Let's be honest, nobody needs 100 board games, let alone 500! That kind of collection would require playing games every single day just to get through them all in a year. I've generally flucated from around 80 - 150 board games, but I've gone through a bit of a board game realisation, that I do not need to own every board games for the maybes or the memories or the it might work in the hypothetical scenario where I have 24 players who all want to play the same game.
My focus should be on games. I genuinely enjoy playing and want to get to the table, not ones I'm holding onto for memory's sake. Take Blood Rage, for a long time its been my number 1 game of all time, largely because of the memories of the game, those great evenings where we went through 3 games in a row and there was this evolving meta like experience. Or the time we played, and someone did a victory dance halfway through scoring only to finish last! But I played it again recently and I didn't love it, it was just alright. Tastes change, and I've moved more towards Euro style games that are probably more economically driven and increasingly towards games that feel like they have meaningful decisions.
If I were to feature every single game that made the sale pile, I'd be in for the longest blog post ever! So, instead, I'm going to feature just a few and explain why they're making the list.
Ganz Schon Clever
I've played a lot of Ganz Schon Clever. We needed a second pad of papers. But I feel burnt out on roll and writes, in particular Ganz Schon clever and that it's no longer satisfying, it's more of a chore as the game follows the same sort of routine. So I think every game reaches the end of its life on the shelf, and Ganz Schon Clever has its time. Only to be replaced by three sisters, which for now feels much more satisfying and feels a bit more combo tastic.
Wingspan
Wingspan is honestly a game. I've been looking for a reason to sell for some time. It just isn't very satisying to play at this point. It feels too slow, and offering it at game night always turns into a 5-player game that I could sleep through. The announcement of Wyrmspan made this an easy target for the cull. Yes, it's got the nice 3D printed upgrades, and yes, all the cards are sleeved, but it's time for it to move on. With so many others owning the game and it being available on Boardgamearena, it's another one to make it to the pile.
Dice hospital
Dice Hospital was one of my first kickstarter projects, and it's one I've kept because my partner enjoyed it. However, as we've been gaming less and less, it's one that hits the table less and less. And it's a game that I dislike. To me, it's very average, and at two player its pretty poor. So, having the opportunity to finally cull this game feels like a bit of a relief. And of course, should I have a craving to play it, I can always play Dice Hospital on Boardgamearena.
Pulsar 2849
Pulsar 2849 feels like Castles of Burgundy in space and has been a game I've played a fair bit of. However, it's one whenever I have played, has been the base/recommended setup, and there comes a point when you crave a bit more. And it's just one that isn't hitting the table enough. Its last outting was in 2022, so I can't justify keeping it on the limited space shelf I have. And there are other games I'd rather play at this point.
A.R.T project
This was my personal highlight of the UKGE in 2023, and I couldn't wait to get a copy and get it to my table. But I've increasingly come to realise that every game isn't for everyone, and that goes for my group. A game I love isn't going to go down well with everyone. After trying the A.R.T project with 3 different groups, it just didn't click, so the A.R.T project is another game that makes the cull for being a game. I doubt I will make it to the table again.
The Castles of Burgundy
I've owned the Castles of Burgundy for basically what feels like forever, but the Castles of Burgundy is a game I don't see myself playing in person, 4 players take forever, like whole game evening 3 - 3 1/2 hours and there's not enough here to warrant that kind of play time. The downtime is almost exhausting. And despite this, I've played the Castles of Burgundy 87 times, largely thanks to Boardgamearena.
I may come back and add more games to talk about, but for now, these are the few I want to feature. If there's anything I've learned from this experience, it's that my collection will continue to evolve, grow, shrink, and never be frozen or set. And for that reason there's a few game's I'm already reflecting on and eyeing up as the next ones to leave, or to be considered as ones I need to revisit again to understand what made me keep them. Khora Rise of an Empire, I'm looking at you, Obsession, is another I'm still stuck on after 18 plays. I don't know what I think of Obsession!
How's your collection looking?