I love traditional board games. Pre-Covid times I used to play regularly with a group of friends and even in various stages of lockdown my family still often play games together.
The world of board games has changed hugely over the last 20 years with lots of exciting and interesting games being released. I don't think its a stretch to assume there's strong overlap between people that enjoy board games and people that enjoy Arelith so why don't we share games we enjoy with each other and why!
I'll kick us off with one that works for families (kids probably want to be like 12+) or more serious groups.
Sheriff of Nottingham
Sheriff of Nottingham is a card game that at its heart a game of bluffing and negotiation set in the world of Robin Hood. In it each player plays a simple merchant trying to make as much money as possible by taking goods to market to sell. The twist is that the real money isn't in simply taking your apples or chickens to market, the real money is in smuggling illicit contraband into Nottingham past the Sheriff.
Who is the Sheriff I hear you ask? Well each round of the game, the player that is the Sheriff passes on to a different player so by the end of the game every player has had a few chances to be the Sheriff. Each round the merchants will fill a sealed bag with the goods they want to take to market and the Sheriff can decide to let them past, or inspect them and confiscate and then fine the merchant for any illegal goods. Of course the Sheriff can be bribed to look the other way (or check someone elses bag, or any action the game says the Sheriff can take).
What really makes the game interesting is the interplay of two things.
One, you absolutely cannot be anywhere near competitive in the game by playing it straight, you can make lots of money by smuggling in contraband or by completing sets, but if you play 'legally' you can't keep up and it becomes really obvious as everyone can see how well everyone is doing at a glance. You also, after each round see what each player took to market, so anyone who put one over the Sheriff is revealed instantly. This creates an environment where the question isn't "Who is cheating" but one where everyone knows everyone is cheating and it becomes about just how much you can get away with and just how cheaply you can bribe the Sheriff to look the other way (or how much you're willing to pay for the Sheriff to check the bag of your closest rival instead of yours).
The existance of set fines for different types illegal goods also gives whoever is the Sheriff that round a decision on whether to take the bribes on offer, negotiate for more or open up the merchants bag and let the fines play out as they may (although if a Sheriff opens a perfectly legal bag, the situation is reversed with the Sheriff having to pay the merchant compensation).
The second is the rotating Sheriff system, although most of the game you're a merchant, a few times a game you're the Sheriff working against all the other players. Given how open the game is (outside what's in an active bag) you know who screwed you last time you were Sheriff, and you know which Sheriff's were mean to you. And that just adds a great edge to things, especially as no individual bag is really game making or game breaking, so even if you lose out and get busted you don't lose everything and the game isn't over, it stays close right to the end and doesn't end up in monopoly style hard feelings. Just the fun of realising your kid just pulled a sad face on you and smuggled a bag full of illegal crossbows in cause you decided to be nice to them while they were learning the game.
I've played this a bunch of times with friends and family and no one has not enjoyed it, even non-board game people given how quick and simple it is to get into and how quickly anyone can start to grasp the complexities of coming up with a strategy since most of the complexity is in human interaction.
So what games do you like? I'd love to find some hidden gems across the Arelith player base, or help someone stuck at home unable to get out find something fun to do.
