For @Lordof1, It works well for sporadic play as there aren’t too many overall turns in the game, the board state isn’t over complicated, but it is perfect information so you can pick up where you left off without memorizing things.
For @Benkyo , it made a pretty bad first impression on me, as well. Took off like crazy after a number of games. I think the hook, distinct from Race, is:
You know your start world and the available devs from the beginning, so you can make a game-long strategy from the beginning. As opposed to the adaptation and incremental value puzzle of Race (which is also good. Just distinct).
Again, the dev market, it’s a different point of competition from Race, insofar as the synergies available might be plain to all but the supply is limited, so trying to assemble an engine either before or counter to your opponents requires disciplined play.
Most importantly, the role selection is open and sequential. Since Race has you guessing and things are simultaneous, following actions is great but often opportunistic or sporadic. Here you have a lot of information (as well as mutual excludsion) to anticipate selection, and the criticality of anticipating, planning, and capitalizing on every action has become, for me, the crux of the game.
Might not be a hook for you, but those are the things that got it off my cull pile after an initial lack of enthusiasm.
If I can play a material game, I do prefer it. Also for async I find the choice of game matters a lot - I got very lost in Keyflower (with you?) because I had to re-parse the game state every time I came back to it, and BGA’s notes only go so far.
(Also not a premium BGA-er, especially since the Asmodée takeover.)
That said, @COMaestro I’d be happy to flail about in another game of Yokai Septet.
I’ll play pretty much anything but I do struggle with learning games async (as our current games of Through the Ages prove)
Will never turn down
GWT
BTS
La Granja
Terraforming Mars
Castles of Burgundy
Just One
RFTG
Troyes
If anyone fancies an inappropriate async tricktaker, Bacon is in alpha (my copy should be arriving any time now). Cat in the Box is on there as well
I would like to try Maracaibo and Barrage but need to learn them first. @Acacia has talked me into trying Caverna.
If people haven’t been on recently, the catalogue on BGA has exploded over the last 6 months. There’s new, really good stuff coming to alpha every week (Glass Road and Lancaster landed last week)
I’m absolutely up for those, for some reason I thought it would be a great idea to play as many different games as possible on there.
edit- just send me a friend request: Marktar. I’ll literally play anything.
One game I’ve been meaning to grok and one I’ve been hoping to cull, pending play! Great.
Tragically imperfect implementation of one of my favorite games. That was a 6-player learning game and I agree. I’ve played it 3-player since and it works much better in the format. Still an implementation for those who already love the game, though.
I’d love to join the next. I could write a long essay on trick taking, my relationship to it, and my feelings on the recent glut of barely-different trick takers but this is one I do want to try. Does it work at all async?
@MarkSP - we share a love for Agricola. I think you’ll love this as well, it may be the most Agricola game I’ve been able to find. Less stressful but you’ve got a hand of cards to shape your strategy and it’s the same “got to get this farm in order but I can only do it one step at a time, what do I do first and how do I pay each round’s bills while getting there” thing. I sat you at the table; there’s a fourth seat for anyone else.
@Captbnut@COMaestro since you two listed it. There’s a fourth seat for Kate or anyone who wants to jump in.
@ Everybody. Sounds like we can run two tables of this right now? I’ll start one. Feel free to join or start a second.
