Christmas Party - Dates and Games

Was talking with Karlb yesterday and now would seem an apt time to organise the Board Games Club Christmas Party...

The plan would have a similar feel to last year - Tuesday evening (7pm-late; as per usual) at the Redhouse - everyone bring a dish or 2 to form a massive buffet for the group (Danny has agreed). Then we eat and play some party style games and give out some prizes (purchased using club funds). Remember - this is an event for members and family/spouse... everyone welcome so long as they bring a dish .

So first off - date - select that in the poll... we go for the most popular. Multiple choices and vote cancelling allowed. We have avoided the week before Xmas as people are likely to be travelling home to families etc.

Then below discuss which Party games we could play. Last year we played PitchCar - It worked really well... we had several copies of the game to run small heats (with everyone involved) the top 3 from each heat then went into a big 12 player final. The winner and runner-up took home prizes. That's the kind of game we are looking at... quick simple and anyone can join in...  

Initial ideas are - PitchCar again... maybe King of Tokyo? Can you think of any others? Not Avalon!

After purchasing the URL for 2 years the club funds probably wont stretch to a decent prize - so we might ask for another £1 contribution towards this... lets see how things are looking closer to the time...

Sounds great! I haven't played Pitch Car so that would be a winner as far as I'm concerned...

Other ideas (not sure if anyone owns these, though, and I haven't played either):
Two Rooms & A Boom - can play with any number of people, Redhouse would be well-suited (having separate rooms)
Ugg-Tect - not sure if you can play with a *lot* of people, but the idea of grunting at people and bashing them with an inflatable club sounds pretty good

Once we have a list of possible games I'll start another poll...

Two rooms and a boom could be a good shout . Also expecting to get disagreed with but werewolf with lots of people and a nice christmas theme story

Any of the three possibles is currently fine with me so have voted for them all.

As for games... Personally I've gone right off the standard version of Werewolf so I'm not too keen on that (although by then I should have my hands on the "One-Night..." version (which plays up to 10 I think).

Pitch Car is a fun party game - the only reason I might want to look elsewhere is simply that we did it last time and I'd like to mix it up

The problem with Avalon, Werewolf, etc is that the format doesn't lend itself to resulting in a 1st, 2nd, 3rd place; you win and lose as a team. It needs to be something that lends itself to heats, with a definitive number of people through to the next round/final and ultimately leaving us with a winner. It also needs to be a game that we own several copies of between us, hence my suggestion of King of Tokyo.

4/5/6 heats with 6 people and the winner of each going in to a final is a good format and would leave plenty of time and space around that to play other games (which will have a trong party game feel too).

More than happy to throw £1 towards a game. I guess you'd have to taken donations ahead of time to ensure a prize fund.

Finally, can we get Joel to come with another of his famous yuletide logs? I'll text him...

Aneurin wrote:Not Avalon!

Oh no!

I'd really love to play 2 Rooms and a Boom. Also One Night Werewolf (when do we get the KS expansions anyone?). Also regular Werewolf we played before was fun...

I should get my copy of the Resistance KS expansions before December too (they're due for November delivery). Not sure if there would be any mechanics there that lend themselves to 1st, 2nd, 3rd place. One way to get a winner with team games is if everyone plays, say 3 games, and gets a token for each time they're on a winning team. After everyone plays 3 games, person with most tokens wins.

Also Pitch Car would good.

I think Resistance and games of that ilk are too divisive - as much as I like them, there are many within the club who hate them. Perhaps something a little more universally liked?

Bunglebogs wrote:I think Resistance and games of that ilk are too divisive - as much as I like them, there are many within the club who hate them. Perhaps something a little more universally liked?

Yes - I agree with this. If people want to take part in activities like this then that's all fine... I won't be participating though. Lets play games!!!  

Pitchcar was definitely a great choice last year.... 7 Wonders is pretty short and a good fun game....as is Rise of AUGUSTUS.... King of Tokyo (maybe with short game groups of 5/6 players... unlike the epic 9 player game we played last year which went on for e..v..e..r....)

In favour of KoT over Pitchcar but Pitchcar will still work. I do fucking hate resistance though.
I think KoT will allow everyone to be involved all throughout instead of switching out and waiting for your game.

mrqwak wrote:

I'd really love to play 2 Rooms and a Boom. Also One Night Werewolf (when do we get the KS expansions anyone?).

If you paid early shipping then probably mid-December else February/March

I agree with everyone above that those sort of games don't lend themselves to this. Coup or Mascarade might work but not team-based games.

I'm also fine with KoT btw

Yep, agreed. Resistance and Avalon type games do seem to be the Marmite of the gaming world; better to have something that will be more universally liked.

I'm not sure if 2 Rooms and a Boom would work, in terms of a competition and having an overall winner; and I've never played it, but from what I've seen (on YouTube) it looks like a lot of fun, and a bit of a break from the norm; also, I think Pitch Car would be a blast too.

Also, are we looking just for games that will work in terms of a competition, resulting in 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc? Would we be playing other games too, like a regular Tuesday night? How does it normally work (wasn't here last year)?

On a side-note; can't wait for the One Night Werewolf expansion to arrive; not sure if I paid for fast shipping though. We should definitely have a game sometime though.

Well if you did we will have 3 copies of Daybreak
I actually like Resistance/Avalon - but not marmite... games like that would be good at splitting the group down quickly... but yes too many people dislike them... there are games like Big Points or Tumbling dice that could work? Any other dexterity games? Twister?

The idea is that there is food, a competition game and then as people are knocked out they play their usual Tuesday night games...

We could spin it around - Tuesday night games the winner of each game goes into a final competition?

X-Wing!

Kidding... I'm not sure about KoT though, it's great, but takes a bit of a while to play. I think something shorter and sillier might be better. Pitchcar's fine, or Jungle Speed? Something where people who've played before don't have an advantage. I'll have a think. Definitely not any hidden role games though, you'll divide the group.

Fine with the competition/food plan though, sounds good.

Oh, and I'm vetoing Twister.

That's not happening.

CocoaCocoabo wrote:
Oh, and I'm vetoing Twister.

That's not happening.

I'm sensing you have bad memories from childhood
Anyone got that Mexican dice wrestling game? Or ninja dice? Or Zombie dice? They would be quick and simple...

They are pure luck though. Jungle speed could be good but I think I have the only copy

That's the point, anyone can win... even children if they come... it should be fun and completely unpredictable - isn't KoT luck based? It has the same push your luck mechanic?

Play X-wing and you win...
Play Agricola and I win...

I would say Rampage sorry Terror in Meeple city... but at only 4 players and the setup time even that's not ideal... could make for a fun final game though?

King of Tokyo is luck based but allows you some control and flexibility. Zombie dice etc is just repeated rolling it can be fun but there really isn't any skill at all. I don't mind something simple, but let there be some skill allowed.

What about Ninja Dice?

Haven't played that one

Rampage is a good suggestion.
How about Cash n Guns and Saboteur, they're quick, easy to learn and strategically light?

For the contest Saboteur has the same issue as Resistance/Werewolf - its team-based... Although I suppose it does have that gold scoring mechanic you can use... hmmm....

Yup, most gold mined wins.

Thats not a bad idea, and there are at least a couple of decks owned by the club members, if not more, plus it scales pretty well. I'll put a vote down for that one

Ghost blitz would work well...