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I haven't tried turned based yet, and I'm wondering which games best lend themselves to it. Looking for suggestions. 2 players would be best. Thank you!

Kingdom Builder (easy learn)
Railroad Ink (easy learn)
Castles of Burgundy (bit more complex but not too much)

These are good choices for turn-based. They have quite some thought put into one turn and don't have too many turns overall.

caro3660 wrote: ↑19 December 2023, 21:41 I haven't tried turned based yet, and I'm wondering which games best lend themselves to it. Looking for suggestions. 2 players would be best. Thank you!

Many games work well turn-based. Look here https://boardgamearena.com/gameinprogress for a list of games currently being played turn-based.

It's easier to categorize games that are not good turn based. Obviously a game requiring simultaneous reactions (Spot It) wouldn't work, so you aren't even allowed to play it turn-based. You would think games that involve discussions between players wouldn't work well, but for some reason Catan is high up there. I refuse to even play it real time, so I can only imagine how excruciating turn-based is, but whatever floats your boat. (yes, I know you can set auto-trading options, but the actual social interaction is part of the appeal of the game for me) I would think games that require input from other players during one player's turn would not be good, but it's really a question of what you're willing to put up with.

I guess any game in which each player's turn is entirely self-contained without any interaction (i.e., they have to accept, reject, or otherwise respond to something you did while it's still your turn) with the other players would work well. Or I suppose also games in which any effects on other players can be automated.

Meeplelowda wrote: ↑19 December 2023, 22:26 It's easier to categorize games that are not good turn based.

I agree. Games with lots of auctions, like Chicago Express for example, can kind of drag.

caro3660 wrote: ↑19 December 2023, 21:41 I haven't tried turned based yet, and I'm wondering which games best lend themselves to it. Looking for suggestions. 2 players would be best. Thank you!

I am biased against turn based games and I'll admit that beforehand. I play turn based occasionally and exclusively with people I have played live games with before. When I first looked into playing turn based I tried a couple of tournaments for games I liked. Sufficed to say that I ended to quitting most of them taking the ELO hit rather than spending a month on what should be a 30 minute game.

I think you've got the right idea as well going for 2 player since that'll cut a lot of the downtime away. As to your original question. Although I personally believe there are very few (if any at all) games that work better turn based rather than live I think that games which require lots of thinking time for each move are more beneficial in turn based and by consequence generally Euro-like games that would take over an hour in a live game. Also games with where all the players take their turns at the same time have worked reasonably well in my experience (Roll to the top, Welcome To).

To give the other perspective, I play almost exclusively turn-based as it fits my life better. I have two young kids, and when I get a free chunk of time (eg. after they've gone to bed), I often spend it doing something other than playing a game online. But I like being able to play some turns a few times a day when I need a break from work or over breakfast (since my turns build up the most overnight). Personally I think a lot of games are just fine turn-based, if you enjoy playing them that way. Yes, it definitely takes longer to play, and you probably need to be the right kind of person who can jump in and jump out of games and remember your strategy between turns (though there's a note feature that can help with that if needed).

I would agree that games with longer, self-contained turns work better, but really it's about trying out a game and deciding if it works for you. There are some games I won't play turn-based, but I suspect others that people may think wouldn't work that well turn-based, but are fine for me (For Sale, for example).

You are not the first one to ask

Here you can find some suggestions:
https://boardgamearena.com/gamelist?specificTag=29
https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25386
https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24416
https://boardgamearena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25023

Sobek 2players