FDQ: What Was Your Best Trade?

Board games are expensive, and many gamers don't get a chance to play every game they have anyway, yet there is still the desire for the new, the untested experience. This, of course, makes trading an attractive option. Which brings us to today's question: what was your best board gaming trade? Answer in the comments!

@FarmerLenny answers:
It's no secret that I am a board game trading maniac. Because my wife and I use an allowance system and I don't have a lot to invest in the hobby, I try to make my dollar stretch as far as possible. The way I do this is if there is a game that either I don't love or my friends aren't excited to play, after a short grieving period in the latter case, I trade it away.

I've landed some sweet trades. There was the time I traded BoomBlox: Bash Party (the Wii game) for Puerto Rico or Citadels for At the Gates of Loyang in a math trade. (Math trades, for those not in the know, are trades by computer algorithm; a more detailed explanation is here.) These were both trade ups in terms of value. But perhaps my greatest trade in terms of usability was the Settlers of Catan 5-6 player expansion (a game I still hadn't used after three years of ownership) for For Sale (a game I play all the time). I will also occasionally "trade" a game by selling it and using the proceeds to reinvest in the hobby. In that case, perhaps my greatest "trade" was Pirate's Cove for El Grande. In any case, my collection is often fluid because of the trades.

@Futurewolfie answers:
I'm definitely the kind of person that likes to collect and keep.  I have a few board games that haven't been touched in a while, but you never know when the right mood will strike.  At the very least, if the game is something different than anything else I own, it will probably stay for a while.

That being said, there does come a time when you realize a game just isn't going to hit the table, or it's too similiar to another game.  Dragon Parade was just never going to show up with my gaming group, and Android was too long to be worth it. At least we had our fun with Android, but I traded it away for the much shorter Shadows over Camelot, which was a win.  But really, that's all I've traded so far.

Still, I'm looking forward to this year's GenCon math trade (the same place I got rid of Android and Dragon Parade), which is a great way to pass on a game relatively risk-free and without having to pay shipping.  So if anyone's interested in Frag, Cave Troll, Tobago, or Wits and Wagers... those are all on my "to trade" list.

I (Don't) See My Friends (a review of Friday)

It's not often on iSlaytheDragon that we review games solo. After all, our shtick is nemesis reviews. Basically, solo reviews happen when one of us goes on vacation or when the other one has a baby (or, more appropriately, his wife does). But today's solo review is a result neither of sun nor son. Rather, the game itself dictates the review style: Friday is a solo deck-building game. So how does it stack up? Read on, intrepid adventurer!

FDQ: What Is Your "Vegetables" Game?

"Eat your vegetables," your mother used to say (or might still say if you are still at home). And while she knew what was best for you, dang it, vegetables were (are?) gross! Like eating brussels sprouts or reading Ulysses, some gaming experiences have the feel of drudgery even if you recognize their genius. Which brings us to today's question: what board game for you is like eating vegetables? Answer in the comments!

@FarmerLenny answers:
Ha! You probably thought from the title of this post that I was going to ask what your favorite game involving vegetables is (if that's the case, mine is probably At the Gates of Loyang, unless beans count, in which case it's Bohnanza). But that is not the question!

The game to me that is most like eating vegetables is Glen More. I recognize that the game has some excellent mechanics, especially the warehouse buying/selling system, but each experience with the game feels dry (maybe like the whiskey in it?). It feels in many ways like the kind of game I should enjoy: it's got a very Euro feel, a novel turn-order system, multiple scoring options, and an interesting spin on tile laying, but the game just hasn't connected yet for me. Maybe I need to turn on some Monarch of the Glen and drink Irn-Bru to get the full effect of it. (Then again, both of these feel like vegetables-eating experiences, too, so...)

@Futurewolfie answers:
Well I actually liked most vegetables I was fed growing up... so there you have it.  But I'd hate to ruin @FarmerLenny's metaphor, so the game that I don't really like that other people seem to rate highly is, you guessed it, RA.  Apparently it's a cleverly implemented bidding game with a unique scoring system that offers strategy and replayability... but it just doesn't do it for me.  Doesn't click.  Does not cause me to have fun.

Incidentally, it seems that I don't actually own any games with vege-meeples.  Sad day.  Gotta work on that collection.

My Year in Games

Apparently I played a lot of 7 Wonders this year...

I'm something of an archivist and always have been. I enjoy documenting and tracking both collections and the things I do. For several years I've kept a logbook of every book I've read throughout the year. Around April 2011, I began tracking my board game plays on Board Game Geek. Since that time, here are my "nickels and dimes," games I've played 5+ and 10+ times: