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Pass/Missed/Perfect - World Series of Board Gaming Lineup

Now that the full 16 games of the 2022 World Series of Board Gaming have been announced and tickets have officially gone on sale for the September 28 - October 2, 2022 event, what games would you pass on, think they missed and believe are perfect for this type of thing?

Add your list below!

Pass -  Which 2 or 3 Ring Events shouldn't have been included in the series
Missed - Which 2 or 3 Ring Events should they have done instead
Perfect - Which 2 or 3 Ring Events were perfect fits for an event claiming to be the World Series

GAMES - (1) #Blood Rage (2) #Ra (3) #Azul (4) #7 Wonders (5) #Splendor (6) #Dune: Imperium (7) #Ticket to Ride (8) #Catan (9) #Carcassonne (10) #Great Western Trail (11) #Terraforming Mars (12) #Brass: Birmingham (13) #Dominant Species: Marine (14) #Gaia Project (15) #Wingspan (16) #Acquire

In case this is the first time you are hearing about the event, there were more details in this original forum post, but basically, it is a five day event in Las Vegas that will hopefully crown a world series of board gaming champions with $25k and a $3k championship bracelet. The winners of each of the 16 game events above get a championship ring and those 16 winners will move to semi-finals and finals rounds for who will win the big prize. 

Buy tickets and get more details at https://www.wsbgchampionship.com/

Bonus! Below is the lineup. You can play in one event per day. Which four events do you play in?

WSBG 2021 Lineup

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16 months ago

Pass - Terraforming Mars, Gaia Project, Dominant Species Marine (these are just way too long, I don't know if they can pull it off.

Missed - I guess Azul covers drafting and tableau pattern building but I would have liked to see #Kingdomino 

Perfect - Splendor, Carcassonne, Catan (these are just the absolute strategic classics and it wouldn't feel legitaminte without them). 

If I was going to go, I would play Splendor, Wingspan, Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne. Then I would win the whole thing via a game of Catan of coarse.

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16 months ago

I think TM is doable, but Dominant Species and Brass always take so long!!

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16 months ago

I don't know about #Kingdomino for the drafter tableau builder representative. This is the world series, people are coming out to compete, you need some meet and that is too filler. Fantastic game though!

Completely agree that the classics were neccesary, especially for right out of the gate. When it was first announed, I got the impression it was going to be never stuff, but I like where it ended up.

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Moderator Level 116 months ago

To me this is a great lineup. IMO there aren't any in here that shouldn't be, but of course playtime is a concern for some of the bigger ones. I'm not sure how they'll account for that - playing like 4 games of #Terraforming Mars in one day sounds exhausting and not fun. I guess they'll limit the entries, so that the brackets aren't so big?

One I could see being added is #Scythe. That's got an interesting competitive scene, to my understanding, and it's one of those heavier games that made somewhat of a mainstream splash. I don't know enough about the game or the competitive scene to know why it wouldn't have been added, if they even considered it.

Another interesting one they could add is #Race for the Galaxy, but of course that's an ugly game that's "older" at this point, and may not hold a lot of interest for spectators. Although the same could be said for #Splendor, IMO.

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16 months ago

Pass - I am torn on #Catan because I feel it is neccesary but it is absolutely going to cause some fighting in my opinion. I remember #Gaia Project taking forever so we will see on that one.

Missed - I think they missed the opportunity to plan for future years. Are they just going to have #Catan, #Splendor, #Carcassonne and #Ticket to Ride every year or will 2023 have none of the staples?

Perfect - #Dune: Imperium, talk about a perfect choice for a newer game. I also think #Splendor could be its own Vegas 5 day event, love that one.

I would do:  Splendor - Brass - Great Western Trail - Dune: Imperium

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16 months ago

We definitely plan on having new games from year to year.  Participation in the Outer Ring Events and forum posts like these help us stay informed about games we should look at for 2023.

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16 months ago

I actually think in terms of player conflict, they have a pretty good slate. None of these ever got me too up in arms. 

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16 months ago

I have no critsims for this lineup, very well currated and somethig for everyone!

I will say, where are the roll and writes at? I think you could have slotted in a #That's Pretty Clever or another one from that series. 

There is no way I am winning a ring in any of these, so if someone gave me a four event pass my strategy to play in the games I think would have the lowest amount of people so - 7 Wonders, Dominant Species, Great Western Trail and Blood Rage. No offense to those, they are all great, just given the lineup, my guesses.

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16 months ago

Yes, to the clever series!! But you are just asking for danger from the luck critics with an unmitigated dice game.

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16 months ago

I don't see a roll and write hanging with the more robust "euro-y" style games. Can you imagine the finals of the world series coming down to a dice rolling and scoring on a sheet? No offense to roll and writes, but even the most robust of them is filler at best.

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16 months ago

PASS on #Gaia Project(I think it should have been #Scythe which is partially inspired by it) I know it blazed trails, but better things have come out since. I find it to be kind of boring, but I know people love it so no disrespect. I would pass on #7 Wonders because I feel like all my failure or success would be too controlled by who I am sat next to.

MISS I second a few already said - a game from a Shem Phillips Trilogy (probably West Kingdoms) and #Race for the Galaxy, though I think I would almost prefer #Roll for the Galaxy.

PERFECT - I do give them credit for mixing games throughout the years, iconic statuses, complexity levels and having something for everyone.

My question  is are you going to use the drafting rule in #Terraforming Mars gamplay? 

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16 months ago

...are you going to use the drafting rule in #Terraforming Mars gamplay?

Definitely.  We will also be using the Prelude expansion as it speeds up the game (and its fun).

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16 months ago

That's a relief, I wouldnt feel it was a world class event without the drafting variant. And good call on Prelude, very neccesary and adds a great layer to neccesary planning.

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16 months ago

Ok, you just went up a notch in my book, those are both absolutely neccesary!

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16 months ago

or #7 Wonders could be a good one because of that! A sign of good skill is always how well you can read your opponent and play with anticipation of what they are going to do next, which I think it is perfect for.

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16 months ago

Pass - Wingspan and Ticket To Ride (I dont think the most skilled player will win).

Missed - I think at least one of the Garphill trilogy games should have been on here, maybe #Viscounts of the West Kingdom

Perfect - 7 Wonders and Catan (Classics) and Dune: Imperium (I think this is a new classic for sure and perfect for this type of event)

If I go I would do 7 Wonders, Brass, Ra and Terraforming Mars!

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16 months ago

YES!

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16 months ago

Pass
I actually think these are all pretty fantastic choice, though I have never played Dominant Species: Marine, so that I guess.

Missed
Some fantastic games that come to mind - #Istanbul, #The Castles of Burgundy, #Castles of Mad King Ludwig, #Pret-a-Porter, #Agricola

Perfect
I absolutely love #Ra and am so happy they included it. It seems like such a random choice out of all board games, but such a good one. Lots of respect for that.

I could see getting in, hanging out and just doing #Terraforming Mars or #Catan. I just want the rings for those games! I would have to understand the round structure better (3 or 4 players, how many times I would have to win, how many people in each, etc). I wonder what we will know before we have to sign up or if they will lock attendance if they get too many for one.

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16 months ago

Love #Pret-a-Porter, one of the best business simulators ever.

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16 months ago

Pass - Brass and Gaia Project (too long)

Missed - Risk (I know alot of people disagree, but I would love to see this played out in high level competition), I guess you have blood rage for an area control game but I would love to see something more in the real world war tactical arena. I would definetly take a little Uwe Rosenberg, I would do #Fields of Arle but if they are set on longer games, #A Feast for Odin. Maybe even #Caverna: The Cave Farmers since it is more iconic.

Perfect - I think there would have been outrage they didn't include #Catan, so that is perfect, and I think #Ra is a really good fit, short, strategic and interesting.

If I did the four days I would do 7 Wonders - Dominant Species Marine - Great Wester Trail - Blood Rage

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16 months ago

Pass - Azul and Blood Rage (I know they are award winners and praised but these just feel like random choices but I am a hipocrat because I have nothing for "Missed")

Perfect - I am with everyone they hit the classics. I like that they included #Acquire, not enough people give it the credit it deserves as one of the first great strategy games and the fact that it still holds up today is amazing.

I actually would have loved to do a Catan (though I dont have a chance at winning) and then Terraforming Mars Fri-sat but I guess that was wishful thinking. I doubt I would ever be able to get away for the whole thing but I would say 7 Wonders - Acquire - Ra - Terrafoming Mars 

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16 months ago

PASS: I do think the length of some of these may be an issue but not a dealbreaker, so you are playing the same game for like 12 hours. This is the world series, #splendor is going to be like 4 hours of your life, that feels more of a problem to me. I don't LOVE carcassonne because it feels like your can't mitigate the luck enough but I get it.

MISSED: I would love to see #Clank! A Deck-Building Adventure, talk about your high stakes decision making. I would absolutely love some #Mage Knight. In case you cant tell, I love deck building but I guess this thing is already pumped full of it and engine building in general.

PERFECT: I like #Ra in here just because it would be an absolute crime to not have a Reiner Knizia game in something that is supposed to be about the best strategy in the world. I like #Dominant Species: Marine for this because that is another solid strategy game that is kind of its own thing and will fit this format well.

My schedule would be: 7 Wonders - Dominant Species - Great Western Trail - Dune: Imperium

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16 months ago

I wouldn't change a thing, this is all really well thought out. 

My favorite choices are 7 Wonders, Terraforming Mars (with prelude and drafting so thanks WSBG) and Dune, I just think I would want to watch other people play those on TV so they feel perfect. Ok maybe not watch Terrafoming Mars, but play it for sure!

I would do: 7 Wonders - Brass - Great Western Trail - Terraforming Mars (Engine Building for the win!)

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16 months ago

Don't some of these games have too much luck to be a real test of skill?  I mean Catan is as classic as they come but I've played more than a few games where someone's numbers just don't come up and no matter how good a trader you are if you aren't getting resources you can't do anything. 

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16 months ago

Definetly luck is a big part of all of them, you could also say that about Carassonne. You just get one tile a turn. Still takes skill to win and I think Catan comes down to how well you can trade and turn your opponents against one another.

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16 months ago

Yeah I would definitely say that about Carcassonne unless they were playing with the 3 tile variant.  I mean, it is what it is but just personally if I were putting money down for a tournament I would be upset if my chances at winning were screwed by a series of bad dice throw or draws.  Of course the other folks here also have good points about some of these games being real tough to try to play 3 or 4 of in one day haha.  So I guess there has to be a happy medium somewhere.