(Part 2) Best products from r/boardgames

oh this is perfect. An excellent exercise.

$100 to buy games on Amazon with a newbie who has specific needs.

Ok so we're looking to minimize card games, adult players, 2+

1. Alhambra - $30 - it's a fun game and it gets our requirements right out of the way. it's more than just a card game there's a board, there's tiles to play with, A nice amount of physicality. it's new player friendly and works with 2 players.
   
   
2. Last Night on Earth - $45 - Again going hard on the requirements here. It may be totally cheesy and it might not last a long time in your collection but if you're gonna get this game better to get it when you're young in the hobby so you'll have the most fun. It's team based but works with one player teams. It's a zombie game with a lot of mini zombie figurines to play with. It's a lot of fun to play with.
   
   

3. Blueprints - $30 - I want a dice game in your library and in my head the first game is King of Tokyo which is an excellent game but I don't know how useful it is for two players. Blueprints is easy to learn fun to play and performs well with two players.
   
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   At this point I'm about $5 over maybe a little more because i think i rounded down a few. I might have been able to switch a few things to get more games in but I wanted quality games that minimized or compensated for cards. Plus all of these games play 2 or more pretty wel.
   
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   Honorable Mentions:
   
   Jaipur - $35 - For a couple I think one of the best beginner games is Jaipur. It's a two player card game with a welcoming theme that's easy to learn and yet when you play it's as difficult as your opponent makes it. The games aren't long so even when you want to try and experiment with headgames you're not investing too much into it.
   
   Looney Pyramids aka IceDice - $9-15 - Now obviously the one to get is the Ice Dice. It's two "stashes" for $15 vs 1 for $10. Ideally you want three stashes and you can play the most excellent "Space Chess" like game Binary Homeworlds
   
   Bananagrams - $15 - Bananagrams is an excellent party game if you have the tablespace. Honestly this is the singular reason I haven't played my copy yet. It's light it's fluffy, it's fun.
   
   Splendor - $30 - Splendor is an excellent game. Nothing feels good as holding the poker chips in this game. It's a nice strategy game with a dash of tactical planning if you want. You could substitute it for Blueprints and still have excellent picks. Very fun quick game. But it is card heavy.
   
   Word ARound - $15 - Now most people probably haven't heard of this charmer. It's cheap, it's probably best as a party game. I happen to like the look of it but no doubt it'll burn out as you become familiar with the words a bit.
   
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   Race for the Galaxy
   
   I happen to love that game. If you're ever stuck may I recommend this awesome video tutorial.
   
   Modern Table Gamer
   
   Also don't forget you can play online at BoardGameArena. Some people might be recommending Roll for the Galaxy the new spin off game. I haven't played it yet but I found the Miami Dice episode about it to be very enlightening. Both Tom and Sam speak highly of the game especially in comparison to the original game.
   
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   Ticket to Ride
   
   Excellent game I hear for two players you want the Switzerland/India map
   
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   Agricola
   
   I think this might be a bit heavy for new players
   
   
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   Eldrich Horror/Castles of Burgundy
   
   While I have played CoB i don't know it well enough to judge it. I didn't have a great time with my play but it was just one time. I hear lovely things about Eldrich especially compared to Arkham.
   
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For Dominion 1st Edition you'll want a ton of these - I can't say how many because I don't know which expansions you have:

https://sleevekings.com/products/sleeve-kings-euro-card-sleeves-59x92mm-110-pack-60-microns-6?_pos=1&_sid=f7fae0db0&_ss=r

^(I've found some possible size difference between 1st/2nd edition cards; I don't have them to compare but I expect that's a mistake.)

_

If you are unhappy with your current Harry Potter situation, try these for the core cards:

https://sleevekings.com/products/sleeve-kings-card-game-card-sleeves-63-5x88mm-110-pack-60-microns-5?_pos=2&_sid=de72b757f&_ss=r

or

https://smile.amazon.com/KMC-Barrier-PERFECT-packs-Total/dp/B00T3Z72Q8/ref=sr_1_2?crid=18JLRDDGCXMD7 ^(See note 1 below)

For the other two sets of cards ^(See note 2 below)

https://sleevekings.com/collections/preorder-catalog/products/sleeve-kings-blood-bowl-compatible-sleeves-78x113mm-110-pack-60-microns-5

https://sleevekings.com/collections/preorder-catalog/products/sleeve-kings-medium-square-card-sleeves-80x80mm-110-pack-60-microns-5

_

Note 1: These are known as Perfect Fit cards, they fit snugly and are intended to fit the exact specifications of "Standard" size cards like Magic, or Pokemon, and almost any modern board game -- especially those produced for the US market. They are designed to fit inside other sleeves to protect valuable TCG/CCG cards -- they are not superior protection on their own. Yet, for many years they were my go-to; they improve shuffling as well as any other, they add minimal bulk for those that like to keep the original boxes for games, and they are sufficient protection for a responsible gamer who doesn't need to worry about kids/pets/spills as a frequent occurrence. Also note, that there are two packages available for the KMC prouct -- the red on in the image and a new, blue, "USA" pack that is intended to cut down on counterfeit product.

I would have recommended KMC first if not for my recent experience with Sleeve Kings. KMC Perfects are only a good value when bought in that bulk pack, and I cannot recommend you purchase them any other way because they are 40-60% cheaper in bulk. I am worried that at some point the bulk distribution will dry up due to manufacturer obligations or counterfeiting problems, and I'll be stuck re-sleeving games to match expansions. At this current time, King Sleeves represents my best value proposition for the general collector, especially if you don't find yourself needing thousands of sleeves at a time like we do (with my games and my spouse' Pokemon collection). They represent a product that is the same rough price-per-sleeve as KMC, without the need to buy 10 packs at a time. They also better protection, and other sizes, so your collection can be sleeved with uniformity. I cannot comment on overall pack-to-pack consistency -- some nerds will be able to tell you that you'll absolutely want to buy all the sleeves you'll need from the same run or the sizes will be off by a smidge regardless of the manufacturer (I'll spare you why this causes problems, but it does), but King Sleeves claims to have largely addressed this issue.

If you have other games that you want to get into sleeving, you might consider that bulk pack of KMC. Nothing in the world like a Perfect Fit sleeve. But, if I had the option to do so years ago, I'd probably go with King Sleeves for all my games; alas, King Sleeves was not around when I joined the hobby. What's important is that you consider that some day you might have to integrate a new expansion or promo, and you'll need to make sure you have the same sleeves as the rest are in. For that reason it's too late for me, I'm years in and thousands of sleeves deep. I can't say that the thin, snug nature of the sleeve hasn't been a benefit because some games are j u s t able to fit in the original box, and anything thicker would have changed that. But, the King Sleeves feel much nicer. At any rate, our current process is any Standard sleeve goes in KMC Perfect, and other size gets King Sleeves.

Note 2: The odd-shaped sizes in this game are PARTICULARLY odd. I was only able to find one manufacturer (NSKN/PALADIN) that ever offered the exact sizes, and they no longer offer them for sale. So, in effort to give you at least something, I found the next-nearest-size that King offers. These will be TOO LARGE in both cases. You may wish to use your best judgement on if that will be a problem for you, versus leaving them unsleeved entirely. Some madmen will tell you to take the taller sleeves and cut them, but that's ridiculous. I'd probably consider leaving them unsleeved and encourage poeple, politely, to leave them on the table unless touching necessary.

___

Between sleeving and /r/foamcore game storage and protection is a hobby within the hobby. Please feel free to message me in the future if you need an enthusiast's opinion :D

I can understand why you would come here, but to Monopoly is to board game nerds what Call of Duty is to video game nerds. Many a time have we here on /r/boardgames told people "I like to play board games" only to get the painful, cringe worthy response, "Oh, like Monopoly?"

I in no way mean to criticize you for enjoying Monopoly. Board games are awesome, and anyone can like any game they so choose, however, you may find that many people here very much dislike Monopoly and don't want much to do with it.

I would suggest instead, you get your hands on a "designer" board game (they can be quite cheap!) and join us in the wonderful hobby that is board games. Generally regarded as "the" starter game, [Catan] (http://www.amazon.com/Mayfair-Games-MFG-3071-Edition/dp/B00U26V4VQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1462063793&sr=1-2&keywords=settlers+of+catan) is loads of fun, provided you have 2-3 friends to play it with and a little under 40$ to spare.

As a personal recommendation, my first board game that got me into the hobby was [Betrayal at House on the Hill] (http://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-At-House-Hill-2nd/dp/B003HC9734/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462063949&sr=8-1&keywords=betrayal+at+house+on+the+hill). Again, all it takes is a few friends and a little under 40 bones. I personally like this game due the board game being totally unique every time you play it and with 50 different stories to play, I'd gladly play a game right now, and I've easily had 30+ playthroughs.

Of course, you could go with an even easier "start-up" cost and go with another favorite of mine, [Love Letters] (http://www.amazon.com/Alderac-Entertainment-Group-5104AEG-Letter/dp/B00AGJ4HC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462064185&sr=8-1&keywords=love+letters). This one is exceedingly simple to learn and very quick to play and only requires one friend (though I find it a lot more fun with three or four friends (preferably drunk ones ;))). To top it all off, it isn't even ten dollars, I'd bloody send you a copy if it got you into board games, lol.

Anyway, I kind of started to ramble a bit, but it's a mega fun hobby and you should definitely get into it.

Weymouth, MA 02190

[H]

• Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Rumble at Castle Tentakill (played twice, great condition)
  
• Citadels (2000 version - opened but never played, great condition)
  
• Munchkin & Munchkin Booty (played once, great condition)
  
• Pirate Fluxx & Fluxx Dice (both played once, great condition)
  
• Pixel Tactics (opened but never played, great condition)
  
• The Resistance (played ~5 times, great condition, includes Inquisitor expansion)
  
• Superfight w/ Purple Deck and Core Expansion 1 (played 3-4 times, great condition. couple cards show very slight wear)
  
• Sushi Go Party! (played once, great condition)
  
• Welcome to the Dungeon (played once, great condition)
  
• Pandemic (played ~5 times, great condition)
  
• King of New York (played ~5 times, great condition
  
  [W]
  
  
• Dominion: Intrigue
  
• King of Tokyo
  
• 7 Wonders, 7 Wonders Duel
  
• Burgle Bros
  
• Five Tribes
  
• Roll for the Galaxy
  
• Generally into light-medium deckbuilders, worker placement games, and dice rolling games
  
• Paypal

Love Letter - Ultra fun game for 2 to 4 players, super small, super simple, but tons of replayability. One of my favorite games ever, and a hit with everyone. Currently $8 on amazon.

Coup- Super basic social deduction game, tons of fun for not a lot of money. More complicated than Love Letter, but not very difficult. The hardest part about teaching a younger kid this game is the idea that you can (and should) lie to your friends. Currently $9 on amazon.

Red 7 - This is a small 2-4 player game, super fun, super simple. Currently $9 on amazon

Basically, you can get all three of these for ~$25.

Based on what you've written, I would recommend Dominion, for 28 dollars here on Amazon.

Dominion is a great standalone game, but it also has a wealth of (mostly) excellent expansions, so it's a game she can play for a very long time. It's easy to learn and teach, and it scales decently well from 2-4 players.

If she doesn't have any deckbuilders, Dominion invented and, in my opinion, perfected the genre. It's an absolutely superb game, and I've logged at least 200 plays with my different sets and expansions. And if she does, Dominion is still the best one around.

I have so many strong opinions about this topic!

• 3'x5' inset table from BoardGameTables.com
  
  
• Dice trays I made using these wooden plaques, wood stain, and some felt. I have enough of them so that they don't have to be passed around. Really keeps people from messing up board states but feels more rewarding than using a dice tower.
  
  
• This poker chip set and these chip trays have been my main replacement for paper currency for years now. They're heavy, have decent denomination range, feel amazing to fiddle with while playing a game, and make it super simple to count things out.
  
  
• I use these business card holders to hold multiple stacks of cards at once. Great for FFG games that go crazy with those little cards. Saves a ton of space and keeps the stacks from falling.
  
  
• At every opportunity, I use these stackable bead containers. I buy out the inventory whenever I see them at a craft store. The threading is slightly different in thickness between the ones sold at Michael's and Hobby Lobby, which Michael's seemingly better quality overall. They are absolutely vital for Le Havre, makes setup time like 30 seconds rather than ages.

Here's another one:

Betrayal at the House on the Hill
http://www.amazon.com/Wizards-Coast-266330000WOC-Betrayal-House/dp/B003HC9734/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324230230&sr=8-1

It's fucking terrific. Not exactly the same as Epic duels, but it's party and family friendly.

The setup is you select a character, then start exploring the mansion. As you build the mansion (you are all on the same team), the mansion begins to try to seduce each player. The weapons and artifacts you carry to defend yourself all happen to be haunted/cursed.

After several turns the mansion gets larger and larger much like carcassonne. Eventually, someone gets seduced by the mansion... and here's where the game turns amazing.

The betrayer grabs the betrayal rulebook and goes into another room. The rest of the group open the survival rulebook. Both have independent objective based on what happened to the betrayer.

there are dozen and dozens of scenarios... a little girl may become the pawn of dracula, who arises out of the graveyard and begins stalking the survivors. A shitload of spiders may erupt from the basement and the betrayer be telepathically controlling them. All manner of stuff.

This game is solid up until the shit hits the fan and then it becomes AWESOME. The betrayer usually becomes crazy powerful and has a weakness unknown to them. The survivors generally have an alternative way to win that is complicated and requires teamwork. GREAT party game.

I feel your pain. CaH is fun for the time it takes to deal out the deck. It gets stale, and the humor is driven by the cards and not the people playing.

My friend and I just had a successful Kickstarter for Cult Following: The One True Game . It's a party game for creative people, where one group creates crazy cults from ideas in the deck, and another asks the cultists questions to try to figure out which cult to join.

Our cult ideas (signs) are great, but the tilt comes from the questions. The crazy stories blend together into a shared narrative that's unique to you. Our players remember their playthroughs months later. And if you're not creative, but enjoy hanging out with creative people, just asking questions is a great way to join in and have fun without playing an extrovert.

We've playtested the hell out of our game, our players are fanatical about it (literally and figuratively), and even as the developers, we have gut busting laughter every time we play. It's a great game.

We've finished our Kickstarter fulfillment and Cult Following is for on sale on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca right now.

Here's what I'd do if I had to rebuild a collection from scratch for $1k trying to have a wide variety of play styles:

7 Wonders $32.99
Agricola $45.79
Battlestar Galactica $39.97
Carcassonne $30.02
Carcassonne Inns & Cathedrals$15.71
Dixit $22.65
Dominion Big Box $69.18 Prosperity is one of the best expansions; Alchemy is not, but you're pretty much getting it for free in this set.
Eclipse $61.49 It wouldn't be a board game library without a 4X game, and I think Eclipse is the best currently.
Eldritch Horror $40.47 - I love Arkham Horror, but Eldritch streamlines a lot of the fiddly rules of the original.
Formula D [$41.96] (http://www.amazon.com/Asmodee-FDUSASM-Formula-D/dp/2914849648/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1395757676&sr=1-1&keywords=formula+d)
Gloom $17.98
Guillotine $13.52
King of Tokyo $30.19
Love Letter $9.34
Memoir 44 $47.43
No Thanks! $9.98
Pandemic $31.65
Power Grid $32.27
Puerto Rico [$31.20] (http://www.amazon.com/Rio-Grande-Games-195RGG-Puerto/dp/B00008URUT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395756360&sr=8-1&keywords=puerto+rico)
Race for the Galaxy $24.11
Resistance, The $17.99
Roborally $37.49
Settlers of Catan $37.99
Telestrations $19.99 Awesome and funny party game. My friends and I eventually tire of Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity, but seldom do so with this.
Ticket to Ride $37.24
Ticket to Ride 1910 Expansion $18.21
Tsuro $24.22
Twilight Struggle $49.98
Village $35.47
Wits & Wagers $19.99

That comes up to $946.47; room for a couple more expansions or another game.

Welcome to the hobby!

Lords of Waterdeep is a very good fantasy-themed board game to start with. It is set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe and uses a game mechanic called "worker placement". Amazon currently has it for about $34.

Dominion is a very popular "deck-building" game that plays with cards only (i.e. no board). It has a loose fantasy-ish theme, but it will be a good introduction to the world of modern gaming. Another deck builder with a more conventional fantasy theme is Ascension: Deckbuilding Game. [Amazon has Dominion for about $29.]
(http://smile.amazon.com/Rio-Grande-Games-RGG370-Dominion/dp/B001JQY6K4/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1464598805&sr=1-1&keywords=dominion)

And yes, while not fantasy, Pandemic is one of the greatest cooperative board games ever made (my opinion of course). Definitely worth getting. Amazon has this for about $24.

Happy gaming!

/u/r2d8 getinfo long

It usually depends on stock levels and prices. I am new to the hobby and have ordered from the following:

German Games - They generally speaking have the lowest game prices in Canada and a flat rate Ontario shipping of 10 dollars. Its usually good to wait and order 2-3 games so the shipping cost makes sense. (Ships from Kitchener, ON - next day arrival in Ottawa)

Geek Stop Games - These guys prices are either the same as German Games, or around $5 higher. They also have $10 shipping to Ontario, or FREE local delivery if you live in London, ON. I ordered a few games that were OOS at German Games. They were the same price, or a dollar or two more. (Ships from London, ON - received two days after purchase in Ottawa)

I have not yet ordered from Play Time Games as they are a new find for me, but they are based in Ottawa and do allow for local pickup. Their prices look the around the same as German/Geekstop, and Ill be able to save on shipping. I look forward to placing an order with them.

Other places I looked at ordering from was Godboma, just be careful to not order the games that have VF next to them as they are the french versions (QC based)! Also, Meeplemart seems to have some reasonable prices too. They are also a brick and mortar located in Toronto, I believe is $10 flat shipping in ON. And Starlit Citadel, their prices are generally $5 higher than German Games, but they do make some nice review videos!

I did have an opportunity to visit 401 Games this past weekend as I was in Toronto for an event, and I must say they have to be the cheapest brick and mortar around. If you live in Toronto, definitely check these guys out! Great selection too.

I would avoid Amazon and Chapters/Indigo (but watch for sales). Their regular prices are usually higher than the places I mentioned, and by $20-50 at that.

Edit Its actually kind of funny, Eclipse is on sale at Amazon.ca for $73 with free shipping. The lowest Ive seen Eclipse for in Canada is at the $70 range - I dont think youll be able to find it cheaper once you take shipping into account. If you planned on getting more than one game, then the other places may still work better.

http://www.amazon.ca/Asmodee-ECLI01USASM-Eclipse-Board-Game/dp/B006L7KIWG

There are a lot of versions of Werewolf, but one of those versions is One Night Ultimate Werewolf.

I guess I'm only a fan of certain Euros (and I REALLY like those, like Le Havre), and I just wasn't a big fan of TM. BUT I have still only played it with 2 players, which is not supposed to be a good idea.

Anyway, I hope you like the games you get!

Citadels, Tsuro, and 7 Wonders might be good for you guys to try.

Citadels is a game that can handle 2-8 players, and the structure of the game is rather different, making for more replayability, for differing numbers of players. http://amzn.com/158994030X

Tsuro is a simple but fun game (and the guys that make it are good people). http://amzn.com/B002SQBB3O

7 Wonders is a nice balance between strategy, complexity, and ease of play. It can seem complex at first play, but it doesn't take long to figure out and is a lot of fun. http://amzn.com/B0043KJW5M

Assuming you want to spend half of your money:

Star Realms: http://www.amazon.com/White-Wizard-Games-Realms-Deckbuilding/dp/B00HRGMPIU

Sushi Go: http://www.amazon.com/Sushi-Go-Pick-Pass-Card/dp/B00J57VU44

One is a deck builder like dominion, the other is drafting like 7Wonders. (If you want 4 player star realms pick up two copies). That is a grand total of $24/$36. If you add Coup OR/and Resistance/ Resistance Avalon:

http://www.amazon.com/Coup-Card-Game-Resistance-Universe/dp/B00GDI4HX4/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1417653537&sr=1-1&keywords=coup

http://www.amazon.com/Indie-Boards-Cards-AVA1IBC-Resistance/dp/B009SAAV0C/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1417653562&sr=1-1&keywords=resistance+avalon

Which are similar (made by the same people), you could be three games in for 40 bucks.

Then add a heavier game or two medium sized games-- check out TableTop, or our "What did you play this week" threads for some ideas-- and you come out with a nice collection of games (5 or six of them) for about 100 bucks.


I'm not saying you have to get these exact games, but think about a few smaller card games with a bigger game for the most bang for the buck.

The resistance (avalon preferably) is 100% worth it since it plays 5-10... but what about days when you only have 4, etc. Catan can't do all the work forever.


I can give better recs if you edit to add more info; even if it's just things like "I like space. The people I play with like space... and Pirates!"

I have not played TI3, but my group definitely enjoys Eclipse. Eclipse's Rise of the Ancient expansion was a must for us. The additional rules to allow multiple players to go simultaneously is super awesome; cutting the down-time between turns waaaaay down :)

Dominion is Magic The Gathering for ex-Magic nerds. It is pretty good and has lots of expansion potential, but I would love to steer you towards Citadels instead.

http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Flight-Games-MA04-Citadels/dp/158994030X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299539948&sr=8-1

~20 bucks shipped, it travels well, plays quick, and is suited towards playing multiple rounds with the same group of people.

Dominion IMHO doesn't travel as well (you have to separate all the cards, etc) and the interaction doesn't grab me quite as much as other board games. Lots of people love it though, but for me, the bang-for-buck would be better investing in Descent.

~$70 shipped: http://boardgamegeek.com/geekstore.php3?action=viewitem&itemid=261005

probably ~$70 shipped: http://boardgamegeek.com/geekstore.php3?action=viewitem&itemid=265256

one for ~$60 shipped: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000AQDPTW/ref=dp_olp_collectible?ie=UTF8&condition=collectible

...the reason descent is so expensive (including shipping) is it has a ton of crap in it:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Descent-Journeys-into-Dark-board-game-/180635402466?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0eb580e2

...this is dominion:
http://boardgamegeek.com/image/386432/dominion

...and this is citadels:
http://boardgamegeek.com/image/429381/citadels

(might be relevant: http://boardgamegeek.com/image/545801/citadels )

and here is what you're getting into with descent:
http://boardgamegeek.com/image/100699/descent-journeys-in-the-dark

...tougher to manage, but fun, and a ridiculous amount of fiddledy-bits.

--Robert

If your bar is quiet and spacious enough for people to play board games, I'd say anything goes. But I think you're looking for "quick, easy-to-learn, exciting games that people can play even if they're drunk."

In that case, get Saboteur. I played it last weekend and it was an insane amount of fun. Everyone was shouting at one another, accusing every other player of being a saboteur. Ton of fun, cheap as hell, and can be played with as much as 9 players.

Now, you need to lay the cards out on a surface. So hopefully you have a big enough surface to play it on. It shouldn't take too much space, but check out a youtube video of people playing or reviewing it just to make sure it'll work. That is, it's not something you can play on bar stools.

Also, Citadels is worth looking into. Another easy, quick, cheap, fun game.

If you're looking for bang for your buck (and without knowing what you have/like) you could try something like Terra Mystica, Agricola or Twilight Struggle.

You could probably do Agircola + 7 Wonders for close to $70.

You can certainly pair a couple of ~$30 games for a nice combo.
Well-known, great games in that range: Power Grid, Puerto Rico, 7 Wonders, Pandemic, Dominion, Castles of Burgundy, Race for the Galaxy... other games that are at that price point: Flash Point, Spelndor, TTR, Carcassonne...

There are plenty in the $40 bracket as well (Twilight Struggle, Stone Age, Tzolk'in, 5 Tribes...)

If you want to get a good deal, just look for the highest %off. This is kind of a misnomer because Amazon frequently adjusts these numbers. If you use something like camelcamelcamel it could help you track the price history of items, letting you know if you are actually getting a good price.

You might also just say you've got that ~$70 to spend on as many games as possible. If you go that route, I recommend Coup, The Resistance: Avalon, Jaipur, Hanabi, Hive and Friday.

My picks because they are 1) easy to learn for all skill levels and can be played in less than 1 hr. Whoever is running the tournament should have game master who is VERY familiar with the games and has actually played multiple games themselves.

• Munchkin Deluxe -- It actually has tournament rules you can print out
  
• Sushi Go Party! - Bracket system works best
  
• Zombie Dice - This is a push your luck game
  
• [Santorini] (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/roxley/santorini-learn-it-in-30-seconds-play-it-for-life?ref=rxly) You can teach someone in 2min but there is a lot strategy to win
  
• [Splendor] (https://www.amazon.com/Asmodee-SCSPL01-Splendor-Board-Game/dp/B00IZEUFIA) -- A game last 30min max
  
• Love Letter or Coup
  
• Qwirkle Board Game
  
• 7 Wonders
  
• Quadropolis - Easy rules, it is a puzzle game but can finish in 30 to 45min

For Eldritch Horror, it's been a great pleasure to swap the sanity/stamina counters for red and blue d8s. It was also great to upgrade the d6s to 16mm dice - they roll better and feel heftier than the 12mms the game came with.

I also like these pinch bowls for miscellaneous components: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00080FPZM


Also: foam core inserts are great for making the experience better organized and help make the set up faster!

My suggestions for fun two player games that have a small footprint are below. I haven't tried playing these in a pub, but I think they should work.

Love Letter - I played this at a party recently and enjoyed it. There are various themes, including a munchkins variant.

Pass the Pigs - I used to bring this game with me on plane trips because it is compact and playable on a tray table.

Toss Up - Fun dice game, simple rules, could be turned into a drinking game if you are so inclined.

Timeline - Lots of different versions of this game, all have to do with history, but you can pick different topics, and even combine packs.

Exploding Kittens - random fun, there is also a NSFW version that is full of boob/penis/poop/etc jokes.

Hanabi - I have the tile version of this, which is a little bulkier, but is much more drink and food resistant.

I love the silicone ones. I have a set: https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Silicone-Mini-Pinch-Bowls/dp/B00080FPZM/ref=sr_1_8?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1549316963&sr=1-8&keywords=pinch+bowl

​

I also have a set of glass dishes like these: https://www.amazon.com/Maredash-Kitchen-Stackable-Dishware-Combination/dp/B07DVHDBMX/ref=sr_1_25?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1549316963&sr=1-25&keywords=pinch+bowl

​

And some crockery ones like these that are really nice and opaque (when that is important): https://www.amazon.com/Now-Designs-Terracotta-Pinch-Bowls/dp/B06XS1B6SS/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1549316963&sr=1-5&keywords=pinch+bowl

​

You can also do those in plastic: https://www.amazon.com/Oggi-Melamine-6-Piece-Assorted-Colors/dp/B001U24ESQ/ref=sr_1_7?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1549316963&sr=1-7&keywords=pinch+bowl

​

I'd recommend the silicone ones, but only if you can get big enough ones. Otherwise it can get frustrating not having enough. I think for the bang for the buck, the glass ones above are the best balance of cost, size, ease of use (and non-game utility), cleanup (if needed), and stackability. :) If silicone were cheaper and larger, they'd be my fave.

​

These are great suggestions. Other light, cheap games I enjoy are:

• Hanabi - great co-op game about fireworks. Very popular.
  
• Coloretto - well-designed set-collecting game with press your luck mechanism.
  
• Guillotine - fun silly card game about rival executioners during the French revolution, vying to chop off the heads of the highest ranked nobles.

Troyes (pronounced "twah") is a great worker placement-esque game that is great for 2 players, up to 4. The theme might bore you until you start playing, it's intuitive and great for any number of players.

Jaipur is only for 2 players, but is inexpensive and tons of fun.

I don't have anything that perfectly fits that criteria, but think that having a diverse collection for different numbers of players is the solution rather than one game to rule them all.

Android Netrunner is a Living Card Game. It's packaged more like a board game.

The core set comes in a big box... but once you learn how to play it, you can easily put 1 or 2 decks in deck boxes and and the extra bits in another one, and leave everything you won't use inside the box.

• This game right now is very popular
  
• Each side plays differently, so you have two things to master learning
  
• Core set comes with 7 decks basically to get you started (3 for one side, 4 for the other)
  
• You CAN deck build by pulling cards from one deck to the other to a point, which can keep the game very fresh
  
• There are expansions should you enjoy it enough to explore more
  

Twilight Struggle is a wonderful Cold War rabbit hole. In my opinion it is the quintessential two player board game. A thousand plays in and every T1 Headline still feels like the first time. :)

Even find myself ruminating about potential hand combos and AR7 plays when I'm waiting for my train or during portions of meetings that don't pertain to my team.

It's an exceedingly simple game - deal cards, play cards, end of turn.

But the bluffs and blusters of what cards you might have combined with the strategies of holds, the boldness of unexpected controls and the steeped theme make for an endlessly enjoyable and infinitely replayable game.

In short... TS is a good game for only two players.

The game is over once all the jewels have been taken/discarded. You do not get your adventurers back, they stay until a dragon is defeated. The reason could be, because some magic cards let you love the jewels from one dragon to another, therefore screwing the other people over.

I love this game and used to bring it out regularly, but had to put it aside for a bit, so it doesn't get overplayed. I always play with the Advanced Rules.

The only problem with the game is trying to distinguish between the gold and silver gems.

The bags are a good idea. Here are some that might work really well, I own some myself, but don't know if they match EVERY color available in the game. It comes with 12 bags (2 of each color), so you might be able to use the extras on another game.

I'm now thinking about purchasing these again for this game. It will come in handy when using the blind thief ability. Thanks for the great idea.

Pick up the red and purple editions of Roll for It! It's a nicely portable dice game that is accessible for all ages and gaming-experience levels. They each play 4 players, there are rules for combining them for 8-player games. Alternatively, the Deluxe Edition has everything you need for 8 players.

I also highly recommend One Night: Ultimate Werewolf, which can play up to 10 players. You can play the whole game in 5 minutes and there is a companion app that guides you through the whole thing. High replay value, as well.

We Didn't Playtest This is a silly party-style game that goes very quickly. Players get knocked out based on the rules of the cards, and many of the rules stack throughout the game. Can play any number of players.

Before I start can you clarify which version of Werewolf that you bought? It sounds like you possibly bought Ultimate Werewolf and One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak which (as confusing as it is) are two completely separate games. If so you may want to change that purchase to One Night Ultimate Werewolf and One Night Ultimate Werewolf: Daybreak because those are compatible with each other.

But onto answering your question, I'd also suggest:

• Some Social Deduction Games - Before you pull out Werewolf (unless if these people are gamers and willing to have a few awkward rounds), I'd suggest A Fake Artist Goes To New York and Spyfall would be even better if you want to play a game while driving (literally the driver can even participate).
  
• Some 2 player games - Onitama has been a consistent hit with my non-gamer friends because it feels like chess but so much quicker. I'd also suggest Lost Cities because it's a nice little card game that has a ton of replayability and it's super easy to teach.
  
• I'd also suggest Hanabi because it doesn't seem like you have any co-op games in there. Hanabi has basically become the co-op game I pull out for people that hate co-op games. It's also probably one of my favorite card games.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Android-Netrunner-Card-Game-Core/dp/1616614609/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417704403&sr=8-1&keywords=netrunner

25 pounds! You should be okay.

And as far as needing the data packs go, you do not need them. I play with a friend who is pretty skilled and there is a TON of game here. In this box alone, there are 3 Runners and 4 Corporations, meaning 12 matchups alone. Each matchup is very different and interesting as well. There are also 2 different sides to play in this game. You can either play as the aggressive and nimble runner or the slow and brooding corporation.

It is a very intense game and one of my favorites.

There's actually a good amount of fun games for under $40 on Amazon that I would suggest looking at.

• Pandemic | $28
  
• Catan | $30
  
• Dominion | $30
  
• 7 Wonders | $31
  
• Love Letter | $8
  
• Coup | $8
  
• Sushi Go | $10
  
• Lord of Waterdeep | $37
  
• Betrayal at House on the Hill | $34
  
• Ticket to Ride | $31
  
  These are all pretty popular games and I think they give you a good start into the different genre's of modern board games.

The Resistance is always fun and plays up to 10 people really easily. Although, some people say Avalon is better

Zombie Dice is an option for lots of people and super easy to teach.

I'm not sure how much shipping would be to your location, but Jaipur is still cheap here in Europe! Amazon.de for instance will probably ship to you, and it's only €13,50 ($15.00)

My wife and me both love Jaipur and Splendor. We've probably played Jaipur a bit more with just the two of us.

I wonder which sleeves you're using? I mean, you probably are truly out of space given the extra big boxes you have there, but i use these for all my card games no double sleeving, just a simple bit of protection and of course makes the cards easier to shuffle. If you're using thicker sleeves, resleeving them to these KMCs would probably save you a significant portion of space in there.

I completely agree, Upperdeck should release a collectors box. I heard they were going to, it was even confirmed in a youtube video where a developer mentions they were working on that, but... where is it?

CMON UPPER DECK WE WANT AN ORGANIZED GAME!

Hanabi is a great, coop game that is about 10 dollars on Amazon right now. It plays between 2 and 5 players and is a lot of fun. It also is in a tiny box, so it makes it really easy to carry around. Definitely worth a buy.

Race For The Galaxy supports 2-4 players in the base game.

Race For The Galaxy: The Gathering Storm (Expansion #1) adds a 5th player and also includes rules for solitaire play.

Race For The Galaxy: Rebel Vs. Imperium (Expansion #2) adds a 6th player.

It's a card-based game. There's no board. It's very simple to learn, but the strategy is incredibly deep for a card game. Play time is around 30 minutes.

Each expansion adds some new play options on top of the base game rules but a LOT of people just use the new cards from the first two expansions and continue to play using the base game rules.

This is currently my all-time favorite game.

Munchkins (original). It's more of a 'make fun of' fantasy theme game. But it is a dungeon crawler and super simple to learn.

Betrayal at House on the Hill. Great game and a group favorite of ours.

But you are literally saying the exact same thing xTheOOBx was saying other than "I don't agree".

If the game is well stocked, it is significantly cheaper than local stores. If it isn't well stocked, it is only a little bit cheaper than your local stores. The only exception is MayFair games, where they have a cap on their retail discount.

And for what it is worth:

BGG Top 10

1. 26% Off
   
   
2. OOP/BPR
   
   
3. 35% Off
   
   
4. 31% Off
   
   
5. 27% Off
   
   
6. 25% Off
   
   
7. 37% Off
   
   
8. 28% Off
   
   
9. 32% Off
   
   
10. 23% Off
    
    
    Some other games I just stumbled across.
    
    24% Off,
    31% Off, 34% Off
    
    It looks like when I said "frequently between 30% and 40%, I was pretty damn close. It's okay to want to support the local game stores, as we all have said, they provide something more than just the game. I visit the same exact stores you do, and I know "not that much cheaper" is down right false. Buying games online is almost a buy 2-3 get 1 free - and that's not considering any significant sale.

If you can find a local game store, I'd go and ask what their policy is on returns. You could just go with a gift card to the place, though I know that can be impersonal, but if they allow it on unopened games, I'd get him something small like Zombie Dice, Hive, Codenames, Forbidden Island, or Sushi Go (all between $5 and $20 generally). If he has the game he can return it for some dice, or something else he needs, but I think the thought of going out and researching what good games are out there is nice.

I'm a big fan of using card stands/holders for tableaus so that they can be passed around easily rather than everyone having to stand up and hover over them.

Alternatively business card racks are super handy for that type of thing as well.

Also, +1 for silicone cupcake liners being awesome.

Almost all of these are $15 and under (plus shipping):

Best value:

• Love Letter Factory Edition - recommend over aeg edition for the minister card
  
• Set and/or Swish - i might give swish the edge due to the ability to dial in the difficulty
  
• Coup
  
• Make your own Skull set with blank coasters and day of the dead temporary tattoos
  
• Forbidden Island - recommending over forbidden desert because scuffed tiles can spoil forbidden desert
  
  2 only:
  
  
• Cribbage
  
• What's My Word - you only need the refill pads, the rules can be read online
  
• Star Realms
  
  The 2-3 player weird spot (it's harder to find games good at this player count):
  
  
• Wurfel Bohnanza - dice! but no one will accuse you of gambling with bean dice
  
• Haggis
  
  Great with 4:
  
  
• Hanabi
  
• Sushi Go!
  
• No Thanks!
  
• Tichu - can be played with a standard deck plus four marked-up jokers
  
  Great for 5+:
  
  
• Bohnanza
  
• 6 nimmt!
  

In 2013, US dollars were exchanged to canadian dollars almost 1 to 1 (0.94). Today, a canadian dollar is worth 70 cents. So Troyes went up from 35 dollars to 45?

It was also highly anticipated reprint in the middle of a boom of interest in boardgaming we are having right now, so the first wave was sold at a high price. Looking at a UK pricetracker you can see both how anticipated it was before the reprint and how the price right now is far from stable, being 35 pounds in february and 60 right now.
Android netrunner, if anything, seems to have gone down in prices for the UK at least, and the UK and american amazon usually track each other pretty well. Castles from Burgundy is stable for the last five years, Jamaica is falling.

It seems like it's either a canadian problem or maybe you were really good at picking prices when they were low back in 2013 and now you are comparing them to randomly chosen prices now?

Tried looking for some on Amazon but had no luck. Colored sleeves are usually for trading card sizes (64mm x 89mm).

Honestly, I think it'd be cheaper just to get a new copy. It's only $11.83 on Amazon right now.

You could even choose to sleeve the new ones with clear sleeves as well. That's what I did as soon as I got the game.

Hanabi, most definitely (only two in stock!). For $15 you get one of the most unique co-op card games I've ever seen. I expecting/hoping to see it win the Spiel des Jares this year.

So much fun, and it's definitely a card game you can teach to anyone, and tailor the difficulty as you see fit.

I've used about 20 different sleeves and by far the best bang/buck are KMC Perfect Fits. They are also not as thick making them easier to fit in the box.

www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00T3Z72Q8?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title

If you're interested in getting your wife to try games, try something you can both play together cooperatively. I've had good luck with Forbidden Island which is an amazing game for its price. Basically, you're all (or both) running around an island that is gradually sinking into the sea, trying to recover the four legendary treasures and meet up back at the helicopter before the entire island sinks. Maybe move on to Forbidden Desert after a while, which is a little more complicated, or its even more complicated older brother, Pandemic.

Thanks!

We'll probably have 3-6 people usually. On big nights we'll have 8-10 but at that point we'll just rotate people who will play while the others hang out.

Is this the base game?

I guess Catan on does 4 players at a time. So I saw this and I guess I have to pick it up for more people?

But apparently there are versions as well. The expansion says it only supports the 4th edition? lol. Getting confused at this point.

How about Jaipur or Hive Pocket? Mr Jack Pocket is also wonderful. Star Realms is the best micro game of the year IMHO, and scales past 2P with multiple decks. Coup is also a lot of fun and quick. I personally do not like Cheaty Mages at all.

Here are a couple of options I have been enjoying:

Betrayal

Small World

Power Grid

Dominion

Most of these are slightly out of your price range, but you get what you pay for. If you are willing to spend slightly more, you open up a whole new world of possibilities.

If you do want to stick to cheaper options, Fluxx or Exploding Kittens is always a good, fun choice.

Every time I go to a Dollar Tree, I check to see if they have a pack of these rectangular containers. Tiny, and perfect to hold just about anything, and it will fit in most board game boxes. The round ones are pretty useless, which is why I haven't just bought a case yet (you get them assorted in a case). And 10 of them for $1. You can't beat that. Food safe, so I use them for packed lunches as well (like bringing a tablespoon or two of sour cream or something).

I've also heard of someone using a business card rack like this for setting up cards in Arkham Horror. Haven't tried it myself, but I like the idea.

I've also "made" some custom boxes for Munchkin using those wooden boxes from Hobby Lobby (with that 40% off coupon, of course), a piece of balsa wood, and some coffee (for a natural stain).

Buy. It's easily me and my girlfriend favorite game. Once you're familiar with the game set up and break down plus a game is like 30-40 minutes. It's great. Also I highly recommend bags! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XDBSEW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I can't recommend them enough. It makes setting up and putting away the game so much faster. The artwork kind of sucks but think of it that you're getting an amazing game for half the price as you'd get for the same game with fancier artwork.

Two options I've used here:
For games I know I like, I either design or use others designs for Artscow bags. They have both drawstring and zip canvas ones (the latter best for game transportation)
https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/190164/direct-links-artscowcowcow-draw-bag-designs/page/1?
Plenty of promo codes exist, if you're trouble finding one I'm happy to generate one - PM me. The best deal here is 10 bags for $20 shipped. There's also a Geeklist with completed bags which should also give you a feel for the size of them.

For games which either require a ton of bags (Castles of Burgundy) or just to have extras, I bought a set of these:
Dozen Bright Color Canvas Drawstring Bags https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XDBSEW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_W3xzzbMGP2TJX

I think they're a little narrower than my husband likes for drawing tiles but they're not too bad. I use 4 or 5 of them in CoB.

Sure thing. If you want to be notified when it's back on Amazon and at a good price, a great tool for tracking that stuff is camelcamelcamel.com.

For example here's the history for RFTG.

After seeing your comment, I searched around on BGG which led me to these - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XDBSEW

They're not coming in until next week, but I hope they fit well!

1. https://www.amazon.com/Source-Desktop-Acrylic-Business-BC-8P/dp/B002YTO3JE/ref=sr_1_27?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1488301537&sr=1-27&keywords=business+card+holder !!!!! - this or something like it is essential. i bought mine at office max, fwiw.
   
   
2. don't keep separate discard piles
   
   
3. keep things like gate tokens on the board
   
   
4. put the asset deck on top of the space that describes how to take a loan
   
   
5. plano box for all the bits and bobs you need during gameplay

Here is one more thing that can help clean up and setup. Silicone condiment cups. These are great for keeping things tidy during a game. When finished with game just pick up the cup and pour into the ziplock bag.


https://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Silicone-Pinch-Bowls-Piece/dp/B00080FPZM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487348874&sr=8-1&keywords=silicone+condiment+cups

As I said, already, for the top 10 games you can probably get a good deal online. But, stray from that and the deals aren't as big. My gaming habits tend more towards casual, family and friend style games, which may also make a difference.

Forbidden Island - 16%

Gloom expansion - 15%

Say Anything - 12%

Munchkin - 16%

Tsuro - 19%

MLP Trading Card Game - 9%

Bananagrams - 21%

Scrabble - 15%

Apples to Apples - 0%

Oz Fluxx - 23%

Those are the last 10 games I bought. The biggest percentage is 23%, and that was only a $3 difference. The biggest dollar difference was $5. For differences that small, i'll buy local. It supports the local guy and I get it now, not several days to a week from now.

Also, the reason I don't agree with the original statement is because (as is shown in my personal examples) the online prices aren't that much less for the games I have purchased lately. And, I have never called in to any of the local stores and found that they do not have something in stock that isn't also out of stock online. So, I also disagree with the assertion that they cannot compete for item availability.

Again, I use the bookstore analogy. Sure, I may be able to get a better deal for a book online, but it's not going to stop my from heading to Powells. And, except for the most obscure of titles, i'll probably find a copy of it at Powells.

Im a big fan of Ascension personally. Had the app forever and am finally getting a physical copy in the mail next week. Its not incredibly interactive though, only occasionaly forcing players to discard cards and such. Its all about getting points by killing monsters from the center deck (which also holds extra cards for your deck).

I cant speak to the other games you listed but if you want to pick up Dominion its super cheap right now. Amazon has it for $20 on sale. And if you have prime and live somewhere that is serviced by prime now you can get it for $10. Use the promo code PRIMENOW10 which gives you $10 off of a $20 order. I just ordered a copy for myself last night. A friend of mine already had it but its hard to turn down a $45 game for $10.

Some Android: Netrunner boxes are discounted as well, with Free Shipping over $25 on all of these:

Core set - $36.38

Creation and Control - $24.62

Honor and Profit - $23.38

Also a couple of Data Packs for around $12~13:

A Study in Static, Mala Tempora, look around for more :)

Forbidden Island is $15~ on Amazon. It's a 2-4 player co-op game that is commonly referred to as a lighter version of Pandemic. Watch an example game played here.

The Resistance is also $15~. It's a deduction game with a traitor mechanic for 5-10 players. It's a perennial favorite on /r/boardgames -- you can watch an example game played here.

KMC perfect fit sleeves:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T3Z72Q8/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

$23 for 1000 high quality clear sleeves.

Yeah I actually like the green one!

NINJA EDIT: Actually I am gonna buy bought these because Amazon. :)

http://www.amazon.com/Mayfair-Games-MFG-3071-Edition/dp/B00U26V4VQ/ref=dp_ob_title_toy for 3-4 players

5-6 players is an entirely different, and far worse, game (it removes a push your luck mechanic that is fun and interesting, and takes a LOT longer for games because people can do stuff much more often).

I suggest other games with similar themes when you want to play with less than 3 or more than 4 people

Parthenon Rise of the Aegean for for 3-6

Chinatown for 3-5

Thanks for the tip! Just FYI - with shipping, it's $30. You can get it for that price from Amazon as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Android-Netrunner-Living-Card-Game/dp/1616614609/

• King of Tokyo
  
  
• Smash Up
  
  
• Forbidden Island
  
  
• Tsuro
  
  
• Room 25
  
  All five of these games should meet your criteria quite nicely. I think all of them, except for Room 25, have also been featured on Wil Wheaton's Table Top, if you wanna check out what the gameplay actually looks and feels like.

As others have said, Ultimate Werewolf, The Resistance, and The Resistance Avalon are all good. Other options for this type of secret-role/party game are Bang! and Samurai Sword.

Battlestar Galactica is another popular game with secret roles. However, it is much longer and more complex than the other games I mentioned.

Check out Citadels (http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Flight-Games-MA04-Citadels/dp/158994030X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395265534&sr=8-1&keywords=citadels) for a 2-7 player game that combines hidden roles and city building in an engaging, light manner.
I believe it's around $20

I'd also second Love Letter and Resistance, which should bring you around $40

King of Tokyo $30.35 Amazon Link|
One Night Ultimate Werewolf $19.57 Amazon Link|
Pandemic $25.72 Amazon Link|
Total Cost: 75.64
All great family games you cant go wrong with!
Plus you still have money for snacks!!

So weird. I saw it on Amazon earlier today for $10. Now it's $27 with prime. I thought it seemed low when I was making this list but figured I would throw it in since I saw it for $10. Wish I had a screen cap lol.

• Forbidden Island for $15.29, co-op game
  
• We Didn't Playtest This At All for $12.79, funny filler game
  
• Bohnanza for $14.83, strategic trading game
  
• Bezzerwizzer for $11.00, fun trivia game
  
• Jungle Speed for $12.45, crazy pattern recognition dexterity game
  
  You're pretty wide open for recommendations, so I'm not sure how to steer you to any of these.

Amazon has it for $26 and free shipping if you're Prime which might be a better deal for some, as MM's shipping costs are sometimes high.

I use these: https://www.amazon.com/Dozen-Bright-Color-Canvas-Drawstring/dp/B004XDBSEW/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1473900990&sr=8-6&keywords=colored+drawstring+bags

The colors don't match perfectly but I just labeled them and it works great.

Hive

Jaiper

Cash N Guns

3 games that are on my wish list. I have not played them myself, but I have heard good things.

>Betrayal at house on the hill : good luck finding it

Shouldn't be too hard...

forbidden island is only $15: http://amzn.com/B003D7F4YY

it's pretty easy to understand, and is a simple intro into collaborative board games (everyone is on the same 'team'. you all play against the game).

The original box works fine: Put animal tiles, knowledge tiles, goods, buildings, and the center black tiles each in their own smaller portion of the insert. Leave them there for gameplay - when pulling new tiles just grab out of there without looking like you're pulling out of a cup. Everything else can get dumped in the big section since none of that needs to be randomized.

But I bought a set of novelty bags on amazon after a few games of that, and moved my copy of Agricola out of bags and into this box (which, incidentally, is superior to plano since it has rounded bottoms for each compartment). Now the 5 types of tiles that need to be randomized in Castles each have their own cloth bag, and workers, silverlings, castles/mines/boats, and everything else have their own plastic bag respectively.

Just wanted to add a few more deals.

Netrunner [$29.78]

The Witcher Adventure Game [$33.36]

Marvel Legendary [$39.83]

And remember, free shipping for order over $25.

Sheriff of Nottingham Merry Men Expansion $16.07

Pandemic: Fall of Rome $27.99

Catan Junior $14.61

One Night Ultimate Werewolf $10.35

Not OP, but I bought these and I'm returning them. They were very poorly stitched. The yellow one was falling apart the second I opened the packaging. If you have any sewing skill, drawstring bags are not that difficult to make. I've made one for Carcassonne tiles and am in the process of making another for Alhambra. Pretty decent tutorial here.

We love Eldritch Horror, but for the first few months we had it, our table space was very limited. As such we grabbed two of these to reduce the footprint of all of the decks - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YTO3JE/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apip_kMLCI6PtTWjJT.

With two of them you can hold all of the location, expedition, other world, mythos, clue, mystery, all conditions, and artifact decks. And they take up maybe a foot of space? Best investment ever.

I stil want splendor and i checked amazon.co.uk only a 8% sale compared to the 50% from usa.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Space-Cowboys-SCSPL01-Splendor-Board/dp/B00IZEUFIA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449226600&sr=8-1&keywords=splendor

Catan and maybe the 5-6 player expansion.

Those are the latest versions of the original Catan game, which basically just have new box and tile art over old versions. This version, and the previous version, have a cardboard water border, and the one before that does not.

The tile are isn't significantly different between versions, and won't be in future versions unless they go with a new illustrator or art style.

The price on Amazon is riding high right now. I'd wait a week or two to see if it drops with the after-Christmas slump. It's listed as taking 1-2 extra days to ship, which is not normal, and probably related to the increase in price.

Love Letter (http://www.amazon.com/Alderac-Entertainment-Group-5104AEG-Letter/dp/B00AGJ4HC2) + Dominion (http://www.amazon.com/Rio-Grande-Games-RGG370-Dominion/dp/B001JQY6K4/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1395249359&sr=1-1&keywords=dominion) = just under $40.

Some of the more popular choices on this thread are listed below for you.

Ticket to Ride

King of Tokyo

Forbiden Desert and Forbidden Island

Takenoko

Dixit

Splendor is currently at $20. http://www.amazon.com/Asmodee-SCSPL01-Splendor-Board-Game/dp/B00IZEUFIA/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1418759472&sr=1-1&keywords=splendor

These are the ones I got for Bora Bora and CoB. The colors are perfect! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XDBSEW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

What in the actual....?
But nothing in the description said second edition, correct?

Would you share the product link?

Well, this is the main link on Amazon..
Race for the Galaxy Card Game https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YLAOEW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_E02SBb6EJ417E

Here's the Amazon link.

Cool Stuff Inc also has it back in stock:


>1:25 PM (12 minutes ago)

>Hello,

>This email is to let you know that the following item(s) are back in stock.

>Betrayal at House on the Hill

> If you find that your item is out of stock, other customers may have been waiting for the same items.

> -Thank You Again

So does the following include all the characters?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Indie-Boards-Cards-AVA1IBC-Resistance/dp/B009SAAV0C/ref=sr_1_1?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1500302596&sr=1-1&keywords=the+resistance+avalon

The reason i ask is that everybody seems to just put a bit of paper in the sleeve of a generic minion/servant to denote lovers, lancelots etc., which makes me think they're not included in the game.

Prices on Amazon are surprisingly high as well. Does anyone know why there's such a lull in supply?

To give people an idea, Dominion is 11.8 x 11.8 x 2.9 inches (according to Amazon, and the internal box size listed on USPS's site is 23.69 x 11.75 x 3 inches.

So, two Dominion-sized boxes should just fit side by side, but it will be a tight fit, and not allow for any additional packing.

Forbidden Desert $20.00: http://www.amazon.com/Gamewright-415-Forbidden-Desert-Board/dp/B00B4ECHJI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395249427&sr=8-1&keywords=forbidden+desert

Hanabi $10.00: http://www.amazon.com/R-Games-RR-869-Hanabi/dp/B00CYQ9Q76/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395249451&sr=8-1&keywords=hanabi

Love Letter $10.00: http://www.amazon.com/Alderac-Entertainment-Group-5104AEG-Letter/dp/B00AGJ4HC2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395249479&sr=8-1&keywords=love+letter

I couldn't be happier with these purchases at these prices, but there's plenty of $30+$10, $20+$20, or 4x$10 configurations you can purchase as well.

See:

http://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/wiki/wsig/cheap

Some of the prices are good: Catan(great price considering how much it's gone up lately), Concept, Imperial Assault, TTR.

But most are just average prices at other shops, and some are still over average(Avalon).

Thanks for the heads up OP, I grabbed Catan finally.

Edit: looks like Catan isn't on the page anymore. But the price is still $33.

You can also try The Resistance: Avalon. My group finds it a little more balanced and enjoy the theme more.

Aaaaaand added to my shopping list. Thanks!!

EDIT: Amazon link to stand

There are two Amazon listings for splendor. The one sold by Amazon is cheaper but is also a pound lighter. (Look in the product description)

Cheaper/lighter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IZEUFIA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_UsTjxb9XB6TPQ

Heavier: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S52ULMM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_HuTjxbQ4X932X

So like this one? http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00U26V4VQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1451166589&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=settlers+of+catan&dpPl=1&dpID=51RbjOvhNRL&ref=plSrch

In the link above :)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XDBSEW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Amazon sells a kind of pricey replacement piece but it does include a bunch of extra stuff you may or may not need. Still less than the original MSRP.

https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-At-House-Hill-2nd/dp/B003HC9734

• Glory to Rome Black Box ~$200
  
• Twilight Struggle $33.36
  
• Agricola $43.29
  
• Red 7 $12.99
  
• Schotten Totten $14.01
  
• Patchwork $17.73
  
• A Feast for Odin (Using Caverna Amazon pricing) $78.25
  
• Food Chain Magnate ~$100
  
• The Great Zimbabwe ~$100
  
• Ghost Stories $39.99
  
• Liberty or Death: The American Insurrection $60.81
  
• Hive: Carbon $24.15
  
• Imhotep $27.49
  
• Terra Mystica $64.95
  
• Arboretum ~$15
  
• Avignon: A Clash of Popes $12
  
• Coup $7.17
  
• Grifters ~$15
  
• Broom Service $19.59
  
  This is $885.78 total so you have $114.22 left over for shipping/additional cost etc.
  
  Would then proceed to spend the next year reacquiring all of LotR:LCG and waiting for a reprint of Indonesia.

For anyone interested in buying this it is available at Amazon yet again for $38 and available as a Prime purchase for the shipping.

If anyone is interested, this game is on sale right now on Cardhaus AND Amazon.

Race for the Galaxy is currently ~25 bucks, which is much cheaper than it usually is. It's been compared to games like San Juan and Puerto Rico.

Seriously, I don't have all that many people to play with, but this is so tempting.

In other news, as many of you probably know, Race for the Galaxy is also only $20 on amazon.

I ordered these small bowls and I think they work really well. I just throw them in my game bag in case we need them.
http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Silicone-Pinch-Bowls-Piece/dp/B00080FPZM

Forbidden Island retails surprisingly cheaply at $13.78 considering it's a real full-sized board game.

Betrayal at House on the Hill works well for exactly 5. It's a storytelling dungeon-crawl-y/exploration-y co-op that usually turns into a 1-vs-all midway through. Running just under $30 right now on Amazon.

I usually go by cost. I find that even if you buy the cheaper ones the replacement cost is minimal. I usually have excess of what I use. I think I have primarily Mayday Sleeves with a sprinkling of Fantasy Flight. Also for standard size I buy this once in a while. Bulk pack of decent sleeves (I did Legendary with them, as well as many other Standard size cards)

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00T3Z72Q8/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=AVHN9DUKXMSLU&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/Rio-Grande-Games-RGG370-Dominion/dp/B001JQY6K4/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1449772210&sr=1-1&keywords=dominion <Enter> It isn't a bad price, was on sale last week for just $19.99. If you want a full review I did one on Episode 5 of my podcast and that will be up on Friday. www.soundcloud.com/twoboardguyspodcast

And it's currently dirt cheap (< $11) on Amazon!

Amazon has it for $11.99. I'm getting it!

https://smile.amazon.com/Gamewright-317-Forbidden-Island/dp/B003D7F4YY

EDIT: Amazon has it in stock!

http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-New-Dawn-Galaxy/dp/B006L7KIWG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323930541&sr=8-1

Found one on amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Amazon-8-pocket-Desktop-Business-Holder/dp/B002YTO3JE/ref=sr_1_26?ie=UTF8&qid=1342452380&sr=8-26&keywords=business+card+holder

Here's an Amazon link without a referral code: http://www.amazon.com/Asmodee-ECLI01USASM-Eclipse-Board-Game/dp/B006L7KIWG

Amazon has it for $19.99 right now.

It's $26 on Amazon right now, plus shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IZEUFIA/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1411995384&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70

Edit: Whoops, just noticed you're on the other side of the planet.

We bought a couple of those business card holders that have tiered multiple slots for cards for use in saving table space with games that have lots of decks, like Arkham Horror and Firefly.
Source One 8 Pocket Desktop Clear

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YTO3JE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_bf7oybBCGFREM

Amazon bags. They work fine but aren’t the same colors as CoB.

The Resistance $19

Ultimate Werewolf $12

Citadels $19

Lost Cities $18

Bohnanza $15

Carcassonne $21

Glory to Rome $20

Innovation $22

Battle Line $18

San Juan $21

Onirim $13

The Hive $25

There's someone selling it for $38.19 and Prime Eligible.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YTO3JE/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_VHS4xbVZKYMPA

I have two of these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YTO3JE

Have you thought of using business card holders for the cards? Someone mentioned it here at some point.

Forbidden Island

Some that standout to me:

Feast for Odin: $67 Now $80

Queen Domino: $15

Forbidden Island: $12

Forbidden Island is exactly what you need.

http://www.amazon.com/Dozen-Bright-Color-Canvas-Drawstring/dp/B004XDBSEW/ref=pd_ybh_10

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B006L7KIWG?cache=627c3b911c0bde361f8248ab086a5373&pi=SX200_QL40&qid=1410194581&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

It's widely available for much less.

Source

So far I found Resistance: Avalon 28% off

Codenames 30% off


7 Wonders 44% off


Pandemic 38% off

Yup. Amazon's at $11.30 right now.

Ticket to Ride: Europe

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Days-of-Wonder-DOW-7202/dp/B000809OAO

Hanabi +1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Games-Hanabi-Card-Game/dp/B00CYQ9Q76

Timeline: Inventions +1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asmodee-ASMCARCH01UK-Timeline-Inventions/dp/B00L9GJ34I

Ingenious

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sophisticated-Games-SOP31602-Ingenious-Strategy/dp/B000F46CWQ/

Forbidden Desert +1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gamewright-415-Forbidden-Desert-Game/dp/B00B4ECHJI

Scotland Yard

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ravensburger-26646-Scotland-Yard-Game/dp/B00LGWRTS2/

Friday

One Deck Dungeon

Hanabi

Coup Card Game (The Resistance Universe) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GDI4HX4/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_ptIcvb0XVTDCT
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GDI4HX4/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_ptIcvb0XVTDCT

I would get Coup

http://www.amazon.com/Night-Ultimate-Werewolf-Board-Game/dp/B00HS7GG5G

That one.

Currently $28.97 2 day shipping with Prime http://www.amazon.com/Asmodee-SCSPL01-Splendor-Board-Game/dp/B00IZEUFIA/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1458233018&sr=1-1&keywords=Splendor

It just went back up to $23.85 for me. Link

This is the version you want. This is actually the cheapest price I could find. Miniature Market and Coolstuff Inc (the two largest, cheapest online game stores in the US) didn't have it at all.

Speaking of co-op games, it's hard not to recommend Hanabi now that it's less than $11 on Amazon Prime.

No Thanks!

Bohnanza

Qwixx

Forbidden Island is really cheap on Amazon right now, probably because Forbidden Desert is coming out next week.

Amazon.ca currently has Betrayal at House on the Hill for $40, with free shipping.

That's right. Here's some price data taken from /r/lowestprice. Its more like a 20 to 30% discount witch is still pretty great

|Name|Price|Usual Price|
|----|----|----|----|
|Forbidden Island|$10.19|$14.50
|Resistance The 2nd Edition|$12|$15.50
|7 Wonders|$28|$33
|Pound-O-Dice|$16|$21
|Dixit|$20|$25
|Say Anything|$15|$19
|Dominion|$59|$74
|Flash Point Fire Rescue 2nd Edition|$24|$30
|The Walking Dead Board Game|$21|$27
|DC Comics Deck Building Game|$23|$30
|Zombicide Base Game|$54|$74
|The Castles Of Burgundy|$22|$29
|Summoner Wars Master Set|$30|$39
|Formula D|$32|41
|The Big Bang Theory: The Party Game|$17|$22
|Axis and Allies 1914 World War I Board Game|$59.39|$75
|Risk Godstorm Game|$30|$36.50
|Saint Malo Strategy Game|$20|$27

For Arkham, we use these. I'm not sure if we could even properly play the bloody game without them, short of putting cards on the floor.

We use business card holders like this for Arkham horror cards