We all know there are hundreds of pirate and zombie themed games, but what are some themes that you think are really cool that very few games seem to be based on?
Themes you wish more games incorporated?
Tue, 04/19/2016 - 12:12
Tue, 04/19/2016 - 14:28
#1
Experiences with the:
Paranormal study. That be of faked from cgi to research of the unknown, videos, unexplained encounters of that of live feed on newsbroadcasts, to traffic cameras, amusement park security cameras, hotel cameras, hospitals, forests and abandoned mines, asylums cemeteries.
The list goes on.
Tue, 04/19/2016 - 14:36
#2
This is more of a type of
This is more of a type of game than a theme, but I wish there were more story driven games.
Like Dead of Winter, Time Stories, Eldritch Horror, etc. I don't want a game laid out for me, but I want to be in the middle of a story and have decisions to make that effect where the story goes.
Tue, 04/19/2016 - 16:14
#3
Ecology
I'd like to see more ecology-themed games. Particularly, I want to see games that educate people on their effect on the environment, the climate, and the general health of the planet.
I'd also like to see more non-cheesy games about socializing and healthy relationships.
This straddles the line between strict education and gaming, but I've seen other worthwhile topics addressed sensibly and sensitively in games, and would always like to see more.
Wed, 04/20/2016 - 05:11
#4
I'd like to see accessible
I'd like to see accessible (i.e simple rules, short playing time) historical-themed wargames set in late Renaissance Europe (because Landesknechts and Hussites are great!), and similarly accessible wargames simulating WWII (or WWI) naval battles. I love the idea of wargames with miniatures and I'm working towards those, but I'd love to be able to play a quick battle after dinner with my wife or friends as easily and quickly as we can play a euro-game (which I greatly enjoy, but sometimes I want war and conquest!).
Possibly (hopefully) I am just not familiar enough with the hex-and counter games and someone will say "Look at xyz - it is exactly what you want". At any rate, they certainly don't get any sort of mainstream exposure.
Wed, 04/20/2016 - 07:49
#5
Contemporary themes with
Contemporary themes with modern game design.
Wed, 04/20/2016 - 16:09
#6
My themes
I would personally like to see more science-themed games out there - with the caveat that they be good. I was very disappointed with the games "Compounded" and "Strain" in my collection...
Another genre that I feel is under-examined is the internet/hacking/cybersecurity. I think that's because most people who design board games don't really do a lot of IT.
Thu, 04/21/2016 - 07:46
#7
I do actually work with
I do actually work with computers every day (although I'm not a sysadmin) and I think the reason why cybersecurity games have lost popularity (at one point they were rather popular, I believe) is that the internet did not move in the direction of the sort of virtual environments in William Gibson's cyberpunk novels - actual system administration is mostly done by typing commands into the command-line, and is pretty boring to watch. And in addition, computers with internet access became ubiquitous and so everybody realized that it wasn't all about jacking into cyberspace to see glowing 3D glyphs. Often games with non-everyday themes are fun precisely because they represent something unusual which the players don't encounter in everyday life (escapism), because the reality often kills romantic notions - for instance: I would like to pretend to be a WWII admiral in a game, but I wouldn't like to actually lose an eye to a piece of schrapnel when the bridge of my battleship takes a direct hit (or cause this to happen to someone else, for that matter).
But more nice retro-cyberpunk themed games would be fun. So would a science-themed game with a decent amount of humour, as long as it didn't try to hit players over the head with an unsubtle educational mallet - (though having "covert" educational value would be a plus - the players are having too much fun to realize that they're actually learning)
