indigopotterLevel 83

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A woman living in New York who is married to @DMSamuel.

Joined 13 months ago
BGA Wiki Contributions: 15,457
Played The Palaces of Carrara 29 days ago
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Forum Posts

BGAWeekly Challenge #1 - Collection

by indigopotter | updated 11 days ago

6 | 30 comments | [+]

You Told Us: Your Go-to Games for 3-5 Players image

You Told Us: Your Go-to Games for 3-5 Players [Betrayal at House on the Hill, Wingspan, Pandemic, Viticulture: Essential Edition, Ticket To Ride, Century: Spice Road, Concordia, 7 Wonders, Catan, L...]

by indigopotter | updated 11 days ago

6 | 28 comments | [+]

During our Wingspan giveaway, we asked for your go-to game for 3-5 players. More than 2,500 of you responded. Let’s look at the top games, each mentioned 30 times or more.

Wingspan

Wingspan has a player count (1-5) and a playing time (40-70 mins) that many people can comfortably get to the table. Published by Stonemaier Games, it also has fantastic art and lots of custom components. Read more about it in our review here.

[Wingspan on BGA] [Wingspan on BGP]

Betrayal at House on the Hill

Betrayal at House on the Hill plays 3-6 players in about an hour. As you play, you build the house that you are exploring. One of your fellow players will betray you, and you must use all of your skills to survive.

[Betrayal at House on the Hill on BGA] [Betrayal at House on the Hill on BGP]

Century: Spice Road

Century: Spice Road is part of the Century series, each set in different centuries and focusing on the the major trading systems and routes of that era. It plays 2-5 players in 30-45 minutes.

[Century: Spice Road on BGA] [Century: Spice Road on BGP]

Pandemic

Pandemic is a cooperative game, where everyone wins or loses together. Your team travels around the world working to discover cures for four diseases. Designed by Matt Leacock, it has inspired legacy versions, and historical versions such as Pandemic: Iberia.

[Pandemic on BGA] [Pandemic on BGP]

Concordia

Concordia is a peaceful strategy game of economic development for 2-5 players. Designed by Mac Gerdts, it relies on how you manage the cards in your hand. Each player starts with the same set of cards, and can add to them throughout the game. But take too many cards, and it may be too hard to get the card you need.

[Concordia on BGA] [Concordia on BGP]

Viticulture

Viticulture is another game published by Stonemaier Games. Players must develop their vineyards and produce wine. It is a worker placement game for up to 6 players that plays in around 90 minutes.

[Viticulture on BGA] [Viticulture on BGP]

Carcassonne

Carcassonne was the winner of the 2001 Spiel des Jahres, and can be considered a ‘modern classic’ with such games as Catan and Ticket to Ride. It is a tile-laying game for 2-5 players that plays in about 45 minutes. Players score points by developing the playing area, then placing their followers in the cities, cloisters, and fields, and on the roads.

[Carcassonne on BGA] [Carcassonne on BGP]

Catan

Catan is a game of building on strategic spots to gain resources, and trading for (or stealing!) the rest of what you need. First published in 1995, it’s still going strong. Recent re-themes include Star Trek and A Game of Thrones.

[Catan on BGA] [Catan on BGP]

Lords of Waterdeep

Lords of Waterdeep is a worker placement game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. Through your agents, you recruit adventurers to go on quests on your behalf, earning rewards and increasing your influence over the city.

[Lords of Waterdeep on BGA] [Lords of Waterdeep on BGP]

And here we had a big jump, with an almost 50% increase in responses:

7 Wonders

7 Wonders is a game of card drafting, where players build a hand of cards by selecting a card and then passing the rest to the next player. Cards give players a benefit, such as a discount on building a future card, increasing military strength, or providing victory points. It plays up to 7 players in about half an hour.

[7 Wonders on BGA] [7 Wonders on BGP]

And another big jump, with an even larger gap than the last:

Ticket to Ride

Ticket to Ride was first published 15 years ago and won the 2004 Spiel des Jahres. It has since sold over 5 million copies. It’s easy to teach, has both a family-friendly theme and strategy, and plays 2-5 players in about an hour. Players choose train cards to build routes across the map to score points.

[Ticket to Ride on BGA] [Ticket to Ride on BGP]

Number two on our list is yet another game by Stonemaier Games:

Scythe

Scythe is one of the longer and more complex games on this list, but that hasn’t stopped people from playing it a lot. It’s a competitive 4X game set in an alternate history 1920s where players compete to gain fame and fortune by establishing their empire.

[Scythe on BGA] [Scythe on BGP]

Drumroll please…

And the number one go-to game for 3-5 players is:

Terraforming Mars

Terraforming Mars was a Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominee in 2017, and is currently ranked #3 on BGG. Players control corporations that are working to raise the temperature, oxygen level, and ocean coverage until the environment is habitable. When the three global parameters (temperature, oxygen, ocean) have all reached their goal, the terraforming is complete and the player with the most victory points wins.

[Terraforming Mars on BGA] [Terraforming Mars on BGP]

More games, and a graph

30 or more responses made for a manageable list, but plenty of great games were mentioned.

See more of your go-to games for 3-5 players here.

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DealDeals of the Day: June 4, 2020

by indigopotter | updated 11 days ago

5 | 3 comments | [+]

Blue Lagoon: Become the Most Renowned Tribe on the Archipelago image

ReviewBlue Lagoon: Become the Most Renowned Tribe on the Archipelago [Blue Lagoon]

by indigopotter | updated 11 days ago

5 | 13 comments | [+]

Blue Lagoon by Reiner Knizia is a colorful game for 2 to 4 players that plays in about 45 minutes. Players are on an expedition to claim and then settle the islands of a recently discovered archipelago. You won't be able to travel everywhere, so you must balance visiting many islands with creating majorities on an island, and completing sets of resources with having multiples of one type.

Opening the Box

Opening the box for the first time, there is an instruction booklet on top of a sheet of discs. Looking closely at the top right corner, we see a cutout to make it easy to get the sheets out of the box.

Both sheets of cardboard components have this cutout. A very thoughtful touch.

Under the sheets of player discs, there is a nicely illustrated map, folded and held in place by the custom insert.

Beneath the map we see the rest of the insert, with a drawstring bag, wooden components, and a score pad. The four cylindrical spaces are just the right size for the cardboard discs.

Unpacking the wooden components, we find six each of the resources (coconuts, bamboo, water, and precious stones), eight statuettes, plus five villages in each of the four player colors.

The wooden villages even have tiny little door details.

Setting Up

The cardboard discs are punched, and kept separated by player color. When playing with two players, all villages and settlers in each of the two chosen colors are used. When playing with three or four players, some of the settlers are removed from the game.

The resources and statuettes are put into the bag and mixed. One by one they are randomly placed onto the game board where there is a circle of stones.

Just leave the score pad nearby for players to reference, and that's it! You're ready to play.

Playing Blue Lagoon

Blue Lagoon is played in two phases, the Exploration Phase and the Settlement Phase.

Each turn players add one settler or village to the game board. To add a piece the board, it must be next to a previously placed piece, unless it is a boat placed into water.

When you place a piece onto a hex that contains a resource or statuette, you take the item into your supply.

The game will be reset before the second half, and any villages on spaces with the circle of stones, plus all settlers, will be removed. In order to keep a foothold for the Settlement Phase, place villages onto island spaces without a circle of stones.

The Exploration Phase ends when all of the resources have been collected or when all players have placed all of their settlers and villages onto the board.

Players score for having pieces on 7 or 8 islands, linking islands, having the majority on an island, having 2-4 matching resources, having all four resource types, and having statuettes.

After recording the scores from the Exploration Phase, all settlers, resources, and statuettes are removed from the board, along with any villages on a space with a stone circle.

Resetting the board for the Settlement Phase

Resources and statuettes are mixed in the bag and distributed onto stone circle spaces just like at the beginning of the game. Settlers are returned to the players, and any villages not on the board are returned to the game box.

In the Settlement Phase, unlike the Exploration Phase, players may not place a settler in a boat without it being next to one of their pieces already on the board. Strategic placement of Villages during the Exploration Phase is important.

The Settlement Phase ends when all of the resources have been collected or when all players have placed all of their settlers onto the board. Scores are tallied like before, and the points are added to each player's score from the Exploration Phase.

Final Thoughts

Blue Lagoon is a very approachable game that won't scare away casual gamers, but offers plenty of strategy for hobby gamers. It's the sort of game you can play with your parents after a family dinner, or as a game that's quick to set up and teach at a game night. Knizia fans will likely see some similarities to Through the Desert.

Because there is only one action per turn, the game moves quickly with minimal downtime. If I could add one thing to the game, it would be player reference cards to remind everyone what will be scored.

The box is a standard square that fits easily on shelves, and it has a very reasonable price point, especially considering its pedigree and custom wood components.

If you like your network building with a dash of set collection and area majority, and you want it in under an hour, take a look at Blue Lagoon.

[Blue Lagoon on BGP] [Blue Lagoon on BGA]

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How to Save Money When You Ship Board Games image

How-To/DIYHow to Save Money When You Ship Board Games

by indigopotter | updated 11 days ago

5 | 20 comments | [+]

While it’s easy to get sticker shock when calculating shipping costs, making small changes, like printing a label online, or using a different box, can save you a substantial amount when you ship board games.

Why USPS Priority Mail?

USPS Priority Mail is widely available, and taking advantage of features like ordering free boxes online and requesting free package pick-up can make it accessible and convenient. But prices can vary; learn the tricks to save on your next shipment.

USPS Flat Rate Priority boxes

Flat Rate boxes are popular because they are the same price within the US, no matter the weight or destination. When sending coast to coast, they are often the most economical choice.

Small Flat Rate boxes can be a good option for card and dice games.

Small Flat Rate envelopes can be useful to send a magazine quickly.

Padded Flat Rate envelopes cost just a little more than a Small Flat Rate box, but can be useful in certain situations, like heavy game components, or a book going a long distance. Protecting the items with extra cardboard or bubble wrap is recommended.

Medium Flat Rate boxes come in two shapes; a taller, squarer box and a longer, flatter box. The longer, flatter Medium Flat Rate box is perhaps the workhorse of the person-to-person board game shipping world. It holds many common board games. The other Medium Flat Rate box will hold taller board games, or several smaller games.

Large Flat Rate boxes are usually seen in their square version, but did you know there’s a second “board game” Large Flat Rate box that can be ordered online? It was developed with long, thin vintage board games in mind (think Survive). It will fit two Ticket to Ride-sized boxes side by side (without much room for padding).

If you are selling an expensive item, a box that leaves room for packaging is recommended, but if you are sending along a couple of used games to some friends on the other coast, it’s hard to beat the price.

USPS Regional Rate Priority boxes

Regional Rate might be the “best kept secret” of shipping online.

Regional Rate A boxes come in two shapes; a taller, squarer box and a longer, flatter box. They are slightly smaller than Medium Flat Rate, but can be perfect when you don’t need the full space of a Medium Flat Rate. Regional Rate A boxes have a weight limit of 15 lbs.

Regional Rate B boxes come in two shapes; a taller, squarer box and a longer, flatter box. They are a little larger than Medium Flat Rate, and are best used when shipping items over 4 lbs to a nearby state. Regional Rate B boxes have a weight limit of 20 lbs.

Ordering free boxes from USPS.com

When sending with Flat Rate or Regional Rate, specific boxes must be used. Some styles may be available at your local post office, but for the full selection, order online from USPS.com.

Tip: Priority boxes are free and they will be delivered to your home for free – just remember that they must only be used for Priority Mail shipments.

Priority Mail by size and weight

Several other styles of Priority Mail boxes are available to order online, and you can also recycle regular brown corrugated boxes. You will need to weigh and measure the package, as postage will be calculated by size and weight.

Tip: A postal scale can help you to accurately calculate postage and find the best price for your shipment.

Printing postage online

To get the biggest discounts, you’ll want to print your labels online, preferably using a laser printer.

If you sell an item and accept PayPal for the payment, there will be a link to print a label for the order. Using this link will import the buyer’s address, and attach the tracking number to the sale.

You can still use PayPal to print certain labels, even when sending a gift or making a trade. PayPal.com/shipnow lets you print through PayPal at the discounted rates. It also allows you to send via First Class, for items under 16oz.

USPS.com no longer applies the online discount when users buy their labels, but it does offer some types of labels that PayPal.com/shipnow does not.

Tip: If you print a label on plain paper and need to attach it to a box, be sure to put tape all the way around the edges, and do not cover the barcode.

How much can I save on shipping?

You can save money when you ship board games, even sending the same item to the same place, at the same speed.

Imagine you have a 6lb 8oz game to send from NY to VA. If you were to walk into the post office and take a Large Flat Rate box off the shelf, you would pay $19.95. But is that the best price?

If you printed the Large Flat Rate label yourself, it would cost $17.60 instead.
If the item fit into a Medium Flat Rate box it would be $14.35 at the post office, and $12.80 if you printed the label yourself.
If you put the item in a plain box, it would be $12.60 at the Post Office and $9.41 online.
If the item fit in a Regional Rate B box, it would be $8.50 online.
If the item fit in a Regional Rate A box, it would be $7.85 online.

Depending on the size and shape, you could expect to pay $7.85-9.41, a noticeable savings.

Examples quoted are for illustrative purposes only, and are not guarantees. Always compare available pricing.

Tip: while the low cost of Media Mail may seem tempting, be sure to read what qualifies for Media Mail (a Warhammer hardcover rules compendium may, a standard board game will not).

Can’t I just keep all of my games forever?

Selling games that aren’t getting played frees up shelf space and puts some money back in the gaming budget for new games. For ideas on ways to sell your board games, see How to Sell Your Board Game Collection.

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