Where does this community stand on Orleans vs Altiplano?
Orleans = better game, Altiplano = better theme
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We have Orléans and like it a lot, so see no point in getting Altiplano.
Similarly, we have Flamme Rouge and like it a lot, so see no point in getting Heat.
It took me a lot longer than it should have done to move from “that game looks just like this game that I like - I’ll like it as well, I must buy it!” to “I absolutely don’t need a game that’s just like one I already have.”
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I found that Orleans integrated the theme better, which makes the game easier to remember
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I’m not sure I’m aware of the general rankings/ratings of games enough to mention specific instances of one “worse” game being ranked higher than a “better” game.
I used to obsess of BGG stats and “Best <X> Games for <Y> Players” lists and all sorts of nonsense.
I see, now after years of watching, that the numbers on BGG are mostly random and the ones that aren’t are likely irrelevant to me.
I own both. Orleans is probably the better game, but I really dig the theme/setting of Altiplano. I haven’t explored the expansion content of Orleans, yet, though.
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Trade is pretty much a must. I have never played Orleans without the Trade town board ever since. Never tried Intrigue
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As @BigJackBrass posted elsewhere recently, i’d line to see fewer “the ten best” lists and more “ten that are pretty darn good” lists. I know they’re competing for my discretionary [currency], but…
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I generally find reddit threads for mildly aged games to be the best crowdsourcing for quality. You get a variety of opinions (unlike dedicated BGG forums) and the voting puts consensus opinions higher up to put some weight on them.
That said, and maybe providing a window into the crazy here, but I put my professional skills to use to rebalance bgg ratings into something more useful. Calibrating on similar editions released far apart - Kemet, Eclipse, War of the Ring, etc. Making sure the two games end up in a similar place, while games that were truly upgraded (Gaia vs Mystica (consensus, at least), Libertalia 1 & 2, etc) still demonstrate ratings growth.
Annual ratings inflation is pretty easy to capture. There’s also a dynamic where ratings drop over the first 2,000 votes or so, moving from the pure fans to the general public. Hard to get that exactly right, as I don’t think it’s consistent game to game or from year to year. Games also seem to re-inflate after 40 or 50k votes as you get into people who haven’t played or rated many games at that volume.
The hardest to peg is the “hype” factor. I don’t have flags for what was kickstarted or who reviewed what and how positive it was. I definitely over-punish recent games with high ratings count as a proxy.
A lot of work for what is still a lone and questionably reliable data point, but it’s helped me use the volume of BGG opinions to better compare games across different eras.
(Interesting to note that my rubric gives Birm and Lanc roughly the same rating. I know the purists want it to flip, but it’s something. I also feel that the games maybe aren’t as different as the conversation would have you believe… heresy I know… but we aren’t dealing with Gaia vs Terra here, or Gric vs Caverna, or T&E vs Y&Y. More like Steam vs Age of… oh more heresy…)
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Whitehall Mystery (667) over Letters from Whitechapel (374)
WM is 95% of the same game but with a fraction of the playtime and setup.
Codenames Duet (246) over Codenames (139)
I find that players tend to get quite unambitious and cagey with their clues in Codenames. This is mainly because picking the other team’s clue early is so punishing. You only have 3 words that you really need to avoid in Codenames Duet so people tend to get more ambitious and creative.
Cyclades (242) over Kemet (158) and Inis (97)
I will be taking no questions on this matter.
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I think that’s a classic first mover thing. Bgg people have analysed LfW to death, but when WM came along it was “much the same game, only smaller” and it got much less attention.
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Kemet belongs in the trash. I will take no questions.
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I have had Kemet for maybe 5 years. I haven’t played it because I like Cyclades so much, so it tends to get the nod when the right opportunity comes up. However, I can’t weigh in on this one with zero Kemet and one Inis to my name.
I just like seeing Cyclades get a boost.
Funny, I’ve found the opposite: if you don’t try and win with three clues, you are playing to lose. Of course, sometimes it backfires, but still…
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