Hello everyone!
This is a less detailed post about our upcoming session that normal. Our next session is in two days on Friday, 6/26 at 6:30 PM in the normal spot at The Church at Severn Run! We are just as excited as ever for the game night, however as I will not be there, we will not be having a theme. Other members are stepping up to get game night prepared and run the show so we will have plenty of games. You can also help by bringing your favorites as well as your friends to play them!
Hopefully we'll see a large crowd out on Friday evening!
Many blessings,
Lee
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
6/12 Session Preview
Hello!
This upcoming Friday, 6/12, is our regularly schedule session at 6:30 PM. Remember, our game night does not meet every other Friday, but rather specifically the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month.
This upcoming session will be on the same evening of the premier of JURASSIC WORLD. Now, I'm super excited about this movie and as such I thought we should theme are games around it. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of specifically dinosaur games (in fact the best one, Dominant Species (which ironically doesn't have actual dinosaurs), I don't own) so I thought I'd expand it to games that involve animals.
As with all of our other sessions, this is a great time to bring friends and invite new folk, so get the word out that we're having a fun game night!
Below are some of the games we'll be playing, presented in the form of my top ten favorite animal-related games.
10. Hey! That's My Fish
Okay I'm not going to lie, there were only about ten games I own that directly involve animals. This is a fine little game, but normally one so light wouldn't make any top ten list of mine. That being said, this is a cute little fifteen-minute filler game that has players taking control of adorable penguins who want to eat the most fish.
9. Zooloretto
This is a very popular gateway game - in fact, it won the Spiel de Jahres. Players take control of a zoo and fill it with various animals, receiving points for the different combinations of animals in their pens. It's cute and great with kids. It's also very easy!
8. Takenoko
If any one of these games is going to be described as 'adorable,' this is it. It has gorgeous artwork, complete with a little painted panda miniature. In the game you are trying to earn the most points by moving the panda, moving the gardener, and creating a beautiful farm of bamboo. The game is very simple and does not take particularly long - the real draw here is the gorgeous components.
7. Evolution
This game was put out on Kickstarter last year by North Star Games who famously produce party games. Their first foray into strategy games was very successful. While Evolution wasn't a smash hit, I thought it was a great little card game - particularly since I got the kickstarter rewards which include very cool dinosaur boards and a brontasaurus miniature as a start player token (see, dinosaurs!). The game play is very fun - you create species of animals and give them various traits in order to be the one that ends up on top.
6. Agricola
Agricola spent some time as #1 on BGG's ranking and has been in the top 10 for as long as I've been into gaming. It is Uwe Rosenburg's breakout hit that launched several similar-ish games (one of which is on this list). In this game you take control of a 14th century farm (15th? 13th? It's old). You're trying to create the best farming operation via having active livestock, developed structures, and viable crops. It is challenging game that can be somewhat puzzly. It's a superb game and is very worthy of playing!
5. Camel Up
We have featured Camel Up before as it is a fantastic game. It won the Spiel de Jahres last year and I think it was very worthy of that. If you're into gambling at all, then this will be a fun experience for you - in this game you're betting on a camel race! It's basically as exciting as American Pharaoh winning the Triple Crown. It's crazy and silly and the camels on occasion
are known to jump on each other.
4. Dungeon Petz
Dungeon Petz belongs in a category of games called "games I love but never play." It is a tragic group. I really enjoy Dungeon Petz. My wife got it for me for my birthday last summer. We played it three times in a week. We haven't played it since, which is a shame. Despite its cutesy theme - each player runs a pet store that sells monsters to the evil villains who own dungeons - it is actually a relatively intense Euro-game. It can be very thinky but I think it's wonderful.
3. Ultimate Werewolf
I'm not going to lie - I look for any excuse to put Ultimate Werewolf on this list. I love moderating it. I enjoy putting together interesting character combos and watching everything unfold from an omniscient eye. In werewolf, players secretly are either villagers or werewolves. Villagers want to find and lynch all of the wolves - the wolves want to systematically eat all of the villagers. It is very similar to games like Mafia and does involve player elimination, which is why I like to save it for the end as it gives players a chance to pack up and leave when they've been eliminated. We'll try and get a game or two of this going around 10:00 PM.
2. Robinson Crusoe
This is our only cooperative game on our list and it is my absolute favorite of that genre. Robinson Crusoe is loosely themed on the novels but really it takes simply the 'stranded on a deserted island' format and applies to many scenarios. Different scenarios include spin-offs of King Kong, Indiana Jones, Swiss Family Robinson, and of course Robinson Crusoe. On the island the survivors are constantly harassed by calamities, including the wildlife. Often they will also go hunting the wildlife (see how it's connected to the theme?) in hopes of survival. It's a challenging game that is just dripping with theme.
1. Caverna
Caverna is my favorite Euro-game and is one of my favorite games of all time. It is the sequel
to the aforementioned Agricola, however in his game rather than being boring people-farmers the players are Dwarfs-far
mers. They have free reign to build of their cave and their farm as they see fit and score points at the end for the most flourishing. Unlike Agricola, which is more like a puzzle, Caverna is a sandbox. All options are always available. Each game I pick an interesting route and run with it, occasionally allowing for opportunities to mold my plans. Sometimes I love the puzzle games, but in this case I find the sandbox nature such good fun.
This upcoming Friday, 6/12, is our regularly schedule session at 6:30 PM. Remember, our game night does not meet every other Friday, but rather specifically the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month.
This upcoming session will be on the same evening of the premier of JURASSIC WORLD. Now, I'm super excited about this movie and as such I thought we should theme are games around it. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of specifically dinosaur games (in fact the best one, Dominant Species (which ironically doesn't have actual dinosaurs), I don't own) so I thought I'd expand it to games that involve animals.
As with all of our other sessions, this is a great time to bring friends and invite new folk, so get the word out that we're having a fun game night!
Below are some of the games we'll be playing, presented in the form of my top ten favorite animal-related games.10. Hey! That's My Fish
Okay I'm not going to lie, there were only about ten games I own that directly involve animals. This is a fine little game, but normally one so light wouldn't make any top ten list of mine. That being said, this is a cute little fifteen-minute filler game that has players taking control of adorable penguins who want to eat the most fish.
9. Zooloretto
This is a very popular gateway game - in fact, it won the Spiel de Jahres. Players take control of a zoo and fill it with various animals, receiving points for the different combinations of animals in their pens. It's cute and great with kids. It's also very easy!
8. TakenokoIf any one of these games is going to be described as 'adorable,' this is it. It has gorgeous artwork, complete with a little painted panda miniature. In the game you are trying to earn the most points by moving the panda, moving the gardener, and creating a beautiful farm of bamboo. The game is very simple and does not take particularly long - the real draw here is the gorgeous components.
7. EvolutionThis game was put out on Kickstarter last year by North Star Games who famously produce party games. Their first foray into strategy games was very successful. While Evolution wasn't a smash hit, I thought it was a great little card game - particularly since I got the kickstarter rewards which include very cool dinosaur boards and a brontasaurus miniature as a start player token (see, dinosaurs!). The game play is very fun - you create species of animals and give them various traits in order to be the one that ends up on top.
6. Agricola
Agricola spent some time as #1 on BGG's ranking and has been in the top 10 for as long as I've been into gaming. It is Uwe Rosenburg's breakout hit that launched several similar-ish games (one of which is on this list). In this game you take control of a 14th century farm (15th? 13th? It's old). You're trying to create the best farming operation via having active livestock, developed structures, and viable crops. It is challenging game that can be somewhat puzzly. It's a superb game and is very worthy of playing!
5. Camel Up
We have featured Camel Up before as it is a fantastic game. It won the Spiel de Jahres last year and I think it was very worthy of that. If you're into gambling at all, then this will be a fun experience for you - in this game you're betting on a camel race! It's basically as exciting as American Pharaoh winning the Triple Crown. It's crazy and silly and the camels on occasionare known to jump on each other.
4. Dungeon Petz
Dungeon Petz belongs in a category of games called "games I love but never play." It is a tragic group. I really enjoy Dungeon Petz. My wife got it for me for my birthday last summer. We played it three times in a week. We haven't played it since, which is a shame. Despite its cutesy theme - each player runs a pet store that sells monsters to the evil villains who own dungeons - it is actually a relatively intense Euro-game. It can be very thinky but I think it's wonderful.
3. Ultimate Werewolf
I'm not going to lie - I look for any excuse to put Ultimate Werewolf on this list. I love moderating it. I enjoy putting together interesting character combos and watching everything unfold from an omniscient eye. In werewolf, players secretly are either villagers or werewolves. Villagers want to find and lynch all of the wolves - the wolves want to systematically eat all of the villagers. It is very similar to games like Mafia and does involve player elimination, which is why I like to save it for the end as it gives players a chance to pack up and leave when they've been eliminated. We'll try and get a game or two of this going around 10:00 PM.
2. Robinson Crusoe
This is our only cooperative game on our list and it is my absolute favorite of that genre. Robinson Crusoe is loosely themed on the novels but really it takes simply the 'stranded on a deserted island' format and applies to many scenarios. Different scenarios include spin-offs of King Kong, Indiana Jones, Swiss Family Robinson, and of course Robinson Crusoe. On the island the survivors are constantly harassed by calamities, including the wildlife. Often they will also go hunting the wildlife (see how it's connected to the theme?) in hopes of survival. It's a challenging game that is just dripping with theme. 1. CavernaCaverna is my favorite Euro-game and is one of my favorite games of all time. It is the sequel
to the aforementioned Agricola, however in his game rather than being boring people-farmers the players are Dwarfs-far
mers. They have free reign to build of their cave and their farm as they see fit and score points at the end for the most flourishing. Unlike Agricola, which is more like a puzzle, Caverna is a sandbox. All options are always available. Each game I pick an interesting route and run with it, occasionally allowing for opportunities to mold my plans. Sometimes I love the puzzle games, but in this case I find the sandbox nature such good fun.
Monday, May 11, 2015
5/8 Recap and 5/22 Featured Games
Greetings!
This past session was another enjoyable night of gaming! For whatever reason it ended up being our lowest attendance in our short existence but we still saw 15 people come and play games. It was space night and that was almost exclusively what was played! We played X-Wing, Dune, and Battlestar Galactica (as well as Ticket to Ride - not a space game, but still fun). Fun was had and if you didn't make it out that's too bad because it was a good time!
This upcoming session will be on Friday, May 22nd at the normal time AND I think we'll finally be back in the primary atrium. As this day is our closest session to Memorial Day, our theme is going to be games with direct militaristic conflict (we'll shorten that to "Conflict Games.") I am specifically not using the term "War Games" because this generally has a specific connotation of very heavy games that involve chits, counters, sometimes cards, lots of dice, and very long rulebooks with a plethora of exceptions. While all of these essentially involve war, only a few are 'war games.' If you're new to gaming that might be a bit confusing, but don't worry about it. Essentially, these games all have fighting.
Now, if you're not a big fan of these kinds of games, whether because you're more of a 'euro-gamer' or because you just don't like the violence, fear not! We will have plenty of other games available to play!
Here are my personal 10 favorite Conflict Games. I doubt we'll play more than a few of these, but you can count on them being there and being available. If you are really interested in learning or playing one of these, please say so in the comments or let me know via email and I'll be sure to look for others to join, particularly some of the longer ones.
10. Small World
Small World is one of the most basic conflict games. It has players taking control of different fantasy races randomly combined with some special attribute. Players vie for control of a world that is far too small and at the end of the game the person with the most points win. I'd consider this a gateway game because its rules are relatively straightforward and its pretty easy to pick up. This is a great one if you've got friends interested in Risk but haven't tried anything newer!
9. A Game of Thrones (Second Edition)
Based in the land of Westeros, this game by Fantasy Flight has grown quite popular. In many camps it is the modern replacement of the classic Diplomacy. Like the novels, this game features backstabbing, temporary deals, and drawn-out story-lines. Each players takes control of one of the Houses of the land (Lannisters, Starks, etc.) and try to control the required number of strongholds through a combination of military prowess and diplomatic savvy. The game can be long - 4 hours or so, so if you wanna do this it'll take up the whole evening. It is definitely possible, though to get this in.
8. Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization
Okay so I'm mostly putting this on here to make our Euro-gamers happy in the midst of all these war games and ameritrash. Through the Ages has been in the top 3 of BGG's rankings for as long as I've been into boardgaming. It is basically Sid Meier's Civilization III the board game (even more-so than the actual Sid Meier's Civ Board Game). The focus of this is more the economic resource management and the engine building of your civilization, however military plays an important role, even though its abstracted through a generic 'military' rating rather than an actual board with troops. This game is fiddly and I vastly prefer to play it online, however it is still a great game and a very satisfying heavy Euro.
7. Memoir 44
This is another very straightforward and accessible game. Memoir 44, by Richard Borg, is tactical skirmish-level game that re-enacts different battles of World War 2, in particular the various battles of the Invasion of Normandy. The game is simple, fast, and fun. Days of Wonder as known for its games beautiful components and Memoir is no different - excellent board, nice cards, and awesome miniatures. It's a very enjoyable experience for two players!
6. El Grande
Yet again this one technically isn't a conflict game - you don't actually kill each other's troops in this game. Rather, this is the father of area-control games. Players control various powers in Spain and issue their caballeros to different regions of Spain, attempting to score them at the right time by having the most caballeros there. The interplay between cards, bidding, and turn order is superb and this classic game from 1995 still is among the best. If you haven't tried it, you owe it to yourself to do so!
5. War of the Ring
This is my favorite game of all time. Why isn't it higher? Because I think other games bring about the 'conflict' aspect in better ways. That being said, War of the Ring is gorgeous. It is essentially the Lord of the Rings in board-game form. The designers' love for Tolkine shines through and this game perfectly encapsulates his essence. One side takes control of the Shadow, the other the Free Peoples. The Shadow wins by either controlling a set amount of Middle-Earth or corrupting the Ring-bearer. The Free Peoples win by capturing a portion of Middle-Earth or destroying the ring. There is so much tension and excitement in this game and if you're a Tolkien fan this is absolutely a must-play. Oh, and it's based on the books, not the movies - this game in no way tried to make money by printing a bunch of pictures of Orlando Bloom.
4. A Distant Plain
There are some people who would say that A Distant Plain, by Volko Ruhnke, fits in the same category as El Grande - area-control, not direct conflict. Technically they'd be right as it is much more heavy on controlling areas than actually fighting each other. This game re-enacts the modern war in Afghanistan. It is part of GMT's "COIN" series (Counter-insurgency) and is the third of four games in it. The other ones are Andean Abyss (Colombia), Cuba Libre (Cuba), and A Fire in the Lake (Vietnam). Each game is similar - there are four factions, to are insurgents, two are counter-insurgents. All four factions play asymmetrically and have unique victory conditions. In A Distant Plain, the four factions are the US/UK Coalition, the Afghanistan Government, the Warlords, and the Taliban. The theme here can be a bit touchy as its such recent history, but the interplay between the factions is superb and the game teaches you so well how convoluted the political struggles in Afghanistan really are. This game is meaty and is certainly not for novices to board-gaming, however if four people are interested I would love to see this hit the table as it is superb.
3. Fief: 1429
This game is happening. For sure. Why? Because it just came out, I just got it, and it looks amazing. I haven't played it yet so it's a bit presumptuous for me to put it so high, but I think it might go even higher by the time we're done. In this game players take control of various noble houses in France (circa, you guessed it, 1429). Like A Game of Thrones, players use military skills, diplomacy, and economic management to earn their way to victory. They also can elected as Pope and who wouldn't want to be Pope?! Academy Games knocked it out of the park with the components - they're very pretty - and this game has glowing reviews. I'd love (really love) to set this up and play it at our next game night!
2. Twilight Struggle
This game is about the Cold War. One players is the USA, the other the USSR. It is ranked #1 on BGG's ranking list and has been for a while. It is much deserved. This is one of my favorite games and it perfectly captures the feel of the Cold War. Through card-play a
nd area control there is constant tension, constant paranoia, and constant reacting and over-reacting. This game is for two players and is really best when played with somebody at the same experience level - i.e. if two newbies want to learn. Few games can compare to this one so if you haven't played it yet, bring a buddy and let me teach you!
1. Here I Stand
This game won't get played at game night - it takes way too long. A full game can last around six-eight hours, not counting explanations. It's very complicated and while I think I can teach pretty fluidly, it's really something you plan a whole day around. That being said, I wanted to list it as number one because I think it's the best combination of asymmetric play, military strategy, card management, and diplomacy that I've seen. I've only played it once and it was terrific fun. As far as overall games go, I actually like both War of the Ring and Twilight Struggle better, but as far as 'conflict' driven games go, I think this captures that nuance the best. In this games six players take control of key players in the Wars of the Protestant Reformation: Britain, France, Spain (the Hapsburgs), the Ottomans, the Papacy, and the Protestants. Like the other games, players try to achieve victory by completing their specific victory agendas and using their allies as spring-boards for their own success. Even though it won't hit the table at game night, let me know if you ever want to get a game of this going some time and I'll add you to my 'interested' list!
Summary
I realize these kinds of game aren't everyone's cup of tea, so if you want to bring other kinds of games you are more than welcome to. However, like I said before, we will definitely have these available to learn so if you've been meaning to try one, get on out to Game Night at Severn Run and learn one or two!
Invite your friends and family! Hopefully we'll see ya'll out on 5/22!
This past session was another enjoyable night of gaming! For whatever reason it ended up being our lowest attendance in our short existence but we still saw 15 people come and play games. It was space night and that was almost exclusively what was played! We played X-Wing, Dune, and Battlestar Galactica (as well as Ticket to Ride - not a space game, but still fun). Fun was had and if you didn't make it out that's too bad because it was a good time!
This upcoming session will be on Friday, May 22nd at the normal time AND I think we'll finally be back in the primary atrium. As this day is our closest session to Memorial Day, our theme is going to be games with direct militaristic conflict (we'll shorten that to "Conflict Games.") I am specifically not using the term "War Games" because this generally has a specific connotation of very heavy games that involve chits, counters, sometimes cards, lots of dice, and very long rulebooks with a plethora of exceptions. While all of these essentially involve war, only a few are 'war games.' If you're new to gaming that might be a bit confusing, but don't worry about it. Essentially, these games all have fighting.
Now, if you're not a big fan of these kinds of games, whether because you're more of a 'euro-gamer' or because you just don't like the violence, fear not! We will have plenty of other games available to play!
Here are my personal 10 favorite Conflict Games. I doubt we'll play more than a few of these, but you can count on them being there and being available. If you are really interested in learning or playing one of these, please say so in the comments or let me know via email and I'll be sure to look for others to join, particularly some of the longer ones.
10. Small World
Small World is one of the most basic conflict games. It has players taking control of different fantasy races randomly combined with some special attribute. Players vie for control of a world that is far too small and at the end of the game the person with the most points win. I'd consider this a gateway game because its rules are relatively straightforward and its pretty easy to pick up. This is a great one if you've got friends interested in Risk but haven't tried anything newer!
9. A Game of Thrones (Second Edition)Based in the land of Westeros, this game by Fantasy Flight has grown quite popular. In many camps it is the modern replacement of the classic Diplomacy. Like the novels, this game features backstabbing, temporary deals, and drawn-out story-lines. Each players takes control of one of the Houses of the land (Lannisters, Starks, etc.) and try to control the required number of strongholds through a combination of military prowess and diplomatic savvy. The game can be long - 4 hours or so, so if you wanna do this it'll take up the whole evening. It is definitely possible, though to get this in.
8. Through the Ages: A Story of CivilizationOkay so I'm mostly putting this on here to make our Euro-gamers happy in the midst of all these war games and ameritrash. Through the Ages has been in the top 3 of BGG's rankings for as long as I've been into boardgaming. It is basically Sid Meier's Civilization III the board game (even more-so than the actual Sid Meier's Civ Board Game). The focus of this is more the economic resource management and the engine building of your civilization, however military plays an important role, even though its abstracted through a generic 'military' rating rather than an actual board with troops. This game is fiddly and I vastly prefer to play it online, however it is still a great game and a very satisfying heavy Euro.
7. Memoir 44This is another very straightforward and accessible game. Memoir 44, by Richard Borg, is tactical skirmish-level game that re-enacts different battles of World War 2, in particular the various battles of the Invasion of Normandy. The game is simple, fast, and fun. Days of Wonder as known for its games beautiful components and Memoir is no different - excellent board, nice cards, and awesome miniatures. It's a very enjoyable experience for two players!
6. El GrandeYet again this one technically isn't a conflict game - you don't actually kill each other's troops in this game. Rather, this is the father of area-control games. Players control various powers in Spain and issue their caballeros to different regions of Spain, attempting to score them at the right time by having the most caballeros there. The interplay between cards, bidding, and turn order is superb and this classic game from 1995 still is among the best. If you haven't tried it, you owe it to yourself to do so!
5. War of the Ring
This is my favorite game of all time. Why isn't it higher? Because I think other games bring about the 'conflict' aspect in better ways. That being said, War of the Ring is gorgeous. It is essentially the Lord of the Rings in board-game form. The designers' love for Tolkine shines through and this game perfectly encapsulates his essence. One side takes control of the Shadow, the other the Free Peoples. The Shadow wins by either controlling a set amount of Middle-Earth or corrupting the Ring-bearer. The Free Peoples win by capturing a portion of Middle-Earth or destroying the ring. There is so much tension and excitement in this game and if you're a Tolkien fan this is absolutely a must-play. Oh, and it's based on the books, not the movies - this game in no way tried to make money by printing a bunch of pictures of Orlando Bloom.
4. A Distant Plain
There are some people who would say that A Distant Plain, by Volko Ruhnke, fits in the same category as El Grande - area-control, not direct conflict. Technically they'd be right as it is much more heavy on controlling areas than actually fighting each other. This game re-enacts the modern war in Afghanistan. It is part of GMT's "COIN" series (Counter-insurgency) and is the third of four games in it. The other ones are Andean Abyss (Colombia), Cuba Libre (Cuba), and A Fire in the Lake (Vietnam). Each game is similar - there are four factions, to are insurgents, two are counter-insurgents. All four factions play asymmetrically and have unique victory conditions. In A Distant Plain, the four factions are the US/UK Coalition, the Afghanistan Government, the Warlords, and the Taliban. The theme here can be a bit touchy as its such recent history, but the interplay between the factions is superb and the game teaches you so well how convoluted the political struggles in Afghanistan really are. This game is meaty and is certainly not for novices to board-gaming, however if four people are interested I would love to see this hit the table as it is superb.3. Fief: 1429This game is happening. For sure. Why? Because it just came out, I just got it, and it looks amazing. I haven't played it yet so it's a bit presumptuous for me to put it so high, but I think it might go even higher by the time we're done. In this game players take control of various noble houses in France (circa, you guessed it, 1429). Like A Game of Thrones, players use military skills, diplomacy, and economic management to earn their way to victory. They also can elected as Pope and who wouldn't want to be Pope?! Academy Games knocked it out of the park with the components - they're very pretty - and this game has glowing reviews. I'd love (really love) to set this up and play it at our next game night!
2. Twilight StruggleThis game is about the Cold War. One players is the USA, the other the USSR. It is ranked #1 on BGG's ranking list and has been for a while. It is much deserved. This is one of my favorite games and it perfectly captures the feel of the Cold War. Through card-play a
nd area control there is constant tension, constant paranoia, and constant reacting and over-reacting. This game is for two players and is really best when played with somebody at the same experience level - i.e. if two newbies want to learn. Few games can compare to this one so if you haven't played it yet, bring a buddy and let me teach you!
1. Here I StandThis game won't get played at game night - it takes way too long. A full game can last around six-eight hours, not counting explanations. It's very complicated and while I think I can teach pretty fluidly, it's really something you plan a whole day around. That being said, I wanted to list it as number one because I think it's the best combination of asymmetric play, military strategy, card management, and diplomacy that I've seen. I've only played it once and it was terrific fun. As far as overall games go, I actually like both War of the Ring and Twilight Struggle better, but as far as 'conflict' driven games go, I think this captures that nuance the best. In this games six players take control of key players in the Wars of the Protestant Reformation: Britain, France, Spain (the Hapsburgs), the Ottomans, the Papacy, and the Protestants. Like the other games, players try to achieve victory by completing their specific victory agendas and using their allies as spring-boards for their own success. Even though it won't hit the table at game night, let me know if you ever want to get a game of this going some time and I'll add you to my 'interested' list!
Summary
I realize these kinds of game aren't everyone's cup of tea, so if you want to bring other kinds of games you are more than welcome to. However, like I said before, we will definitely have these available to learn so if you've been meaning to try one, get on out to Game Night at Severn Run and learn one or two!
Invite your friends and family! Hopefully we'll see ya'll out on 5/22!
Thursday, April 30, 2015
5/8 Featured Games
Greetings everyone!
On May 8th we will be hosting our regularly scheduled game night at 6:30 PM. There is another event happening at the church that night, however as of right now I have not been told of any location change, so unless you hear otherwise we're going forward assuming we're in the normal spot. If a change happens, we'll be moved the children's atrium where we were this past session - if you were there, you know this is not a big deal at all.
For this upcoming session, in honor of the ever-important and quickly-approaching holiday of May the Fourth, we will be featuring games that involve space! (I'd love to do just Star Wars games, but there aren't enough good ones yet!)
First, if you haven't watched the new Star Wars trailer, watch it now - that will definitely get your blood flowing for some good space games! (I'll decline to share how many times I've watched this trailer, but know that it's in the double-digits.)
Okay, now I think you're ready to hear about the awesome space games we'll be doing. Again, since I think it's a fun format, I'll list them in the form of my 'Top 10 Favorite Space Games.' Of course that is incredibly subjective and you are more than welcome (in fact, you're highly encouraged) to bring your own space games! You're also welcome to forget the theme entirely and bring whatever games you want!
So, without further adieu, here we go....
10. Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game
This game is incredibly popular and while I enjoy it, it's not my favorite game. Nevertheless, it is a very good and fun game in which players simulate the dogfights of the Star Wars universe. It can be played as a 2-player game, in teams, or even with three sides with the newly released bounty hunter content. I will have my personal set which contains only rebel and imperial ships but others are welcome and encouraged to bring theirs. The miniatures are stunning and Fantasy Flight continues to knock it out of the park with the production quality of this simple miniatures game.
9. Imperial Assault
This is the only game on this list I don't own and have never played, however I have played (and own) Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition, which is essentially the same game with a fantasy feel (and I know at least a couple of people in our group that own Imperial Assault). Imperial Assault takes characters into the Star Wars universe via tactical ground combat. Most of the players take on the roles of heroes while one player acts as the Imperial side. The games excels as a campaign-style game but works quite well in a stand-alone even for the evening. Yet again, great miniatures and components really help bring this Fantasy Flight production to life.
8. Among the Stars
I suspect with more plays this game will go higher as it combines two of my favorite things in games - space and drafting. In this game you are 'drafting' cards, much like in Sushi Go or 7 Wonders, in order to build the most efficient space station. I backed the recent Artepia Games release on Kickstarter so my set has not only the Ambassadors expansion, but all of the promos as well. There are so many cards and the artwork is awesome. By the end you have a really need, functioning space station in this relatively simple game.
7. Alien Frontiers
Speaking of Kickstarter, Alien Frontiers, the next game on this list, is the first game to make it big on Kickstarter. Circa 2010 this game first hit the aforementioned publishing site to terrific success. Since then a number of subsequent campaigns have gone up, featuring expansions, better components, and plenty of promos. In this game you are rolling dice and then using those dice to take actions (the dice are space ships, of course). Ultimately the goal is to control the bulk of a planet that is being colonized. If you reach a certain number of victory points, largely through area control, you win the game! There are a lot of parts that intertwine in this and the expansions really add flavor to the game.
6. Galaxy Trucker
Galaxy Trucker is definitely the silliest game on this list. In it you are taking on the role of a space trucker who is delivering different types of sewage parts to a foreign planet. Your company is full cheapskates, though, and your ship is actually made of the parts you're delivering. This game is broken into two phases - the first is a timed free for all in which players are desperately trying to get pieces for their ship and make sure they actually fit together! After this, players test their hastily made ships in the rigors of space - a number of event cards are revealed and if your ship survives them all, you can make some serious space bucks! If not, well... You probably had some laughs along the way! I do have the Anniversary Edition complete with both expansions!
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5. Cosmic Encounter
Cosmic Encounter could give Galaxy Trucker a run for its money in terms of 'silliest game' on this list. In this game players take control of one of a great variety of alien races, then attempt to be the first to take over five total planets controlled by opponents. The game mechanisms are very simple - you send ships, invite allies, offense and defense pick a card with a number on it, the highest number wins after combining the number on the card with the number of ships on your side. The thing that makes this game so great is the alien races - each one has a unique way in which you can 'break the rules' and this creates for interesting and often hilarious situations.
4. Twilight Imperium Third Edition
Okay, so it's really unlikely this will get played at our game night, but I had to put it on the list. This is the epitome of the epic space game. It is a long, 5-8 hour slugfest between different alien factions. You build ships. You explore. You conquer. There's political intrigue. Trading occurs. Everything you could possibly want in a space game is in this box. Why isn't higher? Because it takes so long that I barely get to play it. Nonetheless, this game is absolutely terrific and if people really want to try it out, it is possible to get it done in 4 hours, but people will have to be quick!
3. Eclipse
Eclipse is similar to TI3 in a number of ways - you have unique alien races, you build ship, you research technologies. However, Eclipse is significantly shorter than TI3, usually coming together in 2-4 hours, rather than 5-8 hours. In addition, Eclipse is a lot more of an economic game than TI3 is, so just because you like TI3 does not necessarily mean you'll like Eclipse. That being said, I like Eclipse just a touch better, largely because of the blueprint system with the ships. Not only do you get to research ways to make your ships better, but you get to decide how they fit onto your ships. Want a ship that has so much hull it's basically invincible? You can do that. Wanna light your opponent up with a million missiles before they get a shot off? You can do that! Eclipse is a lot of fun and is a beautiful looking space game.
2. Roll for the Galaxy
This is the newest game on this list by far. Roll for the Galaxy just game out in the late moments of 2014 but really didn't hit stores until January of 2015. It is the successor to an immensely popular space card game called Race for the Galaxy (which I'm not a huge fan of, hence it not being on this list). In this game, players roll a lot of dice in an attempt to be the person with the most points. It's really a euro-game, unlike many of these other games, and is based around building your economy, trading goods, and building/settling. It's a little thinky and the rules are not super simple to grasp, however I find this to be a highly rewarding game. Plus it's fast! A group that knows what they're doing can knock it out in 45 minutes!
1. Battlestar Galactica
Finally, we have one of my all-time favorite games: Battlestar Galactica. I love this game because it combines a cooperative game (which I like), with Battlestar Galactica (which I really like), with a traitor element (which I love). This is, in my opinion, the premier traitor-game. Dead of Winter is nice, but it doesn't touch Battlestar Galactica in terms of tension. This game produces an element of stress and paranoia that no game can rival as everyone works together, except one or two people depending on player count. There's a lot of lying. A lot of backstabbing. A lot of manipulation. It is incredibly fun and well worth the 3 hours or so it'll take to play.
Conclusion
As in the past, this is a list based on my on subjectivity and personal collection! There are a lot of great space games on here that I simply don't own! Race for the Galaxy, Starcraft, Rex, Star Trek: Fleet Captains, Space Alert, Space Cadets, Dune, Xia: Legends of a Drift System, Merchants of Venus, Firefly: The Game, Eminenet Domain, Core Worlds, Starfarers of Catan, and more all come to mind when it comes to terrific space games! Not to mention other Star Wars titles that I don't own yet - Queen's Gambit, Star Wars the Card Game, Armada, and more.
Again, if you don't like space game, then play whatever you want! If you're interested in these games, they'll definitely be available and at least a handful of them will be played.
Hopefully we'll see you out!!
Many blessings!
On May 8th we will be hosting our regularly scheduled game night at 6:30 PM. There is another event happening at the church that night, however as of right now I have not been told of any location change, so unless you hear otherwise we're going forward assuming we're in the normal spot. If a change happens, we'll be moved the children's atrium where we were this past session - if you were there, you know this is not a big deal at all.
For this upcoming session, in honor of the ever-important and quickly-approaching holiday of May the Fourth, we will be featuring games that involve space! (I'd love to do just Star Wars games, but there aren't enough good ones yet!)
First, if you haven't watched the new Star Wars trailer, watch it now - that will definitely get your blood flowing for some good space games! (I'll decline to share how many times I've watched this trailer, but know that it's in the double-digits.)
Okay, now I think you're ready to hear about the awesome space games we'll be doing. Again, since I think it's a fun format, I'll list them in the form of my 'Top 10 Favorite Space Games.' Of course that is incredibly subjective and you are more than welcome (in fact, you're highly encouraged) to bring your own space games! You're also welcome to forget the theme entirely and bring whatever games you want!
So, without further adieu, here we go....
10. Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures GameThis game is incredibly popular and while I enjoy it, it's not my favorite game. Nevertheless, it is a very good and fun game in which players simulate the dogfights of the Star Wars universe. It can be played as a 2-player game, in teams, or even with three sides with the newly released bounty hunter content. I will have my personal set which contains only rebel and imperial ships but others are welcome and encouraged to bring theirs. The miniatures are stunning and Fantasy Flight continues to knock it out of the park with the production quality of this simple miniatures game.
9. Imperial AssaultThis is the only game on this list I don't own and have never played, however I have played (and own) Descent: Journeys in the Dark Second Edition, which is essentially the same game with a fantasy feel (and I know at least a couple of people in our group that own Imperial Assault). Imperial Assault takes characters into the Star Wars universe via tactical ground combat. Most of the players take on the roles of heroes while one player acts as the Imperial side. The games excels as a campaign-style game but works quite well in a stand-alone even for the evening. Yet again, great miniatures and components really help bring this Fantasy Flight production to life.
8. Among the Stars
7. Alien Frontiers
Speaking of Kickstarter, Alien Frontiers, the next game on this list, is the first game to make it big on Kickstarter. Circa 2010 this game first hit the aforementioned publishing site to terrific success. Since then a number of subsequent campaigns have gone up, featuring expansions, better components, and plenty of promos. In this game you are rolling dice and then using those dice to take actions (the dice are space ships, of course). Ultimately the goal is to control the bulk of a planet that is being colonized. If you reach a certain number of victory points, largely through area control, you win the game! There are a lot of parts that intertwine in this and the expansions really add flavor to the game.6. Galaxy TruckerGalaxy Trucker is definitely the silliest game on this list. In it you are taking on the role of a space trucker who is delivering different types of sewage parts to a foreign planet. Your company is full cheapskates, though, and your ship is actually made of the parts you're delivering. This game is broken into two phases - the first is a timed free for all in which players are desperately trying to get pieces for their ship and make sure they actually fit together! After this, players test their hastily made ships in the rigors of space - a number of event cards are revealed and if your ship survives them all, you can make some serious space bucks! If not, well... You probably had some laughs along the way! I do have the Anniversary Edition complete with both expansions!
5. Cosmic EncounterCosmic Encounter could give Galaxy Trucker a run for its money in terms of 'silliest game' on this list. In this game players take control of one of a great variety of alien races, then attempt to be the first to take over five total planets controlled by opponents. The game mechanisms are very simple - you send ships, invite allies, offense and defense pick a card with a number on it, the highest number wins after combining the number on the card with the number of ships on your side. The thing that makes this game so great is the alien races - each one has a unique way in which you can 'break the rules' and this creates for interesting and often hilarious situations.
4. Twilight Imperium Third EditionOkay, so it's really unlikely this will get played at our game night, but I had to put it on the list. This is the epitome of the epic space game. It is a long, 5-8 hour slugfest between different alien factions. You build ships. You explore. You conquer. There's political intrigue. Trading occurs. Everything you could possibly want in a space game is in this box. Why isn't higher? Because it takes so long that I barely get to play it. Nonetheless, this game is absolutely terrific and if people really want to try it out, it is possible to get it done in 4 hours, but people will have to be quick!
3. Eclipse
2. Roll for the GalaxyThis is the newest game on this list by far. Roll for the Galaxy just game out in the late moments of 2014 but really didn't hit stores until January of 2015. It is the successor to an immensely popular space card game called Race for the Galaxy (which I'm not a huge fan of, hence it not being on this list). In this game, players roll a lot of dice in an attempt to be the person with the most points. It's really a euro-game, unlike many of these other games, and is based around building your economy, trading goods, and building/settling. It's a little thinky and the rules are not super simple to grasp, however I find this to be a highly rewarding game. Plus it's fast! A group that knows what they're doing can knock it out in 45 minutes!
1. Battlestar Galactica
Finally, we have one of my all-time favorite games: Battlestar Galactica. I love this game because it combines a cooperative game (which I like), with Battlestar Galactica (which I really like), with a traitor element (which I love). This is, in my opinion, the premier traitor-game. Dead of Winter is nice, but it doesn't touch Battlestar Galactica in terms of tension. This game produces an element of stress and paranoia that no game can rival as everyone works together, except one or two people depending on player count. There's a lot of lying. A lot of backstabbing. A lot of manipulation. It is incredibly fun and well worth the 3 hours or so it'll take to play.
Conclusion
As in the past, this is a list based on my on subjectivity and personal collection! There are a lot of great space games on here that I simply don't own! Race for the Galaxy, Starcraft, Rex, Star Trek: Fleet Captains, Space Alert, Space Cadets, Dune, Xia: Legends of a Drift System, Merchants of Venus, Firefly: The Game, Eminenet Domain, Core Worlds, Starfarers of Catan, and more all come to mind when it comes to terrific space games! Not to mention other Star Wars titles that I don't own yet - Queen's Gambit, Star Wars the Card Game, Armada, and more.
Again, if you don't like space game, then play whatever you want! If you're interested in these games, they'll definitely be available and at least a handful of them will be played.
Hopefully we'll see you out!!
Many blessings!
4/24 Recap
Greetings!
This past Friday we had the pleasure of hosting 35 people to play games with us! A number of them were new faces as many of the church's youth group came down to have a good time. It was incredibly rewarding to see a table of teenage boys skeptically sit down to play Camel Up and then watch them want to play a second game immediately, finally leaving the table with expressions of "I never knew board games could be so fun!" That is but one of the reasons we think it is important to host this game night!
In addition to that terrific sight, a number of other games we're played! We were featuring games that played well with six or more people and a lot of these were played. We saw a game of Ca$h and Gun$ 2nd Edition, Camel Up, Telestrations, and a couple of great games of Ultimate Werewolf.
In addition to these games, we saw Castles of Burgundy, Roll for the Galaxy, Say Anything, Sushi Go, Aquasphere, and even more games I can't remember get played. I'm loving the diversity of our group - that we have had heavy Euros like Aquasphere get played side-by-side with a light game like Sushi Go.
Hopefully if you didn't make it out but are reading these blogs, the continued success in numbers of these game nights will encourage you to make it out to our next one on May 9th!
Until then, many blessings!
-Lee
This past Friday we had the pleasure of hosting 35 people to play games with us! A number of them were new faces as many of the church's youth group came down to have a good time. It was incredibly rewarding to see a table of teenage boys skeptically sit down to play Camel Up and then watch them want to play a second game immediately, finally leaving the table with expressions of "I never knew board games could be so fun!" That is but one of the reasons we think it is important to host this game night!In addition to that terrific sight, a number of other games we're played! We were featuring games that played well with six or more people and a lot of these were played. We saw a game of Ca$h and Gun$ 2nd Edition, Camel Up, Telestrations, and a couple of great games of Ultimate Werewolf.In addition to these games, we saw Castles of Burgundy, Roll for the Galaxy, Say Anything, Sushi Go, Aquasphere, and even more games I can't remember get played. I'm loving the diversity of our group - that we have had heavy Euros like Aquasphere get played side-by-side with a light game like Sushi Go.
Hopefully if you didn't make it out but are reading these blogs, the continued success in numbers of these game nights will encourage you to make it out to our next one on May 9th! Until then, many blessings!
-Lee
Sunday, April 19, 2015
4/24 Featured Games - Games for Large Groups!
Hi Everyone!Before I get to our upcoming session I want to take a brief moment to mention that we are now officially a meeting site for the Game Club of Maryland (GCOM). GCOM is the largest state-wide gaming club in the entire country and has meeting site all across MD as well as PA, DE, and VA. It's a great group and should provide even more advertising!
Our next gaming session will be on 4/20 at the regularly scheduled time. There is another church event that night (Family Movie Night) that will be using our normal space. As such, we will be using the children's area atrium - the part of the atrium outside the bathrooms. This is right next to the normal spot and is still a very large, accommodating area to play games in (and slightly more convenient for using the bathrooms!). Please don't let this prevent you from coming!
Since we'll be using a smaller space I thought this would be a great time to feature games that play larger groups - thus we can have more people around each table and save some room. At first I was thinking there wouldn't be as many games to choose from, but there are actually a reasonable amount that accommodate at least six, and not just party games! Last time I did the feature in the form of a 'Top 10' and while I don't want these features to be just my personal favorite games, it seemed to be a popular format, particularly over at boardgamegeek. It's also more fun to do! Since our game group's library also happens to be my personal collection, it doesn't seem completely unreasonable.So! Without adieu, here are my ten favorite 6+ player games as well as a number of others that you can expect to see on Friday, 4/24!
10. Camel UpCamel Up won the 2014 Spiel de Jahres (German Game of the Year Award - it's a big deal) and is a great game. Despite many people not thinking it deserved the award it is in fact quite fantastic as long as you know what to expect. In Camel Up people are betting on a camel race. The race is quite silly - when the camels land on the same spaces of the track, they climb on top of each other and who ever is highest is considered to be winning. It's very random and there's little in the form of planning - but that's what makes it so fun! You pick a camel you think could win and root that it does! Few game evoke the atmosphere this game does and it plays up to eight people!
9. ViticultureViticulture is Euro-game (meaning it is more about resource management and strategic planning) in which the players take control of vineyards. Throughout the course of the game the players place workers and attempt to have the most prestigious vineyard - marked by victory points. They plant seeds, grow grapes, convert them to different types of wines, build buildings, and more. It's a very fun Euro and is not particularly complicated. I haven't played it with six and I suspect with that many it may be a little slower than ideal and it will be very competitive. I like this game a lot and I own the Collector's Edition which means the components are amazing. The new edition just came out and is definitely worth a try.
8. Cosmic EncounterCosmic Encounter is a delightful game where players take control of different alien races. The first person to take control of five different foreign planets (meaning other players home planets) is the winner. The gameplay is very simple - the person whose turn it is draws a card to see who they attack, they invite any players they want to ally with them, and then the offensive and defensive players play a card from their hand - whoever has the highest total between the number shown on the card and the number of ships being sent is the winner. It sounds simple and not terribly exciting, but what makes the game is all of the alien races. I have one expansion and so in my set there are around 90 different aliens. Over 150 have been released and all have different and unique ways to 'break the rules.' The game is light and fun and full of laughs. It also can play up to 6 with the expansion I own and more if you own more expansions.
7. Letters from WhitechapelIn the opposite direction from Cosmic Encounter (which is light and often funny) is Letters from White Chapel - a game in which 1-5 players take the roles of police officers tracking down Jack the Ripper (who is played by a player as well - thus it plays up to 6). Jack plots his paths through the streets of London after committing murders and the police use teamwork, wits, and deduction to track him down before he can get to his hideout. This game can get thinky (and a bit long) but is my absolute favorite deduction game. The seemingly heavy theme is very tastefully done (it's not graphic or gorey at all) and the board and components are very nice. If you like deduction, this is one you have to try!
6. Power GridIf we were simply ranking my favorite games this would be really high as I very much enjoy Power Grid. I don't think it's at its best per say with six players (the most it plays) but it is still very good. This classic came out originally in 2004 and has been extremely popular in that time. I own the recently released deluxe edition and enjoy it very much. Players own a power plant company and are trying to be the first person to own a set number of power plants across a map (either North America or Europe) and also be able to power them (the number changes based on player count). The game features several interesting and interlocking mechanisms including auctions, resource management, and more.
5. Ultimate Werewolf
Ultimate Werewolf is the only game I own that will play over 70 people at one time (which is crazy). It is very much like the popular card game Mafia - players have secret roles and the entire game is based around deducing which ones are bad. In this case, players are either Villagers or Werewolves. There are further special abilities within these two camps but the basic idea is that each nights the werewolves secretly discuss and decide to kill somebody. Each day the villagers try to figure out who the werewolves are and vote to kill somebody. If somebody dies they're eliminated from the game. The villagers don't know who anybody is - the wolves know who each other are. It is a game of social deduction that is very fun. We will be trying to get a large-ish (hopefully 15-30 or so players) game of this going around 10:00 PM on game night so if you're interested in joining, plan for your games to end at that time.
4. 7 Wonders7 Wonders is a card-drafting game in which players are building up their civilization. It is played over three rounds and each round has several turns. Players have a hand of cards and get to pick one card out of their hand to put into play. That hand then passes around the table and the next turn they do the same thing with a new hand of cards (which was handed to them from the player in the opposite direction). Different cards give you resources or points or other special abilities and by the end of the game you want to have the most points. It is civilization themed so there are things like aqueducts, mines, military, trade routes, and more. It is a somewhat easier game and with the expansion plays up to eight players. It is a classic and is very worthwhile.
3. Eclipse
2. TelestrationsTelestrations (the party pack that I own at least) plays up to twelve. It is by far the funniest game I own. I didn't put a lot of party games on this list because most of them play at least six, but I made an exception for this because it is by far my favorite. This game is the telephone game meets pictionary - a player draws a word, then the next player writes what he thinks the first player drew, the following player draws that guess, which is again subsequently guessed by the following player. By the end the original word is extremely convoluted, usually in incredibly hysterical ways! This game is great for a laugh and one that anyone can play!
1. Battlestar GalacticaFinally is one of my absolute favorite games - Battlestar Galactica. I love games with an element of deceit and I think that BSG is still the absolute best at it. If you've seen the show you probably can guess the premise but if not, that's okay! It's still a great game even without having seen the show. Most of the players are on the same team but one or more (depending on player count - two with six players) are secretly Cylons (robots that look like humans) that are actively thwarting the crew. There are many opportunities for sly coercion and deception and that's what makes this game so great.
There are a host of other games that play 6+ that are also great, particularly in the party game genre, so please bring you favorites and share those as well! Write your favorites in the comments if you'd like!
Invite your friends and family and hopefully we'll see everyone out on Friday!
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
4/10 Recap
Greetings everyone!
This past Friday, April 10th, we had our regularly scheduled session. As it was only our second session and came on the heels of Easter services at The Church at Severn Run (where are group was announced to over 2,100 people!) we featured and play many a gateway game.
We had just over thirty people come and play games with us, including many new people. We had a lot of families come which is fantastic and Game Night at Severn Run is never meant to just be for experienced gamers. While we were playing Caverna another family was playing Yahtzee and that is great.
Some of the gateway games we played included Lords of Waterdeep, Ticket to Ride, and Carcassonne. We also played some more gamer's-games such as Galaxy Trucker and Caverna.
I was very excited about the evening's activities and the enthusiasm shown! If you didn't make it out tonight hopefully we will see you next time!
Many Blessings!
-Lee
This past Friday, April 10th, we had our regularly scheduled session. As it was only our second session and came on the heels of Easter services at The Church at Severn Run (where are group was announced to over 2,100 people!) we featured and play many a gateway game.We had just over thirty people come and play games with us, including many new people. We had a lot of families come which is fantastic and Game Night at Severn Run is never meant to just be for experienced gamers. While we were playing Caverna another family was playing Yahtzee and that is great.Some of the gateway games we played included Lords of Waterdeep, Ticket to Ride, and Carcassonne. We also played some more gamer's-games such as Galaxy Trucker and Caverna.
I was very excited about the evening's activities and the enthusiasm shown! If you didn't make it out tonight hopefully we will see you next time!Many Blessings!
-Lee
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