Found out my favorite game had a misprint that changed the rules for years

I was digging through an old forum thread last night about a game I've played maybe 50 times. Turns out the version I own has a misprint in the rulebook that completely flips how scoring works. The online FAQ said the designer himself clarified it back in 2012, but my copy is from 2015 and still has the wrong text. I checked three different printings and only the first one got it right. Has anyone else found a rulebook error that messed up their games for months?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricia_hill6014d ago

Oh man, I had this exact thing happen with a card game called "Cosmic Encounter" - my copy from 2016 had a misprint about how the "Parasite" power worked, and we spent like six months playing it completely wrong. I mean, the actual rule was way simpler and made more sense, but the misprinted version said you could attach the parasite to any player's ship, which meant we always had these insane three-way alliances that broke the game. It wasn't until a friend brought over their older copy that we realized the error, and I felt so dumb for all those ruined game nights idk.

the_daniel13d ago

See, I actually DISAGREE with you on that one @patricia_hill60. I think playing it wrong for six months sounds WAY more fun than the intended rule. Having the parasite attach to ANY ship made the game unpredictable and chaotic in the best way. You said it yourself, those insane three-way alliances broke the game but probably made every round feel completely different. Honestly I'd rather have a broken wild game night than a balanced boring one where everyone knows exactly what to do.

alext5213d ago

I read somewhere that the original rules for the game "Diplomacy" had a similar issue where a misprint made alliances way more unstable, and fans actually prefer that version. Sounds like you guys stumbled onto something way more fun by accident. Honestly, if a broken game makes for better stories, it's a win.