[Balderdash] Online Board Game Funtimes

One of the best things about GFF Meet is all the board gaming that happens. There are a lot of board game enthusiasts here, and I've recently found a couple of free websites that let you play dozens of licensed board games online, either in real-time or asynchronously.

If there's enough interest, we could pick a time every week to get on Skype and get our cardboard on, or if it's easier, we could just play in turns when it's convenient. I'm not going to list every game available, but here are some highlights:

Board Game Arena - Flashier site with a more contemporary list of 60 games

• Seasons
• Race for the Galaxy
• Takenoko (the one with the panda that we played at Meet this year)
• Tzolk'in
• Tokaido
• Hive
• Puerto Rico

Yucata - Not as slick, with more focus on asynchronous play, but a list of 100 more Euro-ish titles

• A Few Acres of Snow
• The Castles of Burgundy
• Russian Railroads
• Thunderstone
• Firenze

There are a lot of games I'm unfamiliar with, but I'm up for learning new games if other folks are. Who's interested?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I've never heard of any of those games but I'm always up for some asynchronous board gaming.

Also Space Hulk is really cheap on Steam (And has just been re-released in limited numbers as a board game, merely three times as expensive as when I first bought it 24 years ago).

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I look forward to beating you at Takenoko even more often.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'm a boring guy, the only ones I was interested in were Yahtzee, Hearts, and Reversi. I was hoping to see some Monopoly or Trouble.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by SuperSonic

I was hoping to see some Monopoly

NEVER AGAIN

How ya doing, buddy?

Not everything on there is complicated strategery (though I love those). Like I said, I'm not familiar with many of the games, but Takenoko and Tokaido at least are very simple.

Takenoko involves building a bamboo garden, then moving gardener and panda tokens around to grow/eat the bamboo. You have cards in your hand with objectives like "eat 3 pink bamboo" or "grow 4 green bamboo on a tile" or "Lay tiles in the garden that match this pattern". That's a bit of an oversimplification, but folks at the Meet picked up on it quick.

Tokaido is supposed to re-enact a trip across Japan. The board is a long straight line, and whoever is last in line moves. Each spot on the line does something (buy souvenirs, get gold, visit hot springs, collect pieces to 1 of 3 panoramas, get some sort of lucky charm, donate to the temple). In the base game, that's it. You move along the line, figuring out what tactic you want to use to get points, and maybe land on a space to block someone else from getting it (you can't move backwards either). It's a dead simple game. The expansion adds in choices at each stop (you can choose from 1 of 2 things to do instead of only one), but for beginners I'd start with the base game.

Since we're all in different time zones, it's probably easiest to play asynchronously. On Boardgame Arena, the table creator can set it so there's no time limit, and also restrict it to friends only and/or save spots for users. I'm nuttyturnip (of course), so I could set up some tables if we're interested.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I created an account on Board games arena, user name Ed Can Do.

FELIPE NO

I just noticed that Board Game Arena doesn't have Ludo. Worst site ever.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I signed up, as well, under the username ReadThese.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'm in as MennoKnight. Played a game of Takenoko, figured it out pretty quickly. Almost won, too.

Most amazing jew boots

I've added Shin, Capo and Menno to my friends list, and will add anyone else who posts here. I opened up a Takenoko and Tokaido table, restricted to friends only. Not sure if my friends list can see it, or if I have to invite people. Just let me know if I need to invite you, and if folks want to create other games, that's cool too.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

You've set up Takenoko to be an invite only game, so i can't get in there. Tokaido is just your friends, and that worked fine.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Apparently if you uncheck all the skill level boxes, it becomes invite only. It's fixed now.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Joined both games. Are we going to wait for a full slate before beginning?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I joined the Takenoko game so it's full and started now. I also read the rules...

FELIPE NO

I played a live game of Takenoko, got beat but now have a feel for the game. Also played Yahtzee and won!

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I went ahead and pressed start on the Tokaido game, since 3 players is fine. Hawkeye and I played live games of Takenoko and Tokaido last night, and both times we lost to randoms at the last minute. Sigh.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I am signed up as shadebox. Add me, fools.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I have already made two horrible mistakes in Takenoko. This does not bode well.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Haha, I did wonder where you were going with that panda.

Most amazing jew boots

He's just trying to throw us off his strat. The Panda stood perfectly still for hours, only to distract us in a fit of seemingly random, ineffectual movement. I see your game.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Registered as TeamParty.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I thought I was doing pretty good in Takenoko, until I saw that Hawkeye and Capo are doing much better in the goals dept.

I went ahead and created a Stone Age table, open to the GFF group.

FELIPE NO

Yeah, I thought I had way more time left to catch up.

How ya doing, buddy?

i was doing alright, but the last few cards i picked up were just never going to happen.

Jam it back in, in the dark.