Games Types: Eurogames

For my next few posts I am going to explain the different types of games and then share one of my favorite games of that type.  I thought I start out with Eurogames because this is the type of game that drew me into the hobby.

Eurogames, also known as German-style board games, these are usually mostly abstract games (think Chess), that are quick and easy to learn and play.  They tend to be more about strategy and planning and less about luck.

They are called Eurogames because this style started out in Europe.  Germany is probably the largest producer or board games in Europe.  Most companies from Germany are well respected for producing high quality games and for having great customer service.

Some of the Hallmarks of Eurogames:

Ease of Play

Eurogames are usually short.  Game play can range from 10 minutes to 1 to 2 hours.  The rules are usually easy to learn.  Plus, there is no player elimination.  So everyone can play the whole game and not worry about going bankrupt as they would in Monopoly.   Most Eurogames don't even have player conflict, unless you are competing for a scarce resource or limited spot. Some games do give you a negative score for not accomplishing a task, like feeding your people, or having enough of a resource.

Theme

In these game you may be building a farm, city, cathedral, or stone age hut or perhaps delivering fruit.  Like the "Game of Life" you have a theme, but honestly the theme doesn't really matter.  As many say its just pasted on...

Agricola - Building a farm

Eurogames are more about the strategy and mechanics; more about what you are doing than about immersion into a story.  It doesn't take away from the fun but is is sometimes a turn off for certain players.

One more important thing about theme, its never about War!

World Wide Appeal

Perhaps a language teacher would love the multiple sets of rules in many different languages.  These games are played and enjoyed around the world.  The fun thing is that language usually isn't important during the game.  You can have a German speaker, French speaker, and English speaker playing and enjoying the game without having to know the others language.  That's because the there isn't much text on the cards, tiles, or player sheets.


Components

Most Eurogames have high quality pieces made of wood.  Sometimes these may just be blocks, it is abstract after all, or you can find wooden animals, fruits, vegetables, or so forth to replace the cubes and beautify your game.

Brown Cows

Brown Cows