We will occasionally take a hard look at our collection and decide that some of the games in it are too similar to other, better games, or just aren't as fun as they originally appeared to be. Luckily for us, our local game store takes in used games for trade, so we have an easy funnel to drop unwanted games into.
Here are a few that failed their performance review and had to be let go:
Bang! the Duel If I'm honest, I think I love the idea of Bang! rather than the reality of it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the game, but the high player count needed means it's a struggle to get it to the table, and at the end of the day I think I enjoy the artwork and the western theme more than the actual game. I was initially excited about the two player version as something I would be able to play more often, but in reality it just never seems to hit the table.
- Original rating: 4
- What we'll play instead: Tiny Epic Western is our current go-to wild west game, and Spurs is one I would like to spend more time with.
D6 Shooter A Kickstarter game that dazzled me with some very slick graphic design, and another with what is turning out to be my Achilles' heel, a wild west theme. We played it several times, and the theme and design just couldn't disguise the fact that it's a very basic, dull and repetitive press-your-luck dice game.
- What we'll play instead: In addition to the above western games, if we want to play a dice game we have Discoveries, Elder Sign, or even Age of War if we want something simple and quick, and Dino Hunt Dice is a more engaging but just as simple press-your-luck game.
Doctor Who Risk: the Dalek Invasion of Earth The Doctor Who theme is fun and addresses some of the issues I have with Risk, but it's still Risk. There are many similar but much better alternatives if you want an "armies on a map" game, and I'm hoping that Gale Force Nine's upcoming Doctor Who board game is going to fill my need for a good Doctor Who game.
- Original rating: 3
- What we'll play instead: Age of Conan, Star Wars: Rebellion (review coming soon), and War of the Ring are all much more interesting games that do Risk better than Risk does. Unfortunately there still aren't any good Doctor Who tabletop games...yet (I'm looking at you, Gale Force Nine).
Get Lucky My review of this game says it all: it's so similar to Kill Doctor Lucky that I can't see any reason to have both games.
- Original rating: 3 if you don't have Kill Doctor Lucky, 2 if you do.
- What we'll play instead: take a guess.
Helionox I love deck building games, and it's nice to see one that doesn't have 600 cards and come in a gigantic box, but this game's built-in time limit means that the game ends just as it's getting interesting.
- Original rating: 2
- What we'll play instead: Star Realms has a similar sci-fi theme, and there are plenty of other great deck building games out there.
Rex: Final Days of an Empire This Twilight Imperium re-skin of the classic Dune board game is an excellent update of the game, fixing some of what makes the original a little on the slow and dry side. However, it only shines as a game with 5 or 6 players, and getting that many people to play a game set in a universe they know nothing about is next to impossible, so Rex just never makes it to the table. It's a pity the publisher wasn't able to get the Dune license.
- Original rating: 4
- What we'll play instead: Dune, if we can get enough players. Risk-style games like Age of Conan or Star Wars: Rebellion scratch some of the same itch, or even Battlestar Galactica (especially with a Cylon Leader player) if you're looking for a game with uncertain alliances.
Star Trek Panic In my original review I hailed this game's lighter tone and less complex game play when compared to other Star Trek games in our collection, but that's probably what's preventing it from getting to the table. Star Trek Expeditions is a great cooperative game with a bit more depth to it, and while it is ostensibly based on the 2009 Star Trek reboot, the game's story and structure play out like an episode of the original series.
- Original Rating: 4
- What we'll play instead: If we're in the mood for a cooperative game we usually want something more deep and immersive like Mansions of Madness or Legendary Encounters, and if we want something lighter we'll lean towards Star Trek Expeditions, or the Reiner Knizia Lord of the Rings game.