Awesome!!!
I can’t wait for the TM people in my game group to pick this up.
I do really want that game. Is the art in the cards really as bad as I’ve heard?
My local game store is closing, which is a huge bummer, but there are some great sales. Has anyone played Cyclades or Inis? I have my eyes on those two.
The art in the cards is probably worse than you’ve heard; check BGG for some of the card art in the images gallery. I find it a rather charming hodgepodge of some genuinely good stuff among a load of public domain/stock images and otherwise cheaply sourced art. It only adds to the game’s appeal, for me.
Both Cyclades and Inis are excellent. Cyclades is like a hotline to my Harryhausen-watching childhood, using an auction to buy special powers and actions via the favours of the gods. Also has some great expansions.
Inis is a masterclass of dudes on a map, short, tense, very smooth.
If you could only have one? I’m leaning towards Inis for no great particular reason.
I’d go with Cyclades but for everyone else the answer is probably Inis.
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I’m with you on Cyclades. Love it. Kemet is a blast, too. Can’t go wrong with Inis, though
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I have Inis. It’s a beautiful game from a component pov, and it plays well, though it can be a bit more confrontational than some players may like. Essentially, you have to team-up against the player who is in the obvious lead, drag them down, then re-team up to take out the player that takes their place and so on. It’s deeper than that, of course, but that’s sort of a necessary thing in each game, so if that sounds like your group will be ok with it, then go for it : )
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I actually like that concept. I often game with 3, and while we usually avoid the 2v1 situations that strategy games can devolve to, the threat that the game will break down is ever-present. The fact that the mechanics not only encourage, but really force cooperation against the leader at an given time is quite intriguing to me.
The game is at its core about territory control with some special powers that tweek the strategy. There are various win conditions, but you can all see them coming, so the temporary-alliances become necessary to stop someone from getting there. Once people get the rules down and have a couple games under their belts, it also plays more quickly than you might think. If you get a good deal on the game, I think you’ll be pretty happy with it, for the unique high quality components if nothing else.
Has anyone played any of Friedemann Friese’s fabled games?
I’m looking to pick up Fruits of Fable purely out of interest of how to teach a game entirely from the game components itself.
They play similar to a legacy game, unlocking more complexity as you go, and I think that one in particular is just a stack of cards that’s milled through over multiple plays of the game.
I’ve played Fabled Fruit a bit. Friese is a genius. Didn’t get the chance to see how the ‘campaign’ works in operation, just got talked through some of the changes that can occur after a game; I keep meaning to buy a copy as it could help fill my noob-friendly niche, but other games keep getting in the way. Very simple, doddle to play. Kid friendly.
Recently picked up Battlecon: Deviation of Inclines, or whatever it’s called. The smaller, introductory set. Want to see if I can get a regular fight going.
In more shameful news, I bought the dedicated tin and sleeves for my War of the Ring cards because I am a neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerd.
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I liked BattleCon based off the now-extinct app. I hear there is a new digital version in the works.
And don’t feel too bad about and nerd tendencies; I’d bet we all have them. In addition to picking up Inis over the weekend, I bought the metal coins for Scythe because paying real money for fake money seemed like an awesome idea…
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My gaming group have been working through Fabled Fruit whenever we have time left at the end of an evening. It is somewhat sad when a card you liked is all used up and won’t be seen again (until reset).
Has anybody played any of Friese’s Fast Forward games? Flee, Fear or Fortress?
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Being sick has really curtailed my game-playing, but did play QueenDomino and London on New Year’s Eve.
Both really fun games. I’ve never played KingDomino, but not sure if I want to after playing this one.
I also just posted my Top 10 games played in 2017
I don’t play enough new games to actually have a top 10 games of the year, so I have to settle for games played.
Hope to get A Study in Emerald to the table this Sunday, though maybe others will bring something new and cool.
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I have KingDomino. I think it is a great easy game. I can teach it to new gamers very quickly. I’m such a good teacher that I usually lose. 
I watched a video about QueenDomino thinking I might want the more advanced version, but it looks like the way it plays makes it no longer a fast easy game. Maybe my impression is wrong. I’d give it a try if I had the opportunity.
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Thanks for posting. It is always interesting to see others’ rankings. I haven’t played a single game in your top 10, unless you count Kingdomino and Clank! I won’t get in to it because I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I don’t really like Kingdomino (hanging on to it for the kids in the future, though). Clank!, on the other hand, I love. I haven’t tried In Space yet, but I hope to soon.
They are definitely different, from what I’ve heard.
I like what QueenDomino adds to the whole thing, but I’ve been told that the feel of the games are very different. Both good, but one doesn’t necessarily feel like a sequel to the other (though that being said, you can combine the two games).
@Mirefox I love seeing other rankings. I just wish I played more “new” games to actually do a Top 10 of the year. But more of them were 2017 games than I had thought there would be.
And just wait until my supplemental list comes out!
I’d love to play the fantasy Clank just to see the differences.
I may have to try a top-10 player from last year as well, just because it sounds fun. Like you, I’d have to include games from all years. I’ll let that percolate a bit.
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I’d love to see that!