Played two sessions now that has got our group through the first 4 missions. It is an absolute blast. I’m eagerly awaiting getting everyone together again to play more!
It has a great combination of strategy and chaos that make the social experience of playing it highly entertaining, and prevents a Quarterback from dominating the gameplay: you really have to work collaboratively to figure out how you’ll succeed.
I have been playing Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective with neiwife, and I love it ^^ it is such an engaging game, where you go through it trying to solve crimes in old timey wimey London.
I also finished Pandemic Legacy last night, was a blast. We ended up on 579 points, which is pretty mediocre I hear, but then again our game master forgot to give us upgrades in one of the early months which royally screwed us over in terms of you-know-what.
I also played a game called Evolution, which is my next buy. That game is great 
Which Evolution? There are quite a few versions of that game now - the original card game, a board game based on the card game, a standalone expansion to that boardgame, and (I kid you not) a card game based on the board game version of the card game!
I’ve been playing an awful lot of 20XX lately, which is a game in early-access on Steam that’s basically the answer to the question “what if Megaman X (X4, specifically) was a roguelike?” I’ve found that it flows ideally for me, specifically. I can’t remember the last game I was able to just sink into, and with over 20 hours logged now I’ve never tilted at it once. It’s just a game that was built for me, I think.
Oh, eh, I don’t know 
there was a climate thing where you could make it an ice age or scorching hot. You had 5 cards at the beginning, and you used them to either create a new species or make the species you larger in body type, or population. And you could give them up to 4 traits. There was a waterhole where you could get food from if it wasn’t very cold and the amount of food that was there was based on what cards you donated at the start of your round.
Ah that would be the latest expandalone version of the boardgame. I’ve not played that one yet but I’m hoping to soon, I’ve heard really good things about it!
My copy of Bloodborne: The Card Game arrived. Took it for a spin after teaching my other group Seafall.
Guess start with Seafall:
Having played it once definitely sped up the learning curve for my players (and them not arguing about minor things like how the Captain Booke has a map when it could’ve just been a list.)
Basically by the end of the prologue, we were definitely getting through turns fast enough that I wouldn’t even notice that “Oh, it’s my turn already?” Mind you, I played with 3 players with this group, so that might’ve been the biggest different. The 5 player group I ran while it took 3 hours didn’t get to the 2nd winter. This 3 player group in 2 hours finished the prologue by the 2nd winter.
And onto Bloodborne.
It definitely scratches that itch for players who love the chaos of players trying to backstab each other of Munchskin (really the reason why I bought the game, was for the “Tim” of my group who lives for that kind of thing), but there’s a set game length. My group had a hilarity riot when we would party wipe cause everyone played Cannons and Flamesprayers and the monster rolled a 4. Or a player got lucky with the Saw Spear and was able to solo a monster when everyone else went back to the Hunter’s Dream.
On the thinking side of the game, there’s a lot of decisions and valuation to be made to work out a way so that you’re the only player who does damage during the killing blow round. And figuring out what everyone will play (especially people who have flamesprayers and saw spears,) and taking advantages of holding onto the first player token.
My main complaints are some of the weapons I loved in Bloodborne (Rifle Spear, Reiterpallash, Ludwig’s Holy Sword) didn’t make the cut. And that Transform isn’t so much your weapon transforming, as it is, delaying your action to see what everyone else played first at the cost of only being able to play a weapon.
My friend also wasn’t too keen on some of the comeback mechanics, but they’re so minor that he’s fine with them. The comeback mechanics keep the game pretty even throughout I find, though a player really good at getting the sole kills definitely keeps ahead.
Have you played Cutthroat Caverns at all? If so, how does Bloodborne compare with that?
I have not, I only know about Cutthroat Caverns based on the reviews comparing it. That said, feel free to ask questions.
EDIT: Took one glance at Cutthroat Cavern images, and I go “Well, CC has numbers that is an order of magnitude larger than Bloodborne” lol
Ah, it sounded similar though quite a lot more complex. Not being a Bloodborne player, I suspect more of the lore and references would be lost on me, so I was wondering how it compared purely mechanically
I wouldn’t say Bloodborne is complicated, its quite accessible. My friend who initially disliked the comeback mechanics (which we concluded aren’t that bad given how swingy it is to get ahead, and the comeback points are not so huge to dramatically put someone in the lead) went to say his wife would probably enjoy this game.
Math is quite easy since most weapons do on average 1-2 dmg, with the exceptions of Kirkhammer (4 dmg), Bolt Paper (adding the value of all previously used weapons) and the Saw Spear (2+dmg taken.) The main thinking part of the game in all in the timing.
As far as monster encounters are, they’re more like event cards (this encounter this bonus/penalty applies.) You might say the monster AI is lacking given its dmg is a die roll. While they are a threat numbers wise, its other players that you’re more worried about (sort of prisoner’s dilemma kind of valuation.)
As far as the references to Bloodborne the videogame, its mostly just assets art, and knowledge of the source game doesn’t give any advantages. If anything the videogame purists are really mad that this game exists (one of my friends who hasn’t played this card game is already “This Eric Lang guy has never played the game and is ruining the sacredness of it!” when I showed him Ebrietas being, just a boss, and her ability to cause hunters to deal melee dmg to the hunter on their left.) As far as my other players who only know of Bloodborne (mostly cause I told them about it) but never played the videogame, they enjoyed themselves.
Hmm that sounds a bit more interesting to me then, and I’m a huge fan of Eric Lang’s other work. I might ask around my game group to see if anyone has picked up a copy I can try. Thanks
Have been playing the Arkham Horror LCG. It had taken a little to get used to and the early deck building options are very limited. But overall I like the direction of the game with a focus on storytelling. I also love the limitless possibilities for future stories and expansions. No chaos bag included though folks.
I had my first play of this on Friday. Very smart design from FFG. I think they learned a lot of lessons between the Lord of the Rings LCG & Warhammer Quest ACG. I already cant wait to pick up the next expansion.
ULTIMATE MARVEL VS CAPCOM 3 ON THE PLAYSTATION 4 WHEN I AM DONE AT WORK! OH LAWD THESE ARE THE BEST NEWS IN GAMING THIS YEAR!
I couldn’t be more excited if I tried. It is also coming out on PC!
Woah woah, umvc3 on pc??
Gimme some source man!
Pay attention dood!
Recently picked up Neuroshima Hex (3.0) and Theseus: the Dark Orbit by Michal Oracz.
Haven’t gotten Theseus to the table yet, but I really like Oracz’s design philosophy. He seems to have the same core values as Sirlin - asymmetry/factions/balance, a focus on replayability and tournament-strength gameplay, high player interaction, and the importance of randomness to add fun/intuition.
N. Hex is really fun - i can’t believe it’s been out for 10+ years and I’m just now playing it.
I also like his idea about how expansions should enhance the base game without being gimmicky and trying to greedily expand the player base.
His guest entries on this blog provide some great insight and I’m excited to dig more deeply into his games as well.
https://boardgamesthattellstories.wordpress.com/tag/neuroshima-hex/page/2/
I’ve had Theseus (and the Bots expansion) for a couple of years. It seems really cool - but sadly it joined the list of “2p games my wife really disliked and won’t play again” after one play 
I’ve never played Neuroshima Hex, although I’m aware of it.
More Bloodborne the card game stories:
Had two sets of friends scheduled for two different days.
Day 1 - My two friends have played and loved Bloodborne the Videogame. Unlike two of my friends who are against the cardgame existing cause of some self-righteous concept of IP design purity, these two definitely loved the card game.
The last game, we got to experience the 1 of 2 bosses most reviewers dislike, Rom, who’s megaboss ability means hunters are eliminated on the 2nd death.
It was definitely quite the experience, it basically completely changes how you play the game (worrying more on not dying and not killing your allies.) One of my friends’ got eliminated, so we got to see how well the game is as a 2 player game (basically lots of monsters escape.) But yeah, one of them, he likes the game cause its simple enough to learn, its the figuring out how to get the most advantage of the turn order that he absolutely gets a kick out of.
Aside from that, we played Guilty Gear Revelator and then finished the night with Zombicide Black Plague.
Day 2 -
Just one friend showed up cause the other couldn’t make it. This one hasn’t played Bloodborne, or really hasn’t been big on videogames since the 90s. That said, while he didn’t get to play, the Gothic art aeshetics reminded him of Diablo, and thus I unintentionally got him interested in Dark Souls, lol.
As for what I did actually play with him that night, hooray for teaching another person how to play Codex!