Taurus: Bebo’s Board Game Horoscopes
Sign: Taurus
Birthdate: April 20 to May 20
Three Ways to Make a Taurus Feel at Home on Game Night
The Best 3 Games to Gift to a Taurus
Taurus Game Designer: ANdrew Wolf
Strengths & Weaknesses
Taurus are ambitious with a dash of materialism but in a tolerable way, most of the time. They are going to be the best of the best at whatever interests them at that time and they won’t care too much about much of anything else. They’re not selfish, they just prefer quality over quantity. Taurus love games where they feel like there has been a huge pay off for their determination and hard work but you can also easily draw them into the table with metal coins, heavy chips or chunky miniatures! They’re drawn to things that appeal to their aesthetic so if you know the subjects that interest them, start by introducing them, or yourself, to games that are about things you’re already interested in. If there isn’t a game out there about your interest, might I recommend some game design courses so you can start making it?
Taurus are symbolized by the bull because after all, they’re kind of stubborn. Avoid playing cooperative games with a Taurus as they tend to make decisions based on what’s best for them, not everyone else. Granted, that’s easy to work around if you’ve discussed the terms of the game before starting. That said, don’t expect them to be picking up any of the slack for the rest of the team. They have other things to do in their downtime at the game table, like playing that really cool mobile game they’ve been grinding the last 3 months.
Pro-Tip: If your Taurus friend doesn’t know about Hearthstone Battlegrounds, you should tell them it’s free on mobile if they can get past the 45 minute tutorial that has nothing to do with the game they’re actually going to play. 🤣
Likes & Dislikes
Whatever you do just DON’T….
‼️ Rush them to take their turn ‼️
Taurus don't like being rushed into making a decision and they don’t appreciate loud or aggressive behavior being directed at them. This means you should definitely avoid hidden identity games with your Taurus friends unless they’re sure they’ve been properly prepared. If people start yelling, don’t expect them to want to stick around. They also don’t like being forced to change their mind, another reason to avoid hidden identity games with your Taurus friends. When they do play hidden identity games, they get defensive. It’s because they’re actually riled up even if they play it cool after the fact. 🤣
Games
Taurus love feeling secure which means engine building games scratch an itch that’s particularly satisfying to them. Taurus love quality products that have long lasting value so a game that allows them to build up a visual tableau will do an excellent job of reminding them that they’re headed in the right direction. This means that while some Taurus might enjoy social deduction games like werewolf, it’s probably better to start with something that slightly less… gaslighty? A great alternative to Werewolf is A Fake Artist Goes to New York which contains all of the fun of a hidden identity or social deduction game with way less pressure because everyone is so bad at drawing lines.
Food!
Taurus love good food and drinks so make sure you prepare for their arrival at game night. They won’t be impressed if you get cheeto powder on their board game components, after all, they spent a fortune on that copy of Gloomhaven despite never getting around to reading the rulebook. If you can manage to prep a charcuterie board for game night, I promise, a they won’t forget a gesture like a wheel of Harbison from Jasper Hill Farms.
Mechanics Made for a Taurus
Getting into new games is really hard and knowing where to start is even more challenging. I took all of my knowledge about growing up with a little brother who was a Taurus, and having way too many Taurus friends, and then I cross referenced that with all of the available game mechanics in board gaming. Then I picked the best ones as long as they were relatively easy to explain to someone who had played a few board games growing up but hadn’t yet dove into hobby gaming. And if that’s you, you’ve come to the right place, as long as you’re a Taurus, or know a Taurus? Beyond this paragraph lies a magical world of tabletop gaming to explore. I’ve provided solid reasons for why they’re a perfect fit for the Taurus based on horoscope personality cliches that I googled and then digested, and pasted onto the various Taurus in my life and then jestfully explaining away all of their behaviors the last 20 years in an effort to forget how stubborn they are. 🤣 Seriously though, this project was as healing as it was fun if I’m being honest and I hope that you’ll have as much fun reading and learning about new games as I have writing about them.
Drafting Games
Drafting? Like in Football? Well, yes, actually!
Drafting Games are games that give players a number of options to choose from, they select one and then either discard the rest or pass them to the next player to select one of the available options.
Sometimes these options are in the form of a selection of face up cards, other times these cards are known only to the player holding them.
Why a Taurus might enjoy a drafting game!
Drafting anything in a game gives the Taurus the stability and control they crave to feel in control of their own destiny. If they are building a deck and making their own choices about what to add to that deck it usually means they’re building toward something that will have a decent pay off, after all, Taurus don’t act without thinking and honestly, they absolutely LOVE to micromanage everything so the more control you give them, the happier they’ll be.
Popular Card Games:
Easier to Learn
Harder to Master
Core Mechanics:
Card Drafting
Dice Rolling
Push Your Luck
Core Mechanics:
Set Collection
Push Your Luck
Card Drafting
Core Mechanics:
Card Drafting
Set Collection
Tableau Building
Core Mechanics:
Card Drafting
Dice Rolling
Set Collection
Core Mechanics:
Card Drafting
Set Collection
Tug of War
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Set Collection
I’m not hoarding Games, Mom, I’m Set Collecting them!
Set Collection Games give players the opportunity to collect different sets of components. These are typically cards or dice that players are adding onto their own board or even a shared player space. These will usually result in the player gaining either points, money or some other kind of resources that will help them win the game. A simple example of this would be collecting the matching colored properties in Monopoly. A great place to start in Set Collection Games is with Cat Lady! It’s under $12 and if you can only swing a few bucks, you can get the Cat Lady App on iOs or Android for less than $3!
Why a Taurus might enjoy a set collection Game!
If what a Taurus craves is a payoff for their hard work, any game that involves set collection is sure to have a pay off even if it’s only achieving the goals you set for yourself, like adopting all of the stray cats you can in Cat Lady. Sometimes it’s drafting the tile that your friend was just about to get in Splendor. The Networks is a great example of a party game that incorporates set collection and in some ways, Roll Player also has party game elements to it. Both games are the kinds of games that guarantee laughs and encourage imaginative storytelling in some way. Then we have games like Race for the Galaxy that are all brain burn and strategy but are hobby game staples in the community. Older games tend to maintain their popularity through high replayability which is absolutely something Race to the Galaxy did extremely well at.
Easy to Learn
More Challenging
Core Mechanics:
Card Drafting
Contracts
Set Collection
Core Mechanics:
Card Drafting
Set Collection
Core Mechanics:
Card Drafting
Set Collection
End Game Bonuses
Core Mechanics:
Hand Management
Set Collection
Simultaneous Actions
Core Mechanics:
Card Drafting
Set Collection
Dice Rolling
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Tile Placement
You better not be trying to trick me into remodeling your bathroom for you!
Perhaps the most popular “Hobby” Tile Placement Games are games like Carcassonne and Kingdomino. They’re popular because they’re among the easiest to learn titles in Tile Placement. Tile Placement Games are simple, players will either draw, draft or acquire tiles in some form and then they’ll have to place them onto a play area which may or may not be shared following the rules agreed upon by the players. The most popular Tile Placement game is probably Dominos but I think technically Bingo counts as well but that’s not a hill I’m willing to die on so don’t come for me on that one.
Tangent: I’ll never forget the first time I won a few hundred bucks at Bingo when I was 12. I got the COOLEST $60 jacket and had confidence for the first time in my tween life.
Why will a Taurus LOVE Tile Placement Games?
A Taurus loves to watch a game bloom, and by that I mean, they love the aesthetics of watching their player board change and grow. Tile placement games are great for them because they’ll always be able to look down at the board and be reminded of their work paying off, while also giving them the information they need to plan their next move which is always very carefully calculated. They’re kind of perfectionists like that in the best way. You’ll always have a challenger at the table when you game with a Taurus!
Popular Tile Placement Games
Easier to Learn
More Challenging
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In short, we trust them to do the right thing even if it inconveniences them.
Three Ways to Make a Taurus Feel at Home on Game Night
Feast of Oh, them!
Some would call the Taurus high maintenance but that’s because they’ve never lived with one... or met a Capricorn with Seasonal Depression. But, I assure you, Taurus can be quite reclusive when they feel backed into a corner. If you’ve had trouble getting your Taurus friend to commit to game night, it might be worth proposing it as a more formal event, one that includes a fancy dinner tailored to their palette in terms of food and in terms of games. You have to make the comforts of your space seem as comforting if not more comforting than the one they enjoy at home every day otherwise you’ll be hard pressed to get a Taurus to leave their house. Also, make sure they know the guest list and food menu so they feel prepared and have something to eat, especially if they have any dietary restrictions!
Quality time spent with their friends
Tell your Taurus friend who’s going to be on the guest list ahead of time. They’re thoughtful people and if one of their good friends is going to be there, they’ll want to know ahead of time so they can bring them that birthday present they hadn’t been able to drop off yet. Simply preparing your Taurus friend by telling them who’s coming will do wonders. If you’re feeling extra nice let them know what games you plan on playing. They’ll probably brush up on the rules or watch a how to play video ahead of time if they’re given the opportunity.
Furry Friends
If they’re not allergic to them, your Taurus friend is bound to attract the attention of your pet. Furry friends love how Taurus are mindful and pay attention to how your furry friend likes their head scritches. Their calm and calculated energy make your furry friends feel safe in their presence. It’s a win-win for all parties as long as everyone has taken their allergy meds.
Taurus’s love games that make them feel luxurious but they also love games that make them feel like they’re being perpetually rewarded for their brilliance. If you have a game with pretty miniatures that are painted, it’ll be easy to get the attention of a Taurus. If they grew up on games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Chrono Trigger it won’t be a challenge to get them to play heavier strategy games so long as they’re not overly combative and aggressive. Avoid games like Kemet. That kind of direct confrontation isn’t what your Taurus friend needs in the midst of or just after a global pandemic. Come to think of it, avoid Pandemic too. It’s too soon. Oh, also, remember to schedule breaks in game night! If the game takes place over a series of rounds, use the end of a round as a pausing point to do some yoga, topple the patriarchy or make sure that everyone is still feeling good about playing the game. Check Ins on general vibes of the room are always helpful on game night and your Taurus friend is sure to appreciate it.
Fun Fact: One time I cried during a game of Kemet with strangers because it was so aggressive. I’m a Taurus Rising so apparently it shouldn’t have been a huge surprise.
The Best 3 Games to Gift to a Taurus
Every Taurus Needs an Azul
Azul’s Game Mechanics
Drafting
Pattern Building
Set Collection
Tile Placement
AZUL
Azul is a Tile Placement, Set Collection, Drafting Game which covers 100% of the mechanics I would recommend a Taurus to tryout. It’s incredibly easy to learn, it appeals to their competitive senses, and it’s replayable so they won’t get bored with quickly, so long as they have a worthy challenger! Azul is a game that you might lose at your first few games but it doesn’t take long to catch. Sabotaging is necessary to defeat your opponent in the most cut throat game EVER made about making the prettiest mosaic!
It’s Easy to Learn
Azul is one of the easiest to learn games on the market because the core mechanic is simple:
Pick one of the sets of tiles available to you and then take all of a single color from that set of tiles. After they’ve selected the tiles they select one of the available spaces in their tableau to place their tiles. When a row is full at the end of a round they move one of the tiles from that row into their display. If the player can not place the tiles they selected, they will lose points at the end of that round. You can learn the full game by watching my How to Play.
The Taurus is Fierce Competition
The Taurus is known to be a smidge selfish but that’s why playing a game like Azul with a Taurus is so much fun. Taurus are quick thinkers and they tend to make the move that's best for them which might have severely negative impacts on the other players in a game as cutthroat a Azul but that’s not a bad thing when the game only takes 20 minutes to play which leads me to reason number three Azul is a great game for a Taurus...
It’s highly replayable!
Taurus tend to be codependent which means they enjoy familiarity, security and safety. Taurus are happiest when they are playing a familiar game in a familiar space with familiar people. While they may enjoy conventions now and then, where they really want to be all the time, is wherever they feel most secure, loved and appreciated. Azul’s player interaction is highly dependent on the choices that the players make in the moment which gives it an “edge of your seat” feeling every single turn.
Gizmos won’t grind your gears but losing to your Taurus friend might!
Gizmos Mechanics:
Card Drafting
Engine Building
Resource Management
Set Collection
Tableau Building
Contracts
Gizmos is in my professional opinion the perfect game. Even when I can’t pull off what I was attempting to accomplish in the game, I still feel whole at the end of the game. It’s a game that transforms failure into fun. It’s a game that inspires you to try again and plays fast enough that you can get in several plays in an hour or two! After you’ve played a game or two with your gaming group the game can play in as few as 20 minutes. It’s fast-paced and an absurd amount of fun for a game that doesn’t really feel like it’s telling much of a story. The art is bright and colorful but not distracting and the design team endlessly talented which is why Gizmos will never be leaving my collection.
Every turn has impact
As I mentioned before, Taurus LOVE a good pay off and Gizmos delivers when it comes to building up to a grand finale, as long as no one ends the game early. There are so many cool interactions within the game. You’ll never feel like you’re stuck or that you can’t do something worthwhile on your turn. Taurus love feeling validated, loved, appreciated and admired but not in a narcissistic way as they only really care about the opinions of the people closet to them. When you play a game with a Taurus remember to pay attention to the minor actions they took that had meaningful pay off and bring them up later to them. They’ll get all the warm fuzzies and who doesn’t love making their friends feel good?
It’s straightforward and distilled
Gizmos was so completely enthralling to me the first time I played it because it took everything I loved about every engine building game I had ever played and distilled it into what I would describe as the perfect engine builder. I wasn’t expecting to be so completely enamored with a game that seemed so simple on the surface.
Only Good Vibes!
Gizmos is one of those games where you’re “technically” supposed to be paying attention to the cards the other players are taking because in most drafting games with a pool that’s shared by all players, the decisions the other players make, also impact you.
If you’re anything like me, when you start building an engine in a game it’s easy to hyper focus on what you’re trying to accomplish which also means that even if you don’t win, you’ll end the game feeling satisfied.
Why Roll Player is a Great Game for a Taurus
Core Mechanics:
Tableau Building
Card Drafting
Set Collection
Variable Player Powers
Roll Player captured my heart the first time I played it because it made me laugh and it made me smile. I can’t remember exactly what I was dealt for a character but Distinctly remember needing them to be chaotic good, which was something I could really get behind. I didn’t always get all of the cards I wanted but the cards I did end up with helped shape my eventual strategy in the game and in the end, I came in last place, but I didn’t mind at all. I had a bunch of great laughs with my friends as we told stories about our horribly flawed RPG characters. Even if I can’t remember the character I made, I’m glad I managed to remember the feelings playing this game for the first time gave me!
Neat Player Interaction
Roll Player has an interesting drafting system that makes it so cards that are not selected end up becoming more valuable over time increasing the likelihood that players will be incentivized to select them, removing the bonuses off of the available board but not removing them from the game economy which leads to a game that’s dynamic and replayable.
The theme is hilarious!
The truth is, Role Playing Games are wildly more popular than board games. Roll Player can help usher board games into an RPG players life by allowing them to play a Board Game to build a character for an RPG! That said, DM'S be warned, some Roll Player characters can be very powerful so you might want to be prepared to scale your battles accordingly. These character builds end up all over the place!
The Game makes you feel POWERFUL!
While it’s not your typical tableau building game, the players will be using everything they gain throughout the game such as dice, cards, and board state alterations to work toward one goal: Crafting the best (or funniest) fantasy character for a role playing game. I recommend this game to anyone (who’s looking for a game to get their role playing group interested in board gaming).
All Roll Player Photos from Thunderworks Games
Meet a Taurus Game Designer!
Andrew Wolf
Andrew has been a friend of mine for a very long time! I first met Andrew at board game conventions when he was working for USAopoly. I believe at some point I ended up gushing about my endless love for the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game and he revealed that he had worked on it! Ever since, we’ve been teaching each other board games. Andrew, who is a Taurus, has designed dozens of successful games filled with big licenses. Not to brag or anything, but this article was finished before I asked him for his favorite games so I’m feeling pretty good about the accuracy of this guide!
Andrew Wolf - Known for Designing
Dang. What a legend.
Munchkin Marvel
Munchkin: X-Men
Thanos Rising
The Harry Potter Deck Building Game
Risk: Game of Thrones