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Other Games / Game recommendations for a Dominion fan
« on: April 10, 2017, 03:18:41 pm »
I want to try some new games, and I'm looking for some recommendations.
Let me start by saying that Dominion is my favorite game of all time, by far. It has everything I loved about Magic back when I played that (around 1993-1995) and nothing about Magic that I didn't like. I love that the rules are so simple. I love that the game's skill and luck components are well-balanced (at least I think they are). I love that all the resources available to you over the course of the game are right there in front of you at the start of the game--nothing is hidden, no prior knowledge is required to formulate your plan. I love that it's a little bit different every time you play. Most of all, I love the building aspect of the game, the way you can lovingly craft your deck and see your plan come to fruition. And the way you combine cards in novel ways, and all the different kinds of fun combos and interactions that facilitates, I find the that very enjoyable. I guess what I'm saying is that the creative aspect of the game is what has really held my interest over the years.
So I'm interested in games that feature:
- relatively simple rule set
- some degree of variance (doesn't have to be a lot, but I generally don't like zero-variance games that much)
- a building process that features some creative input from the player
If it helps, here's some of my other likes/dislikes when it comes to games.
Games I like:
7 Wonders - I like that this accommodates 5 or more players. I like that you're combining elements in novel ways and building. But I do feel that your strategic decisions are influenced by luck to a great degree, perhaps more than I'd like. It just doesn't feel like you can really formulate a complete plan at the start of the game and then follow that all the way to the end like you can with Dominion.
Merchants & Marauders - a little on the complex side for me, and I've only played this a couple times, but I like it so far. I like that you can pursue either the merchant or pirate tracks, or you can also blend them to some degree, they're not rigidly defined. I like games that use maps (see below). I like how the building works, as you have to balance trading and raiding to get capital against paying for upgrades and repairs, and banking your gold. Reminds me of Dominion, how you formulate your plan, but then based on your draws you have to improvise along the way and sometimes that means changing your plan a little, sometimes a lot.
Carcassonne - simple and breezy, great party game. Rules can be taught very quickly, but has enough depth to keep it interesting. I also love watching the map come together over the course of the game, something about maps just really resonates with me.
Star Realms - I like it for all the same reasons I like Dominion, I just don't like it nearly as much. I think the fact that you get new cards from the ever-changing Trade Board rather than from a predefined and (mostly) static Supply is a negative for me. But hey, it's a fun game.
Games I don't like:
Flashpoint - something about the cooperative play style turns me off. I prefer to compete against other players, not against a set of criteria that can feel somewhat arbitrary.
Settlers of Catan - not bad as a party game but I hate the political aspect.
Race for the Galaxy - I feel like I should like this game, because it has a lot of the elements of Dominion that I enjoy. I just can't seem to wrap my head around it though, I've played it a bunch of times and still feel completely lost every time I play it. Maybe it's too deep/complex for me? I'm not sure.
Anyway, I'd love to hear any suggestions any of you may have, based on this info. Thanks.
Let me start by saying that Dominion is my favorite game of all time, by far. It has everything I loved about Magic back when I played that (around 1993-1995) and nothing about Magic that I didn't like. I love that the rules are so simple. I love that the game's skill and luck components are well-balanced (at least I think they are). I love that all the resources available to you over the course of the game are right there in front of you at the start of the game--nothing is hidden, no prior knowledge is required to formulate your plan. I love that it's a little bit different every time you play. Most of all, I love the building aspect of the game, the way you can lovingly craft your deck and see your plan come to fruition. And the way you combine cards in novel ways, and all the different kinds of fun combos and interactions that facilitates, I find the that very enjoyable. I guess what I'm saying is that the creative aspect of the game is what has really held my interest over the years.
So I'm interested in games that feature:
- relatively simple rule set
- some degree of variance (doesn't have to be a lot, but I generally don't like zero-variance games that much)
- a building process that features some creative input from the player
If it helps, here's some of my other likes/dislikes when it comes to games.
Games I like:
7 Wonders - I like that this accommodates 5 or more players. I like that you're combining elements in novel ways and building. But I do feel that your strategic decisions are influenced by luck to a great degree, perhaps more than I'd like. It just doesn't feel like you can really formulate a complete plan at the start of the game and then follow that all the way to the end like you can with Dominion.
Merchants & Marauders - a little on the complex side for me, and I've only played this a couple times, but I like it so far. I like that you can pursue either the merchant or pirate tracks, or you can also blend them to some degree, they're not rigidly defined. I like games that use maps (see below). I like how the building works, as you have to balance trading and raiding to get capital against paying for upgrades and repairs, and banking your gold. Reminds me of Dominion, how you formulate your plan, but then based on your draws you have to improvise along the way and sometimes that means changing your plan a little, sometimes a lot.
Carcassonne - simple and breezy, great party game. Rules can be taught very quickly, but has enough depth to keep it interesting. I also love watching the map come together over the course of the game, something about maps just really resonates with me.
Star Realms - I like it for all the same reasons I like Dominion, I just don't like it nearly as much. I think the fact that you get new cards from the ever-changing Trade Board rather than from a predefined and (mostly) static Supply is a negative for me. But hey, it's a fun game.
Games I don't like:
Flashpoint - something about the cooperative play style turns me off. I prefer to compete against other players, not against a set of criteria that can feel somewhat arbitrary.
Settlers of Catan - not bad as a party game but I hate the political aspect.
Race for the Galaxy - I feel like I should like this game, because it has a lot of the elements of Dominion that I enjoy. I just can't seem to wrap my head around it though, I've played it a bunch of times and still feel completely lost every time I play it. Maybe it's too deep/complex for me? I'm not sure.
Anyway, I'd love to hear any suggestions any of you may have, based on this info. Thanks.