A game that is difficult to master, requires hard and sustained thinking, and leaves the players exhausted.
- Adjective form: brain-burny (e.g.: a brain-burny dungeon crawl).
- Brain melter is a common synonym.
- Brain burner is sometimes used to designate puzzles as well as crossword puzzles. It was also a nickname for early mobile phones, around 2000.
Now and then, however… I want to come out of a game with my brain matter dribbling out of my nose.Chessiecat on Reddit
A brain burner would be the opposite of a Beer and Pretzels game, a filler game, or any kind of light game. Although it does not have to be hard to learn, nor very long to play, a brain burner will present the players with numerous and difficult decisions or calculations relying on many factors that require intense reflection.
References and Further Browsing
- A list of brain burners on Boardgamegeek
- Another list of brain burners on Boardgamegeek
- Brain burners that play in under 1 hour, on Reddit
Synonyms
Mind melter, Brain melter
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