by skipsizemore
clydeiii wrote:
Also, I wish I got to play Vinhos as often as I get to play GIPF games, but the learning curve is far too steep for most players. And I think maybe that's why John thinks the trend isn't a welcome one.
That's a big part of it. As the usual teacher, I do get tired of explaining (and re-explaining) a lot of curlicues and doodads.
But a deeper issue is the old saying, "if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle them with bullshit". Some of these games just seem to be a stew of mechanics, cobbled together to baffle players. Maybe they're brilliant, but given the number of much simpler games that prove to be broken or otherwise faulty, I have my doubts. How much playtesting would it take to balance a design this complex? A thousand plays? Maybe.