TDG: Cody's Top Ten Games to Lose Friends (March 2023)

Join Cody as he takes a look at his top ten games to lose friends.

[adavis]

For me, many, many years ago, it was Origins of WW II. Like you, I was the master because I was so good at lying, not to mention at anticipating other player's moves.

A few years ago, I had two colleagues at the university where we worked who would join me once a week to play Merchants and Marauders. The two colleagues were in charge of a committee at the time that created a lot of tension between them, so that irritation would spill out in the game. Hilarious to see two professors otherwise civil going after each other as cutthroat pirates in the Carribean.

[morgaknightgames]

My first game of Nemesis, the friends who won betrayed us by directing the ship into the sun, ejected most of the escape pods and escaped on the last one within the first few rounds. The rest of us scrambled to fix the flight path and succeeded, but two died on the way to cryo and the one who made it was infected. The a hole winner was just sitting there enjoying the chaos. Still one of my favorite games! 🤣

[jackdancer]

My favorite Diplomacy story happened at the University of Washington one Saturday afternoon. There was a regular gaming group that met in the student union playing all sorts of games (board games, card games, miniatures, etc.). The Diplomacy players were always looking for players (hard to get 7 together) and one Saturday we invited a new guy to play.

As the Spring 1901 orders were being read, I could see that he was getting more and more upset. Finally, he stood up, shouted, "I HATE TO GET LIED TO!" and picked up his chair and sent it spinning across the floor of the big room and stomped off out of the door. We all agreed, that Diplomacy probably wasn't the best game for the new guy…

[Kab]

Fun list! I played a game of Warrior Knights where somebody disavowed knowledge of our treaty. It was funny, but man what a lesson for me. Intrigue is a game all about breaking deals. Quick and dirty - emphasis on dirty.

[nathanjs]

Great list as always! Also, I’m always baffled by how you’re able to review so many new games while still playing other time-consuming ones you love, all while having the job of a professor. Such a great channel, and I appreciate all that you do!

[jonathangillies]

BSG is still played for our group game nights! I would also add Resistance and the classic card game Hearts as friendship wreckers.

[seanobrien]

Diplomacy is the one on this list I've played. It was over 30 years ago in college, and we got into a shouting match and some pushing and shoving (being immature 20 and 21-year-olds).
Two other I've played where you can lose friends are Supremacy (similar to Risk but with navies, nukes, and laser satellites), and Republic of Rome (the old Avalon Hill version; never tried the Valley Games reprint). I actually still own Supremacy and Republic of Rome.

[pablod]

I don't think I've ever been that riled up over a board game, but there have been a couple of near-brawls induced by the death-match mode on HalfLife on the PS2 and NES Wrestling.

[SophieLynne]

Steve Jackson's original Illuminati was one of the worst for angry players and betrayal.

[sergiomonge]

I like the hat and greying beard, you look great!

[dhmcarver]

I loved this list. Some other good ones include the simple-but-fun Survive, where you are actively trying to sick sharks and monsters against other players as you all flee an island, and Pompeii, where you try to direct lava flows towards the other players. You have to play with people who are OK with the fact that "take that" IS the mechanism. I played Secret Hitler for the first time a week or two ago -- so great, and not surprised it made your list. One of my favorite board gaming moments is from decades ago when I stabbed one of my older brothers in the back in a game of Diplomacy to win the game -- he was shocked that his little brother betrayed him, as that was usually his role. I can still see his face. (Renegade, btw, seems to now have the rights to Diplomacy -- they must have picked them up when they bought Axis & Allies rights. They have been advertising that they are publishing a new edition, with wooden pieces, in the Spring.)

[alexisxiros]

Diplomacy! I love it! I love it! I love it! And yes, I have no friends left. But I love it!

[DarthEd]

I was surprised Twilight Imperium wasn't on your list, Cody! It would probably make mine. I had a game of The Resistance once where a friend of mine looked me in the eye and promised me he was loyal to me, and he wasn't, of course. I was perturbed for days! Secret Hitler hasn't really reached that level for me, maybe because it's more structured and the deduction isn't as difficult or maybe I'm just used to being betrayed at this point. That said, Secret Hitler is a better game than The Resistance for sure. Never had any issues with Shadows Over Camelot. Actually, the most annoyed I've ever gotten with another player is playing Terraforming Mars! In that case the other player targeted me for some negative effects (asteroids) in less than optimal play. Basically, I felt he should've been targeting the leader, and I wasn't even close to being in the lead that game.

[attiladukai]

Hi, sry for my HUNglish.

Once in a Nemesis game I was the captain.
When Laslo passed his turn in a yellow room I threw him out to space and I said:
Okay guys I'm fine now, we have 9 more turns who needs help?
All of the player wanted my help, but I said, okay I can help out only one of you so I will go with Ákos. Later when there were 4 turns left Ákos had 2 light and 1 serious wounds. Then as the Captain I ordered him to go to the room next to us and there were a Queen and an Adult.
Ákos were like wtf man, and I threw a grenade after him too. He tried to escape, but the queen have killed him easily.
All of my friends asked why I did this, and I said, Ákos was my target.

And Laszlo, my first victim said: Then why the heck did you killed me early on.
Me: You were my bait.

That was the last time when I had a talk with Laslo... it was 2 years ago =D

[rockhopper]

Many, many epic Battlestar Galactica games. As the Cylon, I once got the humans to airlock one of their own, and I managed to get them to make me both President and Admiral. I then essentially killed the Galactica. My buddy’s wife was the only one to suspect me and sniff out what I was doing, and she and my friend (her husband) got so mad at each other that they almost wouldn’t ride home together afterwards.

My wife used to act like the Cylon, even if she wasn’t, all the time. That used to annoy me to no end. 😂

[ericengstrom]

I ran a social experiment once where I shuffled no cylon cards into a five player game. Everyone was guaranteed to be human.

I have never seen more paranoia in a game than I did in that one play. The hairs people would split to make their accusations became smaller and smaller and smaller....

Half the group was pissed at the end but they forgive me now. x

[thegamesninja]

Mom, Cody is making France a dominant military power again!

One under the radar game that requires undermining trust is the cardgame Intrigue by Stefan Dorra.

On the filler side, the game Nicht die Bohn requires people to play really bad cards to get good ones.

[jerud]

1. Battlestar Galactica
2. Courtier
3. My Father's Work
4. Nemesis
5. Versailles 1919
6. Secret Hitler
7. Dominaire
8. Shadows over Camelot
9. A Game of Thrones
10. Diplomacy (1958)

[jeffa]

Ever play Intrigue? It's long out of print now, but I heard several months ago that it's coming back. It's brutal though. Straight up lie to other players, then screw them over... while they do the same thing to you. Top tear lose your friends game!

[dp]

I saw a man cry from a game of Diplomacy at Gen Con a few years ago. It is definitely a serious game. And can have amazing moments. But know the player base. Great game.

But if I want a light mean game I'll just play Cutthroat Caverns haha. Much lower chance of people breaking things haha.