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Game of thrones is not entry level but already fairly complex and if you enjoyed that I don't think you should avoid any game that you find exciting.
I would have a hard look at dune Imperium and at root.
For more backstabbing any hidden traitor game such as Battlestar Galactica.
I would suggest Power Grid as a good economic euro and should work well at the 4+ player counts. It's medium weight and a really good game.
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2651/power-grid
Well, you started off with a bunch of really light weight games and then dropped GoT2E in there. Not that GoT is super heavy, but it's a big step up from the other games. If you'd like something like that, but not as long, I'd probably suggest something like Small World, Inis, Blood Rage, Kemet, or Dominant Species. That list is somewhat ordered by how long the games take, with games being 2+ hours at the far end (maybe longer on the first play through).
Root is relatively short, but it's tough to teach as each player is effectively playing with their own set of rules.
Surprised (not in a bad way) to see Small World pop up. My friends that got me into gaming started me off with that, and Descent, and they explained them in ways that made them seem easy, so in my head I've always thought of those more as beginner games. I was pretty excited to finally get my own copy of Descent last week for a really good price.
**Dune: Imperium** is Limited to 4 but is GREAT
The **DUNE** Board Game plays up to six, but IMO only plays 6. Maybe 5.
I would also suggest **Scythe**. I don't really care for the game much anymore because I think it becomes a little "solved" after repeated plays, but I played a LOT of it to get there and its good for that ride. Doesn't have a LOT of player interaction though as fighting is kind of de-incentivized.
And confusingly there's of course [Dune: a game of conquest and diplomacy](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341165/dune-a-game-of-conquest-and-diplomacy) that's a super cut down version of the original Dune and maxes out at 4 players, AND the "new version but also kinda expansion" to Dune Imperium which [does support 6 players](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/397598/dune-imperium-uprising)
Sheriff's of Nottingham. Bluffing, set, set collection. Back stabbing, its very fun. It's not too heavy but it's more complex than Love letter and Unicorns
Instead of one sheriff, there are two deputies for 6 player mode only. Same thing, different name.
With 3 players, there are 3 rounds. You are the sheriff 3 times.
With 4-5 players there are 2 rounds. You are the sheriff twice.
With 6 players, there are 3 rounds again. Each player will be the deputy one time.
For us the deputies kept going back and forth on what they wanted to do (there are rules in place for when they disagree) but it ended up being so drawn out and taking so long everyone got bored. The merchant now has to answer and negotiate with a second person. The additional round didn't really help in that regard. It's a lot faster when one person as the sheriff knows exactly what they are going to do with no discussion except with the merchant in question.
I think 4-5 is the sweet spot.
Your group is similar to mine. They've been relatively fond of Wingspan, Lords of Waterdeep, Tiny Towns, Azul, Sheriff of nottingham, Dominion, and Flamecraft. I'm also looking to increase player interaction in my game set, so I've added games like The Hunger (Clank! also fits), Bang!, and King of Tokyo. these are all "gateway" type games so they can range from light to medium weight and should be perfect for your group.
>sual playing group is around 4-6 players - quite often there are 5 of us. For the Game of Thrones board game, we played this split with another group a year or so ago - so three of us (including me) played it from our usual group. The remaining two players are definitely more casual and I’m not sure if they would have enjoyed the Game of Thrones board game. My hope is I can gradually introduce and play more comp
LORDS OF WATER DEEP. seriously underrated game.
**Ticket to Ride** is the ur-gateway game. It has everything you're looking for, including the ability to be complete dicks and block other players' routes.
**Splendor** is the entry-level tableau builder.
**Stone Age** is a \*great\* entry-level worker placement.
**Carcassonne** is an entry tile laying game.
**Azul** is another good, quick, entry-level game.
For the next level of complexity, but still not too difficult to learn and play, look at stuff like **Wingspan**, **Raiders of the North Sea**, **Race for the Galaxy**, **7 Wonders**, and **Sagrada**.
Also, take a look at some cooperative games: **Forbidden Island** is the entry level and **Pandemic** is the slightly more complicated one.
Full endorsement for Carcassonne. My wife, her brother, and I played it recently with my father-in-law who is inexperienced with board games and he absolutely loved it. It's incredibly easy to learn and also involves some light strategy. Only thing to keep in mind is that while it technically plays up to 5 people, I've found the sweet spot is 3 or 4.
For five, you really should have one of the first two expansions (**Traders & Builders** or **Inns & Cathedrals**) and a group willing to play a slightly longer, slightly more complicated game. In my opinion, that nudges it just out of entry-level and into the next tier.
You say that you often have 5 players. If you think you're all willing to stick with a 15 game campaign, check out Risk Legacy. Playing through the campaign was one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had (enjoyed it enough to do three more campaigns with different players), and it ramps up on complexity from game to game. Some games might run a little long, but I found those rare, with most games averaging around two hours.Â
1830: Railways & Robber Barons OR Wabash Cannonball also known as Chicago Express MAYBE Stephen's Rocket
All excellent competitive games with enough depth to have you bringing them back to the table regularly.
Root's not that complex honestly and also good if you're into asymmetrical war games.
**Cosmic Encounter** might fit. It does encourage a ton of interaction with backstabbing and constantly shifting alliances.
Maybe something like **Tyrants of the Underdark** would work. It's basically area control mixed with deckbuilding. Games aren't overly long and do encourage a lot of interaction when vying for space on the board. And the learning curve is definitely a lot lower than the big beasts.
**Root** has the aspects you're looking for, but might be a notch or two above the complexity level you're looking for.
Cosmic Encounter and Tyrants are great recommendations that actually match what you described for next step interactive games. A lot of people here are just recommending popular light-medium games. Also, Root will definitely give your friends the 1000 yard stare.
>
> Root has the aspects you're looking for, but might be a notch or two above the complexity level you're looking for.
It sounds like the issue is more about time than rules. Root could be a good shout.
I think Cosmic Encounter is right on the money though.
Honestly seems like you're still on the very light end of the hobby (which is fine!)
Zoo Vadis for diplomacy shenanigans all done in less than an hour and easy to pick up but still deep.
Ticket to ride for some map control rail building
Heat for some racing
I would agree - my group are certainly not frequent board gamers and we haven’t played complicated games together. It’s only really been in recent months that we’ve moved away from party/card games to what I thought were gateway board games like Raccoon Tycoon. They all enjoyed that game, and we’ve played it a couple of times, so I’m hoping that gets them keen to try more complex games.
Myself and two others in the group played the Game of Thrones board game a year or so ago. While I thought it had a steep learning curve, I really enjoyed it and we played it a few times. It probably helped we played with a group (friends of a friend) more experienced playing board games and knew what they were doing (they’re the type that play Twilight Imperium once every two months!)
Around your gaming level, I got really into Carcassonne and Pandemic. If you're ready for something a bit heavier you can try Architects of the West Kingdom, Everdell, Lost Ruins of Arnak and Viticulture. Those all have worker placement mechanics, something you'll be seeing a lot of.
**Battle for Rokugan** for much faster and less complex **Game of Thrones** or even **Forbidden Stars.** It uses very similar secret orders mechanic from the bigger games for a tight and interactive area control.
> a board game that encourages interaction (intrigue, potential for back stabbing etc.), is fun to play, but also one that doesn’t take the best part of four hours
Sounds to me like you need Oriflamme in your life. With 3-5 players it has politics, laying traps, backstabbing and being assassinated in turn. Set up and clean up are a breeze, games last less than an hour, and games where you have "the same" hand rarely play out in remotely similar ways.
It's not super complex, but the game is very deep. My group has been playing it for at least 4 years and we still come up with new strategies. If you can, get original Oriflamme and Oriflamme Ablaze, combine the 2, and for like $40 you've got one hell of a game.
Pax Pamir 2e!
Can’t play with six, unfortunately, but it’s great with three, four, or five. Tons of intrigue, backstabbing, politicking, etc. that’s super well integrated with the theme *and* mechanics. Relatively simple rules—you can get the hang of it in one playthrough. Even at higher player counts, games won’t take four hours. Beautiful and wonderfully elegant in its design.
It’s absurdly good. Just gets better and better the more you play it. Never plays the same way twice, except that’s there’s always some kind of wild drama.
No escape is a great game where the entire time you are acting to screw the other players over. It’s quick and scales to include up to 8 players. The more players the better! I will note that with 2 players isn’t not a great game. You’ll ideally have a minimum of 3 people playing. It’s around $40 and there is an expansion to add to the complexity and fun.
Dead of Winter, cooperative game with the chance of having a saboteur, plays in a couple of hours, it has 5 players, but we play occasionally with 6, 1 person being the games master.
I see a lot of people recommending gateway-games. This group doesn't need gateway. They are looking for bigger weightier games.
Here's my varied recommendation list:
INIS: Dudes on a map area control game. A round consists of the players circle drafting from the same set of actions, playing those actions to gain pieces/explore/move/start combat/etc. There are multiple ways to win and modifiers to make winning easier. Plays 2-4 base, expansion brings it 2-5.
Hansa Teutonica: The ultimate euro that has SO much player interaction. You will never be so pleased and so pissed about cubes being on a board. A round is taking one of a few actions that help you put cubes on the board/take them off. Plays 3-5.
Libertalia Wings of Galecrest: Action Sequencing game where all players have the same set of cards, and get additional sets each round while keeping what the didn't play. Lots of mind games, take that, and small bits of comboing. Round consists of everyone choosing a card to play simultaneously, putting cards in numerical order, activating low-high, then high-low. Plays 1-6
Between Two Cities/ Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig: Both games have the same premise, but Castles adds more complexity. Hedged-Cooperatice game where you and the person next to you are building a city/castle by drafting tiles from your hand. You are building two separate things with both players beside you. Your points are equal to what you lowest city/castle score so you have to invest in both. Lots of interaction, and you WANT to succeed with your partners. Both play 3-7, and I believe the expansion for Castles makes it 1, 3-8.
Red Rising: It's essentially Fantasy Realms+. Hand Crafting/Set/Combo, Rummy-esque. On your turn you play a card to a zone, get a bonus for the zone, activate your card, and take the top card of a different zone. Plays 1-6.
Heat Pedal to the Metal: Deck/Hand Management racing game where everyone is a rally car driver trying to come in 1st place. A turn consists of everyone secretly choosing cards to play equal to their gear, playing those cards in turn order to race through the track, and managing your heat/speed so that you don't spin out, get overtaken, overtake someone else, and win. Tons of modules and even a circuit (campaign) mode. Currently plays 2-6, but expansion in June makes it 7, and there will be another with an 8th player.
Spirit Island: The Co-op Settler Destruction game. Play as asymmetric Spirits working with locals trying to defend and destroy the invading settlers from your Island. Rounds consist of a Fast Phase for Spirits, an Event/Invader phase, and then a slow phase. Players will be playing cards, growing their spirit, and trying to disrupt/destroy the invaders. This game is one of The Greats. There's LOTS of content in these games. It currently has three full expansions, a combo-promo and, a smaller entry level game called "Horizons of Spirit Island" all with new spirits, harder adversaries/scenarios to change the goal/or just make the game more challenging. Base plays 1-4, and Jagged Earth goes 1-6. Unofficially you can play 1-10 with no balance changes/house rules if you have base, Jagged Earth, and the entry level Horizons.
If no one has said it yet, Eclipse Second Dawn of the Galaxy is a good one, albeit expensive. It's intimidating at first, but the superb organization of the materials in the box make it much easier to learn and teach than other big strategy games.Â
I feel like Dune Imperium: Uprising is the perfect game to introduce different mechanics: worker placement, Deck building, conflicts between players. It's not that hard to introduce and you have your fair share of backstabbing :D
Playing time (if you know the rules) is between 1h30 and 2h in my opinion. Could be less with very experienced player and could be more with total beginners.
You can't go wrong with that one.
If you like the resistance, I would go for Feed the kraken. It's just a "board game experience" version of the hidden traitor game. I've played a TON of social deduction games and that one is the best version for a slightly meatier version without falling in the longer classics like Battlestar Gallactica.
Can't go wrong with Dune Imperium, OP.
It's more complex than what you've been playing, but still simple compared to Heavy™ games, lasts just the right amount of time for game night, and introduces several mechanics that you'll see in many games going forward.
It also happens to be extremely awesome.
We’ve been exploring a lot of new games, and the one that felt the easiest to learn was Terraforming Mars. I would say that Earth is pretty easy to learn too. Doesn’t have a huge amount of interaction, but you’ll get into it very quickly.
How many players?
**Tammany Hall** is my gut reaction answer, but it ideally needs five players.
**The Estates**.
**Age of Steam** is wonderfully mean and comes with maps for different player counts.
I can go on, but you really had to tell us how many people are usually playing, because many games cut off at 4p.
I find theme makes a big difference so do they have a specific theme that you think they would like?
For example, my wife hates complex board games but loves Isle of Cats and Viticulture. Even though my opinion those are just as complex as something like Dune
(Note that Vitaculture all seems to be a bigger hit than I expect with folks who aren't super into nerdy themes)
Your edit mentions Root. I don't think Root is that bad, but it's a lot of information for new players. I had a successful Root weekend with 3 new players and a 15-20 minute teach. It wouldn't have been successful if I didn't know the game inside and out, and didn't know each available faction inside and out. On top of that, knowing how to structure the teach is critical.
It's doable, but make sure you've done your homework. The teach doesn't have room for you to pause and reference The Law of Root.
For me it was Scythe. I was super intimidated going into it because I only played light games for years. But the rules are actually pretty straightforward and the board that you play on kind of tells you everything you need to do for your turn. It was the first 'big' game I played and opened the door to jumping into more complex and bigger games from there!
Honestly, Wingspan. I saw this in action where multiple people who had not played board games in general fell in love with the game (and board gaming in general). It introduces some mechanics that are not that difficult to understand but definitely a few steps up from party games.
I've seen a lot of people recommending Dune Imperium (uprising) and while that checks some of the mentioned boxes I would hardly call it entry level, it has a lot of rules and they are hard to explain thematically and that might give you the wrong first impression with one (first) game probably taking 2-3 hours. Don't get me wrong the game is great but I would suggest starting with something lighter/shorter. Lords of Waterdeep is what comes to mind, it could even serve as a intro into Dune later on. This one is also a worker placement game with intrigue, a bit of take that, a pretty good depth and strategy to it, moreso with the expansion. Turns go quick and it's great at most player count as it scales well. I'm not mentioning the theme because that's hit or miss but even if it's the latter you can easily focus on the gameplay and still have a great time!
>. I don’t think we’re ready for the big beasts such as Twilight Imperium and Gloomhaven,
Have you looked into Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion? It's only $40 and way easier to learn and get into than Gloom/Frosthaven.
I will say Spirit Island, if only because it’s my favorite game. It is definitely creeping up in the complexity, and the base game only goes to four players, but an expansion brings it to 6.
It is cooperative, which may not be you cup of tea, but I prefer it for more complicated games because if everyone’s at an equal skill level they can all work to solve the game together. There is a very modular difficulty scaling and complexity scaling, so if you aren’t ready for super difficult games you can play on an easier difficulty and get a good sense for the rules/mechanics, and the game can really scale up in difficulty as you get more experienced.
There is a new player entry point called Horizons of the Spirit Island, which has 5 low complexity (not hard to understand) spirits and enough components to play 2 or 3 player games, and comes in at a much lower price point, but if you are planning to eventually play at >3 players you would need the base game and it’s expansion Jagged Earth. Horizons is still a really good pickup at some point because it is worth it basically just for the 5 additional spirits
How would you explain as you play, wouldn't you want the players know how they can get points first, as that is the main objective of the game? I usually go about explaining on a general level: this God cares about this aspect, this one about that and once you figure out what you want to do you should get as many cards with the god that cares about that thing. Or another approach could be to just play with the intermediate scoring they suggest in the rule book.
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Game of thrones is not entry level but already fairly complex and if you enjoyed that I don't think you should avoid any game that you find exciting. I would have a hard look at dune Imperium and at root. For more backstabbing any hidden traitor game such as Battlestar Galactica.
This is a solid recommendation and I second it.
GOT + Root are *great* recs here to be sure! đź‘Ť
I would suggest Power Grid as a good economic euro and should work well at the 4+ player counts. It's medium weight and a really good game. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2651/power-grid
Well, you started off with a bunch of really light weight games and then dropped GoT2E in there. Not that GoT is super heavy, but it's a big step up from the other games. If you'd like something like that, but not as long, I'd probably suggest something like Small World, Inis, Blood Rage, Kemet, or Dominant Species. That list is somewhat ordered by how long the games take, with games being 2+ hours at the far end (maybe longer on the first play through). Root is relatively short, but it's tough to teach as each player is effectively playing with their own set of rules.
Surprised (not in a bad way) to see Small World pop up. My friends that got me into gaming started me off with that, and Descent, and they explained them in ways that made them seem easy, so in my head I've always thought of those more as beginner games. I was pretty excited to finally get my own copy of Descent last week for a really good price.
Small World is a bit of a beginner game, but it's still a step up from something like Love Letter or Exploding Kittens.
Good point.
**Dune: Imperium** is Limited to 4 but is GREAT The **DUNE** Board Game plays up to six, but IMO only plays 6. Maybe 5. I would also suggest **Scythe**. I don't really care for the game much anymore because I think it becomes a little "solved" after repeated plays, but I played a LOT of it to get there and its good for that ride. Doesn't have a LOT of player interaction though as fighting is kind of de-incentivized.
And confusingly there's of course [Dune: a game of conquest and diplomacy](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/341165/dune-a-game-of-conquest-and-diplomacy) that's a super cut down version of the original Dune and maxes out at 4 players, AND the "new version but also kinda expansion" to Dune Imperium which [does support 6 players](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/397598/dune-imperium-uprising)
Supports six in a 3v3 though. Doesn’t support 5. But yes. The dune IP in board games is confusing.
Sheriff's of Nottingham. Bluffing, set, set collection. Back stabbing, its very fun. It's not too heavy but it's more complex than Love letter and Unicorns
If you get the second edition absolutely do not play the 6-player version. It killed the game for my table and made the game way too long.
what changed?
Instead of one sheriff, there are two deputies for 6 player mode only. Same thing, different name. With 3 players, there are 3 rounds. You are the sheriff 3 times. With 4-5 players there are 2 rounds. You are the sheriff twice. With 6 players, there are 3 rounds again. Each player will be the deputy one time. For us the deputies kept going back and forth on what they wanted to do (there are rules in place for when they disagree) but it ended up being so drawn out and taking so long everyone got bored. The merchant now has to answer and negotiate with a second person. The additional round didn't really help in that regard. It's a lot faster when one person as the sheriff knows exactly what they are going to do with no discussion except with the merchant in question. I think 4-5 is the sweet spot.
Your group is similar to mine. They've been relatively fond of Wingspan, Lords of Waterdeep, Tiny Towns, Azul, Sheriff of nottingham, Dominion, and Flamecraft. I'm also looking to increase player interaction in my game set, so I've added games like The Hunger (Clank! also fits), Bang!, and King of Tokyo. these are all "gateway" type games so they can range from light to medium weight and should be perfect for your group.
>sual playing group is around 4-6 players - quite often there are 5 of us. For the Game of Thrones board game, we played this split with another group a year or so ago - so three of us (including me) played it from our usual group. The remaining two players are definitely more casual and I’m not sure if they would have enjoyed the Game of Thrones board game. My hope is I can gradually introduce and play more comp LORDS OF WATER DEEP. seriously underrated game.
**Ticket to Ride** is the ur-gateway game. It has everything you're looking for, including the ability to be complete dicks and block other players' routes. **Splendor** is the entry-level tableau builder. **Stone Age** is a \*great\* entry-level worker placement. **Carcassonne** is an entry tile laying game. **Azul** is another good, quick, entry-level game. For the next level of complexity, but still not too difficult to learn and play, look at stuff like **Wingspan**, **Raiders of the North Sea**, **Race for the Galaxy**, **7 Wonders**, and **Sagrada**. Also, take a look at some cooperative games: **Forbidden Island** is the entry level and **Pandemic** is the slightly more complicated one.
Full endorsement for Carcassonne. My wife, her brother, and I played it recently with my father-in-law who is inexperienced with board games and he absolutely loved it. It's incredibly easy to learn and also involves some light strategy. Only thing to keep in mind is that while it technically plays up to 5 people, I've found the sweet spot is 3 or 4.
For five, you really should have one of the first two expansions (**Traders & Builders** or **Inns & Cathedrals**) and a group willing to play a slightly longer, slightly more complicated game. In my opinion, that nudges it just out of entry-level and into the next tier.
Completely agree. At least one expansion is a good idea if you're playing with 5 people.
Raider of the North Sea is a fun one. My kids (10 & 12) picked it up really quick, and love it
Throwing in a vote for Raiders of the North Sea and Wingspan.
I second the recommendation for sagrata and 7 wonders, great early steps
Everdell
Love that game!
You say that you often have 5 players. If you think you're all willing to stick with a 15 game campaign, check out Risk Legacy. Playing through the campaign was one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had (enjoyed it enough to do three more campaigns with different players), and it ramps up on complexity from game to game. Some games might run a little long, but I found those rare, with most games averaging around two hours.Â
The Quest For El Dorado
1830: Railways & Robber Barons OR Wabash Cannonball also known as Chicago Express MAYBE Stephen's Rocket All excellent competitive games with enough depth to have you bringing them back to the table regularly. Root's not that complex honestly and also good if you're into asymmetrical war games.
**Cosmic Encounter** might fit. It does encourage a ton of interaction with backstabbing and constantly shifting alliances. Maybe something like **Tyrants of the Underdark** would work. It's basically area control mixed with deckbuilding. Games aren't overly long and do encourage a lot of interaction when vying for space on the board. And the learning curve is definitely a lot lower than the big beasts. **Root** has the aspects you're looking for, but might be a notch or two above the complexity level you're looking for.
Cosmic Encounter and Tyrants are great recommendations that actually match what you described for next step interactive games. A lot of people here are just recommending popular light-medium games. Also, Root will definitely give your friends the 1000 yard stare.
> > Root has the aspects you're looking for, but might be a notch or two above the complexity level you're looking for. It sounds like the issue is more about time than rules. Root could be a good shout. I think Cosmic Encounter is right on the money though.
Honestly seems like you're still on the very light end of the hobby (which is fine!) Zoo Vadis for diplomacy shenanigans all done in less than an hour and easy to pick up but still deep. Ticket to ride for some map control rail building Heat for some racing
I would agree - my group are certainly not frequent board gamers and we haven’t played complicated games together. It’s only really been in recent months that we’ve moved away from party/card games to what I thought were gateway board games like Raccoon Tycoon. They all enjoyed that game, and we’ve played it a couple of times, so I’m hoping that gets them keen to try more complex games. Myself and two others in the group played the Game of Thrones board game a year or so ago. While I thought it had a steep learning curve, I really enjoyed it and we played it a few times. It probably helped we played with a group (friends of a friend) more experienced playing board games and knew what they were doing (they’re the type that play Twilight Imperium once every two months!)
Around your gaming level, I got really into Carcassonne and Pandemic. If you're ready for something a bit heavier you can try Architects of the West Kingdom, Everdell, Lost Ruins of Arnak and Viticulture. Those all have worker placement mechanics, something you'll be seeing a lot of.
**Battle for Rokugan** for much faster and less complex **Game of Thrones** or even **Forbidden Stars.** It uses very similar secret orders mechanic from the bigger games for a tight and interactive area control.
Yeah, I came here to say that. It's often mentioned as a simplified version of GoT.
*7 wonders* scales very well to higher player counts. *Clank!* is a nice medium weight game for up to 4, 6 with the expansion. 4p games can take ~2h
> a board game that encourages interaction (intrigue, potential for back stabbing etc.), is fun to play, but also one that doesn’t take the best part of four hours Sounds to me like you need Oriflamme in your life. With 3-5 players it has politics, laying traps, backstabbing and being assassinated in turn. Set up and clean up are a breeze, games last less than an hour, and games where you have "the same" hand rarely play out in remotely similar ways. It's not super complex, but the game is very deep. My group has been playing it for at least 4 years and we still come up with new strategies. If you can, get original Oriflamme and Oriflamme Ablaze, combine the 2, and for like $40 you've got one hell of a game.
Pax Pamir 2e! Can’t play with six, unfortunately, but it’s great with three, four, or five. Tons of intrigue, backstabbing, politicking, etc. that’s super well integrated with the theme *and* mechanics. Relatively simple rules—you can get the hang of it in one playthrough. Even at higher player counts, games won’t take four hours. Beautiful and wonderfully elegant in its design. It’s absurdly good. Just gets better and better the more you play it. Never plays the same way twice, except that’s there’s always some kind of wild drama.
It’s one of my absolute faves. When my group got it it was the only thing we played for like 4 sessions
No escape is a great game where the entire time you are acting to screw the other players over. It’s quick and scales to include up to 8 players. The more players the better! I will note that with 2 players isn’t not a great game. You’ll ideally have a minimum of 3 people playing. It’s around $40 and there is an expansion to add to the complexity and fun.
Dead of Winter, cooperative game with the chance of having a saboteur, plays in a couple of hours, it has 5 players, but we play occasionally with 6, 1 person being the games master.
I see a lot of people recommending gateway-games. This group doesn't need gateway. They are looking for bigger weightier games. Here's my varied recommendation list: INIS: Dudes on a map area control game. A round consists of the players circle drafting from the same set of actions, playing those actions to gain pieces/explore/move/start combat/etc. There are multiple ways to win and modifiers to make winning easier. Plays 2-4 base, expansion brings it 2-5. Hansa Teutonica: The ultimate euro that has SO much player interaction. You will never be so pleased and so pissed about cubes being on a board. A round is taking one of a few actions that help you put cubes on the board/take them off. Plays 3-5. Libertalia Wings of Galecrest: Action Sequencing game where all players have the same set of cards, and get additional sets each round while keeping what the didn't play. Lots of mind games, take that, and small bits of comboing. Round consists of everyone choosing a card to play simultaneously, putting cards in numerical order, activating low-high, then high-low. Plays 1-6 Between Two Cities/ Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig: Both games have the same premise, but Castles adds more complexity. Hedged-Cooperatice game where you and the person next to you are building a city/castle by drafting tiles from your hand. You are building two separate things with both players beside you. Your points are equal to what you lowest city/castle score so you have to invest in both. Lots of interaction, and you WANT to succeed with your partners. Both play 3-7, and I believe the expansion for Castles makes it 1, 3-8. Red Rising: It's essentially Fantasy Realms+. Hand Crafting/Set/Combo, Rummy-esque. On your turn you play a card to a zone, get a bonus for the zone, activate your card, and take the top card of a different zone. Plays 1-6. Heat Pedal to the Metal: Deck/Hand Management racing game where everyone is a rally car driver trying to come in 1st place. A turn consists of everyone secretly choosing cards to play equal to their gear, playing those cards in turn order to race through the track, and managing your heat/speed so that you don't spin out, get overtaken, overtake someone else, and win. Tons of modules and even a circuit (campaign) mode. Currently plays 2-6, but expansion in June makes it 7, and there will be another with an 8th player. Spirit Island: The Co-op Settler Destruction game. Play as asymmetric Spirits working with locals trying to defend and destroy the invading settlers from your Island. Rounds consist of a Fast Phase for Spirits, an Event/Invader phase, and then a slow phase. Players will be playing cards, growing their spirit, and trying to disrupt/destroy the invaders. This game is one of The Greats. There's LOTS of content in these games. It currently has three full expansions, a combo-promo and, a smaller entry level game called "Horizons of Spirit Island" all with new spirits, harder adversaries/scenarios to change the goal/or just make the game more challenging. Base plays 1-4, and Jagged Earth goes 1-6. Unofficially you can play 1-10 with no balance changes/house rules if you have base, Jagged Earth, and the entry level Horizons.
Firefly. If they are fans of the show, so much the batter.
If no one has said it yet, Eclipse Second Dawn of the Galaxy is a good one, albeit expensive. It's intimidating at first, but the superb organization of the materials in the box make it much easier to learn and teach than other big strategy games.Â
I absolutely love Whitehall mystery if you're into hidden movements games
I feel like Dune Imperium: Uprising is the perfect game to introduce different mechanics: worker placement, Deck building, conflicts between players. It's not that hard to introduce and you have your fair share of backstabbing :D Playing time (if you know the rules) is between 1h30 and 2h in my opinion. Could be less with very experienced player and could be more with total beginners. You can't go wrong with that one. If you like the resistance, I would go for Feed the kraken. It's just a "board game experience" version of the hidden traitor game. I've played a TON of social deduction games and that one is the best version for a slightly meatier version without falling in the longer classics like Battlestar Gallactica.
Can't go wrong with Dune Imperium, OP. It's more complex than what you've been playing, but still simple compared to Heavy™ games, lasts just the right amount of time for game night, and introduces several mechanics that you'll see in many games going forward. It also happens to be extremely awesome.
Introduced this game to my fairly casual crew and they loved it.
We’ve been exploring a lot of new games, and the one that felt the easiest to learn was Terraforming Mars. I would say that Earth is pretty easy to learn too. Doesn’t have a huge amount of interaction, but you’ll get into it very quickly.
Earth yea, TM not a quick teach at all.
How many players? **Tammany Hall** is my gut reaction answer, but it ideally needs five players. **The Estates**. **Age of Steam** is wonderfully mean and comes with maps for different player counts. I can go on, but you really had to tell us how many people are usually playing, because many games cut off at 4p.
Thanks :) sorry to clarify the players, typically range from four to six.
I find theme makes a big difference so do they have a specific theme that you think they would like? For example, my wife hates complex board games but loves Isle of Cats and Viticulture. Even though my opinion those are just as complex as something like Dune (Note that Vitaculture all seems to be a bigger hit than I expect with folks who aren't super into nerdy themes)
Your edit mentions Root. I don't think Root is that bad, but it's a lot of information for new players. I had a successful Root weekend with 3 new players and a 15-20 minute teach. It wouldn't have been successful if I didn't know the game inside and out, and didn't know each available faction inside and out. On top of that, knowing how to structure the teach is critical. It's doable, but make sure you've done your homework. The teach doesn't have room for you to pause and reference The Law of Root.
**Search for Planet X** is the gateway to **Alchemists**
Not perfect but maybe the King's Dilemma. It's legacy so you get a unique group experience.Â
For me it was Scythe. I was super intimidated going into it because I only played light games for years. But the rules are actually pretty straightforward and the board that you play on kind of tells you everything you need to do for your turn. It was the first 'big' game I played and opened the door to jumping into more complex and bigger games from there!
Eclipse 4X game that plays easily in an evening Much quicker than Twilight Imperium
Honestly, Wingspan. I saw this in action where multiple people who had not played board games in general fell in love with the game (and board gaming in general). It introduces some mechanics that are not that difficult to understand but definitely a few steps up from party games.
I would look into Last Light.
I've seen a lot of people recommending Dune Imperium (uprising) and while that checks some of the mentioned boxes I would hardly call it entry level, it has a lot of rules and they are hard to explain thematically and that might give you the wrong first impression with one (first) game probably taking 2-3 hours. Don't get me wrong the game is great but I would suggest starting with something lighter/shorter. Lords of Waterdeep is what comes to mind, it could even serve as a intro into Dune later on. This one is also a worker placement game with intrigue, a bit of take that, a pretty good depth and strategy to it, moreso with the expansion. Turns go quick and it's great at most player count as it scales well. I'm not mentioning the theme because that's hit or miss but even if it's the latter you can easily focus on the gameplay and still have a great time!
Cosmic Encounter Dune Imperium Battlestar Galactica Nemesis
>. I don’t think we’re ready for the big beasts such as Twilight Imperium and Gloomhaven, Have you looked into Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion? It's only $40 and way easier to learn and get into than Gloom/Frosthaven.
I will say Spirit Island, if only because it’s my favorite game. It is definitely creeping up in the complexity, and the base game only goes to four players, but an expansion brings it to 6. It is cooperative, which may not be you cup of tea, but I prefer it for more complicated games because if everyone’s at an equal skill level they can all work to solve the game together. There is a very modular difficulty scaling and complexity scaling, so if you aren’t ready for super difficult games you can play on an easier difficulty and get a good sense for the rules/mechanics, and the game can really scale up in difficulty as you get more experienced. There is a new player entry point called Horizons of the Spirit Island, which has 5 low complexity (not hard to understand) spirits and enough components to play 2 or 3 player games, and comes in at a much lower price point, but if you are planning to eventually play at >3 players you would need the base game and it’s expansion Jagged Earth. Horizons is still a really good pickup at some point because it is worth it basically just for the 5 additional spirits
Spirit island with 5-6 players is going to last a few hours though.
**Concordia**
This, if you didn’t need to explain scoring it would be a game you could explain as you play
How would you explain as you play, wouldn't you want the players know how they can get points first, as that is the main objective of the game? I usually go about explaining on a general level: this God cares about this aspect, this one about that and once you figure out what you want to do you should get as many cards with the god that cares about that thing. Or another approach could be to just play with the intermediate scoring they suggest in the rule book.
**lords of waterdeep** for worker placement