Gaming Lately

I normally start these blog entries with 'it's been way too long since I've posted here.' Well, it's true, but I hate repeating myself. :)

Some good gaming has occurred in the last three months. I've had a few game nights at the house, and one weekend of almost nonstop gaming when some friends came to visit in January.

First Plays
There have been a few firsts for me in the past quarter. In January, I played these games for the first time:

Senator
This is a game of bluffing and second-guessing. I can really get into a game like this if in the right mood. There's a lot of mind games going on, as you're trying to figure out what's best for you (not all that hard to do) and what's in the best interests of your opponents so that you can thwart them or avoid being screwed.

I'll spare you the details of the mechanics, but basically, you're trying to get points by bidding on different items. Some items' value is negated when owning other items - and your opponents are always trying to force these bad combinations on you. Everyone has the same deck of numbered bidding cards plus a card that 'assassinates' all the other cards in play.

We played this game twice. I like it, but it's not a game I'll buy. I believe that there's limited replay value because the permutations are just too few. This being said, it is a good game. I wouldn't turn down an opportunity to play it unless I'd been saturated with bidding/bluffing games.

Tutankhamen
This is another ingenious creation from the master game designer Reiner Knizia. It's a simple set-collecting game where the player with the most X tiles gets the most points, the player with the second most X tiles gets a smaller number of points, and so on. What sets this game apart is the simple gameplay mechanism. On your turn, you can forward to any space, but you can never move back. This creates angst in decision-making, where picking up the most valuable tile could cause you to miss out on many less valuable, but cumulatively more valuable items. Have I confused you yet? :0 Well, it's not exactly that simple, but it is. Like many of Herr Knizia's games, the rules are uncomplicated but the strategy elusive.

This is a game I just may purchase. Not groundbreaking, but would make a good icebreaker. Easy to teach, easy to play, and (alltogethernow) a lifetime to master.

Nautilus
Players take on the role of scientific researchers in the great abyss, searching for knowledge and the elusive City of Atlantis. On your turn, you have a limited number of actions to take in order to create pods onto the underwater research lab, bring on new researchers, and launch exploratory submarines.

Normally, I like the games with lots of bits and a labyrinthine victory path - like Puerto Rico or Caylus (see below for more). For some reason, this marine adventure left me dry. Maybe it was the fact that the setup, explanation, and absorption of the rules was exhausting after a long day of gaming. Not the best closer.

I'd try this one again. That's about all I'll say. It didn't help that I came in last place.

This is my only new game played for March:

Caylus
Now for a game that truly shines. Not since Puerto Rico have I heard such hype about a game. And just like PR, the hype was warranted.

This could be a blog entry alone, so I'll keep this very short. EXCELLENT GAME!

I played it once with 5 people. A friend of mine did a superb job of teaching the seemingly complicated rules to us, and then guided us four newbies along the entire game. He took the training wheels off midway through, but I still got the satisfaction knowing that I mostly earned my second place spot.

After that first play, I ordered the game. Then I played it with my wife. She beat me by 7 points and commented that she would still like it as much if she had lost. WE HAVE A WINNER HERE!

Let me just say that I greatly anticipate the next time this hits my game table.

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Hot Game of the Quarter
In early February (on my birthday), I purchased the old-fashioned game Boggle. An online game on www.miniclip.com renewed my interest in it. I don't have any memories of playing this growing up. In fact, I might have played it for the first time in 2002.

At any rate, this game is the new craze in our household. With a 3 minute playing time and its potential for generating competitiveness and record-breaking (I scored an all-time high of 38 last week), it's no wonder that this game has hit our gaming table with great regularity. So much so that it is now the second most played game in my collection (second only to Circus Flohcati) with SIXTY FIVE plays in a two month period! It seems when we get started playing, we find it hard to stop.

I've always liked word games. And what a bonus that Meg loves it! Well, she's my main lady - both in life and in gaming.

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That's about it for now. I'll leave some content for later in the month. I have full intentions on updating this page more often! I promise!

I know, I know - you've heard that one before.

Game On,
Bert

Purchase Provides Proof

I am now the proud owner of the 2006 Days of Wonder calendar.

I admit my geekdom - I do not hide it.

The 2005 Good Game Gift Guide

I love to promote games. They do make a great gift for a lot of people. However, I don't play as many games nor am I as elegant with words as Matthew Baldwin.

So I direct your attention to the 2005 Good Game Gift Guide [link].

Of these eleven, I have played five. I agree with the recommendation on all but one.

First up is Diamant. This is a light press-your-luck game. I've only played it once, but it feels too much like Can't Stop or Cloud Nine (both of which I own) for me to purchase it. Still, a good game and great for non-gamers and gamers alike.

Ra is a classic auction game. Some may feel there's too much to keep track of at first, but you get used to it after just one play. This one has balance built right in with the unique auction tiles numbered 1 - 13. My only complaint is that it seems to end too quickly.

Ingenious is the real gem out of the bunch (which I just purchased). It looks unassuming to the point of well... boring. But it really isn't. You strategize, but mostly use tactics to try to get the most balanced score. The winner is the person with the most points of his weakest color. A Knizia classic scoring mechanism (see Tigris and Euphrates) built into a deceptively easy gameplay. Like the saying says - a minute to learn - a lifetime to mastermind, or something.

Next up is Shadows over Camelot . A unique game in that it is cooperative. In its essence, it is a game about keeping your spinning plates from dropping and breaking (figuratively). Of course, you can't keep them all up, but it's more about damage control. But it is just plain fun to joke and speculate about who could be the traitor. What keeps me from buying this one is that I'm not sure about its long-term replayability.

My one dissenting opinion is for That's Life - a game that left a lot to be desired. Not sure why, but I've only played it once. Maybe I need to give 'Life' another chance.

So, go check out the list. There's still 18 shopping days until Christmas!

Rick is Back!

Rick Thornquist, famed game reporter who just left GameWire, is starting his own site. Read more here.

Dreifuss Gaming