Board Game Arena

I would like some advice on how to close out a game. I'm struggling to end games and instead often find myself dragging out each game, giving the opponent a chance to get back into the game.

I can get myself to the midgame, contest for milestones, and generally spend resources efficiently up to that point. But I often find myself stuck at that point, stuck continuously playing cards, often pointlessly extending awards races, when the correct idea is to end the game asap.

Should I be taking more production turns to reset and modify the dice and put myself in a position to use standard projects as often as possible? How can I efficiently close out a game? (think situations like TfM games where you just need to forego playing more cards and just spam Standard Projects to end the game asap situations)

Thanks in advance

If you're looking to end the game ASAP, but feell ike you're dragging the game out, odds are you're just not focusing on playing the right cards after the milestones are gone.

Sure, you're never going to always get the cards you want to push the end of the game, but there are cards in the late game I find opponents buying just because they have the resources to get it, even though the cards are very close to worthless.

I say the biggest thing is to keep a focus on keeping a point lead. Focus on red cards, cards with points on them, cards that help you with awards, etc. Prioritize using the support action (discard a resource -> change any resource to the side you want) to build actually useful cards, or to build standard projects quickly, don't draw and hope for the right side to show up. Taking more production turns is good when you have none of these options, but when you're in the situation you'd want to end the game, also getting/securing points as many turns in a row as possible makes it significantly harder to be overtaken.

Producing more is also decent, for when you really just don't have anything that's very good for end game. If you're stuck with a lot of green/blue cards, and no easy way for a standard project, just producing and throwing a lot away is often the best play in late game.

Certainly you have to just work with what you're given, though. It's tough to know exactly when what you're offered should go for standard projects or not. But sometimes, the dice just GIVE you one, or the cards you draw don't give you any options, so it's your best play. But I find games "drag on" only when you find yourself spending multiple turns building cards that don't ultimately help you in the late game. Keep an eye on all the ways you can be getting points with what you have each produce, and don't get distracted by building things just because you can afford them.