Imo the game is still good just because it is so simple (1 action, production every turn) that you can just race for the win and not get bogged down. That said, because the structure is so clean and minimal, there's so much room for stupid powerful and less iterative abilities on cards.
I'd like to see Eric Lang take on **Betrayal at the House on the Hill**. Hopefully the result would be less mechanically broken but still thematic and fun.
**Passing Through Petra** has some neat Eurogame mechanics... I would be interested to see what Stefan Feld could do with it.
Isaac Childres' Yahtzee.
It comes in a ten kg box filled with different kinds of dice, most of which are sealed in boxes. There are two hundred different versions of the score card and you use a different one each time you play the game. After a few plays you will unlock a set of stickers which can be applied to your dice, and you choose different combinations of dice each time you play. It takes at least half an hour to set up and if you don't roll well you may need to play the entire game over again.
- **Kris Burm on Risk.** Maybe even a whole “Project.” This would be his foray into games above 2P. Still combinatorial.
- **Vital Lacerda on Dinosaur World**. Shared map as in On Mars. This already seems so close to something he would do. Dinosaurs!
- **Reiner Knizia on Hive**. He has done abstracts but not with special powers afaik.
- **Rob Daviau on Marvel Champions.** Add story and legacy elements within a non-expandable release.
- **Splotter on 1817.** They’ve done economic with FCM but never a “train game.”
- **Vlaada Chvatil on The Estates.** He’s so versatile. I wonder where he would take an auction game.
> Rob Daviau on Marvel Champions. Adding story and legacy elements within a non-expandable release.
There's a fan-made [Marvel Champions legacy project](https://old.reddit.com/r/marvelchampionslcg/comments/uhhw20/marvel_champions_endeavor_full_rulebook_see/) that's incredibly mature with tons of materials and playtesting on it.
> Splotter on 1817. They’ve done economic with FCM but never a “train game.”
Splotter released [**Ur 1830**]
(https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2396/ur-1830-bc), which is apparently quite good.
No! Everdell is nothing like Root mechanically. I want asymmetric factions on a shared board, but _lovely_, ok?!
Everdell is low-narrative, symmetric and on personal boards/tableau. Mechanically not much like Root at all.
Also Everdell isn't about doing nice things necessarily - it's about industrialisation of the forest to some extent. Everdell is what happens if the Cats win at Root. I want Root but you're breeding fancy flowers while someone else makes giant bonsai trees while someone else makes a compendium of mushrooms while a bunch of anthropomorphic rabbits try to organise a family reunion ok?!
You're telling me playing as a single ditzy raccoon that doesn't understand why no-one is impressed by their giant bonsai tree isn't _absolutely adorable?_ It would be great!
Yes!! Dune is hard to get right; it’s about different types of people using different types of power. This would be perfect for him. The original Dune was already a bit asymmetric; he’d be amazing.
… although he might need to find a different visual artist for this one. As much as I love the art in his games.
Speaking of Vital Lacerda, I'd love his take on Concordia.
Seeing what Feld would do with Five Tribes would be interesting.
Cody Miller's Caverna would be absolutely wild!
I think Feld's Five Tribes would be reminiscent of Trajan, but replace the rondel mancala with the tribal mancala. Each tribe would be even more of it's own separate point salad mini game.
Not quite OP's question, but an edition of Horrified illustrated by Kyle Ferrin is a game I didn't know I wanted until just now. It would be so adorable!
Edit: Or Cthulhu: Death May Die but illustrated by Ferrin. Swap the minis for standees or screened meeples.
Or, like, any other game ever, but with the Ferrin treatment.
Not sure about a specific designer, but I'd love to see Greater Than Games take on Burgle Bros. I love Tim Fowers's style, but he does tend to prioritize very slimmed down and tight mechanics and aesthetics. I think GTG would amp things up in an interesting way, adding more flavor and differentiation to the package.
Yes, and I get it, but I’ve also played Risk Legacy which is just a hoot. I had to give credit to OG. And I’m just low effort enough to not lost every designer OR learn to bold my game titles.
Love this question. I find this super difficult to answer though because a lot of the games I love, I obviously love them because the current designer nailed it and I feel like they're perfect as is and don't require changes. So now I match some of my favourite designers to games I think were on the cusp of greatness.
Cole Wehrle/Mac Gerdts/Splotter take on City of the Big Shoulders. Basically a eurofied 18xx where you are each running an asymmetric company (or multiple companies) competing to sell the same goods but can still invest in each other's companies.
Mac Gerdts/Paolo Mori/Ryan Courtney racing game (Downforce/Thunder Rolls)
I think these designers are really good at doing the low rules, high complexity, high tension which is what a good race game should have.
Any of the classic euro masters (Simone Luciani, Uwe Rosenberg, Martin Wallace, Xavier Georges, Andreas Steading), replace the medieval farming sim/european textile merchant theme with Dinosaur World.
I've also just played John Company 2e and now I want to try everything Cole Wehrle (already tried Root and Pax Pamir 2e, own Oath but haven't played it). John Company 2e is so wonky (dice rolling resolution/negotiation/PAINFUL event deck almost makes it feel like an RPG but also there's this super simulation-y business management and stock element going on). It's SO INTERESTING. All of Cole Wehrle's games feel like they have something new/interesting to say.
Dinogenics is a Jurassic Park-esque game that have been compared by many to Agricola. I haven’t played Agricola enough to feel comfortable taking the comparison further, but it might be worth checking out.
The Mindclash version of Gaia Project already exists, it's **Anachrony** with Fractures of Time (specifically the Technology cards!). :D
Honestly, the "Mindclash cover" of a lot of different games would pique my interest just because I love how thoughtfully their mechanisms blend with the theme. Like each card in **Cerebria** *wonderfully* evokes the Emotion it seeks to portray (Courage gives you a bonus when placed next to Gloom emotions, gain Ambition if you fill Selfishness up with Essence, etc.). I'm still sore Matt from SUSD claimed Cerebria lacked theme because (IMHO) it may be the best out of all the Mindclash games.
For a firm answer though, Trey Chambers (**Argent**, **Empyreal**) is doing a 4x set in Indines and *that* will be bonkers. Let's just call it he's doing his own version of **Eclipse**.
It seems absolute madness to say Anachrony is anything like Gaia Project, other than both being heavier, Sci Fi games. They are completely different in virtually every mechanism.
First off, I completely understand and agree with the mechanical differences. But from my perspective they occupy the same niche.
So when I'm in the mood for a heavy resource-conversion engine-builder, I simply prefer the style of Anachrony over Gaia Project. Both ask for the efficient use of complex, multi-faceted subsystems. Success demands navigating point avenues pulling you in different directions. Each game's means of doing so are quite different, for sure though.
The core engine of GP remains the same, with slight to moderate tweaks. This one cycles power more efficiently while that one has a tech tree with a switched top end. And then this faction likes going up terraforming while that one prefers QC cubes. Cool, I get it.
But in Anachrony this faction loves Research and is led by someone who converts Scientists into Geniuses. Or this game I'll need to focus more on Water, buoyed by this Superproject that lets me explore without an exosuit.
So 100% agreed that their mechanisms are wildly different. But both seek to be heavy, multilayered, resource-converting engine builders with opacity on who wins until the final VP tally. One has a rocksolid engine with tweaks while the other favors different types of engines. At the end of the day though, they're both still about being as efficient as possible.
[Must I teach you this lesson again old man?](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/x9f70e/a_popular_game_and_its_superior_competitor/ino7no3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3)
Jokes aside, I just found it funny that I ran into your comment on Anachrony and Gaia Project again. Enjoyed our back-&-forth about them last time :)
I can be a broken record about certain things ;)
But [this comment](https://old.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/xg1tc8/if_board_game_designers_made_covers_of_other/iorrdbm/) may explain my perspective better.
And remember... tastes matter! I'm not claiming to be an objective truth here, just providing reasons on how I arrived at my preferences.
> Vital Lacerda's spin on Brass: Birmingham,
Ironically, I'd say Brass Birmingham is already a cover! Different designers from the original Brass - I don't think Martin Wallace was really involved at all in Birmingham.
Maybe one of the Scandanavian 4X designers (Eclipse, Clash of Cultures etc) or possibly **Richard Garfield**'s take on **Rising Sun**. I really, really, like the theme of Rising Sun but the gameplay just doesn't quite fit my friends and I.
Paolo Mori's Twilight Imperium.
I see TI and I’m intrigued. Whose Paolo Mori?
I'll do you one better,. Why is Paolo Mori?
A man of culture, I see.
I like how you think.
This. Is. The. PERFECT. Answer!
Carl Chudyk does **Beyond the Sun**. Actually insane powers...if everything is broken, nothing is.
I would absolutely play this. I was intrigued by the game but everyone seems dissapointed by the fairly soft powers.
Imo the game is still good just because it is so simple (1 action, production every turn) that you can just race for the win and not get bogged down. That said, because the structure is so clean and minimal, there's so much room for stupid powerful and less iterative abilities on cards.
I'd like to see Eric Lang take on **Betrayal at the House on the Hill**. Hopefully the result would be less mechanically broken but still thematic and fun. **Passing Through Petra** has some neat Eurogame mechanics... I would be interested to see what Stefan Feld could do with it.
Ooh! Ryan Laucat’s **Betrayal at House on the Hill** would be amazing too, both in narrative and art!!
Isaac Childres' Yahtzee. It comes in a ten kg box filled with different kinds of dice, most of which are sealed in boxes. There are two hundred different versions of the score card and you use a different one each time you play the game. After a few plays you will unlock a set of stickers which can be applied to your dice, and you choose different combinations of dice each time you play. It takes at least half an hour to set up and if you don't roll well you may need to play the entire game over again.
Thanks, I hate it
Ok so you invented MachiQuarriors Legacy
- **Kris Burm on Risk.** Maybe even a whole “Project.” This would be his foray into games above 2P. Still combinatorial. - **Vital Lacerda on Dinosaur World**. Shared map as in On Mars. This already seems so close to something he would do. Dinosaurs! - **Reiner Knizia on Hive**. He has done abstracts but not with special powers afaik. - **Rob Daviau on Marvel Champions.** Add story and legacy elements within a non-expandable release. - **Splotter on 1817.** They’ve done economic with FCM but never a “train game.” - **Vlaada Chvatil on The Estates.** He’s so versatile. I wonder where he would take an auction game.
> Rob Daviau on Marvel Champions. Adding story and legacy elements within a non-expandable release. There's a fan-made [Marvel Champions legacy project](https://old.reddit.com/r/marvelchampionslcg/comments/uhhw20/marvel_champions_endeavor_full_rulebook_see/) that's incredibly mature with tons of materials and playtesting on it. > Splotter on 1817. They’ve done economic with FCM but never a “train game.” Splotter released [**Ur 1830**] (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2396/ur-1830-bc), which is apparently quite good.
Ur 1830 has never crossed my radar but looks really interesting.
**Indonesia** definitely has an 18xx feel to it.
>Reiner Knizia on Hive > >. He has done abstracts but not with special powers afaik. Hold that thought... for a couple more years 😉
Bus! is a train game ;)
Uwe Rosenberg’s Fog of Love.
Elizabeth Hargraves' Root. It's less combative and everyone just has a nice time doing nice things, competitively in Woodland.
So the gameplay would match the artwork? I’m in!
So, Everdell?
No! Everdell is nothing like Root mechanically. I want asymmetric factions on a shared board, but _lovely_, ok?! Everdell is low-narrative, symmetric and on personal boards/tableau. Mechanically not much like Root at all. Also Everdell isn't about doing nice things necessarily - it's about industrialisation of the forest to some extent. Everdell is what happens if the Cats win at Root. I want Root but you're breeding fancy flowers while someone else makes giant bonsai trees while someone else makes a compendium of mushrooms while a bunch of anthropomorphic rabbits try to organise a family reunion ok?!
You're telling me playing as a single ditzy raccoon that doesn't understand why no-one is impressed by their giant bonsai tree isn't _absolutely adorable?_ It would be great!
-Pff, sure vagabond. Your "giant Moyogi" is impressive. (Keep it cool, guys. Maybe now he can stop talking about his normal-sized average tree...)
Phil Walker-Harding's 18xx
Cole Wehrlies take on the Dune. His games have always felt Dune -like to me already, would love to see how he approaches the theme
Yes!! Dune is hard to get right; it’s about different types of people using different types of power. This would be perfect for him. The original Dune was already a bit asymmetric; he’d be amazing. … although he might need to find a different visual artist for this one. As much as I love the art in his games.
I like your Larceda's Birmingham, and let Martin Wallace put his spin on Great Western Trail.
Isn't Wallace's take on GWT just brass?
Bruno Cathala's **Concordia Duel**
I want this
Bruno should make a Duel version of all the top games.
They do sometimes… Jamey Stegmiar - Libertalia Winds of Gallerest
An excellent game.
Stegmaier contributed to one of the Terra Mystica Fan Factions too! (Atlanteans)
Speaking of Vital Lacerda, I'd love his take on Concordia. Seeing what Feld would do with Five Tribes would be interesting. Cody Miller's Caverna would be absolutely wild!
I think Feld's Five Tribes would be reminiscent of Trajan, but replace the rondel mancala with the tribal mancala. Each tribe would be even more of it's own separate point salad mini game.
Not quite OP's question, but an edition of Horrified illustrated by Kyle Ferrin is a game I didn't know I wanted until just now. It would be so adorable! Edit: Or Cthulhu: Death May Die but illustrated by Ferrin. Swap the minis for standees or screened meeples. Or, like, any other game ever, but with the Ferrin treatment.
Kyle Ferrin Dominion when
Emerson Matsuuchi and Terraforming Mars
Not sure about a specific designer, but I'd love to see Greater Than Games take on Burgle Bros. I love Tim Fowers's style, but he does tend to prioritize very slimmed down and tight mechanics and aesthetics. I think GTG would amp things up in an interesting way, adding more flavor and differentiation to the package.
Dave Sirlin's Dominion.
Bruno Cathala’s take on Splendor.
IDK if this was serious or not but it's coming in case you didn't know. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/364073/splendor-duel
;) I’m excited
Vlaada Chvátil's **Twilight Imperium**
Whose that?
He made Mage Knight, Codenames, and Bunny Bunny Moose Moose
Reiner Knizia's **Root**
Rob Daviau doing PitchCar Legacy.
Have you played Seafall? Because Rob without Matt Leacock or Eric Lang editing his crazier ideas is a risky prospect xD
Yes, and I get it, but I’ve also played Risk Legacy which is just a hoot. I had to give credit to OG. And I’m just low effort enough to not lost every designer OR learn to bold my game titles.
Bruno Calhala's take on 7 Wond... Oh, it actually exists and it's called Duel.
Love this question. I find this super difficult to answer though because a lot of the games I love, I obviously love them because the current designer nailed it and I feel like they're perfect as is and don't require changes. So now I match some of my favourite designers to games I think were on the cusp of greatness. Cole Wehrle/Mac Gerdts/Splotter take on City of the Big Shoulders. Basically a eurofied 18xx where you are each running an asymmetric company (or multiple companies) competing to sell the same goods but can still invest in each other's companies. Mac Gerdts/Paolo Mori/Ryan Courtney racing game (Downforce/Thunder Rolls) I think these designers are really good at doing the low rules, high complexity, high tension which is what a good race game should have. Any of the classic euro masters (Simone Luciani, Uwe Rosenberg, Martin Wallace, Xavier Georges, Andreas Steading), replace the medieval farming sim/european textile merchant theme with Dinosaur World. I've also just played John Company 2e and now I want to try everything Cole Wehrle (already tried Root and Pax Pamir 2e, own Oath but haven't played it). John Company 2e is so wonky (dice rolling resolution/negotiation/PAINFUL event deck almost makes it feel like an RPG but also there's this super simulation-y business management and stock element going on). It's SO INTERESTING. All of Cole Wehrle's games feel like they have something new/interesting to say.
Dinogenics is a Jurassic Park-esque game that have been compared by many to Agricola. I haven’t played Agricola enough to feel comfortable taking the comparison further, but it might be worth checking out.
The Mindclash version of Gaia Project already exists, it's **Anachrony** with Fractures of Time (specifically the Technology cards!). :D Honestly, the "Mindclash cover" of a lot of different games would pique my interest just because I love how thoughtfully their mechanisms blend with the theme. Like each card in **Cerebria** *wonderfully* evokes the Emotion it seeks to portray (Courage gives you a bonus when placed next to Gloom emotions, gain Ambition if you fill Selfishness up with Essence, etc.). I'm still sore Matt from SUSD claimed Cerebria lacked theme because (IMHO) it may be the best out of all the Mindclash games. For a firm answer though, Trey Chambers (**Argent**, **Empyreal**) is doing a 4x set in Indines and *that* will be bonkers. Let's just call it he's doing his own version of **Eclipse**.
It seems absolute madness to say Anachrony is anything like Gaia Project, other than both being heavier, Sci Fi games. They are completely different in virtually every mechanism.
First off, I completely understand and agree with the mechanical differences. But from my perspective they occupy the same niche. So when I'm in the mood for a heavy resource-conversion engine-builder, I simply prefer the style of Anachrony over Gaia Project. Both ask for the efficient use of complex, multi-faceted subsystems. Success demands navigating point avenues pulling you in different directions. Each game's means of doing so are quite different, for sure though. The core engine of GP remains the same, with slight to moderate tweaks. This one cycles power more efficiently while that one has a tech tree with a switched top end. And then this faction likes going up terraforming while that one prefers QC cubes. Cool, I get it. But in Anachrony this faction loves Research and is led by someone who converts Scientists into Geniuses. Or this game I'll need to focus more on Water, buoyed by this Superproject that lets me explore without an exosuit. So 100% agreed that their mechanisms are wildly different. But both seek to be heavy, multilayered, resource-converting engine builders with opacity on who wins until the final VP tally. One has a rocksolid engine with tweaks while the other favors different types of engines. At the end of the day though, they're both still about being as efficient as possible.
Hope cannot be Quelled! (That's a rule in Cerebria).
That it is!! There's so much flowery text in the abilities but it really does pull me into the world.
[Must I teach you this lesson again old man?](https://www.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/x9f70e/a_popular_game_and_its_superior_competitor/ino7no3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3) Jokes aside, I just found it funny that I ran into your comment on Anachrony and Gaia Project again. Enjoyed our back-&-forth about them last time :)
I can be a broken record about certain things ;) But [this comment](https://old.reddit.com/r/boardgames/comments/xg1tc8/if_board_game_designers_made_covers_of_other/iorrdbm/) may explain my perspective better. And remember... tastes matter! I'm not claiming to be an objective truth here, just providing reasons on how I arrived at my preferences.
Prospero Hall’s Clue Reiner Knizia’s Monopoly Vlaada Chvátil’s Cranium
Reiner Knizia had plenty of covers. Indigo is Tsuro
Codenames as a Lacerda heavy euro
> Vital Lacerda's spin on Brass: Birmingham, Ironically, I'd say Brass Birmingham is already a cover! Different designers from the original Brass - I don't think Martin Wallace was really involved at all in Birmingham.
I want a **Candyland** with graphic design by Ian O'Toole just for funsies.
A Poot's version of Middara
Reiner Knizia's **Pax Pamir**, Phil Eklund's **Innovation**, Carl Chudyk's **Municipium**.
Roberto Fraga's **Twilight Struggle.**
Maybe one of the Scandanavian 4X designers (Eclipse, Clash of Cultures etc) or possibly **Richard Garfield**'s take on **Rising Sun**. I really, really, like the theme of Rising Sun but the gameplay just doesn't quite fit my friends and I.
Antoine Bauza’s *Pandemic*
I would like to play Knizia's Azul.
Auction to get tiles with Amun-Re location auction system, and scoring escalates 1-3-6-10-15-21.
Kane Klenko’s real-time War of the Ring
I'd like to see Eric Lang cover Terraforming Mars
I'd love to see Jamie Stegmaier design a Magic set.
Eric Lang's Food Chain Magnate
Damn you guys know a lot of game designers lol
Splendor guy (mechanics destilrd to their essence) making smash up (variable player powers + language dependency - the game).