Do you need all games in a series?

Series come in all shapes and sizes, like:

• Expansions, mini expansions, and promo packs: These little extras add some zest to your base game

• Thematic Series: Games that share a common theme or setting, creating a cohesive experience

• Game Iterations: Different versions or takes on the same core game

So, do you need them all? Well, it depends! For some, it’s all about collecting (secretly waving at my wife). But let’s be real—game iterations can sometimes feel redundant if they don’t offer anything new. That said, I love iterations and thematic series that bring something fresh to the table. Take the Next Station series from Blue Orange Games and designed by Matthew Dunstan, for example. Our favorite is Next Station: London, followed by Paris and then Tokyo. Each game is unique enough to enjoy all three—or just one. I’m already dreaming of a Latin America or NY version!

And then there’s the Clever Series—oh man by Wolfgang Warsch, do I love that game! My friends and I go all out, playing all four versions at once. It’s chaotic, doesn’t save any time, but it’s so much fun!

When it comes to expansions, I’m torn. The base game often captures the core experience, and while some expansions add variety or speed up gameplay, others? You might never even get around to them!

Promo packs, though? I need all the Rolling Realms ones. This game has a way of sparking curiosity, and before you know it, we’ve added another game to our collection.

Thematic series can offer variety within a familiar framework, but if only one or two titles speak to you, why chase the others? This realization has led us to cull games from our collection.

Lastly, there's games like Oink Games where each game is a small package, but the game experience can be so large. We've made it a habit to buy new to us titles from them every time we travel. Curious about what we'll find in our next adventure coming up. Hopefully it's not another blue box 🤞