So, this is apparently some kind of Risk site. Presumably then, we're all here because at one point or another we decided that we wanted to play some kind of online boardgame. But, how many of us play boardgames in real life?
Me, I'm a really big boardgames fan. My bookshelf is topped by a small selection of some of my favourites and once or twice a week I head into central London to trounce lesser minds at hundreds of different games. There's something about face-to-face interaction that internets risk-mongering just fails to deliver. Is this a pastime that anybody else here is into? If so, what are you playing? I know that Mr Pimpdave is a big Memoir '44 fan (a game I really want to try someday), but what about the rest of you?
Personally, my favourite games are:
Dominion (and its expansion, Intrigue) - Possibly my favourite of all games, it's a clever card game that plays quickly, gives you plenty of interesting choices to make each turn, remains tense throughout, lets you assemble MTG-esque mega-combos with which to demonstrate your genius and crush your opponents, and often throws up opportunities to screw-over multiple opponents at once.
The Settlers of Catan - The perennial family-favourite, while not the best game in the world, it's pretty good for providing nice simple negotiation shenanigans that you can enjoy with a drink, and also containing a couple of hidden sharky moves with which to do-over the unwary.
A Game of Thrones LCG - Possibly my most geeky tipple. It plays a bit like Magic:TG (but is fundamentally a better game), though it's free of the shitty 'blind buy' cash-sink marketing model that blights its older cousin, with all the cards being available to just buy off the shelf. Pretty difficult to find opponents for in the UK, but possibly my favourite game of the moment (and the one I most wish I got to play more frequently and which I wish I knew more people who played)
Race for the Galaxy - A deep card game with fuck-tons of replayability, multiple ways to win, and plenty going on at any one time. That said, I have to deduct some points from it because it doesn't give you many ways to slap down other players or to backstab succesful players.
Arkham Horror - Long, winding, in many ways pointless, and with results hinging largely on chance, it sounds like it should be total rubbish. However, its theme is good, and with a few beers, a decent gathering of other players, and a heft dollop of in-jokes this one becomes a quality game. That said, you play it more for the banter and silly voice-over opportunities than for tactical gameplay.
The Game of Thrones Boardgame - Totally unlike its card-based cousin, it's basically a lot like Diplomacy, only with a few extra bells and whistles to make sure it retains the tension up until the very end and doesn't bog down into a dull guessing game once the first couple of players are eliminated.
Carcassonne - Another well-known classic. I like it mainly because it's easy to explain to new players, so you can spring it on unsuspecting friends/relatives that whose brains wouldn't be able to cope with more sophisticated games. Basically it's a lot like a jig-saw with points and a couple of ways to bugger up other people's plans... which I like.
So there you go, boardgames in real life, I love them. What about everybody else? What else does everybody else play? Or are you all solely computer-based gamers?
