So yeah, I want to try playing some tabletop games, but I don't want to give money to the rainbow cult, so is there any sort of resource that can help me identify which board/card games are woke? Also, any specific recommendations from you guys? Looking for almost anything from casual party games to intense games with deep mechanics.
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Or Quinn. I know that (at least for the second addition or one of the expansions, I can't specifically remember), she wrote one of the scenarios for Betrayal At House On The Hill.
But yeah, 99% of board games are going to matter more about who you're playing with than the game itself since most of the woke stuff might be some set-dressing at most (eg, a diverse display of characters, but that's about it, aesthetic and nothing more). And that other 1% are, generally, pretty blatant about being woke trash.
Also for OPs consideration, if you're ever unsure about a game, Tabletop Simulator has a massive workshop filled with games. While many are a little clunky in Tabletop Sim, it can give you an opportunity to try a game first. Some studios even put their demo's on there for you to try before you buy. Obviously, not everything will be there, but there is a decent amount, some of which are entirely scripted meaning there's very little work for you to do with moving parts around.
Start with classics. Settlers of Catan is probably the ur-euro-game. If you've never played Risk, find a used copy and learn why no one likes it. Grab a worker placement game, like Lords of Waterdeep or Agricola. I like deck building games, like Dominion.
Learn non-betting card games, like rummy, euchre, and hearts.
Just like all other media, anything from before 2010 is probably safe.
Regarding the games you brought up that I've played.
Risk can be fun if you have a group that likes it, and you understand that your goal can't be winning (because you'll lose at least 2/3 games you play.) The themed variants that have teams mitigate a lot of the issues that the base game has (though they often introduce their own) but are fun if you like the theming (I remember loving LoTR Risk.)
Catan is fun but I hate how long it takes me to set up. The expansions/extensions amplify both points.
I'm kinda addicted to Dominion. I'd played DC Deckbuilder with some friends in college and found it interesting enough, but didn't firmly grasp the "meta." I had another friend introduce me to Dominion a couple years back and it quickly became one of my favorite physical games, to the point where I own somewhere between half and 2/3rds of the expansions.
Advice on Dominion: Start with the base set (as in "Dominion", not the "Base Set" that contains the basic cards used in every game) and one of the suggested setups that leaves out the more complex cards, and try the digital version on Steam/Android/iOS if you don't have a group to play with since that will let you familiarize yourself with the mechanics and try some of the expansions to see which (if any) you want to purchase (playing in person is more fun though, in my opinion.)
I've been playing Dominion lately but I'm not enamoured. I mean its ok. Just would play other games if available.
What's good about Dominion is that the "best card" or combo changes for each game based on which cards are being used for the specific session. Adding in the expansions increases the variety.
Having everyone start with the same hand and buy the cards from the same pool eliminates many of the problems associated with CCGs.
I don't actually own a copy. Penny Arcade put out a deck builder through Cryptozoic that I like. It has a 'boss' pile of cards with game breaking powers, so one strat is to go high risk, high reward and get expensive boss cards rather than more, cheaper cards.
My friend has the board game but we ended up playing it on Steam as was much faster.
I would say it's less about that and more about finding a based group to play with.
Just go get Yugioh cards, the left can't understand it to infiltrate and the community there is probably so weeb that anyone NOT legitimately wanting to play leaves on their own because they're tired of their opponent explaining every card.
Yugioh used to be fun for me, but in its modern state it’s a horrible monstrosity of five-minute turn-ones leading to a massive board with multiple negation effects, which can only be outed by drawing the correct tech card. If you still enjoy it, I’m glad. It seems a lot of people still do. I just wouldn’t recommend it to most people.
Fortunately, Yugioh has over a 100 games, made at dozens of points in its history, so you can find great points to jump in and just have a good time. Many of them don't even have anything to do with the card game, and just the monsters in a different type of genre. Duelist of the Roses literally has Henry Tudor tell you to call him Yugi then just does the plot of War of the Roses in a grid based RPG.
Shit you can just pick up Legacy of the Duelist, which has each "era" separated out already and then just play in that forever. Me and my buddy picked it up a few years back and just had a blast dueling with only OG/GX decks.
I second this, as I've been shown by a friend quite a few more recent cards that would get the lefties screeching (though there is censorship on the international versions).
The rules and card effects have gotten so convoluted from the old days of just the Pharaoh Yami Yugi, that it can be dumbfounding. There seems to be a high learning curve with all the different summon types now, and that alone pretty much gatekeeps it.
YGO is too complicated for my small brain. I play Pokemon and Digimon though.
I have not personally noticed too much in the games themselves. Outside of the token (lol) diversity, most games are pretty neutral. The trick is finding people to play with. It is easier to make boardgamers your friends than it is to make your friends into boardgamers.
Find a game night at a local store or pub and go to one. If the people give you the wrong vibes, move on to the next one.
The trick I've learned is to find a comic and board game shop that you like. It has a game you want to play? Then come over on Friday and Saturday and learn from the people who frequent there. Be honest that you are new. This will help you find the local groups for you to choose from.
Another important thing, most stuff is available through the mighty seas for long voyages matey. If you have a 3D printer, you can make pretty much anything you want. Print them in black, and then just paint highlights. This makes it look semi drawn, and you don't need to spend a lot of time with intricacies.
All the books are available online as well. So you can go into detail if you want.
For your first character, don't go into super detail. The character will have story happen to them that you can reveal at dramatic moments to screw with your DM whenever you wish. Keeping it some means the time spent making the character is short and you can get to the fun stuff of the game.
Slowly buy things, and take pictures of stuff you would like. In a few months you will have more than enough for any table.
Even if it's not your house, bring some food. Everyone will like you better this way.
Well, first of all, I don't really want D&D type stuff, I want like... actual board and card games.
Second of all, the closest card shop to me literally has a tranny flag hanging in the front window. So... yeah...
Ugh. Sorry. The flag is a great sign to ignore the shop. There are cats shops and board game shops and my advice works the same. Friends have a price limit on cards they print out for Magic the Gathering.
Check out Qixit. Also, try making a friendly game of Countdown.
If you get into Magic the Gathering, anything prior to the 2015, I think is fairly decent. Also bootleg, don't give WotC a cent.
Your best bet is to find a group of friends who don’t go for that stuff. That way, even if you play a game like dnd that has some bullshit, you can ignore the stuff you don’t like.
I wouldn’t give money to Wizards though, since if you’re a straight white male they hate you.
Pre-2015 is decent.
The board game hobby is awash in "the new hotness" consumerism, but there are hundreds of games that are still crazy fun. Bonus: that consumerism can often get you some good used deals.
Was going to say this. So many newer trendy games are based on video games and crowd founded. Pick up some classics like Power Grid, Space Hulk, Fury of Dracula, or if you have a large trusted group, Galactica was great for a social element.
Battletech is pretty fun, and very much anti bullshit (though the group could be a bunch of faggots, the game isn't gay).
MtG is kinda gay, but the older stuff is cool, and finding good groups is fun.
Current games I'm playing with my friend group. Arnak, machi koro 2, empyreal,
Star Realms is a great deckbuilder that seems not woke. My kids love it because of the sci-fi theme.
Alien Frontiers is a neat twist on Yahtzee. It's one of my favorites.
Dune is worth your consideration, if you're looking for a strategy board game. The MCDM YouTube channel has a number of playthough videos if you want to see what it's like.
I'm actually making a few games that I hpoe to have on Kickstarter soon. But if you're looking for something in the Games Shop now , I own the following and can verify they are not woke: Railway Empire Ticket to Ride Viticulture World of Warcraft Boardgame Carcassone Catan Poleconomy Cards against Humanity Werewolf Taskmaster Cosmic Encounters Risk Imhotep (that's all I could remember from top of head)
That is a wall of words. Commas, maybe?
Also wtf, CAH is EXTREMELY woke, wtf are you talking about?
Don't you hate when the format is lost after post. was all in bullet points. and CAH is the complete opposite of woke - not sure what version you're playing
He said he didnt want to support the woke rainbow cult. CAHs creator is a sad epitome of woke feminist
Dude, the makers of CAH are literal communists who take every chance they can to promote radical leftism.
I was only considering the game not the creators. The game itself can be as anti-woke as your answers