Theory - The Thoughtful Gamer https://thethoughtfulgamer.com Board Game Reviews, Analysis, and Strategy Sat, 09 Jul 2022 06:55:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/cropped-TTGlogoWHITELETTERS-5-32x32.png Theory - The Thoughtful Gamer https://thethoughtfulgamer.com 32 32 124167274 Thoughts on Asymmetry Part 2: Design Challenges https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/07/09/thoughts-on-asymmetry-part-2-design-challenges/ https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/07/09/thoughts-on-asymmetry-part-2-design-challenges/#respond Sat, 09 Jul 2022 06:55:29 +0000 https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/?p=3802 Last week I attempted to classify asymmetry in games, and I think I was fairly successful at doing so (let me know if you have any ideas to improve my classifications). This week I want to talk about the design challenges and opportunities you may face when designing a game with strong or extreme asymmetry. …

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The post Thoughts on Asymmetry Part 2: Design Challenges appeared first on The Thoughtful Gamer.]]> https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/07/09/thoughts-on-asymmetry-part-2-design-challenges/feed/ 0 3802 Thoughts on Asymmetry Part 1: Classification https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/07/01/thoughts-on-asymmetry-part-1-classification/ https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/07/01/thoughts-on-asymmetry-part-1-classification/#comments Fri, 01 Jul 2022 20:08:30 +0000 https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/?p=3788 Asymmetry’s all the rage these days. It gained traction with the promise of unique player experiences each game and has only been bolstered by the success of games like Root. Some of the Thoughtful Gamer patrons were discussing this subject on our discord channel the other day, and someone remarked that they think there’s a …

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The post Thoughts on Asymmetry Part 1: Classification appeared first on The Thoughtful Gamer.]]> https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/07/01/thoughts-on-asymmetry-part-1-classification/feed/ 1 3788 When/Why is Calculation Fun? https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/06/10/when-why-is-calculation-fun/ https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/06/10/when-why-is-calculation-fun/#comments Sat, 11 Jun 2022 02:23:43 +0000 https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/?p=3710 How much of the board game experience is basic arithmetic? I know that there are some people who actively reject any game that resembles a static puzzle too much. They argue that the best gaming experience is gained through the messy, endlessly fascinating machinations of the other players. I have no argument against this. Some …

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The post When/Why is Calculation Fun? appeared first on The Thoughtful Gamer.]]> https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/06/10/when-why-is-calculation-fun/feed/ 4 3710 Downtime Isn’t a Four-Letter word https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/04/04/downtime-isnt-a-four-letter-word/ https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/04/04/downtime-isnt-a-four-letter-word/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2022 03:45:42 +0000 https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/?p=3483 One of the most impressive feats of televised commentating I can remember was during the famous Go matches between Lee Sedol and the AlphaGo computer programming. While Lee sat in silence, sometimes for many minutes, the expert commentators would dissect the position and hypothesize future lines of play. It was absolutely engrossing. I had to …

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The post Downtime Isn’t a Four-Letter word appeared first on The Thoughtful Gamer.]]> https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/04/04/downtime-isnt-a-four-letter-word/feed/ 4 3483 When Does Knowing The Odds Ruin The Experience? https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/03/01/when-does-knowing-the-odds-ruin-the-experience/ https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/03/01/when-does-knowing-the-odds-ruin-the-experience/#respond Wed, 02 Mar 2022 03:52:42 +0000 https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/?p=3394 Never Tell Me The Odds Star GIFfrom Never Tell Me The Odds GIFs Scenario 1: I’m playing a game of Pandemic and we’re reaching the breaking point. We need to last one more turn to win the game. We have one more flip of the infection deck and based on how the deck has been …

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The post When Does Knowing The Odds Ruin The Experience? appeared first on The Thoughtful Gamer.]]> https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/03/01/when-does-knowing-the-odds-ruin-the-experience/feed/ 0 3394 Sidereal Confluence and the Beauty of Trade https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/02/21/sidereal-confluence-and-the-beauty-of-trade/ https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/02/21/sidereal-confluence-and-the-beauty-of-trade/#respond Mon, 21 Feb 2022 17:24:33 +0000 https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/?p=3385 This is part 1 of a series where I explore how games illustrate economic concepts. I’ve got at least one more planned. After that, who knows? Sometimes a return to the fundamentals refreshes curiosity and realigns the mind. This series on the way games illustrate basic economic principles will not be anything new to people …

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The post Sidereal Confluence and the Beauty of Trade appeared first on The Thoughtful Gamer.]]> https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/02/21/sidereal-confluence-and-the-beauty-of-trade/feed/ 0 3385 Can Horror Work In Board Games? https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/02/07/can-horror-work-in-board-games/ https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/02/07/can-horror-work-in-board-games/#comments Mon, 07 Feb 2022 20:56:19 +0000 https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/?p=3353 It strikes me as odd that there are so many board games with horror themes but no board game has ever come close to horrifying me. In fact, I’ve never heard of anyone having a horror-experience with a board game, with one small notable exception.  Why are there so many horror games, then? It’s clear …

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The post Can Horror Work In Board Games? appeared first on The Thoughtful Gamer.]]> https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/02/07/can-horror-work-in-board-games/feed/ 8 3353 Dune: Imperium and Mage Knight. Lessons in Deckbuilding https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2021/09/02/dune-imperium-and-mage-knight-lessons-in-deckbuilding/ https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2021/09/02/dune-imperium-and-mage-knight-lessons-in-deckbuilding/#respond Thu, 02 Sep 2021 05:19:14 +0000 https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/?p=3080 I don’t know why, but the lesson game designers seemed to take from Dominion is that deckbuilding is cool, but it’s not random enough. Or perhaps that’s just what has risen to the top in popularity. Star Realms, Ascension, Clank, and now Dune: Imperium have all gained tremendous popularity despite utilizing what I find to …

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The post Dune: Imperium and Mage Knight. Lessons in Deckbuilding appeared first on The Thoughtful Gamer.]]> https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2021/09/02/dune-imperium-and-mage-knight-lessons-in-deckbuilding/feed/ 0 3080 Further Thoughts on Macro-Theming https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2021/07/20/further-thoughts-on-macro-theming/ https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2021/07/20/further-thoughts-on-macro-theming/#respond Wed, 21 Jul 2021 03:48:52 +0000 https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/?p=3030 I’ve received some great comments in response to last week’s article about micro- and macro-theming. After considering them I don’t think I explained the idea of macro-thematic as well as I had wanted. I’m going to take this article to go into a bit more detail and to offer some other tangential thoughts related to …

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The post Further Thoughts on Macro-Theming appeared first on The Thoughtful Gamer.]]> https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2021/07/20/further-thoughts-on-macro-theming/feed/ 0 3030 Micro- and Macro-Theme, Immersion, Why Words Are Fuzzy and Weird, etc. etc. https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2021/07/16/micro-and-macro-theme-immersion-why-words-are-fuzzy-and-weird-etc-etc/ https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2021/07/16/micro-and-macro-theme-immersion-why-words-are-fuzzy-and-weird-etc-etc/#comments Sat, 17 Jul 2021 00:28:34 +0000 https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/?p=3018 The way the word “theme” is often used in reference to board games isn’t particularly useful. I’m not here to dictate to people how they define words, but I do think I can make a pretty good case that we should open our minds to a different and more complex understanding of what theme can …

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The post Micro- and Macro-Theme, Immersion, Why Words Are Fuzzy and Weird, etc. etc. appeared first on The Thoughtful Gamer.]]> https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2021/07/16/micro-and-macro-theme-immersion-why-words-are-fuzzy-and-weird-etc-etc/feed/ 2 3018