DISQUS

All these suggestions sound awesome. Puerto Rico is some dense strategy and resource management. I tend to like those kind of games, but they take a lot of setup and patience. Then the strategery begins!

If you want a deeply demanding data-tracking boardgame challenge, check out Arkham Horror: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkham_Horror

Usually about eighty minutes before all 1-8 players are ready to take their turns. There's mechanical artificial intelligence, hundreds of cardboard chits, 1920s horror and role-playing. The game is cooperative - everyone is on the same team, facing down terrible eldar gods from the great beyond, etc. It's a deep hoot.

Also, along those lines, Talisman: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talisman_%28board_... - this is another game that feels so complicated it should have been a computer game. But then you play it for a short while and it's so rich that you can have these hilarious competitive potion flinging contests with other players, etc.

Man! You go to fun stuff, and you take great pictures. Thanks Scott - this looks like it was a hoot!