Gloomhaven on PC takes care of everything. I can enjoy the decisions rather than fiddle with components and setup. Even multiplayer is executed well. Don't need to clean my kitchen table to set it up either.
I hope other dungeon crawls take notice. I'd love an official Arkham Horror LCG on digital.
Is it weird that I wish Gloomhaven digital looked more like the boardgame?
I remember trying it and being put off that visually since it didn't look like what I was used to playing on the dining table.
Truth. For me, I sometimes played a scenario and then found out that I misinterpreted the enemy movement or the plot's timing conditions. I was infamous for replaying Carcosa twice because apparently, I just couldn't read well.
Haha, exactly. I’ve told my play group that the devs should release a common mistakes sheet for each campaign (or write clearer rules/instructions!).
We played one scenario that felt ridiculously easy. Turns out we completely misinterpreted the mechanic that spawned the set aside baddies and they never came out, hahaha
I'd totally be down with that. I think they compress their rules into terse Agenda cards and monster cards. That doesn't leave room for examples or anything to clarify the rule.
Hahaha I was immediately scrolling down to say Gloomhaven. Once I played digital (and I don’t own the board game just played with a friend) I have no desire at all to play at the table. Basically any legacy game is heaps better digital.
And that's why I'm probably never playing it again. It was great for the 6 months I dedicated to it, but now I have zero interest in ever going back to it.
AHLCG is making to much money from the physical product. I'd love to see a digital implementation but can't imagine that will ever come. Would be awesome if they at least did the base game on BGA to get people into it and to help players understand rules better starting out.
Yeah but I'd rather an official version and one that manages rules for you like BGA does. From when I used that website...maybe 5 years ago. You had to rule the game yourself, which in that case I'll just play solo with my own collection.
I bet they could charge a pretty penny, like $20 for a each digital campaign. Maybe it's something they can do when interest dwindles. Elder Sign app was done very well, so I know you can translate the game --special effects, narration, sound. Would be terrific.
Yeah, the tactic would definitely be "Physical sales aren't working anymore. Let's make it digital and get all the people that already bought physical product to buy the digital version again."
The app Is very well made, and in the physical version the management of all markers and resources is quite painful. But imho a great game in both experiences as in physical version I can control much more what other players do.
This and Gloomhaven are 1a and 1b for me on this question. Through the Ages is objectively one of the best board games ever. Subjectively it is not good experience on cardboard. Digital is everything.
Star Realms and Ascension. The digital versions are great for a quick fix.
I have no interest in owning a physical version (though Ascension Apprentice Edition came close!) because I already have several deckbuilding games I prefer.
I've just got Star Realms the basic version and some small expansion that lets you play with more people and has more cards. It's not cumbersome at all. Sometimes I pack it in my laptop bag and play with my coworkers.
I actually recently downloaded the Star Realms app after a friend mentioned it's a great deck builder. From the few times I've played it, I have at multiple times had the thought "this would be way more of a pain if I had to do everything myself"
For sure. I also have the urge to collect and Star Realms has so many extra boxes, promos and etc, I'd feel bad for not having them, and if I got them it would be expensive and ultimately too bulky to carry around.
The main draws of Star Realms are that it is cheap and portable, the app even more so.
Seconding Ascension, it's so much faster and smoother as an app. However, my favourite sets are the pirate-themed ones that aren't on the app (because they use a movement mechanism that wouldn't translate well) so I play those physically. If you get any physical version of Ascension that's what I would recommend getting (that or Ascension Tactics).
Onirim, Root, Wingspan, Gloomhaven. For convenience and automated book keeping. Gloomhaven especially saves a lot of time. People will disagree with me, but it is better as a video game.
**Too many cards** with all the expansions. The series likes to try to keep up with being balanced on all the different percentages for the different stats for goals and bonuses. You run into the problem them no only does the base game have a lot of cards, each expansion adds a lot of cards.
Trying to shuffle that many cards evenly is impossible. Sleeving can help, but that adds to the storage amount by quite a bit with that many cards. Then trying to get an even shuffle with sleeves is a pain.
We end up with like 8 decks of sleeved cards because they'll fall over if you stack sleeves too high. And since the game often lets you churn through so many cards, the discard pile is often a mess. This can also sometimes be a problem if you tuck a lot of sleeved cards, they get messy.
**Player boards** are large. If you're playing at 4, you're probably fine on a normal rectangle table. If you regularly play with 5 or 6 players (I would never play with 7, but you could), then good luck with everyone fitting.
Once we finish a game of wingspan we put all the cards from that game into the "already played" box, then the next time we play we pick from the "fresh" cards section. I think the greatest part about WS for us is that there are so many cards, so I guess it's not everyone's cuppa.
We bought a manual card shuffler specifically for wingspan. It has helped a ton in getting our game setup less stressful. We enjoy the physical Wingspan a lot, but we also play on the switch a lot too. Digital also adds those lovely bird calls and the narration of the bird facts. It’s almost like playing a different game. They did such a good job with the digital imo.
My apologies, I completely missed that you sleeve your cards. I’m not aware of much about sleeves in general, but it seems like they’d be too big for a standard card shuffler.
That said, there’s some shop called Urza’s toolbox that claims to have one that works, but I can’t speak for it personally.
Oceania adding nectar was my favorite expansion. I've honestly never played 7p and only once at 6. These days it's usually 4 players even. The 2 player part of it was okay. I have so many 2 player only or "best at 2" that I really don't feel like the need to break this beast out for 2 players.
I started Wingspan digital and can't imagine ever having the desire to get it physical.
Root, on the other hand, I *much* prefer physically, just because it's more of a table-talk type game.
Sentinels of the Multiverse. ***Big*** hit at my table. Love it to death. Have every set released and the giant organizer.
I will never play the tabletop game again having found the digital version. So much less work keeping track of things.
Personally I felt the exact opposite with this game. There is simply too much going on and that you have to view / consider on the table to make this an enjoyable experience digital (since a lot is hidden). Also, that automation rapidly skips through everything going on so after each ai turn and multiplayer turn you’re like what the heck is going on unless you’re the person who played the cards.
Also, sentinels has a super fast setup and tear down time so it’s not a hassle to play in person.
Yep, I tried the digital version and hated it. I LOVE the physical boardgame (is my flair still SotM??), and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new version of it. I still cannot stand the digital version.
Yep I never owned the original but played a lot on college. When the new version was kickstarted I bought in and the expansion as well. It’s a fantastic game and I can’t wait for the next expansion.
I find myself using the rewind button a lot because I missed that this or that effect was in play, but with the Enhanced Edition I think that the main change would be that I never notice my mistake in the physical version. One-Shots with lingering effects, single-use stacking buffs, that kind of thing is a nightmare for bookkeeping. The design of the Definitive Edition changed that, & when a digital definitive comes out I will absolutely still play both, but EE's just too janky to be worth investing in physically imo.
The game being infinitely more accessible in its entirety (ie. no expansions cost $100+ & Shattered Timelines is actually available) and the added content of weekly challenges, hidden unlocks, links to character guides, etc. are also huge bonuses.
Not to make it into a contest, but I've played thousands of games since the original Keldon's AI first came out in 2009. Also played some games of Alien Artifacts and Xeno Invasion since then, although I wish we could get the optional modules there as well (Orb Scenario and Invasion module respectively)
Yeah, I don't like digital for **any** game, but I do like when digital versions have mods / challenges / stuff you can't actually do with the real game.
Neuroshima Hex is my go-to example of this. It's an older game now, but the app (well, at least the old app) made it so easy to play that I could never imagine playing the physical game.
Ark Nova's, my favourite game and while I do love playing it in person, I'm delighted that it's on BGA. It's so pleasant and easy to play, really makes keeping track of tags easier like you said.
The other benefit is that it being online means I can play it as often as I like! It works well turned based or live, and a two player live game is pretty snappy when both players know what they're doing.
I don't disagree it's a better experience... But Arknkocs going on BGA has taken nearly a the charm out of the game for me lol
.. The fact the optimal play is almost the exact opposite of what I (and I think most people) want to be doing just makes it kind of a hummer... (basically if you try to focus on getting down some big cool animal your going to lose. The game is far more tactical than strategic which makes you feel more at the mercy of your cards than being able to develop a zoo how you want to)
Terraforming Mars is a big one for me, the digital version does such a good job streamlining everything, makes me not want to play it on the table. And, anything by Direwolf, they do such a great job with their digital adaptations, they are consistently some of the best.
Interesting, while I'm happy to play online I much prefer digital TM. ETA: I think it's that I find it easier to keep track of other player's strategies in person, and I find something satisfying about many of the pieces.
Seconding Terraforming Mars.
It's easy for newcomers to learn, because the table takes care of the bookkeeping, you know what all the cards are, you don't forget to proc them each turn, there's no squinting over the other side of the table to read another player's upside down card, etc.
Dominion is probably there for my group now at this point.
I am not getting rid of my cardboard version anytime soon, but with the new app we usually have five or six games going every day. So we have probably played at least as much Dominon in the last month or so with the newer app than we played the cardboard version over the last decade.
I was also a little surprised by this one. Come to think of it… Can”t stop is pretty simple as well. But I guess we have different limits. It’s funny really, because I feel many games are simply getting a bigger and bigger table-presence, to a point where they are almost unplayable.
I'd die to play Arkham Horror LFG. Playing in person is fun, but it is a real chore to play a campaign solo. I know there's a board game simulator, but I'd like to see their official touch on a product
**Ticket to Ride** is a great boardgame, and it's elevated to an amazing boardgame when playing it digitally. No more shuffling a million cards and being careful to not bump the table and jiggle the routes. Also, the digital version highlights routes when you click on the card. It's just orders of magnitude amazing digitally.
Is that the new Ticket to Ride of the old one? I'm pretty salty about the fact that they stopped supporting the one that I own most of the DLCs for and started developing a new one where I have to buy everything again.
Not quite the same thing because I love playing sidereal confluence IRL, but since moving back home I find the only people willing to play it with me are online. So its defacto been made into an online only game despite having recently gotten the new remastered version of it.
I use table top simulator and discord. And we have separate negotiation "rooms" we can bring people into in case the talking is too hectic which I really like tbh. But we talk though discord.
Catan. I don’t have the right group to play it in person. It’s a very slow game in person and the inevitability sets in pretty early. Usually you can narrow it down to two players who really have a chance at winning just based on the initial placements.
Blood on the Clocktower, for a few reasons.
* Price-point of a physical copy is painful. I can't justify it, and - as of *right now* \- there's a significant amount of content for the game that isn't available in the retail box set (experimental roles + the monthly releases) - but all roles are available online.
* Needing \~11 (or more) people in the same room, all wanting to play the game is a huge challenge. (Note: You can play the game with fewer, but I feel like it doesn't "shine" until the evil team has three players - which requires 10 players and a storyteller at minimum). It's far easier to get people on their computers at home, and it's even easier to get a group of strangers together to play.
* The official app is just so damn useful. I can pop in and out of private conversations with the click of a button; I can speak to players during the night phase to answer questions if there's a newer player/role; if a mistake has been made (depending on the mistake), it's way easier to send a quick private message rather than pulling someone out of the room to explain; etc.
While it's not a game for everyone, I highly recommend watching in played on Youtube or even joining a Discord to watch/play. The company, their employees, and their product are all awesome - it's just a huge buy-in and a huge "entrance fee" of a player count that make me accept that I'll never own the physical variant of the game.
Also to the Price Point. It feels weird to buy a copy of a game that you need 10 other people to play with. Because with a niche genre like Social Deduction, if you find 10 other people 2 of them have likely already bought the game
I actually did back the Kickstarter and although I have played over a bunch, even a dozen or so in person, my copy has not been used
I've seen it run a few times at cons, as a "larp" and it's usually the first game of that slot to fill up when it's on offer. I've never not been working at a con when someone is running it but maybe someday I'll get to play!
Any game that has less interaction (for me that's less interaction than Scythe), I play online on BGA instead. In-person board games are for interacting and socializing. Online board games are for enjoying the puzzles and strategy.
Not sure this counts exactly, but Frostpunk. I tried the board game several times and the overall upkeep and number of things to worry about moment to moment was way too much like work for me. I do love the video game though.
Talisman 100% every single dlc for a reasonable price and I don’t have to spend $3000. And there are exclusive characters only in the digital version. It’s also really satisfying to have npc players out and about doing there thing even if it doesn’t even seem like they try to win haha
This was years ago but Magic The Gathering. I learned (the basics) to play when it was on Xbox live and started to enjoy it so hubby and I got some cards and I quickly realized there were too many rules and mechanics for me to follow, I was constantly making mistakes, and it quickly became annoying to me and I didn’t enjoy it. I needed the rules and mechanics run for me apparently to enjoy it lol.
I also enjoyed the easier more streamlined/digital companion versions of Lovecraft games. I’ve played Arkham(I think I get them confused but the really complicated one) a few times and it was insufferable at times because it was 5 seconds of play to every 10 minutes of reading, rereading, talking about, the rules and future strategy of moves. The first game took like 6-7 hours and by hour 3 I just started following my own rules and no one noticed 😂 (not to be a cheater asshole but I was playing the nun or whatever and I had low base health and quickly died and ended up in the hospital, and there were flying enemies and I could only heal 1 health each 50000000 minute long turn and everyone at the table (bunch of young guys who didn’t listen) kept doing their own thing and not helping me and so for basically the first three hours I healed for 20-30 minutes of game play and then stepped out, got killed, rinse and repeat. So I just started healing myself to full health every time I took a turn to heal and started getting some actual gameplay in. Honestly the fact I spent half the game in the hospital then started being able to actually play and no one noticed is still hilarious to me in how obsessed my husband and his two friends were with debating the rules and strategizing amongst themselves lmao.
I am of the opinion that nearly every DBG (deck building game) should have a digital version, so.... **Dominion**, and **Ascension DBG/Chronicle of the Godslayer**. Plays far quicker, and you don't need to keep track of a gabazillion things once you start adding the more complex sets.
Great AI so **Race for the Galaxy**, **Roll for the Galaxy**, **Dominion** (again), **Carcassonne** (the one for iOS that came out in 2008 or so)
Don't need to set up and leave out, so a lot of solitaire/coop games.... **Encore/Noch Mal** (I played sooo many games of this, it was far more fun than a R&W game had any right to be!), **Bravo/Noch Mal So Gut**, **Deep Space D6**, **Ghost Stories** (I still have this on my old iPad), **Yggdrasil** (same), **One Deck Dungeon** (Keep track of rules, which dice belong to which player, etc.), **One Deck Galaxy** (this is still only for Steam, early access), **Aeon's End**, And **Spirit Island**.
Great for their extra features... **Galaxy Trucker** (the campaign mode alone was worth it. The challenges for the exp. as well!), **Raiders of the North Sea** (campaign), **Dominion** (yet again for its Daily Challenges!)
Any version of Monopoly that isn't physical is my "favorite" version.
To me, this is the only game that truly improves for rule reasons instead of set up or complicated (tags, triggers, counting, etc) reasons.
I never WANT to play Monopoly, but I will play it digitally. I will not play the physical version of that ever again.
Castles of Burgundy. Bookkeeping and remembering how to score everything and exactly what the different buildings do can be a nightmare. The computer takes care of all this. Also the computer lets me fast forward through its turns.
**Dominion by Temple gate games**.
The AI is awesome, a 30 min game is down to just 5 mins. All the 15 expansions in the app, no need to store large 15 boxes at home anymore, no need to setup games which saves another 10-15 mins.
No need for tracking actions, buys and much more
The App is free, you can buy on one platform and play one any other platform with your account, can play with friends online with your bought expansions without them buying, cross platform.
Dominion is excellent game, my favourite of all time with endless replayability. It checks all the boxes, just perfect.
This is my pick as well. If I am playing against another experienced player, I can finish the game in 6 minutes. I've played almost 2,500 games of it on BGA.
Terrraforming Mars and Through the Ages, they are both great and I don't own the physical versions.
I'll sometimes opt for a digital game of Spirit Island, but I have all the physical content so it's a different experience from that.
Almost all the games I like I play the digital versions of - in many cases I've not had the chance to play them IRL, and something like Through The Ages I could imagine actually being quite tedious compared to the app.
Shout out to the Yellow & Yangtze app since the original is out of print
We mostly play Ticket to ride digital on PS4 (AppLink version).
Board one we have only Europe, and in digital there are all expansions.
Also playlink let's us play on one console with smartphones as controls and "hand" so you dont see each other cards.
Its a bummer that sony ditched this type of games
I like most digital games and there's nothing I would actively refuse to play the physical version of. I do tend to play solo digitally due to convenience, and if my partner wishes to play we always play physical as she doesn't like apps.
That said, there are games that I dislike the idea of playing physically due to upkeep/fiddlyness. Onirim is a worst offender mentioned often (although sleeved mash shuffles make it easier), the same goes for any deck builder with a lot of shuffling. (Dominion, Ascension, Star Realms)
Games with mental (rules/math) overhead/upkeep like root or spirit Island don't scare me off from physical.
My middle and I will play Sentinels of the Multiverse on my phone whenever we go out. All the fun of the card game (even if it is the older edition), none of the setup / cleanup time. (We still have the physical version of both EE and DE, however.)
Clearly **Mystic Vale** for me. In the physical version, keeping track of how much money you've gathered and spent during your turn is seriously *tedious*.
Hah I hear you! It's an absolute beast to setup but like the other Mindclash games, the more you play the easier it gets. I also tend to tear down the game in a certain way, because some modules (like Quantum Loops and the unique Anomalies) always get used.
Axis and Allies 1942. So streamlined on the app with a good interface. Hard to convince most people to play it, let alone try to learn all of its details.
Seven wonders. Turns out that roughly half of our playtime was setup and breakdown, along with the occasional mis-dealt stack somewhere ruining a game. While I do kinda enjoy the process of figuring out which cards I can afford and how easily, the real decisions are balancing the cost and cascade of benefits, and that is easier to get to when the cost math is done automatically.
The digital version of Wingspan is wonderful, and it’s what I play most often, however it’s also great on the table. It’s mostly the ease of scheduling that keeps me at the keyboard for that one.
I like the physical version of *Can't Stop* just fine, but need to play *Can't Stop Express* online because there are just so many combinations and as you are arranging the dice to consider your options, other players are annoyed because they need them arranged differently.
Quite a few of my (hex and counter, specifically) wargames. While I love the tactility of their physical versions, the frustrations of knocking over a stack of counters and not remembering where everything belongs has made me a mostly digital player. (Also the long set up-times...)
So I probably spend 70% of my gaming time on VASSAL with those.
Not an answer to your question, but I keep trying to tell people that the easiest way to find the choices in Can't Stop, is to put the four dice in a square. The choices are rows, columns, or diagonals. Pick one. That's it.
Talisman. It's way too much for me to keep track of otherwise and we like to drink while playing to ease the pain the game dishes out so that makes it worse.
Pathfinder ACG. I hate setting it up so much and I'd rather just play the boxes I have on tabletop sim rather than have to shuffle a location deck another twelve billion times.
Monopoly.
It deals with all issues about inconsistent house rules and edge cases ( I.e. if selling a mortgaged property, the person buying must pay the mortgage on retrival).
It also runs slightly faster.
Doesn't make it a must play, but is the only way you could convince me to play it
Friday & One Deck Dungeon. Friday is great to play a quick where ever you are game as an app & ODD just makes it so much easier to manage all the dice.
Suburbia because in the physical game, you constantly need to account for the setups of other players. The app does all the accounting.
Castles of Mad King Ludwig is similar in that it does all the accounting.
This is the same for Terraforming Mars and Carcassonne.
Looking at this, I guess I just hate accounting. 😀
I'm never going back to playing Formula D in person. (It's currently in Alpha on BGA and WOW is it a different experience when you don't have to constantly count spaces.)
**The Witcher Adventure Game** because the physical one is ridiculously expensive as it's out of print. Compared to **Old World**'s pricing, availability and etc, I'm perfectly fine with having this one in Steam.
Playing digital Catan is like 4x faster and totally breathes new life into it. No board setup, no die rolls or figuring out what resources you get, no cards to pass around...trading does take a minute to learn but is pretty simple if you're facilitating with voice chat.
The important effect this all achieves it that, if you're the inevitable "get wrecked" player in a 4-person game who gets boxed in and can't do anything, you're rarely stuck in that role for more than like twenty minutes.
Gloomhaven. The cardboard version is such a chore. I'm really hoping by the time my group finishes the campaign in GH that Frosthaven is released digitally.
I'll admit I've never played the physical version but I adore the digital version of Spirit Island and I kind of have a feeling the monotony of setup and moving everything around would take away some of the enjoyment. With the digital version I can relax into the experience and tactical side of the game without having to worry about board management.
One night ultimate werewolf. I have the boxed version, which I will use to teach and then it's "ok everyone, take your phone's out we're going to play this the fun way."
Unfortunately being required to reach the cards really conflicts with the lounging around the room, yelling at each other style of play I'd like to foster.
The Pathfinder Card Game I was gifted in physical copy and the game is really fun to play and tedious to set up and tear down, so I was really excited when they released the digital version. But then the program was so buggy I lost my progress probably 3 different times around the end of the campaign, and that really took the fun out of it for me. I uninstalled the game and I think I sold the physical game. So now it doesn't get played at all.
For me when I think of this I think of regicide. The perfect app that does the counting for you in your game and you can play with the cards without worry. It gets rid of most peoples issue of I hate counting!
I think I just stopped buying physical games all together after I get into digital. Digital is just so convenient. It takes care of all the manual and "tedious part of the game away. I'm usually the "organizer" in my game group, as I am usually the one that always buy the games, follow the Kickstarter campaigns, learn to play the games, and teach others to play the games. But eventually it becomes really taxing.
With digital, I can play whenever I want and whoever in the universe, even if it is just a computer controlled opponent. I don't have to worry about table space, getting food, scheduling and organizing, sleeving cards, counting tokens, cleaning things up, etc. It made my life a lot easier, and much cheaper too.
7 wonders duel is perfect on mobile. You can play both on one device so great for train and plane journeys. Unfortunately expansions will not be digitised from what I've heard.
Gloom haven and spirit island. Both fiddlely /component heavy AND both play better as a multi handed solo imo. They are perfect strategy video games lol
I have found that I have little interest in coop games since I haven't found one where it's better coop than multi handed.... But they tend to make for great soll experiences... And if I'm going to be solo I'd rather have the pc track everything... A bit of exception for more adventure types like middle earth and I'm about to try sleeping gods.
My favorite coop so far is actually the crew since there the interaction is clearly still the point
not strictly digital, but i cant imagine playing gloomhaven without the digital app. It makes combat so much less of a paperwork slog in terms of setup.
Online versions are fantastic for managing complex scoring, fiddly components, massive decks of cards, or games that require significant storage or tablespace. Or when I want to play a game with friends, but do not want to host said friends in my home.
Gloomhaven, Wingspan, Everdell, Stone Age, Abyss, Oceans, Forest Shuffle, Earth, Woodcraft, Endless Winter, Planet Unknown, Sagrada, Akropolis, Furnace, Hidden Leaders, Living Forest, Raiders of the North Sea, Raiders of Scythia, Champions of Midgard. All great board games. And I appreciate an easier method for playing them when I don't have the resources/energy for the full setup.
I inherited my parents' Can't Stop from the 70s, and it is still a family favorite. I've never played the digital version, but I personally absolutely love the pace and suspense of the physical board game
There are a bunch that I probably prefer playing online but don't mind playing in person. Games like Ticket to Ride and Lords of Waterdeep are great online because you don't have to setup the boards and keep track of stuff manually. NERTS! the multiplayer solitaire is great online, but I can't imagine ever playing it in person. A lot of the BGA games I mostly play to kill time online and player bigger games in person.
Arkham Horror 2nd Edition! Im able to get all the expansions that way, and it's way less set-up and tear-down. Currently I only have the base game, one big expansion and one small one ... Meant to get the whole collection at one point, but then it went out of print :"(
Gloomhaven on PC takes care of everything. I can enjoy the decisions rather than fiddle with components and setup. Even multiplayer is executed well. Don't need to clean my kitchen table to set it up either. I hope other dungeon crawls take notice. I'd love an official Arkham Horror LCG on digital.
No kidding. If we’d known Gloomhaven on PC was coming out, we wouldn’t have bought the board game. It’s so much nicer
Is it weird that I wish Gloomhaven digital looked more like the boardgame? I remember trying it and being put off that visually since it didn't look like what I was used to playing on the dining table.
I completely agree
Yeah, if AH was digital I might actually finish a game without unintentionally breaking a rule for once, lol
Truth. For me, I sometimes played a scenario and then found out that I misinterpreted the enemy movement or the plot's timing conditions. I was infamous for replaying Carcosa twice because apparently, I just couldn't read well.
Haha, exactly. I’ve told my play group that the devs should release a common mistakes sheet for each campaign (or write clearer rules/instructions!). We played one scenario that felt ridiculously easy. Turns out we completely misinterpreted the mechanic that spawned the set aside baddies and they never came out, hahaha
I'd totally be down with that. I think they compress their rules into terse Agenda cards and monster cards. That doesn't leave room for examples or anything to clarify the rule.
They weren't set aside they were set apart 🤣🔥👍
Hahaha I was immediately scrolling down to say Gloomhaven. Once I played digital (and I don’t own the board game just played with a friend) I have no desire at all to play at the table. Basically any legacy game is heaps better digital.
I bought the physical version off a guy locally after getting the digital version. Went to set it up once and was like "fuck me no way"
yea it seems like trying to make every aspect of a video game RPG into a boardgame would make things incredibly tedious
I don't think Gloomhaven is like a video game RPG at all.
Correct. It's only trying to be.
And that's why I'm probably never playing it again. It was great for the 6 months I dedicated to it, but now I have zero interest in ever going back to it.
AHLCG is making to much money from the physical product. I'd love to see a digital implementation but can't imagine that will ever come. Would be awesome if they at least did the base game on BGA to get people into it and to help players understand rules better starting out.
You can play the base game campaign here: https://playarkham.azurewebsites.net/
This is amazing!
Yeah but I'd rather an official version and one that manages rules for you like BGA does. From when I used that website...maybe 5 years ago. You had to rule the game yourself, which in that case I'll just play solo with my own collection.
I bet they could charge a pretty penny, like $20 for a each digital campaign. Maybe it's something they can do when interest dwindles. Elder Sign app was done very well, so I know you can translate the game --special effects, narration, sound. Would be terrific.
Yeah, the tactic would definitely be "Physical sales aren't working anymore. Let's make it digital and get all the people that already bought physical product to buy the digital version again."
Yup, this is a big one for me. Will probably never attempt the boardgame again. That reminds me, I should sell it.
You can play arkham lcg on tabletop simulator with super polished and scripted mod.
Think more people play the app version of **Through the Ages** than ever played the physical version
The app Is very well made, and in the physical version the management of all markers and resources is quite painful. But imho a great game in both experiences as in physical version I can control much more what other players do.
This and Gloomhaven are 1a and 1b for me on this question. Through the Ages is objectively one of the best board games ever. Subjectively it is not good experience on cardboard. Digital is everything.
This was going to be my example. I played TTA a handful of times before I found the BGA version. I never played my box copy again.
BGA is markedly worse than the app
Why?
Doesn't have the expansion, interface is substantially more clunky. Doesn't have the buff/nerf fixes.
Onirim. Fun solo card game but there's soooooo much shuffling.
Seconded. I saw someone a while ago that said they made their own version using tokens in a bag, which seems like a great idea.
I've done this following the instructions of someone on BGG it is SOOOOO much better!
Star Realms and Ascension. The digital versions are great for a quick fix. I have no interest in owning a physical version (though Ascension Apprentice Edition came close!) because I already have several deckbuilding games I prefer.
I've just got Star Realms the basic version and some small expansion that lets you play with more people and has more cards. It's not cumbersome at all. Sometimes I pack it in my laptop bag and play with my coworkers.
We always take it with us on holiday. It doesn't have a lot of setup and no tedious scoring, so I don't feel the need to play it online only.
I actually recently downloaded the Star Realms app after a friend mentioned it's a great deck builder. From the few times I've played it, I have at multiple times had the thought "this would be way more of a pain if I had to do everything myself"
For sure. I also have the urge to collect and Star Realms has so many extra boxes, promos and etc, I'd feel bad for not having them, and if I got them it would be expensive and ultimately too bulky to carry around. The main draws of Star Realms are that it is cheap and portable, the app even more so.
Ascension is a freaking gem of an app. Managing everything in the game so well too.
Seconding Ascension, it's so much faster and smoother as an app. However, my favourite sets are the pirate-themed ones that aren't on the app (because they use a movement mechanism that wouldn't translate well) so I play those physically. If you get any physical version of Ascension that's what I would recommend getting (that or Ascension Tactics).
Onirim, Root, Wingspan, Gloomhaven. For convenience and automated book keeping. Gloomhaven especially saves a lot of time. People will disagree with me, but it is better as a video game.
No disagreement. Wish I could unload my physical copy
I've only played wingspan online, and was considering getting a physical copy. What is your issue with the physical one?
**Too many cards** with all the expansions. The series likes to try to keep up with being balanced on all the different percentages for the different stats for goals and bonuses. You run into the problem them no only does the base game have a lot of cards, each expansion adds a lot of cards. Trying to shuffle that many cards evenly is impossible. Sleeving can help, but that adds to the storage amount by quite a bit with that many cards. Then trying to get an even shuffle with sleeves is a pain. We end up with like 8 decks of sleeved cards because they'll fall over if you stack sleeves too high. And since the game often lets you churn through so many cards, the discard pile is often a mess. This can also sometimes be a problem if you tuck a lot of sleeved cards, they get messy. **Player boards** are large. If you're playing at 4, you're probably fine on a normal rectangle table. If you regularly play with 5 or 6 players (I would never play with 7, but you could), then good luck with everyone fitting.
Once we finish a game of wingspan we put all the cards from that game into the "already played" box, then the next time we play we pick from the "fresh" cards section. I think the greatest part about WS for us is that there are so many cards, so I guess it's not everyone's cuppa.
We bought a manual card shuffler specifically for wingspan. It has helped a ton in getting our game setup less stressful. We enjoy the physical Wingspan a lot, but we also play on the switch a lot too. Digital also adds those lovely bird calls and the narration of the bird facts. It’s almost like playing a different game. They did such a good job with the digital imo.
Do these work well with sleeves? I didn't think they could handle them.
My apologies, I completely missed that you sleeve your cards. I’m not aware of much about sleeves in general, but it seems like they’d be too big for a standard card shuffler. That said, there’s some shop called Urza’s toolbox that claims to have one that works, but I can’t speak for it personally.
What expansion adds players? I figured it was 5 players no matter what?
Wingspan Asia adds 6-7 players, and it has a 2 player version included. It's actually my favorite expansion.
Oceania adding nectar was my favorite expansion. I've honestly never played 7p and only once at 6. These days it's usually 4 players even. The 2 player part of it was okay. I have so many 2 player only or "best at 2" that I really don't feel like the need to break this beast out for 2 players.
That's totally fair. It's usually just my hubs and I, so 2P is where it's at for us.
Noticing your flair.... Do you liek spirit island digitally.... I find the benefit very similar to gloom haven
I started Wingspan digital and can't imagine ever having the desire to get it physical. Root, on the other hand, I *much* prefer physically, just because it's more of a table-talk type game.
Sentinels of the Multiverse. ***Big*** hit at my table. Love it to death. Have every set released and the giant organizer. I will never play the tabletop game again having found the digital version. So much less work keeping track of things.
Personally I felt the exact opposite with this game. There is simply too much going on and that you have to view / consider on the table to make this an enjoyable experience digital (since a lot is hidden). Also, that automation rapidly skips through everything going on so after each ai turn and multiplayer turn you’re like what the heck is going on unless you’re the person who played the cards. Also, sentinels has a super fast setup and tear down time so it’s not a hassle to play in person.
Yep, I tried the digital version and hated it. I LOVE the physical boardgame (is my flair still SotM??), and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new version of it. I still cannot stand the digital version.
Yep I never owned the original but played a lot on college. When the new version was kickstarted I bought in and the expansion as well. It’s a fantastic game and I can’t wait for the next expansion.
I find myself using the rewind button a lot because I missed that this or that effect was in play, but with the Enhanced Edition I think that the main change would be that I never notice my mistake in the physical version. One-Shots with lingering effects, single-use stacking buffs, that kind of thing is a nightmare for bookkeeping. The design of the Definitive Edition changed that, & when a digital definitive comes out I will absolutely still play both, but EE's just too janky to be worth investing in physically imo. The game being infinitely more accessible in its entirety (ie. no expansions cost $100+ & Shattered Timelines is actually available) and the added content of weekly challenges, hidden unlocks, links to character guides, etc. are also huge bonuses.
Same here. I cannot play the tabletop anymore due to how smooth the app is and how it improved the tempo so much.
Twlight Struggle if you want to play competitively
Race for the Galaxy. I played 265 games on the app on the iPad. It’s my go to game.
Not to make it into a contest, but I've played thousands of games since the original Keldon's AI first came out in 2009. Also played some games of Alien Artifacts and Xeno Invasion since then, although I wish we could get the optional modules there as well (Orb Scenario and Invasion module respectively)
Can you play solo on the app?
yes you can
Thanks
Splendor lol. Its like Solitaire for me now.
Yeah, I don't like digital for **any** game, but I do like when digital versions have mods / challenges / stuff you can't actually do with the real game.
I did the challenges in the app recently and it was solitaire reskinned
If you like Splendor, try Gizmos. We just got it to the table this weekend, and it plays and feels a lot like Splendor, but uses colored marbles.
I don’t prefer it, but I play Spirit Island digital more than on the table. Set up and cleanup is much easier.
I've only never played the digital version, there send to be a lot to keep track of, what makes the table version more preferable?
Gloomhaven, Terraforming Mars, and Root for me
Neuroshima Hex is my go-to example of this. It's an older game now, but the app (well, at least the old app) made it so easy to play that I could never imagine playing the physical game.
I played hundreds of games on my iPod touch long before I became a boardgamer.
For my group Ark Nova. Keeping track of everyone else’s tags is so much easier on BGA, plus it takes up a stupid amount of table space.
Ark Nova's, my favourite game and while I do love playing it in person, I'm delighted that it's on BGA. It's so pleasant and easy to play, really makes keeping track of tags easier like you said. The other benefit is that it being online means I can play it as often as I like! It works well turned based or live, and a two player live game is pretty snappy when both players know what they're doing.
+1. Also, I hate shuffling giant decks; digital really helps with that.
I don't disagree it's a better experience... But Arknkocs going on BGA has taken nearly a the charm out of the game for me lol .. The fact the optimal play is almost the exact opposite of what I (and I think most people) want to be doing just makes it kind of a hummer... (basically if you try to focus on getting down some big cool animal your going to lose. The game is far more tactical than strategic which makes you feel more at the mercy of your cards than being able to develop a zoo how you want to)
Dune: Imperium. Been playing a lot of it on Steam lately.
Terraforming Mars is a big one for me, the digital version does such a good job streamlining everything, makes me not want to play it on the table. And, anything by Direwolf, they do such a great job with their digital adaptations, they are consistently some of the best.
Interesting, while I'm happy to play online I much prefer digital TM. ETA: I think it's that I find it easier to keep track of other player's strategies in person, and I find something satisfying about many of the pieces.
Seconding Terraforming Mars. It's easy for newcomers to learn, because the table takes care of the bookkeeping, you know what all the cards are, you don't forget to proc them each turn, there's no squinting over the other side of the table to read another player's upside down card, etc.
Sentinels of the Multiverse. Same reasons, there’s a lot of fiddly upkeep that just works better digitally.
Root, mainly because I can't get a group together to play IRL.
Dominion is probably there for my group now at this point. I am not getting rid of my cardboard version anytime soon, but with the new app we usually have five or six games going every day. So we have probably played at least as much Dominon in the last month or so with the newer app than we played the cardboard version over the last decade.
How on earth do you find 6 Nimmt verging on being difficult to play in person. Completely baffled by that as it's such a simple game
I was also a little surprised by this one. Come to think of it… Can”t stop is pretty simple as well. But I guess we have different limits. It’s funny really, because I feel many games are simply getting a bigger and bigger table-presence, to a point where they are almost unplayable.
Through the Ages and Root.
I'd die to play Arkham Horror LFG. Playing in person is fun, but it is a real chore to play a campaign solo. I know there's a board game simulator, but I'd like to see their official touch on a product
This would be awesome.
**Ticket to Ride** is a great boardgame, and it's elevated to an amazing boardgame when playing it digitally. No more shuffling a million cards and being careful to not bump the table and jiggle the routes. Also, the digital version highlights routes when you click on the card. It's just orders of magnitude amazing digitally.
Is that the new Ticket to Ride of the old one? I'm pretty salty about the fact that they stopped supporting the one that I own most of the DLCs for and started developing a new one where I have to buy everything again.
Gloomhaven and Root. Just easier.
Not quite the same thing because I love playing sidereal confluence IRL, but since moving back home I find the only people willing to play it with me are online. So its defacto been made into an online only game despite having recently gotten the new remastered version of it.
Also… you need a ping pong table to play it irl 😳
How does this work since you're meant to be negotiating with people constantly? Are you playing without all the table talk?
I use table top simulator and discord. And we have separate negotiation "rooms" we can bring people into in case the talking is too hectic which I really like tbh. But we talk though discord.
Catan. I don’t have the right group to play it in person. It’s a very slow game in person and the inevitability sets in pretty early. Usually you can narrow it down to two players who really have a chance at winning just based on the initial placements.
Ugh, that's a no for me. Trading games lose way too much electronically IMO.
Sentinels of the Multiverse. Too much fiddling in the physical version. The digital handling all of that is so nice.
Blood on the Clocktower, for a few reasons. * Price-point of a physical copy is painful. I can't justify it, and - as of *right now* \- there's a significant amount of content for the game that isn't available in the retail box set (experimental roles + the monthly releases) - but all roles are available online. * Needing \~11 (or more) people in the same room, all wanting to play the game is a huge challenge. (Note: You can play the game with fewer, but I feel like it doesn't "shine" until the evil team has three players - which requires 10 players and a storyteller at minimum). It's far easier to get people on their computers at home, and it's even easier to get a group of strangers together to play. * The official app is just so damn useful. I can pop in and out of private conversations with the click of a button; I can speak to players during the night phase to answer questions if there's a newer player/role; if a mistake has been made (depending on the mistake), it's way easier to send a quick private message rather than pulling someone out of the room to explain; etc. While it's not a game for everyone, I highly recommend watching in played on Youtube or even joining a Discord to watch/play. The company, their employees, and their product are all awesome - it's just a huge buy-in and a huge "entrance fee" of a player count that make me accept that I'll never own the physical variant of the game.
Also to the Price Point. It feels weird to buy a copy of a game that you need 10 other people to play with. Because with a niche genre like Social Deduction, if you find 10 other people 2 of them have likely already bought the game I actually did back the Kickstarter and although I have played over a bunch, even a dozen or so in person, my copy has not been used
I've seen it run a few times at cons, as a "larp" and it's usually the first game of that slot to fill up when it's on offer. I've never not been working at a con when someone is running it but maybe someday I'll get to play!
Still waiting for a digital adaption of Arkham Horror LCG.
For me it's Cartographers (automatic scoring? Yes please) and Galaxy Trucker (I only play solo, and the scramble for parts feels great on a tablet.
Any game that has less interaction (for me that's less interaction than Scythe), I play online on BGA instead. In-person board games are for interacting and socializing. Online board games are for enjoying the puzzles and strategy.
What do you mean by lead interaction?
> less* interaction Typo. Corrected
So many board games benefit from being digital purely because of the pieces involved. Even simple games like ticket to ride. Old school Othello too
Ticket to Ride is definitely my answer. My friend and I just pass the iPad back and forth while we’re watching tv or something.
The problem is ticket to ride turns from a casual relaxing game to a cut throat sweat once you start playing random anonymous people lol
I'll play Shards of Infinity IRL, but I desperately wish the app was fully supported with all of the expansion content.
Not sure this counts exactly, but Frostpunk. I tried the board game several times and the overall upkeep and number of things to worry about moment to moment was way too much like work for me. I do love the video game though.
Talisman 100% every single dlc for a reasonable price and I don’t have to spend $3000. And there are exclusive characters only in the digital version. It’s also really satisfying to have npc players out and about doing there thing even if it doesn’t even seem like they try to win haha
This was years ago but Magic The Gathering. I learned (the basics) to play when it was on Xbox live and started to enjoy it so hubby and I got some cards and I quickly realized there were too many rules and mechanics for me to follow, I was constantly making mistakes, and it quickly became annoying to me and I didn’t enjoy it. I needed the rules and mechanics run for me apparently to enjoy it lol. I also enjoyed the easier more streamlined/digital companion versions of Lovecraft games. I’ve played Arkham(I think I get them confused but the really complicated one) a few times and it was insufferable at times because it was 5 seconds of play to every 10 minutes of reading, rereading, talking about, the rules and future strategy of moves. The first game took like 6-7 hours and by hour 3 I just started following my own rules and no one noticed 😂 (not to be a cheater asshole but I was playing the nun or whatever and I had low base health and quickly died and ended up in the hospital, and there were flying enemies and I could only heal 1 health each 50000000 minute long turn and everyone at the table (bunch of young guys who didn’t listen) kept doing their own thing and not helping me and so for basically the first three hours I healed for 20-30 minutes of game play and then stepped out, got killed, rinse and repeat. So I just started healing myself to full health every time I took a turn to heal and started getting some actual gameplay in. Honestly the fact I spent half the game in the hospital then started being able to actually play and no one noticed is still hilarious to me in how obsessed my husband and his two friends were with debating the rules and strategizing amongst themselves lmao.
I am of the opinion that nearly every DBG (deck building game) should have a digital version, so.... **Dominion**, and **Ascension DBG/Chronicle of the Godslayer**. Plays far quicker, and you don't need to keep track of a gabazillion things once you start adding the more complex sets. Great AI so **Race for the Galaxy**, **Roll for the Galaxy**, **Dominion** (again), **Carcassonne** (the one for iOS that came out in 2008 or so) Don't need to set up and leave out, so a lot of solitaire/coop games.... **Encore/Noch Mal** (I played sooo many games of this, it was far more fun than a R&W game had any right to be!), **Bravo/Noch Mal So Gut**, **Deep Space D6**, **Ghost Stories** (I still have this on my old iPad), **Yggdrasil** (same), **One Deck Dungeon** (Keep track of rules, which dice belong to which player, etc.), **One Deck Galaxy** (this is still only for Steam, early access), **Aeon's End**, And **Spirit Island**. Great for their extra features... **Galaxy Trucker** (the campaign mode alone was worth it. The challenges for the exp. as well!), **Raiders of the North Sea** (campaign), **Dominion** (yet again for its Daily Challenges!)
Small World
Monopoly on NES is my favourite version
Any version of Monopoly that isn't physical is my "favorite" version. To me, this is the only game that truly improves for rule reasons instead of set up or complicated (tags, triggers, counting, etc) reasons. I never WANT to play Monopoly, but I will play it digitally. I will not play the physical version of that ever again.
I’m the same, but with Risk.
Castles of Burgundy. Bookkeeping and remembering how to score everything and exactly what the different buildings do can be a nightmare. The computer takes care of all this. Also the computer lets me fast forward through its turns.
Ark Nova, doubly so if I'm playing solo. I just need them to put the marine expansion into BGA
**Regicide** The app is great and I usually played solo anyway.
the Terraforming Mars app is nice for a quick 15 minutes solo run challenge
**Dominion by Temple gate games**. The AI is awesome, a 30 min game is down to just 5 mins. All the 15 expansions in the app, no need to store large 15 boxes at home anymore, no need to setup games which saves another 10-15 mins. No need for tracking actions, buys and much more The App is free, you can buy on one platform and play one any other platform with your account, can play with friends online with your bought expansions without them buying, cross platform. Dominion is excellent game, my favourite of all time with endless replayability. It checks all the boxes, just perfect.
I prefer 7 Wonders Duel in the app/BGA because of the cost calculations being done for you. It is so much faster that way.
yea me and a friend have played a lot of it and those calculations are much appreciated.
This is my pick as well. If I am playing against another experienced player, I can finish the game in 6 minutes. I've played almost 2,500 games of it on BGA.
Terrraforming Mars and Through the Ages, they are both great and I don't own the physical versions. I'll sometimes opt for a digital game of Spirit Island, but I have all the physical content so it's a different experience from that.
7 player Caverna would massively bog down in person. It's much easier to arrange an async session on BGA
Almost all the games I like I play the digital versions of - in many cases I've not had the chance to play them IRL, and something like Through The Ages I could imagine actually being quite tedious compared to the app. Shout out to the Yellow & Yangtze app since the original is out of print
We mostly play Ticket to ride digital on PS4 (AppLink version). Board one we have only Europe, and in digital there are all expansions. Also playlink let's us play on one console with smartphones as controls and "hand" so you dont see each other cards. Its a bummer that sony ditched this type of games
I like most digital games and there's nothing I would actively refuse to play the physical version of. I do tend to play solo digitally due to convenience, and if my partner wishes to play we always play physical as she doesn't like apps. That said, there are games that I dislike the idea of playing physically due to upkeep/fiddlyness. Onirim is a worst offender mentioned often (although sleeved mash shuffles make it easier), the same goes for any deck builder with a lot of shuffling. (Dominion, Ascension, Star Realms) Games with mental (rules/math) overhead/upkeep like root or spirit Island don't scare me off from physical.
7 wonders duel
Through the Ages. Crazy long game to play on the table. You really needed to make it an event.
My middle and I will play Sentinels of the Multiverse on my phone whenever we go out. All the fun of the card game (even if it is the older edition), none of the setup / cleanup time. (We still have the physical version of both EE and DE, however.)
Through the Ages, Root & Ultimate Railroads (BGA).
I have fun with Everdell, Through the Ages 🙌
Clearly **Mystic Vale** for me. In the physical version, keeping track of how much money you've gathered and spent during your turn is seriously *tedious*.
Recently downloaded the fungi app, prefer it to the constantly moving the board around
Anachrony and terraforming Mars
Anachrony is the flip for me where I never play it online because I find it's so much better with expansions/modules.
We play it with the expansions on TTS! We tried irl, it was so hard to setup
Hah I hear you! It's an absolute beast to setup but like the other Mindclash games, the more you play the easier it gets. I also tend to tear down the game in a certain way, because some modules (like Quantum Loops and the unique Anomalies) always get used.
Axis and Allies 1942. So streamlined on the app with a good interface. Hard to convince most people to play it, let alone try to learn all of its details.
Seven wonders. Turns out that roughly half of our playtime was setup and breakdown, along with the occasional mis-dealt stack somewhere ruining a game. While I do kinda enjoy the process of figuring out which cards I can afford and how easily, the real decisions are balancing the cost and cascade of benefits, and that is easier to get to when the cost math is done automatically. The digital version of Wingspan is wonderful, and it’s what I play most often, however it’s also great on the table. It’s mostly the ease of scheduling that keeps me at the keyboard for that one.
Onirim. Love the game, but an app shuffling the cards is faster than me doing it. It's easier to sneak games in during a break.
Believe it or not, Catan
Finished! by Friedman Friese. Would never be able to play the physical copy.
Axis and Allies. The boardgame takes two days. One to set up the game and explain the rules, the next to actually play the game for 19 hours straight.
Root, and by extension, dune imperium. I don’t own either physically, but I would really have to have a great reason to now.
Onirim and Deep Space D-6. I’ve got hundreds a of games of DSD6. It’s one of my favorites. The app just makes it so easy to
I like the physical version of *Can't Stop* just fine, but need to play *Can't Stop Express* online because there are just so many combinations and as you are arranging the dice to consider your options, other players are annoyed because they need them arranged differently.
Root, Everdell, Gloomhaven and the *first* Dune Imperium.
Quite a few of my (hex and counter, specifically) wargames. While I love the tactility of their physical versions, the frustrations of knocking over a stack of counters and not remembering where everything belongs has made me a mostly digital player. (Also the long set up-times...) So I probably spend 70% of my gaming time on VASSAL with those.
I’ve played Dune Imperium hundreds of times in my iPad and four times on my table.
Space Empires 4x. So many mistakes in the bookkeeping playing the physical version... automated in the digital!
Not an answer to your question, but I keep trying to tell people that the easiest way to find the choices in Can't Stop, is to put the four dice in a square. The choices are rows, columns, or diagonals. Pick one. That's it.
Dungeon Lords/Petz
Sentinels of the Multiverse. Love the game but there is so much to keep track of, the pc game just makes it a breeze.
Race for the Galaxy. 5 minute game in the app vs 45 maybe even 60 min counting setup and teardown in the physical version
Talisman. It's way too much for me to keep track of otherwise and we like to drink while playing to ease the pain the game dishes out so that makes it worse.
Catan on settlers.io has been so much easier to play for me.
Pathfinder ACG. I hate setting it up so much and I'd rather just play the boxes I have on tabletop sim rather than have to shuffle a location deck another twelve billion times.
Monopoly. It deals with all issues about inconsistent house rules and edge cases ( I.e. if selling a mortgaged property, the person buying must pay the mortgage on retrival). It also runs slightly faster. Doesn't make it a must play, but is the only way you could convince me to play it
Risk
Friday & One Deck Dungeon. Friday is great to play a quick where ever you are game as an app & ODD just makes it so much easier to manage all the dice.
Suburbia because in the physical game, you constantly need to account for the setups of other players. The app does all the accounting. Castles of Mad King Ludwig is similar in that it does all the accounting. This is the same for Terraforming Mars and Carcassonne. Looking at this, I guess I just hate accounting. 😀
I'm never going back to playing Formula D in person. (It's currently in Alpha on BGA and WOW is it a different experience when you don't have to constantly count spaces.)
Gloomhaven, for price, setup, weight, bookkeeping
**The Witcher Adventure Game** because the physical one is ridiculously expensive as it's out of print. Compared to **Old World**'s pricing, availability and etc, I'm perfectly fine with having this one in Steam.
Root on steam is pretty good and really helped me learn the rules. Wingspan on steam is my wife’s most played game.
Playing digital Catan is like 4x faster and totally breathes new life into it. No board setup, no die rolls or figuring out what resources you get, no cards to pass around...trading does take a minute to learn but is pretty simple if you're facilitating with voice chat. The important effect this all achieves it that, if you're the inevitable "get wrecked" player in a 4-person game who gets boxed in and can't do anything, you're rarely stuck in that role for more than like twenty minutes.
Gloomhaven. The cardboard version is such a chore. I'm really hoping by the time my group finishes the campaign in GH that Frosthaven is released digitally.
Terraforming Mars. The physical version is such an eyesore that I’d only play the more aesthetically pleasing digital version.
I'll admit I've never played the physical version but I adore the digital version of Spirit Island and I kind of have a feeling the monotony of setup and moving everything around would take away some of the enjoyment. With the digital version I can relax into the experience and tactical side of the game without having to worry about board management.
Risk
Have you tried table top SIM???
One night ultimate werewolf. I have the boxed version, which I will use to teach and then it's "ok everyone, take your phone's out we're going to play this the fun way." Unfortunately being required to reach the cards really conflicts with the lounging around the room, yelling at each other style of play I'd like to foster.
Gloomhaven
Living forest - decently fun game on BGA but way too much counting and fiddly pieces in person.
The Pathfinder Card Game I was gifted in physical copy and the game is really fun to play and tedious to set up and tear down, so I was really excited when they released the digital version. But then the program was so buggy I lost my progress probably 3 different times around the end of the campaign, and that really took the fun out of it for me. I uninstalled the game and I think I sold the physical game. So now it doesn't get played at all.
For me when I think of this I think of regicide. The perfect app that does the counting for you in your game and you can play with the cards without worry. It gets rid of most peoples issue of I hate counting!
Azul and Mahjong, so I don't have to keep track of score.
Ticket to ride, but since I tried the digital version I lost enjoyment in playing the board game
Ganz Schon Clever for me. Once I played the app I couldn't go back - so much faster!
Has to be Catan. The official digital versions are all terrible. But the web version Colonist is amazing.
Anything with a lot of moving pieces, Through the Ages for example.
Codenames. Infinite possibilities for free
I think I just stopped buying physical games all together after I get into digital. Digital is just so convenient. It takes care of all the manual and "tedious part of the game away. I'm usually the "organizer" in my game group, as I am usually the one that always buy the games, follow the Kickstarter campaigns, learn to play the games, and teach others to play the games. But eventually it becomes really taxing. With digital, I can play whenever I want and whoever in the universe, even if it is just a computer controlled opponent. I don't have to worry about table space, getting food, scheduling and organizing, sleeving cards, counting tokens, cleaning things up, etc. It made my life a lot easier, and much cheaper too.
7 wonders duel is perfect on mobile. You can play both on one device so great for train and plane journeys. Unfortunately expansions will not be digitised from what I've heard.
BGA has a couple of the expansions AFAIK
Gloom haven and spirit island. Both fiddlely /component heavy AND both play better as a multi handed solo imo. They are perfect strategy video games lol I have found that I have little interest in coop games since I haven't found one where it's better coop than multi handed.... But they tend to make for great soll experiences... And if I'm going to be solo I'd rather have the pc track everything... A bit of exception for more adventure types like middle earth and I'm about to try sleeping gods. My favorite coop so far is actually the crew since there the interaction is clearly still the point
not strictly digital, but i cant imagine playing gloomhaven without the digital app. It makes combat so much less of a paperwork slog in terms of setup.
Ascension. Love it on my phone or PC. Hate it on the table.
Online versions are fantastic for managing complex scoring, fiddly components, massive decks of cards, or games that require significant storage or tablespace. Or when I want to play a game with friends, but do not want to host said friends in my home. Gloomhaven, Wingspan, Everdell, Stone Age, Abyss, Oceans, Forest Shuffle, Earth, Woodcraft, Endless Winter, Planet Unknown, Sagrada, Akropolis, Furnace, Hidden Leaders, Living Forest, Raiders of the North Sea, Raiders of Scythia, Champions of Midgard. All great board games. And I appreciate an easier method for playing them when I don't have the resources/energy for the full setup.
I inherited my parents' Can't Stop from the 70s, and it is still a family favorite. I've never played the digital version, but I personally absolutely love the pace and suspense of the physical board game
There are a bunch that I probably prefer playing online but don't mind playing in person. Games like Ticket to Ride and Lords of Waterdeep are great online because you don't have to setup the boards and keep track of stuff manually. NERTS! the multiplayer solitaire is great online, but I can't imagine ever playing it in person. A lot of the BGA games I mostly play to kill time online and player bigger games in person.
Arkham Horror 2nd Edition! Im able to get all the expansions that way, and it's way less set-up and tear-down. Currently I only have the base game, one big expansion and one small one ... Meant to get the whole collection at one point, but then it went out of print :"(