I'm an avid gamer of all sorts of games, card, board, etc. I'm having a party in August with my friends, also gamers, but we can no longer have marathon sessions of games like we used to (*cry*) so I'm looking for a board game that we can play from start to finish in 3 hours. I know it'll take us longer than 3 hours because we have people that strategize everything to the Nth degree.

I was thinking of the game Puerto Rico, I've played it once, it was fun. That's the sort of game. Strategy but fast moving. But I'm looking for other ideas. Monopoly, Risk, etc... need not apply. :p

Suggestions?

<a href="http://www.rainydaygames.us/Product.asp?Product=FBI6001&Mark=FO-FBI6001">Nuclear War</a>

Looks like fun! We used to play a game my friend invented called "Nuke Wars". Basically you had nuclear technologies and lots of instability that could start a war. The goal of the game was to get the most "dessert". You got a portion of the dessert at the end of the game, that was proportioned according to how much of your starting territory wasn't rubble. Sometimes we had to flush the entire dessert down the toilet...

The Greatest game I have ever played is called Rail Baron.
It's along the concept of Monopoly but with more strategy....

You have a map of the country back in the 1800s and its covered with rail lines. You are a rail freight operator. You roll destinations and then roll dice and move spots towards your destination. When you arrive you get paid based on the distance travelled and can use that money to purchase any one of the 26(or was it 27) rail lines that are unowned.

Now the catch is, when you ride on unowned or your own rail lines you must pay per turn for coal($1,000/turn) but when you need to ride on an opponants rail lines, you pay dearly(10,000/turn).

The idea is to build your own network that gets you cheaply to the most destinations while attempting to control cities and paths that force others to pay you to use your lines.

First one to make 200k and return to their home city, wins.

It's a great game I have loved for many years and strongly reccommend anyone who's enjoyed Monopoly but thinks it lacks strategy to try it.

The downside is the game is long since out of production. You can still purchase it used on Ebay for 30 or so dollars. WELL worht it if your a board gamer.


Rail Baron - Game of Building Railroad Empires by Avalon Hill

Yes! Agreed. I love Railroad Baron too. In fact, we've been trying to complete 1 game and we've taken probably 14 hours so far. So despite the fact its an awesome game, not so good for a short-game party day. I wish they'd make that game so you could play online with your friends.

Does it have to be a board game?

Mafia (http://www.princeton.edu/~mafia/rules.htm) is my favorite group of people game.

Absolutely not required to be a board game. I was considering "Democrazy" or a game where you vote on rules to win. ::D

Shorter card games (can be played multiple times in a row):

Chez Geek
Munchkin/Super Munchkin
Munchkin Fu
Guillotine
Flux (a game in which strategy is a losing proposition, and winning is largely random)

Board games (dunno how many people you'll have over)

Evo (up to 5 people)
Settlers of Katan (or Cities and Knights, or Seafarers of Katan) 4-6 depending on if you have the expansion

and my all time favorite (you'd have to buy it off eBay, it's not made anymore):

RoboRally! Plays up to 8 people (more if you want to create extra people using old monopoly parts like the shoe/iron etc) and difficulty is based on the number of boards and where you place your rally checkpoints so it can be as short or long a game as you'd like.

Ah! Robo Rally is fun, haven't played that in ages.

Another one I just thought of is Swashbuckler, or Adventure. Its a board game that simulates a barroom brawl in the Dumas era... or in the Star Wars era... depends on the side of the board you use.

I was thinking of Settler of Catan too, but it only went to 4 players. I might have more than 6 :(

A lot of the good German games will probably suit you. They really seem to have a board games culture over there still and produce a lot of medium duration games with simple rules and deeper strategies. There are plenty of little packet card games that are good for 45 minutes or so too.

Off the top of my head I'd suggest something like Euphrat and Tigris, El Grande, Medici, Ra, St Petersburg, or Alhambra. I'm sure I've played plenty of other nice games recently but it's hard to remember them all.

More than six for a stratgey board game can really slow things down. You might want to look for a clever card game where everyone is playing at much the same time, even if they often turn out to be a bit silly too :).

Yes! Agreed. I love Railroad Baron too. In fact, we've been trying to complete 1 game and we've taken probably 14 hours so far. So despite the fact its an awesome game, not so good for a short-game party day. I wish they'd make that game so you could play online with your friends.


Hmmm, I've NEVER had a game go over 3 hours. Sure we talking the same game?

As for computer, there is a computer versoin but lacks the magic of the board game IMO..... http://www.insystem.com/rbp/rbp.htm

Railroad Barons of 1880 something like that? Takes us forever to play that game. Lots of strategizing, plus I have one friend that always takes forever on his turn. Me, I just slap stuff down, but some of my friends take games a lot more seriously than I do.

Railroad Barons of 1880 something like that? Takes us forever to play that game. Lots of strategizing, plus I have one friend that always takes forever on his turn. Me, I just slap stuff down, but some of my friends take games a lot more seriously than I do.

This one....
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2530&item=5979404710&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW#ebayphotohosting

Looks like a different game! Odd how there are so many railroad based games out there.

Try it. I promise you will like it and if you don't, it WILL sell on ebay.
I'd send ya mine but I refuse to let go of it!!

I was thinking of the game Puerto Rico, I've played it once, it was fun. That's the sort of game. Strategy but fast moving. But I'm looking for other ideas. Monopoly, Risk, etc... need not apply.


WTH?? there's a game called Puerto Rico?? Weird!! I don't think they sell it here though... (i r teh puertorican)

Oh cool, Nimchip! You should check it out. Its from a German game company that makes awesome games. I don't remember much about it except sheep...

ich spreche klein deutsch~

Actually are those games real? Have a link or something? rofl.

Here's a link to a review: http://www.pevans.co.uk/Reviews/PuertoRico.html