Wow! I kinda love it. I know the mechanics are wildly different but it felt like it was scratching the same itches as Carcassonne but with a meatier strategy like Dune Imperium. Though, loved that it played well with 2 players without an automated spoiler system like Dune has.

I just played Codenames for the first time and was in the situation of needing to clue "Ninja" and "Czech" for the win. Ended up going with "Defenestrate". My teammates didn't end up getting it but I'm still proud of coming up with anything that could link those two words.

What are some you've played that were memorable?

Hey guys! I'm going on a week long camping rafting trip in a few weeks and I wanted to get some ideas for good travel size games. I've found that some travel size games have lots of pieces or boxes that are loose, so I'm looking for suggestions for small games you think will work well for outdoors and travel.

So far I've got:

• 2 pack of waterproof cards
• Magnetic mini chess board
• Hive Pocket edition
• Love letter
• Hanabi if I can get the metal tin version

I got my start with board games with Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Catan, which are still pretty effective. Is there anything from the past five years or so that hit that big and is that approachable?

I just discovered Beast and City of the Great Machine thanks to Shut Up And Sit Down and I'm pretty jazzed to try out Beast this weekend with some friends via Tabletop Simulator. I've never actually gotten to play a hidden movement game before, so this should inform my tastes quite nicely. I'll be sure to update with some impressions/stories when that's done.

If you haven't seen it yet, Beast is a all-vs-one hidden movement game that's conceptually very similar to the defunct video game Evolve. Players take on the role of hunters trying to track, trap and kill a monster played by another player before it can grow too powerful. With various monsters that all play differently I can anticipate a good deal of replayability, and with video games suddenly deciding 90$ is the new average price, Beast can be found for 65$. As a nice plus, it's got an expansion coming to crowdfunding soon so if I like it I can deep dive even harder!

That said, I'm curious what others in this hidden movement niche I might be missing that people enjoy. If you've got a notable example let me know!

I'm always on the lookout for a good game to play with my wife who prefers casual board games. We've played and enjoyed ticket to ride NY, patchwork, little birdie, and scabble

Any other recommendations?

I’m just curious what games keep you coming back, but I’ll go first (in no particular order)

Twilight Imperium - excellent for when you want to give your brain a real workout and enjoy some cutthroat strategy.
Munchkin - It’s not a masterpiece or anything, but it’s a blast with friends
Red Dragon Inn - Not dissimilar to Munchkin for the high quality evening with friends potential. Expansions are endless, but almost always worth the change of pace. Does suffer from a little power creep between the OG box and the stuff released after it.
Xia Legends of a drift system - Best played on Tabletop Sim, but this sci-fi game about being a starship captain creates some great stories with friends.
Space Base - You might be seeing a bit of a theme here, but really they’re just really good games. Space Base is a pretty refined worker placement game, and it doesn’t take 9 hours like some of the games on this list.
Sheriff of Nottingham - Social deduction, pettiness, and silly voices, what’s not to love?
The King’s Dilemma - Okay this one is a bit of a cheaty one, it’s a legacy game but with the right crew who like to get in character it’s a fantastic experience.

Alright, your turn!