Just started listening to the episode yesterday, and it’ll probably take me all week to get through in bits and pieces. I’ve played 5 of these games (Pandemic Legacy, The Mind, TI4, A Feast for Odin and Skull), and own a sixth I haven’t been able to get to the table yet (The King’s Dilemma). It’s an interesting list and I’m curious to see their reasoning for things.
TI:4 is probably the weirdest recommendation for me. Personally, I love it. It’s my favorite game. That being said, it’s definitely not for everyone. I would not recommend everyone play it. Unlike something like The Mind–which I also love, but is also not for everyone–which takes 15 or so minutes to play, if you find out after starting that TI:4 is not for you, you’re in for a long, terrible time. You could just stop playing and leave, but then that messes up a lot of stuff for the rest of the players. TI really requires a commitment from the other players to be in for the long-haul or it really falls apart.
I understand why they’d recommend it, I don’t think there’s anything that delivers that experience. It’s just not an experience I think many people actually want.
It’s not for everyone, but TI:4 has a very active and pretty welcoming TTS/TTPG (Table Top Playground) community. The mod the community’s built for both programs is impressive. I haven’t done a tone of TTS and no TTPG, but it’s the best online implementation of a game I’ve played on TTS.
This sounds terribly familiar… because another SU&SD recommendation I picked up a few years ago was Dead Last. Then I realised that it was all about the in-group working together to pick on someone, and that’s basically my school days: the game.
I dunno. I feel like the point of lists like these is to get people talking, even in disagreement.
Though, I get what you’re saying. If I put together a personal list it would probably have a few games on there because they deliver an experience you can’t get anywhere else, and I think people should try it. Though, by nature of delivering a singular experience the game’s definitely not going to be for everyone because not everyone is going to enjoy that experience.
I’m not sure exactly what they were going for, but it was definitely interesting to listen to! Much better than those “100 books you must read before you you die” lists, which always make me want to make a rude gesture and go off and read all sorts of unsuitable books
I’m tempted to put Cosmic Encounter on the list because most people SHOULD play it at least once to find out. It’s a classic, it’s unique, and even if you have a bad time you’ll have gained something from playing it. It’s a 45-year-old boardgame that people are still talking about.
Yup, the length is my biggest “complaint” with TI4 being on the list. 8+ hours playing a game you realized wasn’t for you after an hour is rough. That being said, I do think everyone should read about and watch a video or two about TI4 to get an idea if it is for them. And if they think it is, definitely find a way to play it at least once. It’s long, and messy and there’s nothing quite like it.
Cosmic Encounter would probably be on my list, at least in a 4 person game. Even if someone ends up not liking it, it doesn’t take too long.
Listening now, and I’m sad that nothing Chudyk got in, despite Ava’s worthy effort. 2/4 people never having played the game clearly made that impossible though.
Took me a moment to work out what they were talking about when they said mowtaii-inai though. Mangled Japanese is genuinely hard to understand.
Edit1: I just hit Quinn’s assertion that no game has more depth than Skull with less rules than Skull. I think he forgot Go!
I thought it was a very good discussion over all and enjoyed the episode a lot. I was inspired to make my own list–being a software dev I am used to making lists type-safe–and so I had to make a list where all games conform to the same type of expectation. The SUSD list really kind of needs the whole episode for context.
Finished listening now, as a caveat I think it was a broadly interesting discussion and a lot of good games were brought up.
However, as someone who has been losing arguments to a more eloquent, persuasive and argumentative best friend since I was 9 I think that Quinns and to an extent Matt railroaded the list where they wanted to go.
It’s a fun thing and it really doesn’t matter but personally I found parts of it difficult to listen to.
Right, I managed to listen to the podcast last night, and although I have only played 3 of them, I can see what they sort of wanted to get at.
Pandemic Legacy Season 1
Never played it, but I have played a fair bit of Pandemic, and I see why it is here. If I’m honest, Legacy is not something that appeals to me (the thought of destroying components of a game really horrify me) but seeing how most gamers agree is the best there is, I can see why it is on the list. I would replace it by Spirit Island, though.
The Mind
Played it, don’t own it, and I don’t intend to. Great description of the experience. You don’t know what it is, but from a simple concept a whole meta-thing develops out of thin air, which can be quite magical. I definitely agree with it being on the list, to be tried at least once.
Twilight Imperium 4th Edition
Would love to play this in real at least once. As I would Eclipse, or any space opera. Or any sandbox game The problems to do so are two, who to do it with, and where to get the time to do it. I have not been committed enough yet
Crokinole.
Too expensive to feel enticed by it, plus space issues. My answer here goes in the same direction as Roger, I’d rather not try it. If I knew somebody that owns it, close by, I would definitely give it a go.
Bohnanza
Played it and really enjoyed it. But I didn’t think it was such a game that everybody needs to try at least once.
Tigris & Euphrates
I must admit this does not appeal to me one bit. And if after all that time you can end with one point, I know it is a game I would end in negative score. Thanks for making clearer that it will not be a game for me…
The King’s Dilemma
Great concept, would love to play it. But I have the same problem here that I would have with Captain Sonar, you need a large group, and you need that group to commit for a period of time. Nearly a dream. In fact, I would have put Captain Sonar on the list instead.
A Feast for Odin
Played it, loved it. Actually, the two only Uwe Rosenberg games I’ve played made the list, funny that.
Skull
Never played, but would love to. Although if they compared with Cockroach Poker, to me it needs to be really good to beat that.
Roads & Boats
We were all thinking of pillbox when this came up. I’m surprised it beat the Brass games, although I’ve never played it, I would have Lancashire instead…
I did enjoy the backs and forwards on the podcast, and I think they should do things like this more often. Even though I agree that Tom and Ava had the junior treatment to a degree.
PS: By the way, where did Blood on the Clocktower end up?
Aside from the fact that it is great and “SHOULD” be tried, you can’t score negative. You just score whichever of 4 colours you have least of, plus the wild colour (treasure) split evenly between them. Put more thematically, if you just do a ton of religious wars and temples and end up with 20 red, neglecting your farms, markets, and legal infrastructure(?), your score is still going to be low. You get a point for every tile you place in a kingdom that is attached to your corresponding leader.
