SimplePhrase B.L.O.G.
Welcome to the SimplePhrase Big List of Games, B.L.O.G. for short. The list is maintained by Ethan Greer; that's me. I've decided to keep a list of the games I've played over the years, along with a few comments on each one, a score, and a link (if I can find a suitable web page). See the sidebar for the table of contents.
Here's what the scores mean. 4 means I like the game a lot. 3 means I like the game. 2 means either I don't care enough to have an opinion, or I don't like the game. 1 means I strongly dislike the game.
Scores are subjective rather than qualitative. I'm scoring based on how much I like the game, not on how good or bad I think the game is.
Update Log
02/01/2010: Added Uncharted Seas
08/18/2009: Added Ice Fu and Monty Python Fluxx
08/07/2009: Added duck! duck! GO!
07/26/2009: Added Dominion
02/13/2009: Added Risk Godstorm
10/24/2008: Added Acquire, Descent, and Dungeons & Dragons 4
07/08/2008: Added Redneck Life
07/02/2008: Added Carcassonne
02/19/2008: Added Twilight Imperium and Silent Death
10/11/2007: Added Illuminati: Crime Lords
08/23/2007: Added Dungeoneer
08/09/2007: Added Othello
07/31/2007: Added Fantasy Warriors, Tales from the Floating Vagabond, Toon, and Volcano
07/25/2007: Added Aquarius, Fluxx, and Dragon Dice
07/24/2007: Added Palenque
07/23/2007: Added Pollies and Dragon Chess
07/21/2007: Added Balut
07/17/2007: Page went live
25 Words or Less
This is a divide-into-teams party game with a clever and engaging word-based premise. It's quite fun. Score 3.
500 Rum
I used to play this highly enjoyable rummy variant as a kid. I haven't played it in a long time. Score 3.
Abalone
As two-player abstract strategy games go, this one's okay. It has been amusingly described as "Sumo wrestling with marbles." However, if I'm going to be playing a two-player abstract strategy game, I'll go with chess over this. Plus, it annoys me that they ask you to mispronounce the name. Score 2.
Acquire
Build, merge, and invest in large hotel chains. A classic, solid, well-designed game that does everything it intends to, but not really my thing. Score 2.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition
This clusterfuck of a ruleset is not without its charms. After all, I played it regularly throughout the 90s. And truth be told, I was involved in a 2nd Ed game as late as 2007. In that case, however, we used the game more out of nostalgia and irony than for any other reason. Man, are there some better games available these days. The roleplaying hobby has come a long way since 1990. Score 2.
Apples to Apples
This is a party game with a nifty concept and execution. It needs to be played with the right crowd, though. When we played, there were some people who were playing seriously and others who were going for irony and others who were going for absurdity. As you might imagine, this caused some friction. Some discussion of flavor should take place before play, I think. I'd like to try it out with a group who is all on the same page. Or at least the same book. Score 3.
Aquarius
This is a pleasant and attractive game that could best be described as "groovy." Game play was not deep enough for my liking, but I think it's a pretty good product. Score 2.
Balderdash
This is one of my favorite word games. Making up legit-sounding definitions for obscure words is precisely my cup of tea. Best played slightly tipsy. Score 4.
Balut
An interesting yacht variant. Named after the fertilized, cooked duck egg thing they do over in Asia. It's not a game I really want to get into. The thing with the points seems cumbersome, and rolling 28 separate hands is excessive. Still, interesting. You can play a Java version at the link below. Score 2.
Battleship
My exposure to Battleship is limited to the Milton Bradley version with the plastic laptop-like boards. However, the game has been around since before 1931, played on plain old paper. Essentially a glorified guessing game, Battleship gets the nod purely on the strength of its oh-so-cool components. This might be the coolest game for 8-year-olds ever. Score 3.
Before I Kill You, Mr. Bond...
The premise is clever and amusing. Sadly, the game is uninteresting and pointless. Score 2.
The Big Cheese
The game is functional enough, but nothing really stands out as a reason to seek it out. Cute art, though. Score 2.
The Big Idea
This game is fun, it's funny, and it encourages player creativity. Don't miss it. Score 4.
Bingo
I've never played it for money, but we would occasionally play it when I was in grade school and I always found it satisfyingly exciting. Score 3.
Bitin' Off Hedz
This is not a particularly bad game, but it is also completely devoid of noteworthiness. The only reason I can think of to play it is that you get to be a dinosaur. Score 2.
Blackjack
As a game, blackjack is innocuous enough, but I'll choose other gambling games, such as poker, before I'll play blackjack. When coerced to play, I play extremely conservatively so as to minimize the inevitable losses. Score 2.
Blood Bowl, 2nd Edition
I played this for a while in the early 90s, and had a blast. The Star Player book added particularly to my enjoyment of the game. I looked at a later edition of Blood Bowl more recently, and wasn't impressed. It seems Blood Bowl will remain a happy memory. Score 3.
Blue Planet
My man Troy dug the setting, so we decided to give it a try. Our session did not go well. We were sort of anticipating realistic hard sci-fi, but then one of the characters got hit square in the chest by a .45 at point-blank range without dropping. The session kinda disintegrated soon after. It's a pity, because I'll bet it really was a kick-ass setting. Score 2.
Bohnanza
This is the most exciting card game about planting beans that you'll ever play. Game play is unique, interesting, and lively. Score 3.
Brawl
Another real-time card game in the tradition of Falling. I didn't much care for Falling. And while Brawl is a better execution of the real-time concept, I didn't like Brawl either. Score 2.
Burp
There are some clever ideas here, along with some unique gameplay elements, such as building fishing docks out of planks and rocks. But ultimately, the payoff in fun does not offset the effort and hassle of playing. Score 2.
Candyland
For what it is, Candyland is top drawer. Simply a wonderful tool to introduce youngsters to the joys of gaming. I remember with great fondness playing it as a wee tyke. Score 4.
Can't Stop
This dice game is simple, elegant, well-designed, and a blast to play. Highly recommended. Score 4.
Carcassonne
Based on its rules, Carcassonne looks like it would be about as fun as digging the marbles out of a bucket of shit. Happily, it doesn't play that way. What you have is a nifty tile-laying game with a good mix of strategy and luck. It is pleasantly engaging and a lot of fun. Score 3.
Cassino
I used to play this with my grandmother as a kid, and always had fun with it. I haven't played in a long time, though. Score 3.
Checkers
I stopped playing checkers around the time I started playing chess. Which is kind of a shame, because I like checkers. It has a certain charm that chess lacks. Score 3.
Chess
I learned chess from my pops at a young age, and it is a game I have always profoundly enjoyed. I don't really have anything to say about it that a bunch of smarter people haven't already said. Score 4.
Chez Geek
I played this once, and I don't remember anything about it, nor have I had any desire to play it again since. I have to assume it's largely unremarkable. Score 2.
Chinese Checkers
This game is not Chinese in origin, nor is it based on checkers. You can read all about it in the Wikipedia article. I like this game. I've always thought the star-shaped board and the holes for marbles were totally cool. Score 3.
Chrononauts
The two words I would use to describe this light-weight game are "cute" and "clever." Nothing very deep here, but a pleasant way to spend some time. Score 3.
Chutes and Ladders
I played this when I was pretty young, but I remember how I felt about the game, if not the game itself. And I thought it was awesome. Score 3.
Clue
Ah, Clue. The classic whodunnit game. A trifle simple, perhaps, but its appeal is undeniable. I particularly enjoy the board, with its mansion rooms viewed from above. Score 3.
CORE
Yet another RPG with an acronym for the title. I don't remember what the letters stood for. This was a home brew system put together by some friends. It had a totally cool, yet tragically flawed, dice mechanic. CORE wasn't a bad game. In fact, it was pretty okay. The problem was, it wasn't distinctive enough to justify its existence. For that reason I'm giving it score 2.
Cosmic Wimpout
A cute little dice game, suitable for passing time but little else. Reminiscent of Can't Stop. The custom dice are pretty cool. Score 3.
Cranium
People talked to me about this game, and how it was all cool and stuff. Then I played it, and it kinda sucked. Maybe it's just me. Score 2.
Cribbage
Cribbage is one of my favorite card games, not least because it's one that Steph is willing to play with me. The rules and mechanics are nice enough, but I think what really pushes cribbage into greatness is the ultra-nifty pegboard that is used to track the scores. Score 4.
Cults Across America
I played this once. I remember it being long, and not fun. I also recall being unimpressed by the quality of the components for the price. Score 2.
Deadwood
Boooooooring. Score 2.
Deathmatch Asylum
A friend of mine designed this game, and it's a hella cool game. It does exactly what it sets out to do, which is capture the feel of playing an FPS in deathmatch mode. Score 3.
Descent: Journeys in the Dark
Like most games by Fantasy Flight, production values are amazing. I like the premise and had very high hopes for this game. Probably because of those high hopes, I was rather underwhelmed by the actual play. I wanted to like it a lot more than I did. Score 3.
Devil Bunny Hates the Earth
This game was so bad, we quit playing after three turns. Score 1.
Devil Bunny Needs a Ham
This game plays well enough, and has its clever points. But there's no particularly compelling reason to choose it over some other game. Score 2.
Dino Hunt
An enjoyable family game with neato dinosaur cards. Score 3.
Diplomacy
I know! Let's play a game that encourages you to lie to and fuck over people you like and/or love! I would rather smash out my teeth with a ball-peen hammer than play Diplomacy again. Score 1.
Dominion
Really cool game mechanic, tragically flawed by the fact that the only way in which players interact is by fucking each other over. Score 2.
Dominos
Another game I played as a child and have fond memories of. Dominos is extra special due to the inherent coolness of its pieces. Score 3.
Doom Trooper CCG
This game had some very cool points about it, and we played it for several months. Then I put together my Heretic deck, and the game snapped in two with a wet cracking sound. Was the Heretic deck broken? You could say that. Score 2.
Dragon Chess
This is a chess variant by Gary Gygax that was printed in Dragon magazine in 1985. It features a 12x8x3 board and many new pieces. A friend and I threw together a set and played a couple times back in the day. It was fun. I'd like to try it again sometime. Score 3.
Dragon Dice
One of the first (and few) collectible dice games. This game was pretty fun, and the dice were simply wonderful— cool, easy to read, and very distinctive. The game tended towards breakage if you started upping the number of dice used, but if you kept the games small it was pretty solid. I don't really plan to go back to it, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. Score 3.
Dragon War
This game claims to be a trading card board game. And it's true that you lay cards out to form a board that playing pieces advance on. And the cards are fairly nice and attractive (assuming you like Rob Kraus's art, which I do). And there's an astounding number of expansions for the game. There are clever ideas here, but the game is only so-so at best. It's too bad; I had my copy personalized with original artwork by the artist. Score 2.
duck! duck! GO!
This is a good solid game. It's like RoboRally lite, which means it's a bit challenging, but also fun and playable. It also has attractive, well-made components. And then you get to the bit about the playing pieces being really cool custom rubber duckies, and I'm completely sold. Score 3.
Dungeon Bowl
Dungeon Bowl was a variant of Blood Bowl that took place in a dungeon. It was totally awesome. Score 3.
Dungeoneer
First off, I should mention that the Dungeoneer set we played with was the original, "Tomb of the Lich Lord." There's an awful lot to like about Dungeoneer. The cards look great and are very evocative. Game play is very tight; the Glory/Peril mechanic is extremely clever and well balanced. It should be noted that play is fairly cutthroat, so choose your fellow players accordingly. Score 3.
Dungeons & Dragons 3/3.5
For what it is, D&D3 is unmatched in the roleplaying hobby. And what is it? It's a skirmish-level wargame with a heavy roleplaying element. A masterpiece of design, the game does exactly what it sets out to do. When the game is approached from this standpoint, it is extremely enjoyable. If you don't dig D&D combat, this is not a good choice. Score 4.
Dungeons & Dragons 4
In every aspect, an improvement over 3/3.5, which started out being awesome. Score 4.
Escape From Elba
Here's another Cheapass game that has some clever ideas but isn't worth playing. Seems to be a trend with these guys. Score 2.
Euchre
If you're looking for a light-weight, low-investment, trick-taking card game, you can't beat euchre. This is a great game for passing time and hanging out with four people or two couples. I played it a lot in high school. Score 4.
Evade
This abstract strategy game has wicked cool metal components as well as a strong bluffing element. Not really my thing, though. Score 2.
Even Elephants Forget
A cute, clever, and attractive memory board game. Cage the zoo animals for fun and profit. Score 3.
Falling
The first "real-time" card game by James Ernest, mastermind behind Cheapass Games. I actually played this game with Ernest at a hotel bar. I didn't like it. It's not that it's a bad game, but the real-time play mechanic is not my cup of tea. Score 2.
Fantasy Warriors
A fantasy wargame with some focus on command control. When I played this back in '90, I didn't much care for it. I don't know how I would feel if I were to play it now in '07. Score 2.
Federation Commander
This is a starship combat game that takes place in a highly developed version of the Star Trek original series universe. The game is pretty good, and well supported. Score 3.
Fluxx
A lightweight card game that is far too random for my satisfaction. Still, it's quite popular, and deservedly so. To my mind, it's a good product, well designed and presented. When I played the demo game at Origins when it first came out, I really wanted to like it, because I thought it was cool and wanted to own it. Ah well. You can't take all of them home. Score 2.
Frag
If you're going to play a FPS-style board game, go with Deathmatch Asylum. Frag isn't really very good. Score 2.
Fudge
Fudge is a strange beast. On the one hand, it claims to be a rules-light, "just fudge it" type of game. But then you look at the text and see layers of complexity. That said, it's a solid ruleset with groovy mechanics and, perhaps most importantly, cool-ass dice. Fudge makes a good starting point for kitbashing your own games, which is all it claims to do. Score 3.
Game of Life
I played this as a kid with my family and had fun with it. Then I bought the game in the late 90s to play it again, and it sucked. The game has been altered over the years until it is barely recognizeable. Score 2.
Get Out
This Monopoly variant has a lot of interesting wrinkles that make it cool and worth playing. Score 3.
Gin Rummy
Another rummy variant I played when I was younger. I liked it. Score 3.
Girl Genius: The Works
This game is basically XXXenophile with family-friendly trappings. I was excited when I heard this game was coming out, because I enjoyed XXXenophile but had trouble justifying the raunchy subject matter to others. Unfortunately, when I tried out Girl Genius: The Works, it wasn't any good. I have no idea why. Score 2.
Give Me the Brain
This zombie-themed card game is lightweight and fun. The cards are amusing even after many plays, unlike some humorous card games. Play is rather random, but not so much that it feels pointless. Score 4.
Go
Why would you do this to yourself? Score 2.
Go Fish
This children's card game gave me a lot of enjoyment as a child. Score 3.
Gold Digger
This light-weight card game creates a casual play experience and is a lot of fun. Score 3.
The Great Brain Robbery
I know I've played this game, but I don't remember much about it. It didn't really make an impression. Score 2.
The Great Dalmuti
This game isn't much without the social dynamics, and I don't much care for the social dynamic the game is going for. It's basically Asshole cleaned up and given a family veneer. Score 2.
Guardians
Guardians came out during the CCG craze of the mid 90s. It had spectacularly attractive artwork and decent gameplay. I wouldn't mind playing it again, but I'm not going to go out of my way to make it happen. If I ran across a box of unopened starters for cheap, I'd probably grab it. Score 3.
GURPS
The game is now in its 4th edition, but my experience is exclusively with 3rd. I'm told there's not a whole lot of difference. Anyway. GURPS is a detailed and crunchy point-buy roleplaying system that calls itself universal. In practice, I find it most suitable for modern and sci-fi games. Overall, the game is quite satisfactory, but I wouldn't call it great. Score 3.
Hearts
A great little cutthroat trick-taking game. I play with the "Black Lady" and "Shoot the Moon" variants exclusively, and I can't imagine playing it any other way. Hearts is good for when you feel like something a little heavier than euchre. Score 4.
HeroQuest
I played this once back in high school, and I thought it was pretty cool. I'm not sure how I would feel about it now. Score 3.
The Hobbit Adventure Boardgame
This game is attractive, but plays too much like Talisman for my tastes. Score 2.
Hungry Hungry Hippos
Noisy. Boring. Pointless. Even as a kid in the target age group, I was done with this game after about two plays. Score 2.
Hyborean Gates
This was one of those flavor-of-the-month CCGs that cropped up in the wake of Magic. Its selling point, if you can call it that, was the artwork, which was by Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell. This game was shit. Here's how bad it was: On the very first turn of our very first game, we ran into a rules question that couldn't be answered and stopped the game. We didn't bother to try another game. Actually, I'm a little embarrassed at having given it a chance. But a friend had picked some up for a real cheap price and thought it might be worth checking out. He was wrong. Score 1.
Ice Fu
An Icehouse game. Reasonably clever game with nifty I-Ching-esque elements, but the various design elements don't add up to something I'd want to play again. Score 2.
Illuminati
The trappings and theme of this fun resource collection card game are pleasing and well done. With the latest "Deluxe" edition, the cards are also pretty attractive. Score 3.
Illuminati: Crime Lords
This game is like Illuminati, with a few clever and elegant innovations. The problem is that Crime Lords isn't anywhere near as fun as its forebear. If I'm going to play a game that's like Illuminati, I'll be playing Illuminati rather than this. Score 2.
Illuminati: New World Order
This is a fair adaptation of the original game to the CCG format. Unfortunately, the game breaks extremely easily. Score 2.
Jenga
I like this hand-eye coordination game. It's well designed and enjoyable. And there's a great big clattering crash at the end of every game. Score 3.
Kalah
I played this a couple times. It seemed like a decent enough game, but it didn't capture my interest. I'm not sure why. It does make me curious about other mancala variants. Score 2.
Kill Doctor Lucky
This is a cool game, and reasonably well designed. I can recognize that. However, it's not my cup of tea. I have no plans to play it again. Score 2.
kill puppies for satan
This RPG is wicked funny. There are a few design shortcomings, but the flavor and setting make up for them. I wouldn't want to play it regularly, but for a one-off, kpfs is awesome. Score 3.
Kismet
This is a fun Yacht variant that adds different colors of pips to the mix. Colors lets you add new scoring combinations such as "two pair same color" and "flush." Score 3.
Knightmare Chess
Generally, I don't care for chess variants. I usually end up thinking, "Why am I not just playing chess?" Nightmare Chess is alright, though. It creates a play experience that, while based on chess, is enough unlike chess that the game's existance is justified. Score 3.
LCR
LCR stands for Left, Center, Right. It's a dice game that uses custom dice, and is a fun way to distribute chips, or quarters, or whatever among three or more friends. The game is completely random chance, with the players making no decisions whatsoever. Nevertheless, it is surprisingly enjoyable. Score 3.
Lunch Money
The flavoring and theme of this game gets old very quickly, and then you're left with a game which is basically a slightly more involved War. Score 2.
The Mad Magazine Game
I remember having a lot of fun with this Monopoly parody as a kid. I wouldn't mind playing it again sometime, given the chance. Score 3.
Magic: The Gathering
The trading card game that started it all. Magic is one of my favorite games. Its design is brilliant and stunning. And thanks to its publishing schedule, it is always fresh and never boring. Score 4.
Maul of America
This is a fairly cool game based on the film Dawn of the Dead. One player plays the zombies, and the other players loot the mall for gear that will help them escape. I pulled the most incredible dick move I've ever seen in a game when I played this. On that day, I vowed always to play honorably, because I hated the way I felt after totally fucking over a friend. Score 3.
Merchant of Venus
I've heard this game described as "a railroad game in space," but I don't know what that means because I've never played a railroad game. I can tell you that it does indeed take place in space, and it's kinda nifty. Score 3.
Michigan Rummy
This was a variant of Tripoley that I played as a kid. I always liked it. It's got fun gameplay and cool Vegas-y mechanics. Score 3.
Mimic
This 2-3 player card game is kinda like a cross between dominos and... something else. Actually it's a fairly unique game. Attractively packaged with nice components and solidly designed, I'm not sure what keeps this game from entering into the regular rotation. I guess it just isn't quite good enough for us. But it's definitely worth checking out. Score 3.
Monopoly
Ah, the classic. Monopoly is a solid, appealing game that has stood the test of time. I don't play it as much as I'd like to. Score 4.
Monty Python Fluxx
This is a version of Fluxx that I can really get behind. The unpredictable nature of the game perfectly suits the Monty Python subject matter. A slam dunk for the Looney Labs people. Score 3.
Munchkin
The cards are cute the first couple of times you see them. Then they get tired real fast. Without the cards to amuse you, you have to fall back on good game play, and there's where the problem lies. Munchkin doesn't have good game play. This is a very popular game, and I have no idea why. Score 2.
Necromunda
This was a sweet-ass game. I liked the terrain that came with the set, I liked the different factions, and I enjoyed the gameplay. I haven't played in a long time, though, and I haven't missed it all that much. Score 3.
Netrunner
Netrunner was an awesome game. Possibly even better than Magic. So why isn't it still being played, while Magic is? Well, I think Netrunner is like the minidisk. Minidisks may have advantages over CDs. They may even be objectively better than CDs. But the problem is, they're not better enough. Why get a minidisk player when you've already got CDs? Such was the case with poor Netrunner. Score 3.
Nuclear War
I'm lumping Escalation and Proliferation in with the original. I think this game would have been a lot more fun if I'd been playing in a group where everyone was on the same page with regard to how one plays. As it was, bombs started falling on turn two, and it was over very quickly. Then we had an argument on how the game was "supposed" to be played, which was every bit as enjoyable as you'd imagine it would be. I have to give the game a good score, though, because even the crap game we played was pretty fun. Score 3.
Once Upon a Time
Everyone sits around and tells stories together. Sounds like a nice, friendly game, doesn't it? Well, it ain't. Gameplay is ruthless and cutthroat, and there's lots of bickering and arguing over what is or isn't valid fictional content. The stories don't end up being any good, either. Score 2.
Operation
We had this game when I was little, and it always annoyed me. Leaving aside the awful sound it made, it was overly difficult. Score 2.
Othello
I dug Othello from the moment I saw it as a kid and got to finger the components. I've always thought this game was very classy and cool looking. Fun to play, too. Score 3.
Palenque
This really attractive game plays like crap. From the makers of Wadget, this sophomore effort was a major disappointment. Score 2.
Parcheesi
Parcheesi is the westernized version of Pachisi, the national game of India. Parcheesi is fun, but I'd rather play Sorry. Score 3.
Pente
I loved this two-player strategy game as a kid. Probably because I could beat everyone in my family at it. Even leaving that aside, I highly enjoyed the game. The board and pieces were ultra cool, too. Score 3.
Perfection
This family game had a neat premise, good design, and sufficient quality in the components to do them both justice. When I was little, we played this fairly frequently. Score 3.
Pick-up Sticks
This game is a good way to pass the time. It requires concentration while at the same time is largely mindless. Good times. Score 3.
Pinochle
There's nothing particularly wrong with pinochle. It's just that there's no reason to choose to play it over hearts or euchre. Score 2.
Pirates Constructible Strategy Game
This game has cool-ass little ships, and there are some clever ideas in the mechanics, but the game is ultimately broken. Even still, I've had fun with it, so I'm giving it a good mark. Score 3.
Poker
Poker is the ultimate gambling card game/pastime. And, just so we're clear, poker means more than hold 'em. Score 4.
Pollies
A cute little role-playing engine I designed. It's pretty fun. Score 3.
Q Fighter
This was a game designed and published on a small scale by some friends. It's a pretty cool book-based game of starship combat. Score 3.
Quip Qubes
It's like Scrabble, but with sentences instead of words. This is an amusing concept somewhat well implemented. Score 3.
Redneck Life
A parody of The Game of Life, this game is pretty good, if you can tolerate redneck humor. I'm lukewarm on the genre, but I found myself laughing out loud on multiple occasions during play. Gameplay is decent, but most of the jokes are one-shots that would get old very quickly, so there's not a lot of replay value. Score 3.
Ricochet Robot
This game is part board game, part puzzle game, part party game. And it's a lot of fun. Score 3.
Rifts
I played Rifts a couple of times in the mid-90s. I don't remember much about it, other than the fact that I don't want to play it again. Score 2.
Risk
I've only played Risk once, and I remember enjoying it. Which surprised me a little, since at the time I was very anti-wargame. I would like to play it again sometime. Score 3.
Risk Godstorm
A Risk variant with extra bits, fantasy-flavored. The Underworld thing is pretty hokey, but other than that it's solid fun. We're planning on trying it without the Underworld next time. Score 3.
RoboRally
Either I'm incredibly unlucky, or I suck at this game. It's not clear which is the case. It is not uncommon for me to die on turn one in this game, and I never, ever, ever, win. As a result, playing RoboRally isn't high on my list of games. Still, it's not a bad game. Actually, it's a pretty good one. When it first came out, I was all about it. Not anymore, though. Score 2.
Roulette
If I ever go into a casino with the intent to gamble, this is the game I'll be playing. Not that that's ever going to happen. We had a 10" wheel (plastic) when I was a kid, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Score 3.
Russian Bank
My sister was into this game when we were kids. I tried it once, but I didn't like it. Score 2.
Savage Worlds
This universal RPG is very appealing to me. It's like a stripped down version of d20. I've played it in a Low Life campaign (the first one ever, in fact), and I'm looking forward to running it myself in my own setting. Score 3.
Save Doctor Lucky
Save Doctor Lucky is the prequel to Kill Doctor Lucky. It is basically the same game with a couple of minor tweaks and a paradigm shift, all of which are improvements. Unlike Kill Doctor Lucky, I would be willing to play this one again. Score 2.
Score Four
This is a 3D four-in-a-row game played with stacking beads on pegs. It's a fun game, with very cool components. Score 3.
Scrabble
Another one of the classics. I used to play this with my grandmother. It's a fairly decent game, and the word-making aspect is something that is very appealing to me. Score 3.
Serenity RPG
This is a game set in the Firefly universe and based on the old Alternity RPG. It's weird, kludgy, and you'd be better off with d20, since this system is basically D&D in disguise. On the positive side, it's an attractive book, and the source material is cool. Score 2.
Settlers of Catan
Settlers gets my vote for the best casual boardgame in the history of the universe. And it has sheep. Score 4.
Shadowrun 3rd Edition
Another RPG I dabbled with in the 90s. I don't intend to go back to it, although I might be willing to give 4th edition a try. Score 2.
Silent Death
This is a cool starfighter combat game with some very elegant mechanics. It's fun to play, and it's also fun to fiddle about with tables and create your own spaceships. Score 3.
Sim City: The Card Game
Yes, they made a CCG based on the computer game. It played a lot like the computer game, too. Which is fine if you've got a computer handy to do the tracking and counting. If not, it kinda sucks. You know, like this game did. Score 2.
Skittle-Bowl
It's like this. You set up these miniature bowling pins, and then you take the ball, which is attached to a chain on a post, and swing it at the pins, wrecking-ball style. This game is so cool. Score 3.
Skittles
Here's the deal. You have this 2' by 4' board with 6" partitions with different chambers and stuff. Then you take some pegs and set them up in designated spots. Then, you take this top-like thing, wrap a string around it, set it in the slot at the end of the board, whip the string, and send the top spinning around the board knocking pegs over. This game is so cool. Score 3.
Sniglets
Sort of a reverse Balderdash. Instead of making definitions, you're making up words to fit a given definition. I pretty much hated this game. I would so much rather be playing Balderdash. Score 1.
Sorry!
Sorry is one of the classics, and that's because it's awesome. Score 4.
Space Hulk
In this Games Workshop game set in the 40K universe, Space Marine Terminators go up against Gene Stealers in the rotting hulks of derelict spaceships. It sounds totally kick ass, doesn't it? Unfortunately, I didn't like it. Score 2.
Spellfire
The tragedy of Spellfire is that it could have been hella awesome. However, since it was designed and devoloped in six weeks, it was deeply flawed and somewhat ghastly. Using recycled art and cheesy-ass photographs didn't help much. Even in spite of all that, it was still a fun game at its core. Score 3.
Spree!
Spree is probably my favorite of the Cheapass Games. It's fairly clever, well-designed, and plays great. Heavy on action and light on strategy, this is a fun casual game. Score 4.
Star Trek Customizable Card Game
In researching the Star Trek CCG for this entry, I discovered that the game's apparently still being produced in a second edition. I'm quite shocked; it wasn't a very good game. Some cool ideas, but poorly executed. Still, if they've fixed some of the problems, it might be worth checking out the new stuff. Score 2.
Starfarers of Catan
This game is clever and attractive, and it plays alright. The problem is, it's enough like Settlers that you end up wondering why you're not just playing Settlers instead. Plus, the plastic rocket ships are rather cheesy and prone to breakage. Still, not a bad game. I'd be willing to play it again. Score 3.
Stratego
When I was young, I liked this game a lot. In particular, I dug the whole setup scheme where you can plan waves of attackers and plant bombs to mess with the enemy. I don't have a strong desire to play it now; I'm content to leave it as a fond memory. Score 3.
Supremacy
Risk on steroids. I didn't much care for it, but I'm not so much into the strategic war games. Score 2.
Take 6
This casual card game from Germany has many names. Whatever the name, it's a hell of a lot of fun. Score 3.
Tales from the Floating Vagabond
When this game was published in 1991, it was cutting edge comedy role-playing. It's a little dated now, but I'm still fond of the fictional premise and the handling of the subject matter and themes. Score 3.
Talisman, 3rd Edition
Let's see. I want to play a board game that's very monotonous and crushingly boring. I want to do this for three hours or more. Then, I want to figure out who wins using only a single dice roll. Yep, Talisman's the game for me. Score 1.
Tic Tac Chec
This game is a clever chess-teaching tool and a fun little four-in-a-row game. Nice components, too. Score 3.
Tikal
Tikal is a great game that I would like to play more of. Score 3.
Toss Across
We used to play this when we went to my grandparents' house. The version we played was the one from the 70s, and not the sorry excuse they sell today. The difference in board quality is significant. If you can find an old board, this is a good game for kids, or drunken adults. Score 3.
Toast 5.1
Toast 5.1 is a fantasy RPG written by yours truly. It's actually a pretty decent game, and I used it to run a successful Hârn campaign. Score 3.
Toon
This comedic role-playing game isn't half bad, but I've seen better comedy games. It does do a decent job of capturing some of the madcap feel of cartoon shorts. Score 2.
Touring
Touring was a game that my mom played when she was young. It's an old game, originally published in 1906. The copy we had was from sometime in the 50s. My sister and I played it from time to time. It's a fun little game. It's my understanding that Mille Bornes is a modernized version, which is why Mille Bornes was added to this list. Score 3.
Trivial Pursuit
Simply a wonderful structure for a trivia game. The cheeses amuse me. Some people don't call them cheeses, though, and will look at you funny when you do. I've mostly played the original Genus Edition, but I've also played the Star Wars one. Score 3.
TWERPS
As an RPG, TWERPS is ludicrously and insultingly pointless. As a joke, it's only slightly better than that. Score 1.
Twilight Imperium 3rd edition
This game is the prettiest, sexiest board game I've ever seen. The components are so beautiful. As a bonus, it seems to be a very solid and enjoyable game. Score 3.
Twixt
This was a nifty two-player strategy game with groovy little plastic pieces that you tried to make bridges out of. I liked it. Score 3.
Ultimate Combat!
This mid-90s CCG is a blatant ripoff of Magic. To the point that it is literally the same game with different fictitious elements. Since it's basically Magic, it's a pretty good game, but you're much better off playing actual Magic. Score 2.
Uncharted Seas
Fantasy naval wargame. Seems like a solid rule set. I enjoyed it, even though I got utterly creamed. I plan on playing again. Score 3.
Uno
My family played a fair amount of Uno when I was a kid, and we had fun with it. This is definitely worth dragging out once in a while. Score 3.
Ur, Royal Game of Sumer
The version I play is the one published by Selchow and Righter. I've seen other versions of the game using the same board that aren't as good. S&R's version is awesome. It takes Sorry and distills it down to its essence. Score 4.
Vampire: The Masquerade
I played one mini-campaign of Vampire in the late 90s. The fictional stuff with the World of Darkness and the vimpire clans was cool, but the game wasn't very good aside from the fluff. Score 2.
The Very Clever Pipe Game
I didn't think it was that clever. Well, okay, it was a little bit clever. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my thing. Score 2.
Volcano
This is the first game I played that used the super cool Icehouse pyramids manufactured by those groovy folks at Looney Labs. With luck, there are other Icehouse games that are as cool as Volcano. Volcano makes excellent use of the pyramids to create a unique strategy game. Score 3.
Wadget
This game is the most attractive board game I have ever seen. It is simply stunning. I met the creator at Origins, and she was really nice. I've only played it a couple times, and I don't remember now if it was any good, but I'm giving it a good score based on the pleasant memories associated with it. Presumably, the company that printed it is no longer a going concern, because it's damn near impossible to find anything about it online. Score 3.
War
Please, god, make it stop. Score 2.
Warhammer 40,000, 4th Edition
This game is pretty cool, but I just couldn't get into it. The modeling, the cost, the time, the hours spent poring over army lists— it was just too much hassle for the insufficient payoff of play. Score 2.
The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Game
This game has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Score 1.
XXXenophile
Did the world need an R-rated CCG based on an X-rated comic book? The question is moot, becuase the world has one. This game is actually pretty fun, and the cards are funny and attractive. Score 3.
Yacht
This is a cool dice game upon which Yahtzee is based. My primary exposure to the game is with computerized versions, but I aspire to someday play a game with actual dice. Score 3.