I've been at a loss lately. I want to play a game that doesn't exist, as near as I can tell. I thought I'd describe that game here so GtG can make it for me and I can buy it.
I want a boardgame with a strong basic mechanic that drives the game. By this I mean, it's not just a complicated collection of movement rules and targeting rules and line of sight rules. I want a game like Smallworld (capturing territory is simple) or Takenoko (you're either growing or eating bamboo to score points) or Castles of Mad King Ludwing (players value pieces other players buy to maximize their profit), where once you've grokked the basic mechanic of the game, you don't have to re-teach yourself the game each time you play if you haven't played in a couple of months. SotM definitely fits in the category of having a strong mechanic driving the game (play, power, draw), but Tactics and Spirit Island do not, and I want a boardgame (plus, I've already got SotM).
The boardgame should have a fun, strong, geek-appropriate theme. Mostly I want superheroes running around a city fighting crime, but I wouldn't kick a different but still fun themed game out of bed.
The game is not coop. Coop games are great, but this game should have each player playing for themselves, with only the lightest of screw-your-neighbor mechanics if necessary. Each player is trying to accumulate points and at the end of the game the points are tallied and a winner is crowned. No one gets knocked out early, and no one has to ruin another player's game just to win theirs.
Lastly, I love great game pieces. In fact, I'd love a boardgame which used the Tactics minis so I could have a use for those when I'm not playing Tactics (which is, sadly, often). The game can use meeples or tokens in addition to pretty minis, but I do not want a game with nothing but colored square blocks. I'm not a toddler.
So there you have it. Reading back over it, I can see that what I've just described is perhaps just a simplified Tactics where the players don't have to fight each other. I'd buy that for $40.
The first game I thought of is Cthulhu Wars. It's an area control game where each player controls an army of eldritch abominations. It's a fantastic game in all but one respect.
1) The basic mechanics are pretty simple. Each round you get some amount of energy, and each action costs energy, so you go around the table using actions until all your energy is exhausted. Combat is very simple almost no modifiers. Each army has individual effects that can give them special effects or actions, which do complicate the game, but the basics are simple.
2) Strong theme. You are an army of eldritch abominations fighting other armies of eldritch abominations for control of the planet. And each army's special effects are strongly thematically tied.
3) Not a coop. It's not a war game either, although it could be mistaken for such, since there is combat, but it's focus is area control like Small World. Like Small World, all mechanics are designed towards benefiting yourself, although some of them do hurt your opponents in the process.
4) If you like magnificent game pieces, this is the game for you. The miniatures for the Great Old Ones are larger than your fist, and the only pieces that the armies have in common are their cultists. If you appreciate the minis, the game might even be worth the $200 price tag.
And there you have it. Cthulhu Wars is an amazing game, but it's also $200 because the miniatures aren't miniature. I'm told that Chaos in the Old World is a similar game, but I've never played it so I can't comment on how well it meets your desires.
I watched a video review of Cthulhu Wars . You're right, those gigantic minis are spectacular. The reviewer really liked the game and only really choked on the $200 price tag, which is to be expected. Unfortunately, for $200, you can't really just pick it up to see how your group likes it. You have to be sure they're going to love it.
That was a strong recomendation, Arcanist. Thanks.
No, because all the reviews make it seem like mostly just an amped-up game of Yahtzee. Plus, if I understand correctly, you're actively trying to screw the other player's monsters by pulling them out of the city or whatever. The game often gets picked up and rolled around when I'm cruising the game store, but it hasn't gotten bought yet.
King of Tokyo is a push your luck screw em game, so I don’t think that’s what you’re looking for spiff. It’d fun, don’t get me wrong.
Maybe try Seasons? It’s more card than board game, and there is a little screw your opponent, but mostly it’s who can accumulate the most stuff in a set time limit. It’s one of my favorites, even if it doesn’t get to the table as much (a little set up intensive for my usuall need, but not like Cthulu intensive)
There is a board game with the same theme called Xidit (I think) but never tried it
While I love Seasons, it definately has some pretty nast "screw you" cards in it and it is definately a card game. However, I would recommend it to anyone, especially if you play with the drafting. Not sure if what's Spiff is looking for though
Lords of Xidit got a strong Dice Castle review, and could be my next purchase (thanks, lynkfox). It sounds super close to what I want - a simple mechanic (actionprogramming, in this case) which drives interesting interactions throughout the game, with a great theme and high production values. Too bad it's not a superhero game. :)
Maybe Tokaido for a non co-op with a bit less of the screw the other players type of game. Not very combatty though but the different characters and ways of earning points is really good.
The little 3D train you have to rob in Colt Express is fantastic, but it sounds like there's a lot of stopping the other robbers from getting loot so you can end up the winner, which isn't ideal.
Really, I just think GtG should make the game I want so I can buy it. It's the simplest solution (for me).
I like Colt Express, but I do think that there's a little more "take that" in the game than Spiff was looking for. It sounded like he was looking for Euro-level interaction, but with more theme.
Have you done any playtesting on Fate of the Elder Gods yet? It honestly sounds like it meets all of those criteria. Especially once the pieces are done.