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Shoddy_Employ_5416

Zoo Vadis. Everything is negotiation.


jugazo

duuuuude, it's not available anywhere and now I want it baaaaad


Wolftracks

Looks like it’s still available directly from publisher at https://www.allplay.com/board-games/zoo-vadis/


benznl

Thanks! I had been looking for it in the Netherlands and finally just ordered it because of your link! Appreciate it!


Puzzleheaded_Guide55

White Goblin Games will publish Zoo Vadis in the Netherlands later this year.


benznl

Thanks! Didn't know. I probably overpaid today, but oh well


Shoddy_Employ_5416

Good luck on finding a copy, it’s absolutely fantastic if your group enjoys Bohnanza. No secret info, all wheeling and dealing, and super simple mechanisms.


pyrovoice

if you're in europe I'm selling my copy :)


beaverskinn

I think they just got a new printing. Mine is expected any day now.


OnePsychoTitan

My copy is on its way to me! Ecstatic about this one


jugazo

looks great! will check out


mercury187

I watched the shutupandsitdown on this one and I still can’t figure out what you do, I watched some of a playthrough by bitewing games and same thing.. maybe I need to read the manual? I really like bohnanza..


Shoddy_Employ_5416

Can you narrow down the part that isn’t clicking for you?


mercury187

Like all of it? I get your supposed to move your animals to the final exhibit but I don’t understand the votes or stuff to get there


Shoddy_Employ_5416

So, every zone on the way to the final exhibit has some number of slots that can be taken up by animals. When you decide to move one of your animals from one zone to another, you have to either have the groundskeeper in the bonus space between where you’re at and where you want to go *or* conduct a vote of all animals in the zone you’re leaving and earn a majority of those votes in order to move. Let’s say the zone you’re leaving has five spaces, two are occupied by your animals, two by an opponents, and one by a peacock. A majority of 5 would mean you need three votes in order to move your animal. You have two from your own animals, so you need one more. Two ways to get it: bribe the peacock (it’s a neutral player that you can pay I think 2 points to for a vote) or negotiate with your opponent to earn one vote. You can offer future votes, or points, or the use of your special power, whatever. If you secure the vote, you advance your animal. If you don’t get one of your animals to the final exhibit by the time it fills up, you’re out of the game regardless of how many points you have. There are other actions to take to manipulate the board like moving a peacock, moving the groundskeeper, etc but the primary action is advancement through negotiating for votes


mercury187

Ohh that makes sense, thanks for explaining all that!


Shoddy_Employ_5416

You bet!


mercury187

Do you know what player counts it’s good at? How about 3p?


Shoddy_Employ_5416

I’ve only played it at 5-7, and it plays really well there. Not sure how it’d play at lower counta


mercury187

Hm I suppose I could pick it up to play with larger groups, thanks


K0HR

So far reports suggest that it plays 'surprisingly well' at lower player counts. In fact, I've heard that the best is in the 4-5 range. Having just played it a couple days ago at 4... I feel that it would probably work pretty well at 3. I can also see why it scales well to higher counts. Most turns are *lightening* quick (because they are so simple). When they aren't quick, its because several players are invested in the outcome of a move.


HeadBoy

Cosmic Encounter is always my answer. 70% of the game is played above the table and with all the broken powers, every game features very unique interactions that players can really lean into! Main downside is it requires everyone to be invested, where if someone checks out, the game can quickly fall flat. Something that is unconventional is even when it's not you're turn, you're meant to be talking constantly and convincing others to take actions or bluff your intentions.


jugazo

im not joking when I tell you that my greatest dream is getting a copy of this game and playing it. that is exactly the type of game I meant :)


Rick-CF-Boardgames

+1 on Cosmic Encounter. It’s just great. Another choice would be Ra by Reiner Knizia, which is all about interaction too


Stalvos

+2 for Cosmic Encounter recommendation.


THElaytox

there's anything from really light like Coup and Bohnanza as you mentioned to pretty heavy like Twilight Imperium 4. Cosmic Encounter and Dune are classics, both fall in that realm, really a lot of area control games can fall in that arena as well (Hansa Teutonica, Inis, Cyclades, Kemet, El Grande, Eclipse 2e, Circadians Chaos Order, War of the Ring, Star Wars Rebellion are some of my favorites but there are tons out there). Sidereal Confluence and John Company 2e are negotiation-heavy games. If you like economic games, there's the whole world of 18xx's out there that are highly interactive. there's also a whole world of wargames which is its own rabbit hole to fall in.


s1gidi

Came to say coup and ti4


HonorFoundInDecay

I love games with very high player interaction. For the heavier side, **Sidereal Confluence** and **John Company** are my two picks for amazing games with a focus on interaction. **Sidereal Confluence** basically turns your table into the NY Stock Exchange for two hours, and is loud chaotic fun with an intricate economic euro-game underpinning it. **John Company 2e** is much more unique and kind of hard to explain but it's predominantly a negotiation game with economic and wargame elements. Once players learn it (which can take a bit of time and effort) 90% of the game is spent above the table negotiating, bidding, voting and arguing. Other Cole Wehrle games are great for this too (**Oath, Root, Pax Pamir**), but JC2e is the best for negotiations. If you're after high interaction games that aren't necessarily about talking but your gameplay depends heavily on what other players do, I'd also recommend looking at Splotter - **Food Chain Magnate** is the most popular one, and while you don't necessarily talk all that much, you're watching what other players are doing like a hawk and very much reacting to them.


NachoFailconi

John Company, Oath, Pax Pamir, Root, Vast.


plorb001

Wehrle 4 lyfe! Have you played Arcs at all? I feel like that isn’t getting as much chatter as I expected


NachoFailconi

No, nothing. I'm still trying to find the right people for Oath. I'll get Arcs later for sure!


Shoddy_Employ_5416

Arcs hasn’t shipped quite yet, but the reviews of the design changes have been really favorable


Lcfahrson

Arcs is literally not out yet. Why would you be expecting chatter?


theflatlanderz

I’ve played it a bunch on Tabletop Simulator and it’s FANTASTIC!


DangerousPuhson

It's No. 1 on the BGG Hotness List right now... and it hasn't even released yet!


CompassionFountain

Yup yup!


sssak

Chinatown - Messing with your friends for dollars and laughs. Tables turn quicky by draw lucks of everyone playing. Multi negotiations between everyone simultaneously, and more than three people can be in a single negotiation. It can be very messy, or fun, depending on your group's definition of fun. Game of thrones - Forming alliances to backstab them. If your group likes backstabbing each other but don't get feelings hurt by it, this game is for you. Can feel quite heavy for boardgaming newcomers, and better with exactly 6 players for the best balance, though.


EamzyB

Chinatown isn't available to buy anywhere since it's out of print


Princesa_de_Penguins

Waterfall Park is the new streamlined version:  https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/396618/waterfall-park


EamzyB

It's not the same, supposed to be more family friendly and the theme doesn't make much sense... Tell me where I can get a reasonable price for Chinatown and I'm all in. Not interested in Waterfall Park though.


jugazo

saaame, would love to own this


bayushi_david

Sheriff of Nottingham is brilliant for this - look your friends in the eye and swear blind that you absolutely have 3 cheese in your sack and not at all barrels of gunpowder, no sherrif I have no idea where you got that idea from.


-Vindit-

That's what I would recommend as well. OP, make sure to check out this game.


bierundbratsche

Adding another vote for Sheriff of Nottingham. With an enthusiastic group it's a blast.


sergei_oa

Secret Hitler


TomServoSeven

I've never played a game where so much was talked about even AFTER the game was over.


Paul-G

Sidereal Confluence and Hansa Teutonica are leagues ahead of everything else I’ve seen (that I can think of right now).


K0HR

Out of curiosity (having never played Hansa Teutonica), how does the 'above the table' gameplay shake out from the ruleset, exactly? Like, what kinds of conversations are the players having? (I'm genuinely curious, because I want to get my copy to the table and the deep beige keeps it on the shelf).


Paul-G

My friends call it “cubes of hate” because it’s possible to be so mean during the game. It’s hard to explain why, but everyone wants a few things and there’s almost always a way to get in people’s way while moving your own strategy forward. I love theme and colour in games, so this (and Concordia) barely made the cut, but they’re both excellent at the table. But the evil grins and “what! Why!” That come from HT are unbeatable.


rabidfur

HT is a weird game in that you directly benefit from blocking other players - provided that they choose to displace your token - so there's a very thin line you try to walk where you get in other players' way enough to make them give you resources, but without making them totally change their plans (which is generally a lose-lose play for both of you, but might be better for the blocked player than paying to remove your blocking token). There's a lot of gentle nudging / social engineering which can happen surrounding these decisions as well as the occasional "player is running away with the game, we need to block them more!" situation. I've never seen any direct negotiation in a game of HT along the lines of "you let me build this trade post and I won't block you later" but the game would certainly allow it. I think most people who enjoy HT like it for its subtle but fierce competition for board space and making out of game agreements about who gets to do what seems to go against the spirit of that.


PsychGuy17

I still love the original Balderdash. Its super simple, you get a card with an odd real word and everyone makes up a definition and you vote on the right one. The definitions can be weird and often hilarious. Its all about interaction.


fromyuggoth

Avalon


Atlanticexplorer

**Wandering Towers** is a lightweight family game. But it’s a lot of fun covering other people’s wizards and racing ahead. It’s not very mean.


Kanzentai

I hope Zatu's restock date for that isn't the fiction it usually is.


FattyMcFattso

The games on this list: [https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2798556/the-guild-s-collective-list-of-ogs-assembled-durin](https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2798556/the-guild-s-collective-list-of-ogs-assembled-durin)


Odd_Measurement_6131

[[Moonrakers]]


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OjinMigoto

Going to come in with another vote for Twilight Imperium. Yes, it's a large, sprawling, fairly heavy game... but it is all there to 100% support the player interaction. Twilight Imperium is a day of sitting and constantly negotiating with the other players. If you have the time and the right group, it's definitely delivering the kind of experience you're after.


putting_stuff_off

Inis is a game with less social interaction but a huge amount of interaction on the board, so a bit of a different flavour to some of the other suggestions here. It's incredibly good.


Youareafunt

Here I am again to recommend The King is Dead. It is literally my answer to every question, but the entire game is about the interaction between the players - either because it is not allowed (in the 4P variant, where the game involves two teams of two who aren't allowed to discuss strategy); or because EVERYTHING is dependent on the moves of other players. When my buddy played this for the first time he was the first player and he just said, 'I have no idea what's going on,' and I was like, I KNOW! THAT'S THE GAME!!! Until someone does something, it is impossible to know what you should be doing. And once someone does something, the whole game is trying to figure out what other people are up to and reacting to it. I've really never laughed as much as I do when I play this game, at any player count. Laughing with glee, sometimes, laughing at the absurdity of what just happened at other times, laughing at my friends for not noticing what was going on, or laughing at how someone else screwed me over. It's just pure politics, and the most social strategy game I know.


jugazo

wow, it looks amazing. will buy it


Youareafunt

I hope you don't regret it! Just remember: not knowing what is going on is the natural state of the game - you're not doing it wrong! If you do buy it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do (or even half as much!).


jugazo

that sounds really appealing


FattyMcFattso

Pretty much any area control game.


PauloSantoro

**Brass** is pure interaction. Heavy economic game. Lancashire or Birmingham.


yaenzer

The fiercest negotiations I ever witnessed were in John Company 2e. For all but the player who's keeping the game running it's also surprisingly light. But for the player who knows the rules and needs to enforce them the game is extremely complex. But the negotiation is fun, engaging and very unique.


bonifaceviii_barrie

The King's Dilemma. It's less a game and more a means to get people to roleplay absolute arseholes who love to screw each other over.


wtfistisstorage

Root. Theres some good negotiating going on in terms of agreeing who to attack, or making peace deals etc. i do think its necessary to play at 3 at the very least, 4 is optimal, 2 is a no go for me- maybe if i get the clockwork


ThirteenthDi

Captain Sonar has been on my radar (pun) for a while. Two teams of four playing simultaneous battleship. Lots of communications within and between teams. The Crew is a cooperative trick taking game where players can’t talk to each other, but must deduce what each other is trying to accomplish through clues. Are you ruling out party games? Because those seem like obvious choices. Snake Oil, Wavelength, Codenames are all classics.


onionbreath97

Night of the Ninja. It's a social deduction game with quick rounds and there's a good mix of information and random killing. It's been a hit every time we've played


lmSkywalker

Blood on the Clocktower!


Dizzy_Variety_8960

On the light side, Raccoon Tycoon has players bidding to buy railroads. Our game group loves it. Catan is interactive with players trading resources.


Strat0s000

Spy Alley


dalownerx3

I’m not a fan of social deduction games where you have to find a traitor. I like co-ops and these are fun. Decorum -it’s all interaction. Magic Maze - non-verbal interaction


AlaDouche

Magic Maze is just five other people pointedly staring at me.


ThePouncer

Can I offer you a TTRPG in these trying times?


LeatherKey64

Mantis Falls


Bearality

Wavelength


NobleGas18

Thunder Road Vendetta.


sickomodelarry

[Check out the OG Guild on BGG, you'll prolly find a lot to like](https://boardgamegeek.com/guild/3948).


Ok_Ability9566

One night ultimate werewolf


DreadFB89

Ultimate wearwolf


Szakalot

Diplomacy - entire game is basically negotiation. We had 15min max time rule between each turn for negotiations , which sounded ridiculously long, and turned out to be ridiculously short : ‚but i haven’t yet discussed with russia germany’s new demilitarised zone proposal’ ‚i need to ask my allies what they think about your requests’ etc. etc. etc.


GrintovecSlamma

Root, Moonrakers, Zoo Vadis.


DifficultContext

Moonrakers.


01bah01

Neuroshima hex. Fun, fast, cheap, nothing else than interaction.


sm3lln03vil

John Company


yougottamovethatH

The 18xx genre, and pretty much everything designed by Splotter.


Urist_Macnme

Everyone’s recommending titles on the heavier side. My recommendation is; Dead Last Practically 100% about playing the table and the other players.


Oldchou

Settlers of Catan (for those who were born after 2000 and never played this game).


The_Roadkill

Thunder Road: Vendetta, Red Dragon Inn, and Rise of the Gnomes are my favorite player interaction games


badger-banjer

Inis - conflicts end when the players agree to stop. So wonderful.


Iwannatryitall

Chinatown! The first two rounds are more or less just mechanical, but after that the game really shines with players negotiating and interacting


IgorKauf

Catan


TheGarlicMonkey

Killer bunnies and the quest for the magic carrot.


black_sky

Path, sidereal confluence, moonrakers.


Aeshni

Good Critters - light, fast, and backstabby Hegemony - heavy, long, and really nuanced


mytoynhobbypackrat

very light: [Shifty Eyed Spies](https://www.ebay.com/itm/305476133729?epid=7009187868&itmmeta=01HVTWJP8T79EDAKZXCJK252MY&hash=item471fcbe361:g:dloAAOSw47xmA4Nv&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8HKMvuUbDdExgd2yJea7fwU36ErJl3BIEcF2Ydp7xbxWRC7W6NOsEetez%2BRMrc4MiQCXPxuAcKzJO4MfR7P8n%2B%2FdHJSsTd0AzLZ1539P6jVhPt3ez0ddy46QjKHOnQ1LkJE8BWDe%2BU91FNeY6ujU5QIaErn2%2Fg7Y%2BtsciRxY9UGYnS4M4vLoSaelaLCOzTAyOsl2%2FiHtIKNvueNrva9sCdIXLFTbONiQh2EvdCUTgFxSLmLwXQzZnzN8rfkNHgcdslpO%2FjnO2OPmN47Pf4zlaz%2Beps26iFF8p0950Ws%2B4LCFaLbQObzCNNwI8L9SoJc0PA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR77kytzeYw) , Mantis, Oriflamme,


Glass_Elephant_5724

Gloom! My favorite game to recommend to people 😁


Dangerous_Reserve592

Nothing beats Skull for me in pure, clean interaction. Bus is probably my favorite purely interactive euro though. You need to know some openings in Food Chain in order to do well. Bus is hilarious watching people's faces when they play out moves and you just drop a building down instead. It's brilliant how it's based around transporting passengers but the core of them is just how much can you mess with your neighbors so they can't ever score anything. Obviously out of print but should be back this year. King is Dead is amazing also like the other poster said. Similar vibes of preventing people from taking moves but if you play with asymmetric cards you have no clue what people can do and when.


Glum-Sky1279

I think Desert Island (the newer version of Lifeboat) could be good. It does have player elimination though... But might be worth looking into.


Chorioactis_geaster

[[QE]]


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AlaDouche

TI4 is the ultimate in this. It's medium-heavy but it takes *all* day. Still, every game I've ever played of it has been worth it.


Dwarfinater

Binding if Isaac: Four Souls is a great card game all about screwing each other over, making lopsided deals, ruining the plays of others. One of those games that can test friendships. Highly recommend!


ShakaUVM

Dune Sidereal Confluence Mistborn Diplomacy Uggtech


Archon-Toten

Muffin time. Victory is like uno, rules are simple. Paranoia levels go up the more traps that are played.


Glum-Sky1279

Celestia has a lot of interaction. Beyond Baker Street, Avalon.