Stack Exchange
log in sign up chat discuss faq users badges

Area 51 » Recreation

definition commitment beta
101
followers

Board and Card Games

Launched Q&A site for people who like playing board games, designing board games or modifying the rules of existing board games. Card games, too, because some games really can be classified as both.

Announcements

4  
I added card games, because everyone likes discussing War strategy. – Welbog Jun 10 '10 at 14:01
4  
So this is basically a Stack Exchange version of boardgamegeek.com? – mmyers Jun 10 '10 at 16:26
6  
Can this site possibly exist without every other answer pointing to boardgamegeek.com? BGG already has a dedicated rules forum for nearly every game in existence, it has a high signal:noise ratio, and many designers and publishers already post there to answer rules questions. What is to be gained by splitting traffic off to here? – jdl Jun 19 '10 at 19:42
show 10 more announcements
4
votes
3
answers

How specific should poker questions be without being “too localized”?

apr 16 '15 at 14:54 Community♦ 1
0
votes
0
answers

Discrepancy in days in beta count

dec 14 '14 at 10:15 CRABOLO 394
10
votes
1
answer

What does it take to spin off a subtopic site?

nov 6 '13 at 21:30 Community♦ 1
4
votes
2
answers

Virtual subsite for go [closed]

nov 6 '11 at 11:28 Community♦ 1

discuss this proposal

56 Example Questions (14 closed)

active newest votes
up vote 23 down vote
Can I get some clarification on the rules of [a board game]?
added by Welbog Jun 10 '10 at 10:41
link
This would be a core kind of question: a lot of the time rules are worded ambiguously, especially for complicated games. – Welbog Jun 10 '10 at 10:48
This would be a great example, if it was clear that the question should ask for a specific clarification. As worded, it doesn't really communicate what it's asking. – bignose Jun 17 '10 at 13:43
3  
Particularly, "In [a board game], if [a specific situation occurs], what happens?" One that immediately comes to mind: "In Trumpet, if you have a card of the suit led, are you still allowed to play a trumpet card?" (The published rules are ambiguous, so we have a house rule for that situation.) – eswald Jun 17 '10 at 17:06
eswald, that's a good one (the template example you give first). Welbog, can you change this question so it's more in line with eswald's suggestion? – bignose Jun 18 '10 at 7:35
up vote 22 down vote
In bridge, how can you signal to your partner that you have 5 cards in both spades and hearts?
added by Tadeusz A. Kadłubowski Jun 10 '10 at 12:40
link
In other words: should bridge and other card games be on topic? – Tadeusz A. Kadłubowski Jun 10 '10 at 12:41
No, card games can get it's own site. – Adam Davis Jun 10 '10 at 13:27
4  
Some games blur the line between board and card games. I think card games are fair. I've added card games to the scope at the top. – Welbog Jun 10 '10 at 14:00
If only you were playing truco... – voyager Jun 10 '10 at 15:02
if card games aren't supposed to be on topic, then "card games" needs to be removed from the title of this proposal. – Jay Atkinson Jun 12 '10 at 20:31
up vote 20 down vote
How does resource gathering work in Settlers of Catan?
added by Welbog Jun 10 '10 at 10:43
link
2  
"RTFM" questions, even though they're easy to figure out on your own, should belong in the spirit of having every conceivable question answered on the site. – Welbog Jun 10 '10 at 10:46
up vote 20 down vote
I really like [Go-Fish]. Are there any games like it?
added by rlb.usa Jun 12 '10 at 15:25
link
Immediately raises the response “like it in what way?”. Can you improve the phrasing to address that? – bignose Jun 17 '10 at 7:32
2  
Especially for people that aren't familiar with lots of games, it might be hard to articulate exactly what makes them like a game. I think the community should be able to answer a question like this with "Try X for another game with mechanic A. Try Y for another game with mechanic B." – Brent Warner Jun 17 '10 at 15:15
The problem is that questions aren't great for a StackExchange site unless they are phrased such that there will be one “right” answer. – bignose Jun 18 '10 at 7:43
could generalize the question. I like X, what games are similar? – Gordon Gustafson Jun 21 '10 at 20:07
up vote 19 down vote
Is there any formal game-theory research into [game]?
added by Tadeusz A. Kadłubowski Jun 10 '10 at 11:31
link
This is phrased poorly (as a yes-or-no question). – bignose Jun 17 '10 at 7:35
2  
This is phrased poorly (as a yes-or-no question). Can you phrase it instead as “What published formal game-theory research exists ...?” – bignose Jun 17 '10 at 7:47
up vote 16 down vote
What is en passant in chess, and is it (generally) considered a defensive or offensive technique/strategy/move?
added by Adam Davis Jun 10 '10 at 12:01
link
2  
The first part of the question is ok, but the second? It's a move. Not a technique, and certainly not a strategy. It doesn't make much sense to call a move 'defensive or offensive'. It's like saying 'is moving a pawn forward a defensive or offensive move?'. – ire_and_curses Jun 12 '10 at 1:20
up vote 15 down vote
If I introduce [this new rule] to [a board game], will that break its mechanics?
added by Welbog Jun 10 '10 at 10:41
link
1  
May sound a bit subjective, but people who play the game in question enough should be able to answer it definitively. – Welbog Jun 10 '10 at 10:47
2  
I'd find it less subjective if phrased “... what significant effects will that have?” – bignose Jun 17 '10 at 7:31
up vote 15 down vote
Are there any cooperative board games out there (that I could safely play with my [wife/girlfriend/boss])?
added by ire_and_curses Jun 12 '10 at 1:32
link
1  
Better phrased so that the answer directly addresses the question. Currently, “Yes, there are such games” is probably a correct answer. Better as “What cooperative board game could I safely play with my [significant other / boss]?” – bignose Jun 17 '10 at 7:22
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/15062/… although its somewhat involved. – Gordon Gustafson Jun 21 '10 at 20:08
up vote 13 down vote
What are some good tactics for early game in [game]?
added by Tadeusz A. Kadłubowski Jun 10 '10 at 11:30
link
up vote 9 down vote
What are the rules of [game that is long out of print]?
added by bignose Jun 17 '10 at 7:27
link
Community wiki could be a good way to converge on a canonical set of rules where nothing official exists. – Ben Gartner Jun 21 '10 at 21:36
up vote 9 down vote
What are some good games or techniques for helping kids learn to "lose gracefully"?
added by Brent Warner Jun 17 '10 at 13:29
link
up vote 8 down vote
Where can I get a copy of [GAME] that is out-of-print?
added by Craig Jun 16 '10 at 22:06
link
up vote 7 down vote
Where can I find a description of a perfect play algorithm for <Checkers, Connect 4, other solved game>?
added by Ben Gartner Jun 18 '10 at 4:50
link
up vote 6 down vote
What extensions are there for the travel edition of Settlers of Catan?
added by fretje Jun 10 '10 at 11:43
link
Please phrase as a question that actually asks what you want to know. “Does anybody know...?” is a yes-or-no question, which is unlikely to be what the questioner actually wants answered. – bignose Jun 17 '10 at 7:34
@big: Sorry, English is not my native language... better now? Don't hesitate to propose a better fix ;-) – fretje Jun 17 '10 at 7:43
It's still a yes-or-no question, and not what the querent really wants to know. (Imagine getting the simple “Yes” answer.) The real question that should be asked is “What extensions are there for the travel edition of Settlers of Catan?” – bignose Jun 17 '10 at 13:46
@big: There you go. Thanks for the heads up! – fretje Jun 17 '10 at 14:02
@fretje, Good to go :-) – bignose Jun 18 '10 at 7:38
up vote 6 down vote
What is the best way to distribute your starting pieces for [goal] in [game]?
added by Daemonic Jun 16 '10 at 20:43
link
1  
“best” for what purpose? This question would be great if it allowed one right answer. – bignose Jun 17 '10 at 7:43
too vague - "best" in what way? and for some games, that will vary based on who you're playing and their styles – warren Jun 17 '10 at 13:35
Wording a bit better? – Daemonic Jun 22 '10 at 15:50
up vote 5 down vote
In chess, how do I teach myself to checkmate using just a bishop and a knight?
added by ire_and_curses Jun 12 '10 at 1:27
link
Specific technique/training advice question, for a fundamental procedure that can be very frustrating to master. – ire_and_curses Jun 12 '10 at 1:29
If you're asking how, you're not teaching yourself, now are you? – mmyers Jun 22 '10 at 19:51
@mmyers - I disagree. I think you can 'teach yourself' something by reading it in a book. Why not from a Stack Exchange answer? There's a big difference between hearing or reading the answer, and learning to apply the answer effectively. The phrase would have a very narrow definition if you had to learn everything from first principles to qualify! – ire_and_curses Jun 22 '10 at 20:34
that said, it's still an awkward way to phrase the question... What's wrong with "learn"? – Shog9 Jun 23 '10 at 5:45
up vote 5 down vote
In Magic: the Gathering, if my opponent controls an active Bloodchief Ascension, do I lose life if I Disenchant it?
added by eswald Jun 17 '10 at 17:35
link
Magic already has its own Stack Exchange site, and has so many potential rules interactions that questions for it should probably be redirected there. However, should CCG questions in general be on topic? – eswald Jun 17 '10 at 17:38
1  
I would say it's a question of community. CCG questions may be too sparse to attract the CCG community. The topic of "board games" is already very broad. This makes it harder to provide good answers, because you have to shift through more questions before you find a question that you can answer expertly. My opinion? Magic should have its own exchange, and other CCGs should have their own exchange (if they can support one.) However, if the beta group has enough expertise on CCGs, it may work to have the questions here after all. – Ben Gartner Jun 18 '10 at 4:48
7  
I think CCGs should be on topic. And according to the Area 51 FAQ "Don't worry about whether a question might be asked on another site. Your goal is to make the best possible site for this community" CCGs are definitely a card game, most of them won't have their own SE, and I bet the members of this community would be able to answer many of the questions, so I say go for it. – Brent Warner Jun 18 '10 at 20:23
This is a question that is much to specialized for an umbrella stack exchange site IMHO. The depth of a question should have some relationship to the breadth of the on-topic questions. That is why I would say this is off topic for board and card games, but on topic for a MTG exchange. Since the MTG exchange is narrower in scope, the questions can get much deeper. This is also a meta-argument for a feature to allow questions to be moved from one exchange to the other. – shemnon Jun 22 '10 at 15:32
up vote 5 down vote
How do I become a professional game designer?
added by Craig Jun 21 '10 at 22:23
link
up vote 4 down vote
What is a good, but very simple strategy/algorithm that works better than semi-random play in checkers?
added by Adam Davis Jun 10 '10 at 12:02
link
up vote 4 down vote
What are some of the commonly used approaches to protecting your flag in Stratego?
added by Jaydles Jun 11 '10 at 19:43
link
This would be a candidate for “community wiki”, rather than a question with a “right” answer. – bignose Jun 17 '10 at 7:20
up vote 4 down vote
What rules or mechanics make [Race for the Galaxy] different from other games that preceded it?
added by Ben Gartner Jun 21 '10 at 21:39
link
up vote 4 down vote
How can I compete against the ['Only Buy Money'] Strategy in [Dominion]?
added by Joe Zack Jun 22 '10 at 16:41
link
up vote 3 down vote
I made a new custom artwork for [game]. Is publishing it on the Internet illegal? [closed]
added by Tadeusz A. Kadłubowski Jun 10 '10 at 11:34
link

closed as off topic by Welbog, bignose, Beska, bdonlan, Space Hobo Jun 20 '10 at 7:38

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

Why is this on-topic contrasted with area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/5220/… ? – bignose Jun 17 '10 at 7:45
3  
This seems like a legal question that has nothing to do with gaming itself. – Brent Warner Jun 17 '10 at 13:32
up vote 3 down vote
What games did Sid Sackson invent and which are still in print?
added by Mike Woodhouse Jun 17 '10 at 11:36
link
up vote 3 down vote
What rules variants exist for [game]?
added by Brent Warner Jun 18 '10 at 16:11
link
I'm interested to see whether discussions of variants is considered on-topic. Does it matter whether they are "official" variants or not? – Brent Warner Jun 18 '10 at 16:12
up vote 3 down vote
How suitable is [game] with only two players?
added by Kristo Jun 23 '10 at 20:00
link
up vote 2 down vote
Where can I buy [game]?
added by Gordon Gustafson Jun 21 '10 at 20:11
link
up vote 2 down vote
What is an effective combination or use of [Dominion card]?
added by emptyset Jun 22 '10 at 16:21
link
up vote 2 down vote
How do I prevent [game with mechanic X] from degenerating to [play style I don't like].
added by shemnon Jun 24 '10 at 14:42
link
up vote 1 down vote
Where can I find a local group of [Axis & Allies] enthusiasts to play with? [closed]
added by Shog9 Jun 10 '10 at 16:42
link

closed as off topic by Welbog, voyager, antony.trupe, Amir Rachum, Pops Jun 12 '10 at 20:23

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

2  
Off-topic: not directly concerned with game mechanics, and also too localized. – Shog9 Jun 10 '10 at 16:42
while highly localized, I'd say it's otherwise good - especially if it landed in the category of building-out local playing groups – warren Jun 17 '10 at 13:37
There are resources for board gamers like nearbygamers.com that could be of use for everyone. So, "Where can I find gamers to play with in [New York] isn't a great example." but "where can people go to find gamers who live near them" might be better?" – McKay Jun 24 '10 at 14:51
up vote 1 down vote
Are there any conventions for board-game geeks?
added by Gordon Gustafson Jun 21 '10 at 20:12
link
up vote 1 down vote
Is it possible to play checkers with 3 people at once?
added by Gordon Gustafson Jun 21 '10 at 20:13
link
up vote 1 down vote
How has [board game] theory evolved over the years?
added by asandroq Jun 22 '10 at 16:54
link
up vote 1 down vote
What house rules have you invented for [game]?
added by Kristo Jun 23 '10 at 18:46
link
1  
I would expect this one to be Community Wiki. – Kristo Jun 23 '10 at 18:46
up vote 1 down vote
Where can gamers go to find people near them who like the same games they do?
added by McKay Jun 24 '10 at 14:52
link
up vote 0 down vote
Where can I download copyright-infringing scanned copies of [game]? [closed]
added by bignose Jun 17 '10 at 7:26
link

closed as off topic by warren, Space Hobo, Daemonic, silk, Scott A. Lawrence Jun 23 '10 at 13:04

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

up vote 0 down vote
What games did you play at [convention]? [closed]
added by Brent Warner Jun 18 '10 at 17:08
link

closed as off topic by fretje, Ben Gartner, asandroq, McKay, Michael Kohne Jun 23 '10 at 18:55

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

up vote 0 down vote
What deck of cards is best for magic tricks? [closed]
added by Gordon Gustafson Jun 21 '10 at 20:10
link

closed as off topic by Ben Gartner, emptyset, asandroq, silk, Brian Webster Jun 23 '10 at 1:07

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

up vote 0 down vote
How can I mark cards without getting caught? [closed]
added by Gordon Gustafson Jun 21 '10 at 20:13
link

closed as off topic by Ben Gartner, Daemonic, asandroq, Willbill, Michael Kohne Jun 23 '10 at 18:58

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

up vote 0 down vote
Will you playtest my game? Here are the rules........ [closed]
added by Craig Jun 21 '10 at 22:23
link

closed as off topic by Kristo, bignose, Brian Webster, Justin L., asandroq Jun 23 '10 at 13:44

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

I say off-topic. Brain dumps of new game ideas are likely, at least initially. IMHO, it would be better to encourage specific targeted questions. – Kristo Jun 22 '10 at 20:12
It also fails to be a good StackExchange question since it doesn't lead to a single correct answer (other than the literal “No, we won't”). – bignose Jun 23 '10 at 0:08
1 2 next

This site has

Launched!

This Stack Exchange site's beta was successful, so it launched 2 years ago.

proposed by

Welbog
107k●22●220●372

11 years ago

edited by

Jaydles ♦ 1
110k●94●433●765

11 years ago

viewed

17,518 times

latest activity

11 years ago

followers

users also following

18.8% Gaming
16.8% Role-playing Games
16.8% Mathematics
15.8% Personal Finance...
5.9% only this proposal

followers active in

97.0% Stack Overflow
78.2% Super User
74.3% Meta Stack Overflow
72.3% Server Fault
60.4% Web Applications
55.4% Arqade

recent followers

added Jun 14 '11 at 8:47
VMAtm
53.3k●31●188●335
added Mar 9 '11 at 23:58
Iszi
106k●181●668●1233
added Oct 17 '10 at 20:20
Caramdir
87.3k●25●258●326
added Oct 8 '10 at 18:32
Maximillian
18k●22●144●256
added Oct 5 '10 at 2:05
LittleBobbyTables
61.3k●38●234●392
added Oct 4 '10 at 15:49
kchau
9,114●8●56●83
added Oct 4 '10 at 2:15
Jonn
13.4k●24●126●190
added Oct 3 '10 at 21:54
Senseful
149k●209●739●1129
added Sep 30 '10 at 4:44
Eruditass
12.2k●6●62●79
added Sep 24 '10 at 9:25
tttppp
17.8k●13●90●153
added Sep 23 '10 at 13:35
Murwiz
51●1
added Sep 23 '10 at 13:00
Sietse
9,968●13●68●126
added Sep 20 '10 at 19:22
Maniero ♦ 1
498k●127●1440●2312
added Sep 18 '10 at 5:03
Mark C
4,313●2●36●78
added Sep 11 '10 at 12:47
Douglas S. Stones
41.4k●17●181●369
added Aug 30 '10 at 15:42
Pawka
5,419●4●46●88
added Aug 28 '10 at 20:09
Ilari Kajaste
16.3k●18●144●263
added Aug 26 '10 at 20:48
Ed Brannin
10.6k●7●50●87
added Aug 24 '10 at 23:47
keithjgrant
24.3k●19●137●263
added Aug 22 '10 at 8:33
finrod
2,486●16●21
added Aug 16 '10 at 14:54
Wes Baker
2,180●1●13●19
added Aug 3 '10 at 13:21
Paul Lammertsma
45.3k●25●196●305
added Jul 30 '10 at 22:55
Edward Williams
2,765●4●19●46
added Jul 20 '10 at 9:45
Kempeth
12.9k●3●66●149
added Jul 15 '10 at 14:57
NickAldwin
14.8k●21●79●139
added Jul 13 '10 at 9:35
MRA
6,048●3●43●75
added Jul 6 '10 at 18:10
apollodude217
2,819●4●25●40
added Jul 3 '10 at 17:57
Jim McKeeth
66.9k●70●373●627
added Jul 2 '10 at 0:21
Leigh Riffel
34.5k●27●150●297
added Jun 30 '10 at 21:02
Miyagi Coder
6,066●4●37●68
added Jun 30 '10 at 18:39
Philip Kelley
39k●11●64●108
added Jun 29 '10 at 4:12
Kevin Crowell
9,885●4●34●52
added Jun 28 '10 at 11:24
Simon Nickerson
48.2k●25●129●188
added Jun 26 '10 at 17:29
BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
195k●126●816●1332
added Jun 25 '10 at 7:33
John Burley
2,528●5●27●51
added Jun 24 '10 at 21:00
Peter Miehle
6,646●2●38●71
added Jun 24 '10 at 20:29
Kevin Kibler
13.6k●8●40●73
added Jun 24 '10 at 17:03
ascarb
1,120●7●32
added Jun 23 '10 at 22:24
Gelatin
31.4k●11●158●302
added Jun 23 '10 at 22:22
shemnon
7,622●4●40●84
feed icon proposal feed
faq | blog | legal | privacy policy | contact us | feedback always welcome
site design / logo © 2022 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa; see the licensing help page for more information.
rev 2022.3.23.593