~~~Varuna~~~

AuntFlo

There are a lot of us nerds here on the board.  You have some competition on being the nerdiest.

We have Arkham Horror.  It's one of my least favorites.  It takes WAY too long to play.  We once had the game taking up space on our dining room table for weeks while we waited for time to finish playing it.   Ugh.

DH is a major board game player and collector.  Our guest bedroom walls are lined with shelves full of games.  Like, several hundred.  (if you are claustrophobic, do NOT stay in our guest bedroom.  The walls may just close in on you.)

DH belongs to a local board game group that meets every weekend.  When we first started going, there were maybe 50  members and now there are hundreds.  It's become so big that they have food trucks there every weekend.  I'll go occasionally, and he takes DD often.

Are you familiar with the Board Game Geek website?  He's always on there.   In fact, he has his collection of board games arranged in order of the BGG ranking.  Nerd.  

alikatt17

Yeah, DH has a RPG podcast.  It's actually pretty popular. 

I thought about joining the board game club here at work, but it's on Friday nights and I have a life.  I'm sure the engineers in the club don't and that's why it's on a Friday.  Plus, I'm pretty certain I'd be the only chick. 

zsazsa-stl

I don't think it is quite as intense as other RP games, but have you played Werewolves of Millers Hollow?  My family played at Christmas and it was a lot of fun.  My 10 yo niece is obsessed and now writing a "book" (each chapter has about 2 sentences) based on the characters in the game. It's adorable. <---biased aunt

VarunaTT

I just learned about BGG actually, b/c of the Arkham Horrors tutorials and reviews.  DH knew about it, but this is a relatively recent discovery that we both like doing these.  I love boardgames and cards, but DH has always said he hated them.  Then we started with Settlers of Cataan and the like, and I realized he liked those types of boardgames, not just the straight up Monopoly type things.  So, we've been doing this alot.

I don't mind have one that takes awhile (I also don't have children to worry about).  We picked up this one b/c I wanted one that was more mystery/solving/co-op type thing.  I really hate the ones that are Tomb, where you go into the room, search, treasure, monsters.  The reviews said this one is more about the story.

But you are so right about this layout.  Holy crap, I think it's the biggest layout I've ever seen for a board game.  Plus just all the freaking rules.  I was trying to explain to DH that it's not that the rules are hard, they're familiar enough, but it's every single freaking board game rule ever.

The new Zombies!!! is awesomely fun.  Highly highly recommend.  We had a blast playing it with 4 of us.  The layout we played was more cooperative and holy cow was it fun to run over zombies.    I think it took us about 2 hours to get through it?

We bought Tsuro as well, which I really love  and it's fast with 2 people.  It's fast even with 4, but it can be hairy.  We have Dominion which I can play for hours and hours and hours and is ridiculously replayable.  We keep wanting to buy an expansion for it, but at the same time, there's no need for the expansion.  DH usually bails before I'm actually through with playing.  And then of course, Magic.

DH is also interested in trying Maulifaux.  But the creators are trying to come out with a more story based adventure, rather than just straight up figurine skirmishes, so we're kind of waiting for that.  But I'm in love with the maps and figures (more steampunk).

You know, it's just nice to have something to do when it's cold outside.  We've pretty much stopped drinking except for special occasions (like yesterday) and we didn't realize how much we were drinking as an activity on the weekends.  We had to fill them up someone and this is far healthier, more fun and honestly, gives my brain a workout that it doesn't get much anymore not being in school.

This is blasted long, but: Ali, I've found I'm not usually the only woman.  BUT, I did scare myself out of a Magic Tournament.  B/c when i walked it I really did feel like a piece of meat.  Plus, it seems like with certain groups, you always have to prove your nerd cred as a woman.  If you went with your husband, that probably wouldn't happen, which makes me more mad in a way.

I will admit, I have no interest in RPGs.  We have one friend who is pushing us hard, b/c they have a weekly Call of Cthulu game.  I'm reluctant for now.

PMeg819

Any suggestions for games? We played a bunch over Christmas with my sister (Labyrinth and another I'm totally blanking on). She's in town next weekend for her birthday and Friday night we're doing pizza and games at our house.

VarunaTT

I ADORE Settlers of Cataan.  I'm not good at it, but I will play the hell out of it all the time.  Plus, it's an easy set up and easy to learn, which is a plus in my book.

Dominion is fun and you don't have to play the same game twice.  If you get it, I recommend doing their Big Money layout, it's easy to learn on that layout, b/c the money flows.  can be a bit slow, but once you do learn it, you'll fly through.

Zombies!!! was super super super fun, but it can be crazy with the rules a bit.  But it was so much fun, we were giggling through the whole thing.

PMeg819

We do play Settlers. I may buy it but it's not one my mom likes. I'll check out Zombies!!

VarunaTT

Oh, just a recommendation.  Don't even get the Star Trek Settlers.  We found it difficult, b/c the graphics for the resources are all planets, just different colors (so it's like they all ran together) and the towns/cities are mini Enterprises and Space stations.  which sounded so cool, but ended up being annoying, b/c they're all on pedestals.  It's neat as a gimmick, but not so much playing.

Our local gaming store actually has one of every game they've ever had open for sample playing.  It's really nice to be able to open them and play a bit to see if you're interested.

I'm just glad I"m not the only one.    Zsa, I havent seen that one, but I'll see if my store has it to try.

jojobrn

Carcassonne is another good one in the same vein as Settlers that we love. Also now we are loving Ticket to Ride. 

Have not played Zombies, but have you tried Last Night on Earth Varuna? That is one of my favorites even if my husband is a d!ck and laughs as more zombies spawn and take us players out.

VarunaTT

They are both very similar.  I actually like Zombies!!! a ilttle more.  It's more co-op (at least the layout we played was, I'm not sure that's true for all layouts) and it's interesting b/c everytime you kill a zombie, you raise your threat level, which does get you more abilities, but it means you spawn more zombies.

And yes, spawning zombies get crazy, yo!

I forget, we have Carcassone too.  DH LOVES that.  I'm okay with it.  Tsuro is very similar to that one as well, but you're building paths instead of roads/pastures, etc.

jojobrn

Seriously, the last thing we need is more board games, but I will have to look into Zombies!!! DH just came home with Doom the other day he had a used copy sans the box he sold on Ebay a few years back and the game store we frequent had a complete game with an expansion for 30 bucks. So now wehave to find room for those.

Another one we are loving is Super Dungeon Explorer, another one that get my husband's evil side out as more monsters spawn. And the expansions keep coming too.

And I didn't play it but the guys DH nerds with have played Pandemic (I think that's what it is called) and the new Risk Legacy and loved both. The Risk game now has a country and capitol called Gerpgork.

AuntFlo

I'm not sure how DH even got me to play Arkham.  I HATE co-op games (I'm not a team player) and I hate things with a million rules.  

Some of my favorites are:

Dominion

Lords of Waterdeep

Thebes

Notre Dame

7 Wonders

Also  (not a board game - but an iOS game) Spaceteam is SO.MUCH.FUN.   Everyone gets out their iPhones, iPod Touch, or iPad, and you all connect wirelessly, I think you can play 4 or 5 - you're pretending you're all flying a spaceship and you have to yell out commands to each other.  It's hard to describe but it's very fun and nerdy.

VarunaTT

I can see it being a very addicting hobby.  But, it's not so expensive that you cringe when you get a new game.  Or at least I don't.  Dominion was $40 and we've played it so much that if you broke it down by hour, we're probably already down to $1/hour.  Fairly inexpensive entertainment.

VarunaTT

Yay for another Dominion player, AF  It's a ridiculously good time!

I've seen all those others except Lords of Waterdeep.  I'll keep a list, sometimes there are so many and it's hard to tell which to get.

GBCK

throwing one more reccomendation out there...

killer bunies

oh, 2 recs.

munchkin.  any of it's iterations.

both are fairly simple* (simple being a relative term) card games that non geeks enjoy.  Munchkin is more fun w/ geeks and w/ the mixed deck, so take the good, teh bad and the munchkin and mix it with the 007 version.

And killer bunnies--you get to try to kill each others bunnies in horrible ways.

alikatt17

I'm not a huge fan of Munchkin, i have an issue keeping the rules straight.

I Love Chez Geek- i'ts been one of my favorite games for probably 13 years.

DH always comes home w/ fun games for us when he goes to GenCon.

AuntFlo

Oh no, Varuna - it IS a very expensive hobby when your DH MUST BUY THE HOT NEW GAME.  A lot of the ones he likes are $50-$80.  And then there are expansions.   

But, I must say, he has finally become OK with selling stuff he no longer plays.  So that helps.

GBCK

the Mr. always makes $ when he sells his models, if he's painted them.

But if you break it down hourly, hemakes a pittance :-P

VarunaTT

DH likes Munchkin.  I was alright with it, but didn't really want to play.

AF, that's probably true.  Neither one of us are very good about getting the hot new anything.  We also have couple friends who's husband is very similar to your DH, so we tend to get to try before we buy.

zsazsa-stl

Werewolves is cheap:  http://www.amazon.com/Asmodee-849418-Werewolves-Millers-Hollow/dp/B0009Z3M8S/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1363627341&sr=1-1&keywords=werewolves+of+millers+hollow

My sister's family LOVES Settlers.  I thought it was really difficult, but it was probably because I was the only first timer playing and they were all barking rules at me.

alikatt17

I'm making DH sell his unpainted, unopened minatures that we've moved twice.  It's ridiculous.  This is the reason we can only fit one car in the two-car garage.