OO Boardgamers, what did you play this weekend?

[Xmann]

Game Salute still has it, for 60.00, and it still comes with the 3 Conspirators Promo

Thanks. Hadn't made it there yet, the main page still had a 'pre-order' button that just throws up a 404 error. Could have gotten it from Amazon for $75 with free shipping but I'm fine with $73.95 with the extra promo stuff to boot.

Think that's what I'm going to do as well

[hentzau]

Replayed the first "learning" Legend in Legends of Andor, this time with 3 players, and we finally beat it. Having the 3rd player really helped, because we could team up to take out the bad guys to clear a path for the person that had to run the MacGuffin to the goal. It took a lot of brain sweat to finally figure out what our path to victory could be, and we accomplished the goal with one turn to spare. I'm very impressed with how tight the Legends appear to be. We're going to give the second adventure a try next week with three players, see if we have any better luck.

[Daveman]

Played a lot over the holiday break with my son and family, but Doom has been the standout hit for us. I know I'm hooked when we were barely done our first game and I was already planning out how to paint them. Short version, largely echoing what others have said about it, is that it's a streamlined take on the Descent/Imperial Assault combat system/one-vs-many type game. We've only played Descent so I can't personally compare it to IA, but I love the subtle changes over Descent. We've played our Descent campaign with me controlling 4 heroes which gets to be a little overwhelming some times. Which heroes do I activate first? What actions will each hero take? Options just expand as they get experience and learn new skills, get new items, etc.

In Doom, there's an initiative deck so no one knows who's going to activate or in what order. There's 1 card for each specific marine and 1 card for each group of demons on the map at the time. Maybe I'd like Alpha to go first but Delta is the first draw, oh well. Choice of actions each turn is shaped by a small hand of action cards each marine draws. You can play 1 "main" action that usually provides some movement points and an attack of varying range/strength plus any number of "bonus" actions that add small amounts of movement, let you draw another card, take a quick shot with a pistol, etc. Bottom line, TONS of stuff you might wind up agonizing over in Descent is streamlined. Your turn is focused on a few key decisions (mostly where to move and who to shoot) and then it's time for the next marine or demon group to activate.

[YellowKing]

Beat the second scenario in Mechs vs Minions in two tries, this time with four players instead of the three we beat Scenario 1 with. I didn't find any appreciable difference in challenge level or strategy with 4 vs 3, other than the fact that with 3 players someone each round is getting an extra card which helps. In this way, powering up mechs is a tad slower with 4, but the addition of an extra player helping to kill minions offsets it.

The game is semi-legacy and much of the fun is in discovering stuff the first time, so I'll avoid going into any detail. Suffice it to say our initial strategy (after the first humiliating loss) was REALLY solid, and we didn't have much trouble. Still, I love the progression curve of the game. At the beginning of a scenario your task looks utterly impossible, and by the end (assuming you can survive long enough to power up), you feel like a total badass, laying waste to everything in your path.

We've also noticed that "alpha player syndrome" is really minimal in this game as well. In general everyone is too worried about their own mech's loadout to worry about anyone else's. The timed drafting phase prevents a lot of discussion about other players' card choices. And because there are very rigid limitations on how exactly a mech's program plays out, there isn't much opportunity to micro-manage another player's turn. In some co-op games, even if there isn't a single alpha player, you can get in situations where the group itself becomes the alpha player. Every move winds up being a decree by quick consensus, which can sometimes limit individual contribution and out of the box thinking. In this game we're finding that the group leans on individual players to "hold their own," with the talk centering around how to best incorporate those individual contributions into the goals of the game. It's a bit of a subtle distinction, but I really enjoy strategizing as an individual player and then coming together with the group to figure out how to incorporate that strategy into the broader goal.

[Chrisoc13]

I've played the tutorial is all at this point but I'm looking forward to more. Beautiful game.

[Xmann]

Finally won a scenario in Dead of Winter. Very difficult game, but we like it.

Started a long scenario in Mansion of Madness that we'll finish tonight.

[Chrisoc13]

Played Carson city, three players. I love that game. Direct conflict, worker placement, tile laying. Lots of great strategy in that game. One of my all time favorites. Especially happy to have the fully blinged out version.

[hentzau]

Played Carson city, three players. I love that game. Direct conflict, worker placement, tile laying. Lots of great strategy in that game. One of my all time favorites. Especially happy to have the fully blinged out version.

Agreed. Been a long time since I broke it out. I too bought into the big ass box version of the game, even though I have the base game and it only hits the table every couple of years. I may have a problem.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Finally had the opportunity to bust out Star Wars: Rebellion over the weekend, and had an absolute blast. The timing couldn't have been much better either, after having recently rewatched Rogue One. There were several dramatic and tremendously satisfying moments throughout, which were immensely entertaining, e.g. The Empire subjugates Kashyyyk, so Chewie leads a successful Wookie uprising upon his homeworld inflicting significant damage to the Imperial garrison, but the Empire strikes back, ultimately utterly annihilating Kashyyyk with their Orb of Obliteration.



The 150 or so miniatures are simply stunning, and run the gamut from detailed Rebel troopers and Stormtroopers, air speeders and AT-ATs, to Corellian corvettes, Mon Calamari cruisers, Super Star Destroyers, and even the additional "under construction" Death Star. Suffice it to say, it's a gorgeous looking game. While the combat can be somewhat finicky (fortunately, this nifty printable battle mat makes larger scale battles more manageable), it is effective at modelling the combat scenarios typical of the Original Trilogy. The Rebel player almost always feels overwhelmed by the sheer destructive power the Empire has at its disposal, while the Empire can typically rough the Rebels up, but only rarely seems to get the opportunity to really pin them down. For example, getting the Death Star into the correct position to destroy a critical system is a challenge for the Imperial player, but that's just as it should be. It's a complicated process, as the Empire must slowly move it towards where they want it to be, possibly taking multiple turns to do so (since moving is done by leaders, and each move is precious), as well as draw the correct card from the Imperial Projects deck to fire the superlaser. What that mechanism does incredibly well though, is to convey a real sense of dread to the Rebel player, which feels thematically spot-on.

Anyway, it absolutely captures the feel of a tense, epic galactic conflict in a box, so I'm very much looking forward to replaying now that I've learned the ropes.

[Chrisoc13]

Yet another game I own that hasn't hit the table. I need to play it badly. Looks fantastic.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Yet another game I own that hasn't hit the table. I need to play it badly. Looks fantastic.

Oh, it's tremendous fun, particularly when played with any kind of Star Wars fan (you'll be quoting the Original Trilogy like fiends). It's a fascinating combination of worker placement mechanics mixed with territory control, light wargaming, bluffing, and highly thematic asymmetrical objectives that perfectly match the Empire and Rebel forces, all wrapped up in an epic game of hide-and-seek. In short, if you enjoy Star Wars and want an interesting game to play with one or more of your mates, this ought to rank at the top of your list. I just checked on BGG, and it's currently the #5 ranked overall game and the #2 ranked thematic game, and justifiably so IMO.

BTW, I'd also suggest keeping a copy of Universal Head's Star Wars: Rebellion Rules Summary and Reference guide handy for referral purposes prior to your first game, as we often found it more intuitive and efficient than relying exclusively on the FFG documentation.

[Chrisoc13]

Yeah I think it will be great. That being said I am not expecting a top five game. Too much cult of the new and star wars driving that up. Maybe it will prove to be that good but scythe being #6 show how fickle the top ten (and top 100) have been.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Yeah I think it will be great. That being said I am not expecting a top five game. Too much cult of the new and star wars driving that up. Maybe it will prove to be that good but scythe being #6 show how fickle the top ten (and top 100) have been.

That's certainly a possibility, and ultimately largely subjective. It's probably too early for me to judge myself until I've further tested its replayability (I wonder if certain aspects of the game could get stale after repeated sessions with the same opponent, but I've yet to really put that to the test). Of course, being an FFG game with a monster brand like Star Wars, it's sure to be expanded, too. I have to say though, just in terms of thematic accuracy, Star Wars: Rebellion absolutely nails it. For now, I'm chuffed with the game and had a blast playing, so I can't wait to replay and see how well it holds up in the long run.

Anyway, I look forward to reading what your thoughts are on it once you've had the chance to get it to the table.

[baelthazar]

Yeah I think it will be great. That being said I am not expecting a top five game. Too much cult of the new and star wars driving that up. Maybe it will prove to be that good but scythe being #6 show how fickle the top ten (and top 100) have been.

I am with Bosch, it really is an epic game that is fun despite its theme but even more fun because of the theme. The rules can be fiddly at points and the combat is largely confusing and lackluster, but the other parts move so well.

At the moment I am sitting looking at a box of A Feast for Odin that I spent a bit too much to buy. That said, I have not see so much cardboard goodness like this in ages. I look forward to trying the solo game. The rules are daunting... and this is coming from a person who likely has close to 100 combined games of Agricola and Caverna under his belt.

[wonderpug]

Preorders for First Martians (Robinson Crusoe in spaaaace) just opened, with some kickstarteresque stretch goal bonuses for if they reach different preorder volumes:
Link to poorly designed preorder page getting hammered

[coopasonic]

$75 + $10 shipping to get it a few weeks early (May/June) and with a wash on the three miniatures.
$46 online + opportunity for free shipping

I pre-ordered. I sold my Z-man edition of RC looking forward to the new release... then cancelled my pre-order on that to get First Martians instead.

6 standalone scenarios (including a tutorial scenario)
+ a 5 scenario campaign
+ a 5 scenario legacy campaign

Ignacy says it is influenced by The Martian. The basic gameplay is RC. I'm looking forward to it. I am kind of unhappy about the app integration, but we'll see. It does implement difficulty levels so that could be nice if you are tired of always losing.

edit:
on the kickstarter-esque part... the 300 copy goal is unlocked, next is 750 copies... there isn't any indication that I can find of how many copies sold so it's not very exciting to watch the progress.

[hentzau]

Dammit, guys...

[hepcat]

I'll definitely buy it from someone when it releases, but 85 bucks is a bit steep for what they're offering...currently.

[Anonymous Bosch]

I'll definitely buy it from someone when it releases, but 85 bucks is a bit steep for what they're offering...currently.

Amen. Perhaps they'll add more to justify the preorder pricing, but otherwise, holding off to obtain it at a more reasonable price seems only prudent.

[Xmann]

I was considering picking up the new edition of RC until I heard about this.

Now I think I'm going to wait for First Martians

[YellowKing]

Mission 3 of Mechs vs Minions. We were back down to three players this time, so we were a little unsure of how well we would do.

The first game was a doozy. After numerous touch and go moments, and a couple of occasions where we thought we were toast, the game came down to a single grid square. If my mech had been just one square closer to my target, we would have won the game at literally the last possible moment. It was a loss, but we all left to grab food with big smiles on our faces because we had come so close on our first try.

After food, we gave it another go and this time won fairly handily. I will say that one thing I love about the group I game with is that they're all really smart guys that learn very quickly from mistakes. It's pretty darn rare we lose two games of *anything* back to back, and this was another example of how well our group dynamic works.

Everyone's still loving the game. The wildly varied scenarios (at least of the three we've seen thus far) have kept the gameplay from getting stale.

After that we played a half a game of Dead Panic. We were running out of time so we didn't really put a lot of effort into it. We just wanted to mess around with the miniatures I painted for the game. The guy who owns it has pimped this thing out to the max. Check it out:

These are the miniatures - he bought as close as possible matches to the character cards, and I tried to paint them accordingly:



Here's the full setup. The cabin pieces he ordered from Etsy from a guy who does 3D printing of game component upgrades. And we replaced the van token with the Mystery Machine.



We poke a little fun at Terry because he will often spend more on upgrading components for the games he owns than the game cost originally. However, he values quality over quantity. Out of our group he owns the least amount of games, but the ones he does own are fully decked out and customized. For instance, he recently customized his Pandemic: Iberia railroad tokens with actual segments of Z-scale model railroad track. It's always fun to see what he's going to come up with next, as he's never satisfied with what came in the box.

[Scoop20906]

Those figures look great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Xmann]

I picked up Legendary Marvel earlier this week and we absolutely love it.

My son naturally likes it. But surprisingly my wife really really enjoys.

Only issue I see thus far is after 5 or 6 plays, the hero cards are already a bit stale. I guess I'll need to look into buying a couple of the expansions.

[Chrisoc13]

Yeah I think it will be great. That being said I am not expecting a top five game. Too much cult of the new and star wars driving that up. Maybe it will prove to be that good but scythe being #6 show how fickle the top ten (and top 100) have been.

That's certainly a possibility, and ultimately largely subjective. It's probably too early for me to judge myself until I've further tested its replayability (I wonder if certain aspects of the game could get stale after repeated sessions with the same opponent, but I've yet to really put that to the test). Of course, being an FFG game with a monster brand like Star Wars, it's sure to be expanded, too. I have to say though, just in terms of thematic accuracy, Star Wars: Rebellion absolutely nails it. For now, I'm chuffed with the game and had a blast playing, so I can't wait to replay and see how well it holds up in the long run.

Anyway, I look forward to reading what your thoughts are on it once you've had the chance to get it to the table.

Don't mind me. I know I will like it. I'm just grumpy sometimes when I see the top 100 full of brand new games.

Fields of Green arrived and I have played it 2 player a couple of times. It's based on Among the Stars. Mostly a reskin, but the theme fits better for my group.
Other than the insert of the box being destroyed during shipping the pieces are fantastic.

The game is a fantastic drafting game where you build your farm by placing 6 cards each round for 4 rounds. You get bonuses based on location of items, certain items in your farm, and resources used for harvesting. The game is simple, yet lots of fun. And the drafting mechanism for 2 players is subtle but actually works very well. So I am a fan of the game. It plays well and is a lot of fun. I recommend it to anyone who likes tile laying games with drafting mechanisms. Great game.

Also finally had the chance to play the Pantheon expansion for 7 wonders duel. I like it... but I don't know if it really adds that much to the game, nor do I think it is really necessary. But for those who like the game and are looking for a twist it provides a simple enough twist with minimal extra work. Worth looking into, but not a necessary expansion.

And now with Mechs vs. Minions. We have played 3 games so far, and I am thoroughly impressed with the game. I have robo rally, but I think it's programming is unforgiving, can be very not fun, and feels dated. The programming in mechs vs minions is flexible, and feels fresh. Big fan of it. The game is sufficiently difficult that at 2 players we are already struggling. But we both really like it. My gaming group wouldn't like it so it will likely be played 2 player the whole time. I don't think I am quite as high on it as some people, what with mentions of game of the year etc. but I do think it is a great game, would make my top 10 from last year's releases.

[YellowKing]

Just got back from another round of MECHS VS MINIONS.

This time around we knocked out Scenarios 4 and 5, winning both on our first try with three players. Great fun, and while neither scenario ever got particularly close, we still had a grand time.

One of the common complaints about the game is that it is a little too easy (with 3 or 4), but I think it depends on how you look at it. Yes, it's true that in the five scenarios we've played, we only had two that we lost on the first try. And both of those we beat on the second try. Our winning percentage is very high, and if that's the only factor you look at then yes - the game is easier than a lot of other co-op games we play.

However, the game never *feels* easy. Every scenario seems impossible at first glance, and I constantly find myself in a state of anxiety as I try to play out all the various program runs in my head. I don't think we've ever felt the sense of "we've got this one in the bag" in any scenario until the last turn. There's always a level of uncertainty there that keeps a healthy amount of tension, even if you do eventually overcome the challenge.

My group loves tough games - we've played the hell out of Robinson Crusoe, Ghost Stories, etc. We never shy away from a challenge. But I don't think any of us have ever felt bored or let down by this game. I think it finds the sweet spot where fun never turns into frustration.

[Lordnine]

We actually did mission 5 of Mechs vs Minions tonight ourselves. It's the first mission we have lost; the rest have felt pretty easy but we struggled for a good portion of this one. The first time we lost in round 4 and the second time we almost lost in round 6.

Last night we played Eclipse for the first time in over a year. Despite all loving the game, we had stopped playing because of how long and fiddly the game is, especially with our normal 5-6 players.

This time I had something that VASTLY improved the experience. All the tech items fit neatly in these trays which cuts down on setup, mid turn delays and lowers the ridiculous amount of space the game takes up.


They weren't cheap but if you enjoy Eclipse, I think they are well worth it.

[Chrisoc13]

Where are those beauties from? I have the broken token inserts but those look great.

[hentzau]

Forgot to mention that last weekend we played Year 4 of the Harry Potter:Hogwarts Battle card game. Finally for the first time we really felt challenged by the game. We had a bit of rough luck in the beginning where most of the new, tougher villains turned up early in the game, while we were still pretty weak and gathering resources. Enjoying this game more as we progress and the rules get more complex and the villains get tougher. Tonight we're going to be trying out year 5.

[Lordnine]

Where are those beauties from? I have the broken token inserts but those look great.

Game Trayz.

I generally prefer the Broken Token inserts as well but in this case, I think the trays are the better option. Ridiculous price aside. I actually waited till Christmas for a sale though. If you do buy them, make sure you get the right version. Some are made to hold the expansion techs but they are not available in all colors.

[AWS260]

Last night we took Wizard School for a spin. It's a co-operative card game about surviving four years of wizard high school. You acquire magical companions, spells and items, which are then spent to overcome various challenges -- monsters wandering the halls, tests of magical knowledge, and "milestone tests" that let you rise up to the next grade level.

The art and flavor text on the cards is excellent -- witty with plenty of references to other fantasy and pop culture touchstones. One of the magical companions is "The Voice of Morgan Freeman," so soothing that it prevents monsters from attacking.

Gameplay is straightforward. Each challenge requires you to play a certain number of points from a particular school of magic -- for example, defeating a monster might require 2 points of Conjuration and one point of Transmutation. You play one spell card worth a certain amount of points, then modify it as needed with companion cards and items cards. Other players can contribute cards to help you meet the challenge requirement. At its core, it's a smooth system that keeps players around the table involved.

Yet it sometimes feels overly complex. Every single card has text at the bottom that applies a new rule/condition, which could change points from one school of magic to another, automatically defeat monsters of a certain type, give you an extra action, let you draw a card, etc., etc., etc. There's no hand size limit, so you might find yourself sorting through 10+ cards, each with different special conditions, trying to figure out which combination to play. Taking your turn can be a ponderous experience, which might work with a heavier game but is at odds with Wizard School's light theme.

The manual is pretty rough. It is clearly written, but not very well-structured -- e.g., the function of basic cards is explained at the end, not the beginning. And it is sorely in need of illustrations and gameplay examples. Some changes made during production are not reflected in the manual (or on the cards). Most obviously, the game comes with a six-sided die, but the rules require coin flips, not die rolls. Clearly, they planned to include a coin but had to switch to a die late in the production process, too late to update any of the other materials.

All in all, Wizard School is fun but not exactly magical. I think we'll play it primarily for the charming and lovely theme, and not because it will give us particularly memorable gameplay experiences.

[Isgrimnur]

Seven Swords

A Seven Samurai-ish 2-player with mechanics that severely limit the ability of the samurai player to do, in some cases, anything of merit. The bandits are squishy, and have to gang up on everything and everyone to accomplish anything, but have a lot of of objectives to accomplish to have a shot at winning. Neither of us were really impressed with it.

[YellowKing]

Played the first scenario of Mansions of Madness Second Edition.

I was nervous going into this one. I bought the first edition when it came out, played it one time, gave up on the complexity of the setup and running it, and never touched it again. Needless to say, I didn't even remotely consider buying the second edition when it came out. It took this forum, a lot of reviews, and my enjoyment of the Arkham Horror LCG to push me over the edge.

Even after buying it several weeks ago, I wasn't in any hurry to actually play it. I enjoyed painting the miniatures and organizing it and converting my old edition over. And part of me kept thinking - you spent a lot of money on this game, you've invested an enormous amount of time and money into painting the minis. What if it sucks? What if it winds up just like the first edition, taking up permanent residence as a dust collector in your closet?

Finally decided to drag it out tonight with a buddy of mine and was absolutely blown away. We had one hell of a time, and that app immersed me in a way I haven't been immersed since the old pencil-and-paper Call of Cthulhu RPG. I'm kicking myself I didn't pick this one up day one.

Now ultimately we didn't fare too well and lost the scenario, but I chalk that up to inexperience and trying to learn the rules. We wound up just taking too long, and I went insane. However, we can't wait to play again.

[Isgrimnur]

Played Letters from Whitechapel with a full group. Usually I think 2-3 opponents is the sweet spot, but the five we had managed to all play well without shoving others out.

While I had a 6 move lead after night 1, they hounded me mercilessly on night 2, investigating my location four times before finally pinning me in and arresting me. At one point, I used a carriage ride, and they knew immediately where I ended up. Not my best performance.

[baelthazar]

Played the first scenario of Mansions of Madness Second Edition.

I shared your thoughts on this before purchasing. Had I not gotten a huge deal at Amazon, I likely would not have purchased it. Having played the first scenario twice, I have to say that I am equally impressed and disappointed. The game flows very well now and the fiddly bits are a lot better (the puzzles, keeping track of key items and discoveries, the awful setup of the original). I also like that the effects are randomized, so the monster does not get pigeon-holed into one action like the last iteration. That said, the rules can be confusing at times and I found myself rolling the dice a LOT for minor things. The sanity rules are a bit off, where everyone has to have their own separate roll and resolution. This also means you cycle through the sanity effects frequently (oh, here is the voodoo doll one again... ah, now it's the chant one). This is not a huge issue, but having one resolution might be easier and better.

What was more disappointing was that the scenarios do not vary as much as I thought they would. The tiles were largely the same when you repeat play, with slight variations. The enemies are largely the same and the storyline is relatively identical in each playthrough (for example, once you have read a journal or made an optional action, you know what the result will generally be in a subsequent playthrough). I was not overly impressed with how the app spawned enemies. From a mythos lover's perspective, you get monsters working together than would not be collaborating in the source material. This seemed worsened by having the expansions activated - I got Deep Ones, Dark Druids, Cultists, Goat Spawn, Witches, and a Shoggoth all piled on in the adventure. This is a small thing, and the original MoM was only marginally better, but it did break some of the immersion for me. What I liked about the first edition was that you could have an adventure where the only monster was a maniac (and perhaps a larger "end boss" baddie) and the house itself (using the Enemy cards). The second edition felt WAY more focused on combat and it was weird that I would be sitting in one room and then, suddenly, a Hound of Tindalos randomly spawns and comes after us.

I still like the game, and it is great to be able to solo play. I also need to try other scenarios and see where that goes.

[hepcat]

You might want to check the rules on sanity rolls again. It sounds like you're making the same mistake I was, and that Smoove corrected me on (although I could've done without him calling into question my ancestry and the involvement of bestiality at the same time).

You only generate one sanity result for every player within range of the creature with the highest horror. Everyone involved then rolls against that one result. You'll blow through results rather quickly doing it your way, and then you'll see mucho dupes.

[baelthazar]

You might want to check the rules on sanity rolls again. It sounds like you're making the same mistake I was, and that Smoove corrected me on (although I could've done without him calling into question my ancestry and the involvement of bestiality at the same time).

You only generate one sanity result for every player within range of the creature with the highest horror. Everyone involved then rolls against that one result. You'll blow through results rather quickly doing it your way, and then you'll see mucho dupes.

So everyone rolls but you only process one event on the app?

[hepcat]

Here's the reply Smoove gave me for this same question:

Are you saying you're only supposed to generate one horror check from the app and everyone rolls against that single check?

Yes, that's how I understand it. One horror check is generated from the app and it's applied one by one to all the investigators in range. Here's the rules reference:

During the horror step, each investigator resolves a horror check against a monster within range by selecting the monster from the monster drawer and resolving the effect generated by the app.

• If multiple monsters are within range of an investigator, he resolves a horror check against only the monster with the highest horror rating.
• If no monsters are within range of an investigator, he does not resolve a horror check.
• If multiple investigators would resolve a horror check against the same monster, those investigators all resolve the same horror check.

The way you're doing it makes the game longer and harder (I think). Thematically I think it make sense this way as the single Horror Check generates a description of something happening and then each investigator would react to that one thing the creature does.

[YellowKing]

Yep, we made that same horror check mistake as well. I realized it after watching the Watch It Played tutorial this morning.

We also made a HUGE mistake in damage/horror. When it said "Suffer one facedown horror" we weren't drawing an additional horror card facedown. We were just taking one of our existing face down horror cards, flipping it, and doing what it said. Since most of them were minor and didn't do anything, we were basically "suffering horror" with no penalty whatsoever. Even with this we still lost the scenario, but we should have lost it much, much earlier.

It's going to take a few sessions to really grasp when to fight and when to run. We were just sort of stumbling our way through, and not paying a lot of attention to investigator strengths and weaknesses.

The single best thing about the app I liked was the tension of not knowing what was going to happen next. We were on the edge of our seat wondering if something was going to come bursting through a door, or if that next search we did would uncover a vital piece of information. I agree that the strong storytelling aspect diminishes replayability of the same scenario, but for now I've got my handsful with just what's in the box.

[Zarathud]

I would not do a scenario that includes the puzzles without the app.

[coopasonic]

Played Letters from Whitechapel with a full group. Usually I think 2-3 opponents is the sweet spot, but the five we had managed to all play well without shoving others out.

While I had a 6 move lead after night 1, they hounded me mercilessly on night 2, investigating my location four times before finally pinning me in and arresting me. At one point, I used a carriage ride, and they knew immediately where I ended up. Not my best performance.

Losing your touch? The only thing stopping me from making it out this weekend was my lack of desire to go out.

On the plus side, I've ordered Clank!, Last Friday and Captain Sonar (and a replacement copy of YINSH). I am dreaming of playing Captain Sonar at work. We have a curtained space behind our desks with a table that would seat 8 comfortably and be perfect for this. It's a silly dream, but it lives nonetheless. If I were to actually bring it up, I assume everyone would look at me like I am crazy so just based on that assumption I will never bring it up.