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Board games with emergent complexity? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/boardgames@sopuli.xyz
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Some games are complicated - they have really complex rules. Examples of this are games where you have to track many different types of tokens, with different rules for each.

Other games have really simple rules, but still manage to produce extreme complexity in they way they are played.

Go is the perfect example of this. It literally has 2-3 rules, but because you can play anywhere, the complexity it can produce is wide and deep, to the point that tomes have been written on how to play it.

What other boardgames exist that have very simple rules, but produce complex and interesting game play?

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[–] 6 points 1 year ago* (5 children)

I wouldn't necessarily describe blood bowl as simple, but it definitely has emergent complexity. The core rules of movement and blocking are straightforward once you wrap your head around them, but layering on team asymmetry, skills, probability, and the game state can lead to some seriously crunchy tactics.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

    Thank you. I think my sportsballphobia might get in the way a bit. Are the rules really that simple? It looks on the order of warhammer or MTG?

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

    I'm not a sportsy person but the minis won me over with their silly charm.

    The very core of it is moving, blocking (fighting), and ball handling (usually just roll a d6 against your agility start, less modifiers). Players exert a zone of control ("tackle zones") in adjacent squares which apply agility penalties and provide assists in blocks. Grocking the assist rule and its implications is the hardest part of learning the game, but it's not actually complicated. Using all of that together for good positioning has a skill ceiling akin to chess, with risk management layered on top.

    More complexity is added when you factor in the various teams and skills that can be developed, but 1) you can and should just learn those as you encounter them, and 2) the complexity:depth ratio there is very favourable imo.

    I've never played Warhammer but as I understand it, it's Blood Bowl is quite a bit simpler. MTG is probably a fair comparison, but it's a bit apples to oranges.

    In board game terms, I'd say a learning game of 7s (the smaller and sillier quick play variant) is low-mid complexity, and full scale league games with all the bells and whistles while being a tryhard about it is less complex than say, Spirit Island at its peak.

    It's also quite telling that you can play it fast and loose as a beer and pretzels game more about "haha silly sports man tripped from running too fast and died" if you don't want a brain burner.

    edit: clarity

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago*

    It's a Warhammer game, based on American football. They've made video game versions of it going back to the mid-90's as well.

    It's a turn-based strategy game, not particularly simple, but easy to learn.

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