Escape Curse of the Temple has 16
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Well it depends what you count as a variant. In the base game you switch around the order of the action areas*, so that’s already a tonne of possible set ups straight out of the box… and the 3 action areas that swap out with the base game areas can also go in each of those different orders…
.* The natural board state is only recommended for learning the game, as it places the areas in the logical order for optimal construction.
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I was thinking of Onirim, of which the second edition comes with 7 independently-usable mini-expansions, so in theory you have 128 variants. (And I think there are people on BGG who’ve deliberately played through all of them.)
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There’s a whole spectrum of what would be counted. The module combinations would be the highest level of variability, but arguably the randomised technology (special ability power ups) set ups change the game just as much. There are 23 technologies (think that includes a few promos), 6 used in a single game. 
Plus the seasons module has a whole bunch of variability: 9 seasons, 3 in a single game.
I think it beats My Father’s Works’ 13 trillion possible games or whatever they claim 
Looking on BGG, there are already people looking at broken combinations if the various randomised pieces are aligned!
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Shall we do some maths?
The simple stuff:
23 technologies, 6 spaces. Order doesn’t matter - 100,947 permutations
9 Seasons, 3 spaces. Order does matter - 336 permutations
Base game board - 8 areas, 8 spaces. Order does matter - 40,320 permutations
Use of modules together - 9 variants (8 modules + base), 1-9 ‘spaces’ (so it’ll be 9! Combinations?). Order doesn’t matter - …this is where my mind dies.
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Meanwhile back (more or less) on topic, with a side note to Boxes full of air and other tragedies …
“Ooh, it’s a nice big expansion!”
“Is that all that’s in that great big box?”
“I bet I can fit in the original even with the inlay.”
(That does omit the four new clue tiles, but they fit too.)
Looks rather good, actually. Short version:
- set up normally.
- place the volcano aligned with the hex grid (in the middle to start with, can be moved later).
- each player gets a triplet terrain tile. One hex goes on a matching island hex, lava goes on another island hex, the third hex goes in the water. That third hex is your ATV starting location.
- there are four volcanic clue tiles: adjacent/not adjacent to lava, adjacent/not adjacent to the volcano. You play one by playing an invalid clue from your hand, then covering it with the tile, which must itself be a legal clue.
- the volcano is impassable and can’t have other terrain features on it.
- whenever you pick up an amulet, you also place a lava tile, adjacent to the volcano or another lava tile. This can burn up terrain features (but can’t overlap ATVs, statues or amulets). New amulets don’t appear in lava either. The vanishing of terrain features can alter clue calculations.
- you can drive the ATV through lava, but only using an amulet, and you can’t end there.
Feels like the same general idea but with some new complications.
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Most sheep
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This is pretty much why I like Teotihuacan. It’s smooth. Doesn’t try and reinvent the wheel but the wheel is really well crafted. The race nature of all the bits keeps it interactive enough without it being too cutthroat. And like you say even in the base game the technologies out and the order of the tiles changes things up enough each time to stop it feeling always rote. Marvellous game.
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Sorry, yes, Cryptid. Really enjoyed it. And I didn’t screw up once. Didn’t win either, but still really enjoyed it. Minesweeper has nothing on this, if only it wasn’t so easy for everyone else that has played it before to tell my rule…
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Hiding your rule is the hardest and most interesting second level of strategy
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Did you play with scenarios that had negated rules? In our circle that usually breaks a few people.
@pillbox misleading others about your own rule is fun but sooo hard
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I think once the animal territory caught out somebody once, and two of the players had not slept well the night before. We still had a good laugh with the f…k ups.
We had a raffle with Love Letter and two copies and Hey, that’s my fish where people that played the games could put their names in the box and get a copy at the end of the day. My 8 yo daughter won Love Letter newest version. Technically, I didn’t buy it or won it myself, but now we have the old version on offer. I must admit I would have rather have her win the penguin game instead, but all considered, it is a bit of a faff to set up, and we know she likes LL, so I will not complain.
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I can imagine a person learning some kind of sleight of hand trick for setting up Hey, that’s my fish in a few seconds with a few rapids sweeps of their hands, and being the most popular person at games night : ) The game is awesome; but the set-up really is more hassle than it ought to be for such quick light gameplay.
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Meanwhile, the only package I’m currently waiting on delivery for apparently departed a Tokyo airport on April 30th, a mere 18 days after the previous update on the 12th when it departed that same airport.
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Ouch, that sounds like it fell out of the plane at least once. I should really try to not back Kickstarters from Japan. Although so far my quota is 2 for 2 delivered and the third one will likely deliver later this year.
Micromacro Crime City, because it looked like something a bit different. And I played the demo level online and thought it was fun (although I couldnt finish it, that might be a bad omen).
And Durian, one of the newer Oink games, of which I have a few, and generally enjoy them. Deep Sea Adventure and Fake Artist are two favourites.
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My partner likes durian!
Is it legal to play it in public places, though?
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And as Durian (the game) apparently involves an Angry Gorilla…
This auto-tuned song is dedicated to anyone who recognises it (and 100% ignorable by everyone else!)
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