My buddy just got Bang!, I'm looking forward to playing it.
Pandemic is just a great game. It's actually really popular in Public Health circles, to the point where sometimes we have 'Pandemic Trainings'. The game is pretty brutal and unforgiving, though, but it's fun to lose together.
I got Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, and 7 Wonders for Christmas. Pandemic is awesome, Ticket to Ride is fun as heck, and I haven't busted out 7 Wonders yet, but I'm hoping it's good as well.
7 Wonders is pretty fun - it's a little overcomplicated, but worth playing at least a few times. I got Ticket to Ride for Christmas as well (from my 3 year old son!) and I've had a blast with it so far.
Been playing Carcassonne lately. Thinking about expanding my board game collection. I'm looking at picking up Relic (WH40k), Nexus Ops and Descent: Journeys in the Dark.
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"No one may threaten or commit violence ('aggress') against another man's person or property. Violence may be employed only against the man who commits such violence; that is, only defensively against the aggressive violence of another. In short, no violence may be employed against a nonaggressor. Here is the fundamental rule from which can be deduced the entire corpus of libertarian theory." - Murray Rothbard, Cited from "War, Peace, and the State"
Bang! is amusing. I have some semi-gamer friends - they consider Monopoly or Risk appropriate game night fare, but are at least interested in having game nights - who adore it. Great crossover game - interesting enough for the gamers to play a few times without falling asleep, but fun for non-gamers who happen to be hanging out with you as well.
My buddy just got Bang!, I'm looking forward to playing it.
The one thing to watch out for is sometimes when it gets down to Sheriff versus one Outlaw/Renegade, the game can drag on a bit. The deck has close to a balanced amount of offensive and defensive cards, and the most common offensive cards (Bangs) can only be used once per turn, while you can Missed! and Beer (for example) in the same turn. The last time I played, 3 of us sat there for over half an hour as the final two duked it out, only ending when Dynamite finally exploded on one of them.
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The one thing to watch out for is sometimes when it gets down to Sheriff versus one Outlaw/Renegade, the game can drag on a bit. The deck has close to a balanced amount of offensive and defensive cards, and the most common offensive cards (Bangs) can only be used once per turn, while you can Missed! and Beer (for example) in the same turn. The last time I played, 3 of us sat there for over half an hour as the final two duked it out, only ending when Dynamite finally exploded on one of them.
Ah. We may stick more to King of Toyko, then, because when those games end they end quickly.
During the few times when I can get my friends together to play at the same time and we're not playing M:TG, I like to break out Battle Cattle. Think Battletech minus the anal retentive side. Totally a beer & peanuts game.
I'd like to check out Zombicide, but that might require more of a commitment than I can get from my friends.
7 Wonders is pretty fun - it's a little overcomplicated, but worth playing at least a few times. I got Ticket to Ride for Christmas as well (from my 3 year old son!) and I've had a blast with it so far.
The big draw for me for 7 Wonders (and why I put it on my Christmas list) is that it can be played (supposedly) with 2-7 players. I normally play games with just myself and the wife. However, I just read the instructions for 7 Wonders and feel that I was a bit misled from the description on Amazon.com and Boardgamegeek.com. Yes, you can play with 2 players, but it's primarily designed as a 3+ player game. The 2 player game takes a lot more for extra setup and isn't recommended for your first time playing.
The big draw for me for 7 Wonders (and why I put it on my Christmas list) is that it can be played (supposedly) with 2-7 players. I normally play games with just myself and the wife. However, I just read the instructions for 7 Wonders and feel that I was a bit misled from the description on Amazon.com and Boardgamegeek.com. Yes, you can play with 2 players, but it's primarily designed as a 3+ player game. The 2 player game takes a lot more for extra setup and isn't recommended for your first time playing.
I got it under pretty much the same circumstances, except we had played it before. My wife enjoyed it, so we got it to play 2 player. It works fine that way - don't sweat it.
I'd like to check out Zombicide, but that might require more of a commitment than I can get from my friends.
I picked it up (and the expansions). Haven't played with the expansions yet, but the game is best described as Left 4 Dead as a board game. It seems deceptively easy at first, until people start leveling up and the number of zombies spawning intensifies, but it ends up a lot like Pandemic where seemingly manageable zombies are suddenly a horde. The rules aren't really that difficult, either.
As far as a time commitment, a single game actually doesn't take much more than an hour to an hour and a half, depending one whether or not you include set-up time. I'd recommend setting the boards up in advance if you want to play. The real key to an enjoyable game is to ensure no one takes a ton of time making decisions. The chronic overthinker can really kill a game like this.
I got it under pretty much the same circumstances, except we had played it before. My wife enjoyed it, so we got it to play 2 player. It works fine that way - don't sweat it.
Cool. I'm glad to hear that.
I made the same mistake concerning number of players when I bought Settler of Catan. Playing 2 player... definitely not recommended for that one.
I made the same mistake concerning number of players when I bought Settler of Catan. Playing 2 player... definitely not recommended for that one.
7 Wonders has virtually no interaction, not even the indirect interaction of games like Settlers or Ticket To Ride. The 2 player setup is just to make sure the card counts work out and the Soldiers rules function, nothing more.
I made the same mistake concerning number of players when I bought Settler of Catan. Playing 2 player... definitely not recommended for that one.
Yeah, there are very few games that play equally well with two players and with three-plus. They're usually optimized for one or the other.
Actually, I think Magic is one of the best games at player-number flexibility as far as rules and speed-of-play are concerned, but of course it's a TCG so you can't just pull it out at a party. More introverted games, the kinds where you focus on building up your own economy, also tend to do pretty well - I'm talking games like Dominion, Puerto Rico, and Race for the Galaxy. But of course the reason they do well is precisely because your interactions with the other player(s) are limited, so that's a turn-off for a lot of people. (I have heard Seasons strikes the interactivity balance well, but I haven't played it yet.) Cooperative games often offer a very different, but still perfectly effective, experience with two players. Arkham Horror, for instance, gets much more desperate. And a friend of mine just got a game called Castaways that's quite compelling at two. And finally, there are some games that are designed for two sides, which can be either individual players or teams. These tend to run pretty well at all numbers, since the power balance between the sides doesn't change.
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candidus inperti; si nil, his utere mecum.
7 Wonders has virtually no interaction, not even the indirect interaction of games like Settlers or Ticket To Ride. The 2 player setup is just to make sure the card counts work out and the Soldiers rules function, nothing more.
I've found the optimal number of players for me in 7 Wonders is three. You compete for military with your two neighbors, so this setup makes everyone into neighbors. Also you can play defensively and deny certain cards to certain players when there are few players. But as with any game, as you add more players, it makes less and less sense to put any effort into defense at the cost of advancing your own board.
I agree with the general sentiment though, it's tough to find a good game that works equally well for 2 players as it does for 5 or 6.
I'm talking games like Dominion, Puerto Rico, and Race for the Galaxy. But of course the reason they do well is precisely because your interactions with the other player(s) are limited, so that's a turn-off for a lot of people. (I have heard Seasons strikes the interactivity balance well, but I haven't played it yet.)
Some folks in my cube group introduced me to seasons, especially latching onto the drafting aspects as a selling point. I enjoy it, although a lot of my luck-adverse (non-magic playing) board game friends don't seem to like it as much. It's definitely worth a shot if you can borrow or rent out a copy from your LGS.
For deck builders with a little more interactivity, I've really become a fan of the ascension series. Mainly the interaction is forcing other players to discard hand or "artifact" cards. Ascension also plays pretty fast, so it isn't prone to wearing out its welcome if it's not your groups thing.
On the very very high level of interactivity in a deck builder, there's puzzle strike, which I friggin' love! Highly recommended, especially for magic players (unless you don't like the theme).
My brother owns Seasons as well. It looks interesting but we haven't played it as of yet, just read the rules.
Puzzle Strike is a card game played with cardboard chips instead of cards that simulates a puzzle video game called puzzle fighter that, in-turn, simulates the fighting game street fighter that is emulated in puzzle fighter
Oh wow, that's getting ridiculous. Puzzle fighter is pretty good though.
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"Virtue, Jacques, is an excellent thing. Both good people and wicked people speak highly of it..."
I host a board-gaming group at my house that plays nearly every week. We usually have a rotating group of 4-5 players every night we play. We are very much into heavy, hard-hitting strategy. Not as much into drawing from decks and rolling dice. Randomness is for sissies! These are games for really strategic people, not as a side event at a party.
Our favorites:
Agricola -- High strategy with a small tinge of randomness, but one of the most fun games out there.
Caylus -- Nothing Random. All strategy. Lots of fun.
Power Grid -- very little randomness, and a really fun game that builds to the end with a great finish every game.
Puerto Rico -- the game that started them all. Still great, but after playing 50+ times it can get stale, unlike some of the others above.
Other thoughts:
We have both Dominion and Thunderstone from the deckbuilding-as-you-go genre, and everyone in the group greatly prefer Thunderstone. Dominion is fun, but once you get the added element of the dungeon in Thunderstone, it seems too simple to go back to Dominion. However, we play Dominion with our non-boardgaming friends and they love it, so it has its purpose.
Great Intro Games:
Settlers of Catan-
Kingsburg - both of these games are great at showing ppl who have no experience that there is more to board games than monopoly. Yuck!
Smallworld is a lot of fun for a lighter game as well.
We haven't bought a new game in around 2 months, so I was wondering if anyone has played any of the following, whether they would recommend it, and if they played all, which they would suggest:
Check out Nations. If you have luck averse friends, the game has no random qualities outside of event/progress cards and who goes first on turn 1 (and even gives people a perk for how much later than first you go
Castles of Burgundy is good. If you like both Agricola and Puerto Rico you'd probably like it.
In fact it might be my favorite of the "manage multiple resources and build your own settlement/city/whatever" eurogames I've played, but im not a huge fan of eurogames - which by the way is the word to describe what you like. Low chance, resource focused (and often consequently not too conflict-based).
I host a board-gaming group at my house that plays nearly every week. We usually have a rotating group of 4-5 players every night we play. We are very much into heavy, hard-hitting strategy. Not as much into drawing from decks and rolling dice. Randomness is for sissies! These are games for really strategic people, not as a side event at a party.
Our favorites:
Agricola -- High strategy with a small tinge of randomness, but one of the most fun games out there.
Caylus -- Nothing Random. All strategy. Lots of fun.
Power Grid -- very little randomness, and a really fun game that builds to the end with a great finish every game.
Puerto Rico -- the game that started them all. Still great, but after playing 50+ times it can get stale, unlike some of the others above.
Other thoughts:
We have both Dominion and Thunderstone from the deckbuilding-as-you-go genre, and everyone in the group greatly prefer Thunderstone. Dominion is fun, but once you get the added element of the dungeon in Thunderstone, it seems too simple to go back to Dominion. However, we play Dominion with our non-boardgaming friends and they love it, so it has its purpose.
Great Intro Games:
Settlers of Catan-
Kingsburg - both of these games are great at showing ppl who have no experience that there is more to board games than monopoly. Yuck!
Smallworld is a lot of fun for a lighter game as well.
We haven't bought a new game in around 2 months, so I was wondering if anyone has played any of the following, whether they would recommend it, and if they played all, which they would suggest:
Terra Mystica
Brass
Castles of Burgundy
Agricola and Puerto Rico are indeed pretty awesome.
Have you ever played/seen Puzzle Strike? It's a deckbuilding game in the style of Dominion, but based on Super Puzzle Fighter II. The wincon isn't something as non-interactive as amassing victory points, but rather by crashing the gems that accumulate in your stack each turn to your opponent(s), causing them to overflow and end the game.
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Recently, I got hooked on Shut Up and Sit Down via Blinking Spirit's recommendations, and bought two games: The Resistance - Avalon (4-10 players) and Tales of the Arabian Nights (2-6). The former is a paranoia party game in the vein of Mafia or Werewolf. The latter is basically a choose-your-own adventure based on the 1001 Arabian Nights in board game form.
I usually play with my younger cousins (9-18), and the quality of each game varies based on the players and the dynamics between them. I prefer the Resistance with as many players as possible, as I've found that the fewer players there are, the more solvable the game is (this is probably a side effect of knowing the other players very well though).
Tales of the Arabian Nights is fantastic if everyone is into the spirit of the game i.e. a game more about the journey than the destination (casual over competitive). If you want to experience the perverse pleasure of being cursed by Allah for blaspheming, transformed into an ape by a vengeful efreet, or being pursued by a lecherous vizier after being transformed into a woman by the magic of an enchanted spring, I highly recommend Tales of the Arabian Nights. However, the game can be expensive and hard to find in brick and mortar stores (it's about US$150 on Amazon).
Another fun game that you can play with both casual or competitive players is Jungle Speed (2+ players), which is basically a more difficult and violent version of Snap (I have finished the game sporting cuts and bruises). It's a dexterity game where everyone takes turn flipping over the top card of their pile, and players who have matching patterns on their revealed cards have to try and grab a totem in the centre of the circle. Just like the Resistance, I prefer to have as many players as possible.
TL; DR:
The Resistance - Avalon: party game for smaller groups (4-10)
Tales of the Arabian Nights: zany choose-your-own adventure where you can play as Sindbad, Aladdin, Scheherazade, etc.
Jungle Speed: snap, but you might need a Band-Aid after
Yeah, there are very few games that play equally well with two players and with three-plus. They're usually optimized for one or the other.
Actually, I think Magic is one of the best games at player-number flexibility as far as rules and speed-of-play are concerned, but of course it's a TCG so you can't just pull it out at a party. More introverted games, the kinds where you focus on building up your own economy, also tend to do pretty well - I'm talking games like Dominion, Puerto Rico, and Race for the Galaxy. But of course the reason they do well is precisely because your interactions with the other player(s) are limited, so that's a turn-off for a lot of people. (I have heard Seasons strikes the interactivity balance well, but I haven't played it yet.) Cooperative games often offer a very different, but still perfectly effective, experience with two players. Arkham Horror, for instance, gets much more desperate. And a friend of mine just got a game called Castaways that's quite compelling at two. And finally, there are some games that are designed for two sides, which can be either individual players or teams. These tend to run pretty well at all numbers, since the power balance between the sides doesn't change.
I agree, it is difficult to balance the difficulty and gameplay of tabletop games for differing numbers of opponents.
Magic does do it well, but some games tend to drag on, especially when you're playing Commander and everyone is playing combo and tutor effects.
I haven't tried Dominion, Puerto Rico, or Race for the Galaxy. Going to have to give them a try.
I found that Lord of the Rings (the co-op Reiner Knizia version) is borderline impossible with two players, as you're limiting the number of cards you start with for each player less than five. With less cards, you waste turns not advancing the game state just to draw cards or heal corruption. My wife and I keep it at two players, and the few times we've destroyed the One Ring, it was by the skin of our teeth.
Elder Signs is no problem with anywhere from 2 - 5 players, as the daily mythos mechanic occurs at set intervals. I've actually played that game myself, when my wife was out of town. Still enjoyable but obviously lacking the social element.
I also found the magic number for Lords of Waterdeep is between 2 - 4. Any more than that, and you're limited by the number of resources you can get, as your agent pool becomes pretty miniscule.
Deadwood (my favorite worker placement game at the moment)
Elder Sign (my favorite dice game; I don't have the expansion yet)
Other games I've played recently:
Takenoko (seems like its better to stock purple/red cards and let other people build out the board)
Sultans of Karaya (fun; proxied; will get a legit set soon)
Infiltration (not sure if the e-whip can allow backwards movement or not)
Chrononauts (base set; we like having 5 cards at the start instead of 3)
Ascension (base set only; I've resisted the urge to get expansions so far)
Games I recently played for the first time:
Risk Halo Legendary Edition (I'm not huge Risk fan, but I liked the first Halo and this version has the five foot long "Ring" map. Two Risk fans at the table told me that this map was very balanced/open compared to normal Risk)
Terra Mystica (the game took longer to setup/teach/play than I would have preferred)
Arcana (1st edition. This took 3 hours. The box said 60 minutes. I really want to figure out a fix for this without upgrading to 2nd edition)
Rune Age (with expansion. I enjoyed the game play but some cards were damaged after only one game :()
"A rich man thinks all other people are rich, and an intelligent man thinks all other people are similarly gifted. Both are always terribly shocked when they discover the truth of the world. You, my dear brother, are a pious man." - Strahd von Zarovich
Do you have a favorite of the 3 game/expansions? Do you been keep the sets separate, or do you play with all combined? Can you recommend a place to start?
I've been considering picking up "the house expands" first, and seeing whether I want to get the base + vacation.
Pandemic is just a great game. It's actually really popular in Public Health circles, to the point where sometimes we have 'Pandemic Trainings'. The game is pretty brutal and unforgiving, though, but it's fun to lose together.
TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
7 Wonders is pretty fun - it's a little overcomplicated, but worth playing at least a few times. I got Ticket to Ride for Christmas as well (from my 3 year old son!) and I've had a blast with it so far.
The one thing to watch out for is sometimes when it gets down to Sheriff versus one Outlaw/Renegade, the game can drag on a bit. The deck has close to a balanced amount of offensive and defensive cards, and the most common offensive cards (Bangs) can only be used once per turn, while you can Missed! and Beer (for example) in the same turn. The last time I played, 3 of us sat there for over half an hour as the final two duked it out, only ending when Dynamite finally exploded on one of them.
Currently Playing:
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Ah. We may stick more to King of Toyko, then, because when those games end they end quickly.
TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
I'd like to check out Zombicide, but that might require more of a commitment than I can get from my friends.
The big draw for me for 7 Wonders (and why I put it on my Christmas list) is that it can be played (supposedly) with 2-7 players. I normally play games with just myself and the wife. However, I just read the instructions for 7 Wonders and feel that I was a bit misled from the description on Amazon.com and Boardgamegeek.com. Yes, you can play with 2 players, but it's primarily designed as a 3+ player game. The 2 player game takes a lot more for extra setup and isn't recommended for your first time playing.
I got it under pretty much the same circumstances, except we had played it before. My wife enjoyed it, so we got it to play 2 player. It works fine that way - don't sweat it.
I picked it up (and the expansions). Haven't played with the expansions yet, but the game is best described as Left 4 Dead as a board game. It seems deceptively easy at first, until people start leveling up and the number of zombies spawning intensifies, but it ends up a lot like Pandemic where seemingly manageable zombies are suddenly a horde. The rules aren't really that difficult, either.
As far as a time commitment, a single game actually doesn't take much more than an hour to an hour and a half, depending one whether or not you include set-up time. I'd recommend setting the boards up in advance if you want to play. The real key to an enjoyable game is to ensure no one takes a ton of time making decisions. The chronic overthinker can really kill a game like this.
TerribleBad at Magic since 1998.A Vorthos Guide to Magic Story | Twitter | Tumblr
[Primer] Krenko | Azor | Kess | Zacama | Kumena | Sram | The Ur-Dragon | Edgar Markov | Daretti | Marath
Cool. I'm glad to hear that.
I made the same mistake concerning number of players when I bought Settler of Catan. Playing 2 player... definitely not recommended for that one.
7 Wonders has virtually no interaction, not even the indirect interaction of games like Settlers or Ticket To Ride. The 2 player setup is just to make sure the card counts work out and the Soldiers rules function, nothing more.
Yeah, there are very few games that play equally well with two players and with three-plus. They're usually optimized for one or the other.
Actually, I think Magic is one of the best games at player-number flexibility as far as rules and speed-of-play are concerned, but of course it's a TCG so you can't just pull it out at a party. More introverted games, the kinds where you focus on building up your own economy, also tend to do pretty well - I'm talking games like Dominion, Puerto Rico, and Race for the Galaxy. But of course the reason they do well is precisely because your interactions with the other player(s) are limited, so that's a turn-off for a lot of people. (I have heard Seasons strikes the interactivity balance well, but I haven't played it yet.) Cooperative games often offer a very different, but still perfectly effective, experience with two players. Arkham Horror, for instance, gets much more desperate. And a friend of mine just got a game called Castaways that's quite compelling at two. And finally, there are some games that are designed for two sides, which can be either individual players or teams. These tend to run pretty well at all numbers, since the power balance between the sides doesn't change.
candidus inperti; si nil, his utere mecum.
I've found the optimal number of players for me in 7 Wonders is three. You compete for military with your two neighbors, so this setup makes everyone into neighbors. Also you can play defensively and deny certain cards to certain players when there are few players. But as with any game, as you add more players, it makes less and less sense to put any effort into defense at the cost of advancing your own board.
I agree with the general sentiment though, it's tough to find a good game that works equally well for 2 players as it does for 5 or 6.
This has only happened to me once in probably a dozen games of Bang!, so your mileage may vary.
Currently Playing:
Legacy: Something U/W Controlish
EDH Cube
Hypercube! A New EDH Deck Every Week(ish)!
Some folks in my cube group introduced me to seasons, especially latching onto the drafting aspects as a selling point. I enjoy it, although a lot of my luck-adverse (non-magic playing) board game friends don't seem to like it as much. It's definitely worth a shot if you can borrow or rent out a copy from your LGS.
For deck builders with a little more interactivity, I've really become a fan of the ascension series. Mainly the interaction is forcing other players to discard hand or "artifact" cards. Ascension also plays pretty fast, so it isn't prone to wearing out its welcome if it's not your groups thing.
On the very very high level of interactivity in a deck builder, there's puzzle strike, which I friggin' love! Highly recommended, especially for magic players (unless you don't like the theme).
"Personally I love high-riak, low-reqars gambles. Life's best with a decent amount of riak. And f*** reqars."
Our favorites:
Agricola -- High strategy with a small tinge of randomness, but one of the most fun games out there.
Caylus -- Nothing Random. All strategy. Lots of fun.
Power Grid -- very little randomness, and a really fun game that builds to the end with a great finish every game.
Puerto Rico -- the game that started them all. Still great, but after playing 50+ times it can get stale, unlike some of the others above.
Other thoughts:
We have both Dominion and Thunderstone from the deckbuilding-as-you-go genre, and everyone in the group greatly prefer Thunderstone. Dominion is fun, but once you get the added element of the dungeon in Thunderstone, it seems too simple to go back to Dominion. However, we play Dominion with our non-boardgaming friends and they love it, so it has its purpose.
Great Intro Games:
Settlers of Catan-
Kingsburg - both of these games are great at showing ppl who have no experience that there is more to board games than monopoly. Yuck!
Smallworld is a lot of fun for a lighter game as well.
We haven't bought a new game in around 2 months, so I was wondering if anyone has played any of the following, whether they would recommend it, and if they played all, which they would suggest:
Terra Mystica
Brass
Castles of Burgundy
In fact it might be my favorite of the "manage multiple resources and build your own settlement/city/whatever" eurogames I've played, but im not a huge fan of eurogames - which by the way is the word to describe what you like. Low chance, resource focused (and often consequently not too conflict-based).
Agricola and Puerto Rico are indeed pretty awesome.
Have you ever played/seen Puzzle Strike? It's a deckbuilding game in the style of Dominion, but based on Super Puzzle Fighter II. The wincon isn't something as non-interactive as amassing victory points, but rather by crashing the gems that accumulate in your stack each turn to your opponent(s), causing them to overflow and end the game.
Currently Playing:
Legacy: Something U/W Controlish
EDH Cube
Hypercube! A New EDH Deck Every Week(ish)!
I usually play with my younger cousins (9-18), and the quality of each game varies based on the players and the dynamics between them. I prefer the Resistance with as many players as possible, as I've found that the fewer players there are, the more solvable the game is (this is probably a side effect of knowing the other players very well though).
Tales of the Arabian Nights is fantastic if everyone is into the spirit of the game i.e. a game more about the journey than the destination (casual over competitive). If you want to experience the perverse pleasure of being cursed by Allah for blaspheming, transformed into an ape by a vengeful efreet, or being pursued by a lecherous vizier after being transformed into a woman by the magic of an enchanted spring, I highly recommend Tales of the Arabian Nights. However, the game can be expensive and hard to find in brick and mortar stores (it's about US$150 on Amazon).
Another fun game that you can play with both casual or competitive players is Jungle Speed (2+ players), which is basically a more difficult and violent version of Snap (I have finished the game sporting cuts and bruises). It's a dexterity game where everyone takes turn flipping over the top card of their pile, and players who have matching patterns on their revealed cards have to try and grab a totem in the centre of the circle. Just like the Resistance, I prefer to have as many players as possible.
TL; DR:
The Resistance - Avalon: party game for smaller groups (4-10)
Tales of the Arabian Nights: zany choose-your-own adventure where you can play as Sindbad, Aladdin, Scheherazade, etc.
Jungle Speed: snap, but you might need a Band-Aid after
I agree, it is difficult to balance the difficulty and gameplay of tabletop games for differing numbers of opponents.
Magic does do it well, but some games tend to drag on, especially when you're playing Commander and everyone is playing combo and tutor effects.
I haven't tried Dominion, Puerto Rico, or Race for the Galaxy. Going to have to give them a try.
I found that Lord of the Rings (the co-op Reiner Knizia version) is borderline impossible with two players, as you're limiting the number of cards you start with for each player less than five. With less cards, you waste turns not advancing the game state just to draw cards or heal corruption. My wife and I keep it at two players, and the few times we've destroyed the One Ring, it was by the skin of our teeth.
Elder Signs is no problem with anywhere from 2 - 5 players, as the daily mythos mechanic occurs at set intervals. I've actually played that game myself, when my wife was out of town. Still enjoyable but obviously lacking the social element.
I also found the magic number for Lords of Waterdeep is between 2 - 4. Any more than that, and you're limited by the number of resources you can get, as your agent pool becomes pretty miniscule.
http://boardgamegeek.com/collection/user/Bataar?own=1&subtype=boardgame&ff=1
Games I want to add in the near future include:
BattleLore 2nd Edition
Seasons
Smallworld Underground
Other games I've played recently:
Games I recently played for the first time:
Do you have a favorite of the 3 game/expansions? Do you been keep the sets separate, or do you play with all combined? Can you recommend a place to start?
I've been considering picking up "the house expands" first, and seeing whether I want to get the base + vacation.
Thanks!
"Personally I love high-riak, low-reqars gambles. Life's best with a decent amount of riak. And f*** reqars."