2010.04.11
Stressful games
The top ten list in the latest Dice Tower episode was the top ten games that cause you stress. I found the lists interesting, and I thought I would post my opinion.
One of the most stressful games for me, like Tom, is Diplomacy. And I agree it’s too stressful to the point where I don’t enjoy it.
Battlestar Galactica came up as one of the games people find stressful, as did Ghost Stories, but for me I find pretty much all cooperative games stressful. I’d say the most stressful for me is Lord of the Rings, followed by Arkham Horror, and then Battlestar Galactica and Ghost Stories. The rich themes in Lord of the Rings and Arkham Horror always make me feel small, insignificant, and like there’s absolutely no hope of victory.
One other game stands out for me as one that I find very stressful. Power Grid.
Don’t get me wrong, I love power grid and will never turn down a game. Maybe it’s just the group I usually play with, but I feel constant pressure during the game, and some maps (like Brazil) up the ante quite a bit. I think a lot of the stress in the game for me comes from the hidden money aspect of the game. My group uses poker chips instead of the paper money that comes with the game, partly because it’s easier to hide poker chips. I usually keep general track of everyone’s finances, but it’s hard to keep the exact numbers in my head and that lack of knowledge is really stressful for me. If I could only know for sure how much money someone had, I could probably figure out what resources they want and what cities they want and then bid them just a little too high in the power plant auction.
Another thing about my group is that we’ve all played the game a number of times, and we all play to win (read: viciously). Which again adds to the stress. And makes me enjoy the game that much more.
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