Board Games: The Thread (Come say hi!)

[strangenova]

I played Boss Monster last night in a handful of 1v1 matches and man is this game fun. It's also attractive to look at. I'm sure you all know about this game but if you don't I recommend it, it's an easy to learn, quick paced card strategy game for 2-4 players that uses an 8bit aesthetic.

[marurun]

I played Boss Monster last night in a handful of 1v1 matches and man is this game fun. It's also attractive to look at. I'm sure you all know about this game but if you don't I recommend it, it's an easy to learn, quick paced card strategy game for 2-4 players that uses an 8bit aesthetic.

I've got a signed card from Origins 2 years ago. Bomb Factory. Turns out Boss Monster 2 and the expansion are both pretty fun as well.

[marurun]

So, anyone going to the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH next week? If you are, I'd love to meet up. I intend to have a few games there with me, but mostly it'll be about trying new games and buying random stuff. It may only be the second-biggest board/card/role-playing game convention in the US, but it's still tops with me. Also, consider attending the Smithee Awards. If you don't know what those are, look them up. I bet Ack would love them.

[strangenova]

I played Boss Monster last night in a handful of 1v1 matches and man is this game fun. It's also attractive to look at. I'm sure you all know about this game but if you don't I recommend it, it's an easy to learn, quick paced card strategy game for 2-4 players that uses an 8bit aesthetic.

I've got a signed card from Origins 2 years ago. Bomb Factory. Turns out Boss Monster 2 and the expansion are both pretty fun as well.

I was wondering how well the second game was. Are they any big differences or changes to gameplay or is it more of the same with just some new cards?

[marurun]

I played Boss Monster last night in a handful of 1v1 matches and man is this game fun. It's also attractive to look at. I'm sure you all know about this game but if you don't I recommend it, it's an easy to learn, quick paced card strategy game for 2-4 players that uses an 8bit aesthetic.

I've got a signed card from Origins 2 years ago. Bomb Factory. Turns out Boss Monster 2 and the expansion are both pretty fun as well.

I was wondering how well the second game was. Are they any big differences or changes to gameplay or is it more of the same with just some new cards?

Yeah, there are some new changes, but they're just taking what's there and amping it up. New types of heroes, epic spells, new room types. But the core game is fundamentally the same, which is fine, because there was still a lot of room for new mechanics and such. Plus, the new game integrates just fine with the old.

[strangenova]

Good to know. I'll probably be picking that up down the road.

[KalessinDB]

Good to know. I'll probably be picking that up down the road.

Boss Monster 2 is good, mostly just more of the same. What makes me sad though is that it's marketed as a "Standalone expansion"... but it's really not. It's a second game, period. You can't fully combine the decks - specifically, you can't combine the hero decks. This makes me extra sad because I routinely have game nights with 5 or 6 people, and despite having both Boss Monsters (and the legit expansion-expansions, Tools of Herokind and the Paper & Pixels) it's still limited to a 4 player game.

I could probably find a way to custom engineer it up to 5 or 6 but it would take some definite playtesting to balance the # of heroes, and I don't want to put that much thought into it honestly.

[ejamer]

I had talked about the Catacombs & Castles KickStarter earlier, and they finally have a prototype video up showing some gameplay.

The video that was supposed to get posted is apparently still in limbo because their production guy hasn't been able to finish processing, but even if it's a bit rough this one does a good job showing off some of the key conceptual changes from Catacombs 3rd Edition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weXm67wRPrk

One warning I want to give: although I have full faith in this project and the team behind it, I have almost no faith that they'll deliver on time according to the KickStarter estimates. To me that's ok as long as the end product is good. I fully understand why others wouldn't be so forgiving though, so felt it worth mentioning.

[ejamer]

Some Boss Monster questions:

A friend owns this game, and I tried playing once. The theme was cute, but gameplay seemed pretty random and without many tough decisions to make - my cards generally dictated best play in most cases without making me really stop and think about how to approach different situations. In that regard it seemed kind of like Munchkin or that genre of card game.

1. Am I missing the point, or maybe not giving Boss Monster a fair shake?
2. Does the game require an expansion to improve play, or are they generally "more of the same"?
3. Is there some depth that is uncovered with multiple plays, or is this a case of "it is what it is"?

To be clear, I'm not trashing the game. It seemed cute and light and fun - and none of those are bad things! But it didn't really hit me and I'm wondering if I should try again or just move on.

[strangenova]

Some Boss Monster questions:

A friend owns this game, and I tried playing once. The theme was cute, but gameplay seemed pretty random and without many tough decisions to make - my cards generally dictated best play in most cases without making me really stop and think about how to approach different situations. In that regard it seemed kind of like Munchkin or that genre of card game.

1. Am I missing the point, or maybe not giving Boss Monster a fair shake?
2. Does the game require an expansion to improve play, or are they generally "more of the same"?
3. Is there some depth that is uncovered with multiple plays, or is this a case of "it is what it is"?

To be clear, I'm not trashing the game. It seemed cute and light and fun - and none of those are bad things! But it didn't really hit me and I'm wondering if I should try again or just move on.

I feel that the level of random luck vs strategy is on par with something like catan. In that I mean you can have bad luck but a superior strategy can most likely save you in the long run. I think you should give it another go, play a handful of games back to back if you can. It'll breed a familiarity with the cards and effects, allowing you to plan around future turns.

As for expansions, others here have mentioned its more of the same with a few new things, I can't say for myself as I don't have them.