Online board gaming

[Drowsy Emperor]

I wasn't sure where to put this, as these are neither "real" computer games nor fit for PnP. I guess that for all intents and purposes a digital version of a board game is the same thing as any other digital game. The point of the topic is to introduce people into the world of "designer" board games in which more and more publishers embrace making a parallel digital version or allowing online platforms to do it for them.

 

One such platform is http://en.boardgamearena.com/#!welcome

 

Board game arena is completely free to use and the games released there were done in a deal with the publishers. It has quite a few popular board games and about a thousand people online most of the time. 

 

Another platform is VASSAL, which is an open source application that allows you to run modules that you can download from the VASSAL site. Most modules are made by the board game companies themselves. The downside of Vassal is that it doesn't automate much in general - most moves have to be done by hand (mouse) so a lot of the bookkeeping is a tad tedious to do on the PC. 

 

Steps for maximum ease of getting into this hobby:

 

1. Visit boardgamegeek.com and look through popular games to find something you like

2. Check out videos of the game on Youtube to see what it plays like

3. Find the online platform that allows you to play it

4. Download pdf rules from designer website, learn them

5. Profit

 

Alternatively:

1. make an account on en.boardgamearena.com

2. look at the step by step plays of games available there, videos and rules... spectate a few games

3. start playing 

 

[LadyCrimson]

I don't see RISK.  Or Scrabble. I'm such a fuddy-duddy.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Risk, Scrabble and Monopoly get the same reaction in the board gamer community as farting at a funeral

 

Pseudo elitism aside, there are many many better games available but they don't have the power of the major toy manufactures to back them up

[LadyCrimson]

Oh I'm sure there are better board games, many of which I've never heard of/seen. I was just joking. I've rarely liked board games when it's not in-person, tho. It's just not the same for me. Plus I stopped playing board games in my early-mid 20's, too, so anything new is over my head.

 

I remember way back when there were people who wrote some scrabble-imitation games, back when there wasn't an official software version, which the company didn't like...

 

I still mean to learn Go someday. When I was a kid, instead my parents got me something called Pente. I liked the colored glass stones.

[Humanoid]

Obviously the best board game to play on a PC would be Jones: In the Fast Lane. Of all the Sierra games getting reborn on Kickstarter, why not this? Whyyyyy?

[Drowsy Emperor]

Oh I'm sure there are better board games, many of which I've never heard of/seen. I was just joking. I've rarely liked board games when it's not in-person, tho. It's just not the same for me. Plus I stopped playing board games in my early-mid 20's, too, so anything new is over my head.

 

I remember way back when there were people who wrote some scrabble-imitation games, back when there wasn't an official software version, which the company didn't like...

 

I still mean to learn Go someday. When I was a kid, instead my parents got me something called Pente. I liked the colored glass stones.

 

You seem to have a thing for Dungeon Keeper. There is a board game adaptation called Dungeon Lords, you might want to check it out. It has the players building up a dungeon, recruiting creatures etc. for a few turns until adventurers invade. Its a great game, but a heavy brain burner. There's no online adaptation though at the moment. You never know what might grab you when you least expect it 

 

Edited December 5, 2014 by Drowsy Emperor

[Drowsy Emperor]

I thought this topic could also be useful to pile in some of the board game adaptations of computer games people here know. So for all Master of Orion and space 4x lovers we have:
 

 

Its heavily abstracted of course since its only cards and plays in about 20 minutes, but I've played it.. a couple of hundred times.

 

Available on Board game arena.

[Endrosz]

There is a German site called Brettspielwelt. Available in other languages. I tallied a total of 51 games you can play, including favorites like Settlers of Catan, Power Grid, Carcassone and 7 Wonders.