Tabletoppin'.

To begin, I am not a table top gamer. I've played boardgames in the past, and card games occasionally, but these are most always at the insistence of others. I suppose the main aspect I do not enjoy is that the plot and underlying subtexts in a boardgame rest within the interactions of the players themselves, and less in the game. The game presents rules and an environment, but then when it comes to narrative, suddenly the game's out on a smoke break and you're left to fill in the characters with the inevitable string of alliances, antagonisms, and betrayals. Maybe what boardgames need are more NPCs.

Munchkin
Of the two games played today, Munchkin was much more entertaining for me. There's a nice blend of turn based activity (each player taking turns drawing door cards), but also curses that can be used at any point. I like the comedic text on the cards, but either someone has to read it out each time (which I hate) or everyone crowds in close to read it; neither are ideal.

Small World
Small World basically embodies everything I don't enjoy in boardgames. The rules were a bit complex, and while the mechanic of mixing races and classes's variation ensures that no two games would quite be alike, after playing 3/4 of a game, I feel like I would have to play it through another four or five times before I could really begin to really get a feel for the strategy. Setting the game up took forever, which is usually the point where I get annoyed and stop caring about the game.