Thread by @LifeAfterFI

Have gotten a few requests asking suggestions for #boardgames suitable to newbies.

These are all light to medium in terms of rules complexity and strategy.

Nothing as dumb as Ludo, Snakes & Ladders or as mind-boggling as Chess & Go

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Ticket to Ride is an evergreen gateway game and the first one I played. Pick up TTR Europe or Asia, both are same just with different maps.

Be sure to pick up base game and not an "Expansion" (says clearly on box). Expansions are additions that require base game to play.

Pandemic is another good game. It's a cooperative game in which players collectively win or lose against the board.

Pick up Pandemic and not Pandemic Legacy (which is not a bad game, but it's not exactly for newbies with its ever-changing rules).

Rummikub is still a good game nearly 40 years after it was first released. It is very similar to the card game Rummy but uses numbers.

For best experience, it requires 4 players so if you often play 2-3 people, this wont be a good fit.

For Sale plays in 20 minutes and is a nice auction game. In 1st phase, you bid to buy properties and in 2nd phase, you bid to sell. Whoever makes most money wins.

However, it's possible to sell crap properties for great prices and vice versa with some smart thinking!

Coloretto is another 20 minute set collection game. More cards of same colour = higher points, but only for 3 sets with most cards. All other sets give negative points! You gotta know when to pick and when to fold...

Splendor is a slightly more advanced set collection game but one that adds an "engine" element. An engine is when you have 2 or more game elements that combine to become more than sum of parts from a strategy perspective.

Wingspan was all the rage in 2018-19 and perhaps the highest selling boardgame in those years.

Slightly more complex than the others on this list but it's got great gameplay, fantastic art, good quality components...and is visually appealing when on the table!

Dominion is the evergreen deck builder.

In a deck builder, all players start with same set of cards but then go on to build different decks by "buying" cards from a common pool according to their own strategies.

Whoever builds the most powerful deck wins.

Citadels needs at least 4 for a good experience and is a good mix of picking specific actions depending on game situation and bluffing.

It's a game that is hard to write about in one tweet but nonetheless a good game.

Kingdomino is a game of tile laying based on specific conditions to earn victory points. Highly acclaimed and a winner of the SdJ (German award for game of the year).

Last but not least, 7 Wonders Duel plays exactly 2 players.

Of all games on the thread so far, this is relatively the most complex in terms of rules and game mechanics.

But if 2 adults want some head to head competition, this is a fantastic option.

There are over 50,000 published #boardgames globally. Unfortunately, only a small fraction are available in India.

Previously, it was cheaper to buy games during travels abroad but that's obviously not an option right now.

Where to buy in India?

See here for a list of sellers: forum.reroll.in/t/where-to-buy…

Some of these boardgames cost Rs. 3000-6000 each! Why so expensive?

Most are imported games with great quality components, art, and based on good game design principles.

This is not your Snakes & Ladders or Ludo quality cheap plastic stuff that have no real choices.

(Contd.)

Additionally, when you consider the number of hours of fun you have (most games are fun even after playing a dozen times) and the social interaction it provides, these #boardgames are actually great value for money.

Welcome to a wonderful hobby!