Ok, so I'm curious where everyone stands on this. If you had enough money to either fully upgrade your favorite game or to buy a new game(s) at an equivalent cost, which would you choose?

By "upgrades" I'm including:

• Bling - better components, painted minis, etc.
• Custom insert - faster setup/cleanup, gets game to the table more often
• Expansions - access to all content
• Other - neoprene mat and other enhancements for the experience

So is this a no-brainer question? Which is it? And for those who'd rather upgrade, which game would you choose?

Which is your favorite? I personally liked Series 3 the most, with my vote going to #Race for the Galaxy or #Gloomhaven

Today, my friend Colin an I beat Gloomhaven

#dropthemic

How does pricing work on this website most of the pricing is not correct. 59 and 200 are very different. Just curious. 

#Pax Pamir (Second Edition) has a Kickstarter date for March 10!!! Thought you would like to know :) 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1243243962/pax-pamir-reprint

My wife and I have played Terraforming Mars a ton. Maybe 40 times..... Because it's so long, I'd have a hard time thinking of the number of hours.... after that we've played Splendor a large amount but those are usually quick, like 15 - 20 min, especially on trips and vacations.... so maybe 50 plays of that. Wingspan at least 15 times.  so it's knocking on the door. Oh wait, Ticket to ride if you don't count separate maps would definitely be 40 or so plays, including with non-gamers. There are other games I like more, but I was wondering which games actually get played the most by you? I'll start.

1. Splendor

2. Terraforming Mars

3. Ticket to Ride (various maps)

How far would you be willing to go to support a LGS?

I stopped by one of the shops in town after work today and was momentarily excited - they had 2 copies of Wingspan in stock!

Except they were charging $90 for the game. 

So I said nope. I’m getting more interested in picking up Wingspan but $90! 

Sheesh. 

This is related to my other post on buying habits, where I shared that because I recently bought a bulk of games, I'm trying to hold off on buying more until I've given each new game at least 5 or more plays.

My line of reasoning behind that number is to simply think about cost per play. For example, I bought #Clans of Caledonia for $40 and have played it twice so far. That puts the cost at $20 per play. Personally, I like to have played a game a number of times myself until it at least reaches the cost of a movie ticket (so if I were to play Clans 5 times, that would be $8 per play--in comparison to what... $12 movie tickets these days?). This doesn't mean that I'll just stop playing the game, but it helps me know that my collection is getting enough love where I'm not continuously leaving behind a trace of games played 1-2 times. And this isn't just helpful from a cost standpoint, but encourages me to properly explore a game's full potential.

I'm sure you may have noticed but this thought process removes several factors like number of players and the amount of play time. For example, a $100+ purchase of TI4 with a single play may be well worth the cost to some people if it means 4h+ of fantastic game time with 4 friends ($6.25 per hour per person per play to be exact). Did your friends contribute toward the purchase? No, but if you're the type of person who just really enjoys seeing others have fun, then even a single session may be enough to say it was worth it. Personally, I just like to keep it simple because it's closely tied to managing my own budget and because most of the games I buy will be mostly played with my wife.

Finally, here's my question--at what point do you feel that a game has gotten enough plays that you don't have to feel bad about moving on for a while?

I don't just mean theme, I mean really feels like you are out exploring a new land, area, underground cave, or island. Which game really does the exploration thing best. I've played some and a I really am feeling this needs to be done right. What am I missing?

Several weeks ago I shared that I got #Atlantis Rising (second edition), #Clans of Caledonia, and #Architects of the West Kingdom. And I have to say, I'm pretty satisfied with the the bulk purchase and will be doing this more often moving forward because I'm enjoying the variety and getting lots of store credit from a single source. And my next purchase will likely occur during the end of the year sales or any great "buy 2 get 1 free" deals that come along the way.

With that in mind, here are some questions I wanted to ask:

• Which games have been on your radar recently?
• What is your purchasing habit like? Do you tend to wait for sales to buy multiple games or do you usually buy them individually as long as the price is somewhat reasonable? Do you typically find that it is better to wait? Or that getting the experience earlier is better?

Here are my answers:

Games on my radar (currently) - this list tends to change a lot depending what everyone's talking about in the forums. Also, it's interesting to note they're all card-based games. Hmmmm...

• #1 - #Marvel Champions: The Card Game
• #2 - #Agricola (Revised Edition)
• #3 - #Concordia

Purchase habits

• I don't mind waiting if it'll mean big cost savings.
• I also don't mind losing out on cost savings if the game is well worth the experience. For example, I'd get #Camel Up (second edition) if I catch any wind of a reprint because I feel like my family will love it.
• On the other hand, I can wait on the three games mentioned above because all of my recently acquired games have a lot of replay value (they all have variable player powers). I want to make sure to get at least 5 plays in on any of the games I own until I buy more.

I work in a corporate building with roughly 400 employees (although the company is much larger) - however, to my knowledge, no one has ever created a board game club during their lunch hour!  Everyone here elects when they would like to have lunch and usually breaks sometime between meetings and scheduled calls - but the break can vary between 30-60 minutes.
I just received corporate permission to promote this new mid-day club and I'm excited to get some quality game time in to break up my day.

But this also got me thinking...
How many of you play games on your lunch break?
How often and how long are your meetups?
What games do you enjoy the most?
Is there any other wisdom you can share to someone trying to form their own club?

I thought this would be a fun way to start the week.

GAME I LOVE:

GAME I THINK IS UNDERAPPRECIATED:

I had a brainstorm...

How many of my solo games can I fit on a standard sized card table.  Thus far here is what I've accomplished:

Cartographers

Wingspan

PARKS

The Castles of Mad King Ludwig

Marvel Champions

Tomorrow I'll see if Terraforming Mars will fit.  I tried Paladins and didn't spend mch time trying to figure out if it would work.  I'll probably try to squeeze it on somehow one for time.

Is it just me or does Andrew manage to make even mechs look cute? haha

(For those who aren't aware, Andrew also did the illustrations for #Everdell)

Good morning all.  Happy Mardi Gras.  This is one of my favorite days because I am French Canadian and many in Louisiana can trace their roots to French Canada and my wife is from Louisiana.  I hope you enjoy the day.

I'm not sure how many people here celebrate the season of Lent, but I have a goal to spend more time reading and more time in prayer and a lot less time on screens.  I'll be giving up screens as much as I'm able, outside of things I need to do for work and watching hockey.

That means I'll be pretty quiet for the next couple of months (but I'll still be around on Sunday's) and I definitely still want a chance to win  the giveaway @philryuh haha.  But I won't have many entries.  I'll try to take advantage of Fat Tuesday today though and get as manny posts as possible today.

I'll Start:

Dice Dojo in Chicago, IL: it's got a side room with an amazing floor to ceiling used game collection you can pull and play almost any time you feel like it, and they have game nights 3 days a week. I adore the ability to pull the game I'm interested in, see the pieces, and try it before I buy it. Plus the staff actually enjoys talking about games and making recommendations. 

This is an automated weekly post to talk about the games that came out on kickstarter this past week.

• The Deck of Many Things & The Deck of Many Fates | RPG Cards 1,415% of $1,000
• Altered Carbon: The Role Playing Game 1,410% of $20,000
• Rebel Crown 1,246% of $1,000
• Marvel United 1,014% of $150,000
• Wonderland's War 1,009% of $50,000
• Swords and Wizardry: Limited and Collectors Edition Box Sets 593% of $12,000
• Gorinto 563% of $10,000
• Women of Tabletop : 3D Printable STLs 432% of $2,000
• Pride of Giants 39% of $2,000
• High Roller Horse Racing: a high stakes board game 27% of $12,000
• The Runelords Board Game 15% of $100,000
• The Black Pyramid 484% of $500
• Decuma: The R&D for your RPG 411% of $10,000
• GLAIVE 544% of $640
• The Evils of Illmire: A Mini-Mega Hexcrawl Adventure Zine 568% of $500
• CATtitude! 530% of $2,000
• 15mm Soviet Cold War Infantry - klmk uniform 469% of $700
• Dungeon Delve 621% of $500
• A Visitor's Guide to the Rainy City 1,023% of $500
• Conan: the Conqueror - Adventure Mode Expansion 413% of $150,000
• Venture & Dungeon 399% of $3,500
• BATTLE OF BRITAIN POCKET CARD GAME 396% of $1,500
• THEY FEED ON FEAR: A Horror RPG. 376% of $3,666
• For the Terrain 297% of $5,000
• Blacksad: The Roleplaying Game 218% of $5,000
• The Haunting of Eliuska Manor: A RPG adventure 110% of $1,500
• In the Light of a Setting Sun 47% of $1,500
• Tabletop 28mm Wargaming Terrain and Accessories 38% of $5,000
• WIZARD FUNK 2 120% of $500
• Under The Floorboards: A Zine Quest RPG 322% of $750
• INVOCCULTAS - Conduits of the Void 240% of $1,800
• RPG Vinyl Battle-Mats 24 x 36 Double sided 170% of $3,175
• Battle Beasts 104% of $1,000
• Draculola Roleplaying Game - Zine Quest 2 101% of $2,750
• Omega Horizon 56% of $10,000
• The Mystical & Chaotic Gemstone Dice - Pegasus Dice 20% of $15,000
• ALL SKATE FANTASY: The RPG 15% of $1,380
• Nature Survival Games 6% of $700
• The Last Place on Earth 181% of $800
• StoryHunter Alphas 36% of $500
• Tales from the Lusty Minotaur (Zine Quest 2) 137% of $500
• Grey Seas Are Dreaming Of My Death: William Hope Hodgson RPG 208% of $800
• Sunlands: A Hexcrawl Zine 145% of $500
• Red Rook Revolt! 49% of $33,900
• Terrain Frames - Modular Terrain System. 303% of $500
• Witchin' Hour 223% of $1,750
• Go: On the Go! 121% of $5,000
• Chiseled: A Deck-Sculpting Card Game 110% of $9,600
• Band Battle Royale 39% of $15,000
• GMD CORE RPG 29% of $3,800
• Terran Expanse Modular Hex Terrain Set 1,100% of $500
• Tramways Adelaide Shanghai 658% of $3,000
• Ancestry and Culture: An Alternative to Race in 5e 1,927% of $300
• Adûl, City of Gold: A D&D 5e Adventure 1,704% of $250
• DELVE: A Solo Game of Digging Too Deep 1,227% of $700
• The Ultimate Guide to Alchemy, Crafting & Enchanting for 5E 1,076% of $20,000
• Dark Hold Kobold 28mm Scale Cavalry Miniatures for RPGs 864% of $500
• The Simple Spell Tracker 826% of $500
• Universal Rule: Singularity and Solo AI (Pocket Sized 4X) 613% of $2,000
• Kozmik Objects & Entities 550% of $1,500
• Our Queen Crumbles: a Weird-Fantasy RPG 519% of $1,500
• Vampire: The Masquerade – CHAPTERS 493% of $250,000
• Fish in the Pot: TTRPG Characters Collection 252% of $1,000
• Thistle and Hearth 869% of $500
• Night Reign RPG #ZineQuest2 502% of $1,300
• #CultureTags™ 210% of $15,000
• Dirty Town, a corny RPG zine 195% of $1,000
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• Storming the Castle: Issue #1 185% of $500
• Space Goblins! RPG - #Zinequest 176% of $1,800
• Dump Quest 157% of $800
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• The Ioun Codex (Zine of Wondrous Power 03) 288% of $600
• Swords & Sails 48"x36" Premium Neoprene Game Map (Make 100) 200% of $1,000
• Keep an Eye Out - Make 100 131% of $6,000
• Jujo - Redux 112% of $1,500
• Madam Maze's Cabaret of Carrion Delights 109% of $500
• Danger Park 108% of $19,000
• DOGGOHOME: Cards for Dog Lovers 101% of $5,000
• Science Vessel of Dr. Uaerom 73% of $800
• Trump Roast | The Tremendously Huge Tasteless Party Game 40% of $15,800
• In Our Own Wor(l)ds: A Fantastical Zine Trading RPG Zine 114% of $700
• Villot Cards & Encounters - RPG Zine with GM and Player Aids 4% of $2,500
• Sagas of Rimholm 278% of $700
• Heaven Has No Taste; And Other True Statements 147% of $1,500
• THE SKØVD CHRONICLES #1 - Weird Gothic City Crawl Zine 110% of $12,000
• Game-Scapes 1 : Castles & Dungeons 97% of $3,000
• The Era Zone 2020 (Zine Quest) 93% of $500
• The Elephant & Macaw Banner Roleplaying Game 88% of $77,000
• Sagas of the Sea Peoples 71% of $4,500
• Fury of Gozmar 57% of $12,700
• Two RPG Zines: Marsh Goons & Tempered Legacy 54% of $4,000
• RPG Citybuilding Extravaganza 25% of $2,000
• Fractured Galaxy 18% of $29,995
• Woodlings 18% of $10,000
• Q Cards 15% of $10,000
• 3D models for board games, model making collectors 3% of $7,500
• Make 100 Drunken Mages 2% of $2,500
• Silly Antics (Mega-Boardgame) 1% of $29,700
• Dino Strife 0% of $74,100

Hey guys I am the creator of Ruins: Death Binder is a 1 to 2 player board game that incorporates unique deck deconstruction or “leak” mechanics. This is a survival game and managing a dwindling supply of resources is key. The gameplay is asymmetric, making it difficult for the players to stand on equal ground against the trials ahead, but with perseverance, strategy and a bit of luck, victory can be achieved. 

In short: if you like 1-2 dungeon crawlers that have interesting combat and decision making, this might be your style of game.

If you want, check out the game here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/heavypunch/ruins-death-binder?ref=5wkcde

In my opinion, there is no better board game experience than Gloomhaven. Being a legacy RPG allows the game to continue to reveal itself over time. Gloomhaven is at its best when you are being challenged by the interesting puzzles that it's card driven combat presents. Adding more abilities to your characters growing list of skills expands your tool kit and is one of the main reasons I keep returning to this game again and again. However if you are new to the hobby or just don't think you have enough time, table space or money for one of the biggest boxes in board gaming, waiting until later this year for the stand alone expansion, Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, may be a better option for you.

If you are looking for a cooperative game with a campaign and interesting story on a smaller scale, checkout Near and Far from Red Raven Games. However if what appeals to you is the heavy strategy and large scope of the game, Mage Knight might be worth your consideration. Finally, Pandemic: Legacy Season 1 has coop, an excellent story narrative, constantly evolving rules (albeit much simpler than Gloomhaven) and might be one of the best legacy game experiences you can have.

Pros:
-So much content! Over a hundred of hours of gameplay in a continuing narrative arch
-Art work is fantastic and evocative
-Combat rounds are quick and line of sight rules are easily applied
-Symbols are clear and easy to understand when reading cards and applying effects
-Combat feels more like solving a puzzle using a carefully planned strategy
-As you level up, card drive battle deck allows for improved odds of success on attacks
-Feels like a new world with races and classes that don't conform to the typical fantasy genre tropes
-Every new character you play presents new challenges and opportunities to change your play style keep the gameplay fresh over time
-Modular board makes you feel like you are seeing something different when you set up a new scenario
-Many different monsters, each presenting their own unique challenges for the heroes to overcome
-Can be played solo (if you are into that) without any adjustment to the rules

Cons:
-It's a large investment of both time and money
-Takes up a lot of table space (there is a world map board, the scenario board, all the character boards, monster stat sheets and cards)
-Setup and tear down time is longer than most board games
-Two hour game when there are four people
-May be too long for some players
-While having players dropping in and out of a campaign can be facilitated, it's probably best to pay each scenario with the same group

See our full review at Prepare2Board