# boardgamearena.com **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 17, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841 "2012-01-17T23:16:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/1 "2012-01-17T23:16:38Z")
I just want to make sure everyone knows about this excellent website. Games include (but are not limited to): Dominion Stone Age Puerto Rico Coleretto Haggis Dragonheart Hawaii Troyes Real time play with excellent implemenations. Free. User friendly. Nice community. New games coming all the time. It’s probably not as good as brettspeilwelt but… Java’s all buggy on my machine for some reason so I want people to go to boardgamearena instead. 😃 Also, if you enjoy medium-to-heavy eurogames themed around political intrigue, equally well playable with 2 3 or 4 players, check out Troyes! It is my new favorite, and I am no good at it at all so now is the time to hit me up for a game. User name is Speusippus. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/2 "2012-01-17T23:33:37Z")
Is it real time only, or can you “play by email”? (I’m enjoying my Brass games at [http://brass.orderofthehammer.com/index.php](http://brass.orderofthehammer.com/index.php)) Troyes is definitely a good game Brian ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/3 "2012-01-17T23:36:02Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Is it real time only, or can you “play by email”? (I’m enjoying my Brass games at [http://brass.orderofthehammer.com/index.php](http://brass.orderofthehammer.com/index.php)) > > Troyes is definitely a good game > > Brian It’s real time only… with time adjustable time limits… ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/4 "2012-01-18T04:35:28Z")
Stone Age and Troyes are two of my favourite games! Anyone game? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/5 "2012-01-18T13:18:38Z")
Do you have to own these board games to play them? Is there some kind of tutorial that shows the rules otherwise? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/6 "2012-01-18T13:21:31Z")
I’ve never heard of any of those games. Am I the only one? ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/7 "2012-01-18T13:28:46Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Do you have to own these board games to play them? Is there some kind of tutorial that shows the rules otherwise? There’s no requirement to own the game. (Each game is licensed from the publisher, by the way.) While there’s not a tutorial, there is associated with each game a link to a pdf of the game’s instruction booklet. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/8 "2012-01-18T14:17:27Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > I’ve never heard of any of those games. Am I the only one? Most of those games are from Europe (hence the term euro-games). They tend to feature less direct confrontation but there are still subtle ways to mess up your opponents. Usually they eschew player elimination for a scoring mechanic. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/9 "2012-01-18T15:50:58Z")
I play Dominion online on [dominion.isotropic.com](http://dominion.isotropic.com). I’ll check this place out, though. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/10 "2012-01-18T16:39:30Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > I play Dominion online on [dominion.isotropic.com](http://dominion.isotropic.com). I’ll check this place out, though. Unfortunately, this website only has the original and the first expansion, whereas isotropic has all the expansions. But I hear (haven’t seen for myself) that boardgamearena’s UI is easier to deal with and the card artwork more faithful to the original… 😉 But yeah, most who know both like isotropic better for dominion. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/11 "2012-01-18T16:44:15Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Unfortunately, this website only has the original and the first expansion, whereas isotropic has all the expansions. But I hear (haven’t seen for myself) that boardgamearena’s UI is easier to deal with and the card artwork more faithful to the original… 😉 > > But yeah, most who know both like isotropic better for dominion. BTW I’ve been wondering something about isotropic. I’ve been reluctant to jump into all the expansions over there because I don’t know the cards. At boardgamearena, mouseover text lets you get caught up to speed fairly quickly. Is there some such mouseover text or other means of in-game explanation of cards that let’s you figure out your first several games with expansion cards on the fly? Or does one really need to read up on them beforehand and come well prepared with complete knowledge of all possible cards? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/12 "2012-01-18T16:54:48Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Unfortunately, this website only has the original and the first expansion, whereas isotropic has all the expansions. But I hear (haven’t seen for myself) that boardgamearena’s UI is easier to deal with and the card artwork more faithful to the original… 😉 > > But yeah, most who know both like isotropic better for dominion. I don’t really care about the artwork so long as the cards all play the same way. your site’s UI is a little nicer, with clear win/loss records and what not showing. Also, yes. Mousing over at Isotropic gives you the expansion it’s from and the card’s details. Edit x2: If you want to wade into Isotropic, shoot me a PM and I’ll play a few games with the basic set or only one or two expansions. I’m Mr. Splashypants there. ---
**Author:** ![HookerChemical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/278dde/32.png) [@HookerChemical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HookerChemical)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/13 "2012-01-18T17:21:57Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > I don’t really care about the artwork so long as the cards all play the same way. your site’s UI is a little nicer, with clear win/loss records and what not showing. > > Also, yes. Mousing over at Isotropic gives you the expansion it’s from and the card’s details. > > Edit x2: If you want to wade into Isotropic, shoot me a PM and I’ll play a few games with the basic set or only one or two expansions. I’m Mr. Splashypants there. For a win/loss record, head on over to [CouncilRoom.com](http://CouncilRoom.com). There’s way more data than anybody should reasonably want there. You can analyze which cards you win with, which cards others win with, which turns they’re bought, and all kinds of easily misused information. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boardgamearena-com/609841/14 "2012-01-18T18:14:36Z")
> [@HookerChemical](#): > > For a win/loss record, head on over to [CouncilRoom.com](http://CouncilRoom.com). There’s way more data than anybody should reasonably want there. You can analyze which cards you win with, which cards others win with, which turns they’re bought, and all kinds of easily misused information. I like it. I knew there was a way to nerd out more over Dominion.