GLA #8: Boardgame expansions
Time to aggregate more GeekLists. This one deals with game expansions. Among gamers this is a very hot topic. Some like 'em, some hate 'em.
Pro
I noticed people like expansions to spice up a game they like *a lot*. The expansion brings something new, yet retains enough familiarity with the original game. Probably, the game group has already invented some sort of house rule, scenario or modification to keep the game interesting. The expansion comes at the right time to add new spice. Expansions make it easy for game publishers to sell to an exisiting customer base and are probably very popular from a commercial perspective.
Contra
Other people argue that expansions are basically the same game with some small modifications. Some even argue it is swindling or thievery by the publishers as they try to sell the same game twice. It is a more philosophical standpoint dealing with originality and other games which should also get published. Some also argue this makes the boardgame scene too uniform.
Good examples for expansions in general are the Carcassonne and Alhambra family. The Settlers of Catan probably also qualify. These games generated a huge fan-base which is easily exploited by offering the third or fourth expansion. But are all expansions worth buying? Are some even necessary for the original game to improve it? Let's find out in
GeekListAggregator #8: Boardgame expansions
GeekList #5824: Game expansions : do they make the game better? by Sheridan Hortness
Shieridan discusses the value of game expansions in general and whether they add value to the original game. He points us at some games which were designed in a way to be expandable, e.g. Carcassonne, Age of Steam, RoboRally and many many others. This is a nice discussion by game with plenty of comments by other Geeks.
GeekList #4670: Reasons Why Expansions Stink by Robert Martin
Robert names several rules why expansions make a gamers life complicated. For example, he claims that expansions confuse the rules, they add poor value, they add complexity, make the game longer and might unbalance the game. If you think about his arguments, they are probably true for some of the expansions.
GeekList #7968: Expansions/Promos - Little Known & Hard to Find ones by Jared Heath
This GeekList was inspired by a discussion at the Dallas Games weekly event. The list has expanded a bit and shows many rare to find expansions (or promos, whatever the difference). If you own a copy of those, you may want to check out ebay to see how much you might be able to make from it...
GeekList #6041: Expansions that are more like patches, really.... by Donald Seagraves
Donald picked several expansions which create a patch for the original version. It is very much like our favorite PC operating system getting patched every once in a while. The list includes many Carcassonne variants but also other expansions to games like Civilization and several wargames.
GeekList #494: Expansions.... by Tom Vasel
Tom is a big fan of expansions. He argues to want expansions to games he owns as they keep the game fresh. Read what he had once added to his shortlist (and probably now owns...)
GeekList #5496: Carcassonne expansions and their accompanying maladies by Tim Koffley
Tim summarizes expansions to the flagship of all expandable games: Carcassonne. The list contains a little bit of humor, too...