BGG Hall of Fame

Boardgames
21

Starting to get a little rockier. Ticket to Ride is of course highly marketable and hugely successful but I feel it is the weakest game of its genre and time, among the likes of Catan and Carc.

Caylus I’d argue against more for personal reasons, I didn’t enjoy playing it and found a few scripted strategies to be easy to fall into. It felt like a rough draft, there’s recipe fulfillment, expanding worker spaces, competition for turn order - not sure if it innovated any of those? But I never felt it came together well. Yeah, it’s mean, but in a third grade shove you in the mud way, there’s no art or genius to its meanness.

Twilight Struggle as well. Sure it’s a monster in past popularity but as far as I know it didn’t invent card driven war. It captured a moment in time and was popular for a time. It certainly would go on a list of candidates, not sure I’d vote for it.

None of these are obviously terrible choices. Pretty defensible really. They definitely feel, to me, a tier below the 10 that came before.

Regarding Puerto Rico I certainly would have expected it. On the other hand, there’s not really been a ton of lead/follow games to come after it. I’m always surprised how little it’s been duplicated or expanded on. Not zero, but not like worker placement or deckbuilding. It could be theme as well, I can see the social risk of nodding a game that offends.

1 Like
22

So:

Diplomacy
Acquire
Cosmic Encounter
Civilization
1830
Magic
Catan
El Grande
Ra
Tigris & Euphrates
Carcassonne
Power Grid
Ticket to Ride
Caylus
Twilight Struggle

All seem like solid picks to me, though I haven’t played a few of them. Only two (Tigris & Euphrates and Twilight Struggle) are current personal favourites of mine, but that’s hardly relevant.

2 Likes
23

Of the list so far: played 5 (Acquire, CE, Magic, TTR, Caylus), owned 3 (Diplomacy, CE, Magic), currently own 0.

4 Likes
24

Played (and owned, unless otherwise noted):

  • 1830
  • Magic (previously owned… I suppose, as much as you can own (or previously own) MTG)
  • Catan
  • Ra
  • Carcassonne
  • Power Grid
  • Ticket to Ride

Owed but not played:

  • Acquire
  • El Grande
  • Tigris & Euphrates
  • Caylus (as Caylus 1303)
2 Likes
25

Own
Cosmic Encounter
Carcassonne

Played
Acquire
Catan (previously owned)
El Grande
Ra
Tigris & Euphrates
Power Grid (previously owned)
Ticket to Ride (owned Legacy if that counts)

Nope
Diplomacy
1830
Magic
Caylus
Twilight Struggle
Civilization

Of my nopes, my husband used to own and play a lot of tournament Magic and has played Twilight Struggle

3 Likes
26

Owned & Played
Cosmic Encounter
1830 (if you count 1889… stretch)
Magic
Catan
El Grande
Ra
Tigris & Euphrates
Carcassonne
Ticket to Ride

Played not Owned
Diplomacy (don’t like)
Caylus (don’t like)
Twilight Struggle (might one day like?)

Not Played
Acquire
Power Grid

And am I the only one who has never even heard of Civilization?

2 Likes
27

I’ve heard of it. Mark Bigney, of So Very Wrong About Games, spoke about it often back when I listened to that podcast.

In many ways, it’s a seminal design.

It was also designed by the same guy who started 18xx, the late Francis Tresham.

3 Likes
28

Own and played:
Magic (in high school, still have some cards)
Catan
El Grande
Ra
T&E (played on app and BGA only so far)
Carcassonne
Ticket to Ride

Played:
Civilization (I think, once in college)
Cosmic Encounter
Diplomacy (in high school)
Twilight Struggle (app only)

Not played:
1830
Caylus
Acquire
Power Grid

2 Likes
29

Owned: Magic

Played: Diplomacy, Catan, Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride

Will play: Cosmic Encounter

Will buy: El Grande, Ra

3 Likes
30

Oh, fair point, I have played Civ too. Who wants to trade with my half full of disasters?

2 Likes
31

Through the Ages
Agricola
Brass
Race for the Galaxy
Dominion

Have played all 5. Used to own 4 of them (not Brass). Currently own none.

4 Likes
32

Own Race, and have played it, but only on BGA.

3 Likes
33

I have some doubts on the “less stellar” inductees like Ra and PG, but sure, I guess.

Own:

  • 1830 - I only have 3 18xx left and it’s 1 of them
  • Acquire
  • Cosmic Encounter - still the best ‘random bullshit generator’ game. I sold Werhle’s games for this…

I used to own everything else, with the except of Dominion and I have played all of them

3 Likes
34

Played (and owned, unless otherwise noted) (updated):

  • 1830
  • Magic (previously owned… I suppose, as much as you can own (or previously own) MTG)
  • Catan
  • Ra
  • Carcassonne
  • Power Grid
  • Ticket to Ride
  • Agricola
  • Brass
  • Race for the Galaxy (only played solo, though)
  • Dominion

Owed but not played:

  • Acquire
  • El Grande
  • Tigris & Euphrates
  • Caylus (as Caylus 1303)
2 Likes
35

(Currently) Own: Cosmic, Magic, Ra, Carcassonne, TTR (a variant), RftG
Not played: Diplomacy, Acquire, Civlization, 1830 & Caylus. I did always mean to try Caylus… I think friends own it.
I have played the others, though except for MtG, Catan (once upon a time), Carcassonne on the table as well as Ticket to Ride, Through the Ages, Dominion & RftG in digital versions, the others I have played were only once or twice.

Looks solid enough for a Hall of Fame.

3 Likes
36

Diplomacy was great as a Play by Post (maybe we could run a game on the forum!?) but in person always took faaaaar to long

3 Likes
37

Let’s see:

Own:
Carcassonne
Through the Ages (digitally)
Race for the Galaxy
7 Wonders

Previously Owned:
Catan
Power Grid
Dominion

Played:
Diplomacy
Magic
Ticket to Ride
Agricola
Pandemic
The Castles of Burgundy

I’m not sure that I’ve ever even heard of Caylus. Maybe whenever I’ve come across references to it I’ve conflated it with Cyclades, both of which my brain sees as “words beginning with C that have no meaning to me”.

Given the BGG comments, I also feel compelled to say that I own a copy of Puerto Rico.

2 Likes
38

Is gloomhaven old enough? Surely that and pandemic for tomorrow?

2 Likes
39

First batch of games must be at least 10 years old. Original Gloomhaven is 2017 so a couple years too young.

2 Likes
40

Games from ten years ago would be Pandemic Legacy Season 1 nooooooooooo #FeelingOld :sob: :sob: :sob: :sob:

5 Likes