What's a game you've played that you're surprised isn't really popular?
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I could name so many tabletop RPGs for this. Unfortunately, since Hasbro has dominated the space like a generational pile of elephant dung for over 2 decades now, and TSR actually did manage to make a few smart marketing decisions before Dragon Dice and the bankruptcy, I guess I can't be too shocked.
So I guess I'll go with a board game. Tsuro - The Game of the Path. It's super-simple to learn and play, can be interesting for kids and adults alike, and it's just a really solid, fun, game. There's even an iOS version. I don't understand why it's a niche game instead of being front-and-center ahead of Monopoly or Clue(do). It's not even prohibitively expensive, honestly - the wholly valid argument against Carcassonne and other niche games. There's no good reason I can think of why Ticket to Ride is more popular than Tsuro.
Wow! I still have my Dragon Dice in a box somewhere. A few of my friends had it and we played about 4 games before we got bored. Still something nostalgic about it for me though.
I also agree about Tsuro. Great fun!
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DotAge. It's a rogue-like turn-based strategy game where you try to build a village on cursed land, where you have visions of upcoming doom events and the eventual apocalypse. You have to balance stacking resources for growth and basic survival against efforts that will improve your chances of surviving doom events.
The board obviously is different every time. The factors you have to weigh and plan for are just complex enough, and just enough of the future is beyond your sight and control. The gameplay mechanics also change just a bit every time, due to a new mix of buildings and resource gathering methods, as well as new random events that can sometimes have a huge effect on your strategy. You're not just accounting for randomness in your strategy--you have to adjust how you play the game all the time.
Just when you think the game is getting easy, the next chapter drops, you start doing the math, and realize you have overlooked something that may doom your village, depending on whether the RNG punishes you sufficiently. There's definitely a big luck factor, as there is in real life. But you can make your own luck if you see far enough into the future and play well.
It's a very well-made game that can run on a potato, and I'm a little obsessed with it.
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DotAge. It's a rogue-like turn-based strategy game where you try to build a village on cursed land, where you have visions of upcoming doom events and the eventual apocalypse. You have to balance stacking resources for growth and basic survival against efforts that will improve your chances of surviving doom events.
The board obviously is different every time. The factors you have to weigh and plan for are just complex enough, and just enough of the future is beyond your sight and control. The gameplay mechanics also change just a bit every time, due to a new mix of buildings and resource gathering methods, as well as new random events that can sometimes have a huge effect on your strategy. You're not just accounting for randomness in your strategy--you have to adjust how you play the game all the time.
Just when you think the game is getting easy, the next chapter drops, you start doing the math, and realize you have overlooked something that may doom your village, depending on whether the RNG punishes you sufficiently. There's definitely a big luck factor, as there is in real life. But you can make your own luck if you see far enough into the future and play well.
It's a very well-made game that can run on a potato, and I'm a little obsessed with it.
Never heard of this and now I wanna give it a try!
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Would chess count?
I mean chess is not not popular by any stretch of the mind, a lot of people around the world are playing it every single day and that won't go away anytime soon, but I'm always surprised to see so much more excitement going on around a new version of This or That video game that people will play for a little while before switching to a newer version than for chess. Despite its apparent simplicity (and lack of visual effects), chess has remained a challenge for the smartest among us, and will keep on being so no matter how much better computers can be playing it.
Yeah but it doesn't have tech trees or fog of war
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I could name so many tabletop RPGs for this.
GURPS has been my obsession for a few years now. It's both the simplest, in terms of base mechanics, and most complex, in terms of optional rules, TTRPG I can imagine. It can handle literally any setting, play style, or crunch level with ease.
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Would chess count?
I mean chess is not not popular by any stretch of the mind, a lot of people around the world are playing it every single day and that won't go away anytime soon, but I'm always surprised to see so much more excitement going on around a new version of This or That video game that people will play for a little while before switching to a newer version than for chess. Despite its apparent simplicity (and lack of visual effects), chess has remained a challenge for the smartest among us, and will keep on being so no matter how much better computers can be playing it.
Chess has taken over a significant portion of my gaming time since getting into it a couple of years ago.
It's a beautifully deep game, and it's refreshing to be able to pour time into something with staying power that people of every age play all over the world.
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Quake Champions is pretty great, surprised it's not at least a little bigger
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Chess has taken over a significant portion of my gaming time since getting into it a couple of years ago.
It's a beautifully deep game, and it's refreshing to be able to pour time into something with staying power that people of every age play all over the world.
It's a beautifully deep game, and it's refreshing to be able to pour time into something with staying power that people of every age play all over the world.
So much this
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I could name so many tabletop RPGs for this.
GURPS has been my obsession for a few years now. It's both the simplest, in terms of base mechanics, and most complex, in terms of optional rules, TTRPG I can imagine. It can handle literally any setting, play style, or crunch level with ease.
I love GURPS, but have since moved to the Cypher System, which is mechanically beautiful and rewarding like nothing I’ve ever seen.
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Yeah but it doesn't have tech trees or fog of war
But it has kings and queens and knights, armies of pawns and thick towers to defend them during merciless battles. It also has bishops, but I much prefer the French name: les fous aka the crazy ones
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I thought Slice & Dice was going to take Steam by storm but it kinda just came and went. Amazing little roguelike dice battler
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I love GURPS, but have since moved to the Cypher System, which is mechanically beautiful and rewarding like nothing I’ve ever seen.
Yeah I looked at Cypher when I was looking for a new home after abandoning D&D5e, but the crunch of GURPS appealed to me. I like having optional play tested mechanics for everything, so my power gamers get consistent rulings but my casual players don't feel too much pressure.
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RS isnt really popular outside millennials groups, although it's declining a lot last few years
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RS isnt really popular outside millennials groups, although it's declining a lot last few years
Runescape?
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RS isnt really popular outside millennials groups, although it's declining a lot last few years
Ah, yes, Republika Srbska. The most dangerous game.
Wait...
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FTL with Multiverse Mod
Its essentially FTL 2.0
FTL is already underrated. And most people who do play just stops playing because it can get boring quickly. But Multiverse essentially bring more life to the game. Make the game like 50 times more fun.
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I played laser tag once and it was so incredibly underwhelming. I thought you'd see the laser in the air and I didn't see that. I much prefer airsoft. You'd probably have more fun playing airsoft with tracer rounds in the dark
Uh... every laser tag I've ever been to (even the cheap ones) had a visible beam as you shot.
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I think it was the cost. We would go do it but it was a bit pricier than seeing a movie or bowling or hanging at an arcade. Was great though. Super fun and great exercise. Our photon had coin operated guns above the arena so you could not just try and sit and snipe. I remember this guy who was so rediculously good at the game he beat my friends and I and his team was a bunch of kids.
I think it was the cost.
It was this. In fact, it was awkward all around. The dollar cost was high, you were stuck with the arena's schedule and openings, you had to add in time for travel to the site and waiting to get in, going through the suit up... or you could just log onto Call of HaloField Tournament 3 and get a similar hit but with more animated explosions and stuff.
I remember towards the end a few companies sold consumer lasertag kits for home use. I think one of them even had a "rocket launcher" with a little radio thing in the "rocket" to register hits? But they were also super expensive, never cross-compatible so good luck making a big team, and if one broke you were SOL because they only came in big packs.
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Airsoft has grown massively. While it is more of a whole day event, it fills that same niche but better in many ways.
Most lazertag places I remember seeing were inside or connected to arcades, and those really aren't a thing for kids these days either so it makes sense the lazertag places aren't as widespread as they used to be. If you're specifically going to travel to just do lazertag, you'll probably just travel to do airsoft or paintball.
I really wish there was a good airsoft group nearby me, but it seems like the only ones who are close by don't play on a schedule that works for me. It's really frustrating.
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Super Puzzle Fighter II: Turbo. Easily the most fun and competent puzzle game I have ever played. It is especially great with 2 players.
