Boardgame Addicts Anonymous: Meeting #1
Josh Matthews
(Melosh007)
United States
Silverdale
Washington
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Hi. My name is Josh... and I'm an addict. I am addicted to boardgames. Like many of you, I grew up with copies of Monopoly and Clue and leading a content life blind to the world of "real" boardgames. That is, until the fateful day I succumbed to peer pressure and tried what Addicts call a "gateway" game. This was the mind-blowing boardgame experience that instantly had me jonesing for more. I now own and play too many games for my own good, and I can't wait to score my next one! My gateway game, the one that no doubt hooked many of you reading this, was Settlers of Catan back in 2002. This list is dedicated to the "Gateway Games" that got us all helplessly hooked on the boardgaming hobby. So, remember to take one day at a time and speak out and tell others your testimony! What was your "Gateway" Game?
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1. Board Game: Descent: Journeys in the Dark [Average Rating:7.30 Overall Rank:378]
Board Game: Descent: Journeys in the Dark
Major Havok
(matthewabair)
United States
Niles
Michigan
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If only I had never played this game...
 
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2. Board Game: Takenoko [Average Rating:7.27 Overall Rank:283]
Board Game: Takenoko
Michal Starek
(myyysha)
Czech Republic
Sezimovo Usti
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REALLY badass
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In fact, I had closer to board games as a child, but growing in blissful internet-and-BGG-free ignorance, I simply thought "Ravensburger games are the good ones". So I had Labyrinth and Tikal some time ago, which are decent modern games...

...but...
THIS thing got me hooked again, after more than 10 years break from boardgaming hobby,
THIS thing brought me to 7 Wonders, which in turn brought me to the games that occupy the top places in the BGG charts.
And THIS thing is to blame my wallet suffered so much lately, while my overall quality of life somewhat improved - we finally found a common hobby with my fiance and being a database analyst forced to look to computer screen 8 hours a day, I'm glad I can play without a computer screen.

I still think this is one of the best family games out there and even more importantly for the girly part of audience, the best looking family game, period.
Now, with more than 100 games in my collection and more than 150 games played ever, Mr. Antoine Bauza still remains my favorite game author.
 
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3. Board Game: Arkham Horror [Average Rating:7.26 Overall Rank:331] [Average Rating:7.26 Unranked]
Board Game: Arkham Horror
Christian Rankin
(crankin666)
United States
PINE MOUNTAIN CLUB
CA
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Beleive it or not this is my gateway game. One play and I was hooked.

I even have hand made bags for the game for crying out load!!!

From gallery of crankin666
 
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4. Board Game: Zendo [Average Rating:7.25 Overall Rank:872]
Board Game: Zendo
Subhan Michael Tindall
(subhan)
United States
Portland
Oregon
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I played boardgames a lot when I was younger, back in the late 70's & early 80's, and was a big fan of abstract strategy games before I even knew the term. Othelo, Mastermind, Stadium Checkers, stuff like that. D&D led me to a game store, which provided me with some old classics such as Ogre, & The Creature That Ate Sheboygan. After high school I didn't play at all for years. A couple of rounds of Zendo got me hooked on the Icehouse system, which then led me back into the sweet warm bosom of boardgaming in general.
 
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5. Board Game: Catan [Average Rating:7.15 Overall Rank:396] [Average Rating:7.15 Unranked]
Board Game: Catan
Josh Matthews
(Melosh007)
United States
Silverdale
Washington
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This one introduced my wife and I to the real boardgaming world, and is one we knowingly use to recruit others to the Boardgaming Addictionlaugh
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6. Board Game: RoboRally [Average Rating:7.08 Overall Rank:445]
Board Game: RoboRally
Jason Ober
(oberjt)
United States
Indianapolis
Indiana
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Parcheesi and carg games (Spite & Malice) were a staple growing up. In high school, I played some "deeper" games - Blood Royale, Talisman, Conquest of the Empire, Fortress America, and Blood Bowl all come to mind. Then I went to college and the military and board gaming largely dropped off, other than the occassional party game (Pictionary, Guesstures).

When I got out of the Marine Corps in '97 and moved back to Indiana, I was introduced to this game, and I was pretty much blown away. It's been a sickness I can't really control ever since.....
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7. Board Game: Citadels [Average Rating:7.08 Overall Rank:405]
Board Game: Citadels
Patrick Jeff
(Frinkinator84)
United States
Alabama
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I tried this game a couple of years ago and was reminded how great it was before Christmas. This introduced me to BGG, and have played games every chance I get, including joining a game group.
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8. Board Game: Scotland Yard [Average Rating:6.51 Overall Rank:1269]
Board Game: Scotland Yard
Jerry Wilkinson
(Jrtolf)
United States
New Castle
Indiana
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When asking "What would Jesus do?", remember that flipping over tables and using a whip are within the realm of possibilities.
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Hello. My name is Jerry and I am an addict of board games. Way back the mid 1980's I was browsing thru the toy section of a local store, and I ran across a copy of this game. It looked interesting, but it was late in the calendar year, so I did not buy it, but I asked for it as a Christmas present. My aunt bought it for me. I couldn't play it enough. 20 plus years later, I still can't.
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9. Board Game: Talisman [Average Rating:6.35 Overall Rank:2266]
Board Game: Talisman
kSwingrÜber
(kswingruber)
United States
Ridgefield
Washington
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Early 80s. Go ahead. One game never hurt anyone...
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10. Board Game: Kursk: Operation Zitadelle, 4 July 1943 [Average Rating:6.07 Overall Rank:13560]
Board Game: Kursk: Operation Zitadelle, 4 July 1943
Wulf Corbett
(Wulf Corbett)
Scotland
Shotts
Lanarkshire
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To the best of my memory, this was the first wargame I owned, after the usual Monopoly, Scrabble, etc. which would have been my parents' choice, not mine. Certainly the oldest one I remember, and as I would have been about 10 years old at the time, it must have been one of my first... In at the deep end
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11. Board Game: Munchkin [Average Rating:5.90 Overall Rank:4450] [Average Rating:5.90 Unranked]
Board Game: Munchkin
Ken Newell
(LFITQ)
Canada
Prince George
British Columbia
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This one got my wife into boardgaming and buying the games we are purchasing of late. Not to mention it is because of this game I found BGG.com

Originally we played Talisman back in the early 90's and that was really my first game not from a big box retailer. But then we stopped playing boardgames until just a few years ago when we picked up Munchkin.
 
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12. Board Game: USAC Auto Racing [Average Rating:5.90 Overall Rank:13944]
Board Game: USAC Auto Racing
Randy D
(GeneSteeler)
Australia
Sebastopol (Ballarat)
Victoria
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I love Melissa, but don't tell her. It's a secret if she can find this. Shhhhh....
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This was my introduction to Avalon Hill and a long love affair which included:

Rise and Decline of the Third Reich
Statis Pro Baseball
Squad Leader
Afrika Korps
Wizard's Quest
and more.

I was hooked and haven't looked back.


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13. Board Game: When Darkness Comes [Average Rating:5.59 Overall Rank:15640]
Board Game: When Darkness Comes
Richard
(Boards of Games)
Greece
Marousi
Athens
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My lucky number is four billion. That doesn't come in real handy when you're gambling. "Come on, four billion! Darn! Seven. Not even close. I need more dice." Mitch Hedberg
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I was trying to find a way to start RPGing with my wife so we went to our FLGS to get some recommendations .We bought When Darkness Comes and then we realized the countless possibilities that boardgames had to offer zombie
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