| Gamers On German Games | |
Richard Irving
German games don't require a large investment of time, money, or a deep interest in the subject like wargames, RPGs, miniatures and CCGs often do. You might pay $50 or more for a German game, but the game will be more or less complete and have nice components: wood or plastic pieces, nice artwork, etc. At the same price range in a wargame, you get cardboard counters. In RPGs, CCGs and minis, you are barely at the basic level of acquistion.
Of course, like potato chips, you can't get just one!
Obviously with the wealth of games out there you can find exceptions to everything. But I think that these four characteristics are what set 'German-style' games apart from their party or puerile cousins in the U.S.
Having grown up with wargames, Dungeons & Dragons, and the odd 3M game, I find that the theme tends to be important for me -- not what the theme is, so much, as how well the theme is tied to the mechanics. When the two don't match, I don't tend to enjoy the game as much -- even though when they do match it's far from being a simulation.
The Best "Beginner" German Games
German games represent a throwback to older boardgames, like 3M's series of games or some of the better Parker Brothers classics of the past. They also represent a middle ground containing what is missing in many American game genres over the last 20 years or so: Games that are easy to teach to people of all ages, but also have enough strategy to interest adults.
Ben Baldanza
The features common to most 'German-style' games that seem to attract all (including newcomers) are:
Joe Huber
German games are really those games meant to be sold to German families. Certainly there are many aimed at the most serious gamer, commonly referred to as a Spielfreak [or Spielfriek], but the bulk of the games produced are meant to be enjoyed by older children and adults alike. As such, they tend to have a few common characteristics:
More Resources
Links From Across The Net
If you have any questions at all, about German-style games or anything else in the general realm of board games, please post a note in the About Board Games Forum. I check in almost every day, and there are lots of other regulars there who can help answer your questions as well. My experience has shown that game players are by and large quite sociable, willing to answer most questions now matter how simple -- so don't be shy!
