Board Games

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

I'm enjoying Castles of Burgundy as a two-player game, but I think it's a bit too dice-luck dependent, different rules are necessary to alter the tile universe for a two-player game, and I think the mechanism for turn order is flawed.

It is hard to beat the strategy of doing everything to ensure you can play last in the last turn of a phase so that you can use a ship to grab first in the turn order for the first turn of the next phase.

I've only played twice, but this confuses me greatly. I find the luck of the dice greatly mitigated and even more so with the use of workers. I've done a game where one player was always last and yet won. Again, I need more plays of it, but what you are saying is going against my experience.

Originally Posted by Danny

I had a first printing and never had any issues with the punching. Sometimes I think people dont know how to punch very well.

The only time I was more careful with a game was Samurai Battles. The first edition had some serious component issues in some cases.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Matthean

I've only played twice, but this confuses me greatly. I find the luck of the dice greatly mitigated and even more so with the use of workers. I've done a game where one player was always last and yet won. Again, I need more plays of it, but what you are saying is going against my experience.



The only time I was more careful with a game was Samurai Battles. The first edition had some serious component issues in some cases.

I find being careful to cause more problems. Quick and decisive punches seem to work best in general.

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by Matthean

I've only played twice, but this confuses me greatly. I find the luck of the dice greatly mitigated and even more so with the use of workers. I've done a game where one player was always last and yet won. Again, I need more plays of it, but what you are saying is going against my experience.



The only time I was more careful with a game was Samurai Battles. The first edition had some serious component issues in some cases.

With the two-player game, it's sometimes clear what you need to do, and the value of going first in a phase and getting that one tile off the board is absolutely huge. As such, either you need some dice luck or you need to stockpile a few workers. I think with more than two players, that problem goes away.

Some work (not that much) needs to go into a separate rules set for two players. Everything's there to make it a very good game for two, though.

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by Danny

I find being careful to cause more problems. Quick and decisive punches seem to work best in general.

With many copies of the first edition, from what I heard, that would have resulted in the top layer tearing badly on many pieces.

Of course, wishy-washy punching can lead to bed-wetting and, ultimately, trouble forming lasting attachments.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

With many copies of the first edition, from what I heard, that would have resulted in the top layer tearing badly on many pieces.

Of course, wishy-washy punching can lead to bed-wetting and, ultimately, trouble forming lasting attachments.

Im like chit punching Ninja though

I probably just got lucky with my copy.

[Matthean]

Two days in a row a reviewer has said the AEG version of Trains, wasn't a Dominion clone, is the best deck builder they have played, and both said is the best game they have played so far this year. Granted the last one isn't difficult due to this year's no show for good games but still. Its score on BGG is kind of pedestrian for a game with so few of votes, but its standard deviation is rather low so the opinion is rather consistent.

[Carman Bulldog]

Looking for some thoughts on the following games for a future purchase...

Finca
Fresco
Jamaica
Kingdom Builder
Kingsburg
Libertalia
Takenoko


I primarily play with wife and/or kids (12/8). We enjoy most types of games but while I haven't introduced them to any worker placement games yet, I have played a couple on IOS myself (Stone Age/Agricola) and have come to the (premature?) realization that I'm not really a big fan of the genre. That may exclude a couple of the above.

[Vince, Pt. II]

0/7, haven't played any of them...sorry I'm no help.

[Matthean]

I own but haven't played Takenoko yet, but I think it would be one of the better picks. Kingsburg is going to need its expansion if you are looking for long term replay. It is a decent game. I think I rated it a 6.5 and said the expansion would move it into the 7 range. I only played it once and repeated plays would help since dice games can take some plays to really get a feel about them due to a more random game play. I haven't played the others so I merely have vibes about them.

[tarcone]

I really want Jamaica. I think your family would enjoy that game.

Game Day yesterday. 4 of us gathered in my basement. Kemet was the game on tap. I will give a quick review.
The art work is awesome. Very well done. Very ancient Egypt feeling. It looks outstanding.

The components are very nice. Thick VPs. The board is beautiful. The creatures are outstanding. I really like them. They look great on the board with your army. The little troops are great looking. Each faction looks different. They are a tad flimsy and Im worried over time that their legs may come off the bases. The cards are good quality. Thick. But, if you sleeve, you will want to. I can see them bending with lots of play. The power tiles are very thick stock. Very sturdy. Nicely put together.

The game itself is a lot of fun to play. It promotes battle. Eack battle the attacker wins they get a permanent VP. Games are too 8 (or 10) VPs. So attacking is important. The game is balanced in regards to start location. The Nile goes right down the middle of the board. Which made for something that I didnt like. But this may be due to this being our first game. It almost played as a one vs. one on the East side of the Nile and one vs. one on the West side of the Nile. Im sure this will change the more we play. Their are ways to earn temporary VPs. And they are temporary. They come and go as the game goes on. I liked that.
The power tiles were a cool mechanic. I would almost call them a tech tree. We had different tacks to acquiring the tiles. I went after the attack tiles 1st. And ignored the defense tiles completely. I did lose and that was one of the reasons why. The guy who won, got some really good tiles. That really strengthed his position. He had lots of attack and defense modifiers. But they werent so overpowering you couldnt beat him. And they are other things that help offset those.
The battle resolution system is based on army strength, creature attributes, battle cards and power tile modifiers. It is a solid battle resolution system. It reminded us of Game of Thrones. There was also damage and protection numbers ont he battle cards that determined if you lost men.
The action point system was cool as well. It was fluid. Things changed in that department. And it determined how many men you could recruit, if you could teleport or use divine intervention cards. Nicely done.
The divine intervention cards are nice little wild card. They add some cool things tot he game.

My group really liked this game. It took about 2 1/2 - 3 hours to play with rule explanation and play. But the more we play and are more comfortable with the game, I dont think it goes more then 2 hours. After all, you only need 8 or 10 VPs.

Kemet is a blast. I recommend it. This one is a great addition to my collection.

One guy had to leave, so 3 of us played Manhattan Project. Im not really a fan of this game. Just not my cup of tea I guess. But the other guys like it, so I play it and just enjoy myself.

That was it. A very enjoyable day. I cant wait to get Kemet to the table again.

And for Ticket to Ride. Someone suggested the Nordic Nations. I would really research that one before buying. I have heard it is difficult and the countries and city names make it difficult for the US based player. But that is just 2nd hand info. I may be wrong.

[WSUCougar]

Originally Posted by Carman Bulldog

Looking for some thoughts on the following games for a future purchase...

Finca
Fresco
Jamaica
Kingdom Builder
Kingsburg
Libertalia
Takenoko

Thumbs up for Kingsburg. I play this with wife and son (now 11) and it is a frequent choice for them on game nights. Game-flow is good, rules are pretty straightforward, and there's enough strategy to keep it interesting.

[britrock88]

Takenoko is fun and not overly complex, but there's one thing that cripples the game. Playing for panda objectives (one of three classes) appears to be a highly dominant strategy. So I would say pick it up, play a few times, then decide if you want to counteract that strategy. The fortunate thing is you can just assign fewer points to panda objectives; it's not a mechanical issue, and therefore not a game-breaker--just something to work around.

[Danny]

If you focus only on panda objective I will beat you. That said I would agree they are the most powerful of the three but in order to win you need other players to contribute to your objectives which only happens with the other two.

[Danny]

You also need to roll the right things, so yiu need a balance. You want every single action to go toward an objective with nothing wasted. And again have other players contribute to your goals and then pounce on to finish them up.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by tarcone

...Kemet was the game on tap...

Glad to hear a great review on Kemet, it's been on my radar for a little while now. How does the Nile running down the middle of the board affect the game play? You simply can't cross it? I've read that the board is incredibly well balanced, so the two separate 1v1 areas of the board seems odd to me.

Originally Posted by tarcone

And for Ticket to Ride. Someone suggested the Nordic Nations. I would really research that one before buying. I have heard it is difficult and the countries and city names make it difficult for the US based player. But that is just 2nd hand info. I may be wrong.

The names are definitely different, but we haven't had much trouble with them. Butchering the pronunciation usually doesn't impact the opponent understanding where you're playing

[Vince, Pt. II]

Played Legendary with the expansion tonight. It's a huge, meaty expansion, effectively doubling the amount of heroes, masterminds and schemes. Tonight was a 5 player game against Mephisto, who's big on Wounds (if you're familiar with Dominion, think Curse cards). It'll take a few more plays to get used to the new heroes and their synergy, but tonight we used Angel (focuses on drawing cards), The Punisher (kind of a wildcard, big on KO'ing your own cards and has some abilities that affect the other players), X Force Wolverine (like the vanilla game's Wolverine, he's big on drawing cards and doing damage), Jean Grey (her cards focus almost exclusively on rescuing Bystanders), Colossus (similar to the Hulk in that he's all about Wounds) and Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler adds an interesting mechanic called Teleport - you can choose to set aside any of his cards instead of using them on a given hand, and instead draw them at the end of your turn after you've drawn your next hand. Mephisto beat us, but it was largely because a couple of the guys at the table were selfish. The Scheme we had was Weapons Grade Plutonium, and we ended up getting a measley henchman with 6 pieces of plutonium (if 4 leave the playing field, you lose). On two separate occasions two different players had the ability to take down the henchmen, and both opted to take out the Mastermind for more points. Eventually the henchman escaped and we lost the game.

We closed with King of Tokyo with the Power Up expansion. As always, a great game. The expansion tends to make the game last longer, as hearts (healing) are much more desirable. Still a short play, less than an hour for sure.

[tarcone]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Glad to hear a great review on Kemet, it's been on my radar for a little while now. How does the Nile running down the middle of the board affect the game play? You simply can't cross it? I've read that the board is incredibly well balanced, so the two separate 1v1 areas of the board seems odd to me.

I wasnt very clear on the Nile. There are harbors that you use to cross the Nile. So you definitely can cross the Nile. The board is very balanced. We played a 4 player game and we were all the same distance away from each other. But, I guess, the Nile distracted us from crossing it or created a false border. I think when we play it more, things will shake out a little differently.

I think this is one you should get. The quality of the game is outstanding. The game play is great. We really enjoyed it.

[cschex]

Yeah, one of the most impressive things about Kemet is the board layout and how every space is reachable in 3 moves from every other space, which solves issues that games like Game of Thrones have in the there are no "obvious" moves base on your location.

[CleBrownsfan]

This game looks fantastic - Kingdom Death: Monster

[IMG][/IMG]

[Arles]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Played Legendary with the expansion tonight. It's a huge, meaty expansion, effectively doubling the amount of heroes, masterminds and schemes. Tonight was a 5 player game against Mephisto, who's big on Wounds (if you're familiar with Dominion, think Curse cards). It'll take a few more plays to get used to the new heroes and their synergy, but tonight we used Angel (focuses on drawing cards), The Punisher (kind of a wildcard, big on KO'ing your own cards and has some abilities that affect the other players), X Force Wolverine (like the vanilla game's Wolverine, he's big on drawing cards and doing damage), Jean Grey (her cards focus almost exclusively on rescuing Bystanders), Colossus (similar to the Hulk in that he's all about Wounds) and Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler adds an interesting mechanic called Teleport - you can choose to set aside any of his cards instead of using them on a given hand, and instead draw them at the end of your turn after you've drawn your next hand. Mephisto beat us, but it was largely because a couple of the guys at the table were selfish. The Scheme we had was Weapons Grade Plutonium, and we ended up getting a measley henchman with 6 pieces of plutonium (if 4 leave the playing field, you lose). On two separate occasions two different players had the ability to take down the henchmen, and both opted to take out the Mastermind for more points. Eventually the henchman escaped and we lost the game.

Is the expansion worth it? My son and I have a blast playing the original Legendary.

Also, the DC version is on sale at Amazon for $29. Has anyone had any experience playing it?

Amazon.com: DC Comics Deck Building Game: Toys & Games

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by CleBrownsfan

This game looks fantastic - Kingdom Death: Monster

You need to fix your link. There was much discussion on BGG about the quality of gameplay though. New designer, no publisher, longer development time due to still play testing the game, etc. Sedition Wars went through a similar hype phase and the game is already on its third edition of rules in under a year.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by Arles

Is the expansion worth it? My son and I have a blast playing the original Legendary.

Also, the DC version is on sale at Amazon for $29. Has anyone had any experience playing it?

Amazon.com: DC Comics Deck Building Game: Toys & Games

The new expansion fixes the common complaint of the game being easy. I think the biggest complaint about the DC is it is a little too free form in its theme. Stuff like you can have Superman using the Bat mobile while using Wonder Woman's lasso.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

The names are definitely different, but we haven't had much trouble with them. Butchering the pronunciation usually doesn't impact the opponent understanding where you're playing

LOL! It could be a game in itself .

[Arles]

Originally Posted by Matthean

The new expansion fixes the common complaint of the game being easy. I think the biggest complaint about the DC is it is a little too free form in its theme. Stuff like you can have Superman using the Bat mobile while using Wonder Woman's lasso.

Any thoughts on this one?

Amazon.com: Fantasy Flight Games Star Wars: The Card Game: Toys & Games

My son's birthday is coming up in a month and he wants another deck builder with the Marvel/DC/Star Wars theme.

[CleBrownsfan]

Originally Posted by Matthean

You need to fix your link. There was much discussion on BGG about the quality of gameplay though. New designer, no publisher, longer development time due to still play testing the game, etc. Sedition Wars went through a similar hype phase and the game is already on its third edition of rules in under a year.

Fixed... I'll be following this closely - hope it stacks up to the hype it's received (over 2 mil from KS!)

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by Arles

Any thoughts on this one?

Amazon.com: Fantasy Flight Games Star Wars: The Card Game: Toys & Games

My son's birthday is coming up in a month and he wants another deck builder with the Marvel/DC/Star Wars theme.

The Star Wars game is more about deck construction before the game starts versus the deck building that happens in game. I haven't played any of the LCGs, but I went and researched all of them in case I wanted to pick one up. I liked that both sides had their own victory conditions. Battles are resolved in a similar fashion to Starcraft which I like. There is the tension of sending guys out to fight versus holding them back so you can have the one game piece flipped to your side. The theme likely keeps it as the LCG I would get if I did get one. It is near the Top 150 on BGG so I can't imagine it being that bad or anything.

Originally Posted by CleBrownsfan

Fixed... I'll be following this closely - hope it stacks up to the hype it's received (over 2 mil from KS!)

I just pause on stuff like it because not having a publisher means you might not have a good person telling you your game is crap or what needs to be better. I'm also curious to know if all of the miniatures are prebuilt or not. Cool Mini or Not is the one helping with the game, but they are also tied to the Sedition Wars game as well, so yeah.

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by Carman Bulldog

Looking for some thoughts on the following games for a future purchase...

Finca
Fresco
Jamaica
Kingdom Builder
Kingsburg
Libertalia
Takenoko


I primarily play with wife and/or kids (12/8). We enjoy most types of games but while I haven't introduced them to any worker placement games yet, I have played a couple on IOS myself (Stone Age/Agricola) and have come to the (premature?) realization that I'm not really a big fan of the genre. That may exclude a couple of the above.

A couple that I'm familiar with
Kingsburg. Not one of my favorites. I think Alien Frontiers is very similar, and to me much preferred to Kingsburg. It seemed to be more accessible for new and likely younger gamers, so I'll say if you're looking for Kingsburg, take a look at Alien Frontiers.

Libertalia. This is a one of my favorites of last year. Quick, accessible, different every time, and fun. Mostly played with gamers with a lighter preference, but IMO it is quick enough and has enough teeth to have the occasional appeal for those who prefer deeper games. My daughter and nephews like this one a lot, and my wife enjoys it as well. Well at least my wife will play it.

I've got to run now, but I'll pop back in with probably more than you really want to know about Kingdom Builder.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Carman Bulldog

Looking for some thoughts on the following games for a future purchase...

Finca
Fresco
Jamaica
Kingdom Builder
Kingsburg
Libertalia
Takenoko


I primarily play with wife and/or kids (12/8). We enjoy most types of games but while I haven't introduced them to any worker placement games yet, I have played a couple on IOS myself (Stone Age/Agricola) and have come to the (premature?) realization that I'm not really a big fan of the genre. That may exclude a couple of the above.

Ive played five of those and own 4 (and used to own the 5th).

First the bad, I am not crazy about Fresco and this mostly due to one thing. Instead of most worker placements where you take turns placing meeples, everyone preselects where all their meeples will go behind their screen. This can really bog the game down depending on who you play with, but even I was tempted to take a while to try and perfectly plan it out.

Now for the good. Kinsgburg base game is decent, but it shines with the expansion. Of course you then have to spend $53 or so to get the full experience. Kingdom builder is good when played as a quick filler. I wont play this will people who over analyze it. Finca is a fun little game, but I wouldnt say anything is spectacular about it. Takenoko is fantastic and the best of the 5 for me as a family / casual players game. It looks gorgeous, is easy to play and actually has a fair amount of tactics and strategy.

Also, I havent played them, but have watch reviews and I would Libertalia or Jamaica would be fine choice if playing with 4+ people. I rarely do which is why I did not really consider adding them to my collection.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

A couple that I'm familiar with
Kingsburg. Not one of my favorites. I think Alien Frontiers is very similar, and to me much preferred to Kingsburg. It seemed to be more accessible for new and likely younger gamers, so I'll say if you're looking for Kingsburg, take a look at Alien Frontiers.

Libertalia. This is a one of my favorites of last year. Quick, accessible, different every time, and fun. Mostly played with gamers with a lighter preference, but IMO it is quick enough and has enough teeth to have the occasional appeal for those who prefer deeper games. My daughter and nephews like this one a lot, and my wife enjoys it as well. Well at least my wife will play it.

I've got to run now, but I'll pop back in with probably more than you really want to know about Kingdom Builder.

Reread your post closer. Based on your criteria, I would recommend Takenoko and Jamaica.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by Arles

Is the expansion worth it? My son and I have a blast playing the original Legendary.

I'm going to need more plays to be sure, but it seems like it will be. The new schemes are a bit more complex and (though we've only played one) seem more difficult. Have very little feel for the new heroes. Nightcrawler's teleport seems like it could be overpowered, since there's no limit to the number of times you can set aside his cards, nor to the number you can set aside.

[cschex]

Originally Posted by Arles

Any thoughts on this one?

Amazon.com: Fantasy Flight Games Star Wars: The Card Game: Toys & Games

My son's birthday is coming up in a month and he wants another deck builder with the Marvel/DC/Star Wars theme.

In addition to what Matt said above, I'll add this is the one FF LCG I still own and actively keep up with. The main things to know is that if you're wanting to have "equal" decks 2 core sets might be the best purchase, but it is absolutely playable for casual games with 1. I enjoy the different victory conditions and the theme quite a bit.

[Danny]

I have no personal interest in the LCG model at all, but if you are ok with that then Star Wars TCG is probably a good one.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by cschex

In addition to what Matt said above, I'll add this is the one FF LCG I still own and actively keep up with. The main things to know is that if you're wanting to have "equal" decks 2 core sets might be the best purchase, but it is absolutely playable for casual games with 1. I enjoy the different victory conditions and the theme quite a bit.

I forgot to add about the possible 2 Core set issue. It is just part of the nature of the FFG LCG beast. Again, one Core set might be fine. At least play it with one to see if you like it and then go from there.

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by Danny

Reread your post closer. ...

Not sure what I'm missing. We need one of those hand whooshing over the head smilies.


I did promise to get back to talk up Kingdom Builder. This is one of the games where I'll say one should be wary of the reviews on BGG. There are a number of reviews slamming this game, primarily saying things along the lines of "It plays itself", "there are no meaningful decisions", and "You are at the mercy of the cards you draw". These are pretty well misguided. I've played this game a lot. It is one of my wife's favorites. With that said I'll elaborate a bit.

KB is initially a very accessible game that new players can understand in pretty short order. While they understand it, they probably won't be very good at it. This is where most players run into issues with the game "playing itself" and taking away decisions. This can happen, especially if you are new to the game or not very experienced. The game plays quickly enough that it begs to be "played again". I've played many back to back KB games. Once you have a couple of games under your belt, you will start to pick up on little tricks or tactics. You'll continue to pick these things up as you play the game. There is definitely skill involved here, as my wife will beat me nine times out of ten.

So there is definitely a lot more to this game than is evident in one play. I really enjoyed learning the game with my wife, as our skills developed over time and together with additional plays. She still beats me, but she at least has to play well to do it.

Also to the original poster discussing worker placement games. If you are interested in giving the genre another try through a lighter offering, take a look at Ninjato. A fun and interestingly themed worker placement game combined with some very accessible mechanics like push your luck and set collection.

[Danny]

I meant that I re-read your post closer

[tarcone]

Not a fan of kingdom builder. I player a couple games only. But this is one I wouldnt buy. I would play it, if my group wanted to. But I judge games on if I would buy it. Because I would. And this is a game I Hsve no interest in buying.

[Matthean]

I think Kingdom Builder is a try before you buy. I know I wouldn't like it, but many do so it is tough to just say to avoid it or buy it. Offhand I am just seeing reviews of it versus actual playthroughs.

[Carman Bulldog]

Have you played the expansions, Capitals, Caves, Crossroads or Nomads, and if so, how much do they add? I see that there is a big box edition scheduled for later this year at a relatively decent price point for what you get.

As far as area control games go, has anyone played Eight Minute Empire? It looks promising as well for a unique filler.

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

Not sure what I'm missing. We need one of those hand whooshing over the head smilies.


I did promise to get back to talk up Kingdom Builder. This is one of the games where I'll say one should be wary of the reviews on BGG. There are a number of reviews slamming this game, primarily saying things along the lines of "It plays itself", "there are no meaningful decisions", and "You are at the mercy of the cards you draw". These are pretty well misguided. I've played this game a lot. It is one of my wife's favorites. With that said I'll elaborate a bit.

KB is initially a very accessible game that new players can understand in pretty short order. While they understand it, they probably won't be very good at it. This is where most players run into issues with the game "playing itself" and taking away decisions. This can happen, especially if you are new to the game or not very experienced. The game plays quickly enough that it begs to be "played again". I've played many back to back KB games. Once you have a couple of games under your belt, you will start to pick up on little tricks or tactics. You'll continue to pick these things up as you play the game. There is definitely skill involved here, as my wife will beat me nine times out of ten.

So there is definitely a lot more to this game than is evident in one play. I really enjoyed learning the game with my wife, as our skills developed over time and together with additional plays. She still beats me, but she at least has to play well to do it.

Also to the original poster discussing worker placement games. If you are interested in giving the genre another try through a lighter offering, take a look at Ninjato. A fun and interestingly themed worker placement game combined with some very accessible mechanics like push your luck and set collection.

[Danny]

Id wait for the big box if you want it. Queen's expansions are overpriced, but the big box' are actually great value.

[Danny]

Originally Posted by Carman Bulldog

Have you played the expansions, Capitals, Caves, Crossroads or Nomads, and if so, how much do they add? I see that there is a big box edition scheduled for later this year at a relatively decent price point for what you get.

As far as area control games go, has anyone played Eight Minute Empire? It looks promising as well for a unique filler.

Eight minute empire is good game. I chose to keep it in my collection. It plays quickly and is easy to play, but has enough decisions to keep it interesting.

Not sure if anyone wants to spend this much, but there is a combo deal at amazon for Eight Minute Empire + europe board expansion and CIty of Iron. I believe this is the only way to still get the europe board

500 Service Unavailable Error

City of iron is a great euro

[albionmoonlight]

I'm playing Space Empires tomorrow. Any hints/strategies people would like to share would be great. I've never played before.

[Warhammer]

Pick a tech and run with it. Movement tech can be great, but you don't have an advantage until movement 4 or 5. Fighter tech can be great, but you want to heavily invest in it if you gotcha troupe. Make sure you have mine sweepers with attack fleets if you are playing with mine rules.

I never used tactics much. Attack and defense I only invest n if I am pursuing ship size. Cloaking tech for raiders can be great fun.

The other item is invest in infrastructure.

[Fidatelo]

Played a couple of games with co-workers recently:

The Resistance. This was a tonne of fun, and I ended up going out and purchasing my own copy. It won't get a lot of play because it requires 5+ people, but I think it will be perfect for certain situations, and at $20 it didn't take a large bite out of the pocketbook either.

Tales of the Arabian Nights. This game was pretty hilarious but is not really much of a game. It's more an exercise in rolling dice and looking up values in tables. Everything is completely random. I'd enjoy playing it again, but the returns would diminish dramatically with every additional play I suspect. So, not one I'd ever want to purchase, but certainly a game I wouldn't hesitate to jump in on if others were playing it.

[Danny]

Tales is an activity, not really a game, but its fun

[PadresFan104]

This is a longshot, but I'll throw it out there. My favorite table-top game right now is History Maker Baseball by PLAAY.com games. Next month on 9/14, the game designer Keith Avallone is coming to my town (Oceanside, CA) to host a day-long pre-play of the MLB 2013 Playoffs. I'm hoping there might be some of you in the Southern California area that may want to participate, as the more people we get, the more successful and fun the event will be.

HMB is different than most modern card & dice games in that the players are described by "qualities", not by ratings. These qualities are then checked on each dice roll and the game book drives the action. Additionally, the game incorporates "outside the lines" events that can change the makeup of a player and/or team throughout a series or season. You can read more about it on the website: HISTORY MAKER BASEBALL Big League Baseball Board Game. It's not meant to be a strict replay-focused game like Strat, Dynasty League, Replay, APBA, etc. It's designed to allow for some interesting variations in player performance, and also allow the game player to step into the role of manager with the ability to influence team-chemistry, give a struggling pitcher a pep-talk, etc. It's really a blast to play.

Keith is pretty confident that with about 75% of the season completed, the player quality definitions will be largely the same as if he waited for the season to end. So he is going to create the 2013 player cards before the season is over, allowing gamer's to play along with the end of the season and the playoffs if they want. Of course he's also hoping this event will help with sales and getting the word out about the game.

If anyone is interested, you can contact me (padresfanmods at mac dot com) and I can fill you in on the rest of the details!!

Al

[CleBrownsfan]

I was able to snag Robinson Crusoe: Adventure on the Cursed Island. Really looking forward to playing this one co-op and solo.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Should get my copy of Suburbia in today. Anyone who already has it know of any easy to miss rules/tile misunderstandings? The rules seem extremely simple, so the only thing I anticipate being tough would be interpreting some of the tiles.

[Matthean]

The icons are very straightforward. The manual is four pages and there is a player aid listing all of the tiles and their meanings. They also list the secret goals but don't show a description likely due to how easy they are to figure out. Miscreant and Miser are for being the lowest on the respective Reputation and Income tracks. Those are the only two that raised questions. It is honestly one of the easiest games to open up, read the rules, and start playing. Keeping track of the bonuses is really the only possible annoying aspect.

[Matthean]

So far I'm going with FFG announcing a new version of Battlelore set in Terrinoth as being the news of GenCon.

[Carman Bulldog]

Originally Posted by Matthean

The icons are very straightforward. The manual is four pages and there is a player aid listing all of the tiles and their meanings. They also list the secret goals but don't show a description likely due to how easy they are to figure out. Miscreant and Miser are for being the lowest on the respective Reputation and Income tracks. Those are the only two that raised questions. It is honestly one of the easiest games to open up, read the rules, and start playing. Keeping track of the bonuses is really the only possible annoying aspect.

Just ordered this as well. Is there any good way to keep track of things? I saw a few homemade scoring tracks on BGG that might be helpful.