Great post as usual, Mark!
My first comment has to do with your poll answer options. I selected “I enjoy playing a variety of games, including Euros,” which is true enough, but does not fully capture my current feelings toward Euros, which are quite similar to yours.
I, too, first cut my teeth on thematic Ameritrash games when I fell down the rabbit hole of this hobby some six months ago. Eldritch Horror was my particular gateway drug, in view of my lifelong fascination with the Mythos, and my college days as a Chaosium Call of Cthulhu RPGer. Then I purchased Arkham Horror: The Card Game, with which I still have a complex love/hate relationship. Then came a seemingly endless parade of deck building games — nearly twenty of them, at last count.
Just as you initially felt intimidated toward Euros, I too felt initimidated, yet curious about what other people saw in them. Theme and flavor are important to my appreciation of a game, and I saw nothing thematic about farming, or a medieval setting.
Then I discovered The Manhattan Project, a worker placement game with a post-WWII, Cold War, nuclear arms race theme that drew me in. This was my introduction to the worker placement mechanic. I have yet to win an actual game against my daughter, but I still enjoy playing. Since then I have purchased Steam Time and Steam Works (both Euros with a steampunk theme, which apparently is like catnip to me), and most recently Lords of Waterdeep.
As you can see, I am slowly dipping a toe more deeply into the Euro pond. I’m not yet ready to try the Agricolas, Viticultures, and The Castles of Burgundys of this world. Most recently I played my daughter’s copy of Scythe, which to me is really a worker placement game with some area control, wrapped up in a beautiful world and unique art. Incredibly, I have defeated my daughter on the two occasions that we have played — usually she shares your uncanny ability to see the board and almost intuitively recognize the optimal moves.
My relationship status with Euros: we’re taking things slowly right now. But things are looking up.
My first comment has to do with your poll answer options. I selected “I enjoy playing a variety of games, including Euros,” which is true enough, but does not fully capture my current feelings toward Euros, which are quite similar to yours.
I, too, first cut my teeth on thematic Ameritrash games when I fell down the rabbit hole of this hobby some six months ago. Eldritch Horror was my particular gateway drug, in view of my lifelong fascination with the Mythos, and my college days as a Chaosium Call of Cthulhu RPGer. Then I purchased Arkham Horror: The Card Game, with which I still have a complex love/hate relationship. Then came a seemingly endless parade of deck building games — nearly twenty of them, at last count.
Just as you initially felt intimidated toward Euros, I too felt initimidated, yet curious about what other people saw in them. Theme and flavor are important to my appreciation of a game, and I saw nothing thematic about farming, or a medieval setting.
Then I discovered The Manhattan Project, a worker placement game with a post-WWII, Cold War, nuclear arms race theme that drew me in. This was my introduction to the worker placement mechanic. I have yet to win an actual game against my daughter, but I still enjoy playing. Since then I have purchased Steam Time and Steam Works (both Euros with a steampunk theme, which apparently is like catnip to me), and most recently Lords of Waterdeep.
As you can see, I am slowly dipping a toe more deeply into the Euro pond. I’m not yet ready to try the Agricolas, Viticultures, and The Castles of Burgundys of this world. Most recently I played my daughter’s copy of Scythe, which to me is really a worker placement game with some area control, wrapped up in a beautiful world and unique art. Incredibly, I have defeated my daughter on the two occasions that we have played — usually she shares your uncanny ability to see the board and almost intuitively recognize the optimal moves.
My relationship status with Euros: we’re taking things slowly right now. But things are looking up.