All Questions
73
votes
22answers
3k views
What cooperative board games are there that I could safely play with my wife? [closed]
My wife loves board games, but dislikes very competitive games, and is completely uninterested in aggressive "beat up the other guy" games. We recently discovered Pandemic, where each player works ...
57
votes
10answers
5k views
How can I beat “Big Money” in Dominion?
Our group has determined that buying (almost exclusively) money and points is the way to go.
Most kingdom cards are ignored, or are bought very sparingly. This has lead to games feeling 'samey' and ...
55
votes
13answers
735 views
Taking back turns, and forgotten privileges
A generic question across most board games: once a player has taken their turn (taken their finger off the piece they are playing), should they be allowed to change their mind?
Similarly, if a player ...
43
votes
41answers
4k views
Games that have no element of luck. [closed]
Most of my favourite games, such as Diplomacy, have little or no element of luck - either via dice rolls, hands dealt, or other methods.
What other games can you recommend that rely on 'skill' alone? ...
43
votes
14answers
3k views
Boardgaming Online
This is a community maintained list of online resources to play boardgames with.
Does anyone know of more resources for online play?
Answers that address the following points would be much ...
41
votes
10answers
2k views
Should I trash Copper or Silver with Mine?
Assuming I've got both Copper and Silver in my hand, which is better to trash in general and why?
39
votes
14answers
1k views
Is pretending to want to trade before playing a monopoly card objectionable?
In Settlers of Catan, I sometimes try to ask people if they want to trade a certain resource, tricking them into revealing the approximate amount of that resource in everyone's hand. After this I play ...
37
votes
28answers
12k views
Board games for two players [closed]
My wife and I enjoy playing board games (having gotten hooked on Settlers of Catan and expanded from there) but we don't often have the opportunity to play with other people. The question What ...
37
votes
23answers
9k views
Good board games for single player [closed]
I love playing board games but often there's not many people around that share my passion. For that reason I'm looking for board games that can be played with just one player. I've discovered Arkham ...
37
votes
14answers
912 views
Countermeasures to “analysis paralysis”?
Several of my gaming friends are victim to more or less chronic analysis paralysis, which can drag down even the simplest of games.
We've occasionally used an hourglass to combat this, but it tends ...
36
votes
6answers
1k views
In Settlers of Catan, how do you overcome bad initial settlement placement?
In Settlers of Catan, how do you overcome bad initial settlement placement? In a lot of games of Catan I've played, initial settlement placement seems to really make or break the game for a player. ...
35
votes
24answers
2k views
Games that are quick to teach to new people, yet still fun and strategical [closed]
I love board games and don't mind sitting down for 10-15 minutes with some experienced players to learn how to play a complex game. However, I don't think most of my friends are as tolerable of ...
35
votes
2answers
4k views
Do my own villages/cities interrupt my “longest road” in Catan?
In a monthly game night, my friend interprets the rules to say that if I have a village or city on my road, it reduces the "longest road" length. I interpret the rules as saying that my village/city ...
35
votes
2answers
1k views
Which property group colour gives the best ROI , undeveloped or fully developed, in Monopoly?
Everybody always goes for the dark blues in Monopoly (Mayfair and Park Lane in the UK edition), but I'm convinced that the cheaper colour groups offer a better return on investment, partly because you ...
34
votes
6answers
6k views
Can every game of Solitaire be solved?
I play a lot of Solitaire games on my Android phone and love to keep an eye out for the statistics.
Given that the Solitaire version lets you restart the game endlessly, I usually play until I solve ...
29
votes
34answers
6k views
Good games for playing in a bar [closed]
Sometimes, I'm sitting in a bar, hanging out with a friend or three, and we run out of things to talk about. I think "this would be a great time to play a game, but I don't have one on me." My local ...
29
votes
9answers
1k views
Which resources are better at the start of a Catan game?
Is it better to start with Wheat and Ore in order to rapidly upgrade settlements into cities, or is it better to start with Wood and Brick to build roads?
29
votes
8answers
1k views
Why is the strong 1NT so prevalent in Bridge?
Bridge is widely considered to be the queen of card games on both sides of the Atlantic. However, there's one huge difference between the way that (most) Americans and (most) Britons play. In ...
28
votes
30answers
2k views
Interesting boardgames to play with children. [closed]
I have two children aged 8 and 6 and they like to play board games. Some of the ones they have are for very young children and boring for an adult to play. Are there any suggestions for games that ...
28
votes
8answers
1k views
Who is the rightful winner of this game of Settlers of Catan?
If player A reaches 10 victory points on his turn but forgets to count, and immediately after his turn, the following player, player B, also reaches 10 victory points and claims victory, does player A ...
28
votes
7answers
9k views
What are good placement strategies for Stratego?
How would I set up a good placement in Stratego, especially with bombs and the flag? What is a good strategy for varying the placement?
28
votes
8answers
2k views
What are some alternatives to using dice in Settlers of Catan?
In Settlers of Catan, there's a variant where instead of rolling the dice, you use a stack of 36 cards with each combination. This reduces the luck component, but has as disadvantage that you can ...
28
votes
7answers
3k views
Are Bishops more valuable than Knights?
Bishops and Knights are both traditionally considered to have a similar value, worth roughly three pawns each. However, I have heard arguments that under certain circumstances they are not so closely ...
28
votes
8answers
10k views
Is there much strategy and planning in 7-Wonders or is mostly luck?
I have played about 15 games of Seven Wonders now.
When I ask the winning player why they won, they tend to tell me what they did rather than why they did it, and rarely does it involve anything ...
27
votes
23answers
4k views
Recommendations for 6-player board game [closed]
What's a good game for six players? Many games can be played by 6 players, but suffer from a loss of pace, and long waits between turns. What games have parallel planning phases, or lots of ...
27
votes
3answers
2k views
In Magic, when can I tap my opponent's creatures to prevent them from attacking?
Whilst I haven't played Magic in a while, use of the stack was something that I always found a little confusing. When I first started out, our group could tap an opponents attacking creature after ...
27
votes
6answers
681 views
What do you recommend to learn Go?
I am a beginner at this great game, and I would like to improve my skills at the game of Go. What resources would you recommend?
27
votes
9answers
2k views
What techniques should I use to teach my 5-year old to play chess?
The other night while playing checkers with my 5 year old, he told me that he wanted to make up a game using the checkerboard which had different pieces that could do different things. I told him that ...
26
votes
21answers
1k views
Which alternative methods of choosing a starting player actually WORK?
So I've been noticing that there's a vogue in gaming recently for the starting player to be chosen by some method other than simple lot. I'm wondering if this is a good fashion, or if it's just ...
26
votes
6answers
6k views
Why would you want to play with a deck bigger than 60 cards in MTG?
In Magic the Gathering, the decks are required to be no less than 60 cards, but can be larger. Since you can only have 4 of each card (except for basic lands), it seems you would want the limit size ...
26
votes
12answers
6k views
What are good standard strategies for Carcassonne ?
I've only just discovered Carcassonne (thanks to the iPhone app), but I keep losing (in 3-player games).
Which standard strategies are there? (game without extensions, 3-4 players).
One strategy per ...
26
votes
6answers
891 views
What's the difference between a tactic and a strategy?
Some people consider tactics and strategy to be distinct (as they apply to boardgames), while I regard them both as "structured methods and plans to win".
Are they distinct? And what are the ...
26
votes
5answers
2k views
What are mistakes beginners should avoid in Dominion?
I am going to play my first round of Dominion (+ Intrigue Expansion) this weekend with 4 other players who have played Dominion before. I have read the rules and now I want to avoid the typical traps ...
26
votes
5answers
735 views
When I put the robber on someone in Settlers of Catan, does the resource I take HAVE to be random?
Say I have 3 ore, 2 wheat, and a wood, and player B has a wheat, a wool, and a brick. Player B puts the robber next to one of my settlements and has to take one resource at random. Player B wants to ...
26
votes
3answers
8k views
Must a player take a jump in checkers?
Is a player in checkers required to take a jump if one is available? What about a double or triple jump if that is available?
25
votes
7answers
555 views
What are some good games or techniques for helping kids learn to “lose gracefully”?
This is a good question asked as example on Area51.
I remember when I was a kid I did hate lose and worse I did try cheat to win. I don't remember when or how this attitude changed but I started to ...
25
votes
7answers
1k views
How important is memorizing chess openings in casual play?
I've played chess since I was kid and after much practice have become a decent player. I still though, have little strategy to my opening moves besides starting with a King's Pawn Game. I know ...
25
votes
3answers
778 views
Is castling still done in the openings in modern chess?
I have read in a somewhat old book that castling was to be done as soon as possible, but some of my playing friends don't bother to do it in the opening. What's the modern usage?
25
votes
2answers
667 views
Is pawn promotion to rook or bishop something that is seen in play?
Reading What is the proper Algebraic Notation for a pawn being promoted? made me wonder whether pawn promotion to rook or bishop ever happens. The only time I can think this might happen is when ...
25
votes
2answers
353 views
If I buy a Mint, do I still get to use the coins from the treasures I played that turn to buy a Grand Market?
In the Prosperity rules it says "if you have 11 coppers in play and 2 Buys, you could buy a Mint, trash all of your played Treasures, and then buy a Grand Market." My question is: What are you going ...
24
votes
9answers
905 views
Are general 3-to-1 or specific 2-to-1 ports better in Settlers of Catan?
Which type of ports do you find more useful in Settlers of Catan, General 3-to-1 ports or 2-to-1 ports for a specific resource?
24
votes
2answers
724 views
There seem to be several different scoring systems for fields/cities in Carcassonne — which is correct?
It seems that the scoring for fields and cities in Carcassonne varies -- has this changed over the years, or is this a difference between the US and international versions? Are there ...
24
votes
4answers
579 views
Why is it of high importance to control the center of the board in Chess?
One reason for this is that from the center of the board, your pieces
have quicker access to the other parts of the board. Another is that
your pieces often attack a larger number of squares. What ...
23
votes
2answers
473 views
How is Test of Faith resolved?
This is the scenario: he attacks with a 4/4 and I block with a 1/1. I cast Test of Faith on my 1/1.
I say his creature dies because I block 3 damage and become a 4/4 killing him but he says that ...
23
votes
3answers
1k views
Which of the 5 resources in Settlers of Catan (base version) is most important? Why?
Experienced Settlers of Catan players know that the answer to this question will vary based on many board setup factors such as resource productivity, 2:1 ports, whether you can corner the market for ...
23
votes
4answers
525 views
Protecting the surface of your board games…
Is there something anyone knows of that you can apply to the surface of a board game to protect it against wear so that it lasts longer?
23
votes
4answers
803 views
Is kingmaking in multiplayer games a problem that can be fixed?
The original Kingmaker was Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick. He was instrumental during the Wars of the Roses in the deposition of two kings. The term kingmaker has come to mean, "a person or ...
23
votes
2answers
694 views
Can I use a reaction card in response to Minion being used for +2 coins?
Can a player reveal a Reaction card, such as "Secret Chamber", in response to the Minion action, even if the player who played the Minion chooses the +2$ option?
23
votes
7answers
6k 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?
23
votes
3answers
839 views
How do you place your initial settlements in Settlers of Catan?
Initial settlement placement in Catan can really affect the outcome of the game. What strategy do you follow in Settlers of Catan for initial settlement placement. Does this strategy change if you ...
