Hello,

Ok so this game has interested me for a while, but I waited on picking it up because it seemed awfully similar to the Battlestar Galactica board game that also just recently came out.

After playing BSG for a while, I have to say that it is probably my new favorite board game. I doubt anything will be as fun as that, but I am still always interested in learning new games.

So, how does it compare to BSG?

Also, why is the board so dang small?

Haven´t played the BSG (I read the rules only), but the biggest difference will be the overall feel of the game: in BSG you are saving a nation, in RN it is a bunch of drunk gnomes on a mulfunctioning sub. So whereas there are intrigues in BSG (the cylon player popping-up sooner or later), it´s all about fun on board the sub. And the board size also reflects it... RN is a game that fits into your pocket and you can take it to a party or in a pub (if you go out with the right people, that is).

Red November is much faster than BSG, and you are fighting against the ship and your own foolishness, and not against a traitor. I wouldn't really call the games similar -- RN is quick, quirky and silly, but fun. It takes maybe 30 minutes to play a game--well, a 3 player game at least, maybe slightly longer with more players. The small board size is annoying, but at the same time it doesn't need to be any bigger.

It takes a few games to get all the rules down pat -- "token" actions vs. normal actions tripped us up at first, and the rules for dying, and inebriated gnomes only draw for passing out the turn they become inebriated. But a fun "grog and pretzels" game.

The likely reason the Red November board is so small is that this is a Silver Line game, and meant to be economically priced. But  from what I've read there is a lot more game to this one than most of the others in the Silver Line category. A bigger board and spiffier components would mean a higher price.

As a side note, the wife and I will be playing two older Silver Line games tonight, Kingdoms and Magdar. Life can be good at times...

In my point of view, these two games have one striking similarity: they are quite hard to win for the "good guys". Our score with BSG is Cylons 8 and Humans 1; our score with Red November is Subs sunk 5 and Subs saved 1

I have really enjoyed both games. I think the main similarity is their is a lot of disasters you are suppose to work together to overcome. In Red November as stated in a previous post you don't have to deal with a traitor or have skill specific characters. Red November is definitely faster paced and has some better humor in it and definitely worth the price of it.

The games are nothing like each other at all in terms of the way they play, feel and in the way people interact. I wouldn't even put them up for comparison they are so different. I really enjoy both games but they fulfill different needs. 

I haven't tried this yet (cause I can't find anyone who wants to play) but it looks a lot more family-friendly, non-gamer oriented (not that theres anything wrong with that).  It also looks quite a bit less complicated than BSG... would I be better off trying to get my gamer friends to play this, or some of the non-gamers that prefer things like Citadels, Ingenious, Carcassonne etc?