2018 Geek Madness - Final Four!

We are down to the Final Four! So, for those that haven't kept up - it is that time of year again! Time for the 15th Geek Madness Tournament. Each year, folks get to vote on their favorite games in head-to-head matchups to determine the best! Past winners:

Past Champions of the Aldie Award:
2017: The Castles of Burgundy
2016: Power Grid
2015: 7 Wonders
2014: Android: Netrunner
2013: Android: Netrunner
2012: Agricola
2011: Agricola
2010: Power Grid
2009: Twilight Struggle
2008: Power Grid
2007: Power Grid
2006: Power Grid
2005: Puerto Rico
2004: Tigris and Euphrates

The full 2018 bracket

Last year's title winner (Castles of Burgundy) was eliminated in the previous round of 8. We have a new title guaranteed to make the finals against two classics - one that has won the tournament multiple times and the other a two-time runner-up. The new games I haven't played at all, so I'm going to pick solely based on which I'd rather play if I only had the opportunity to try one or the other.

Terraforming Mars vs Gloomhaven
I predicted this as the likely showdown last week. Two new hotness games. Let's start with Terraforming Mars.

What I think I know about Terraforming Mars: card driven (though not a deck builder) game, engine building game, asymmetrical player factions, slight nod to tactics over long term strategy, medium (towards the heavier side) of Euros.

What I think I know about Gloomhaven: dungeon crawler, legacy game, card driven, branching quest-story.

So far, I have avoided Terraforming Mars due to its length and a number of reviews that have indicated that there is a fair bit of luck of the draw with cards and a lot of card reading that needs to be done. If this was a 90 minute game, that'd be ok, but a 2+ hour game makes me hesitant to try this. It is likely the kind of game I'd enjoy playing at least once. On the other hand, I love fantasy games with a campaign, but this game has a couple of reviews that have kept me away (that and the price of the game, but since we are assuming I got the opportunity to play one or the other of these two, that isn't the consideration here). Things I've read that don't sound fun: make or break decision points (anyone that ever read a choose your own adventure book as a kid and kept their finger in the last section they were at knows why this sort of thing is obnoxious), setup and teardown, and between game maintenance. I have Descent 2nd ed (which I love) and a lot of it. It lets me play solo, co-op or head-to-head, campaign or Diablo (random dungeon) style, and is in my head, quick.

So how do I choose? I waffled on this one a lot. In the end I picked Terraforming Mars. Gloomhaven would be one where the satisfaction would come from playing it a bunch and experiencing the life of the campaign and the growth of the heroes. All I'd really get out of a single play would be an understanding of the mechanics. With Terraforming Mars, I'd at least get a chance to see if this is something I'd really like, or if it is just the next "Agricola hotness", which I feel it may be. Being that doesn't make it bad or mean I wouldn't enjoy it, but it seems as though a lot of the appeal and hype is from the same player crowd. Regardless, if I had to pick one to sit and play, Terraforming Mars would be my choice. Lucky for me, it sounds like the app version is coming soon and I'll actually get to try it out sooner or later.

Ticket to Ride vs Power Grid
This is an amazing match up of what are now "classic" games. I've written about the two before, so if you want my thoughts on why I like each please go back and check my previous posts.

So how do I pick the "better game"? If I use the same standard as I did for Terraforming Mars and Gloomhaven - which game would I rather sit and play if I had to pick one - I might say that it depends on who I would be sitting down with at the table and how many of us there were (which feels like I'm looking at my two kids looking at me while I pick my favorite).

For two or three players, Power Grid is just no good, while Ticket to Ride really shines. For 4-6 players, both games are excellent, but Ticket to Ride is easier for newer players. But if the 4-6 players are gamers, Power Grid is SOOOOOO good. When I first got into gaming, it was probably 6 months of weekly game nights before I played the same game twice and I'm sure that Power Grid is the first game I got to replay. After a little while, I could get a game of PG in just about every week and never minded if I did. On the surface, it all seems very straight forward, but the depth of manipulation needed to do well at the game is what makes this one a perennial champion in this tournament.

After more than 10 years, Ticket to Ride has not only survived, but thrived because of the things that make it a great game. Large number of expansion maps that make the game interesting and different without completely overhauling the experience (note, this is also the same for Power Grid), really good for any number of players (2-6), and quick turns with simple enough choices that a new player isn't overwhelmed, but interesting enough decisions in the game for experienced gamers to want to play.  A family game that gamers can enjoy.

In the end, I voted for Power Grid. While both games are excellent and while it certainly sounds like I was making an argument for Ticket to Ride, I've just had more "great" gaming moments playing Power Grid. Not that Ticket to Ride hasn't been for me, because any game that I can play with my family and gamer friends is a great game.

So there you have it. If you too want to vote, go let your voice be heard! Vote at: 2018 Geek Madness Tournament: Round 6 - Final Four


See you next round and be sure to check us out at PunchBoard Media!

2018 Geek Madness - Elite 8

We are down to 8 finalists! So, for those that haven't kept up - it is that time of year again! Time for the 15th Geek Madness Tournament. Each year, folks get to vote on their favorite games in head-to-head matchups to determine the best! Past winners:

Past Champions of the Aldie Award:
2017: The Castles of Burgundy
2016: Power Grid
2015: 7 Wonders
2014: Android: Netrunner
2013: Android: Netrunner
2012: Agricola
2011: Agricola
2010: Power Grid
2009: Twilight Struggle
2008: Power Grid
2007: Power Grid
2006: Power Grid
2005: Puerto Rico
2004: Tigris and Euphrates

The full 2018 bracket

Normally, I vote for all the games I really enjoy, but this year I only voted when I've played both the games in a match up. That being said, we are now down to the wire, so I'm voting in all the matches and here are my thoughts.

Castles of Burgundy vs Terraforming Mars
As I said last week, I really like CoB and would happily play it in most settings. Like a lot of Feld's games, it is a point salad, but it doesn't feel like a point salad bar (which I think a lot of his designs tend towards). This feels well crafted and purposeful which is likely part of why it is so highly ranked.

Terraforming Mars was last year's hotness in Euro games. For me, the two biggest reasons I haven't tried it have been game length, and from everything I've read, there is a bit of a learning curve and possibly an issue with the luck of the draw on tech cards (a flaw found in lots of games like Race for the Galaxy, Agricola, etc). I've also read a fair bit of commentary about knowing who was going to win long before the game was over. All things that have kept me from being excited about playing it.

So, game I like vs game I'm pretty luke-warm about trying? CoB gets the vote.

Gloomhaven vs Agricola
Hmmm. To recap: Agricola is a very good game (I prefer Caverna, but to each their own). Agricola was THE heavy game that finally knocked PR off its throne and opened the door for people to admit that other games were superior. As mentioned, I prefer Agricola's spiritual successor Caverna for a couple of reasons. The first is it feels more accessible to play when you don't play much. Agricola has a LOT of cards and the best way to play the game involved drafting at the start to ensure you have some synergy, but that also means having more than a passing knowledge of the base cards and what you are seeing. The other thing about Agricola that I don't love (which I know Agricola fans disagree with me about) is that it feels like I spend most of the game trying to figure out how to feed my family instead of how to build a good game engine. I get it. I also know that if I played it more, I'd probably get over that as I got familiar with it, but I just don't want to put the effort into it when I feel like I can get what I want from a similar, but different game.

Gloomhaven is definitely the kind of game that I should really like - a campaign dungeon crawler in a legacy format that gives you your own gaming story. I suspect that if someone handed me the game, I'd have a great time with it and would easily vote for it over Agricola (because really, this is vote for your favorite game).

So which did I vote for? Well, a BGG user (MisterG) summed it up pretty succinctly for me:

I suspect a lot of Gloomhaven votes come from folks looking to justify spending a great deal of money on one game and/or are still enjoying the dopamine rush of a new gaming experience. Here's my bet: within five years, Gloomhaven fans will have moved on to the next big thing (or several) and its ratings will have fallen below workhorse Agricola. Agricola has its coterie of haters, and I understand their enmity, but nonetheless, it has stood the test of time admirably. I don't believe that will happen with Gloomhaven.

Since I've not played Gloomhaven, I really have a hard time saying that it is the better game. I don't love Agricola, but I respect the game, so I voted for Agricola.

Power Grid vs Through the Ages
This wasn't even a matchup that I had to think about. Again. One of the best games of all time against a flawed game? Yeah, pretty simple in my mind. You can call PG an exercise in math, but if that's all it was, it wouldn't have won this tournament 5 times since 2005. PG kicks ass because it is a kick ass auction game where sometimes the best thing you can do is sandbag a little. Playing the timing and manipulating the other players idea of what the timing actually is through the auction is what makes this such a wonderful game. Honestly, most of games I'd feel compelled to think about as better than PG didn't make it this far in the contest. If PG and TtR win this round, it will be tough choice for me, but not against TtA...

For those that have been living in a cave and don't know how I feel about it - Through the Ages is the board game version of the amazing Civ series of computer games. Not the official one, but really - who are we trying to kid? I loved Civ - I bought a PC back in the early 90s just to play Civ. The first time I played TtA, I was in love. Then I played it some more and honestly it didn't take that long for me to realize that TtA is not a good game. There, I said it. NOT A GOOD GAME. It is a long heavy game (which is perfectly fine by me), but it is a bash the loser game. And if you are the loser, sorry, there is no catchup mechanism, you are just screwed and will play out the rest of the game in misery. The worst part is, you might be the loser due to pure bad luck in the early part of the game. Military is king early and you might not be able to get the things that others are getting. If so, they have no incentive to attack anyone else with power and you will get repeatedly bashed. Thematically it makes sense, but it doesn't make the game enjoyable.

Ticket to Ride vs Pandemic Legacy

Ticket to Ride is one of my top ten games for a good reason. The base game itself is a wonderful gateway game that I still enjoy. The map variants tweak each game in small but interesting ways. The reason this game is so good is that it is both accessible to new players and still has interesting decisions for experienced gamers. And by still, I mean that I will still play this game anytime someone suggests it. It is good regardless of the number of players and honestly, I have enjoyed every single map I've played. It is just a good game...

Pandemic Legacy got a lot of love a couple of years ago. I didn't really spend any time reading up on it because I have a copy of the game and didn't want ANY spoilers. I'm normally not a huge co-op guy, but the general buzz about this game at least lead me to consider it enough to get a copy.

That being said, I cannot see a legacy co-op game being ahead of Ticket to Ride for me. My family and I just like the game too much for that.

Now, as of this write-up, my top two picks are losing by a large margin and my last two picks look to be the winning ones. If that holds true, then it looks like one powerhouse classic is going to go up against one of the new hotnesses. We'll see who actually makes the final four and if you want to vote for your favorite (or against a game you dislike), please do so at - 2018 Geek Madness Elite 8

See you next round and be sure to check us out at PunchBoard Media!

2018 Geek Madness Sweet 16

Sheesh, been so busy personally since the start of this beast, and now we are already down to the Sweet 16 this week! So, for those that haven't kept up - it is that time of year again! Time for the 15th Geek Madness Tournament. Each year, folks get to vote on their favorite games in head-to-head matchups to determine the best! Past winners:

Past Champions of the Aldie Award:
2017: The Castles of Burgundy
2016: Power Grid
2015: 7 Wonders
2014: Android: Netrunner
2013: Android: Netrunner
2012: Agricola
2011: Agricola
2010: Power Grid
2009: Twilight Struggle
2008: Power Grid
2007: Power Grid
2006: Power Grid
2005: Puerto Rico
2004: Tigris and Euphrates

The full 2018 bracket

Normally, I vote for all the games I really enjoy, but this year I'm voting only when I've played both the games in a match up. I thought I'd share my basic thoughts on the 26 matchups I did vote on. I've found that unlike the real March Madness Basketball tourney, there isn't much chance for a Cinderella story. A game might upset someone in the first round or two, but the heavy hitters pretty much put them in their place sooner rather than later. So here are my Sweet 16 votes.

Castles of Burgundy vs Puerto Rico
These are two well respected games (numbers 11 and 14 respectively on the all time BGG Top 100). I really like CoB and would happily play it in most settings. Like a lot of Feld's games, it is a point salad, but it doesn't feel like a point salad bar (which I think a lot of his designs tend towards). This feels well crafted and purposeful which is likely part of why it is so highly ranked.

Puerto Rico was king of the hill for a LONG time, but the evolution of heavy euros has shown us that there are better ways for games to do things. I am not a fan (so yeah, I voted for CoB). I know that there are a lot of folks that still love and play PR, and I liked it in the beginning too. This (like lots of games) is best when all the players are of a similar experience level, so after being introduced, I desired to learn the game more so that I didn't feel like I was throwing the game when playing with my regular group (major flaw #1 - player to the left of the newb has an advantage). Luckily for me, this was one of the first games to have an app developed for it (albeit for the PC). I acquired a copy and played the crap out of it (its pretty fast solo against AI). What I found was - there just isn't that many interesting choices. The game felt scripted (which is honestly why I don't love Chess as well) and it never felt like you could make interesting choices if something was not working out for you. Couple that with the kingmaker flaw I just mentioned and the fact that better games came out after it means that this was a pretty easy match up as far as I was concerned. I likely would have picked about anything (maybe not, I'm going to claim hatred for some of the other games below) over PR - put PR up against a GOOD game, and it isn't close.

Carcassonne vs Agricola
This was an interesting matchup to me. Agricola is a very good game (I prefer Caverna, but to each their own). Agricola was THE heavy game that finally knocked PR off its throne and opened the door for people to admit that other games were superior. As mentioned, I prefer Agricola's spiritual successor Caverna for a couple of reasons. The first is it feels more accessible to play when you don't play much. Agricola has a LOT of cards and the best way to play the game involved drafting at the start to ensure you have some synergy, but that also means having more than a passing knowledge of the base cards and what you are seeing. The other thing about Agricola that I don't love (which I know Agricola fans disagree with me about) is that it feels like I spend most of the game trying to figure out how to feed my family instead of how to build a good game engine. I get it. I also know that if I played it more, I'd probably get over that as I got familiar with it, but I just don't want to put the effort into it when I feel like I can get what I want from a similar, but different game.

Carcassonne is really whole different category of game. Carc is a tile laying game that could be considered a gateway game. It also has a slew of expansions that make the game interesting and different in lots of ways. I have played a TON of Carc, because Carc was one of the first (and still best) conversion apps on the iPad. A lot of expansions have been released and I the easy online and async play made this a game I kept playing. I also learned quickly that this is a dick game - it invites play that will piss you and the other players off. That's when I stopped playing it as much. I pretty much only play this two players now (as lots of players is slow and chaotic) and even then, somewhat infrequently.

So which did I vote for? I voted for Carc, because honestly if there were two games forming and I had my choice of which to play, I'd probably opt for Carc and hope I didn't flip the table (or have it flipped on me). Kidding aside, I'm just more familiar with Carc (honestly in my two game scenario, I'd probably see if the Agricola group would consider Caverna instead first).

Power Grid vs Pandemic
This wasn't even a matchup that I had to think about. One of the best games of all time against a co-op with the Alpha player flaw? Yeah, pretty simple in my mind. You can call PG an exercise in math, but if that's all it was, it wouldn't have won this tournament 5 times since 2005. PG kicks ass because it is a kick ass auction game where sometimes the best thing you can do is sandbag a little. Playing the timing and manipulating the other players idea of what the timing actually is through the auction is what makes this such a wonderful game.

I've read that Pandemic Legacy is amazing, but that wasn't the match up here, so bye bye silly co-op game.

Through the Ages vs Stone Age
For those that have been living in a cave (in the stone age) and don't know, Through the Ages is the board game version of the amazing Civ series of computer games. Not the official one, but really, it is - who are we trying to kid? I loved Civ - I bought a PC back in the early 90s just to play Civ. The first time I played TtA, I was in love. Then I played it some more and honestly it didn't take that long for me to realize that TtA is not a good game. There, I said it. NOT A GOOD GAME. It is a long heavy game (which is perfectly fine by me), but it is a bash the loser game. And if you are the loser, sorry, there is no catchup mechanism, you are just screwed and will play out the rest of the game in misery. The worst part is, you might be the loser due to pure bad luck in the early part of the game. Military is king early and you might not be able to get the things that others are getting. If so, they have no incentive to attack anyone else with power and you will get repeatedly bashed. Thematically it makes sense, but it doesn't make the game enjoyable.

Stone Age is a mediocre worker placement game. It was a good game for its time, but the mechanics were done better in the game that came after it. That being said, it doesn't suck like TtA, so it got my vote. I'm not foolish enough to think it matters, but I just can't say that TtA is the better game - it isn't.

Dominion vs Ticket to Ride

So, the Granddaddy of all deckbuilder games (Dominion) vs what is arguably the best gateway game and series of games? Let me break it down for you. Dominion is not that great. Honestly, Thunderstone came out shortly after Dominion and it was miles better. It didn't take long for deck/dice/bag builders to take the fundamental mechanic and do more interesting and less flawed things with it. Is Dominion a train wreck of a game? No, it just is boring to me. I'd rather do yard work than play Dominion (and if you know me, you know I hate yard work).

Ticket to Ride? One of my top ten games. The base game itself is a wonderful gateway game that I still enjoy. The map variants tweak each game in small but interesting ways. The reason this game is so good is that it is both accessible to new players and still has interesting decisions for experienced gamers. And by still, I mean that I will still play this game anytime someone suggests it. It is good regardless of the number of players and honestly, I have enjoyed every single map I've played. It is just a good game...

And there were my picks. There were a number of matchups I didn't do (obviously since I only talked about 5 of the 8) - Gloomhaven vs Scythe (GH is currently leading), 7 Wonders vs Terraforming Mars (TM is winning), and Terra Mystica vs Pandemic Legacy (PL leading). I may have to vote for what I know in the coming rounds - we'll see how I feel.

See you next round and be sure to check us out at PunchBoard Media!