Rule changes, additions and options proposed by players for players. This is not for officially sanctioned variations, see below!
3
votes
0answers
26 views
Afrikan Tähti improvements/variants
A Finnish friend gave me a copy of Afrikan Tähti. We played it a couple of times, and while it was kind of fun, it really seems like a children's game, and I won't bring it out again in a hurry. Luck ...
2
votes
1answer
110 views
House Rules for divine intervention
Last several games of munchkin were won via "divine intervention". All agree that the win is less satisfying than normal.
Does any have good house rules to make the card less onerous?
13
votes
5answers
283 views
What to do in long games with players who are way behind?
When our group plays longer games (6+ hours), we usually choose games where players who fall behind still have chances to recover, so all players remain interested in and engaged with the game. ...
3
votes
1answer
217 views
House rules to improve Pokemon Master Trainer
This past week's game of the week was the '99 (first) version of the Pokemon Master Trainer board game.
It was not the strategic challenge that I am used to, does anyone have any knowledge of ...
4
votes
1answer
72 views
What errata or house rules help balance occasionally-broken scenarios?
Many of the haunt scenarios can be exceptionally unbalanced depending on precisely where all the players are standing (particularly the revealer and/or traitor) when the haunt is revealed. When my ...
3
votes
1answer
48 views
How can I speed up a game of High Frontier?
I really like High Frontier, but it takes a long time to get going and can take several hours to play. Does anyone know of any house rules to make the game run faster?
10
votes
1answer
123 views
Are there multiplayer equivalents to trading places after the first move?
In many two-player games a first move advantage can be mitigated by giving the second player the option to trade places if the first move appears desirably strong, which encourages the first player to ...
10
votes
3answers
516 views
Playing Settlers of Catan with a D12 instead of 2D6
Has anyone tried this?
Does it break the game?
Does it make it easier/quicker?
Assuming a 1 gave no resources to anyone and a 7 still invoked the robber how different a game would this make Settlers?
...
2
votes
2answers
98 views
How can we make Don Bell more balanced?
With Don Bell having 4 bullets and the ability to get an extra turn after the first (on a draw of a heart or diamond), he can become an overpowered character very quickly. He is likely to get 1 more ...
3
votes
4answers
245 views
Unique and fun rules for UNO
I know the regular rules for UNO, but over the years, playing with different people, I hear all kinds of different rules. I've hear different rules when a specific card is played, you and/or everybody ...
1
vote
2answers
120 views
What should the Overlord change when adding a fifth hero in Descent: Journey Into the Dark, 2nd Ed.?
My board game group and I started Descent: Journey Into the Dark, 2nd Ed. last night. This group usually fluctuates between 4 and 6 players and this session we had five, the upper limit for the game. ...
4
votes
2answers
179 views
Adding money to a game of Risk
A friend and I recently had a conversation around making a set of rules for a buy-in variant on Risk, and I wanted some help from experienced players to review them as they stand now. Risk is not a ...
11
votes
7answers
1k views
Where can I find good tile layouts for Settlers of Catan?
I just bought a copy of Settlers, and noticed that there was a suggested starting layout that is included in the Almanac. I noticed it was mentioned online as well:
"new editions of the game also ...
7
votes
2answers
148 views
How bad would it to be to allow partial house renovation in Agricola?
In explaining this game to people over Christmas, several people independently balked at the idea that the whole house must be upgraded at once.
Is there a strong reason to enforce this rule? After a ...
5
votes
1answer
129 views
House rules to reduce the game play time of Power Grid
Are there any fair rules for shortening the playing time of Power Grid?
It seems obvious to end the game on less powered cities (rather than the 17 default), but this often skews the phase 2 for the ...
2
votes
1answer
135 views
Puerto Rico - Custom gameplay tweaks to introduce player interactions
We have been playing Puerto Rico for on a regular basis. It's an excellent game, and one of the few well balanced games in buildup genre as:
There is almost no luck factor involved.
All of the ...
1
vote
0answers
76 views
How can I make Supernatural-themed alternative characters?
The people who I play Betrayal at the House on the Hill with are also the same groups that share my love of Supernatural. We'd love to make some Dean, Sam and John Winchester characters as well as ...
4
votes
1answer
188 views
How can we stop the same person being the traitor each time?
I recently received Betrayal at House on the Hill. The last and only three times we've played it the same person/player has been the traitor. I know this is unlikely, but we've started joking that the ...
1
vote
2answers
130 views
Mêlée based, fantasy themed Warhammer 40k army?
Which army is best suited to adapting to a fantasy themed, mêlée based army (in both rules and look of model)? Do 40k armies suit mêlée combat at all?
6
votes
2answers
168 views
Can I mix Fantasy and 40k in a game?
I'm trying to get my fiancée interested in playing Warhammer games. She's interested in fantasy and I'm interested in the sci-fi 40k branch of the game, plus I've already got an army in the making. If ...
6
votes
2answers
955 views
Is Ace high? Or low? Or both?
When playing the cards, Ace is worth 1. When counting runs, A 2 3 is worth 3. I've often played with Q K A also being worth 3. I've even played with K A 2 being worth 3! Definitely good ways to ...
9
votes
0answers
162 views
Ora et Labora. Ideas for an alternative 2 player game ending rule?
I love the game "Ora et Labora" by Uwe Rosenberg. It is has especially a nice 2 player mechanism.
In 3 and 4 player mode the game ends after a certain number of rounds. Which I like very much.
...
10
votes
4answers
447 views
Too many Tech-Victories seen in 2-player rules for Civilization
I have been playing Civilization The Board Game some times with my girlfriend, but each time, the game quickly becomes a race for the tech-victory. Since it is a large advantage to research tech in ...
0
votes
0answers
145 views
Small World: New game I'm playing [closed]
For whoever likes Small World, here's an idea for how to play this game differently:
When a player needs to choose a race, his opponent chooses for him (and also pays or gets the victory points for ...
6
votes
2answers
241 views
How to mitigate the intial luck factor in Race For The Galaxy?
Background (feel free to skip):
My mom and I often play RFTG together (I am a very fortunate child to have a game-playing parent :), and we've noticed that there usually isn't as much luck in the ...
4
votes
3answers
746 views
How do Phenomenon cards work in the Eternities Map variant?
In the Eternities Map variant of Planechase, players lay out Plane cards in a grid and get to choose a direction when they planeswalk:
Players see not only the current plane, but also adjacent ...
5
votes
0answers
68 views
Does the Diplowinn variant play similarly to the original Diplomacy?
The Diplomacy Variant Bank contains a huge number of variants on Diplomacy, ranging from completely different maps and powers, to minor tweaks of the rules. I was searching for a variant that would ...
6
votes
1answer
707 views
If you disturb a Jenga block, can you push it back into place?
In Jenga, when you are moving your block out and another block next to it moves, are you allowed to push the other block(s) back?
9
votes
2answers
607 views
Where did the “can't build next to the robber” house rule come from?
Several people I've met play Settlers of Catan with the house rule "you may not build anything that isn't a knight next to the robber". As far as I can see, it's not in the rule book.
To clarify: ...
3
votes
1answer
216 views
Where can I find more Brood War scenarios?
The Brood War expansion of Starcraft introduces the idea of the Scenario Game Mode, which basically comprises a pregenerated galaxy setup with special victory conditions. Often, playing scenarios ...
7
votes
2answers
233 views
Is there a solitaire version of Bang?
I love playing Bang! but I'm finding it hard to play a game with my friends, because of our busy schedules.
I would love to play a solitaire version of Bang! if it existed, so that I could get my ...
9
votes
2answers
307 views
How can I speed up a game of Axis and Allies?
I find Axis and Allies takes a long time to play. Does anyone have any house rules that would shorten the game? I actually own A&A Europe, but general answers are welcome.
8
votes
2answers
221 views
Making 2-player Starcraft more enjoyable
In theory and according to the rules book, Starcraft can be played by 2-6 players. From my own experience and what I heard from others, it does not work at all for 2 players. The random factor gets ...
5
votes
2answers
766 views
Does Dixit need any modifications to play with 7, 8, 9, and 10 players?
I've enjoyed Dixit greatly with groups of 5 and 6, and I'm curious if it needs any rule variations to extend it further. I was thinking perhaps requiring at least 2 players to guess the correct card ...
19
votes
5answers
4k views
How do you make Settlers of Catan work well for 2 players? (Problems and play-tested solution described, alternatives requested)
The basic Settlers of Catan game is designed to work for 3-4 players (or more with 5-6 Player Extension). No 2 player variant is suggested by the rules, and for good reasons:
Trades (an exciting ...
4
votes
1answer
70 views
How can we keep Ren Faire fresh?
After you've played Ren Faire with the same group for a while, the performance requirements seem old. All of us have had to bellydance, act like a hyper kid, etc, etc. I suppose we could crank out ...
4
votes
2answers
391 views
Is there a Warhammer 40K codex/proxy for the Interex?
The Interex appear in the first Horus Heresy book, Horus Rising as a branch of humanity heavily influenced by eldar.
I was forever saddened to hear they never made it.
Do any rules official and/or ...
3
votes
1answer
84 views
Can The Haunted Tower be played without the base game?
My girlfriend received Dungeons & Dragons: The Haunted Tower for Christmas. Can it be played without the The New Easy to Master Dungeons & Dragons?
I figure that it would be possible to ...
3
votes
3answers
309 views
What's a good handicap for a less experienced player in an MTG Draft?
My drafting group has a few hardcore players like me who have been playing magic for a while. We've memorized almost all the commons and uncommons in the sets we're drafting (usually Innistrad or ...
23
votes
7answers
7k views
Munchkin as a two player game
Has anyone had any experience with playing Munchkin with 2 players? If so, what variant/house rules do you play with, and how do you feel the experience compares to 3+ player Munchkin?
5
votes
3answers
822 views
How to make Settlers of Catan less cut-throat?
I know some people enjoy playing this way, but the other 50% of players seem to prefer a more casual game. This often stops people wanting to play at all, and so Settlers gets left on the shelf.
The ...
17
votes
4answers
664 views
What is the best strategy to avoid large farms in Carcassonne?
Whenever I play with my housemates and friends, Carcassonne often becomes 'farm wars'; everyone who understands the nuances of farm play gets caught up in playing meeple (or as I call them, 'dudes') ...
2
votes
1answer
198 views
Different game modes for Thunderstone
While plenty entertaining in the original version, the game Thunderstone looks like it could be played in many more ways.
Besides the most obvious modifications like playing with more (or less) ...
4
votes
1answer
465 views
How can Munchkin Quest be played quicker?
I love Munchkin Quest, but if you have more than 3 players you tend to get longer games. I know one way to make games quicker is to reduce everyone's starting moves to 2. That works ok, but I want ...
5
votes
4answers
416 views
How can we speed up Killer Bunnies?
What are some common house rules that you might use for a Killer Bunnies game?
Because the game has so many rules/cards to begin with, the only one that we've come up with is not allowing Super ...
12
votes
1answer
486 views
Dixit variations to increase replay value?
I recently got Dixit, and it's been a big hit with a couple groups of friends, however we're already finding it's replay value to be declining. I'm sure in a few months it would be very fun again ...
8
votes
2answers
529 views
How can I elegantly increase the difficulty of Elder Sign?
I think there's consensus that Elder Sign is not satisfyingly difficult. The variants I've seen suggested are either too long for my taste, or don't look play-tested.
Has anyone found a satisfying ...
7
votes
3answers
214 views
How can we finish Titan in 4 hours?
We like to play Titan but the game always feels too long, it usually takes 6-8 hours.
We've tried the quicker game variant suggested in the rules (skipping the first level of recruits and going ...
0
votes
0answers
174 views
Has anyone played a completely 'free market' version of Settlers of Catan? [closed]
In a free market version, there is no robber and sevens don't do anything (either reroll or nothing pays out). Optionally, players' resources cards are public information.
If so, what was your ...
8
votes
6answers
476 views
Robo Rally - Alternative rules for option cards?
Robo Rally is a fun game but the option cards totally break it if a person just sits on the wrench and hammer and collects them all.
Has anyone tried a house rule to discourage this behaviour? How ...
