| Designer Games 101 | |
If you spend much time browsing through board game sites on the Internet, you'll notice that an a lot of serious gamers have fallen in love with designer games, also known as German-style board games.
The first question to answer is, "What is a designer board game?"
Glad you asked.
The Settlers of Catan (compare prices), translated to English and imported by Mayfair Games, is the game that introduced many English-speaking gamers to the world of designer games, and it includes many of the elements that mark the best of the genre: relatively simple rules, deep strategy, excellent replay value, and appeal to both hardcore gamers and casual gamers.
Obviously, not every designer game is going to succeed on every level -- or with every player. There are many who love the work of game designer Reiner Knizia, for example; others would be quite happy to live their lives without ever playing another Knizia game.
(It's worth noting that while these games are often referred to as "German games" or "German-style games" -- properly noting a strong relationship to the country of Germany -- such a reference doesn't necessarily mean that a game was designed by a German. Alan R. Moon is an American who designs German-style games, such as Elfenland (compare prices). And Sid Sackson's classic Acquire (compare prices) fits comfortably into a discussion of such games. Don't let the sometimes challenging German titles throw you off -- these games are similar to the board games you already know and love, but often turn out to be more fun!)
For English-speaking gamers, the company that has done the most to make designer games widely available is Rio Grande Games. Company head Jay Tummelson has a passion for gaming, and his tireless efforts to import the best German games deserve special notice.
If you're completely unfamiliar with designer games -- as I was not too many years ago -- it may take some time before you start to understand why these games have caught on with so many players. But if you make even a minimal effort to learn about them, I can almost guarantee that your gaming life (and, thus, time spent with family and friends) will be much richer. (Of course, your wallet might be much poorer depending how many games you buy, but that's another story...)
More Resources
The Best "Beginner" Designer Games
If you have any questions at all, about designer games or anything else in the general realm of board games, please post a note in the Forum. I check in almost every day, and there are lots of other regulars there who can help answer your questions as well. Don't be shy!
What Gamers Say About Designer Games
Designer Game Links
