Most of the Games for Jan 1
(And, yes, both copies of Cluzzle will have new clay.)
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December 30, 2009
December 29, 2009
More Games for Jan 1
Let's say you're at the 2010 New Year's Day Board Game Party and you really want to get to the Tumblin-Dice room but there's a line forming in the hallway. There's no better way to kill a few minutes than by trying one of the games from the group below:
SET - It's a pattern recognition card game! If this was electronic, you'd play it while waiting for someone to finish that never-ending game of Uno. (1+ players, 15 minutes)
NO THANKS! - Take a card or place a chip. I first read about this game on Defective Yeti. I saved the description in my RSS feed reader for 6 months until I found the card game in a shop. Why I didn't order it online, I have no idea. There's a headline in the idea that no one can say "No Thanks" to No Thanks. It's easy to learn and super addictive. The German name is "Geschenkt," which kind of reminds me of Wolverine. The game can be as ruthless as that famous X-Man. Keep your chips hidden but display your cards. Once the deck is depleted the person with the lowest point total in front of her wins the game. (3-5 players, 20 minutes)
RELATIONSHIP TIGHTROPE - Can you imagine a worse name for a game that really has nothing to do with relationships? The one was designed by an extremely prolific game designer named Reiner Knizia. This is one of his balancing-type games. There are tiny pink sticks and tiny blue sticks. And cards. And it's GOOD. (3-5 players, 30 minutes)
STRATEGO - It's got a spy. Kaci loves this and is already lining up her opponents. (2 players, 30 minutes)
SEQUENCE - Sort of like cards with your friends? Sort of like bingo? I've never played this 1982 blockbuster. (2-12 players, 10 minutes)
SHOGUN - Dude, this game has little magnets inside the checkers-like pieces - serious hi-tech gaming from 1976. (2 players, 10 minutes)
GHOSTS - I've yet to play this phantasmagorical treasure which features good ghosts and bad ghosts and two players manipulating a set of each! (2 players, 20 minutes)
LOOT - Admit it - you're a sucker for all things with pirate themes! Loot is a card game that's all about using your pirate ships to overtake ships filled with treasure. It's a battle on the high seas! Be careful playing the admiral! (2-8 players, 20 minutes)
FOR SALE - This real estate themed game follows that simple mantra - buy low and sell high! (3-6 players, 20 minutes)
December 22, 2009
Strategy Games for Jan 1
As much as I love a good party game, a good strategy game is always at the top of the heap. Here's a list of the strategy games I own. All will be on the shelves, crying for attention at the 2010 New Year's Day Board Game Party. Most are probably new to you and if you've got at least one competitive bone in your body, try something from the list below:
CARCASSONNE - Soooo good. The part of me that spent his pre-teen years mapping Ultima and Bard's Tale dungeons loves the idea of assembling tiles to create medieval cities, roads and farms. Use your meeples sparingly when claiming these assets for yourself! (2-5 players, 60 minutes)
THE SETTLERS OF CATAN - I have this game on semi-permanent loan from Jamie and Kaci. I do own the Travel Edition if anyone wants to borrow it for a vacation. A few years ago, Chris L. called this modern classic "Market of Gonad" and the AKA has stuck. He's yet to play but we all know he's going to love it as soon as he does. Players compete against each other to increase the size of their settlements by acquiring resources to build roads, houses, etc. There's trading involved. Who doesn't love trading? (3-4 players, 90 minutes)
PUERTO RICO - My favorite board game of all time. The object is to build a thriving Puerto Rico by developing plantations, creating buildings, populating the island and shipping goods. This game is a bit complex, but worth the time it takes to learn. (3-5 players, 90 minutes)
SAN JUAN - An offshoot of Puerto Rico, this card game is much simpler to learn and play (and almost as engrossing). (2-4 players, 45 minutes)
INGENIOUS - I love quick games of Ingenious. It's a tile placement game, sort of like dominoes but a lot more fun. You score points across a few different color tiles, but you've got to score the most of the least to win. (1-4 players, 20 minutes)
VEGAS SHOWDOWN - Sure, pirates are cool and werewolves are scary, but we all know Vegas is where a theme really hits the big time! Ask Josh Duhamel. Build the best casino and acquire patrons, money and fame! Bid on the slots or bid on the chance to add a restaurant, or just collect a fame point. Remember - build your structure so there's an easy path from the casino to the hotel (3-5 players, 75 minutes)
HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER - Start with script cards and bid on talent, special effects and sound design to assemble the best movies. (2-5 players, 45 minutes)
NIAGARA - I’ll be honest, the thought of sending my canoe over the falls while hunting for diamonds scares me. Sometimes you have to face the fears that trouble you most. The object of this "push your luck" game is to collect a variety of jewels and return to a safe spot upriver. (3-5 players, 45 minutes)
RA - Everyone's favorite Sun God is quite powerful. In this auction game that explores civilization in ancient Egypt your role is that of society builder. Collect river tiles, monuments, gold and more while watching out for droughts, earthquakes, etc. (3-5 players, 60 minutes)
TICKET TO RIDE: EUROPE - This finely crafted train game contains just enough interaction over specific routes to keep all players on their toes while making nimble use of collecting train cards, acquiring new destinations and building track. (2-5 players, 80 minutes)
POWER GRID - Supply power to more cities in Germany (or the U.S.) than your opponents. Sure, wind energy is great…but it’s expensive! (2-6 players, 120 minutes)
RHEINLANDER - Three years ago I learned the rules to this game. I forgot them the next day. It’s fun, though. Maybe we can break out this one in early January? (3-5 players, 70 minutes)
ARKADIA - Did I buy this two years ago for an extremely low price? It’s in the boardgamegeek.com top 200. It remains on my shelf. In shrinkwrap. (2-4 players, 60 minutes)
GHEOS - I’ve played this one once and it’s like taking Carcassonne into battle. Someone hand me a bourbon and let’s get to it! (2-4 players, 60 minutes)
EURORAILS - This is the first game that helped me realize there's more to board games than Sorry! (2-4 players, 30 minutes) and Museum Caper Clue (2-4 players, 30 minutes and not bad at all). The first time I played this was in the upstairs kitchen at Spaghetti House in the spring of 1995. Playing this game and listening to Fugazi and Rail Road Jerk are now linked in my brain forever. Did you know there's a whole genre of railroad games? In this one, players build railroads and deliver goods from one European city to another. It comes with crayons! You can draw on the board! What's not to like (besides the obscenely long playing time)? (2-6 players, 180 minutes)
December 14, 2009
Word Games for Jan 1
I own three word games and all of them will be available at the 2010 New Year's Day Board Game Party. Each one is worth your time. Here's a list of what to expect:
BOGGLE - The shaking of that cube is something I'm sure you remember about this simple game for the word freaks in the house. I love watching the intense, concentrated silence that comes over people as they search their brains like twisted dictionaries. (2-6 players, 10 minutes)
BUY WORD - I really like this game because it combines a few elements. Not only are you trying to create smart, complex words, you're trying to do so cheaply. Pay a tiny amount for letters, then sell big words to the bank for more money. It's an elegant little game mechanic that adds a tiny bit to the classic word building to which you may be accustomed. (2-4 players, 45 minutes)
SCRABBLE - Need a dictionary? I'm sure there's an iPhone app. (2-4 players, 90 minutes)
If anyone wants to bring another word game, please do!
December 12, 2009
Party Games for Jan 1
For newcomers to the 2010 New Year's Day Board Game Party, I thought it might make sense to review my collection of board games. Take a few minutes to look over this list and find something you're especially keen to play. I strongly encourage you to check out games that are new to you! This entry will focus on...
PARTY GAMES
WITS AND WAGERS - Trivia like you've never played it! This fast paced 7-question game where all the answers are numbers is surprisingly addictive. Everyone answers a question then wagers on which is closest to the correct answer. (3-7 players, or teams, 20 minutes)
BALDERDASH - A game for all word maker uppers (word makers upper?). (3-6 players, 60 minutes)
APPLES TO APPLES - It's the party game that almost everyone loves! Every round features a new judge to be impressed by your word-relating skills. (4-10 players, 30 minutes)
WEREWOLF (possibly known to you as MAFIA) - This party game requires a large number of players and can be surprisingly fun. Someone please remind me to place a sign-up sheet on the fridge, so we can play a big game around 9pm. Two people are werewolves and at least half a dozen people are villagers. There are two phases to this game - night and day. At night everyone starts with closed eyes, the werewolves open their eyes and identify each other. Then they slaughter a villager! During the day everyone talks openly, trying to reach a consensus about who among them is secretly a werewolf. The villagers then decide on someone to hang. As the week progresses, there are fewer and fewer people actively playing the game. A winning team is declared once the villagers kill all the werewolves or the werewolves kill enough villagers to reach parity. Oh, and for those who are into mystical awareness, there's a seer who can detect the hint of lycanthropy! (8-24 players, 45 minutes)
DIXIT - This is a storytelling game based on beautiful card images. In his list of 2009 Good Gift Games Matthew Baldwin describes the objective "for the Storyteller...to craft a description cryptic enough to fool someone, but not everyone." I think it plays a little like APPLES TO APPLES but also a little like CLUZZLE with a bit of BALDERDASH thrown in for good measure. I've played a handful of times and I'm positively enthralled. Also, the little bits you get to move around are wooden bunnies. Can you resist the cuteness? (3-6 players, 30 minutes)
LIAR'S DICE (aka PERUDO) - Can you bluff and lie and con your way into capturing everyone's dice? If so, add your name to the winner's board. (2-6 players, 15 minutes)
SCATTERGORIES - A few years ago a rather beat up version of this game was added to my collection. I'm missing the giant letter covered die, but little scraps of paper do an adequate job. This is a party favorite that never fails to disappoint. The last time I played I had to vigorously defend "krumping" as a kind of dance. (2-6 players, 30 minutes)
CLUZZLE - Fun clay sculpting and hilarious interaction! This one is always a hit and as I promised in this year's party invite, I'm going to find new clay. (3-6 players, 45 minutes)
TUMBLIN-DICE - This fast paced game has competitors shooting dice down a four-tiered board. The more high-numbered dice you can land on the smaller pads at the bottom, the higher your score. Be warned - very simple math skills are required. Also, I like to play with a slight variation that adds more randomness to the game. (2-4 players, 15 minutes)
