So my wife is like, "whatever" when I've tried to get her to play X-Wing. She tried, made some jokes and just didn't get into it. So, I was thinking some other game may be up her alley (she does love family games: board, card, dice) that are easy to grasp all the details and you can just dive in. She likes Pandemic, Batman Loveletter Edition, etc.
So what do you guys recommend? I like the Star Wars angle. What about Destiny or Empire vs Rebellion?
Formula D all the way.
2 hours ago, "Quickdraw" said:Formula D all the way.
So that's a Destiny vote? Thanks. What do you like about it for a newbie casual?
As someone who plays both, I have to say I'd get Empire vs. Rebellion instead of Destiny. I don't know why, but there's something really, really satisfying about a game that comes in a box the size of a $15 X-Wing expansion and is a complete game, with no expansion packs, meta, Errata, etc.
Another huge part of Destiny is deckbuilding, which is hard to do satisfactorily for two people unless you shell out $100+. It's also a lot more intimidating for a new player.
And if Star Wars games just don't work, there's always Sushi Go, Forbidden Dessert, and Mysterium. Three of my favorite gift games right now.
I had a similar scenario a year or so ago .. I bought Ticket to Ride for us. Simple, fun, etc.
My wife and I play 7 Wonders and Power Grid and she has enjoyed both. She is highly analytical/logical, pretty decent at resource management and enjoys both of these games. We also enjoy Sushi Go , as Kieransi mentioned, which is fun, looks adorable, and is easy to teach and play. Ticket to Ride is okay, but it's pretty commonplace with people we play games with, so I'm kinda bored with it. She got me Ticket to Ride: The Card Game , which is surprisingly different from the board game while maintaining several of the concepts. I'd call it a solid game, even for two players.
Code Names is awesome, can be good for two-four players and for big groups. Highly versatile, not terribly difficult to teach, definitely hard to master. Solid for readers, gets a little harder without a strong vocabulary.
Have yet to convince my wife to play Settlers of Catan , though I'm pretty sure she'd enjoy it.
Avalon is solid, plus touches on some nerdiness. Good family/big group game, a lot like mafia.
Tsuro is a game we had gifted to us and we probably play it with anyone who comes to visit. It only takes us about 5 minutes to explain and 15 minutes to play. 2-8 players and solid for all of the numbers in between. I think the same company has another similar game that adds a few more mechanics, looks pretty similar, though. I'd highly recommend this one. Also has an East Asian feel, which can still be satisfying for some of those nerdy needs.
Star Wars Carcassonne?
Also Machi koro, Tokaido,King of Tokyo, Not alone, Smash Up and (the aforementioned) Sushi Go.
I've gotten my wife to play Empire vs Rebellion and Star Wars Carcassonne multiple times, and she's not a game person but is a Star Wars fan.
They've worked because they're fairly simple games for which the Star Wars theme is basically pasted on, but they are good games in spite of that.
If she likes other board games you might try Star Wars Risk, which is an excellent game (don't let the Risk name fool you -- it's not Risk).
17 hours ago, Conandoodle said:I had a similar scenario a year or so ago .. I bought Ticket to Ride for us. Simple, fun, etc.
Another vote for Ticket To Ride. It's not Star Wars, but it's a great game (and one I will be getting myself soon).
Munchkin is always good for a laugh, as is Gloom.
22 hours ago, Praetorate of the Empire said:My wife and I play 7 Wonders and Power Grid and she has enjoyed both. She is highly analytical/logical, pretty decent at resource management and enjoys both of these games. We also enjoy Sushi Go , as Kieransi mentioned, which is fun, looks adorable, and is easy to teach and play. Ticket to Ride is okay, but it's pretty commonplace with people we play games with, so I'm kinda bored with it. She got me Ticket to Ride: The Card Game , which is surprisingly different from the board game while maintaining several of the concepts. I'd call it a solid game, even for two players.
Code Names is awesome, can be good for two-four players and for big groups. Highly versatile, not terribly difficult to teach, definitely hard to master. Solid for readers, gets a little harder without a strong vocabulary.
Have yet to convince my wife to play Settlers of Catan , though I'm pretty sure she'd enjoy it.
Avalon is solid, plus touches on some nerdiness. Good family/big group game, a lot like mafia.
Tsuro is a game we had gifted to us and we probably play it with anyone who comes to visit. It only takes us about 5 minutes to explain and 15 minutes to play. 2-8 players and solid for all of the numbers in between. I think the same company has another similar game that adds a few more mechanics, looks pretty similar, though. I'd highly recommend this one. Also has an East Asian feel, which can still be satisfying for some of those nerdy needs.
7 Wonders is a great game. The first time you play it can be a bit confusing (as the scoring and passing and everything gets a little overwhelming), but after the first round or so you get used to it, and it's a blast.
Power Grid , Ticket to Ride , and Tsuro are all great games, too. Catan I don't much care for, but that's mostly because I tend to have horrible luck in the game. It is rather interesting, and I would recommend people who enjoy board games at least try it out if they have the chance (my issues with the game are strictly personal preference, and not due to poor design).
One game I absolutely love is Dominion . It's a deck-building card game where everyone starts with the same small deck, and then adds cards to their deck throughout the game. Only some of the cards are available each game, so every game can be different. There are also expansions that each add a new mechanic, but even the base set alone can be quite fun.
Just now, JJ48 said:One game I absolutely love is Dominion . It's a deck-building card game where everyone starts with the same small deck, and then adds cards to their deck throughout the game. Only some of the cards are available each game, so every game can be different. There are also expansions that each add a new mechanic, but even the base set alone can be quite fun.
I'd also say the Lord of the Rings Deck-Building Game is a pretty great game as well. Each of them ( Fellowship, Two Towers, Return of the King, and the Hobbit ) are pretty solid, each one mildly different with each other, and is fun for LotR buffs. To be fair, haven't played many other deck-building games like this (except the DC Deck-Building Game by the same company), which was okay as well. Actually convinced both of my sisters to play with my brother and I over Thanksgiving and they caught on really quickly. Self-contained deck building games are really easy for new players to learn, for the most part, and could lead to more sophisticated card games in turn.
Resistance Avalon is literally the worst game you can play with your wife. She will learn your tells.
On 12/12/2017 at 9:35 AM, "Quickdraw" said:Formula D all the way.
OMG I love that game!!!
On 1/3/2018 at 2:03 PM, Darth Meanie said:OMG I love that game!!!
**** yeah its great!!!