Hello this is Clint and I am back to give you more Boardgaming tips. You can watch the video here
Otherwise, read on and let’s begin:
1. Melodice
Are you the type of person who plays music in the background while playing board games? Perhaps you want to get all the players in the mood. Perhaps you want to be immersed in the world of the game you’re playing. Study shows that music helps with storing memories, as it associates certain happenings to the musical notes that are currently playing during the episode of the memory (see https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2776393/). One good site to help you find the perfect playlist for your game nights is http://melodice.org
Melodice is a crowdsourced website with music playlists for board games. In it, you will search the title of the game you’re about to play and, as you hit enter, you will be welcomed with a set playlist, mostly YouTube videos that were added by fellow board gamers. Being crowdsourced means you can add your own links to a music that you think best suits a game.
2. Chwazi
Do you even follow the rules for determining the first player? The player who recently had a burger, the player who last watched a film, etc. Most of the time we just randomize, and what better randomization app in the market now is CHWAZI.
Chwazi is a free finger-chooser app by Ivan Seidel Gomes. Each player will simultaneously place one of their fingers on the screen for a few seconds and the app will pick a finger to be the winner, or in this case, the first player.
3. Eating Chips Using Chopsticks
Do you love eating snacks like chips while playing yet you don’t want the cards to be touched with crumb-covered fingers? Then you can use chopsticks to grab the chips instead of your finger.
My family game group loves chips, especially while playing, and this technique has been used several times (sadly, not all the time). Recently, Paula Deming did this as well in one of her videos and she really liked the technique. This is just a simple and genius solution.
If you don’t know how to use a chopstick, there are alternatives you can find in the market by searching the keyword “gaming chopstick”
4. Print-and-Play
I have been mentioning about print and play games last time and I realized I haven’t really talked about it. So what is it? A print-and-play game, also called PNP for short, is a game you can easily print at home and play with minimal component requirements. These games range from one sheet games, 9 card games, or even a full game with board and tokens! Most PNP games are free, if not cheap, and easily accessible through board game geek or other dedicated PnP marketplace like PNPArcade.
There are also friendly PnP groups on facebook to help you with all your questions. And a fun fact, one of the most well-known PnP builders is a pinoy and his name is Martin Gonzalves. So if you’re on a tight budget, or just a DIY enthusiast you can start doing your own PnP builds.
To build a PnP game, you will need a printer, a cutting mat, roll-on glue, a cutter or hobby knife, and a ruler.
If you lack the tools, you can commission someone who can do it for you; there are local Facebook pages that offer this service.
5. Papercraft Terrain
Speaking of printing and building, let’s talk about Papercraft terrains.
Are you a wargamer? A DM for a tabletop RPG? Then you know that 3D terrains are cool but expensive. And despite it not being a necessity, it usually finds its place in most tables because it greatly enhances the experience, immersion and table presence of the game.
But you don’t always have to spend a lot to make your games immersive, there are papercraft terrains in the market that you can print and easily build yourself! Some of them are free, some of them have a price, but prices range only from 50php – 200php depending on its complexity. What’s good is that you only have to buy once and you can print as many times as you want!
Free Papercraft Resources:
– Genet Models http://www.genetmodels.com/free-stuff/
– Dave Graffam http://www.davesgames.net/catalog-free-models.htm
– Paper MAU https://papermau.blogspot.com/
– 2-Minute Tabletop https://2minutetabletop.com/product-category/papercraft/ (pay what you want)
Paid Papercraft Resources can be found on http://drivethrurpg.com by searching “papercraft terrain“, and there are also free stuff to download here.
6. 3D Printing; Components, Inserts & Miniatures
Perfect for our DIY topic, let’s keep it rolling! Let’s talk about 3D Printing.
3D printing is quite a new technology in the hobby yet it’s moving really fast. We now have 3d printing quality comparable to factory produced items. There are a lot of 3D printers and printing services in the local scene. There are also people that are known locally and internationally for making 3d printable files, like Papsikels.
What are the things that you can 3D print? And where to get it?
1st, you can get FREE 3d printable files on thingiverse.com – thingiverse is a design community for discovering, sharing and making 3d printable things.
2nd, you can 3D print almost anything in the hobby, such as, but not limited to:
– Miniature Figures
– Game Inserts
– Components and tokens
– Card Holders
7. Stop Motion Studio
Now you have your own paper terrains, beautiful 3d printed miniatures, music playing in the background. Don’t you just want to make stories with the game components? If filmmaking and storytelling is your thing, I recommend doing stop motion animations to tell your story using Stop Motion Studio.
Stop Motion Studio is a powerful, full-featured editor with easy-to-use interface and positioning guides. Here are some of the videos I made using board game miniatures:
– Dark Souls (the video above)
– Drako: Trolls & Knights
– Explorers of the North Sea
The best part about this app is that it’s FREE! So go ahead and make your stop motion animation and tell a story.
8. Local Games
Did you know that there are games designed and published locally? Yes! Do not limit your board game collection to just popular international games because right here in our own backyard there are games designed by fellow Filipinos. Games already published, some already in stores and most are currently in development!
Some of them are self-published and some get published by big companies either locally or internationally. Such as:
– Folded Wishes
– Darna at ang Nawawalang Bato
– Combatron
– Manila 2076
– Sting-A-Win
– Hugot
– and many more
Our local community is growing and maturing, this means the market is growing and games are being pushed out in better condition and more refined rules as we get more feedback and help from local playtesters and local designers supporting one another.
So get out there and look for local games to add to your collection.
Check out Local Game Spotlight to help you decide:
9. Do Not Sell Free Stuff
There are many things that I listed here that are free; PnP files, 3D printable STL files, papercraft terrain. And most of them cannot be redistributed nor sold commercially. Most free stuff in the hobby is for personal use only. So if you got something for free, please check with the creator, or double check the license and agreement from where you downloaded it, to see if you can use it other than for personal use.
My advice is to always assume it is for personal use first before doing anything else to avoid doing something that you’ll regret in the future. This is for your own good, and for the sake of the hobby in general. Let’s aim to protect the integrity of the community and the hobby as a whole.
10. Boardgaming During the Pandemic
Are you one of the people that discovered boardgaming during the Pandemic or a seasoned gamer greatly affected by it? With strict health protocols being implemented, we can all agree that it’s best to stay home. But how can you enjoy the hobby without people on the table to play with?
Worry not! Some games can be enjoyed solo and there are other alternative platforms to play with friends.
Yes, you heard it right! Games, new and old now have solo rules so that you can play it while in isolation. Want to go against an AI opponent? Automa! Want to see how high you can score? Beat your own score! You want to go on an epic adventure? Cooperative games! Brain-training? Puzzle games!
Check out this GeekList on BoardGameGeek:
https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/49479/soloplay-variants-posted-geek
If you prefer playing with friends. There are online platforms such as Board Game Arena, Tabletopia, Tabletop Simulator and many more, wherein you can play with your friends and other players on a computer wherever they may be!
So don’t let the pandemic stop you. Keep that boardgaming going, and play more games!
That concludes our 2 part mini-series of tips from ME to YOU. I hope you find that helpful in some way. Don’t forget to Like and follow VariablePlay Network on Facebook as we push out more content for you, and for the community in the future.
Catch me, and my friends Soi and Marlon on SBPH Live every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month as we tackle solo board gaming topics, play a solo game together with YOU in the HIVEMIND, and we sometimes have guests from solo community so watch out for that. If you’re a solo board gamer join us in Solo Boardgamers Philippines Facebook group.
Lastly, please support Board Game Hero on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – wherever you may find me.
Once again, this is Clint, your Board Game Hero. Thank you for reading! See you again next time. 👍