Boardgames To-Go

Photos on PDAs

It used to be that the only digital photos that would be transferred to PDAs from a site such as this via AvantGo would be limited to 150 pixels. That's the screen size of the original Palm. Now, though, the newer Palms and compatible products have over twice those pixels, and the Windows PDAs have always had more screen. For this last entry I tried making the image a bit larger (250), and may try larger still. Does this work for everyone? Any older PDA users out there wish I'd drop back to 150 pixels wide?

Folks viewing this weblog live on the web can simply click the image for a bigger version.

Game night goodbye

Greg P, Erin, Ryan, and Greg W's hands around the Ticket to Ride board

The good news is that we did play games last night. It was at my house for the first time in a long while, and we had five people. That meant that our "Game of the Month" didn't get played, because New England is for a maximum of four. That's okay, there's no law against playing it next week as well as our new GotM.

Instead, we started with Ticket to Ride which you see above. This was my third try at the game, about the same for other players, and two newbies. The game feels as it did at the Gathering: unremarkable, but I mean that in the best possible way. My wife has told me that at Bunco nights the people do more talking, letting the game serve as just a backdrop to the conversations. TtR has more going on than that, but among gamers it's kind of got that low-key appeal. Just keep on playing, don't have to think too hard, it's pleasant and pretty.

After that we played Members Only, an older Knizia game that someone should reprint (Out of the Box? Uberplay?). It's got that older-Knizia feel to it, a game slimmed all the way down to an interesting mechanic and pasted on theme. I think that's where Knizia works best, not at the Amun-Re level. Now Schacht is starting to take over that end of the spectrum. MO is a tough betting game (tougher with a full boat of five players, since everyone gets fewer turns and less control than with three or four), one that's got some fun drama built into the final card flips of each round. Good stuff. Maybe next time we have just three we'll leave Medici for a time when we have more, opting for Members Only instead.

Unfortunately the real story from last night's session is the departure of one of our players, Greg Pettit. Greg moved here from the Houston area just over two years ago, and now he's heading back there. Our loss is Texas' gain. Rats, I guess we just had that guy on loan. He says he'll make it back for visits often enough, and we all hope that works out. Hopefully he'll get back online soon enough so that we can "meet" at BSW and through play-by-web games, too.

See ya, buddy! :-(

The new digs

This morning I transferred a few more archived entries over here. It's a simple enough process that won't take me too long. For recent entries I went a little overboard with the weblinks, mostly to Boardgamegeek. I may not bother to continue that (and almost certainly won't bother linking all of my old archives).

One thing that's really slick about this new weblog is that I can utilize a nice, readable format for the web that is automatically stripped down to something readable on PDAs via AvantGo. Best of both worlds! I'm still tweaking the formatting a little.

Tonight is game night! Whew, it's been four weeks since my last regular Santa Clarita Boardgamer session. That trip to the Gathering blew a big hole in my local gaming schedule, as I cashed in all those marital brownie points and spent more time with the family. I'm definitely ready to see my friends tonight. New England has been our Game of the Month, and I haven't even played it with them!

Kid games growing up

(My first "native" entry on the new weblog host. Thanks again, Mikko!)

I played a few more games with my kids last weekend, and they're growing up. Both the games and the kids, I mean. Not that long ago I was worried that I didn't have more kid-specific games like Hallo Dachs onhand. Just yesterday we had a good introduction to Durch die Wuste, and I'm hoping others like Carcassonne are coming along soon.

First up was another wooden abstract, Quoridor. This was my first pick from the prize table at the Gathering, where I figured it wouldn't get much attention. (Being suddenly interested in abstracts has its advantages.) As with Pylos (oh yeah, we played that again this weekend, too) my daughter Molly is initially attracted to the good-looking components. It helps that the rules are explained in 10 seconds. We played once, it was over quickly, and she asked to try again. Excellent! I've said before that she's my little gamer. I can see her brain work through the game mechanics, while my son is more engrossed in a theme.

The following day, when the kids were bored after swimming & it was still the no-TV, no-video games part of the day, I suggested we play a game. They said yes, and picked Star Wars Epic Duels, still a favorite. I let them gang up on me. All of the secondary characters were wiped out, and as Obi-Wan I put a lot of hurt on Sam's Darth Vader before Molly sliced me through with Mace Windu's full hand of cards.

They mentioned Kapitan Wackelpudding for a second game, but this time I prevailed in getting them to try something new. It was DdW, and I had to blitz through the rules and game to finish before the babysitter came over (it was date night!). To do that, I concentrated on one color of camels exclusively, making sure that ran out as soon as possible. That worked well, shortening the game to a good length, and not letting me steamroller over the kids on their first try. I wanted to get to the final scoring so they could see the value of getting the longest caravan bonuses. Molly got three of them, Sam and I had the other two, and she sailed away to a huge victory. Next time I'll be tougher on them and we'll see how it goes. :-)

Got in a little BSW over the weekend, too. I squeezed in one game of Metro with Ward Batty (Wardo) and another guy, then partnered up with my local game buddy Greg Pettit (Gregarius) for Tichu. That was the first time I'd ever tried Metro there. I'm not crazy about the game on thematic grounds--I want my connection games to reward efficient routes, not crazy ones--but it's certainly pleasant. We were crushed in Tichu, but it's always fun to play with a friend.

Gathering of Friends

I'm back from my first Gathering of Friends, and it's almost mandatory that I do a writeup, right? I'll give an account of the games I played now. Later I hope to post more personal comments about my experience overall. It's caused some interesting self-reflection. Interesting to me, anyway. I'm still figuring it out. Whether it belongs on a public weblog is another matter, I suppose. At one time I thought I might contribute such a writeup to The Games Journal, but now I realize that my thoughts are too specific to myself, not of broad applicability to the reader. In fact, I realize now that much of my account of my trip to Essen last year is in a similar vein, just less fully realized.

(The paragraph I just finished is a taste of the kind of introspective tripe I plan to type up soon, so you're all warned to steer clear when the time comes. :-)

In contrast, this entry will be just about the games themselves. I'll leave it to others to describe the game mechanics or components. Good places to look are Boardgamegeek, Rick Thornquist's reports at Gamefest.com, and Angela Gaalema's photolog.

New Games

St. Petersburg
Great little game. I heard a story that it had been in development for years. If so, that was time well spent. Some games come out and reveal an immediate need for tweaks or house rules. Worse is when the physical production of a game's components has a problem. I don't mean a typo on the board--those are easy enough to correct, if annoying. I'm talking about pieces that fall over, symbols that are too small or obscured in play, necessary-but-nonexistant reference cards, etc. (I guess worst of all could be fundamental errors in the game's design, such as imbalances in the scoring. Even these might be corrected easier than a bad production error, though.)

The point of all this that St. Petersburg has none of those problems. It was designed, produced--and, in between, developed with skill. We can thank publisher Hans im Gluck for that, I'd expect. Though they occasionally have their struggles, too, more often than not the talent and quality of this publisher shines through.

There's a modest learning curve, which suits me just fine. I don't want a game's winning strategy to be obvious immediately, but neither do I want to struggle with it for many plays. Although it may be stretching things a bit to call the mechanics original, it's refreshing not to have an auction for a change! Cards are obtained through a purchase-draft, though with some situational discounts to shake things up. It clicks right along, and if the strategies become a little routine after a few plays (I got in three), it's still enjoyable and never automatic.

I lost all three times, sometimes coming in dead last. Obviously, don't take my word on the strategies. I think the reason I lost is that I'm too cheap. Ryan in my local group loves to point out how I so often take the cheapest option in auction & investment games. In St. Petersburg I think that attitude can really hurt you, as you've got to spend money to make money. (You may also spend money on victory point investments that can leave you in even worse financial shape, though you'll be winning the game for a while.)

Since the game end is driven by a timer mechanism in the card decks, I'm curious whether skillful players can use that to significant advantage. My guess is that they can't, not alone. There aren't enough turns or money in the game to allow that much flexibility. I think.

A bit about the components... There were two copies at the Gathering, and they differed slightly. One was a pre-production copy, the other the real deal. I never found out which was which, but I hope the published version is the one with Russian names on the cards. I don't know if it used the real Cyrillic alphabet, but I did notice backwards R's and such that I found nicely thematic. Not that the game itself is thematic, but the Russian names were just more fun than the German equivalents.

Goa
I wrote some about this in a previous weblog entry, so I won't add much here. With a few more days (but no more plays) to ponder it, I think this becomes a game I'll gladly play but don't need to own. Keep in mind, I don't own Princes of Florence, either. That's probably the best game to compare it with. Dave Arnott questioned whether Goa really has the strategic choices and consequences of Princes. This may be one of those games where all moves are pretty good, perhaps too balanced, and that diminishes the decisions you have to make over the course of the game. (He wonders the same about New England, by the way.)

What's the difference between criticizing a game because all moves are roughly equal, and praising another game because it allows newbies to compete with (if not beat) the experienced players? That's a fine line. It comes down to a game's intended audience. A lighter game that the experienced hobbyist may want to share with his nongamer friends & family should allow the inexperienced players to stay in the game. On the other hand, a real gamer's game should noticeably reward skillful play and punish mistakes. Goa is definitely aiming itself at the gamer market, so it needs to be demanding in its victory point payouts. I'm not sure that it is.

Sunken City
Ugh. This weirdly themed game has some spiffy bits, but the word of mouth was bad. Still, I welcomed the chance to see for myself, and also play with some folks I'd otherwise been missing all weekend. Although I never understood those bits (their lavish production doesn't really add much to the game experience, in contrast to other deluxe games), for a while I thought the game was better than its reputation. That feeling passed, however, while the game just went on and on. There's a timer mechanism that could be shortened (and we could've played faster), but it's a moot point. Why play this one when there are so many better options?

Oh Pharoah!
This is the only one of the smallbox Uberplay games I tried. It was a 3-player game, and though it worked okay, we all agreed it lasted too long for what it is. Trouble is, I fear that if you shorten the game by making fewer passes through the deck, you may find players bothered by the luck of the draw. That gives the game a feeling of needing a bit more development to work out these little kinks. There's a reasonably fun little game in there--the design isn't quite finished.

Motorchamp
A local player bought this one when it first came out a few years ago, but we've never played the expensive sucker. I'd heard mostly bad things, but a few very good things. Sort of a hot/cold reaction. To me that's worth exploring, and I was glad for the chance to try it. First of all, the game looks fantastic, as you might expect from the publisher best known for Turfmaster. A nice multi-section board giving several racetrack options, large plastic race cars, and matching dice make up the components. Gameplay is unusual, since you roll dice and conform to speed limits based on the space you're in when the turn starts, nothing else. So you can scream through a tight curve, rolling several dice if you happen to start on the right space. Putting yourself on that right space the turn before is much of the strategy, then, but with (mostly) normal six-sided dice it's hard to really predict where you'll end up. (As opposed to Pitstop, where the six siders are 0,1,1,1,1,1, giving a much more deterministic result.) It was okay, but longer than it needed to be. Six laps takes a while--why not just go four laps and require a pitstop after 1-3 laps?

Hansa
I was predisposed to like this, and like it I did. The theme, designer, playing time, and strategic heft of the game are all right up my alley. That doesn't mean it was an automatic success. It could've been screwed up, in other words, but happily it wasn't. The components are simple but nice enough, the map is clear & attractive. I've heard the complaints that you can't plan enough for your next turn, but I don't entirely agree. It's mostly tactical, yes, but there are longer range opportunities you set for yourself. Mostly I like the simplified economic model which isn't as abstract as it first appears. The only trouble could come from players who feel compelled to fully optimize each of their moves, a la Elfenland. That would suck the fun right out of the game, that's for sure.

Power Grid
I was very late to try Funkenschlag. It was a year after the buzz started, and though I really enjoyed it we've never gotten it back on the table. I think that all changes with Power Grid. This is another example of the difference between quality game design (which Funkenschlag has) and game development (which Power Grid has). The latter just magnifies the former. We played just a 3-player game, which went pleasantly fast but probably could've used a 4th to open up the map a bit. Or maybe we just needed to choose our three active map regions better. As it was, one player was able to bottle up the other two. Of course, you don't get completely bottled up, but it can be expensive to break out of a confining space, at least until Phase 2 arrives. Great components, except for paper money. What is it with paper money in all of these new games? I guess it's to reduce production costs, but I sure miss the wooden or plastic coins of older games. (At least St. Petersburg's paper money is of better quality, but these would all be nicer with some substitute money chips.)

San Juan
I'd played this a fair bit online at BSW, and it was nice to finally play it in person. Yeah, you play the cards you're dealt--going in with a fixed strategy can be a big mistake. But it's all pleasant and quick. I prefer it to Puerto Rico, but then I never quite took to PR like almost everyone else. I'm looking forward to getting my own set and wearing it out. :-) (There's a lot of card handling & shuffling.)

Einfach Genial
Just my luck that I'm becoming more interested in abstracts just as Reiner has a beautiful one published. (I only wish it was in wood like those classy Gigamic games.) The geometric relationships aren't hard, but it still threw some people to "see" the scoring. Best of all, it's an abstract without much lookahead, thanks to the draw bag for tiles. I can imagine lots of similar abstract games that expect this all to be played with perfect information. Ugh, no thanks! Give me tactical, seat-of-the-pants play any day. Our first game had some high scores, but by the second we were playing much more offensively, cutting each other off. I would expect that trend to continue, which I enjoy but others might not.

Employee of the Month
I hope I don't have a bias against American games from small publishers, but I make no apologies for a bias against silly ones. It's just not my style. So I almost overlooked this one--probably would've if not for the people sitting down to play. I wanted to play with them! Ironically, they were all just so-so on the game, but I was pleasantly surprised. Surprisingly enough, it reminds me of High Society. That's because there are "obviously" good and bad cards up for bid, but you have to be careful because the final scoring is heavily modified by whoever spent the most in two categories. Those two categories (sucking up to the boss, or goofing off to impress your coworkers) interplay nicely, and it's all perfectly thematic. Maybe there's some issues with the luck of the draw, but I'm not yet sure of that. You'll have fun along the way, in any case.

Dos Rios
Hmm, I have to be careful with this one. I liked it, but I can sense in myself an "underdog complex." This is a game I somewhat expected to like (from the designer, theme, and production), then was greeted with lukewarm-to-unfavorable reaction by early players. In that situation, I know my capability to like a game anyway. But like it I did. The most common complaint was the degree of chaos in the game, which here means the players ahead of you can completely change the game-state before your turn. This makes it hard to set yourself up or even do much planning ahead for your turn, and with that some downtime as you have to start over. Yes, well, those are all qualities I strongly dislike. However, I didn't observe them to the same degree, and all of us were playing with four players. I bet it would work better with three, just like the designer's earlier Big City. Even as it was, I managed to plan ahead on several turns. Also nice is that the game was shorter than some folks expected (less than 90 minutes).

Ticket to Ride
Another winner for me. While some people may be comparing TtR to Union Pacific, I like to think of it as a boardgame version of Get The Goods/Reibach & Co. Not because you're aiming for majorities in anything, but because the mechanics and decisions of drafting cards and deciding when to lay them down remind me of the card game. That's also an encouraging comparison since GtG is one of the few games my wife enjoys. I'm hoping she'll like this as well, and that it will work okay with just two players. I have to admit I'm curious about possible tweaks that would encourage shorter routes to be made first, leading up to biggies at the end. This would be more like a historic or accurate expansion of rail networks, and might be affected by some simple tweaks (e.g. may hold only two route cards, and can only get new ones when the original routes are scored on your turn). However, the best approach is probably to leave well enough alone. The game is light, attractive, and enjoyable. Why would I want to mess with it?

New-to-me Games

Kogge
I welcomed the chance to play this, but can't say that I really enjoyed it. It took way too long, and the board positions changed too much on other players' turns. (Another game that might be better with 3 players rather than 4, in that case.) It could also use a better production (yes, I understand this is a self-published game). Those number chits really should be cards. Just making the thematic placenames more prominent on the chits/cards, (with numbers strictly secondary in appearance) would help make it more enjoyable.

Zoff in Buffalo
For a long time I thought I'd like this game, and I sure did. It would be even better with little wooden cows, but the counters are okay, too. Nice, light gameplay that still rewards experience (as Stven proved...). Gotta get me one.

Santiago
Hey, now this was really clever. I'd not bothered to try this one at or around Essen, expecting it to be too dry and gamer-y for my tastes. Although it is dry & gamer-y, it's also shorter than I expected, with some very interesting bidding situations. This stands up to any of the hot new games above.

Magna Grecia
Oof. While I enjoyed the game okay, I played it horribly. Just couldn't ever remember when the color of roads & cities mattered, and when they didn't. It's good for a substantial game like this to reward skill and punish mistakes, but I'm bothered that the rules, reference card, and similarly-colored components don't help the newbie keep it all straight. I bet it didn't have to be that way. (Proper game development and well-designed components are a big deal for me as I morph into a curmudgeon!)

Scoozie
I asked Steffan O'Sullivan to bring this odd game, an abstract so strongly themed it's almost a light simulation. That's an oxymoron, right? A strongly themed abstract? But that's exactly what it is! An abstract representation of American football. You face off with a line of scrimmage, two opposing forces that move to set up blocks, open holes, make tackles, run and even pass the ball. I tried it solo a couple times to see how it worked, and then Greg Aleknevicus sat down to try it with me. It's not for everyone, clearly. Even my newfound interest in wooden abstracts doesn't really encompass these perfect information movement games. As far as I'm concerned, these are in the same broad family as Fox & Geese or even Checkers/Draughts. But there's enough unusual features in this game, and I'm such a fan of football, that I definitely enjoyed seeing ways to "run plays." The hole opened, my receiver went upfield, the "safety" moved over to cover... it's all recognizable to football fans, even if it looks like a weird sort of chess.

Other Games

Besides all of those, I also got to play Cronberg, Crokinole, Tichu, and Wyatt Earp. To tell you the truth, I was surprised how few older games I managed to play. I went to the Gathering with no special desire to play the new games--I mostly wanted to meet people. However, most of the people I met were most interested in the new games, so that's what I played. No complaints, just a little surprise. I brought just a few games of my own, and didn't manage to get any of them on the table. That was Pitstop, Die Schatzinsel, and Kings & Castles, plus some smaller stuff. I almost managed a K&C game, and noticed that the other two games were played by other folks at other times, using someone else's copies. I didn't see a single copy of good ol' Entdecker, though there were a few copies of the newer version. If oldies but goodies like E&T, El Grande, or Medici were played, it must've been when I wasn't around (perhaps earlier in the week). Again, not a disappointment, but I was surprised by that.

What was disappointing was the lack of Spinball. Rats, I really wanted to try that, and this may have been my only chance. Oh well, I shouldn't really complain. Not when I got in all those other games with so many fun people. If there's a next time, I'll know to bring more of my own "comfort games" (Stven Carlberg's term, which is exactly right). Dave thinks I could've played those easily, as long as they're good games. I'm not so sure. Then again, I'm not as comfortable in a room of semi-strangers, getting a game started or joining others. But that's a later weblog entry. :-)

GoF Day 1

I've now been at the Gathering of Friends for 24 hours. I took the redeye flight out here, hoping to maximize my gametime, not losing a day spent in airports. At the expense of my sleep! I'm not sure that made a lot of sense. Although the more reasonable morning flight out here would've taken much of the day due to the distance and changing timezones, the redeye didn't get here that much earlier, especially when I needed to take a nap mid-day. Then again, I did get in one new game before that nap, and then was recharged enough to stay up late for several more. Maybe I wouldn't have managed all of that without the redeye.

But you don't care about my travel plans, you want to know about the games! Yes. First up was Kogge, not exactly a new game (it came out in limited release just after Essen), but new enough. New to me! I met a woman I'd previously found on Brettspielwelt, where she goes by Nikita. In real life she's Johanne, but I forgot her last name. (Quick aside: this is why I always prefer boring, real-life names on online sites. Maybe no one thinks we'll ever meet each other, but I know different!) Jeff Goldsmith had spotted me the minute I walked into the game room--I know Jeff from California, and he used to work at JPL like me. Randy Somerstein was our fourth, and the only one that had played the game.

I thought the game was just okay, but it might be better with three players. There's so much modification to the board situation that happens after each player's turn that it's hard to do effective planning. And that leads to downtime as a new player must re-evaluate their situation each turn. Some parts were very thematic, other parts completely non-thematic. It's one that I was happy to try, but I won't seek out another play.

After finally checking in to the hotel room and getting a rest, I went down and finally found Dave Arnott. He's the one that vouched for me, helping me get an invitation. Dave was playing Corsari with two people I'd hoped to meet this week, Stven Carlberg and Patrick Brennan. They had a ways to go, so I shifted over to join two friends I remembered from Essen: Ward Batty and Christine Brancheria. This was my chance to try Ticket to Ride (there was a fourth person I've forgotten). How can I say this gently... I'm not normally a fan of Alan Moon's games. You know, the guy who invited me to join his amazing game party. I really enjoy Get The Goods and San Marco, but most others haven't worked with me. Therefore, I was almost relieved to find that I liked Ticket to Ride!

I enjoyed it quite a bit, in fact. It's a very easy game to understand and learn, even to play. It's one of those that everyone can do well in, even newbies, but the experienced or skillful players will rise to the top. That's a great quality (it's one that led to Carcassonne's success, I think). Add to that the wonderful production that Days of Wonder always provides, and you've got a real winner.

I'm thinking I forgot one game at this point (that didn't take long--I need to take better notes!). Walked to dinner at Chinese restaurant with Ward & Christine (Chris).

When we came back there was a chance to drop right into a game of Goa. This is the title that appears to be getting the best word-of-mouth among the new games, and the two or three copies present are in constant demand. It was really a stroke of luck to get to play it when we did.

I really enjoyed Goa, even though I shouldn't. It's another game that's essentially about building a victory point-generated "engine". Buy some things that allow you to buy other things, just keep going up the productivity ladder. There are a swirl of various mechanisms that prompted comparisons to Princes of Florence or San Francisco. All of that gives lots of action for your mental gears, and I can imagine "meaty" game players loving it. They might also make the game take a long time, since there is plenty of opportunity for analysis paralysis. Like I said, I shouldn't like this, since my preference is for the lighter games. And yet, I did like it. Quite a bit, in fact. I can also see myself getting a little burned out on this one after just a half-dozen plays, but other players will keep enjoying this.

To round out the evening, I got to try Einfach Genial. Funny--this is one I'd read good things about on German game sites, and had placed it on my German game order despite hearing almost nothing in the English-speaking world. Then our order was overweight, and the game was cut. It was surprising, then, to hear that this game was getting a very good reaction here. I'm not sure how many people knew about it beforehand, so it's also a pleasant surprise for them. It's a pure abstract by Knizia, sort of like double-hexagonal dominoes. You score based on the size of the patterns you create. Instead of pips like dominoes there are colored icons, each with their own score track. Your final score is the lowest of all your colors, just like Euphrat & Tigris.

After that, it was time for bed. (2am, quite a bit earlier than many folks around here!)

Rest of them

Here are the rest of the games I played in the first quarter of 2004.

Abilene -- It's got a lousy reputation, and it ain't wonderful, but it ain't bad, either. The earlier Hexagames version (which I have) only handles 2 or 3 players, but has different (simpler?) rules and attractive wooden pieces. I'd like to try it again, if only with my kids. Rating 5

Africa -- It's never stopped being a favorite of mine. Exploration games should have a fair dose of luck in them. Rating 9

Aladdin's Dragons -- This was quite a bit better than I'd remembered. I'd be happy to try this again, and it might make a decent Game of the Month for us. Rating 6

Alhambra -- Although I usually side with those that prefer the simpler version of games with multiple editions, but this time I'll go with Alhambra over Stimmt So! The walls don't bother me, same with the tile-laying portion of the game, and I really like the graphic presentation. Maybe that's because I really want to see the real Alhambra castle someday. Rating 7

Amun-Re (2) -- Would you believe these were my first plays of the game? Yep, somehow I missed this one entirely when it came out. I liked it okay, and the durability of the monuments between the two game halves won theme points with me, but it's just got too much going on at once, and with another involved Knizia scoring system. I know everyone else likes these, but it's tempered my enjoyment of some of his games, like this and Ra. Rating 6 (Don't ask me why I enjoy Wildlife so much more when it's got many of these same features...)

Big City (5) -- This has settled in to become a distinct favorite of mine...as long as you play with 2-3 players (or maybe 4). I really enjoy the way you can change the character of the game whether you build up a long, skinny city with lots of edge spaces, or a more dense layout with lots of contested center areas. Rating 9

Bonobo Beach (2) -- It's so short & easy, it's really a filler. (Notably shorter than Auf Heller und Pfennig.) Rating 6

Cabale -- I had high hopes for this colorful abstract, and in fact it went over well with gamers. But it's a bit heavier, with a need for more lookahead than I like. That will limit its play with nongamers (like at work), or with my kids. Rating 6

Caprice (2) -- In contrast, I didn't expect much from this one, and only ordered it due to a big sale. Turns out it's more to my liking, with imperfect information, quicker play, and great pieces. Won't be for everyone, certainly, but this is a good one for me. Rating 7

China Moon -- This I didn't care for at all. I suppose I have to be fair and imagine that had it been in a classy wooden presentation I might've had a better time. Maybe. Reminds me of the parts of Hare & Tortoise I don't like. Rating 4

Die Fugger (2) -- If I had more time, I'd write a full review of this game. I think it's quite good, distilling a speculation & investment system to an effective card game core. I'm anxious to try it as a 2-player game, as well. Rating 7

Die Schatzinsel (2) -- An almost unknown game, I bought it on the strength of German reviews and its attractive graphics. I'd still like to try a few more times--its quick play is appealing--but it may end up on the trade pile. I need to upload some pics to BGG first. Rating 5

Dracula -- I was too tired when I played this to give it a fair evaluation. Although it starts out thematically, it develops into a longer cat & mouse game (almost a shell game) than I think it should. I'd rather have more fear of a sudden death (literally!) ending. Rating 6

Euphrat & Tigris (4) -- One of our Games of the Month. I went 0-3, but that doesn't diminish my enjoyment of the game. Although the conflicts have their own sort of complexity, it's really not too bad, and the scoring system is elegance & simplicity itself. Rating 8

En Garde -- I play a little of this one every year, and I always enjoy it. I'm looking forward to the new version for the its components more than the needless modifier cards. Rating 9

Entdecker -- Only one play of my favorite game so far? I'm still lobbying to have this as Game of the Month sometime, trying all versions of the game (Original, Original with Manu variant, my Original/New hybrid, and the New game). Rating 10

Entenrallye -- What an odd game. It feels like nothing else I've played, and that's probably it's strongest feature. That and the way the pace of the game accelerates at the end. Even though the decisions are getting easier, there's still excitement and drama as the race winds down. Good once in a while, but not one I'd need to own. Rating 6

Feurio! -- Sometimes the hype on these new games feels a bit forced, and I definitely feel that's the case here. Not that there's anything wrong with the game--it works well enough. But I don't find it exceptional, and there's a worrying number of folks that think the 1 tiles are too powerful. Rating 6

Finstere Flure (2) -- When I first heard about the game, I thought it would be overly mechanical, what with the programmed movement. Despite the buzz this game generated, I still think that's true. It's not a bad game, but most of its appeal is in the fun theme and excellent graphics, not the gameplay itself. Rating 6

For Sale (5) -- A solid favorite, still the best filler ever. (Yes, over High Society.) I'm glad it's getting reissued, and hope the new version has something unique about it, like allowing six players. Rating 10

Igloo Pop (3) -- Physically, it's a much smaller game than Zapp Zerapp, but don't let the lack of a board fool you. There are clever choices and challenges in this game that are equal in heft to the larger version. Rating 7

I'm The Boss -- For some reason, it takes people a while to play this game. It does with us, anyway. That's odd, because it's really a very simple game that shines when you play it briskly. Rating 8

King Me! (2) -- This is just a bit of fluff, but a good one. The delightful graphics are a big part of the appeal, which isn't meant as a slight at all. I love good graphics! This one is actually a little easier to play online, where your own pieces are privately highlited. Rating 7

Manitou -- Hadn't played this one in years, and it settled in right where it left off. More outstanding graphics, and interesting gameplay that some feel is just too dry. I don't, however. Rating 7

Maya -- Our game was marred a little by a mistake, a story that I've heard more than once. Are some games more prone to unrecoverable errors than others? Despite some parts of this seeming to be original, the entire experience feels like a recycling of other game ideas. That's okay, they're generally good ideas, and the theme (while not really realized) is appealing. Rating 7

Medici (2) -- Lean & mean auctions, with some sensitivity to luck as the cards are flipped. Nonetheless, this game is the king of the mechanic in my book. Rating 10

Mü -- Just about everyone in the group has been taught this game, so now maybe it won't be quite the challenge to bring it to the table. Plus, someone else bought a copy. I often forget that the penalty for missed contracts isn't too terrible, and that bidding high (either to gain points for yourself, or deny them to an opponent) is a vital part of the game's strategy. Rating 8

Nautilus -- I'd been wondering about this one for a long time, and now I don't have to anymore. It's okay, and if I already had my own copy I'd be pushing to get it to the table occasionally. But I don't, so I'm content to play this game once in a while. An interesting attempt at merging a very calculated economic system with the vagaries of an exploration system--I'm not sure either is completely satisfying. Rating 6

Oasis -- Another game with new-itis. That is, it's getting lots of buzz right now mostly because it's new. I don't think the whole thing hangs together as neatly as it should, and that parts that do work well could be stripped down to a card game. Chris Brooks nailed it in his weblog. Rating 6

Pass the Bomb -- Yet another game I traded away, only to repurchase later. Fast fun, played with vulgar words, fake words, or "straight." Rating 7

Pirate's Cove -- Kind of like Nautilus, I'd been half-avoiding this one despite my interest. Unlike that other game, I really enjoyed this one! It helped to wait for the nice, English-language edition from Days of Wonder. The game is shorter and lighter than it looks. All of those components are just toys for a game that's very simple at heart. Rating 7

Poker -- I was never a regular poker player, but I've had fun with the game during college, with family, and before boardgames. This was my first chance to play a session in a long, long time. It was also my first exposure to Hold 'Em. I've gained a little more appreciation for that particular poker game after playing it on my Palm, though I still miss the dealer's choice nights where we played lots of 7-card stud, as long as people didn't pick many (or any) wild cards. Rating 8

Ra (2) -- I'm enough of a curmudgeon to complain a tiny bit about the complicated Knizia scoring. Yeah, it's right there on the board and gets to be second-nature soon enough, but that doesn't change the fact that it's the mark of a mathematician. However, I think the sun tile auction system is pure genius, making this an outstanding auction game. Hopefully it'll be reprinted someday so more people can afford it. (Those ebay prices are crazy!) Rating 8

Rosenkönig -- Dry and abstract, but I enjoy the gameplay anyway. I'm sure the wonderful artwork and physical production wins me over, too. I read somewhere that playing with a closed hand of cards gives you a much lighter game that still works well, maybe better. Need to try that. Rating 7

Samurai -- This is clever, but it raises "turn angst" to an almost painful level. Really, it diminishes my enjoyment of the game, though that probably says more about me than the game itself. The game is beautiful, so it certainly scores points with me for that. Rating 7

Scotland Yard -- I came to this one late, this being only my third game--the first was last year. It really holds up, and makes for a very unique experience. Rating 7

Scrabble -- A favorite for my wife & I. Rating 7

Streetsoccer -- Fantastic little game, I really hope it gets made into a cell-phone version. Could be very popular and a gateway! Rating 8

Taboo -- Still one of the best party games around, made even better with that cool electronic gizmo (mostly for the tense music & sound effects). Rating 8

Tongiaki (3) -- Played three times because it's quick, this is another game I think is a flash in the pan. There have been some valid concerns raised about players getting hosed based on tile flips or other things beyond their control. It's not that the game is bad, I just think it needed some more development before published. Rating 6

Traumfabrik -- Wow, I forgot I'd played this one. That's my trouble with this one, I always forget about it, despite enjoying it so much. An English edition would've been fantastic, but even in the German it's wonderfully thematic. Rating 8

Tyros -- Ryan and I both got interested in another look at this game last month. I'm surprised it didn't get more attention. It's really pretty clever. I think the mechanics are odd enough that people won't "get" it on the first try, then not stick around for another. They should! Rating 7

Was Sticht! -- A card game I'd wanted to try for years, but always was intimidated by the description. The part about drafting your entire hand made me believe everyone should be able to track all of that information. Yikes! Turns out it's not that demanding--you don't need to track that info to play. Maybe you need it to win, I'm not sure. So it was easier than I expected, but still kind of overwrought for the enjoyment I think I'd get out of it. Rating 6

What's That On My Head? -- Deduction games aren't my thing, but the chance to wear a goofy headband?... Now that's different--I'm in! It was okay, actually, but went on a little long. Rating 6

Zapp Zerapp -- Still delightful. The production is excellent, of course (Zoch can do no less), and it showed everyone that there are always new game mechanics out there. It just takes some real talent to uncover them. Rating 8

Zirkus Flohcati -- Finally I played this game. A Knizia filler card game, I thought I'd be all over it. Instead, I found it merely harmless. Rating 6

1st quarter games (part 1)

I like the quarterly reporting idea! I can't keep up with the monthly updates, and I'm still finishing my 2003 report. Maybe quarterly is something I can handle.

As an experiment I split the list into games I played online, ones I played with kids, and all the rest. Only the first two groups are ready for posting now. I hope to have the larger list of "regular" games up later.
You'll find my average ratings are pretty high, lots of 7s & 8s. That's simply because I play lots of "old" games, ones I already know I like. In fact, I don't even set out to play new games anymore--it happens naturally at a rate I'm happy with.

Games with kids

Looking at these, I'm surprised that I haven't rated any of the games below higher than a 7. Not that a 7 is bad--it's good! But I guess I haven't found the game to play with my kids that rivals the experience of a strategic contest against adults. I suppose that's only natural, and I should be grading these games on a slightly different scale. The kid game scale, or something. I haven't done that, but you can be sure that those 7-rated games are definite keepers around here.

Cadoo (2) -- Okay, the Cranium games don’t get much respect by spielfrieks, and I haven’t played the main game myself yet. This one for kids, though, was a hit. Not just with the kids, I was able to respect the game design & physical production that made such a kids’ winner. Makes for good family time. Rating 7

Chicken Cha Cha Cha -- I played the original German version years ago, and tried the rethemed, mass-market American version Dragontales. My kids didn’t take to it, though. The attractive components of this one helped, but the truth is that they still just found it okay. I guess they’re not real enamored by memory games (in contrast to what you usually read about kids). Rating 5

Connect 4 (2) -- Talk about mass-market, eh? Well, you know, it’s been popular with my kids, and how can I fail to appreciate this one after I fawning over the wooden abstracts? Sure, this is a cheapo plastic game, but it’s a smart physical production that drives the gameplay. Rating 6

Emerald -- This proved to be about the limit of my daughter’s enjoyment for game mechanics (there are several at play here), but she liked it okay. My son certainly enjoyed the theme. So while it was a little iffy with them, I think it was a moderate success, one bound to improve with more tries. Rating 6

Flowerpower -- Every time I play this, I wonder why we don’t play it more. It wouldn’t have to be with kids, either. This is a fine 2-player tile placement game, with tactical opportunities for aggressive play that defy the flowery theme. But I happen to like the theme anyway, and it looks great. Rating 8

Gobblet (4) -- This is yet another in the connect-four-in-a-row category of abstracts, but as long as each one has their little wrinkle, it all works. It certainly works with kids who don’t have to learn any rules, just what the trick of the new game is. Here it’s the fact that the pieces can swallow each other, a little like those Russian nesting dolls. Nice looking wooden production, though I could do without the goofy title graphic. Rating 6

Hallo Dachs -- I’d heard such good things about this one (and Das Ritter von der Hasselnuss, sort of its sister game), but I don’t know if it’s going to be a winner with my kids. More memory (not much else here, in fact). Rating 4

Hick Hack in Gackelwack -- Blind bidding bothers some people, but I’ve always enjoyed the mechanic. I liked Razzia before, and this is nothing but an improvement, both in gameplay and family-inviting theme. Rating 7

Kapitan Wackelpudding -- My kids like this fun stacking game, but I think they like the title even more. It just causes giggles, even without any adult innuendo (thank goodness!). I’m just so-so on it myself, and I tend to like balancing games. Currently on blowout sale at Magnus Spiele, and soon our group will own a few more sets. Rating 5

Liftoff (2) -- This is the speed card game from Casasola-Merkle, designer of Verrater/Meuterer (yea!) and Attika (eh...). Feels like a James Ernest game, but better for the theme that isn’t primarily a joke. It’s terraforming and asteroid mining, which my science-fiction loving son took to right away. We played it as a non-speed game, taking turns so that he wasn’t bewildered, and I found it worked pretty well like that, too. Later we can graduate up to the speed game. Rating 7

Light Speed -- Okay, here’s the speed card game that is from James Ernest, although this time partnered with Tom Jolly. Once again, the "serious" science fiction theme is a plus. Good fun with everyone that's tried it. Rating 7

Pylos (4) -- This has been the biggest hit so far in my attractive wooden abstracts experiement. It's set up on a table in the living room, and looks nice. I taught my kids to play, and they later taught their grandmother to play! That's big-time success in my house. We are playing the easiest version of the rules, but I've experimented with the advanced rules on a computer version of the game and find it's got depth. Maybe even too much depth for my lightweight preferences, but I won't argue with success. Now I need to get some more of those Gigamic games (and need to try my copy of Quarto soon). Rating 7

Transformers Armada -- This was a Christmas present that didn't go over too well, despite Star Wars Epic Duels being a favorite. I guess I'd heard this one didn't have the pizzazz of the previous title, and that proved to be true. Plus, I just don't connect with any of the "characters." Guess I'm too old (turned 38 last weekend). Rating 5

X-Bugs (2) -- Another big hit! I'd been curious about this before, but not enough to shell out bucks for it. Then Boulder put it on one of their Saturday specials, and I got the whole 4-army set for ten bucks. My son loves it, and I like it, too! We've had one more big battle since I started this report, and I bet we'll play some more soon. I just wish there were more expansion sets to try. Rating 7

Online games

These games are a mix of realtime plays at Brettspielwelt, along with turn-based, play by web games at a growing number of sites. Joe Casadonte has now started (with some polite encouragement :-) a Yahoo discussion group (Spiel-by-Web) about play-by-web games. More are popping up all the time.

Cafe International (4) -- I've never even seen the real game, but thanks to BSW I now might want one. Or maybe the card game version, which I've heard is also good. Rating 7

Carcassonne (3) -- Haven't played ftf in a while, but I hope my kids might graduate up to this. Just got the Gamekeeper "gold box" compilation set. Rating 8

Durch die Wüste (11) -- Wow, I had no idea I racked up so many games already. Thank you, Ludagora! One play was ftf. It's no coincidence that I'm finally appreciating this modern classic as my interest in abstracts increases. Rating 8

Hare & Tortoise -- On the other hand, here's a modern classic I still can't enjoy. Rating 4

Medina -- Our game is still in progress, so I'm not sure yet. I prefer my abstracts to have some IMperfect information, or at least to be very simple in their rules (like DdW and the Gigamic titles). Rating 5 (tentative)

San Juan (3) -- Oddly enough, I was never a big fan of PR. This I like much better, with only a minor concern that there may not be as many viable strategic choices as it first appears. Put another way, you kind of have to play the cards you’re dealt, rather than go in with a strategic objective. Rating 7

Schrille Stille (2) -- Funny how a game so compelling in its physical presentation can be almost as delightful online. The BSW programmers did a fantastic job using animation & sound effects. Rating 7

Tichu (2) -- I introduced a friend to this insidious card game and created a monster! Now we need to play ftf on a game night. Rating 8

Top Race -- Although I have to re-learn the betting payout each time I play, I always enjoy this. I'm surprised this isn't more popular on BSW. Maybe people just don't know the older title? Rating 7

Vinci (3) -- Now this is available on Ludagora, but the original German site has the better game interface. Love it, love it, love it. Rating 10

Web of Power (3) – All on BSW, though the play-by-web version is supposed to be back up in a month or so. This is a great game for online play, but then I always love the middleweight boardgames. (Some would say lightweight.) In contrast to San Juan, here I think you can aim for a particular strategy (road network, lots of advisors or none, etc.). The cards don’t drive your strategy too much, though you still need to respond to opportunities and obstacles presented by your opponents. (Can’t wait for Hansa!) Rating 9