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The Board Game of the Alpha Nerds (2014)

124 points · 65 comments · neonate

  1. pavel_lishin · · focus · HN ↗
    I bet my experience would have been better if I were playing with people I knew, but the one time I played it, I didn't have a great time. (Yes, of course I was betrayed and stabbed in the back by another player; but that was expected! And as the one newbie who didn't know anyone, I knew my time was numbered.)

    I think I mostly hated the map; it was difficult to read, and I made at least two mistakes because the regions in the center were tiny and hard to parse out for me.

    But... also, this sort of thing just doesn't appeal to me. I really like Secret Hitler, but otherwise, the social-deduction style of game doesn't appeal to me. But I'm very glad that this game exists, and that people are way into it.

    1. spencerflem · · focus · HN ↗
      I can’t play it with people I know, after genuinely upsetting some friends in a backstab. With strangers meeting only for the game it feels a lot more expected and less personal
      1. 2muchcoffeeman · · focus · HN ↗
        Finding a good group is hard. Too many board gamers don’t realise that these are _games_.
        1. ViscountPenguin · · focus · HN ↗
          It just depends on the person I think, nothing inherently wrong with the fact that some people take it a bit personally, just don't invite them back. Personally I love root, but there are definitely people who are a little sensitive to play it with; it really has to be the type of friend who can see the humour in a good backstab.
          1. 2muchcoffeeman · · focus · HN ↗
            People like what they like.

            But when you play a game and it turns out you don’t like it, you need to do your best not to bring it down for everyone. I don’t even mean you can’t criticise the game. Go for it. But find ways to have fun. I like thinking up outlandish strategies and trying to make it work.

            No one needs 2 plus hours of their lives ruined because someone threw a hissy fit over a game which has no real life consequences. It’s probably not healthy if you can’t distinguish fact from fiction either.

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