1641

Thanks much guys, though the shipping brings it right back to Amazon levels again ;) Silly FedEx wanting their cut.

1642

Thanks much guys, though the shipping brings it right back to Amazon levels again ;) Silly FedEx wanting their cut.

Yeah, you’re going to have to buy at least $100 to qualify for free shipping there and just about everywhere else besides Amazon.

1643

Keep an eye out for holiday shipping deals using the Hot Deals forum at Boardgamegeek. Troll & Toad had one a few days ago for free shipping on any in-stock item that I used to snag an expansion that I forgot to put in my last big order.

1644

Looks like GMT is delving into making computer games, featuring Twilight Struggle and the newly released Labyrinth (which I’m seriously thinking about getting).

— Alan

1645

I’d be curious to hear your impressions of Labyrinth (this, as a point of reference). I can’t wrap my head around the way the asymmetry of the sides is connected to that game style just from reading the rules, but I’d be shocked if it wasn’t incredibly polished mechanically.

1646

Yeah I know. It should prove interesting–asymmetrical games can be loads of fun if done correctly. I haven’t played many, the last being perhaps Reds, which I have to say was fucking badass. Volko Ruhnke is a terrific designer, so I have a bit of faith in this design (and highly solitaire capable to boot, a big selling plus to me).

— Alan

1647

I certainly love asymmetrical games at the tactical level, since Space Hulk and hulk-alikes are definitely in my top tier of 2p games. I am definitely willing to give Hannibal another chance in that spirit, since it’s clear I missed a lot of nuance when we played it and it’s probably one of the most well-regarded of the strategic asymmetry games that I have on hand.

I wrote some extended impressionsof Claustrophobia at BGG, but I’m really impressed with the package so far. A very distinct flavor from Hulk, and I think it really succeeds in streamlining movement and positionality without diluting the importance of choices that players make. Everything about the design and the exploration-style board is incredibly refined and well-produced, and I’m looking forward to contrasting it further with titles like Incursion that push in the other direction of complexity.

Also, the Warhammer Invasion LCG that Reldan introduced me to this weekend has really improved my view of the genre, although from what I’ve heard the other matchups may not be as interesting as ours was (orcs vs dwarves). I’m not sure to what extent understanding the whole panorama of possible cards you can draw is an integral factor to doing well in this game, but I think Reldan is accurate in saying that it is not as newbie hostile as the more combo oriented Game of Thrones LCG. Either way, good times.

1648

Three days to BGG.Con! Can’t f’ing wait. A good chunk of my regular gaming group will be there (I bumped into the host last year which is how I met them), I’ve got a nice all day game of Twilight Imperium scheduled just like last year, and I’m looking forward to playing all those nice new Essen releases. Yay. Roll on Wednesday.

1649

They are also now selling a bunch of other games, like Agricola, Catan variants, Steven Jackson games, etcetc. Something to think about next time you need a last minute gift.

1650

I’m contemplating a game order. Forbidden Island, Castle Ravenloft, and Betrayal at House on the Hill are $6 short of free shipping at thoughthammer. Any suggestions on something to round out the order, or warnings to avoid any of these? The Space Hulk card game is tempting, but is out of stock. Boards and Bits has it (and slightly better prices), but they don’t have Forbidden Island.

1651

You might want to consider www.minaturemarket.com as they ship free at $75 and have all of your aforementioned games in stock. I ordered from them for the first time this week and will definitely be a returning customer.

I guess I could give a warning about Castle Ravenloft to not expect it to be a dungeon crawl or deep game like Descent. It’s a light “fighting against the clock” tactical reaction game. I think a good comparison would be Ghost Stories. Just depends on whether that’s what you’re looking for or not.

1652

The Space Hulk card game is the only game on your list I have a strong recommendation for, especially for the price, size, and versatility. Here’s the headless hollow player aid. It’s probably still going to seem inscrutable until you just lay it out on a table in front of you using the pictures in the manual, and then it all comes together pretty quickly. Really sound mechanics and a nice change from “follow the leader” style coops where more experienced players tend to dominate without shutting off help altogether, and a nice balance between luck and planning. Don’t forget that you can’t play the same squad action twice in a row…that completely unbalanced our first playthrough.

I’ve had a hard time getting Betrayal on the table, so I can’t really say if it’s just uninviting after reading the rules or actually more a product of secondhand nostalgia than a classic that holds up.

Nephrinn’s qualifier about Ravenloft is a good one: judging from the number of people that love it, it’s definitely attending to some demand out there, but it’s definitely not the one for consistent tactical depth or a strong integration of narrative in the scenarios. I’m actually dismayed to hear it compared so directly to Ghost Stories, since I was considering that as a coop alternative.

Also, here’s a solo session report that gave me a better idea of what was going on in Labyrinth.

1653

I’ve played both, but I enjoy Ghost Stories a lot more than CR despite not winning a game yet. It seems like the mechanics work together much better and there are more options at your disposal as well as more things going on to hurt you. So, I’d say not to let my comparison deter you from at least trying Ghost Stories especially when you enjoy Death Angel so much (which I love too).

1654

If you do plan on purchasing this game, you should know that a lot of people are complaining about warping of the card stock. Based on the photos I’ve seen on BGG, the warping can be pretty extreme.

Has anyone played Cutthroat Caverns? It sounds like a lot of fun, especially with a group of players who don’t mind being cutthroat with each other (like my group!). Tom Vasel gushes about it, which means it has to be good, right? :-)

1655

Anyone else going to BGG.Con? I’ll be there all 5 days!

1656

Thanks for the warning. The BGG forum reports now that WotC will be replacing the warped tiles, although that’s still an annoyance to deal with.

1657

Played both Innovation and Lords of Vegas this weekend. I highly recommend both.

Lords of Vegas feels like Chinatown but more fun (at least more exciting). Nothing like gambling at the opponents casino and taking his money away.

Innovation is another great card game from the maker of Glory to Rome. Be prepared for a lot chaos and insane moves but the game really does hit a sweet spot. The theme is very much pasted on, but when you can get cards to work in unison it does feel like a very light civ game.

1658

I hope everyone is having fun @ bgg.con.

Glad to read that Lords of Vegas is solid. It’s moving up my list of games to get.

1659

Has anyone purchased Sid Meier’s Civilization: The Board Game, yet?

1660

I hope to get it today. I don’t see an opportunity to play it until Black Friday during my meetup however.