Carcassonne

[Adrian (the other one)]

I'm entertaining thoughts of getting a Carcassonne game. Recently I've been looking for "gateway" type games that can still give experienced gamers some challenge. I got TTR: Nordic Countries recently and I've been fairly satisfied with it. So I've turned my attention here.

1. Should I go for the Big Box? Hunters and Gatherers or The City? I've been leaning on The City.
2. Or should I look elsewhere? I'm thinking about Glen More as a tile-laying substitute, but I'm scared it would be too complicated to introduce to non-gamers. Anything else?
3. Anybody selling/trading a copy?

Airlines Europe looks to be a good gateway game, but it might be too close to TTR that your friends might feel they're the same (but they're not).

The City is the most appropriate within the Carc universe.  Glen More is subtly deep, even though it has few components. 

Get The City if your target is non-gamers.  If your target is noob gamers, then Glen More is better as it also whets appetite of experienced gamers.

[JayMata]

Glen More is a good game but a bit too "Euro" for casual players. Mechanics leave it with surprisingly deep strategies but in my opinion it crosses the threshold away from being a gateway game due to theme, abstraction of rules and muted colors that may turn of some people.


I agree that The City is the best. The Big Box is good but only if you love the game so I suggest you try Carcassone first (OGM and Doc have copies I think). I personally also love Alhambra for its strategy and simplicity

Other options include Through the Desert, Zooloretto and of course, the ever classic Settlers of Catan (I got the 1st two)

[dyeyk2000]

Thanks for the responses guys!

Any other game beside Glen More I should be looking at? Thanks!

[Adrian (the other one)]

Jay's suggestions also work: Alhambra, Through the Desert, and Zooloreto.  If tile-laying is what you're looking for, then it's Alhambra.

[Gaebril]

Carcassone was one of my very first euros! Man, it sucks. It doesn't hold my attention as an experienced gamer, and I wouldn't really recommend it as a gateway game either. (I've already traded away my copy, of course)

Alhambra is enjoyable. If you do get it, get Alhambra big box.

My personal choice as gateway game is Dominion. What can I say, people like it. Having said that, I don't really believe in the concept of gateway games - I wouldn't mind going to something like Puerto Rico or Cosmic Encounter for my second game.

[dyeyk2000]

Hey Gaebril!

I'm looking to play these games with non-gamers. Going straight to a Dominion might actually be too big a jump for some (believe it or not ) so I'm really starting at the ground level here. Ticket to Ride, Dixit, etc.

All the love for Alhambra has got me thinking. Might give this a second look!

[Gaebril]

Just sayin', you aren't going to convert anyone to board games by showing them games that are more boring than Farmville or Angry Birds.

[maskmanjoe]

I never was a fan of Carc myself, tho a few people i introduced it too did enjoy it. It was simple teach and they usually relegated the scoring to me :p They pretty much had enough fun just building roads, making odd shaped cities and enclosing their farms. But replayability is definitely low. I would play it once, maybe twice, but after that its total lack of anything besides building roads, cities and farms, would probably also turn off non-gamers.

Another vote for Alhambra here (and definitely mas sulit ang Big Box). Simple game mechanics but with a lot of good strategy here