2024 Board Game Challenges!

Played another couple games of War on Arrakis, and still enjoying it, but figured out we were doing a bunch of rules wrong that made the Atreides a lot harder to win with. But that just means I’m looking forward to the next game more!

Nick and I played our second mission in our campaign (which he is definitely going to win) of Battletech, and it continues to be great. I know a bunch of things I will definitely do differently next time (Primarily involving taking medium mechs… I don’t usually like mid-weights, I’m all about lights and heavies, but the way the scenarios are made it makes a lot of sense to have some bullet sponges available).

Other than that, not a lot of games off the list, but it was a very busy month for my writing and painting. Hopefully April will be better!

Nothing off the list, but I don’t think I added any new games either, except for a copy of Ark Nova that a buddy wanted out of his collection. We played it, it’s good (I still like Terraforming Mars better), and since he hates it, I now own it.

My store is running a massive sale on copies of Anhk, so one of those is coming home with me this month, but on the 14th there’s a gaming Yard Sale run by the local gaming group, and my plan is to purge at least 50 games from my collection. First, I need the money (editing costs this month were $3,390), second I need the space (my gaming shelf is buried behind so many games I can’t even get to it right now).

It’s going to hurt. I love a lot of the games that I need to axe because they never see the table, and I doubt I will manage to sell all the games I bring even if I’m willing to give them away (and at the end of the sale I just might), which means I’ll have to say goodbye to the ones I really like and might have to bring home the ones I like least! Ah well.

2 Likes

April Results

10 X 10 Challenge
Whoops, no progress :grimacing:

Opportunity 50 x 2 Challenge

Game Month Total Status
Black Angel - [3/2] :white_check_mark:
The Gardens - [3/2] :white_check_mark:
Android: Mainframe 2 [2/2] :white_check_mark:
Mykerinos 2 [2/2] :white_check_mark:
Oh My Goods!: Longsdale in Revolt 2 [2/2] :white_check_mark:
Race for the Galaxy 0 [2/2] :white_check_mark:
Elevenses 1 [1/2]
Give it to the King! 1 [1/2]
Lost Ruins of Arnak - [1/2]
搜索 (Scout - One More Game! Edition) 1 [1/2]
Progress 16%

Better here, with plenty of new games and one expansion played.

Mykerinos and Android: Mainframe were the picks of the bunch, both excellent. Scout is always great. The Oink games version is much more stylish than my previously unplayed Chinese one, but you forget once you get into it.

Give it to the King! is going straight out the door and will never get a second play, awful random nonsense that would have been dated in the 70s.

KeyForge Grim WoE 100 Challenge

Set Deck Month Total
WoE Finally Educated Órækja 8 8
WoE Poole of Saliseat - 8
WoE Rumpleadder, the “Protector” of Curses - 1
GR Arrowshadow, Spawn of Superval 3 15
GR Gasga, the Cobbler of the Tower 1 9
GR Bourdet, Mauallan’s Conqueror - 4
GR LumiluLibrarian, the “Traitor” of the Past - 3
GR Saint-Germain of Saurtonne - 1
Progress 8 of 31 decks played [49/100] plays

Ticking along nicely.

Netrunner 15 Challenge
No change

Tekeli 20 Challenge
No change

Have an mega May of gaming everyone!

4 Likes
Game Plays
Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition 12 (+2)
Rallyman: GT 11 (+4)
Kabuto Sumo 9 (+1)
Nokosu Dice 7
Project L 6
Trio 6
Imperium: Horizons 5
Lemminge: Wer Springt Zuerst? 5
Rallyman: DIRT 5 (+2)
Freehand 4
Rallyman 4

As usual, all three Rallymans are shoe-ins because I’m doing the monthly challenges on BGG (also Sentinels). Kabuto Sumo and Nokosu Dice both seem very likely to make it, and my word I’d like to play some more Imperium.

5 Likes

I’ll be doing a 20x5 instead of a 10x10! - 41/100 done!

Game Plays
Brass Birmingham 5 :partying_face::partying_face::partying_face:
Brass Lancashire 5 :partying_face::partying_face::partying_face:
Cthulhu Wars 2
Dominant Species 0
Escape: Curse of the Temple 0
Feudum 0
Food Chain Magnate 4
Glory to Rome 2
Imperial/Imperial 2023 3
Impulse 0
MarraCash 0
Nokosu Dice 6 :partying_face::partying_face::partying_face:
Pax Renaissance 4
Pax Transhumanity 3
Ride the Rails 1
Root 1
Irish Gauge 1
Santiago 1
Stephensons Rocket 1
Yokai Septet 3

Through the Twenty Ages - app plays included because…
4/10

MicroMacro Challenge - 1/4 done

  • Original
  • Full House
  • All-In
  • Showdown
  • Bonus Box
3 Likes

Not a good month for gaming… I managed to sell a bunch of games out of my collection so it’s almost to the point of fitting on my shelves (I’m actually pretty sure if I stopped and organized my shelves completely that they would all fit… aside from Oathsworn, but that won’t fit anywhere, no matter what… but it would take too long to complete reorganize everything at this point).

I did get a couple games of old school Dune in, as well as a few plays of Gravwell and Tyrants of the Underdark, both of which are very satisfying. Another game of Dune this week, and then I might float the idea of playing Twilight Imperium with the group… it would be really nice to get it back on the table.

Well, I gave away my copy of Newspeak, so it’s no longer on the list, and I purchased and played Same Game, which I enjoyed quite a lot but the group I was playing with did not enjoy at all. Their exact words were along the lines of “It’s a great game for people who aren’t us,” which I respect. Either way, it’s leaving the collection today (no room for “games I like occasionally” in the collection these days).

Other than that, I think I’ve done a pretty good job resisting adding more games to the stack.

Have a great May of gaming, everyone!

6 Likes

No new games played this month. :frowning_face:

We’ve just been very busy with things, and my wife cannot learn a new game when she’s stressed. Also the kids have been staying up later, so it’s hard to try to get a solo game to the table, too.

4 Likes

After like 3 years we played a round of Gloomhaven again. Took a bit to get back into the rules and especially characters but it was fun :slight_smile:

7 Likes

I am a bit late this month and due to Harmonies arriving yesterday, the state is not representative of the end of the month:

  • Daybreak (28 /12) → mostly BGA
  • Naturopolis (12 + / 12)
  • Sprawlopolis (12 + /12)
  • Terraforming Mars (12 + / 12 ) → Appgames + 1 BGA
  • Trailblazers (11 / 12) → most of those on BGA
  • Planet Unknown ( 9 / 12 ) → mostly BGA
  • Tetrarchia ( 8 / 12)
  • Cascadia ( 7 / 12)
  • Food Chain Island ( 7 / 12 )
  • Harmonies ( 7 / 12 ) → since yesterday
  • Canvas ( 4 / 12 ) → since it is now on BGA, don’t own it anymore. It was more fun on BGA than on my table but I doubt it’ll stick
  • Spirit Island ( 4 / 12 ) → Nature Incarnate finally arrived, yay

None of my other challenges are going anywhere at the moment. I haven’t even played 20 different games yet for the 20 x 5 multiplayer challenge.

But I am happy Spirit Island broke into the solo challenge.

5 Likes

Is this also the goals thread? Same same?

Since 2021 my annual goal has been to play Sidereal Confluence. About a month back I told everyone, for my birthday I just want an afternoon and a group of people.

Sunday we’re playing Sidereal Confluence. Really looking forward to it! I’m Kjas, which I heard are a comparatively weak race, but for a table of first-timers that shouldn’t matter. I like their style.

And, of course, I have a bag full of 9 other games in case we’re up for a second, to suit all tastes and taste all suits. This is me.

10 Likes

I just played my first game with the Kjas last night! And yeah, they are kinda weak in a vacuum.

But the ability to get two colonies a turn is powerful, and they can generate a fair number of resources from them “for free.” The trick at that point is to get complimentary tech to let you turn those free resources into useful stuff.

They make good friends with the Caylon, since they need a constant supply of jungle worlds, and the Faderon, who need Ice planets.

Have fun!

4 Likes

At the end of May:

Game Plays
Rallyman: GT 15 (+4)
Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition 13 (+1)
Kabuto Sumo 9
Nokosu Dice 7
Project L 6
Rallyman: DIRT 6 (+1)
Trio 6
Imperium: Horizons 5
Lemminge: Wer Springt Zuerst? 5
Rallyman 5 (+1)

Hoped to get in an Imperium at Expo, but the times and people didn’t like up. Oh well.

3 Likes

I’ll be doing a 20x5 instead of a 10x10! - 50/100 done!

Game Plays
Age of Innovation 4
Brass Birmingham 5 :partying_face::partying_face::partying_face:
Brass Lancashire 5 :partying_face::partying_face::partying_face:
Cthulhu Wars 2
Dominant Species 1
Escape: Curse of the Temple 2
Evolution 0
Feudum 0
Food Chain Magnate 4
Glory to Rome 4
Imperial/Imperial 2023 3
Impulse 1
Irish Gauge 1
MarraCash 1
Nokosu Dice 6 :partying_face::partying_face::partying_face:
Pax Renaissance 5 :partying_face::partying_face::partying_face:
Pax Transhumanity 4
Ride the Rails 1
Santiago 1
Stephensons Rocket 1

Through the Twenty Ages - app plays included because…
7/10

MicroMacro Challenge - 1/4 done

  • Original
  • Full House
  • All-In
  • Showdown
  • Bonus Box

NOTES: Removed Root and Yokai Septet as I’m not keen on exploring them further and I have to cull my trick takers. Added Evolution and Age of Innovation

5 Likes

Not a good month for completing challenge games, sadly. An okay month for playing games in general, but not specifically for games on the list.

Aside from Battletech, which saw my buddy and I concluding our first Campaign using the “Death from Above” campaign rules (which work really well, honestly). We’re going to try a co-op game of Battletech Aces using Alpha Strike (the faster rules for larger scale games), which I am excited about… basically it will be the AI controlling a Star of Clan mechs against Nick and I both controlling our own lance of Inner Sphere mechs. I’m really curious to see if it works!

My co-op group has confirmed that we are done with Oathsworn, so that one is going to remain incomplete. We played it 12 times, got our mileage out of it, but it’s not good enough of a game to slog through the next half. I do intend to read the rest of it (and reset everything for the next play group who inherits my copy), but the group is intent on giving Divinity a stab.

I’ve played a fair number of other games: tried Ito by using a copy of The Mind along with poker chips, and it seems really neat, played Deep Sea Adventure a bunch, played four or five games of Thunder Road Vendetta, two games of Sidereal Confluence, a couple games each of Kingdomino, Tsuro, Survive Escape from Atlantis, and Cyclades… honestly a fair number of games.

I’m crossing a few games off the list because I sold or gave them away, so they’re no longer Unplayed In My Collection… did get one new game (Thunder Road Vendetta) and have already played it a half-dozen times or so. Good, if mindless, fun game.

I think that’s it for new acquisitions this month, but I know I have my name down for a few releases coming out over the summer. Nothing big, as memory serves, but we’ll see!

Have a great summer of gaming, everyone!

5 Likes

Once again no new games played, but we had one heck of a month, so it’s not too surprising. Did play a ton of Lost Cities and Star Wars the Deckbuilding Game, as well as a fair number of plays of Ethnos and Lords of Vegas, plus a few of Lords of Waterdeep. If I were doing a standard 10x10 including these games, I would be a good way through it now

Got Father’s day and my birthday coming up in the next two months, so hoping to do some catch up.

4 Likes

May Results

10 X 10 Challenge

Game Month Total Status
Black Angel 0.9 [3.9/10]
Race for the Galaxy - [2/10]
Terraforming Mars - [1/10]
Imperium: Classics 1 [1/10]
Total 1.9 7.9

The 0.9 for Black Angel is due to a tea-saster… it was close to the end of the game when a full cup was upended across the table. :scream:

After three days in front of the heater you can’t tell for most components unless you know, but a few cards are a bit the worse for wear. :disappointed: Fortunately it was oolong tea, so no milk or sugar involved.

Finding Imperium: Classics very painful to learn, and so far not feeling like it’s worth the effort!

Opportunity 50 x 2 Challenge

Game Month Total Status
Black Angel 0.9 [3.9/2] :white_check_mark:
The Gardens - [3/2] :white_check_mark:
Android: Mainframe - [2/2] :white_check_mark:
Mykerinos - [2/2] :white_check_mark:
Oh My Goods!: Longsdale in Revolt - [2/2] :white_check_mark:
Race for the Galaxy - [2/2] :white_check_mark:
Sprawlopolis - Points of Interest expansion 2 [2/2] :white_check_mark:
Sprawlopolis - Wrecktar expansion 2 [2/2] :white_check_mark:
Under Falling Skies 2 [2/2] :white_check_mark:
Elevenses - [1/2]
Give it to the King! - [1/2] Sold
Imperium: Classics 1 [1/2]
Lost Ruins of Arnak - [1/2]
搜索 (Scout - One More Game! Edition) - [1/2]
Villages of Valeria 1 [1/2]
Progress 24%

A respectable month.

Villages of Valeria was a bit rubbish solo, need to try multiplayer.

KeyForge Grim WoE 100 Challenge

Set Deck Month Total
WoE Finally Educated Órækja - 8
WoE Poole of Saliseat 1 9
WoE Rumpleadder, the “Protector” of Curses 1 2
GR Arrowshadow, Spawn of Superval - 15
GR Gasga, the Cobbler of the Tower - 9
GR Bourdet, Mauallan’s Conqueror - 4
GR LumiluLibrarian, the “Traitor” of the Past - 3
GR Saint-Germain of Saurtonne - 1
Progress 8 of 31 decks played [51/100] plays

Netrunner 15 Challenge
No change

Tekeli 20 Challenge
No change

Have an joyous June of gaming everyone!

5 Likes

It’s a pretty rough rulebook. If you know someone who can teach it to you that may work better. Or the Imperium: Horizons rulebook, which is on BGG, is a bit clearer though still not great.

3 Likes

I am a little late to this party due to my job shenanigans occupying all available computing capacity in my brain.

Anyway last month was an awesome month for gaming because of our gaming vacation with our friends. I can finally report on more than solo games :slight_smile:

But first the solos 12x12

  • Daybreak 12+ (and I don’t know exactly how many more, but a lot) :white_check_mark:
  • Naturopolis 12+ :white_check_mark:
  • Sprawlopolis 12+ :white_check_mark:
  • Terraforming Mars 12+ :white_check_mark:
  • Trailblazers 12 :white_check_mark:
  • Harmonies 11/12
  • Cascadia 9/12
  • Planet Unknown 9/12
  • Food Chain Island 8/12
  • Tetrarchia 8/12
  • Spirit Island 6/12
  • ??? (Currently Next:Station Paris occupies the final slot with 4 plays on BGA but it is unlikely to stay)

And now for the 20x5 multiplayer challenge (10x10 is too impossible)

  • 7 Wonders Duel 5+ :white_check_mark:
  • Daybreak 5+++++ :white_check_mark:
  • Die Crew 2: 5 :white_check_mark:
  • Dorfromantik 5+ :white_check_mark:
  • Terraforming Mars Ares Expedition: the impossible base game coop mode 5 :white_check_mark: (we lost every single game but some were close, the Crisis mode is much more feasible)
  • Cascadia 4/5
  • Forest Shuffle 4/5
  • Harmonies 3/5
  • 7 Wonders OG 2/5
  • Ark Nova 2/5
  • Cryptid 2/5
  • Libertalia: WoG 2/5
  • Mottainai 2/5
  • Railroad Ink 2/5
  • Sail 2/5
  • Tinderblox 2/5
  • Wyrmspan 2/5
  • Cat in the Box 1/5
  • Star Wars the DeckBuilding Game: 1/5
  • Terraforming Mars the Dice Game 1/5 (I won and my partner declared he hated it. But it has dice and he loves dice… I am confused)

It is highly unlikely this second challenge will be completed. But it was really nice playing with other people a bunch :slight_smile: However, I want to note I think I prefer big games at lower playercounts <4. Two or three seems optimal. Party games are a different thing. But with games like Ark Nova or Wyrmspan I prefer smaller number of opponents so I can read them and anticipate them. 7 Wonders with 6 is still good but very random. Libertalia is the one that really shines with 6 but this is a game that thrives on mayhem, right?

5 Likes

If you fancy a BGA Railroad Ink I’d be happy to join you.

4 Likes
Game Plays
Rallyman: GT 21 (+6)
Sentinels of the Multiverse: Definitive Edition 16 (+3)
Kabuto Sumo 9
Rallyman: DIRT 8 (+2)
Nokosu Dice 7
War of the Nine Realms 7 (+6)
Imperium: Horizons 6 (+1)
Project L 6
Rallyman 6 (+1)
Trio 6

A month without Nokosu Dice is a month without… something.

3 Likes

I’ll be doing a 20x5 instead of a 10x10! - 57/100 done!

Game Plays
Age of Innovation 5 :partying_face::partying_face::partying_face:
Brass Birmingham 5 :partying_face::partying_face::partying_face:
Brass Lancashire 5 :partying_face::partying_face::partying_face:
Cascadero 4
Cthulhu Wars 2
Dominant Species 1
Escape: Curse of the Temple 2
Evolution 0
Feudum 0
Food Chain Magnate 4
Glory to Rome 4
Imperial/Imperial 2023 3
Impulse 1
Irish Gauge 1
MarraCash 1
Nokosu Dice 6 :partying_face::partying_face::partying_face:
Pax Renaissance 6 :partying_face::partying_face::partying_face:
Pax Transhumanity 4
Ride the Rails 1
Stephensons Rocket 2

Through the Twenty Ages - app plays included because…
7/10

10 plays of Huang - 1/10

MicroMacro Challenge - 1/4 done

  • Original
  • Full House
  • All-In
  • Showdown
  • Bonus Box

NOTES: no notes

4 Likes