October 2024
Welcome board game fans! This month we discuss when to “swipe left” on a new board game, and take a look at some new arrivals added just in time for Halloween. We also bring you a review of Windspan spin-off game Wyrmspan as well as spooky co-op game Horrified. Shop customers can also pick up their Exit: The Game Advent Caledars which are back in stock.
Happy board gaming!
If Board Games were Dating..
Our hobby is full of players looking to have fun and, in some cases, in search of “the one” game that will bring lasting joy. In a recent poll we asked at what point after unboxing a new game you would “swipe left” and move on to the next game. Here’s a summary what we learned, and why (perhaps as in the world of dating) it might pay dividends to give out second chances.
The One-Night Stand
Some gamers live by the motto, “life’s too short for bad games.” If a game doesn’t sweep them off their feet on the first try, it’s out faster than you can say, “Who’s turn is it?”. The danger with the “one and done” crownd is that a snap judgment might be costing them the chance to find a hidden gem.
The Second Date Rule
Most respondents felt it fair to give a game a second chance, allowing for the fact that the first play is likely to be the most awkward: maybe the game had an off night—bad lighting, awkward rules explanations, or just the wrong vibe. A second date may have everyone around the table more relaxed, they’re now familiar with the game and it can make for an even better experience than the first play. After all, some games, like people, need a little time to show their true potential.
The Third Time’s the Charm
For the more optimistic (or stubborn), three plays is the magic number. These players are willing to dive deep, certain that every game has something special if you just give it enough time. Sure, the first date might have been a disaster, and the second was a bit better, but the third is when the magic might finally happen.
Practice Makes Perfect
A small number of you felt that, like a marriage, where love may grow over time, putting in effort and time into mastering a board game can lead to deep and lasting enjoyment. True love takes time and is nurtured day in and day out over a lifetime, and it could be argud that holds for board games too. The more you play, the better you get, and suddenly the game that felt awkward initially becomes a source of joy. (Certainly, some enduring games like Chess and Bridge seem to attest to this.)
It’s Not You…
Sometimes, it’s not the game’s fault—it’s just a bad match. Maybe the players didn’t vibe, someone forgot the rules, or your game night was doomed by a bad day at work. Before you break up with a game, consider giving it another shot in a different setting. The right mix of players and atmosphere can completely change your experience.
Here’s the advice: don’t give up after the first try. The first playthrough of a board game can be awkward. There are rules to learn, strategies to figure out, and it’s normal to feel like you’re just stumbling through. If there’s at least a glimpse of interest, then a second or third playthrough can start to reveal the game’s true potential. And, if each subsequent play reveals a further glimmer of potential, keep going... Some of our favourite games took a little time to really click but have since rewarded us tenfold on the time we took really get to know them.
So, before you swipe left after that first play, pause to think whether you might just be missing out on something great.
Happy gaming!
New Arrivals
(Just in time for Halloween!)
Spooky season is here, and we’ve got some thrilling new arrivals at My Board Game Library that are perfect for your next Halloween themed game night. Whether you're into plotting your next victim’s untimely demise, fighting off monsters, preventing the zombie apocalypse, or stepping into the shoes of your favourite villains, we’ve got your covered!
G.R.I.M. INC.
In G.R.I.M Inc. you work in a corporation of grim reapers, competing to impress “the boss” by coming up with the most impressive (and hilaroius) pitch for orchestrating the death of the victim. The boss will chose the victim and location and the rest of you will have a range of implements you can use to carry out the dastardly deed. Your job, convince the boss favour your plan over the rest. Will your plan to off the Pope on a Luxury Cruise using a swarm of bees best your rivals plan to off a Dyslexic Librarian at a Funeral using a Karaoke Machine?
DISNEY VILLAINOUS
Disney Villainous, lets you scheme and plot as one of several iconic Disney baddies as you try and put your evil plans into effect while disrupting the plans of your fellow villians. Each player has their own unique win condition (usually involving overcoming the hero from your villain's particular Disney film). On their turn a player moves their character to a location on their board and plays cards from their hands to advance their schemes and foil those of their opponents.
HORRIFIED
Horrified, is a exciting cooperative game where you and your friends team up to rid the village of seven classic movie monsters that are terrorising the local townsfolk.
Each monster is unique and requries a different strategy to be defeated. (Your can read our full review of this game below.)
PROJECT Z
Project Z is a zombie apocalypse survival miniatures game. This is a skirmish wargame for 1 to 3 players who fight to survive in the abandoned streets of a post-apocalyptic world infested by Zombies. Scavenge for scarce supplies whilst battling against the dead and the living alike as you try survive against the environment and an ever-growing horde of Zombies.
We hope our new arrivals inspire you this Halloween, if not you’ll find other suitable titles in the library such as Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate, Reign of Cthulhu, Hocus Pocus, Mysterium, One Night Ultimate Warewolf and many more). So grab your friends, turn down the lights, and prepare for a night of terrifying fun!
(Project Z, Horrified, GRIM Inc, Disney Villanous & many other spooky titles are avaialble from our library.)
Review:
Wyrmspan
Connie Vogelmann
1-5 Players
90 minutes
Wyrmspan is a stand alone board game that draws on the base mechanics of the award winning best selling title Wingspan. Players are transported to a world filled with fantastical dragons and will excavate and explore their personal cave system in the hope of enticing dragons to come an nest in the caves.
To those familiar with Wingspan this game will be very quick to pick up as the mechanics are 90% the same though a few improvements have been made (for instance there are no more random dice rolls for food and there is a new dragon guild track that awards resources and bonuses). Having said that, Wyrmspan stands on its own and no prior knowledge of Wingspan is necessary to enjoy this game.
The game is easy to teach and learn. The component quality is also excellent, as is the artwork. As regards play, as player’s build up their tableaux of dragons the combo and chain reaction effects that can be triggered are both spectacular and satisfying. Wyrmspan does a great job of balancing the three key decisions you make each turn (to get dragons, excavate caves, and explore for resources). Specialising in one resource often leaves you needing the others which forces interesting and challenging decisions in the game.
Wyrmspan is a good gateway game for someone who is new to engine-building games and enjoys the the dragon theme.
A minor drawback to Wyrmspan is that the fantasy dragon theme may not be to everyone’s taste. Also, (and this is purley as a result of having prior knowledge of Wingspan) the game didn’t offer the same real-world discovery that I enjoyed from learning about the different types of birds in Wingspan. Apart from that
Wyrmspan is an excellent game and if you only got to choose one, I’d likely advise on Wyrmspan over Wingspan because of the streamlined rules, tight play and improved engine building. Then again, why not try them both by renting them from our library and deciding for yourself! :-)
(Wyrmspan and Wingspan are available to rent from My Board Game Library or buy from our shop)
Review:
Horrified
Prospero Hall, Peter Lee
1-5 Players
60 minutes
If you’re wondering what to play this Halloween, permit us to suggest Horrified: a cooperative game where classic horror movie monsters come to life to terrorise a small town and its a race against time to rid the town of this evil and save the day (or become monster fodder!)
Horrified delivers all the chills and thrills of a 1940s horror flick as you team up with your friends to face seven iconic monsters like Dracula, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein. The player standees and monster miniatures add to the cinematic feel. Each monster has its own unique abilities and weaknesses, so you’ll have to adapt strategies and tactics depending on which one you’re up against.
The game is easy to learn featuring a “tutorial mode” first game that guides you through the basic play against lower-complexity monsters like Dracula and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. You’ll soon be turning up the tension as you take on more monsters with more interesting abilities.
Horrified does a good job of capturing the thrill of seeing the monsters closing in and like all good cooperative games can get frantic as the tensiton builds and you rush to save villagers and defeat monsters at the same time.
Oozing with nostalgia, fun, and plenty of monster mayhem, Horrified is the perfect title to bring out on a spooky game night, especially around Halloween. If you love classic horror and cooperative games, this is one you’ll want to sink your teeth into!
Exit: The Game, Advent Calendar
The Missing Hollywood Star
The latest in the series of Exit: The Game Advent Calendars have landed! This time, you and your team of sleuths have ended up in one of the largest film studios in the Hollywood. The shooting for the latest Christmas blockbuster should be in full swing but instead the set is dark and deserted. Where's the film crew? And why hasn't the movie star shown up yet? Something is wrong here!
Exit: The Game – Advent Calendar: The Missing Hollywood Star is an Exit puzzle game and a 24-part adventure story in one. To unravel the mystery, you open a little calendar door every day, behind which you will find a new puzzle, the solution of which will help you to move onto the day’s puzzle. Only if you follow the clues and solve all 24 puzzles will you find the missing star...
Last year the Advent Calendars sold out in record time. Order your advent calendar now to avoid disappointment.
Calendars are available on our shop page (click link below) and newsletter subscribers can use their discount voucher code on checkout to get free postage on their orders!
Setting up a Rental Playlist on My Board Game Library lets you play many different games without spending a fortune! It’s wafantastic for adding variety to your board game group without having to invest the full cost of a game.
Renting our board games is a great way to try games before deciding if you want to buy them. That way your personal collection contains only the games you really love!
Renting from My Board Game Library means you’ve no need to store a large (and mostly un-played) game collection. You just return the games when you're done playing them, revclaiming that storage space for your home!
If you have any questions, suggestions or would like more information on any of the games mentioned in this newlsetter just drop us a mail and we will be happy to help.
It’s all part of our friendly service!
support@myboardgamelibrary.com
“Board games are the art of strategy and chance, wrapped in a world of imagination.”
– Anon.
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