# Most underrated and/or underplayed game? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 22, 2001, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834 "2001-04-22T02:30:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/41 "2001-04-25T18:42:07Z")
Railroad Tycoon, though inspired by 1830, is not the computer version of the board game. That would be, of course, 1830. Avalon Hill, maker of the board game, also published the computer version. I’d love to see a computer version of Blackbeard. The board game is absolutly crying out to be digitzed; I asked AH about this and they don’t seem interested. ---
**Author:** ![DZ42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@DZ42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DZ42)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/42 "2001-04-25T19:40:36Z")
My side of the family is addicted to a board game called “Settlers of Catan” - a great game, though hard to explain. My best (though still feeble) explanation is that it’s a cross between Magic:The Gathering/Monopoly/Risk. Like I said, it’s hard to explain. Anyway, can’t seem to get my wife into it, and my friends are pretty indifferent as well. Oh well… ---
**Author:** ![Bluesman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@Bluesman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluesman)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/43 "2001-04-25T23:05:34Z")
**CATAN! DAM’ RIGHT, BROTHER!** Love it… I am pesterin’ the hell out of the “Wizaeds of the Coast” store in the mall for the first copy of “Starfarers of Catan”. I call twice a week, on the days they receive shipments. **THAT** is how cool the “Catan” series is. Also purty fanatical about “Diplomacy”. I fancy that I’m a good player. Good won/loss percentage. Right now, I’m playing a lot of the finest computer wargame ever: “Combat Mission”. If you like wargames, buy this. If you’re married, need to sleep sometimes, or are trying to hold down a job, you may want to pass it up. And any Dopers that want to play-by-email CM with me: [bluesman125@home.com](mailto:bluesman125@home.com) ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/44 "2001-04-25T23:06:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > Railroad Tycoon, though inspired by 1830, is not the computer version of the board game. That would be, of course, 1830. Avalon Hill, maker of the board game, also published the computer version. Sorry if I didn’t make myself clear. That’s what I meant to say. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/45 "2001-04-25T23:26:15Z")
The first is The Great Dalmuti\*\*. This is a card game that goes by the premise that life isn’t fair. The object of each round is to get rid of your cards. Certain cards are better to have than others. What makes this game fun, however, is the fact that the people who are behind (the Greater and Lesser Peons) must surrender their best cards at the start of each round to the top people (The Great and Lesser Dalmutis). Unless, of course, a revolution is declared, in which case the social order is overturned, with the Dalmutis and Peons switching places. Lastly, the Dalmutis are encouraged to lord their “superior” status over everyone else. The other is called Guillotine\*\*. This game is set during the French Revolution (when else?). Each round, twelve people are lined up in front of the guillotine. The object of the game is to collect the more valuable heads (Marie Antoinette is worth more than, say, a Palace Guard). Each player has cards that allow them to manipulate the line. You try to get the good heads while sticking your opponents with the bad ones (including those that cause you to lose points – like the Hero of the People). Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/46 "2001-04-25T23:30:51Z")
I have to say for computer type games there was **Digger** a version of Dig Dug that would run on my old XT clone (the “portable” one the size and weight of a small sewing machine with the “twisted liquid crystal” display with funny looking blues and purply reds). It occupied way too much of my time, and that of my kids in the late 1987-1988 era. Nintendo - the original unit that is - still beguiles me with \*\*Dr. Mario \*\* dropping those little pills on the viruses. Incredibly low rez graphics, but something about the hand-eye and strategy aspects keeps me playing several times a week. There was a shoot 'em up game for the old Commodore 64 that involved your little spaceship trying to break into some monster fortress, I never did crack it, though I came close a few times. Now I can’t even remember the name. Went through \*\* Botticelli \*\* (sp?) phase in college as well as incredible hours of \*\* hearts \*\*. In the early 70s enjoyed massive late night six-person double deck pinochle marathons. Ah, those were the days. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/47 "2001-04-25T23:34:59Z")
Must…remember…to…preview… Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Chocobo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Chocobo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chocobo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/48 "2001-04-26T02:46:40Z")
I love Four Square! I played that all the time in elementary. Worms: Armageddon is also really fun, yet seriously underrated. Maybe because it’s made by a little British company instead of some Japanese conglomerate… ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/49 "2001-04-26T04:56:52Z")
Digger! I thought I was the only person in the whole world who ever played that. I don’t think I could stand to play now, I would never relearn all the patterns as perfectly as I had them memorized that wonderful Year of the Digger. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/50 "2001-04-26T07:54:32Z")
**Karnov** Rocks! Big, fat, and bald is beautiful, man! Did you know Karnov was a selectable character in a really old Neo Geo fighting game called ‘Fighter’s History X’, (I might be remembering it wrong)? It was cool. It’s a little like Street Fighter 2–and Karnov gets to blow fire and stuff–and his level theme is a remix of the old NES Karnov theme. Anyways… I absolutely adore the **Space Quest** series from Sierra On-Line, back when they were still good. Over the course of 6 different games spanning about 10 years of production…it was a sci-fi spoof adventure game following the adventures of a janitor, of all people. I still have trouble finding people who have even heard of those games. -Ashley ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/51 "2001-04-26T08:24:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Badtz Maru \* > \*\*Master of Magic - a 1995 strategy game from Simtex, the same company that made Master of Orion and Master of Orion 2. Tons of replay value. When I downloaded this from an abandonware site, I spent most of my computer time playing it instead of my couple of dozen of fancy new games. > \*\* I adore you. I had forgotten about this wonderful game, and had no idea it had become abandonware. My copy was stolen years ago, and I’m downloading it now. THANK YOU!!! ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/52 "2001-04-26T08:26:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > **The first is The Great Dalmuti**. This is a card game that goes by the premise that life isn’t fair. The object of each round is to get rid of your cards. Certain cards are better to have than others. > > What makes this game fun, however, is the fact that the people who are behind (the Greater and Lesser Peons) must surrender their best cards at the start of each round to the top people (The Great and Lesser Dalmutis). Unless, of course, a revolution is declared, in which case the social order is overturned, with the Dalmutis and Peons switching places. Lastly, the Dalmutis are encouraged to lord their “superior” status over everyone else. > \*\* They did a version of this game w/ Dilbert called the Corporate Shuffle. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/53 "2001-04-26T12:47:01Z")
**Spoons** - another 4-Square player? Cool! **Bluesman** - yes, Diplomacy _is_ the coolest board game ever. Wonder if we’ve got a critical mass in the DC area for a Dipfest sometime? My all-time favorite video game was an early '80s arcade game called **Crystal Castles**. (“Get the gems, Bentley Bear!”) Had 37 levels (a lot for the time), and hazards such as witches and ambulatory trees. I think it’s one of those ‘either you like it or you don’t’ sort of games, but I loved it. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/54 "2001-04-26T13:47:24Z")
Here seems to be a neat one: [http://www.aflcio.org/paywatch/boardgame\_revised.swf](http://www.aflcio.org/paywatch/boardgame_revised.swf) ---
**Author:** ![Trout\_Mask\_Replica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@Trout\_Mask\_Replica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trout_Mask_Replica)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/55 "2001-04-26T14:18:28Z")
Wheel of Time. Single player was only so-so, but I thought multiplayer was great fun-- a sort of ‘thinking man’s deathmatch’. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2001, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/56 "2001-04-26T15:03:54Z")
Cribbage. And not on-line, either. Has to be with a deck, board, pegs and LIVE opponents. (Man, I HATE not being able to peg “muggins”!) Uno is another… and Milles Bournes… and Rook… ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/57 "2001-04-27T06:42:34Z")
Another one for Mille Bournes. I’m a fan of card games: Nuclear War Wiz War Family Business Also a fan of Kremlin and Cosmic Encounters, to name two others. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/58 "2001-04-27T07:17:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RTFirefly \* > \*\ ***Spoons** - another 4-Square player? Cool! > > **Bluesman** - yes, Diplomacy _is_ the coolest board game ever. Wonder if we’ve got a critical mass in the DC area for a Dipfest sometime? > > My all-time favorite video game was an early '80s arcade game called **Crystal Castles**. (“Get the gems, Bentley Bear!”) Had 37 levels (a lot for the time), and hazards such as witches and ambulatory trees. I think it’s one of those ‘either you like it or you don’t’ sort of games, but I loved it. \*\* I loved that game too…you used a track-ball to move around, and one of the levels was in the shape of the top-scorer’s initials. I also had the Atari 2600 version which was not that bad, though of course nowhere near as big or detailed. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/59 "2001-04-27T09:30:54Z")
Underrated? Has to be either Mille Bornes, or the board game version of Civilization (should come with a warning: game may take 14 hours to finish). I also love Talisman (the second edition… not a fan of the third). Cranium is really good if you’ve got a full house. Of course, I’d be happy to find anyone willing to play anything against me. All my friends stopped because I win too much ☹ ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834/60 "2001-04-27T15:24:41Z")
Barbarian, there is a computer version of the board game Civilisation. It’s called Advanced Civilisation, to distinguish it from the computer-inspired version of Civilisation (versions 1 + 2, Test of Time etc.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underrated-and-or-underplayed-game/62834.md?page=4)