There are times when I don’t get many opportunities to bring any physical boardgames to the table, luckily there are many of my favorite games available on sites like Yucata.de, GameTableOnline.com and Boardgaming-Online.com. Here are three of my favorite implementations that I’ve been able to enjoy recently.
Through the Ages (http://boardgaming-online.com)
Through the Ages on boardgaming-online.com (image by doom18)
Considering my first live, advanced game with 2 players lasted about 4 ½ hours to play, it was pretty obvious that this meant playing in person was not going to be a regular occurrence. So having a really well done online implementation has allowed my gaming group to learn the game together without the commitment of multiple hours of watching your civilization sputter along with no chance to win. The live game is definitely much more difficult because you can’t take hours optimizing your turn, like you can do playing online. For inexperienced players (like me) it has been a really good way to learn the ins and outs of a very deep and challenging game. I’m certainly looking forward to playing my next in person game to see if all the online “practice” has paid off.
Stone Age (http://yucata.de)
Stone Age on yucata.de
Stone Age has become one of my all time favorite games. So simple to teach and play, yet so many different strategies to victory. Like many games on yucata.de, the implementation of Stone Age is top notch. The board looks very pretty and all of the components are represented appropriately, including the cavemeeples. Keeping track of all of your cards is done through a large popup panel, displaying each card large enough to be able to read all the icons. Sure, playing the game in person is more enjoyable, but playing on online can be a great way to try out new strategies or just a way to play a game with friends between game nights.
Acquire (http://gametableonline.com)
Acquire on GameTableOnline.com
The first time I played Acquire I got slaughtered. It was a 4 player game and I think every other player at least doubled my score. It was definitely a overwhelming experience, but I vowed to get better. Since I didn’t own a copy myself and even if I did, I don’t think it would be a game that would be easy to get to the table at my house. So one option I had was GameTableOnline. They have a Java based version that can be played against AI for free. After playing multiple games the AI isn’t perfect, which means I was actually able to win a game or two! The best part of Acquire on GameTableOnline is that it plays quickly. Playing with humans is great, but generally when you have a 4 player game at least one of the players will have AP and slow everyone down. Like with Stone Age, playing in person is better, but for learning the game you can’t beat the GameTableOnline version.
Let’s hear from you
Are there any games that you enjoy playing online? Let me know on Twitter @ianoble or submit a comment below!
