Am I the only one who thinks modern board games lost their charm?

I used to be all about those new hot games coming out every month. But after about three years of chasing Kickstarter hype, I started noticing a big difference. The games I played in 2019 felt tighter and more focused, like they were made by people who actually played them a ton. Now it feels like everyone is trying to cram in too many miniatures or gimmicks to justify the price tag. I went back to playing my old copy of Tigris and Euphrates from 2005 last weekend, and it just clicked way better than any new release I've tried. The rules were simple but the strategy went deep, no extra fluff. What changed with modern design to make everything so bloated? Has anyone else gone back to older games and felt the same way?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricialee11d ago

Blame the Kickstarter arms race. Publishers need flashy miniatures and promises to stand out now, not solid gameplay. Wish they'd just focus on making the game fun again instead of making it look expensive.

blair_martin11d ago

Take the opposite side here, patricialee, but good minis and production value do matter to a lot of people. A game that looks amazing on the table gets played more often in my group than one that's just solid on paper. Flashy components aren't a replacement for good design, but they're not the enemy either.

lindal1311d ago

Heard a podcast where they said minis sell but don't keep games in print.