I spent last Saturday playing real board games with people. The three I played were called Puerto Rico, Tikal, and one that I can't remember the name of. In any case, all were too hard for me to understand from playing one game of each. I bought the iOS version of PR. Since then. What I need is a game that has some learning curve, but that I should be able to play on my mini w/o feeling like an idiot..... Maybe I am just not wired for hardcore board gaming. Thanks.
Well there are a bunch of chess apps. Hmmm... Catan? If its up. Edit: Tip 1: check the rules for the tabletop version on any boardgame you are unsure of Tip 2: Avoid EA's RISK game. Warlands is free, and fun version.
I have also just recently become very interested in board gaming on my iPad despite having no real background with physical or digital board gaming. I've bought quite a few over the past few months, and so far I would say Stone Age is an excellent, accessible choice. I'd also recommend Lost Cities and Ticket to Ride as fairly light, but strategic board games that are well suited for people relatively new to board gaming such as myself. If you're open to card games I'd also highly recommend Ascension and the Penny Arcade Game, both by Playdek. I've spent a ton of time with both. I've picked up some more complex titles as well such as Neuroshima Hex, Caylus, Tigris and Euphrates, Le Havre and most recently Eclipse. I haven't fully grasped these titles yet, but I look forward to digging into them deeper as I spend more time with the genre. Hope this helps!
JNT, thanks for reminding me that I actually own a copy of Ticket to Ride.... someone gave me a copy. I have never done any playing of that type of card game, but I am open to it.... Also my buddy who LITERALLY, God's honest truth here, has 1500+ board games, just gave me a DC Heroes card game. I have seen Stone Age mentioned a few times while perusing the boards, so that may be my next purchase. Thanks.
I had no real interest in this genre until I finally picked up Battle of the Bulge. I'm not sure where this falls in the difficulty curve, but I found it easily understandable and it's a spectacular game. Ravenmark is another I've had my eye on for some time. There is a free version worth checking out if you're interested.
Neuroshima Hex is quite easy to get into and there is a free lite version as well. I like it. Ascension is not really a board game but a great card game with awesome multiplayer. It's NOT yet another Magic the Gathering clone.
I just bought Le Harve and Medicio < sp? > for 99 cents..... They are on sale, it seems.... I passed on Tikal.
Yeah, I grabbed the remainder of the Codito games that I didn't have, but probably won't attempt to learn them right away. I'm still trying to make sense of Eclipse and would rather not muddle that up, but I couldn't pass on grabbing them for .99 a piece.
QFT! I am a late arrival to Carcassonne, and bought Ascension and Tigris & Euphrates way, way before Carcasonne. However, Carcassonne is for my money the perfect intro Euro game (replacing Settlers of Catan); although the deeper strategy doesn't immediately reveal itself - easy to learn, hard to master and all that. Carcassonne is much more penetrable than Tigris. The latter is a very deep game and can be somewhat oblique until you get your head around the subtle differences between an internal and external revolt, and how both are triggered. Both also feature ways to screw over your opponent(s) - although Tigris is the more confrontational of the two. In terms of app design, polish and options, none come close to Coding Monkey's superlative adaptation of Carcassonne. The multiplayer invite and messaging system is elegant and a joy to behold. In terms of WWII strategy war games, I've heard very good things about Battle of the Bulge [BotB]. Whatever you decide to play, async multiplay is the killer feature. Even if it did cause me to utter an expletive and hurl my iPad across my coffee table whilst playing Ascension with jnt325 last year
The Stone Age is good and easy to learn ( very difficult to actually win though, even against the computer)
