Which one of these have you tried? At what point should it just be a computer game?
Personally, most complex game I tried is Ark Nova which did not even make it on this list.
Even some simpler games can have a lot of dependencies that make playing tedious like Hogwarts Battle
Basically yeah, it’s hard to get to the table because it’s a massive commitment. Also the rules are pretty crazy, you really need to have several people know the rules otherwise you’ll probably be missing things. It was definitely a cool experience though, just one that’s hard to get to the table since I either play with my family (who would never play a game this heavy) or friends who are typically busy with kids so we need to keep games under 2 hours.
I was excited to see someone mention this game! I have it too, but have yet to find anyone to play it with.
I would highly recommend checking out some of the files that users have posted on Board Game Geek, which include player-made rules variants that think improve the game - a major rules variant I have always wanted to try is the Co-Op variant, which allows you to work with other players to solve the murder and work against the conspiracy to cover it up.
BGG Files for Android
It doesn’t solve the problem of complexity, as there is a LOT to cover, especially since the way the Co-Op rules materials were created basically require learning the game twice: learning the original rules and then learning what is added/changed when making the game Co-Op. I felt like the Co-Op rules improved a lot, though, especially because the original rules had the “ask” of learning such a complex game followed by you causing extreme trauma to the other player’s characters (ex. “haha, I just caused your character’s wife to leave him and now he’s contemplating suicide”).
Making the game cooperative helps with that saltiness; at least you, the teacher, are no longer responsible for the bad things happening to the other player’s characters.
Woah thanks for that. I’ll check it out. It was definitely an experience to play. I’d love to be able to dedicate a day to it again, especially with my Netrunner group.
Yeah it makes sense, sounds like a pity though! But maybe the game could use a redesign to make it a bit less tedious
Definitely, the concept of a cyberpunk murder mystery is very cool. When you play it, you definitely feel like you’re in a blade runner like story. It’s just the mechanics are fiddly and the game is definitely weighed down by its complexity.