Codenames vs Gaia Project

And I found it really hard to keep track of which words were mine - I had to write them onto a piece of paper and make sure my words didn't relate too much to my opponent's, otherwise your partner might guess a word that is for the opposing team! Not even sure where that timer comes into play because we took forever in giving and guessing clues. I guess because words can be interpreted in so many different ways and there are so many different patterns, you can use this set for some time before it gets old. I kind of feel silly now because I thought this was a strategy board game - I sent one to somebody for Secret Santa … hopefully they liked it? I do agree that this game would be better suited for older teens and adults. Not sure if I can see younger children getting into it

Clicked after a bit: Terra Mystica and Gaia Project. I learned TM first, but I was a bit overwhelmed by the rulebook and what I considered subtle strategy differences between factions. But now this game is a consistent favorite, and one I consistently win (much to the chagrin of my husband)! :) Then we learned Gaia Project, and I think I struggled at first just because I was expecting a re-theme of TM, so I struggled to adapt to new rules and strategies. But now it's also a favorite for sure!

I think it's fantastic that someone who started their design career with something as niche as TtA has managed to produce one of the few true breakouts into mass market popularity from hobby boardgaming with Codenames. Such a simple, fun, and *teachable* design that can get almost any group enjoying themselves within a few minutes.

Not guaranteeing huge payoffs also allows the game design to give the players a chance to run their full engine, which is a common complaint of weaker designs.

It's a game that simultaneously feels like it's not long enough -- like I want there to be more strategic depth -- but also too long for the amount that's actually present. Maybe I would like it more if I reduced the starting health to say, 40 or even 30. I've really only gotten a good response from one person that I've taught it to. Maybe it's just not for my group

**Gaia Project** ​is much better at a competitive level with strong players because there is a lot of responsibility to set up the map by the person last in turn order; with less skilled players they don't really know how to create it in such a way that makes an interesting game (understandably, it's a very difficult task).

* **6 Nimmt!** 2x - I've worn out a deck and I'm approaching the second deck dying...

Just finished my first game of **Gaia Project** and phew that was a long intense game. I won 116 to 102, was able to advance to a couple research tracks far enough to earn points and then beating the automa on one of the end goals (sectors) and tied for the other (planet types).

Even though it says for 2 players - the play is greatly diminished in fun. It's more like one person plays and the other person sits there. LOL. booo

Many different species vie for interstellar control, but this is not a war. It is a race, a race to terraform worlds, to your liking, to unlock advanc...

My friends and I play codenames online using a voice chat and have had a long standing disagreement about whether or not Googling should be allowed or not in codenames. Now, I have no issue with the occasional Google search in casual codenames. But my friends pretty much rely exclusively on Google to come up with their words and to decode them, and especially so during our server tournaments (where the hosts allow Googling).

[*] This games tutorial [b]will not[/b] teach new players the rules to Gaia Project. I have previously played the physical board game many times, but it had been about 2 years since I last played. I tried to do the tutorial as a refresher. I gave up, and eventually watched a YouTube overview of the game rules

In: **Isle of Cats, Red Rising, Parks, Racoon Tycoon, Splendor, Trails, Arboretum, The Crew, Deep Vents, Codenames, Codenames Duet, LLAMA, Friday, Wits and Wagers**, and a nicely kept 1962 copy of **Mille Bornes**

I posted the other week about selling **Etherfields** and what to get next, I ended up picking two off my list, **Everdell** and **Gaia Project,** which both arrived last week.

For about 6th graders and up, Code Names is a delight when you magically find commonality between disparate words, and your teammates successfully follow the logic of your single word. This game takes some mental acuity, I would not suggest it for fun while imbibing in, ahem, adult beverages Upon opening, the game arrived with a coating of dust on the contents of the box. After a bit of investigating, I found the enclosed sand timer had cheap plastic stoppers on each end, and not one but both had managed to fall off in shipping, spreading sand everywhere. It was a bit of a mess

The stuff that gets old and has diminishing returns to me either: a) has very little player interaction, b) is too tight (pursuing a tactical move will hurt your endgame too much), effectively lowering player interaction to all but incidental contact, c) has low variability in strategies, namely low variability in how those strategies are pursued (scripted openings or strategies), d) is too dependent on random factors (excessive swinginess in card draw or dice rolls), or e) give you too few options during your turn (i.e. take 1 of 2 possible actions, limited flexibility in play).