I want to play more games where you form alliances ant then stab each other in the back. I love that shit. I've played Junta and Diplomacy. What other backstabby games are there?
Diplomacy is my own obsession in this regard, frankly. I'm a sucker for pure design, and it doesn't get any more skilled than Diplomacy. So my first instinct when somebody asks for a backstabby game that is not Diplomacy is to look at them like they wanted a Chess-like game that is not Chess.
Republic of Rome, which I mentioned in the other thread, is very consciously a backstabbing game in the vein of Diplomacy. I personally find that it fails in this design priority, but many (the designers included) find that it fixes Diplomacy for them. Game of Thrones is a fine game in the tradition, even closer to Diplomacy - in fact, it's basically a faster swinging Diplomacy with some color elements and randomness. I seem to remember writing a review of the game for a Finnish Diplomacy zine on -04 due to this similarity.
Other than the titles that come to mind immediately, most Ameritrash games feature backstabbing to a degree. It's mainly a question of whether the game has sufficient discretionary resources (to be directed against other players) and powerful enough initiative rules (to allow for the element of surprise necessary for backstabbing) to support the necessity of negotiation. Something like Twilight Imperium bends quite easily into this direction if the group of players is amiable to it.
Diplomacy has the drawbacks of being a behemoth of a game. It has to be played with seven people (I don't much care for the variants) and takes a full day to play. Junta, in contrast, takes three or four hours and is played optimally (I think) with five players.
Also, though I love the backstabbing in Diplomacy, and I do love the game, Junta has more of it. In Diplomacy, you backstab once. Maybe twice. In Junta, you backstab every other turn.
And it's no fun playing the same game over and over again. That's why I'm looking for different games. I did read about Republic of Rome, and it caught my interest. I've also become interested in Here I Stand, which, however, has the same sorts of drawbacks as Diplomacy.
As for ameritrash games, I want a game that's built for backstabbing. I want a backstabby game, not a strategy game that can incorporate backstabbing. Mainly because I suck at strategy. I rock at Junta, which is almost all negotiation. I'm descent at Diplomacy, since I can make up for my lack of strategic brilliance with smooth talking. I suck at RISK.
But thanks for the tip about RoR. I think I'll try to get a hold of that one.
Epicus? What's more, the board is made of leather, the pieces are paintable (as is the board) and it's fun. When we bought our game they were all handmade, signed, and numbered.
Just be sober when you start learning to play. It's a little complicated. My husband and I got into the habit of starting the game late at night, or after using intoxicants. There is an easy way and a more intricate way to play. We've always played the easy way, and it's terribly fun.