me to buy that, and I never posted how much I like it.

-Tom

6590

Legendary: Alien is a lot of fun. Hard as hell though

6591

Ha, I should have known that was coming… :)

I was forced to include those since I only really buy solitaire games these days, and felt I needed more than three games on the list. ;)

Thanks for all the input - I’m strongly leaning towards Flashpoint for the first session since I know it so much better than the others. The less frustration and rule look-ups the better. Once hooked I’ll reel 'em in with some 7 Wonders and Alien, and then think about whether to crack Pandemic Legacy solo or not.

6592

I’m glad you liked it. :)

6593

We’re planning a boardgames night/afternoon and my brother is trying to choose a game for us all. There will be at least four of us and probably five if my girlfriend joins in. We don’t play often so he’s wanting to make sure the purchase is a solid choice for future get togethers.

He asked the folks at Shut Up & Sit Down and they recommended:

  • Inis
  • Cyclades
  • Cosmic Encounter

They were based on this brief: “4-6 players. We like conflict, competition and calling each other bastard when losing.”

Thoughts on these and any other recommendations to add to the list?

6594

I’ve not played Cyclades, but I wouldn’t recommend Inis for a group that doesn’t play often since it’s a game that only really shines after a few plays.

Cosmic Encounter is a great game for a group that likes to banter since table talk is a huge component of it.

6595

Perhaps we can triangulate a bit better with a little more. What length is ideal? Is there a maximum? How heavy do you want it? What other games do you like as a group?

Without any other information I’d throw King of Tokyo/ New York* out there, as it certainly hits conflict, and the player who picks up all their dice because they really just want to kill someone certainly will earn everyone calling them a bastard. It is a game that I’ve played with my parents, multiple times.

*New York adds monster powers to differentiate players some, which is also a feature from the Powered Up expansion to KoT, which sadly is hard to get these days.

6596

If I knew what my group of friends and brother liked it’d make (typically video)games nights much easier to plan! Unfortunately they’re a fussy bunch at the best of times. When I think I’ve got them pegged they surprise me, for better or worse :-) Edit: that said, they’re all enthusiastic at the idea of a semi-regular boardgames night so the opportunity’s ripe.

We’ve only really played The Resistance together before and while that was enjoyed by all, I’ve played so much of it now it’s getting a bit long in the tooth! They’ve not played much of anything other than the usual popular boardgames before so this is all pretty new to them.

I’ve played a handful over the last few years and of the lot I’d say that The Resistance, Stone Age, Dix’it and Colt Express have stuck out to me personally. The former and latter have been great for table talk and dramatics, while Stone Age just seemed like a nicely balanced strategy game that wasn’t too heavy. Dix’it has been a real crowd-pleaser for everyone we’ve played it with, ranging from groups of four to over eight. It’s a delight.

I own Sheriff of Nottingham which I’m hoping to run by them, same goes for base Pandemic which I’ve yet to crack open, sigh. Sheriff has gone down well with my other friends though.

I think I can safely say that they wouldn’t want anything too fussy or heavy on the rules front or something that’s a slog over hours and hours. I’d say an hour or so is a good length for the time being.

King of Toyko/New York I have looked at in the past! I’ll definitely investigate that and run it by the others.

6597

It sounds like Cosmic Encounter would be a great fit. It’s negotiation heavy like The Resistance, but with more player bashing. It’s actually a pretty simple game, however it is very verbose so it’s ideal if at least one player at the table is good at reading and explaining rules. There are a TON of special abilities and to get them to interact without too much rules lawyering, each is explained in lots of detail. To understand them you really only need a sentence or two of explanation. So if you feel confident understanding and explaining those special abilities to players, I think it’d be a great fit.

6598

Sounds like a good match so will take a closer look.

6599

With Prime Day in force can anyone recommend a co-op board game that would be primarily played with 2 people (my wife and I). She loves Pandemic (and I like it). We both loved Pandemic Legacy.

I have to coerce her into playing anything competitive and we have a bunch of choices for that, but I could use a little variety so we don’t always have to play Pandemic. It doesn’t need to be super simple or anything, but probably not a multi-hour game.

6600

One Deck Dungeon.

Once you know the rules it takes about 30-45min to set up and finish a game. It’s a co-op dungeon crawler made for 1-2 players.

On my phone, about to sleep, or I’d say more about it.