New Boardgame Purchases

Lately, I’ve been thinking about a couple of board games I was tempted to purchase.

The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31 is a brand new cooperative game based on the 1982 movie (and John W. Campbell’s novella “Who Goes There”, that it was based on. An American Antarctic station runs into problems with an alien creature that can take on the form of an organism it comes across. It is one of my favourite films, and so seeing this game made me sit up. Obviously, although a cooperative game, there will be a “traitor” element in the form of whichever station crew member gets infected/imitated.

New Angeles is the most recent game set in the Android universe. It is a semi-cooperative – the players have to cooperate to keep the city running, or else they may all lose; while making sure they make more money out of the various deals going on.

Both appeal to me a lot, but I am beginning to take on a new way of thinking about such things. Previously I would look at games and ask myself “Does the game look good?” and “Do I want it?”. The answer for both of this games is a very solid “Yes”.

But now, I am asking myself “If I buy this game, what games in my collection will I not play?” For example New Angeles has been favourably compared to Battlestar Galactica – a game I love and don’t get the chance to play enough. The Thing would no doubt take the table from other cooperative games in my collection. Do I really want to spend money on new games that will only result in my playing existing much-loved games even less?

So much as I love the idea of these games, I think I will be giving them a pass for now. Even though Elijah Wood does such an excellent job at selling it.

4 Comments

  1. chris
    November 14, 2017
    Reply

    I’ve heard that, due to intellectual property issues, The Thing may not come to the UK anyway, except as a grey and very expensive import. Which may make the decision-making easier.

    • November 15, 2017
      Reply

      Wow, that would be quite the shame if that was the case. But then intellectual property does often ruin fun for the rest of us.

  2. chris
    November 14, 2017
    Reply

    Of course, if *you* want to buy either of these games, I’ll be happy to play them with you.

  3. chris
    June 25, 2018
    Reply

    Long after the fact: I ended up giving in to New Angeles, and buying it. Very fun game, and I’m pleased I changed my mind.

    On the other hand reports on The Thing suggest that it is not as fun as it looks, and some players feel constricted by the story.

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