Trashdome - Arkham Horror VS Talisman

You know something funny about this matchup? Both games have been reprinted/redeveloped...but AH is _vastly_ different than its original incarnation. TALISMAN has barely changed at all. I think that speaks to TALISMAN's timelessness...but still...AH for the win.

Arkham Horror v. Candyland Talisman?

Vote: Arkham Horror

Really tough match. I am sorry Talisman but I have to vote for
Arkham Horror

The bad news, of course, is that Ken B. hitched his wagon to ARKHAM, which means it's going to lose.

OK Talisman, the fans have great memories of you back in the day and everyone loves the story of an old guy making a comeback, but Arkham's a killer! You remember that big guy, Twilight Imperium? You know where he is now?? He's sittin' on the porch of a rest home in a wheelchair gettin' soup fed to him three meals a day.

So when you get out there you're gonna dance around a bit and throw a few jabs; make 'em think you still got it and that you're in this fight. After Arkham gets warmed up and starts really throwing the haymakers, just go down! No one wants to see you get all messed up in this fight. Just go down and stay down! The fans walk out of here with some nice memories of the fight and of what coulda been, and you walk out under your own power!



Vote: Arkham Horror (but I'll play either any time).

Vote: Arkham Horror

I haven't played Talisman. I love dungeon crawl games, but have more than enough in my collection with which I am happy that I wouldn't mind trashing Talisman even if it turned out to be best game ever.

Arkham Horror is unique in theme and gameplay, and is one of the only co-op games that I have played that truly works well.

I think one of the reasons it works so well as a co-op game is that it really gives every player their own story arc and opportunity to develop as specialized characters. There's a greater impetus for players to coordinate and play to strengths. Like most co-ops, it can turn into a mess if one player takes over and does all the decision making (i.e., somebody decides to be an asshole) but most games where players are allowed to do their thing it turns out just right.

Arkham Horror, but only just barely.

I love Arkham but Talisman was the first hobby game I bought (back in '86). That game (next to Stratego) was THE major catalyst for why I love board games. I would still play it if there was interest but most people I know would prefer to play AH.

Talisman

cold_fuzion wrote:

Arkham Horror, but only just barely.

Welcome to "The Fort", cold_fuzion! What gave AH the edge over Talisman?

I have played Talisman exactly once, about 10 years ago. I thought that it was a boring roll and move piece of crap with a generic fantasy theme.

I have played the original Arkham Horror at least 100 times, and although it had a very distinctive flavor, it wasn't too much better than Talisman, although the wandering monsters in old AH were fun. If I was voting between old Talisman and old AH, I would choose Arkham Horror primarily for fondness for the setting.

New Talisman? Haven't played it, but it sounds like it hasn't changed much. New Arkham Horror is amazing, the best game in my collection, the game that I am always willing to play again. I choose Arkham Horror.

Michael Barnes wrote:

I think one of the reasons it works so well as a co-op game ...

Exactly. Co-op games tend to drift towards everyone doing their own thing, causing lack of interaction and uninvolved boredom during downtime (Shadows), or working as one, causing the alphas to take over (LotR, Vanished Planet). Other games such as Red November and Pandemic try to find the balance (fighting from different sides of the spectrum), but AH does it best. If an Alpha gamer tells me that I must bring a clue to the police station, I can get away with replying "Fuck you, I'm a Nun on a chopper, and I'm gonna blow away that there zombie with this shotgun".

Dr_Mabuse wrote:

cold_fuzion wrote:

Arkham Horror, but only just barely.

Welcome to "The Fort", cold_fuzion! What gave AH the edge over Talisman?

It was mostly a mental coin toss. Both games are a load of fun, but for very different reasons.

I've never played Talisman, but Arkham is a game I play all the time and would like to play more. A rich varied experience; truly excellent co-op play; delicious theme; all the expansions add something nice (I think the new GOOs in Innsmouth are fantastic in all respects). I would put very few games in even the same class as AH.

VOTE: Arkham Horror

I agree with the statement that Arkham is a co-op where everyone gets to keep their own identity. Only BSG does that same thing very well, and even then you start to feel part of the "hivemind" of whatever team you're on in BSG.

In our game of Arkham, we were all trying to accomplish the same task, but we were off on all parts of the board having our own crazy adventures. I was the Indiana Jones-knock off, went to the shop and bought a freaking Elder Sign for $5 (they should advertise that shit!) Then I went to Innsmouth, helped summon the feds, went off through a gate, climbed down a cliff and found a big-assed Magic sword, then proceeded to return to the corporeal realm, shut that gate shit down, and mowed down every monster in Innsmouth, caught a train back to Arkham, and was looking for more.

My brother was playing "Skids" and he set up shop at Dibb's. We made so many stupid Roadhouse jokes it would make you sick, man. Like when he was attacked by a Maniac at Dibb's, it was like, "Watch the left boot." Lots of crazy shit happening at the Road House, and here was my brother becoming fucking Dalton, bouncing motherfuckers like mad.

Bar closed and he wandered off to the diner nearby. They didn't treat him quite as well.

We had Johnny playing the gay pirate dude, and his schtick became washing up on the shore (apparently Falcon's Drift or whatever held a deep allure for him) and opening stuff (every encounter of his was, "You find this crate/coffin/dildo storage container. Do you open it?"

We had a 4th of July parade right through the heart of Arkham, which was just hilarious. Because of the adventures of the gay pirate, it became a gay pride parade that gummed up Arkham for what seemed like quite a while.

We had Mandy "inspiring" people to roll better even from miles away. I guess it was the thoughts of her bazongas inspiring the adventurers to do well. Even Sister Mary at one point, who humrously lost her blessing the turn right after being "inspired" by Mandy.

That was just fine, because the Nun was packing a freaking tommy gun anyway. "I KICK ASS FOR THE LORD!"



What a great fucking game Arkham is. The little mini-stories that Talisman manages to tell from time to time just don't compare.