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board game with no board

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Tj
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Joined: 04/14/2011

Greetings,
I have read many interesting bits of info on this site and find it extremely insightful. Have even elicited info for my own curriosities. What I have not been able to find is any article, reference, info etc on board games that do not actually have a "game board" (flat, two-demensional surface) as part of the game. IOW, where the game board is actually part of the movable equipment (think of "Connect Four" - vertical checkers). The reason why I am interested is I have created a game that would be considered a 'board game" but has no board. Any info on articles, publishing, etc that relate to this kind of game would be appreciated. Thank you

Tj

Yamahako
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Joined: 12/01/2010
If you mean a game that

If you mean a game that doesn't have a traditional "board" in the box, there are a lot of them.

If you mean game that aren't played on a flat surface, there aren't very many - even connect 4 requires a flat surface.

The following games you could research as not coming with a game board

Hive - I think this is most like what you are talking about
Dominion (I would not consider this a card game due to complexity)
Carcassone (has a scoring board, which could have been removed in lieu of another scoring method)
Chrononauts (another game that is played with cards, but requires enough table space that I consider it a board game)

Some older ones
Jenga
Dominoes

In general, I think the "board" aspect to a board game is mostly a classification anymore - there doesn't need to be a board for it to be a "board game." I've heard the term "Table Top" games used frequently enough that I think that might be a better term - though that can sometimes include RPGs which are really another sort of animal.

Dralius
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Joined: 07/26/2008
Complexity dosn't stop it from being a card game

Yamahako wrote:

Dominion (I would not consider this a card game due to complexity)

Dominion is a card game. You have only cards, which are played from the hand, discarded and drawn from a deck in a traditional manner. The only thing that is not traditional is that you add cards to your hand as the game goes on.

There are hybrid card games such as Penguin Ultimatum and Nitro dice that use cards as a board and pieces that move from card to card. These might be considered card driven board games.

Yamahako
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Joined: 12/01/2010
Dralius wrote:Yamahako

Dralius wrote:
Yamahako wrote:

Dominion (I would not consider this a card game due to complexity)

Dominion is a card game. You have only cards, which are played from the hand, discarded and drawn from a deck in a traditional manner. The only thing that is not traditional is that you add cards to your hand as the game goes on.

There are hybrid card games such as Penguin Ultimatum and Nitro dice that use cards as a board and pieces that move from card to card. These might be considered card driven board games.

Where I find this to be contradictory is in the large quantity of card piles you must have, and the fact that there isn't really a common deck of cards, but more resource piles and each individual has a personal deck of cards.

Also, while which cards are used are randomly assigned, the cards themselves are static. Dominion could have a board, in some ways this would make set-up easier, but it doesn't NEED a board. Similar to Carcassone.

By complexity, I wasn't meaning in rules - I was meaning in the set-up of the game. It requires a large amount of table space, with specifically laid out decks of cards.

I'm ok being alone in this opinion though :-)

OdysseyDyse
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Joined: 02/17/2011
no board

Nestor Games has several that don't require a board, Zaic, Topology and the ones with their foam tiles you assemble. Of course the Ice Towers of Andy Looney don't need a board. Pair of Dice Games has several, Chopstick Dexterity and Hex Nut.
Joe

Crifmer
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Joined: 08/28/2009
Hi there. Hope you guys don't

Hi there.

Hope you guys don't mind me jumping in a week later.

I actually just wrote an article on the physical components of a board game (for nobody in particular, just a HubPages article because I thought it was fun), so this is fresh in my mind.

In my humble opinion, a board game needs a board, or it's not a board game. I prefer the term "box games" for the new generation of board and card games - meaning everything you need to play is packaged in the box. We've got a lot of crossover and originality which sort of blurs the lines between board, card, miniature, dice, etc game. The way I answer the question of what is a board game is: if you took away the board, can you still play the game?

Dominion is a card game. Chrononauts is a card game (there are quite a few card games that need an ample amount of space to play). Carcassonne is a board game, but the board is composed of individual tiles. You still play meeples onto those tiles (which comprise the board) in order to score. I would consider Hive a tile game like Dominoes (although I've never played Hive, so I reserve the right to change that opinion. ;) ). Balderdash is a party game (you don't really need the board to play, it just keeps score).

Connect 4 is still a board game, but with a vertical board.

I'd be interested in hearing about your game.

The above is only my opinion and only has the authority you choose to give it. :)

-C

waspinator21
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Joined: 08/13/2008
Hello

I like your suggestion Crifmer, but there has to be a better name that boxed games.

let-off studios
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Joined: 02/07/2011
term for games

I use the term "Tabletop Games" although it doesn't perfectly describe the medium. People seem to understand it well enough.

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