Originally Posted by
Fri
Problem with munchkin is "second place rule"
It's a bit more complex than this, but the simplification is, when you're at the first place and almost win, everyone would have to take you down or the game would end and attacking use up your resources. Then the second place would be first place, and usually everyone would have exhausted most of their resources. And when everyone realizes this, basically everyone would have to hoard resources, and everyone are eyeing each others daring each others to be first place first. Pretty sure there would be a mathematical game theory covering something in this line.
This isn't just problem with munchkin btw, some older multiplayer competitive games have this problem, but it's very prominent in Munchkin, especially if you've played it for a while.. There are some ways to fix it in game designs obviously, and I think later games have put that in mind so they have less of this problem. For example, in Cosmic Encounter they randomize who you have to attack each turn, so everyone can't just dogpile to the same person, though obviously there are ways to reduce the first place's advantage even if you can't attack them directly. Also there's different risks for helping the defender or the attacker, etc.
Interestingly, I haven't played it, but according to my friend the Illuminati Card Game (which is designed by the same guy) circumvent this, by for example, constantly giving you resources so you can't run out of resources to attack/defend, giving second place more reason to commit resources than the others, have ways to attack enemies that will hurt him but not hurt you nor give you anything, etc.