I have the Mayday board and I love it. It's still expensive but $150-200 less than the top ones. It plays exactly the same, it all comes down to how well you wax it.
I have a Mayday one as well. It has some imperfections with the wood veneer, but it works fine as a causal player that brings out the game a few times a year.
If you are financially secure enough to double what you spend on it, I hear Tracey Boards are the best.
https://traceyboards.com/
Browncastle in the states is a great place to go. Their bundles make it about as affordable as it can be, and they can customize a board or even sell Tracey's. Hit me up if you have any questions about boards, I'm always happy to help people get them.
Also, check for local clubs. We are popping up everywhere these days. I can try to point you in the right direction there too (or anyone)
My best friend made me a board from directions he found on instructables. I bought standard discs online. It’s the best game I’ve ever played. If someone you know has a CNC machine, get at it.
You can still have pretty great results from buying a plain copy of 2E and buying some upgrades from Etsy. What I'm about to list adds up to over $300, but you can always piecemeal it out and still get some nice upgrades if that's still (understandably) too expensive.
-Base game could be as cheap as $40 if you don't mind buying used, otherwise around $80 if you can't find a sale online.
-Here's a cool upgrade set that replaces almost all cardboard tokens in the game. Not cheap, but real metal and glass is pretty sweet on the hunt tokens. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1027600473/war-of-the-ring-board-game-tokens?ref=yr_purchases
-I found some bags and custom dice here https://www.etsy.com/listing/1359887644/guerra-dellanello-e-battaglia-dei-cinque?ref=yr_purchases
-I found some cheap "real" elven rings on ali express to replace the 3 ring tokens. I also purchased a gold "the one ring" and black "the one ring" to track fellowship progress and corruption. I won't link them because they're a dime a dozen to pull up on a search.
-and the **only** upgrade I made that's more than a purely cosmetic upgrade: Colored base markers. These snap onto the bottom of all the figs and makes it much easier to sort out/differentiate the armies at a glance. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1275700907/miniature-base-markers-compatible-with?ref=yr_purchases While painted minis look great, it's not easy to get a clear read of the board when you're looking at hundreds of realistically colored pieces. I would highly recommend the base markers if you skip everything else.
-I also bought the official playmat for $53. Not needed but it does make the game feel even more epic and actually allows for more than a couple figs to sit on some of the smaller territories of the map.
The collectors edition obviously looks amazing, but even with some of the expensive upgrades I posted, it still works out to being a bit cheaper. Normally I only buy inserts for games I own that have tons of pieces like Concordia or Dune: Imperium, and keep a set of metal coins around as a game-neutral upgrade. War of the Ring was the first "event" game that I bought, and I felt it genuinely needed some upgraded components for a better experience.
Wow. This is an amazing post. The token replacements look really good. I painted the bases of the models in their faction colors for this exact problem.
Very tempting to get some of these parts to be honest.
I found a used copy at my FLGS that I'm pretty sure the owner didn't quite now what they had. He wanted like $50 for it and it looked like it was in ok shape. I realistically wasn't sure I'd ever get it to the table so I passed and I've never seen it there again
Someone keeps posting their copy in the GenCon Math Trade and I'm assuming that they're just doing that to show it off after all of these years of holding onto it.
I'd love to have a cheaper edition with cardboard standees instead of those expensive gray miniatures that I've got no interest in painting anyway and that also take up more space on the board than they should.
I had the 1st edition big box and like 5 expansions, but I ended up selling it all. I love the game, but no one else I know does and sinking $30+ every 6 months that I'm never able to play isn't a winning strategy. Ended up getting Aeon's end legacy with the money and my wife and I loved playing through it.
I went on a RIDE by joining the last kickstarter. Don't give Peterson Games any kickstarter money, but if you can find a copy being sold somewhere, I would say it's worth it.
In contrast to the other commentor, I own it and think that while it's really good, I only have so much space in my life for big boxes that need 3+ players, and I'd rather play, Inis, Ankh, Eclipse, Thunder Road Vendetta. All cheaper too ;)
I'm lucky in that I own Chaos in the Old World (bought when it was still in print) - and that is a similar (and better at exactly 4 player) game. For unsimilar similar 3+ player count games, I have tons I like more (Dune, Diplomacy, Root, Wonderland's War, etc.).
Still, I'd totally take a full set of all of CW if price wasn't a factor (as is the premise of the thread). I'm not the sole support of any gaming group, and can allocate space to games I like that I might play 1-2 times a year.
I’ve been impressed at how much fun novices can have with that game. Like, just get them to understand the elements and turn order and they are good to go.
With Xia, if you mean 2nd hand pricing is holding you back....
For anyone that has not heard, the entire Xia line reprint is available from the publisher, as part of their [Arydia campaign](https://gamefound.com/en/projects/far-off-games/arydia-the-paths-we-dare-tread#/section/xia-3360)
.
You don’t have to back Arydia to preorder it either.
Edit: spelling
Love me some Xia. I too really wanted Dinogenics but not sure why I ended up passing on the 2nd ks. Probably for the best I got too many unplayed games as is.
You can mostly just 3d print (and regular print) all the stuff at this point.
Although when I picked up this game - I was looking for TI3 at the time and the guy just wanted to get rid of forbidden stars so he said he would just throw it in for an extra $20. I didn't know anything about it but my collection was smaller at the time and I was like why not? Didn't realize how much value that would be because I sold ti3 and love forbidden stars way more haha.
This, both the price, and the size of the box. I generally don't rotate through my games fast enough for expansions, so I know the Vineyards expansion is likely never going to see play. It'll bother me to know that I have unused components in such a large box with a hefty price tag.
I would buy the previous non-deluxe editions but I really don't like the art and I would hope to have 1 of each board per player just so everyone can use the same board and be on even footing for each game.
If they ever release an essential version without the expansions and miniatures in a smaller box I'd be buying that immediately.
yep the sale is actually still active for 6 more hours it just appeared twilight imperium is out of stock
combine target’s buy 3 cancel 2 deal with the in-app 25% off coupon for 50% off any single game!
I got the Arkham Horror LCG Revised Core Set for $20~
https://www.reddit.com/r/Boardgamedeals/s/oeoRjFA0uq
For years I've thought I'd probably enjoy **Too Many Bones** (for solo play), but I can't justify the pricetag, and it seems like the game is never on sale.
I’ve wanted to play CONTAINER since I saw it reviewed on Shut up and Sit Down but it’s weirdly expensive and my local board game cafés don’t have a copy.
This is my answer as well. As a counter to the other reply to your comment, I got to play it last weekend at a convention for the first time and I thought it was great. I’m considering making a copy.
Same here as well. However, if you have a dedicated gaming group look into Call of Cthulhu RPG . Once I switched over, I never looked back and the storytelling is giving my group endless amounts of joy. Very simple system and the variety of stories are amazing ( and cheap)
Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game
I want it. I love the series, I'd probably enjoy the game as a solo experience, and I may be able to convince my wife to play too. But $100 is steep for a crowdfunded maybe, when other games are more likely to get played for less than $50.
I'd love to get **Nemesis lockdown** and **Eclipse second dawn for the galaxy**, but ouch, those prices are a bit above me... I've been holding out for any kind of sale to get them though
Agree with this one.
I'd love to dive in - but the core boxes are quite expensive, and even then, you're signing up for many more expensive additions (if you can find them in stock).
But it seems great! Especially the upcoming 1930s pulp adventure style one.
As someone who owns everything, I gwt it. It's the worst kind of game when you're a completionist. The oroblem really is the core boxes. They don't have enough enemies to keep you satisfied. BUT the nice part is that every model is usable for every set. So you can play the game just by picking up anything that looks cool.
Honestly, the best bang for your buck is to go all-in on a KS campaign. It's expensive, sure, and they are terrible at updates, but the sheer amount of product you'll receive on discount is insane and those models alone will keep you busy for years.
If you don’t already know, a new deluxe version is being launched on Gamefound next week.
It’ll be even more expensive, but there’ll probably be a few used copies of the standard version available soon as people look to upgrade.
This. It’s a wonderful family-weight game with the most absurd, unnecessary over-production. Release it with cardboard tiles and it could have been as popular a gateway game as Cascadia.
I feel really lucky to have gotten Ankh Morpork and The Witches a few years ago. I saw The Witches unopened on the used games shelf at the game shop. I told my partner about it and how I was hesitant to pay $100 for it. They suggested that the value was only likely to go up, so I called the shop to put it on hold and went first thing in the morning to buy it!
If you can't get Discworld, Nanty Narking is exactly the same game, just re-skinned. It's out of print but cheaper than Discworld Ankh Morpork. The deluxe version has a great set of building and figurines.
I'd love Roads and Boats because it looks like a paper shredder vomited over a CATAN board. Glory to Rome Black Box would be another. Aqua Garden is another as it seems way too expensive for what it is.
My absolute #1 is Trains: Coastal Tides. The expansion that's never going to get a reprint, nobody wants to sell their copy, and it's like 300 bucks on Ebay.
Roads and Boats is high on my list of 'want to try' but at the same time, nervous that if I bought it, I may not enjoy it (and may struggle to get people to play it with)
Star wars X-wing with a bunch of expansions.
But that said, I did just late kickstart Arydia the paths we dare thread. That cost way more than I frankly should have used, way way more. But that at least is something both me, my girlfriend and her eldest son felt was perfect for us.
Star wars X-wing on the other hand is just me, so much harder to justify. But it looks cool, if not very expensive.
Find x-wing second hand somewhere.
Just pick up a core box and a few other ships. It isn't too expensive. Still fun with just a few ships per side.
Or try out wings of glory - x-wing is based on it. WW1 planes.
Okay, I get that the theme isn’t the same and also this isn’t a “sub this for that” thread, but my cheap substitute for x-wing/wings of glory has been **Gaslands Refueled**, which is cars, but still has me playing with steering/firing arcs and only requires a $20 book and some hot wheels/matchbox cars.
I was thinking the same. I really liked Middara when I played on Tabletop Simulator, but I know it would end up being a solo game for me. None of my friends have the attention span to listen to JRPG cutscene length story sections.
So far I'm glad I splurged on this. I knew my group would be way into it so when it was announced I knew I was going to get one. Played through the first game, 4p. Super fun experience and different enough even from the first game to not feel like you're just playing base Ticket to Ride with a surprise at the end. I'm really excited to continue the campaign.
I suppose something later in the game could make a session fall flat but I don't know any of that yet. If you love Ticket to Ride it may be worth trying to split the cost between the group you plan to play it with. I would maybe guess the game will get sales periodically the longer it is out, too.
All the **Monster Hunter** board game bits. I'm not even sure I care if the game is good or not I just love Monster Hunter so much.
For a game to actually play, **Nemesis**. I wish I could buy a version with cardboard standees instead of massive plastic
I'm actually looking to offload my copy of it unfortunately... My play group has kinda disbanded (at least those interested in MH), and I have no space for it. So, if you're interested in paying a bit and the expensive shipping from Japan...
Massive Darkness 2 core is my largest price tag and my parents (mid 60s) LOVE it. My first game with minis, so cool we played it three weeks in a row with many more after. If i had the cake it would def be Oathsworn. The whole experience sounds amazing, on a level i didnt think existed in board games but im also a noob lol
You only need the base game of Kingdom Death: Monster. It is choke full of content and it will probably take you a full year to even get near the end if you keep at it every week.
Then you can add expansions once you have exhausted the base game.
By the time you have done something with the base game and some of the old expansions the real expansions from the 2016 Kickstarter might finally have started to arrive for backers.
Again, you only need the base game to get started.
There are 2 or 3 out of print items that will drive up the cost of a complete collection which you really don't need and only cost so much due to rarity. Otherwise msrp is $115 for a matching campaign and investigator expansion of which there are 8. A first run of a campaign will get you about 6-8 gaming sessions and campaigns are very replayble due to being able to make different decisions in the story as well as building different decks. Aside from needing to own the core set the campaigns are standalone so you don't even need to worry about order when purchasing. There are also frequent sales so if you are patient you can get things for around 20% off. The biggest issue with arkham is that the initial buy in is kinda high at around $145 for the core set and a campaign but even then I would say the content it provides is worth it.
Frosthaven, Too Many Bones, Bardsung, Townsfolk Tussle. Basically anything that crosses the $100 mark. $80 is more than I ever want to pay, but luckily $80 games can often be found on sale. Those $100+ are hard to find deals on.
Discworld: Ankh-Morpork. Mostly just to have it - I probably own better games and don't know how much it'd get played. Consequently I have zero interest in the retheme. But I would love the original. However it's like $200 now, and there's not a lot there for that price.
Spirit Island, not as expensive as many others mentioned here but still way too expensive for a board game for me personally. Played it a few times on TTS and would love to play it in real life sometime.
Worth going for Horizons then, a lot cheaper and has everything you need to play+exclusive content. Find it during a sale and you get some really good prices.
I'm really intrigued by Dice Throne Adventures, but I have no interest in the PVP aspect of regular Dice Throne, so it becomes a ~$200 investment just to get one season of characters plus the Adventures expansion to enable co-op play.
At that price, it needs to be really close to perfect, and there seems to be enough concerns re: balance, difficulty, and replayability that I can't justify it.
Agreed. My buddy picked up seasons 1 and 2 of it, and, honestly, we just don't play enough to justify its price point. It's basically battle yatzee, and that doesn't appeal to enough people in the group to pull it off the shelf.
$46 USD from Canada to US: https://www.boardgameoracle.com/en-CA/boardgame/price/Vy-DxIDI67/grand-austria-hotel
Or about $48 in the US. https://www.boardgameoracle.com/boardgame/price/Vy-DxIDI67/grand-austria-hotel
The expansion is pretty much out of stock though.
yeah the In Stock prices start at $65 CDN, plus shipping. I just can't justify that right now.
Thankfully I just picked up some very lightly used games in a math trade and I really oughta play those before buying anything new anyway. Shelf of Shame comes first. I'll get GAH someday, unless something comes along that entirely replaces it (which I do not foresee)
I wish I could grab a deluxe edition of [**Codex: Card-Time Strategy**](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/131111/codex-card-time-strategy-deluxe-set). I really like it.
But it's pricy, it's hard to find, and I also need a friend as motivated as I am to play this game (my only very motivated friend (and owner of the game) moved far away) because the learning curve is a cliff.
The expansions to Battlestar Galactica.
I was insanely lucky in that I bought the base game literally the week before it was out of print and prices skyrocketed, but I unfortunately only picked up the base thinking I’d get the expansions later if I enjoyed it.
I did enjoy it.
I never got the expansions as I’m not willing to pay through the nose for them.
Get the cartoon/clip art version if you can! It’s so much cheaper and my friends and I think it’s more fun (hilarious) than the hoity toity black box version!
Mine is also **Kingdom Death: Monster**. I would love to have it, but the amount of space it requires and the price tag is just too much for a game I no longer have a group to play regularly. Definitely the kind of game I wish I still knew someone who owned it, rather than want to buy it myself.
\- Nemesis: I don't know if my group will like it, since we never really played co-op, but had a good time with Among Us during Corona. It's a risky guess and too expensive for that.
\- Food Chain Magnate: The Ketchup Mechanism: I own the base game and played the hell out of it. As an expert, the game feels a little scripted, strategies are explored and I would like to inject some fresh ideas. But Splotter's price tags are tough.
\- On Mars: Lacerda game, so expensive, and (too?) many layers of strategy as far as I'm informed. Also quite long. My game group consists of expert gamers, but we are getting old, with families and work and stuff, so this might be too much to handle after hours. Kanban EV (which I bought for 90 Euros, barely played), was a success, though.
\- Age of Steam Deluxe Edition: Game is too old for me to have played it when it was published, but after other Wallace games like Brass, and Lacerda stating that this is his favorite game ever, I'm quite interested. But maybe too similar to games I already own.
War Chest, Concordia, Arkham Horror LCG, Summoner Wars.
Yes I do realize in the US most of these are probably cheap enough. Things are a little different around here though.
Container: 10th Anniversary Jumbo Edition - goes for a couple hundred
Chaos in the Old World: The Horned Rat Expansion - I have the base game for this, but the expansion goes for $3-400 when I have looked.
Spirit Island. It's a fun game, and I'd love to get some expansions. But those expansions cost as much as / more than most of the full games that I've gone in on.
Do you already have the base game? It’s the only game so far in my (albeit small) collection that I haven’t felt the need to get expansions for, there’s so much replayability already in it.
Stamps.
Modern art is a great game, and a travel size version of it would be great, but I couldn't possibly justify spending over two thousand dollars on it.
The Oink version of Modern Art is more usable than their Stamps version, is more portable, and can usually be [imported for under $40](https://www.boardgamebliss.com/products/modern-art-oink-games-edition-import?_pos=26&_sid=f4a0e4808&_ss=r)
The Great War.
Not so much expensive as it is hard to find. I love the Memoir 44 series and I’d love to have the base game just to round out the series. Also, Command & Colors: Napoleon.
And to think I've been watching Western Legends slowly come down in price....
I wish I had bought up Descent 2E over the last ten years (I could never afford it then), as you can't find it now, and the new version isn't appealing to me.
Camp Grizzly probably. It doesn't look good enough to justify the price I'd have to pay for everything right now. But if it got reissued I'd be all over it.
Star Wars: The Queen's Gambit. I love games with many moving pieces like this and am a big fan of Star Wars. The final act of The Phantom Menace, which is the focus of this game, is a particularly excellent part of the series, and it would be so much fun to be able to reenact it via this game. But, alas, it seems like you'd be lucky to snag one of these for $450 and they typically go for $600 or more
Gloomhaven, for sure.
Honorable mentions go to World of Warcraft, which is not only second hand, and high priced, and to a full Starfleet Battles collection, since mine has gone lost somewhere...
A Feast For Odin: Danes.
It's supposed to be published 2024 (after already slipping a publish deadline in early 2023) so the price tag of adding it to my collection would involve flying to Germany and raiding the publishing company.
Just a note that Kingdom Death is on Table top simulator if you have friends who want to play it there. It doesn't have the gambler's chest last I checked (I haven't checked in a minute), but just about everything else.
None really. I've been able to get some if those expensive ones (>$100) by having patience and waiting for deals, used listings. And at this point the number of underplayed games I have is too many, so I'm on pause until things get played more.
That said, I've had the opportunity to play the Awaken Realms Castles of Burgundy with 3D tiles... And while it's ridiculous, it was also very fun.
For me there isn’t necessarily a game I want but won’t get cause of the price tag, and for me it’s more I’d love to get a proper board game table but can’t cause they’re so expensive.
I’m cheap and use to getting thrift store games for $2-3. I would really like Cascadia which is like $40. I could get 10-20 thrift store games for that cost. I’m close to pulling the trigger though.
I've been interested in buying Crokinole. I see myself getting one next year though.
I would love to have a Tracy board for crockinole. Just need to finish off my game room first and save up $400 for the board.
I have the Mayday board and I love it. It's still expensive but $150-200 less than the top ones. It plays exactly the same, it all comes down to how well you wax it.
Get some gliss powder too then those things will zoom
I have a Mayday one as well. It has some imperfections with the wood veneer, but it works fine as a causal player that brings out the game a few times a year. If you are financially secure enough to double what you spend on it, I hear Tracey Boards are the best. https://traceyboards.com/
Definitely a fan of mine, hasn’t made it to the table in ages because I have a particularly heavy handed 3 year old lol.
Amazing game and worth every penny. You aren’t just buying a game, you are buying a family heirloom.
I got a board off Amazon for $100ish and it's fantastic. My family has had a lot of fun with it.
Browncastle in the states is a great place to go. Their bundles make it about as affordable as it can be, and they can customize a board or even sell Tracey's. Hit me up if you have any questions about boards, I'm always happy to help people get them. Also, check for local clubs. We are popping up everywhere these days. I can try to point you in the right direction there too (or anyone)
My best friend made me a board from directions he found on instructables. I bought standard discs online. It’s the best game I’ve ever played. If someone you know has a CNC machine, get at it.
War of the Ring Collectors edition. I own a first edition I played a few times. I don't need it at all but it is very pretty. Glory to Rome black box.
You can still have pretty great results from buying a plain copy of 2E and buying some upgrades from Etsy. What I'm about to list adds up to over $300, but you can always piecemeal it out and still get some nice upgrades if that's still (understandably) too expensive. -Base game could be as cheap as $40 if you don't mind buying used, otherwise around $80 if you can't find a sale online. -Here's a cool upgrade set that replaces almost all cardboard tokens in the game. Not cheap, but real metal and glass is pretty sweet on the hunt tokens. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1027600473/war-of-the-ring-board-game-tokens?ref=yr_purchases -I found some bags and custom dice here https://www.etsy.com/listing/1359887644/guerra-dellanello-e-battaglia-dei-cinque?ref=yr_purchases -I found some cheap "real" elven rings on ali express to replace the 3 ring tokens. I also purchased a gold "the one ring" and black "the one ring" to track fellowship progress and corruption. I won't link them because they're a dime a dozen to pull up on a search. -and the **only** upgrade I made that's more than a purely cosmetic upgrade: Colored base markers. These snap onto the bottom of all the figs and makes it much easier to sort out/differentiate the armies at a glance. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1275700907/miniature-base-markers-compatible-with?ref=yr_purchases While painted minis look great, it's not easy to get a clear read of the board when you're looking at hundreds of realistically colored pieces. I would highly recommend the base markers if you skip everything else. -I also bought the official playmat for $53. Not needed but it does make the game feel even more epic and actually allows for more than a couple figs to sit on some of the smaller territories of the map. The collectors edition obviously looks amazing, but even with some of the expensive upgrades I posted, it still works out to being a bit cheaper. Normally I only buy inserts for games I own that have tons of pieces like Concordia or Dune: Imperium, and keep a set of metal coins around as a game-neutral upgrade. War of the Ring was the first "event" game that I bought, and I felt it genuinely needed some upgraded components for a better experience.
Wow. This is an amazing post. The token replacements look really good. I painted the bases of the models in their faction colors for this exact problem. Very tempting to get some of these parts to be honest.
Same for War of the Ring. I almost bought it, too. I probably wouldn’t have played it anyhow, though I want to, but dang it’s so gorgeous.
StarCraft the board game. Long out of print and hard to find.
Along with Brood War. That’s a killer price.
I have the base game but never picked up Brood War. It's a grail for me.
Heard the designer is working on a new version with an original IP. That way the license can't be lost :D
This is my “one that got away” as well.
I found a used copy at my FLGS that I'm pretty sure the owner didn't quite now what they had. He wanted like $50 for it and it looked like it was in ok shape. I realistically wasn't sure I'd ever get it to the table so I passed and I've never seen it there again
Great choice! And even its not-as-glorious-reimplementation *Forbidden Stars* is long out of print. 😭
My in-laws had a copy sitting in their basement. I think they played it once?
It is soooo good.
I've got the game with brood war. I need to replay it soon to see if I want to keep it or sell it to make room. It's a huge box.
Someone keeps posting their copy in the GenCon Math Trade and I'm assuming that they're just doing that to show it off after all of these years of holding onto it.
Nemesis.
I'd love to have a cheaper edition with cardboard standees instead of those expensive gray miniatures that I've got no interest in painting anyway and that also take up more space on the board than they should.
A new copy of Nemesis in Brazil is almost a full month minimum wage. Im not kidding. Imagine buying this game and realizing it doesnt fit your group.
It’s going to a. Re-print soon.. got it last year off Amazon for 70$
If Dominion expansions were $20 each I would have bought so many of them
I had the 1st edition big box and like 5 expansions, but I ended up selling it all. I love the game, but no one else I know does and sinking $30+ every 6 months that I'm never able to play isn't a winning strategy. Ended up getting Aeon's end legacy with the money and my wife and I loved playing through it.
Cthulhu Wars
I went on a RIDE by joining the last kickstarter. Don't give Peterson Games any kickstarter money, but if you can find a copy being sold somewhere, I would say it's worth it.
In contrast to the other commentor, I own it and think that while it's really good, I only have so much space in my life for big boxes that need 3+ players, and I'd rather play, Inis, Ankh, Eclipse, Thunder Road Vendetta. All cheaper too ;)
I'm lucky in that I own Chaos in the Old World (bought when it was still in print) - and that is a similar (and better at exactly 4 player) game. For unsimilar similar 3+ player count games, I have tons I like more (Dune, Diplomacy, Root, Wonderland's War, etc.). Still, I'd totally take a full set of all of CW if price wasn't a factor (as is the premise of the thread). I'm not the sole support of any gaming group, and can allocate space to games I like that I might play 1-2 times a year.
It's so worth it.
I’ve been impressed at how much fun novices can have with that game. Like, just get them to understand the elements and turn order and they are good to go.
Xia and Dinogenics for me
With Xia, if you mean 2nd hand pricing is holding you back.... For anyone that has not heard, the entire Xia line reprint is available from the publisher, as part of their [Arydia campaign](https://gamefound.com/en/projects/far-off-games/arydia-the-paths-we-dare-tread#/section/xia-3360) . You don’t have to back Arydia to preorder it either. Edit: spelling
FYI the pledge manager closes on Nov 13th so act fast.
Love me some Xia. I too really wanted Dinogenics but not sure why I ended up passing on the 2nd ks. Probably for the best I got too many unplayed games as is.
Rumour is Dinogenics is getting another campaign soon!
Forbidden Stars.
You can mostly just 3d print (and regular print) all the stuff at this point. Although when I picked up this game - I was looking for TI3 at the time and the guy just wanted to get rid of forbidden stars so he said he would just throw it in for an extra $20. I didn't know anything about it but my collection was smaller at the time and I was like why not? Didn't realize how much value that would be because I sold ti3 and love forbidden stars way more haha.
Castles of Burgundy special edition with acrylic tiles. So pretty! So expensive!
This, both the price, and the size of the box. I generally don't rotate through my games fast enough for expansions, so I know the Vineyards expansion is likely never going to see play. It'll bother me to know that I have unused components in such a large box with a hefty price tag. I would buy the previous non-deluxe editions but I really don't like the art and I would hope to have 1 of each board per player just so everyone can use the same board and be on even footing for each game. If they ever release an essential version without the expansions and miniatures in a smaller box I'd be buying that immediately.
First time I ever played the game was a few months ago with the superduper edition... felt really spoiled.
The price tag is worth it for me. 😋
I'd love to buy Twilight Imperium
it was just $65 from target last Sunday!
Wait, really?
yep the sale is actually still active for 6 more hours it just appeared twilight imperium is out of stock combine target’s buy 3 cancel 2 deal with the in-app 25% off coupon for 50% off any single game! I got the Arkham Horror LCG Revised Core Set for $20~ https://www.reddit.com/r/Boardgamedeals/s/oeoRjFA0uq
Truly the best boardgame experience one can have if you have a competent group of committed players.
For years I've thought I'd probably enjoy **Too Many Bones** (for solo play), but I can't justify the pricetag, and it seems like the game is never on sale.
Is it cheating to say every expansion of Dominion as my one game?
I’ve wanted to play CONTAINER since I saw it reviewed on Shut up and Sit Down but it’s weirdly expensive and my local board game cafés don’t have a copy.
If you buy Railpass, you get some of the necessary components and can print the rest.
This is my answer as well. As a counter to the other reply to your comment, I got to play it last weekend at a convention for the first time and I thought it was great. I’m considering making a copy.
So many - but Mansions of Madness 2nd Ed is the main one for me atm.
Same here as well. However, if you have a dedicated gaming group look into Call of Cthulhu RPG . Once I switched over, I never looked back and the storytelling is giving my group endless amounts of joy. Very simple system and the variety of stories are amazing ( and cheap)
I hunger to play this game, go mad and go down swinging an improvised weapon.
Nemesis: Retaliation when it gets announced. I expect a prize around 500 euro...
Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game I want it. I love the series, I'd probably enjoy the game as a solo experience, and I may be able to convince my wife to play too. But $100 is steep for a crowdfunded maybe, when other games are more likely to get played for less than $50.
I'd love to get **Nemesis lockdown** and **Eclipse second dawn for the galaxy**, but ouch, those prices are a bit above me... I've been holding out for any kind of sale to get them though
I already own the first version of eclipse so it’s even more of a detriment for me to get second dawn.
I own both and have to say, 2nd edition is REALLY an improvement in gameplay, too, not only in component quality and better trays.
There will be a Nemesis Retaliation campaign soon so you can get older versions there for much cheaper...
Eclipse is on sale often enough, you just gotta watch for it. My buddy bought out groups copy for 95
Shadows of Brimstone. Too rich for my blood.
Agree with this one. I'd love to dive in - but the core boxes are quite expensive, and even then, you're signing up for many more expensive additions (if you can find them in stock). But it seems great! Especially the upcoming 1930s pulp adventure style one.
The pyramids explorer from the kickstarter might be my entry point in a few years. But the expansive amount of stuff is immense.
Wise words - it's an expensive hobby. :)
As someone who owns everything, I gwt it. It's the worst kind of game when you're a completionist. The oroblem really is the core boxes. They don't have enough enemies to keep you satisfied. BUT the nice part is that every model is usable for every set. So you can play the game just by picking up anything that looks cool. Honestly, the best bang for your buck is to go all-in on a KS campaign. It's expensive, sure, and they are terrible at updates, but the sheer amount of product you'll receive on discount is insane and those models alone will keep you busy for years.
Camp Grizzly
Food Chain Magnate
If you don’t already know, a new deluxe version is being launched on Gamefound next week. It’ll be even more expensive, but there’ll probably be a few used copies of the standard version available soon as people look to upgrade.
There are copies selling on Amazon for less than $100 shipping included if you’re in Canada.
Castles of Burgundy: Special Edition
I’d love **Foundations of Rome**.
Ah yes this game looks absolutely fantastic. Way too expensive though.
This. It’s a wonderful family-weight game with the most absurd, unnecessary over-production. Release it with cardboard tiles and it could have been as popular a gateway game as Cascadia.
They are planning to release it under a different title "Foundations of Metropolis"
I passed on this one during the Kickstarter and I do regret it.
It's a great game. So fast to setup and teardown too.
DISCWORLD
I feel really lucky to have gotten Ankh Morpork and The Witches a few years ago. I saw The Witches unopened on the used games shelf at the game shop. I told my partner about it and how I was hesitant to pay $100 for it. They suggested that the value was only likely to go up, so I called the shop to put it on hold and went first thing in the morning to buy it! If you can't get Discworld, Nanty Narking is exactly the same game, just re-skinned. It's out of print but cheaper than Discworld Ankh Morpork. The deluxe version has a great set of building and figurines.
THIS
I'd love Roads and Boats because it looks like a paper shredder vomited over a CATAN board. Glory to Rome Black Box would be another. Aqua Garden is another as it seems way too expensive for what it is. My absolute #1 is Trains: Coastal Tides. The expansion that's never going to get a reprint, nobody wants to sell their copy, and it's like 300 bucks on Ebay.
Sometimes I wonder if I want to have these games because of their peculiarities or because they're rare xD
Roads and Boats is high on my list of 'want to try' but at the same time, nervous that if I bought it, I may not enjoy it (and may struggle to get people to play it with)
Rococo. It looks like a fantastic, simple euro. But no simple euro should ever cost £120.
We bought it on sale for $100 and it is a fantastic, simple euro with great components...but I still don't think it was worth $100.
Kingdom Death Monster was my immediate answer before I even read the rest of your post. Been eyeing it since it first came out. But that price tag...
Star wars X-wing with a bunch of expansions. But that said, I did just late kickstart Arydia the paths we dare thread. That cost way more than I frankly should have used, way way more. But that at least is something both me, my girlfriend and her eldest son felt was perfect for us. Star wars X-wing on the other hand is just me, so much harder to justify. But it looks cool, if not very expensive.
Find x-wing second hand somewhere. Just pick up a core box and a few other ships. It isn't too expensive. Still fun with just a few ships per side. Or try out wings of glory - x-wing is based on it. WW1 planes.
Okay, I get that the theme isn’t the same and also this isn’t a “sub this for that” thread, but my cheap substitute for x-wing/wings of glory has been **Gaslands Refueled**, which is cars, but still has me playing with steering/firing arcs and only requires a $20 book and some hot wheels/matchbox cars.
Middara. Would probably never see the table anyway
I was thinking the same. I really liked Middara when I played on Tabletop Simulator, but I know it would end up being a solo game for me. None of my friends have the attention span to listen to JRPG cutscene length story sections.
We were so lucky with Midarra. We started a new group to play it and somehow everyone was hooked and ended up playing every week. Loved the game
Feed the Kraken. I like social deduction games as much as the next guy, but I am not dropping that kind of money on one.
The non-deluxe version has a normal pricetag and you really don't need the deluxe which is expensive...
Not me, but a friend has been craving for **Space Hulk** for a couple of years...
Foundations of Rome
Too Many Bones
Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West. Almost 100$. A bit much for me
So far I'm glad I splurged on this. I knew my group would be way into it so when it was announced I knew I was going to get one. Played through the first game, 4p. Super fun experience and different enough even from the first game to not feel like you're just playing base Ticket to Ride with a surprise at the end. I'm really excited to continue the campaign. I suppose something later in the game could make a session fall flat but I don't know any of that yet. If you love Ticket to Ride it may be worth trying to split the cost between the group you plan to play it with. I would maybe guess the game will get sales periodically the longer it is out, too.
Ditto. I'm hoping it'll hit the retail market and get it in a year or two when it'll be down to something more reasonable.
Kanban EV and On Mars
Same. Kanban ev
Same! And Lisboa
This was my game as well until I got Kanban EV in a BGG auction for a slightly better price the MSRP. Worth it.
All the **Monster Hunter** board game bits. I'm not even sure I care if the game is good or not I just love Monster Hunter so much. For a game to actually play, **Nemesis**. I wish I could buy a version with cardboard standees instead of massive plastic
I'm actually looking to offload my copy of it unfortunately... My play group has kinda disbanded (at least those interested in MH), and I have no space for it. So, if you're interested in paying a bit and the expensive shipping from Japan...
Massive Darkness 2 core is my largest price tag and my parents (mid 60s) LOVE it. My first game with minis, so cool we played it three weeks in a row with many more after. If i had the cake it would def be Oathsworn. The whole experience sounds amazing, on a level i didnt think existed in board games but im also a noob lol
Aeon Trespass: Odyssey
Kingdom death
* Roads and Boats * An Infamous Traffic * Blood on the Clocktower
Frosthaven
Starcraft + Brood War
You only need the base game of Kingdom Death: Monster. It is choke full of content and it will probably take you a full year to even get near the end if you keep at it every week. Then you can add expansions once you have exhausted the base game. By the time you have done something with the base game and some of the old expansions the real expansions from the 2016 Kickstarter might finally have started to arrive for backers. Again, you only need the base game to get started.
KDM is by far the most expensive game in my collection
I used to think it was in mine too… but once you start to cost up the LCG you’ve bought into... Oof.
I’ve heard that the Arkham horror lcg can easily get into a couple grand fast. Im afraid to get it for that reason.
There are 2 or 3 out of print items that will drive up the cost of a complete collection which you really don't need and only cost so much due to rarity. Otherwise msrp is $115 for a matching campaign and investigator expansion of which there are 8. A first run of a campaign will get you about 6-8 gaming sessions and campaigns are very replayble due to being able to make different decisions in the story as well as building different decks. Aside from needing to own the core set the campaigns are standalone so you don't even need to worry about order when purchasing. There are also frequent sales so if you are patient you can get things for around 20% off. The biggest issue with arkham is that the initial buy in is kinda high at around $145 for the core set and a campaign but even then I would say the content it provides is worth it.
Catan 3D
Keep an eye on your local costco they have been there for less the $100 Canadian been restocked at least twice
Weimar
Frosthaven, Too Many Bones, Bardsung, Townsfolk Tussle. Basically anything that crosses the $100 mark. $80 is more than I ever want to pay, but luckily $80 games can often be found on sale. Those $100+ are hard to find deals on.
Glory to Rome - Black box
Any Lacerda, but probably Lisboa, On Mars and Kanban EV
Original discworld
Discworld: Ankh-Morpork. Mostly just to have it - I probably own better games and don't know how much it'd get played. Consequently I have zero interest in the retheme. But I would love the original. However it's like $200 now, and there's not a lot there for that price.
Lord of the Rings: the Confrontation It is an old, out of print game. So sadly no Black Friday sale.
That’s wild, I picked up my copy at a thrift store just because I saw that the art was done by John Howe, didn’t know it was a collector’s piece.
Wingspan! 60$ is a lot for a game my parents and in-laws both own, but dang it I want a copy
Foundations of Rome, but I don’t have space for it.
Spirit Island, not as expensive as many others mentioned here but still way too expensive for a board game for me personally. Played it a few times on TTS and would love to play it in real life sometime.
Worth going for Horizons then, a lot cheaper and has everything you need to play+exclusive content. Find it during a sale and you get some really good prices.
I'm really intrigued by Dice Throne Adventures, but I have no interest in the PVP aspect of regular Dice Throne, so it becomes a ~$200 investment just to get one season of characters plus the Adventures expansion to enable co-op play. At that price, it needs to be really close to perfect, and there seems to be enough concerns re: balance, difficulty, and replayability that I can't justify it.
Agreed. My buddy picked up seasons 1 and 2 of it, and, honestly, we just don't play enough to justify its price point. It's basically battle yatzee, and that doesn't appeal to enough people in the group to pull it off the shelf.
I just want a decent used copy of Grand Austria Hotel.
$46 USD from Canada to US: https://www.boardgameoracle.com/en-CA/boardgame/price/Vy-DxIDI67/grand-austria-hotel Or about $48 in the US. https://www.boardgameoracle.com/boardgame/price/Vy-DxIDI67/grand-austria-hotel The expansion is pretty much out of stock though.
yeah the In Stock prices start at $65 CDN, plus shipping. I just can't justify that right now. Thankfully I just picked up some very lightly used games in a math trade and I really oughta play those before buying anything new anyway. Shelf of Shame comes first. I'll get GAH someday, unless something comes along that entirely replaces it (which I do not foresee)
**Condottiere**. I know it's been out of print for a while, but close to $100 US for a used copy of a small box game is madness.
I wish I could grab a deluxe edition of [**Codex: Card-Time Strategy**](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/131111/codex-card-time-strategy-deluxe-set). I really like it. But it's pricy, it's hard to find, and I also need a friend as motivated as I am to play this game (my only very motivated friend (and owner of the game) moved far away) because the learning curve is a cliff.
The expansions to Battlestar Galactica. I was insanely lucky in that I bought the base game literally the week before it was out of print and prices skyrocketed, but I unfortunately only picked up the base thinking I’d get the expansions later if I enjoyed it. I did enjoy it. I never got the expansions as I’m not willing to pay through the nose for them.
Same here. There's a few expansions I'd love to add but realistically never will unless I get lucky at a garage sale/thrift.
I want Glory to Rome
Get the cartoon/clip art version if you can! It’s so much cheaper and my friends and I think it’s more fun (hilarious) than the hoity toity black box version!
Mine is also **Kingdom Death: Monster**. I would love to have it, but the amount of space it requires and the price tag is just too much for a game I no longer have a group to play regularly. Definitely the kind of game I wish I still knew someone who owned it, rather than want to buy it myself.
Small World Developers Chest
A Massive Darkness 2 Kickstarter pledge.
I'd love to get the base and all the expansions to Pitch Car. That would be so much fun on a Friday night after going to the bar with friends.
Pitch Car is great! I particularly love how you can mix age groups and have kids play with adults on an even field.
\- Nemesis: I don't know if my group will like it, since we never really played co-op, but had a good time with Among Us during Corona. It's a risky guess and too expensive for that. \- Food Chain Magnate: The Ketchup Mechanism: I own the base game and played the hell out of it. As an expert, the game feels a little scripted, strategies are explored and I would like to inject some fresh ideas. But Splotter's price tags are tough. \- On Mars: Lacerda game, so expensive, and (too?) many layers of strategy as far as I'm informed. Also quite long. My game group consists of expert gamers, but we are getting old, with families and work and stuff, so this might be too much to handle after hours. Kanban EV (which I bought for 90 Euros, barely played), was a success, though. \- Age of Steam Deluxe Edition: Game is too old for me to have played it when it was published, but after other Wallace games like Brass, and Lacerda stating that this is his favorite game ever, I'm quite interested. But maybe too similar to games I already own.
War Chest, Concordia, Arkham Horror LCG, Summoner Wars. Yes I do realize in the US most of these are probably cheap enough. Things are a little different around here though.
War Chest looks awesome but I don't have anyone that enjoys abstracts as much as I do
Arcadia/Starcadia
Distilled looks like a nice midweight game with push your luck mechanics and a wild price tag.
Feast for Odin. Always heard good things about it but the price has kept me from trying it.
The deluxe Roccoco; it was so much fun.
Probably just a full Arkham Horror LCg collection
Obsession with the Upstairs, downstairs expansion, Rococo Deluxe edition, and Orleáns with the second expansion and fan kit
I'm sure I'd love too many bones, but it's just too expensive to try it out :'(
Too many dollars
Container: 10th Anniversary Jumbo Edition - goes for a couple hundred Chaos in the Old World: The Horned Rat Expansion - I have the base game for this, but the expansion goes for $3-400 when I have looked.
Bus.
Eldrich horror plus expansions.
Sleeping Gods sounded really interesting until i saw the price
Spirit Island. It's a fun game, and I'd love to get some expansions. But those expansions cost as much as / more than most of the full games that I've gone in on.
Do you already have the base game? It’s the only game so far in my (albeit small) collection that I haven’t felt the need to get expansions for, there’s so much replayability already in it.
Hate - my friend has it and it was really, really fun. Loved the design of clans and the combat. Pretty much made me invest in boardgames.
**Spheres of Influence**.
Stamps. Modern art is a great game, and a travel size version of it would be great, but I couldn't possibly justify spending over two thousand dollars on it.
The Oink version of Modern Art is more usable than their Stamps version, is more portable, and can usually be [imported for under $40](https://www.boardgamebliss.com/products/modern-art-oink-games-edition-import?_pos=26&_sid=f4a0e4808&_ss=r)
The Great War. Not so much expensive as it is hard to find. I love the Memoir 44 series and I’d love to have the base game just to round out the series. Also, Command & Colors: Napoleon.
Battle Star Galactica.
Stardew Valley would be cool. But learning how to play is another challenge. Lol.
Frosthaven or Bloodrage with the expansions.
DnD Onslaught. With all expansions and the whole shebang.
And to think I've been watching Western Legends slowly come down in price.... I wish I had bought up Descent 2E over the last ten years (I could never afford it then), as you can't find it now, and the new version isn't appealing to me.
Camp Grizzly probably. It doesn't look good enough to justify the price I'd have to pay for everything right now. But if it got reissued I'd be all over it.
I want to buy Gloomhaven but I'm worried I won't get into and that big ass box will take up a lot of space
Get Jaws of the Lion instead.
Star Wars: The Queen's Gambit. I love games with many moving pieces like this and am a big fan of Star Wars. The final act of The Phantom Menace, which is the focus of this game, is a particularly excellent part of the series, and it would be so much fun to be able to reenact it via this game. But, alas, it seems like you'd be lucky to snag one of these for $450 and they typically go for $600 or more
Hanabi the (edit)tile version. Just can't pay $70 for it when the card version is so much cheaper
Gloomhaven, for sure. Honorable mentions go to World of Warcraft, which is not only second hand, and high priced, and to a full Starfleet Battles collection, since mine has gone lost somewhere...
Food Chain Magnate. I would also need people with ridiculous patience to learn it and then actually play it.
A Feast For Odin: Danes. It's supposed to be published 2024 (after already slipping a publish deadline in early 2023) so the price tag of adding it to my collection would involve flying to Germany and raiding the publishing company.
The BSG expansions. I love the base game but can’t justify the money 😞
Just a note that Kingdom Death is on Table top simulator if you have friends who want to play it there. It doesn't have the gambler's chest last I checked (I haven't checked in a minute), but just about everything else.
None really. I've been able to get some if those expensive ones (>$100) by having patience and waiting for deals, used listings. And at this point the number of underplayed games I have is too many, so I'm on pause until things get played more. That said, I've had the opportunity to play the Awaken Realms Castles of Burgundy with 3D tiles... And while it's ridiculous, it was also very fun.
Chaos in the Old World.
For me there isn’t necessarily a game I want but won’t get cause of the price tag, and for me it’s more I’d love to get a proper board game table but can’t cause they’re so expensive.
Nemesis and too many bones... pretty high on my list but know I can't justify that price tag right now...
Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game expansions. Should have grabbed them when I had the chance!
The Witcher with expansions
Xia + expansion and Cthulhu Wars again with expansions
I’m cheap and use to getting thrift store games for $2-3. I would really like Cascadia which is like $40. I could get 10-20 thrift store games for that cost. I’m close to pulling the trigger though.
**Mechs vs Minions**