The Dyslexic Gamer

 I was watching Jamey Stegmaier on uTube talking about his comfort games. You know intuitive to play, easy to set up, light on rules overhead but still with interesting decisions.

It was interesting that his tolerance to play long and complicated games back to back has diminished during the pandemic. I actually feel the opposite. I think playing so much on Yucata has meant that I able to play multiple games back to back or even simultaneously.

It has also given me a great number of games that I know the rules for well without having to consult the rules book. I am not going to include fillers in the list.

My comfort games include Little Town which is a really satisfying, tile activation game. It doesn’t get any simpler than this. On your turn simply place your meeple and activate the eight squares around it or build a building. It’s easy to set up and takes about thirty minutes to play. Despite this there is some strategy around which buildings to build and some track decisions. It also has some nice positive player interaction in that you can pay to use an opponents building.

Before lockdown my most played game (and indeed BGG’s most played game) was Wingspan There’s good reason for this. It’s about the right depth and length of play. Again easy to set up with no complicated scaling. The rules set is a tad complex but the rules are quick to pick up once you have played a few rounds. The most difficult decision is which cards to choose from your opening hand but with the quick start pack this is easy to teach to newbies.

My most played game is Cacao and this is so intuitive. The only slightly weird think is the checker board tile lay out but besides from this no rules overhead at all. But again so satisfying. A little bit more aggressive than some of the other games on this list.

Everdell for me is a bit like Wingspan. I’ve played this so much it just feels like coming home. But each games plays are really differently. This a bit more time consuming to set up than some of the other games on this list and longer too. But it still feel quite intuitive to me. We no longer bother with the tree. The only complex bit is the remembering what happens at the end of each season.

Carcassonne for me is such en elegant game with just the right amount of player interaction although it came be cutthroat at two player. Some will argue that the farmers take it out of this this but I disagree. Carcassonne is a game for me that’s deeper than it looks. Sure there’s a lot of luck, unless you draft for the tiles, but the more skilled player will always win. I get comfort is seeing that familiar landscape spreading out before me. I can’t wait for the Carcassonne: 20th Anniversary Edition edition. But the Winter edition is the most beautiful.

Istanbul is one of those games it’s impossible not to enjoy. I love the vibrancy and the different mechanisms. I like the multiple paths to victory. Again a tad tricky to teach and set ups a bit more complex than the other games on this list. But at least there is no adding up at the end. This is my bomb proof game. I have not had someone dislike it yet. Again just the right amount of player interaction.

Finally PARKS. This is literally a walk in the Park. Easy to teach, Intuitive, no set up to speak of (all the components ready to go in their trays) and doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.