Second Edition Tales: A Journal of Re-visitation

Lately, I’ve noticed a strange trend in my board game buying habits: more second editions than originals. It’s not that I’m chasing every reprint that hits the shelf. But as board game publishing continues to level up—better components, clearer rules, more thoughtful box designs—it’s hard not to want the best version of a game, especially when it’s one I already love.

Although that’s not the only reason for snagging a second copy of a board game.

Refreshing a classic

My original of Takenoko copy has been played to the point of exhaustion. The plastic tray that holds the figures is worn through, the box is way bigger than it needs to be (seriously, it’s emptier than a politician’s promise). With the release of the new edition, I think this is the third one, they’ve redesigned the box and insert as well as improved its look with sharper visuals and better iconography.

Given it’s a board game that’s brought me so many good memories over the years, it feels right to have a fresh, improved version. Just… not the big bamboo version. That thing is beautiful, but way out of my price range.

But it’s not just Takenoko. I recently picked up the newer version of The Quest for El Dorado purely for the new artwork, and cards. Vincent Dutrait did the illustrations, and if you’re into board games and don’t get a little weak at the knees for his art, I don’t know what to tell you. The gameplay is the same, but the new visuals give it a totally different energy on the table.

Downsizing to make space

Being a founding member of our board-game-aholics anonymous charter, my shelves are sagging with the weight of too many meeples. This is why I’ve considered downgrading from the premium AEG version of Love Letter Deluxe to the newer back-to-felt-bag version from Z-Man games. While I would lose the fancy tokens and extra roles of the deluxe version, I would save on shelf space…Or so the theory goes.

Now I can’t decide which to keep, so I guess I’m just going to own two versions of Love Letter from now on.

Did I mess something up?

Another board game I doubled up on was Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island. I picked it up a second time mainly for the revised rulebook. After my sub-par review of the game, I had my doubts that I was playing wrong and who could blame me with such a hard-to-read first edition rulebook.

So I bought it again, and while I loved the upgraded fruit tokens, and the new rulebook did a much better job, I still ended up thinking that the game was just okay (but with some incredible ideas). In the end, I bought the game twice, and sold it twice.

Even though that was a disappointing end, I also re-bought Camel Up and what a success story that turned out to be.

After owning the original (back when people still called it Camel Cup) it never really clicked. But the second edition, with its wild “crazy camels” and overhauled components has turned it into one of my favourite games of all time. Proving sometimes a second edition doesn’t just improve a game—it totally transforms it.

Have you given a game a second chance?

So yeah, I’m starting to realise this is kind of a pattern. Sometimes it’s nostalgia, sometimes it’s practicality, and sometimes I’m just a sucker for upgraded art or components. I guess I’m not just buying second editions—I’m revisiting games that meant something to me, hoping to make those memories a little sharper, a little more special.

What about you? Have you ever replaced a game you already owned just for better components, clearer rules, or gorgeous new art? Was it worth it? Let’s hear your second edition stories.