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Micro Reviews of Board Games From a Non-Competetive Perspective

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mouser:
Finally got a chance to try Alhambra -- I liked it!

mouser:
Pandemic Legacy: My Favorite Board Game Experience Ever



Pandemic was a groundbreaking cooperative board game that was released in 2008.  Players work together to cure diseases that are spreading around the globe.  It's a wonderful game, and ushered in the modern era of cooperative board games.

The game has seen many expansions, but in late 2015, the creator of Pandemic released a very different twist on the game called Pandemic Legacy.

The "Legacy" term was first used in a game called Risk Legacy (2011), where new rules and pieces are unveiled (and old ones destroyed) as you play a series of games.  Stickers or writing is applied to the board as you win or lose, etc.  It was quite a radical idea.

Last week I had the opportunity to play 7 games of Pandemic Legacy with a good friend -- half the campaign.

It was the most compelling board game experience I have ever had.  The fact that each game was a continuation of the next, with true consequences to the outcomes, gave the entire experience a completely different weight.  Decisions suddenly mattered more than in a normal board game.  Having new surprises after every game was amazing.  My heart was literally racing and i had to get out of my seat often out of nervousness.  I've never taken as much care in weighing my options in a board game.

It was, for a board gamer like me, heaven -- the best board game experience I have ever had.

This is not a game for casual gamers -- but for anyone who is looking to have a unique board game experience that spans a dozen games -- who loves thematic elements, I cannot recommend Pandemic Legacy any more highly.  If this is the future of board games we are in for some amazing times.  And because we really enjoyed chewing over decisions, my guess is that (at least for me) playing this as a two-player game would be the sweet spot.

10+ of 10.  Best board game experience ever.


More on Pandemic Legacy at board game geek: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/161936/pandemic-legacy-season-1

mouser:
Well the time has come at last for me to post about: AGRICOLA.

Agricola was one of the first board games I bought about 9 years ago when I was getting into the hobby, based on the glowing reviews it was getting on hardcore board game discussion sites.

I tried playing it once and completely gave up on the game in disgust and sold it.  The complexity and sheer number of things to figure out, as well as the fiddly scoring left a bad taste in my mouth.

Skip ahead a few years, and with some more experience with heavier/euro board games, I felt an unexplained itch to try it again, and after a more determined effort to learn the rules I found that I became an Agricola fan, and it's become one of my favorite modern board games.


What makes Agricola such a special game?

Agricola has been called a "farming simulator" and that's an apt description.  More than any other game I have it feels like a true sandbox simulation, where components and actions interact and unfold over time creating dynamics that are sometimes hard to predict and control, but always with a satisfying level of stress and amusement.  Even if you have no interest in farming, there is something utterly compelling about the theme and the setting.  It's a hard scrabble existence as a farmer, and resources are always in short supply.  Do you try to make it growing grains and vegetables?  Or specialize in sheep, boar, cattle?  Or focus on growing a big family and expanding your house into a mansion.  Everything takes work and planning and you never quite have time to do everything you want.  It's a worker placement game, which means that you'll have to constantly adapt your strategy to be different from your playmates.




I taught it to a group of people yesterday and they loved it.  In fact I highly recommend you find someone who can teach it to you rather than try to learn it from the rulebook, which can be a very frustrating experience. I also highly recommend the "Farmers of the Moor" expansion, which adds horses and the need to heat your house, which helps balance things out.


This is definitely NOT a casual board game -- it can take quite a while to play and requires some serious rule learning -- but I do highly recommend it.  It can also be played solo -- which is never hugely fun, but i'd say it was one of the very few board games that actually can be enjoyable to play solo.

mouser:
Just a quick update -- finally got to finish Pandemic Legacy (see above).  Took about 18 games, all played with one of my oldest and dearest friends.
My opinion of it remains -- this is the best board game experience I have ever had.  Every game felt like it was full of weighty, important, agonizing decisions.
I cannot say good enough things about this game.  Can't wait for season two.

Edit: Article about these so called "Legacy" games: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/gaming/2016/08/rob_daviau_s_legacy_board_game_seafall.html

wraith808:

Just a quick update -- finally got to finish Pandemic Legacy (see above).  Took about 20 games, all played with one of my oldest and dearest friends.
My opinion of it remains -- this is the best board game experience I have ever had.  Every game felt like it was full of weighty, important, agonizing decisions.
I cannot say good enough things about this game.  Can't wait for season two.
-mouser (July 11, 2016, 08:32 AM)
--- End quote ---

So, I see that you have to keep track of stuff- permanently.  Is that the case?  Or did you find a way around that?

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