5/16 Featured Games!

Greetings FNDicers!

Before proceeding with the descriptions of the upcoming FND's Featured Games, I want to make it clear how much we value all people who come to our group.  In the group already we have a wide variety of gamers - from people like myself who think nothing of spending 10 hours to play a single game to people who find Candy Land to be a tad long and complex.  We love that!  Our group wants to encourage people to come out from all walks to find some type of fellowship.  We do our best to meet a wide range of audience so whether you have never played a game before or you've shaved your neck-beard in the shape of a meeple, we want to play games with you!

As such, we've decided to feature two styles of game each night.  A lighter, easier game for newbies to the hobby to learn and enjoy as well as a game for veterans.

Sign Up!

Because our group is growing and we want these featured games to be a success, we ask that you sign up for the game you'd be interested in.  This will both help us gauge interest and plan.  So please respond in the comment section of this blog if you'd like to play a certain game (or multiple)!

We will have a few options so go ahead and sign up for any one you're interested in and we'll assess and set up accordingly.  That includes regulars to the group!  If you have no preference, sign up for all of them!  If nobody signs up for a game we may not bring it so make sure you sing up!

Introductory Game of the Week:  The Resistance: Avalon

Don't be intimidated by the image to the right!  While Avalon may seem to be something daunting and complicated involving really nerdy stuff like spells and knights, it really isn't.  Well it kind of involves that stuff, but in a very superficial way.  Seriously.  Let me explain...

Avalon is a lot like the card game Mafia (if you've played it).  Each player is dealt a role card.  This card tells you whether or not you are a good guy, or a bad guy.  Additionally, it may tell you that you are a specific person or just a generic goodie or baddie.  You might be Merlin (who is a good guy) or the Assassin (who is evil).

These roles are secret!  Nobody should know what you are until the designated time!  Once everybody has seen their roles all heads are lowered and eyes are closed.  All of the evil people are asked to look up, open their eyes, acknowledge one another, and then lower their heads and close their eyes.  Subsequently, Merlin raises his head and opens his eyes followed by the evil people all raising their thumbs.  Thus, all of the evil people know who each other are and subsequently which people are good (but not who specifically Merlin is).  Additionally, Merlin knows which side everybody is on, though doesn't know who specifically the assassin is.

The game itself will then begin and it consists of 5 rounds of 'going on quests.'  Basically each round a leader (randomly chosen at first, then passed clockwise) will choose a set number of people to go on a quest.  Each person has two voting cards - one for failure, one for success.  The people going on the quest secretly choose one (their choice, not random) and give it to the leader.  If even just one comes back 'failure' the quest fails.  If at any point the bad guys cause three failures, they win the entire game.  Similarly, if the good guys win three quests, they might win the game.  There is one final catch for the good folk - if after the good guys win three quests the bad folk can successfully identify Merlin (with the Assassin getting final say) then they win instead.

So it all comes down to deduction.  If you're a bad guy you need to get the quests to fail but without being so obvious that you're never picked for quests.  Maybe that means letting one succeed to foster a false sense of security.  If you're a good guy you need to find out who is actually evil.  If you're Merlin, you need to help your team know whose evil without being too obvious - quite the challenge!

It is a tremendously fun game that plays from 5-10 players - and the more there are, the better!

Players Possible:  5-10    Ideal Number:  10

Veteran Game(s) of the Week:  Deckbuilders

Deckbuilding a is a subgenre of games that has gotten a lot of love and attention the past few years in the gaming community.  It all began with Magic: The Gathering and other subsequent Collectible Card Games (CCG) where essentially you build your own deck.  This prototype was taken and altered into a standalone tabletop game, made particularly famous by the game Dominion.  Since Dominion's release (and subsequent 8 expansions) there have been a number of games created using this mechanic - whether exclusively or coupled with another kind of mechanic.  The beauty of deckbuilding is it is a relatively simple concept, so even if you're not a seasoned gamer, there is certainly a game on this list that you can enjoy!


Dominion (w/ Cornucopia, Seaside, Dark Ages, and Intriuge)


While the flare for Dominion seems to have died down a bit as of late, we would be amiss if we did not put it as an option for Deckbuilding night!  The theme of Dominion is... Something involving the Middle Ages.  There really isn't much of a theme - which is part of some people's complaints about it now that other (and better?) deck-builders have emerged.  Nonetheless, it is a goliath of the genre because it basically started it.  Additionally, it is one of the most accessible games I own.

The rules are simple.  Everyone starts with ten cards.  Shuffle them.  Form a pile.  Draw 5 of them.  If you have any action cards, play one.  If it allows for more actions, play more.  After you've played all you can, add up your money.  Use it to buy a new card - either a new action card of the ten randomly selected before the game, a treasure card (more money!), or a victory point card.  The points are the only thing that matters at the end, but usually do nothing for you mid game.

The beauty of Dominion is that the base game alone comes with 25 different action cards.  Since only 10 are used each game, even without the expansions there are a crazy amount of possible games.  With all 8 expansions there are 14,782,231,840,815,648 possible combinations.

Possible Numbers:  2-4     Ideal Number:   3 or 4

Thunderstone Advance

Don't let the word "Advance" trick you.  It simply denotes the newer edition of this game.  Original Thunderstone was good.  Thunderstone Advance is simply an updated version with better rules (and thus better gameplay).  It is actually very similar to Dominion - in fact it's been called Dominion with Theme - but instead of you being medieval fiefdoms you are adventurers in a dungeon.

Like Dominion, you have your own personal deck of cards from which you draw a fresh hand of cards each turn (this time six cards rather than five).  Then you go to either the Village (to buy more cards - heroes, weapons, spells, etc.) or to the Dungeon (to kill monsters and get victory points).

Undead Treefolk.  Need I say more?

There are a ton of cool cards in this game and I own one expansion (The Caverns of Bane) so there are even more than normal.  There are heroes you can buy that as you kill monsters will level up.  There are need weapons and spells.  Different 'regulars' to buy to aid your hand.  And there are a lot more options than in Dominion.  It is a bit more complicated than Dominion, but if you know that game this will be easy to pick up.

Players Possible:  1-5   Ideal Number:  3

Smash Up!

Our next one is both a tad lighter in theme but also has some additional mechanics.  You start the game by combining too different 'types' of decks.  The different decks are based on various prototypical nerd-related themes.  I.E. Ninjas, Dinosaurs, Robots, Aliens, etc..  There are a ton of expansions that offer other things but I believe we just have the base game.  Regardless, you take two of those.  So you're not just dinosaurs.  You're alien dinosaurs.

Or ninja dinosaurs.  Or ninja robots.  Or pirate dinosaurs.
Pirate.  Dinosaurs.

I haven't played this personally so my description will be a bit weaker, but from what I've gathered there area various bases for which you are vying for control.  Using your cards you can claim more power for some or bump others off.  It is a fun game, especially if you're playing as Mutant Leprechauns.

Players Possible:  2-4   Ideal Number:  3 or 4

Mage Knight

Finally we have a deck builder that is not for the faint of heart.  Mage Knight is a behemoth of a game.  It is by far the most complex of these games listed and is only recommended if you've been around the block.  That's not to say it's impossible, but if the most complex game you've played thus far is Yahtzee you may want to choose a different deck-builder to start (which is perfectly fine)!

Mage Knight is actually based off of a miniatures game by the same name.  I've never played it so I have no idea how it compares.  Nonetheless it has been very highly regarded
by a lot of gamers, reaching has high as 5 or 6 on Boardgamegeek's top games (out of well over 60,000 games) before settling in at #9 where it currently resides.

Mage Knight, like Smash Up, combines two mechanics.  It is a deck builder mixed with an adventure game.  You take control of a Mage Knight - essentially a demigod- and using deck building mechanics you wander around the realm and slay monsters, hire allies, and assault cities.

The artwork in this game is gorgeous and there are many scenarios (including an intro one which we will likely end up playing).

Throughout the game you acquire fame which allows you to level up.  When you level up you get more spells and abilities, letting you kill more monsters.  There's a lot of fun stuff.  It can run a little long, and it's very important to start planning your turn between rounds.

Players Possible:  1-4                Ideal Number: 2 or 3

Because of the nature of Avalon we will do it at a time when everybody (or almost everybody) can play it as a group, so feel free to sign up for it as well as some deck-builders.