I came to Go from a general interest in board games, and I still play many with my friends who are not Go aficionados. I enjoy a variety of games (and I always like trying new things), but the game that has had the most lasting power besides Go is Agricola. My wife also enjoys the game and it plays well with two, so that's a big plus.

I keep track of the games I've played (and those I want to play) at BoardGameGeek. (I only record face to face plays of Go, or it would far and away be my most played game.)

Yes, I think it is, though it took me a while to get into it.

I will say that what makes it not my second favorite are two variants on the same theme: 1) the opening is too sharp: you can very quickly lose, and 2) it tends in the direction of very long calculations. So far, I still feel as if there's less intuition than in go.

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Occupy Babel!

I came to go from other board/card games as well. I saw a cheap board in a game store and though 'why not?' It quickly became my favourite game and the one I spend the most time on.
I still play and enjoy a lot of other games, current favourite (other than go) board game is Power Grid, favourite card game is Race for the Galaxy.

Chess.
From non-board: WoW.

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- Bantari
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WARNING: This post might contain Opinions!!

I also like Hex (I think we've even played in the past) but prefer Y to Havannah... But indeed, Hex is too sharp in the opening, and I definitely hate that (that's something I like about go that I didn't like about chess: you can be below average in the opening and still play good, interesting games, whereas once you start tournament chess almost everyone is a walking opening book)

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Geek of all trades, master of none: the motto for my blog mostlymaths.net

As a former chess player I still play chess (and of course also other board games, e.g. "Blokus") from time to time. The funny thing is that in chess I can still maintain a certain playing strength even if I'm tired or after one or two beers, while in case of Go my strength dramatically drops in such cases. It seems my "chess module" is implemented more deeply into my brain compared to Go, and I'm curious if that can still change after a few more years...

I like this variation on Hex.

You can't embed Youtube videos here?

I've seen it done.

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Based on my BoardGameGeek rankings

Republic of Rome
Puerto Rico
Twilight Struggle

Based on how often I play
Magic the Gathering.

Also up with thoose on the top should be Battlestar Galactica and Blood Bowl.

Non of the other games are abstract, in fact Go and Backgammon are the only abstracts I enjoy.

RBerenguel: where do you play Y? What I play is heavily influenced by what's available at LittleGolem.

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Occupy Babel!

Anyone ever play a game called Third Reich? If Go is the most elegant game there is than this would be the least "elegant". The rule book looks like the Bible and no one really knows them all. Part of improving at the game is learning more rules to play by. I personally don't get it but my brothers loves those sorts of games.

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Thinking like a go player during a game of chess is like bringing a knife to a gun-fight. Thinking like a chess player during a game of go feels like getting knifed while you're holding a gun...

Actually I don't even remember where I played Y (maybe gamerz.net?) I played several games like 8 years and found it nicer than Hex, but gave up soon because I also liked LG more

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Geek of all trades, master of none: the motto for my blog mostlymaths.net

We play mostly light board and card games:
Skull (my current fave - very simple and pure rules, but far from easy, like go)
Coup
Resistance
No Thanks!
Dixit

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- Brady
Want to see videos of low-dan mistakes and what to learn from them? Brady's Blunders

I play and enjoy lots of other games, from extremely simple card games to long and complicated board games. Some favourites throughout the years have included Settlers of Catan, Empire Builder, RoboRally, Through the Ages, Galaxy Trucker and Dominion.

But none of them have the staying power that Go does.

There are only two board games - Chess and Go If all the Go players in the world suddenly quit playing Go, Chess is what I would switch to.

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I am John. John-I-Am.

I know you play backgammon too

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Geek of all trades, master of none: the motto for my blog mostlymaths.net

Abalone!

I like to play bridge!

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I think I am so I think I am.

Abalone looks fun but the rules look a little confusing. Is it pretty simple to pick up?

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Thinking like a go player during a game of chess is like bringing a knife to a gun-fight. Thinking like a chess player during a game of go feels like getting knifed while you're holding a gun...

Before playing Go I used to play this game a lot Ô ăn quan. It's an old traditional game in my country, very easy to learn and popular among children because it focus on counting. I think it's spread out of Vietnam by now though, last time I went to Germany there was a copy sold in the board game section

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The similarity between Go and computing is the seemingly infinite number of possibilities.