Notre Dame remains a nice middle-length game from last year. Requires a little bit of thought, but isn't really taxing. The sad part (for me) is that N.D. seems to have a 'one-true path' to victory. Actually, it's more of a "one path to avoid." Early game victory points are rarely worth forgoing resources for. (In last night's game, I got 5 VPs in Turn 5, doubling my score, and won by a dozen points).
In the "Blast from the past" category (one that's showing up more often) is "Two Hedgehogs #$(*ing in the dark." [One point of Geek-cred to any who explains where I got that title from]. I've no doubt that the sheer number of included variants means that there's one combination of 2+ variants that makes this the greatest game ever made. Sadly, the sheer number of included variants and my rate of play means the universe will end before I'll discover it. So I've settled for just owning an amusing filler.
I don't remember the last game's name, but it's a "Think of objects the fit the category." Everyone gets 30 seconds to write down the answer, and then secretly bids a number they think they can read. Players read from low-number to high (with ties broken clockwise by the moderator, who moves around the table). And it's boggle-style. Once someone says an answer it's done. But whoever bid lower gets to score it. If you make your bid, you get it. If not, get zero. This scoring could be transported to any boggle-style game.
I should play Ticket to Ride:1910 more often. I slightly prefer Marklin, but 1910 has a much simpler setup. I also tried a second game of Nexus Ops, which works by giving plenty of incentive to expand and attack, and (almost) no incentive to turtle. Other designers should take note.
]]>My favorite line?
As for what the Celtics know about their own and opposing players — well, that information is guarded like the crown jewels. Off the record and under duress, Zarren did reveal some valuable information, but we judged credible his threat to hunt us down and kill us if it were published.
As for the 4 National Quiz Bowl titles, you'd better believe it. He crushed the field on the Stage II tournament I ran, lo these many years ago.
As for local gaming, I've got a second game of Dry Gulch Junction in, as well as playing my (10th anniversary edition) El Grande, and new Blue Moon set. And some Race, of course.
I like Dry Gulch Junction, its a tight game; very streamlined. Once I organize my thoughts (and perhaps play another game or two), I'll write a review.
]]>Individual Game thoughts:
I'll review Wabash in a few weeks, after I've gotten my copy and played a few more times.
]]>And the games that got a single play ... Breaking Away, Die Kutschfahrt zur Teufelsburg, Halali, Hamburgum, Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage, King of Siam, Marrakesh, Oregon, Palastgeflüster, Password, Phoenicia, Poker, Pyramidos, The Hanging Gardens, Titan.
More thoughts about the actual quality of the games later this week.
]]>Just tried Airships, yet another new dice game. (Are dice the new hot thing? Are they the old hot thing, like retro? Anyway, Airships was amusing, but it seemed like one or two early busts killed you. To be fair, you rarely win if you get a Jester in Court the King. This has manipulate dice powers (to very the type of dice you roll), but no dice manipulation powers. You just want to roll high. One local vendor sold out (and not many other games), so I guess the buzz is reasonable.
Late night/Kids game -- Rattlesnake. You have to put (reasonably strong) magnets on a small board without having them snap together or roll off. Did I mention they were ovals? Yes? Did I mention powerful? If you try to slowly lower a new magnet in the others start shivering and shimmying, which resembles a pit of snakes...
Played a prototype baseball game. Nice, and had a hell of a game.
Another quick/amusing/fast game was Jamaica.
I think I may pick up Galaxy Trucker ... I keep playing it once a day instead of trying new games. We'll see if Jacqui likes it. Played several more games of Agricola, including several two player games to explore specific issues. Full review post-Gathering.
For now, lunch.
]]>Memo to self -- when Ted Alspach's decaying body finally washes ashore on the Olentangy, loudly proclaim that I did not murder him for his nice copy of Wabash Cannonball. Ditto David Fair/Agricola.
I had put a "I'll trade for this" on Wabash, figuring that the reviews were a fast, brutal economic game with the feel (if not the rules) of the more cut-throat 18xx games. It delivers all that and more. Little downtime, important decisions, no luck, auctions, and complex stock valuations. Amazing.
I stopped playing Age of Renaissance even though it's fun. Why play a 5+ hour game when one or two card deals will decide it. This flaw clearly applies to Agricola -- both games saw the person with the better starting hand run away with it. Still, I enjoyed AoR the first dozen times I played it ... and Agricola is only 1/2 as long. I think most of the people who obsesses over this recognize the flaw and I'm not sad about it ... yet. Ask me in another 10 games.
Everything I've ever written about Brass is suspect. I don't know if we got any rules right. More later.
I'd never heard of Palastgefluster, but it's another good little game in a tiny box. Only got to play half a game, but I'll probably pick this up. It's only $6, after all.
I've noticed a nice (and commendable) trend of upgrading games you love with custom components (see -- estate sale of tragic victims, above). I think I'll have to look into this. I'm definitely moving towards fewer, better games.
More later.
]]>King of Siam is a partnership abstract with no communication. 'Abstract' means that I'm not likely to play it again, although the 'partnership' part intrigues me. But I'm working on squashing that thought.
Oregon has you placing meeples (w/Cowboy hats) and buildings on a grid. Each 2 rows (and three columns) are grouped by a symbol, and you playing two symbols (one for row, one for column) gives you 12 (or six) potential placements. I didn't particularly care for it, but it wasn't bad. I may play it again.
Stone Age was good enough to play twice, and I think I'd play it another 10+ times, but then I'd be done. It uses a "place your workers" idea, but there's no order to resolving places and you can place one group at at a time. (Six of the spaces allow multiple workers, with most of them capping it at seven).
Anyway, it reminds me (in my reaction, not mechanisms) to St. Petersburg (also by Tummelhoffer, or part of him). I'll explain more later.
I won 3 out of 5 games of Race yesterday, lost a close one and came in second (with 43 points) by over 15 points. Guess which one was a tournament game? Ah well, more cake for me.
]]>Update: And here's a sign of the Apocalypse ... Race is my #2 game played in the last 30 days.
]]>Word of the evening -- AUGuRIeS (later I discovered GIAoURs). I also played my first nine letter bingo, UNTREATED.
]]>We did a few 'pre-season' games to get a grip on the super-advanced rules (minus the supplemental stealing system, which seems copied straight from IRS regulations). Overall I like it ... the variety of what can happen is greatly expanded for a minimal cost of complexity (once you are used to the system, I suppose. It would probably seem much more complex without last season under my belt). Now that we've got the super-advanced rules, we've seen odd events (like 1-5-4 double plays, throwing errors, outfielders robbing home runs) as well as have the potential for a few really rare plays (like inside the park home runs).
The experience emphasizes how random sports are. Multiple-Gold Glove winning Derrick Lee had 7 errors last season (but he missed a few games so strat puts him as "on pace for" 8). He had three errors in one game, all through sheer random chance. Particularly brutal was a two base throwing error.
I also got in two more games of Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation. I really do have to try this with the drafting variant (or just the variant, at all). Still, I like this ... a good number of decisions compressed into a very small amount of time. Sure it has some Rock-Paper-Scissors ness, but that's fine in a small game.
The few games of race didn't provide any good panel fodder, though.
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