Here’s more focused. I went through my collection and was surprised to see that maybe half have multiple editions to choose from? In general, I’m a big fan of big box / complete editions (as who wouldn’t be) and balancing corrections.
Deluxifying and graphical updates I’m behind maybe 90% of the time. There’s exceptions.
Modernization, reimagining, I’m maybe 50/50. I have the examples of the ones I supported as those are what’s in my collection: Kemet Blood & Sand, Pax Pamir 2e, Libertalia WoG, London 2e, Zoo Vadis. Cyclades I was generally against, though they brought me around (except for the high price point). Palaces of Carrara is an example where modernization diminished a game.
Last category I saw was money grabs. Basically, we had a good idea so we are going to tweak it and sell it again. Sprawlopolis, Azul, Pandemic… Yes, the games are all truly different, but I feel they don’t all have a need to exist.
After all is said and done, here are the handful of edition changes I thought merited comment:
Agricola: I have the old z-man EIK edition. This is tough, as the new ABCD decks and player count setups are good rebalancing, which I like. But the Revised edition is also modernized in a way that sands away some of the game’s character. Agricola wouldn’t cut it today - there used to be 20 or fewer hot games in a year, so everyone would hear about a game like Agricola and give it multiple plays. Nowadays there is 200 and an individual game may get just one play. I’m grateful I got “in” back when I had the attention to get over the threshold, and I don’t want something gentler.
El Grande: Hate the big box, love the beige. I’m also happy to have the expansions - though there’s only two maybe I’d like to play with I do want to play with them. I literally can’t stand the new colorful edition.
Android: Netrunner So there’s the OG, the Revised Core + Kitara, and now Nisei + System Gateway. I only have the original core but I have the first two cycles and Kitara so I can make 95% of the revised version. I have Nisei’s starter but not the system gateway, as it was just a lot of money for cards I already had some of. I need a human opponent to explore this with. And I just don’t know where to start when I do?
Yellow & Yangtze: I’m still not sure if this needs to exist or if I just want T&E. The games are different enough, but at the same time playing one always makes me worse at the other. The interesting thing here is Huang (see Scandals thread). Basically, a publisher violated their agreement with Knizia, lost their shop, Yellow & Yangtze died a la Glory to Rome, but then someone was allowed to make the same game as Huang. And Huang, to me, looks hopelessly ugly. And I never hear about it. What happened with Huang?
La Granja: I’m STILL ON THE FENCE and that is why I have both. I honestly prefer the $25 beige mentality of the original (though I have the third or so printing with rebalanced cards…). But there’s so much niceness to be had in the deluxe version. It’s pretty in a different way, and the playability of layered boards here is a huge boost. Someday I’ll sell the original but kind of like Burgundy I like having this ultraportable package for a great game.
Mysterium: Ugh. Here’s another one where I own both it and Park. And can’t play either, as they give the spouse the jeeblies. I think Mysterium is 10/10 and wouldn’t change it for anything, but consensus is that Park captures it while refining it. One day I’ll decide.
Whitehall Mystery: And here I’m on the other side, give me the distilled version. I have no interest in Whitechapel.
Pollen: This one is interesting - with Samurai and Caesar! there is no way I’d every even consider Samurai the Card Game. But give me flowers, bees, and Beth Sobel and here is my money. The lure of Pollen is the inverse of Mysterium. Put the box on the table and anyone in my house will volunteer to play.
Hands in the Sea: So this is kind of A Few Acres of Snow 4e. After Acres (Wallace) came Mythotopia (Wallace) and then A Handful of Stars (Wallace). Most who played the latter games say they are better than Acres, but still not good enough to take off in the market and kick off the era of deckbuilding war games (hello Undaunted). Enter some schmoe named Berger who took the model, pitted Rome against Carthage and… those who play it say it’s better, but still not good enough to take off in the market.
This was one of those games I listed for “have, but might never play.” If I find someone who wants to learn this with me, we’re playing Polis 2e for the first year. Then we may get to this one. After 6 years of Latin I’m just a sucker for Roman history and I have open curiosity about Acres that needs to be settled after a failed async at Yucata.
This is one of those games in my attic that’s there for a rainy day (or year).
I also noted a few games that desperately need to be reimagined in a new edition:
Empyreal: Standard box, 1-5 players, desaturated board so the game state pops, cleaned up iconography. Revised setup rules to prevent or discourage “divide and conquer” gameplay that drains the life out of the game. Honestly, such good mechanics that are hampered by Level99’s first experiment in “table presence” and a few missteps.
Neom: Again, such a good game. Such a bad name (Draftopia? Draftopolis? Sim City: The Board game?) and mediocre art. If I’m ever rich and bored I’m going to personally gather a team to reboot this one.
