Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Now I need your help. Background. My girlfriend likes board games, but now we want to try a miniature game that is easy and get into and not too advanced.
We tried Underworld but she thought it was too complicated with all the cards and goals.

Requirement:
Easy to learn
Not so long games.
Easy rules

But which one do you recommend?

If you can get a copy of Heroscape that may be perfect.

Simple but tactical - rules are simple but intuative and great felixbility

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroscape

Yes loves the fights and dice roll in underworld,

So i throw away all cards in underworld and we play only fight and take zone. Was fun and she like it, But i looking for new game.

Zombicide is a good half way house.

Necromolds! Honestly, it is a really fun system, plus there is a level of schhadenfreud when you squish your opponents critter

https://necromolds.com/

Gaslands 2e.

All you need is 1 book, a handfull of d6, & several hotwheels cars.

The premise is Mad Max cars in a deathrace/demolition derby - with weapons.

One Page Rules has a variety of easy to pick up rules-lite systems for several themes.

For pure silliness, Gretchinz.

For good balance and models, if you can still find it, Space Hulk.

I have had great success with Mantics Dwarf Kings hold dungeon crawler. Simple yet tactical. Does 2,3 or 5 players well.

Bot War games play in about 30 mins on a 3x3 board, game is driven by making the best use of your energy each turn.

Stargrave is a simple system to learn and taps nicely into a cinematic feel for any science fiction background either of you like. It’s got a bit of flexibility in kit any and soldier roles and allows for a bit of advancement and development for your crew, but you only really need 10 models each. There is also cooperative rules in an existing expansion and some more planned expansions coming.

I recommend starting with a truly simple wargame.

Song of Blades and Heroes is cheap and easier to learn than almost anything listed above here. However it still has a good bit of strategy and a simple campaign advancement system.

It's also a nice introduction to miniatures since it only takes 5-9 per side and you can use almost any fantasy figures. Let's her pick figures that speak to her regardless of brand.

Plays in less than an hour and has nice affordable supplements too if you want to add crunch. Free online warband creator makes it easy to stat up your force.

My last club played the heck out of this game.

https://www.chicagoskirmishwargames.com/blog/?s=Song


You can order it here:
https://www.ganeshagames.net/product_info.php?cPath=1_6&products_id=7

I recommend Pulp Alley, 2nd edition, as it creates a really nice hybrid between role-playing and skirmish miniature gaming, as well as being dead simple (everything hits on 4+!)

Games i would recommend to start, because of easy to learn rules and the possibility to play out of the box (no big building/painting needed, as this can be a turn of if you need several hours of non-gaming work before you can start) and without the need of further investments to keep playing (as were the box is only suited for a demo game and you need more for the full experience)

Warhammer Underworlds
X-Wing
Dreadball
BlitzBowl
Walking Dead All out War
Godtear
Battletech
StarSaga

depending on the genre and style your girlfriend likes (eg if she is a Zombie Fan or likes the Walking Dead show/comics, AoW is the perfect game to start) you can pick one and because they are not that expensive not much money wasted if she does not like it

What type of board games does she like?

Mage Knight Dungeons is fun to play with kids and non-gamers

Heroclix went over really well with a girl I dating.

She has a lot of fun and was too good at the dice rolling...We're not together anymore, BTW.

Do you want to play a miniatures war game or just a miniatures game? Because I feel like there's a distinction to be made there.

I was just about to do that myself. It's going to be Dungeonbowl or the new MESBG board game.

Gaslands or Legends of Signum fits the bill.

Warhammer Underworlds might be good, too. Just grab a starter set and you're good.

Reaper's Warlord is easy to learn.

Rangers of Shadow Deep might be what you want. It's a cooperative miniatures game designed for 1-4 players. You two would play together to complete the scenarios.

Warcry is fun.

My wife isn't a gamer and has a soft spot for blood bowl.

It's an option that can either be older or more expensive (or both, I guess), depending on whether you want the original or the remake, but Hero Quest is fairly simple and fun. My wife has really enjoyed playing it.

Neither of us are really big about complicated rules or overly long games, and it works well for us.

Palaeo Diet: Eat or be Eaten. Very low miniature count, and generally co-op, as the animals are controlled by reacting to your cavemen. Always fun to mock the player who gets eaten.

Twilight Imperium!!!

Euroname wrote:

Now I need your help. Background. My girlfriend likes board games, but now we want to try a miniature game that is easy and get into and not too advanced.
We tried Underworld but she thought it was too complicated with all the cards and goals.

Requirement:
Easy to learn
Not so long games.
Easy rules

But which one do you recommend?

An appealing miniature to paint

Euroname wrote:

Now I need your help. Background. My girlfriend likes board games, but now we want to try a miniature game that is easy and get into and not too advanced.
We tried Underworld but she thought it was too complicated with all the cards and goals.

Requirement:
Easy to learn
Not so long games.
Easy rules

But which one do you recommend?

Lord of the Rings can fit the bill especially if you know what parts to skip(don't bother with magic, special strikes etc to begin with).

Big issue is some of the models are showing age horribly.

It can take long time to play if you go for big 800 pts game but 300-400 pts games are much smaller and it can work easily at 200 pts or even less if you don't want big named heroes though part of the fun of LOTR can be from playing with the famous characters of the movie. Though some are easier to fit(Legolas/Gimli isn't that bad. Aragorn at 300 pts would be silly).

Easy to get into as well. Box of plastic+commander set gets you going easily. You can add elite unit for added variety. This gets you surprisingly far.

If you can get a copy of Silver Tower that's great fun!

My Wife and I played through Blackstone Fortress together, and enjoyed Gloomhaven.

 laam999 wrote:
If you can get a copy of Silver Tower that's great fun!

I would second this!