Most and least generous game raters
John Clark
Australia
Canberra
ACT
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The title of this list is a bit misleading - sorry. Its a list in order to search for the most and least generous game raters, but I have included some BGG notables to kick it off.
Here is how it works: calculate the average difference between your rating and the BGG rating. If that average is above zero then you are probably a generous rater (compared to others here) and if it is below zero then you are a harsh rater (compared to others here).
Add an item of your most loved game compared to the rest of BGG and some stats from your collection!
(Note that the "BGG rating" and the "average rating" are different things)
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John Clark
Australia
Canberra
ACT
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Tom Vasal: +0.18 average difference
Everyone has read Tom's reviews of games, and many (like me) think that he is fair but a little generous. Apparently not - on average, his ratings are more-or-less in line with the rest of BGG, although on the generous side.
The game which Tom likes more highly than the average BGG rating is "Why Did The Chicken?". Also highly rated, compared to BGG are:
+3.42 Why Did the Chicken...?
+3.36 Duel of Ages Set 1 - Worldspanner
+3.24 BattleLore: Call to Arms
+3.02 Cosmic Encounter
+2.90 Dungeon Twister
At the other end, the games which he most disagrees with BGG are:
-4.27 Pictionary
-4.44 Scrabble
-4.53 Rack-O
-4.82 Tower of Babel
-5.00 Dutch Blitz
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John Clark
Australia
Canberra
ACT
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Greg Schloesser: +0.08 average difference
Greg is very much in line with the BGG average. His extremes are also less extreme than Tom's.
Ratings most different to BGG average:
+2.79 Squad Leader
+2.57 Lock 'N Load: Forgotten Heroes Vietnam
+2.47 Railroad Dice
+2.29 Vikingatid
+2.26 Victory & Honor
-3.65 Apples to Apples
-4.22 Ritter Ohne Furcht und Tadel
-4.44 Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg
-4.51 Rosenkönig
-4.69 Magic Realm
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John Clark
Australia
Canberra
ACT
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Douglas Adams: -0.28 average difference
Douglas is the second most prolific session reporter on BGG. He is also a tough rater!
Ratings most different to BGG average:
+3.90 Poisson d'Avril
+3.80 Take it to the Limit
+3.06 MotorChamp
+3.00 VolgaFront
+2.98 Lord of the Rings
-3.52 Dune
-3.63 Lifeboats
-3.69 Magic Realm
-3.89 I'm the Boss
-4.21 San Marco
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John Clark
Australia
Canberra
ACT
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Michael Barnes: -0.68 average difference
I guess M Barnes has the reputation as the toughest rater on BGG, and the average difference reflects this.
Ratings most different to BGG average:
+3.76 Really Nasty Horse Racing Game, The
+3.75 Borderlands
+3.31 Magic Realm
+3.31 Gothic Game, the
+3.28 Mare Nostrum
-5.01 Colosseum
-5.02 El Grande
-5.05 Hansa
-5.06 Caylus
-5.13 Hart an der Grenze
-5.20 Blood Feud In New York
-5.21 Vegas Showdown
-5.23 Illuminati
-5.24 Coyote
-5.26 Saint Petersburg
-5.32 Thurn and Taxis
-5.34 Louis XIV
-5.34 RoboRally
-5.39 TransEuropa
-5.49 Pillars of the Earth, The
-5.50 Australia
-6.09 Werewolf
-6.53 Ticket to Ride
(Note: I have ignored the ratings of 10 for Monkey Auto Races and Pop-Up Pirate)
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John Clark
Australia
Canberra
ACT
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John Clark (me!): -0.41 average difference
Ratings most different to BGG average:
+3.93 Star Wars CCG
+2.56 Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation
+2.37 Settlers of Catan, The
+2.30 Clue Master Detective
+2.11 Scattergories
-2.97 Settlers of Catan Card Game, The
-3.16 Very Clever Pipe Game, The
-3.35 Taboo
-3.50 Queen's Necklace
-3.77 Pictionary
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John Clark
Australia
Canberra
ACT
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Aldie: +0.90 average difference
Being the administrator of BGG requires a lot of patience with difficult computers, people and games. Aldie's ratings are VERY generous compared to BGG.
Ratings most different to BGG average:
+4.07 Who? What? Where?
+3.96 Race for the Galaxy
+3.74 Cluzzle
+3.73 Piecepack
+3.59 Black Vienna
-3.22 Ritter Ohne Furcht und Tadel
-3.39 7 Safari
-3.97 Titan
-4.12 Skip-bo
-4.15 UNO (including themed editions without new cards)
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John Clark
Australia
Canberra
ACT
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Derk: -0.28 average difference
Derk, in marked contrast to Aldie, is a harsh game rater!
Ratings most different to BGG average:
+3.45 El Caballero
+3.02 Java
+2.73 Time's Up!
+2.66 RoboRally
+2.63 En Garde
-3.81 Chez Geek
-4.09 Chrononauts
-4.22 Ritter Ohne Furcht und Tadel
-4.42 Falling
-4.50 Fluxx
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Lacombe
Louisiana
It was a dark and stormy night.
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I'm not very exciting, with an average--if I calculated correctly--of -0.03 difference.
Medieval Merchant is my largest positive difference (i.e. I rate it higher than BGG does), with my rating of 9.5 being 2.58 points above the BGG rating of 6.92. I really like this game. It's very subtle and has some great tensions between short-term and long-term objectives, as well as some clever scoring bonuses to rein in an otherwise anti-climatic end-game. If you like the network-building of Power Grid but could do without all the fiddly bits, this would be a great substitute for you.
Other big positive differences for me are: Tichu, Big City, Taluva, and Attika. That's saying quite a bit for how much I enjoy these games, as all of them are rated and ranked exceedingly high in the overall scheme of things. I just think they're all pretty-near perfect games.
Shakespeare: The Bard Game is my largest negative difference, with my rating of 4 being 2.35 points below the BGG rating of 6.35. I suppose the actual process of collecting the props and actors and scripts and then putting on the plays isn't that bad, but the fact that everything just comes down to who knows the most about Shakespeare or reads the most dramatically isn't all that great from a sheer game-play standpoint. Great game for Shakespeare fans, to be sure, and I'm occasionally one of those, but not rabid enough of one to really enjoy this much on its own merits as a game.
Other big negative differences for me are: Colosseum (very similar to Shakespeare; only played once, and it was an enjoyable time, just not as enjoyable as BGG's 7.3 rating would suggest to me), Loco (felt too much like Euro-UNO, and not even Knizia can save UNO), and Saboteur.
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9.
Board Game: Java
[Average Rating:7.08 Overall Rank:313]
Tom Rosen
United States
Arlington
Virginia
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Average Difference = -0.67
Largest positive difference (I like them more than average)
Java +2.86
San Marco +2.66 -- This and Java are definitely both Top 10 games in my opinion, no question.
Carcassonne +2.43
eBay Electronic Talking Auction Game +2.07 -- Crazy, crazy underrated! Everyone should go out and buy a copy on eBay right away, I got mine for $4, and it's actually a really good 3-player auction game (just don't play with 4 players.
Age of Steam +1.93
El Grande +1.90
Die Macher +1.88 -- This and Age of Steam and El Grande are obviously all 10's in my book 
Kreta +1.82
Tigris & Euphrates +1.77
In the Shadow of the Emperor +1.77 -- This and Kreta are both very overlooked area control games, fans of the genre would do well to check both out.
Largest negative difference (I like them less than average)
Cities and Knights of Catan - 5-6 Player Expansion -4.39
Settlers of Catan - 5-6 Player Expansion -4.25 -- Settlers should never be played with more than 4 players in my opinion, never ever.
Pirate's Cove -3.78
Modern Art -3.69
Mille Bornes -3.67
Jenga -3.32 -- Try Fire or Arbos or Chairs or Bamboleo or anything else instead
Attika -3.32
Lord of the Rings -3.09 -- Only 4 of my 6 least favorite eurogames made it onto the list (Pirate's Cove, Modern Art, Attika, and Lord of the Rings), with Acquire and Power Grid not making the cut I suppose.
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A S
United States
Unspecified
California
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+0.29
Unsurprisingly, my average divergence is positive, as I've tended to end up rating games I care enough to rate, and those are more likely to be games I like.
Magic is my biggest divergence from the BGG average, clocking in at +2.85. It's also my sole 10. The picture I'm using to represent it is one I took at Grand Prix San Francisco earlier this year.
My next four positive differences:
Mechwarrior: Dark Age (+2.06) - I was quite into this for several years, although Magic has once again dominated my gaming time. Notably, my second high performer is also a collectible game. Unlike many on BGG, I'm a big fan of the collectible format and its many strengths.
Fortress America (+1.60) - Why are so many people not giving FA the love it deserves? It's a nice, clean design with an archaic yet engaging concept. I wonder if the asymmetry makes it unbalanced when people aren't yet experienced with it. I could see that being off-putting.
Battletroops (+1.43) - The relatively unknown game of infantry combat in the Battletech universe. I really liked the system, and would have appreciated seeing it in a different setting (like, say, 20th/21st century combat).
The Hunt for Red October (+1.43) - I suspect if I ever replayed this these days, I might have to readjust the rating. But I really, really enjoyed it at the time (how cool is the war for the North Atlantic? very cool...).
The bottom five, counting "up":
Berserker (-1.15) - Who's rating this game high? It's broken (use the rail guns, people).
Star Wars Miniatures Starship Battles (-1.63) - Awesome miniatures. Utterly disappointing rules set. It would have benefited greatly from cleaving more closely to the Battlefleet Gothic rules from which it was derived.
Crimson Skies (-1.91) - Far too slow for a game of fighter combat. Wings of War takes the same core mechanical concept and does it right. The miniatures are, again, pretty.
Warhammer Fantasy Battle (-2.43) - The game of teeny fantasy skirmishes fought as if they involved more units. Also, forget about maneuver. Deeply unfun. I sold off my elves.
Settlers of Catan (-2.63) - Trying to optimize placement is fun. The extensive roll-and-wait is way less fun. Not bad, just bland.
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Shellie Rose
United States
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-0.48 average difference
Ratings most different to BGG average:
+3.68 Talisman
+2.93 Arkham Horror (Chaosium)
+2.82 California
+2.69 Arkham Horror (FFG)
+2.56 Buffy the Vampire Slayer
-4.15 Filthy Rich
-4.23 Leonardo da Vinci
-4.32 Torres
-4.44 Poison
-4.55 El Caballero
This is interesting. Thanks.
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13.
Board Game: Ark
[Average Rating:6.36 Overall Rank:1216]
Susan L.
Canada
Lethbridge
Alberta
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+0.45 compared to raw averages (+0.62 compared to the Baesian averages)
Hmm... I thought I was nicer than that...
Maybe it's because I don't rate expansions because I never figured out whether I should be rating them against the game or rating the game including the expansion.
My More-Loved-Than-Others Games (mostly driven by my 9s and 10s)
+2.50 Ark (9 for me)
+2.30 Attribute (9 for me)
+2.10 Railroad Tycoon (one of my 10s)
+2.09 Killer Bunnies (I enjoy silliness)
+2.00 Antiquity (my other 10)
+2.00 Scattergories (I'm not wordgamephobic)
My Less-Loved-Than-Others Games
-1.54 Raj (not a fan of themeless blind bidding)
-1.31 Mykerinos (only played once, but it felt really dry)
-1.07 Yahtzee (fine for kids; wouldn't choose to play it myself though)
-1.06 Can't Stop (push your luck games aren't my thing; I'll play it occasionally as a time killer though)
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Steffan O'Sullivan
United States
Plymouth
NH
A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere. -- Groucho Marx
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I am astonished to find out how close I am:
-.0108. (I'll bet my Standard Deviation is pretty high, though.)
I'm also astonished I'm lower on the games I've rated - I think of myself as a generous rater.
Biggest discrepancies:
Where I'm higher:
GOOTMU: +4.56
Bowling Bunnies +3.6
Scrabble: +3.46
Sindbad: +2.8 (rating for playing with kids)
Where I'm lower:
Paths of Glory: -6.12
Taj Mahal: -5.76
Modern Art: -5.69
Through the Desert: -5.48
Not a Knizia fan, I guess ... though, I do rate some of his above the BGG average: Honeybears +2.35 and En Garde +2.34, for example.
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Andreas Johansson
Sweden
Linköping
I spent 200 GG and all I got was this lousy overtext!
I spent 200 GG and all I got was this lousy overtext!
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Of 111 ranked games I've rated, my average deviation from the Bayesian average is -1.15. Apparently, I'm a fount of negativity.
My biggest positive deviations:
+2.65 De Bellis Antiquitatis
+2.54 Britannia
My biggest negative deviations:
-4.66 Warhammer 40,000 (fourth edition)
-4.49 Warmaster
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Ivan Watling
England
Mirfield
West Yorkshire
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Well, looks like I'm pretty mean spirited. My average difference is -0.99 for the 144 games that I have rated. But I do like boardgames, honestly!
The games I’ve rated higher than average are:
Backgammon +3.50
Monopoly +2.50
No Thanks! +1.89
PitchCar +1.65
San Juan +1.39
And the games I dislike more that others:
Ambush! -5.24
Carcassonne Traders & Builders -4.61
Dog's Life, A -4.57
Maharaja: Palace Building in India -4.57
Dragon Dice -4.43
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Paul Boos
Spain
Falls Church
Virginia
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Well, I am not as far off as I thought I would be... My average difference is +0.966280214, but my standard deviation is 1.107904764 with most being above the BGG average. My ratings are skewed I think as using Geek Buddies, BGG comments, and other information has allowed me to buy more games I like, thus a higher difference.
My top 5 positive differences (meaning I rated it higher) are as follows:
Game My Rating BGG Rating
Sunda to Sahul 9.5 6.32128
Quoridor 10 6.86957
Sumo! 9 6.01489
Mouse Chaos 7.5 4.51724
Gulo Gulo 10 7.03261
Mouse Chaos, I am certain, carries low ratings as to the methods Jeff Widderich chose to initially push his games on here and less to do with actual game play.
My top 5 negative differences (meaning I rated it lower) are as follows:
Game My Rating BGG Rating
Booby-Trap 4 5.23838
Cranium Cariboo 5 6.32893
Pit 5 6.48347
Monopoly 2.5 4.50177
Game of Life, The 1 3.77534
Cariboo surprises me a bit, it's a decent enough kids game that keeps their attention and is somewhat educational, but I really don't think it is that good.
I suspect Pit will come up in my ratings once I replay it, maybe Booby-Trap as well.
Interestingly, only four games fall outside two times my standard deviation: Cariboo, Pit, Monopoly, and The Game of life - all my negative ones. So my differences on the positive side fall within the 95% confidence of being reasonable, even for their large differences.
I am not surprised my overall average is almost a point higher than BGG. With all the research I can do, check with geek buddies, read comments and reviews and session reports, etc. I can't imagine not choosing a game I would like now.
Incidentally, there are 3 games I am spot on the BGG average(maybe I am the only rater?):
Glyphe Caster
Cubicado
Race Across
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18.
Board Game: Attika
[Average Rating:7.08 Overall Rank:256]
Jon W
United States
Aurora
Colorado
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I thought I was "nicer," but I'm at -0.68 to the average (direct comparison to games I've rated only, not all games, of course). Kind of surprised to see the BGG average at 6.66, but I guess there's selection bias for you. My standard deviation is 1.92, compared to BGG's at 1.03.
Some differences of note and superficial, bilious commentary:
-5.0 Bang! (you really don't know who the outlaws are, do you?)
-3.9 Poker (fold, fold, oh look--damn, everyone folded, fold...)
-3.6 Ingenious (pardon me, I'm off to play the grahhhnd piahhhno)
-3.2 Diplomacy (I know, let's hold a gullibility pageant!)
-3.1 Formula De (oh, I should speed UP to hit this tight corner?)
-2.9 Go (no, it's fun to see who is the least terrible player)
-2.9 Lost Cities (I made two real choices this game; wow, a record!)
+2.0 Subbuteo (yes, it is in real time, sorry to stress you out)
+2.2 INWO (oh wait...I lied)
+2.4 Fortress America (well, it's imbalanced when you play like THAT)
+2.4 LOTR (let's see you turn a novel into a game)
+2.5 Netrunner (I will not sully this with a cheap joke)
+2.7 Attika (yeah, just lucky these last ten games, I guess)
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'Bernard Wingrave'
United States
Wyoming
Ohio
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I'm pretty harsh. Here's a quick look at the tails of my ratings differences.
Me vs. Bayesian (-0.88 average difference on the 77 games I have rated that have nonzero Bayesians)
Star Trek Red Alert.............+1.71
Celebrities.....................+1.50
Gnostica........................+1.07
Lord of the Rings...............+0.99
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Tigris & Euphrates..............-2.65
Illuminati: Deluxe............ -2.69
Bang!...........................-2.88
Survive!........................-2.90
Me vs. BGG Average (-1.07 average difference on all 86 games I have rated)
Star Trek Red Alert.............+0.96
Lord of the Rings...............+0.91
Monopoly Junior - Dig 'N Dinos..+0.56
Settlers of Catan, The..........+0.23
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Oh Hell!........................-2.75
Illuminati: Deluxe.............-2.88
Bang!...........................-2.99
Survive!........................-3.14
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20.
Board Game: Hex
[Average Rating:6.76 Overall Rank:1513]
ronaldinho @boardspace.net
Taiwan
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Me: average of +0.259 for 82 ratings
Highest:
Gomoku +4.05
Cheat +3.90
Hex +3.25
Othello +2.97
Pylos +2.48
Quads +2.33
Go +2.09
Lowest:
Quarto -2.91
Diamant -2.91
Pachisi -2.37
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John Clark
Australia
Canberra
ACT
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Jesus Torres Castro: +2.00 average difference
This is the 'most generous' rater I am aware of (minimum 100 games not including expansions).
Ratings most different to BGG average:
+4.13 Dschingis Khan – Bewegung an der Großen Mauer
+3.86 King Arthur - Das Kartenspiel
+3.82 Gargon
+3.75 Im Auftrag des Königs
+3.74 Herr der Ringe, Der: die Gefährten das Kartenspiel
+3.56 Druids
+3.54 Lord of the Rings
+3.38 Maginor
+3.36 Villa Paletti
+3.26 Beowulf: The Legend
-0.13 Carolus Magnus
-0.32 Nuclear War
-0.42 Warhammer Quest
-1.09 Lord of the Rings - The Search
-1.59 Axis and Allies
-3.00 1936 Guerra Civil
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22.
Board Game: Tycoon
[Average Rating:6.89 Overall Rank:921]
John Clark
Australia
Canberra
ACT
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Andrew Fischer: -2.33 average difference
This is the harshest game rater I am aware of.
Ratings most different to BGG average:
+3.33 Tycoon
+2.42 Up Front
+1.56 Mac Robber
+1.38 Samurai
+0.85 Dschunke
-5.01 Lord of the Rings
-5.01 Showmanager
-5.03 Chinatown
-5.12 Atlantic Storm
-5.14 Camelot Legends
-5.15 Power Grid
-5.22 6-Tage Rennen
-5.28 Bucket King, The
-5.31 Bus
-5.38 10 Days in Africa
-5.39 Outpost
-5.44 Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation
-5.53 Funny Friends
-5.53 Ticket to Ride
-5.53 TransAmerica
-5.53 Twilight Imperium
-5.83 Starfarers of Catan
-5.89 More Cosmic Encounter
-5.90 Ta Yü
-5.91 Age of Steam
-5.98 Cosmic Encounter
-6.12 Liberté
-6.27 For Sale
-6.52 Dune
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Give Me Gas In My Ford
United States
Elkhart
Indiana
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585 games rated also with BGG ratings
Average difference -0.71
Underrated Gems - They All Get 10s From Me:
1) Craps +4.68 (best casino game for action)
2) Zopp +4.03 (an outstanding, expensive, and difficult dexterity game)
3) Mogul +3.75 (great, quick little auction game)
4) 18EU +3.73 (best 18xx game, I need to get a copy)
5) Balderdash +3.73 (using just words/definitions it's my favorite party game)
6) High Bohn/High Bohn Plus +3.63/+3.59 (best Bohnanza expansion by miles)
7) Intrigue +3.59 (backstabbing goodness for 5 players - try it!)
8) Scrabble +3.56 (word game with no equal)
9) Get The Goods +3.56 (one of Moon's best)
10) Money +3.52 (awesome filler, easily worth the used prices)
Overrated Crap - They All Get 1s From Me:
10) Cosmic Cows -4.79 (cosmic cow manure)
9) Mancala -4.79 (yuckala)
8) Give Me The Brain -4.86 (i don't want the brain)
7) Al Cabohne -4.94 (al ca-bored)
6) Ka-Ching!/Combit -5.02 (ka-plop)
5) Fist Of Dragonstones -5.18 (fist of ennui)
4) Tongiaki -5.29 (Tongi-suck-i)
3) You're Bluffing -5.64 (somebody please kill me)
2) 7 Ages -5.80 (slow awful complicated neverending disaster)
1) Lost Valley -5.82 (i wish the lost valley would have stayed lost)
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Sheamus Parkes
United States
Indianapolis
Indiana
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Well, I'm a nasty guy I guess. My average difference: -1.4
Biggest Losers:
Hellas (-4.31) - I really dislike games that have a tug-of-war aspect. Hellas is just a big game of tug-of-war. On top of that, the nearly deterministic combat causes tons of number crunching. The card resolution has tons of ambiguity.
Saga (-3.89) - Did I mention how much I don't like tug-of-war? At least this one will end. Eventually. I just don't like investing that much in a battle nobody can win.
Biggest Winners:
Schotten-Totten (+2.28) - This is not tug of war. If I win a stone, you can't take it back. This is almost gaming perfection right here. Simple rules, but with engaging gameplay for the whole length of play.
Vegas Showdown (+2.13) - This is another solid hit. I love auctions and the theme is just gravy on this one. The limited choices keep it moving and the theme is a cohesive whole.
Gheos (+1.94) - Tons of Secret Santas gave it away last year. It looks like not many people were really overjoyed with it. It has a learning curve, and the chaos is palapable, but I just love it too much. I like all the ingenious moves you can make on your turn and how all the rules flow logically together.
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Posted Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:52 am
