(The Reddit Report is a weekly feature, published every Saturday.)
A lot of great ideas for game variations and house rules. I’m loving this week’s threads!
SUGGESTIONS
Best House Rules?
submitted by PM_me_your_toaster
This thread was posted on Reddit just a day after a thread called Worst House Rules. Everybody has their own House Rule horror stories that they’d rather forget. But only a few hardy souls relish the chance to tweak a popular game.
Don’t freak out: the best House Rules don’t change the game, but they do make playing more Fun.
Surprisingly, there were almost 250 comments in response, with a cornucopia of great ideas. I’m a huge fan of House Rules, so I saved the page and I’m going to catalogue them for future use.
Among my favorites:
Ticket to Ride: Don’t keep score during the game, just at the end. Rather than making players discouraged if they fall behind, everyone’s keeping a watchful eye on what others have played. (heathtree)
Carcassone: Pick up your next tile at the end of your turn instead of the beginning of the next one. Cuts down on the Analysis Paralysis. (alexwilson)
Jaipur: To break this game’s frequent ties, the panda-hide camel is counted as 1.01 camels. (sgol)
WSIG (WHAT SHOULD I GET?)
What is a Good Alternative to Diplomacy?
submitted by pillowwolf
The OP is looking for a shorter alternative to a great – but loooong – game.
Among the 40-some suggestions: Cosmic Encounter, Dune, Article 27, Lifeboat, Imperial, and Archipelago. The Game of Thrones Board Game is probably the most like Diplomacy, but it can also take just as long.
Read the thread to learn why these alternatives are worth a look.
IDEAS?
Card sleeves that don’t slide when stacked
submitted by Veri7as
The OP’s solution was to use Matte sleeves, but they only came in one size and, as one commenter pointed out, make it harder to read fine print.
Best suggestion came from a couple of the 13 commenters and it’s relatively simple:
Stack heavy books on top of a stack of cards.
Second best idea was to Shuffle them a lot to wear the slippery gloss off them. Several comments noted that the slipperiness wears off with use.
ETIQUETTE
An apology to board gamers
submitted by elscorchoOoOoOo
OP’s apology was specifically in connection with his card shuffling, as he always falls back on the old ‘bridge’ shuffle.
It led to other discussions (over 135 comments total) of card game etiquette, including the problem some players have with mindlessly damaging a card while deciding whether to play it.
VARIANTS
Blind hive
submitted by CodeAndKnives
Submitted by OP as a blind/randomizing variant for experienced players. Further discussion showed that CAK’s variant would be best utilized when an experienced player is facing a new player. It’s basically a handicapping option, leveling the playing field a little. Check it out! 14 commenters did.
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