1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 Next » [7]
-
Jason Moslander
United States
Fenton
Missouri
-
Originally Posted at www.gameswithtwo.com
We are getting down to the last few games. Since these two our Mrs. Games with Two's favorites, I thought I would give them each their own post. If you haven't seen the rest of the list, click here ( http://gameswithtwo.blogspot.com/2012/05/mrs-gwts-favorites-...), . So, here we go:
#2 Dominion
Dominion has taken the gaming world by storm since it was released in 2008. I first noticed the game climbing up the BGG Game Ranking List in late 2009. We decided to purchase the game for some friends as a wedding gift, I believe in early 2010. The game became a huge success with our friends and in late 2010 my brother purchased Dominion Intrigue for me as a birthday gift. Mrs. GWT loves this game. I would have to say that this one would make it into both of our Top 5s and maybe both of our Top Two's. The game is simple to play, easy to learn, but offers tons of variety and depth. There are countless ways to win, and your strategy changes based on the cards that are in play. There are numerous expansions now with more on the way. We currently have Intrigue, which is a standalone expansion, as well as Prosperity, Cornucopia, and Alchemy. Recently, I took a wooden photo box and made it into my new Dominion box. It's about the size of a standard Dominion box, but holds the three expansions as well.
Dominion has gotten a lot of love in our home. We love to play it with just the two of us, however, it also works very well with three or four players. Since the game scales so well, it makes it to the table often. A great game all around. If you don't have a copy in your collection, and you need a deck building game, get the one that started it all. It's still the best in my opinion and offers the most for your money.
Number One will be coming very soon, and if you follow the blog, you should have a pretty good guess at what it's going to be.
Tue May 29, 2012 12:20 pm
-
Jason Moslander
United States
Fenton
Missouri
-
Originally Posted at www.gameswithtwo.com
You have been commissioned to build the biggest, most beautiful tower, and as many towers as you can in a four year period. You have a team of workers that must help you collect materials and funds, and assist in the building of these towers. However, you are also competing with other builders who are trying to become more prestigious than you. Do you have what it takes to become the best builder? You will find out when you play Asara.
Okay, I know my opener is lame, but is Asara lame? First, let's take a look at what this game is and then we can get into how bad or good this one is. Asara was designed by Wolfgang Kramer and is published by Ravensburger. The game is for 2-4 players and takes about 45 minutes to play; if you have the game setup and you have experienced players, you can probably knock out a game in 30 minutes. This is a worker placement and set collection game. The goal is to build towers in various colors. You get points after each round is completed, and then there is also an end game scoring. The basic game play is simple. Each player is given 7-9 cards--based on the number of players-- and these are your workers. They come in various colors, which is important in developing your strategy. On your turn, you will place one of these worker cards on one of several locations on the board. There are three marketplaces, a building circle, a bank, a start player place, and a house of spies area on the board. Excluding the start player area, each area has multiple places to place workers.
Let's look at these areas of the board, since they are the meat of the game. The three marketplaces are where you will be purchasing pieces for your towers. There is a market for bases, tops, and two markets for middle sections. Each of these sections comes in one of five colors (brown, red, green, black, and white). Each one costing a different amount based on their value at end game. You will need a base and a top of one color in order to start your tower. You can add onto it later, but these two pieces are the minimum needed to start it. You can buy one piece from a marketplace on your turn, so choose carefully, and make sure that the other pieces you need are available.
If the pieces you need for the towers you are planning to build are not available, you can go to the House of Spies. There are two spaces available here: one costs 3 money and the other costs 5 money. Using your workers here allows for you to look through one of the marketplace decks of tower pieces and select the one you would like to purchase. You still have to pay the cost associated with the piece, so be careful, when you use this, because your funds could be depleted. There is one other spot by the House of Spies called the Caliph's Patronage. This gives you the first player marker for the next round and gives you 1 victory point during scoring.
After the marketplaces, there is the bank. This allows you to get more money (it's called Asari in the game) to purchase more tower pieces and build your towers. There are spots for 12, 10, and 8 Asari. As well as the only spot that can be used repeatedly, which gives you 5 Asari. These are the only places to get money for one of your actions. You will also receive 20 Asari at the beginning of each of the rounds (something to keep in mind as you are using workers for the bank). Finally, at end game scoring, every 10 Asari you have is worth 1 victory point.
The last place you can go is the Building Circle in the center of the board. You can play a card here to build your towers. The more you pay, the more pieces you can build. If you play on the 2 Asari slot, you can build two tower sections; if you play on the 5 Asari spot, you can build five tower sections. So, it's important to use this wisely and efficiently, but if you want to, other players may play a worker card that prevents you from building.
Now, you may say where is the strategy? Well, here is the kicker, each worker that you place must be of the same color as the other workers in that area. So, if someone places a blue card in the bank, all other cards placed there must be blue. If someone places a red card in the building area, all other building cards must be red. However, you can play two of any card face down to play on an area that you don't have that color, or you are wanting to save that color, or maybe you are trying to trick your opponents. Once you play your worker you do the action for that area and then play moves to the next player. This continues until everyone uses all of their workers. The round ends and you do some end round scoring (you get a point for each tower and each decoration on your towers. The start player also gets one point), and then begin the next round of the game. After the fourth round, the end of the game is triggered. You score the round and then score the end game (end game scoring gives points for whomever has the tallest and second tallest towers in a given color, then points are also awarded for who has the most towers and who built the tallest tower overall), the player with the most victory points is the winner.
The components for Asara are good. They are not amazing, but they are not bad either. The box is your standard big box (Ticket to Ride size), which is an automatic plus for me. The board is a good stock, but it could stand to be a little thicker. The cards are small, but this is needed to place them on the board. You are also given a nice sturdy player screen to hide your cards behind. The cards are each a different color and I felt that they were a little too close in color. They do have different symbols in their corners, but different artwork on each card and some more distinction would have gone a long way. The money is good. My only other complaint would be I wish that the scoring track markers were a little bigger, they are a little small and can be lost easily. Overall, descent components beautiful artwork, just not anything to really write home about. Finally, the cost is right on point at about $40.
As far as game play, this one is solid. It was nominated for the Spiel des Jahres in 2010 and I can see why. This is just a worker placement and set collection game, but using cards instead of meeples or pawns was a great idea. It makes you think and gives you opportunities to try to block your opponents. The game is simple to learn and easy to teach which, for us, means it will be hitting the table a lot (especially at game nights). The game play is also very quick. We finished our first two-player game in about 35 minutes. I have heard some people complain about setup time, but this wasn't an issue for us. If you enjoy worker placement, but are afraid to breakout Caylus or Agricola as an introduction game, this might be one to pick up to get people into the ebb and flow of a worker placement game. This one is easy enough for my mom to play, but also deep enough to bring to your gamers game night. There is also a professional version of the game, that gives you more placement options, and gives the game some more depth.
We both enjoyed Asara. I was not expecting much, and I was pleasantly surprised. Mrs. GWT said, "I could see this one making it into my Top 10 in the future." This one will be staying in our game closet and hopefully will take center stage at our gaming table often.
See the original post at http://gameswithtwo.blogspot.com/2012/05/ascending-corporate...
Sat May 26, 2012 12:01 pm
-
Jason Moslander
United States
Fenton
Missouri
-
Originally Post at www.gameswithtwo.com
This past weekend Mrs. Games with Two and myself made our way to our first convention. We traveled to nearby Geekway to the West 2012 ( www.geekway2west.com). This is the local board game convention in the St. Louis area. The con lasts for four days and takes place every May. This year, they had between 350-400 people attend, and the convention continues to grow every year. The convention has three rooms for gaming, with one of them reserved for events. There were tons of giveaways, play to win games, a trade table, vendors, and a massive library of over 650 games. This doesn't include the hundreds of games that people brought to play.
Although the con lasts four days, we were only able to attend on Saturday night. However, we got our game fix in and had a blast playing some new games that we have been longing to play. We were able to grab a Crokinole board from the library and give it a go. This was the first time we had an opportunity to play this one. We loved it, and are already looking for ways to purchase one of these, but the $150 starting price makes it difficult to justify the purchase of one of these beautiful boards. Maybe someday, and hopefully sooner rather than later. Mrs. Games with Two really liked this one and made sure we all knew she loved it.
After Crokinole, they had a raffle drawing to select from a table of games and merchandise that was being given away. They had about 20-30 games on the table. We didn't win, but it was fun and it looked like it's a pretty popular event at the con. After the raffle, we found the PitchCar track. I have been wanting to add this one to our collection, but again the price has detoured me from picking this one up. They had a track setup from a tournament earlier in the day. It was filled with jumps and curves and bridges and anything else you can imagine. It was a lot of fun. Mrs. Games with Two didn't enjoy it as much, but I think that is mostly because she was leading until the last straightaway and ended up coming in second. Great fun, and I bet it's even more fun with more players.
As we finished PitchCar, a gentlemen was looking for players for Agricola. This was another game that I have been wanting to play for awhile. Mrs GWT, myself, and my friend Jason all got in on this one. It was a fun game. The game is longer and has a lot to think about, but we had a great time. We are considering adding this one to our collection, or maybe picking up the two player version that comes out next month. The only thing that has stop me from getting this one is the playtime. We tend to lean toward games that play in less than 90 minutes. Our game went two and half hours. I imagine the more we play it and if we only have two players it will go quicker. However, it is also pretty complex, and I think it may not hit the table enough to justify a purchase. We will see though. It's on both of our radars now.
Overall, we had a great time at Geekway. Are we going to go back next year? Probably. Are we going to become con people? You know the ones that go to PAX, Origins, GenCon, and their local con every year. Well, I seriously doubt it. We don't have the time, funds, or energy to do the four day hauls that most of these cons have. If we do one in the future, we would probably just go for a day. Geekway was blast though, and if you enjoy playing games, you should check out Geekway next year.
It's the best con I have ever been to, I can tell you that much.
The website has a photos and a link to more photos: http://gameswithtwo.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-1st-con-experien...
Thu May 24, 2012 11:34 am
-
Jason Moslander
United States
Fenton
Missouri
-
Originally posted at www.gameswithtwo.com
You are on a camping trip and you hear something rustling in the bushes. What could it be? A squirrel? Some raccoons fighting over garbage left from the previous campers? No. It's something much much worse. It's Bears! You best get your guns, start running, or maybe you will sleep through it and never know the horror that you may have faced. This is the premise of Bears! brought to you by Fireside Games.
This is a 2-4 player dice game that takes about 20 minutes to play. In the game, there is a pool of dice that is rolled in the center of the playing area. These are white dice with either bears or camping tents on their faces. There are five dice per player in the game. After the pool is rolled, each player has five black dice that they will roll and then match up with dice from the pool. Players continue to match up their dice until the pool of dice contains only one face (either all camping tents or all bears). At this point, players yell, "BEARS!", and the round ends. Players are no longer able to grab dice and everyone scores the pairs that they have made. The black dice that each player has have three different faces: a rifle, a person running, and a person sleeping in a sleeping bag. If a player matches a rifle to a bear, they score one point. When you match the person running with a camping tent, you score two points. Finally, you can match a person sleeping in a sleeping bag with a camping tent: if there are only bears left in the pool, they score negative two points, but if there are only camping tents left they score five points for the match. If you make an illegal match or call out, "Bears!" at the wrong time, one point is deducted from your score. After each player scores their dice, you start over again. Play continues until a player scores 100 points. At that time, the game is over, and you can start a new round.
I was very impressed with the price and components of Bears! You get 40 custom dice with engraved faces and each face has a different color. They are a little smaller than standard dice, but not too small to be unmanageable or difficult to see what is on each face of the die. I also really liked the box. It's a rectangular box that doubles as a dice cup. Since you can be rolling 20 dice in a four player game, this is a great feature. The game is also expandable to eight players and 80 dice if you add another set (and you can keep adding sets to add more players). You can easily fit two or three sets into one box, and therefore still have the compactness of owning one copy. The price is right too at $20; you can't really beat that for 40 quality, custom dice. My only complaint is that I wish that the base game would support up to six players since I believe the game players better with more players.
We had a fun time playing this game with four players. Bears! isn't trying to be anything innovative or new. It doesn't try to be the next Ticket to Ride or Dominion. It's just a simple dice game. It's great to start or finish an evening with. We found the game to be just as advertised. It is fun from start to end. It's easy to learn and just about anyone can learn it in a couple of minutes. If you have ever played the game Spoons, it will remind you of that type of game where everyone is grabbing for an item in the middle of the table, but there just isn't enough to go around. Bears! has this feel, and it can be a really fun time.
Now, Bears! is by no means a perfect filler game, either. The game is not going to work well if you have a wide age range playing it. Kids are not going to be able to react as fast or reach as far for dice. If they are playing against others their age, it will work fine, but mom, dad, and the kids playing it, gives the adults a distinct advantage. I would have also liked to see some variants on the basic game play. This would have been very easy to do. You could have a team or partner variant; a variant that pits one person versus everyone else at the table; or maybe a handicap system that gives kids a couple second head start. Any of these would add an extra level to the game, and increase the re-playability at really no extra cost to the publisher.
As I said above, I believe this game plays better with more players, and I really don't think it plays well with two players. Part of the fun of this game is the chaos of a bunch of people all grabbing for dice at the same time. With only two players, you really don't get that feel. If you don't like chaos, it maybe one you want to play with only two, but I don't think this will be hitting the table in our house when it is only Mrs. Games with Two and myself.
That being said, this game has a place on our game shelf. It fits a niche that we did not have covered. We now have a light, filler, dice game to break out on game nights and even bring to grandma's house on Christmas. Bears! is a fun game that does what it's supposed to and did not disappoint. If you enjoy light dice games like Farkle or games that have that crazy factor, like Spoons, you may want to consider getting this one for your shelf as well.
See more at http://gameswithtwo.blogspot.com/2012/05/lions-and-tigers-an...
Tue May 22, 2012 11:39 am
-
Jason Moslander
United States
Fenton
Missouri
-
Originally Posted at www.gameswithtwo.com
We love to host game nights. It's just a blast to have a house full of people, or in our case, a small apartment full of people crammed in like sardines. Hosting a game night can be really rewarding. It allows for you to experience new people and new games, and others can experience new games and new people, too. Or you can change both of those news to old. It just depends on your personality really. I thought it would be interesting to share some of things that we do to try to have a successful game night. In my eyes, a successful game night is one where everyone has a good time--it's that easy. So, without further adieu, here are some tips to help you host a game night of your own...
#1 Set it up
I usually plan my game nights in advance. I try to give a month's notice so that everyone has time to get off work, and make sure that they haven't made other boring plans. Last time, I only gave two weeks, and I realized the night before that it was also the opening of The Avengers...we had about six people show up. For our large game nights, I like using Facebook. I setup an event and invite a ton of people and tell them to invite whomever they want as well. I then ask people to bring games and snacks. If I am having something more low key, i.e. just a small group over to play a specific game or another couple or two over to play, it's usually done via phone calls and texts.
#2 Have a Plan
Make sure you have an idea of what you want your game night to be. Are you going to play party games? Strategy games? Filler games? A mix of whatever? It's really up to you, but I try to make sure my guests know what they are getting into. No one wants to come expecting to play Wits and Wagers and end up a ten hour game of TI3. I like to set a theme ahead of time, or ask people what they are wanting to play. These can be a narrow as saying, "We are having a Ticket to Ride party," or as wide open as, "bring your old games that never see the light of day." This helps the party have a good flow, and no one feels like they were part of a bait and switch.
#3 Know the Games
If I know someone wants to play a game we haven't played in a while, or I want to play a game that is new to me, I try to make sure that I have a good handle on the rules. If I can do that, it makes the gaming experience better for everyone. If you are not the rules guy, get the directions to your rules guy so that you aren't going into a game blind.
#4 Play Host
It's important that everyone at your party has a good time. If there are not enough seats at table, be the one to volunteer to sit out. Play what others want to play. Pretty much, don't be a jerk. Although you are hosting, you are not a dictator. Your job is to make sure everyone has a good time. If that means you don't get to play your favorite game, then so be it. Let's face it, we all consider ourselves before the group. Resist your natural tenancies and do what's best for everyone else. When we host a game night, Mrs. GWT usually doesn't play so that she can play party host. She makes sure everyone is happy and those who are not interested in playing a game are not left sitting in a corner by themselves.
#5 Seating
If you can, try to have adequate seating for the number of people you are having. When we have our big nights, we try to have 2-3 tables setup. This allows for multiple games to take place. Now, this doesn't always happen. Normally, two tables will be pushed together to make one big gaming table for a large group game.
#6 Have Fun
Remember parties are to enjoy people and have a great time. The last thing you need to be is Debbie Downer. Make sure your guests our having a good time as well. Don't take the night too seriously, and make it fun for everyone. Otherwise, they will never come again, and you will end up sitting at home playing board game apps on your Kindle Fire. Okay, that may not be true, but enjoy yourself at your board game night.
#7 Progressive Arc
I see our game nights as a progressive arc. We usually try to start with something light and easy. This would be your basic 10-30 minute filler game (especially if only a few people have arrived), and then, we move onto the more meaty games as more people show up. These are the ones for 3-8 players that take 1-2 hours to play. We will try to play one or two of these, pending on time. Then, we end the night with something light. If we have a large group, we break out Ultimate Werewolf, and with a smaller setting we love The Resistance. This makes the night feel like somewhat of a movie: light at the beginning, heavy plot build up, then your conclusion.
These are some quick and easy things to do, that may help your next game night be a success. What kinds of things do you do to make sure that your game night is fun for all?
See more at www.gameswithtwo.com
-
Jason Moslander
United States
Fenton
Missouri
-
See more at www.gameswithtwo.com
Mechanism: Volume D - Merging Styles
In the past couple of years, I have noticed a merging of ideals and mechanisms in gaming. This merger is most evident in the two distinct styles of American and European games. Recently, there has been a marriage of sorts: the strong themes of Ameritrash and the wondrous mechanisms of a great Euro. In the past, there has been a distinct separation between these two. As more Americans discover Euros and more Europeans discover Ameritrash, there was bound to be crossover. I have chosen the new hotness, Lords of Waterdeep, for this case study. This will be less of a review and more of an overview and analysis of the marriage of gaming styles.
In Lords of Waterdeep, you are a Lord in the Dungeons and Dragons world. This is a worker placement and set collection game where you are taking your workers and gaining cubes to complete quests and build buildings. Completing the quest come with awards, such as more cubes, money, and victory points. Building also gives victory points, as well as giving more spaces on the board, and giving benefits to the owner of the building. Players continue to place their workers and gain cubes, money, and victory points until the end of eight rounds. At the end of the eight rounds, players reveal their special ability and score their end game points. The player with the most points is the winner. Now that you have an idea of the game, let's put it on the table and look at the merger that has taken place.
Let's see what the Yanks have put into this bad boy. The game has Dungeons and Dragons theme which is clearly American to the core. I don't know much about the D'n'D universe since I am not an RPG player, but the RPGers out there can really grab a hold of the theme--something they are familiar with. The game also has cards called intrigue cards. These are used to give a 'take that' aspect to the game. This element isn't overly strong in the game, but it does give a USofA vibe to the game play.
The worker placement mechanic used in Waterdeep is Euro to the core. It's a staple of games ranging from Caylus to Pillars of the Earth. Usually, when this mechanism is used, it is seen in medium to heavy weight Euros. These games are not for the faint at heart since they also tend to be longer games, running in the 90-180 minute range. Now, this isn't true of all worker placements, but it is not unusual. These games also have a dull theme in most cases: buy cubes, sell cubes, trade cubes, build something, and see who did it the best. However, the mechanisms are usually intriguing enough to keep our attention.
What Waterdeep does is gives us is the best of both worlds. There is a solid theme of Ameritrash gaming while getting rid of the random element, and a solid game play experience using set collection and worker placement mechanics to give you a solid strategy game. I believe that this crossover gaming will become more apparent in the future as companies and game designers realize that they can cover more of the market by mashing together these popular schools of thought. What are your thoughts on this lovely union of ideas?
Originally post at http://gameswithtwo.blogspot.com/2012/05/marriage-is-what-br...
Thu May 17, 2012 11:26 am
-
Jason Moslander
United States
Fenton
Missouri
-
Originally Posted at www.gameswithtwo.com
Recap
We are getting down to the last few games in Mrs. Games with Two's Top 10 list. Today, we are going to look at numbers four and three. However, lets take a quick look at number five through ten:
Number Ten: Alien Frontiers
Number Nine: Power Grid
Number Eight: Mystery of the Abbey
Number Seven: Ingenious
Number Six: Small World
Number Five: Letters from Whitechapel
Number Four: Settlers of Catan & Rivals for Catan
I know what your thinking this is two games, and you would be right. However, Settlers of Catan does not get to the table as often as we would like. This is mostly due to the fact that normally it's just the two of us playing games. So, with 3-6 we have to say Settlers and Rivals is a great place to get our Catan fix when we can't find any friends to subject to gaming. Both games hold a special place in our hearts because Settlers was the game that introduced us to the hobby, and thus caused us to have more cardboard than any human should. However, we love our games and we get to share the joys of them with others and we have made great memories through games, and the credit has to go to the Catan games.
Number Three: Shadows Over Camelot
Shadows, as we lovingly call Shadows Over Camelot, is the second team game (some people don't consider this game a co-op game) that we played. The first being Pandemic. Our love of Pandemic had my gaming buddy and myself begin to search for other co-op games. At the time, the explosion of co-op games had not started yet. While in a game store, the clerk suggested Shadows to my buddy, and he immediately purchased it. When he brought it over, Mrs. GWT scoffed. She saw the fantasy theme and immediately made fun of us and the game (there were lots of small figures and we may have jokingly suggested dressed up like knights and playing to egg her on). However, after a couple of plays, we coerced her into playing with us. She immediately fell in love the game. The simple game play mixed with the traitor element created a great game experience, and thus made this one of my wife's favorite games ever.
There is something special about this game. I think the ease of getting into the game and the 60-90 minute game play makes this game work very well. Mrs. GWT has tried Battlestar and did not care for it. I think BSG maybe a little overly complex for her taste, and the 3-4 hour game length makes her runaway in terror. Shadows gives the BSG experience in half the time, while still giving a rich gaming experience. Finally, this game taught Mrs. GWT something important, you cannot judge a game by it's theme. And it's a lesson she has learned well. She will try just about any game with me now, and tries to have an open mind, even if it means that we will be slaying orcs and dwarves.
Next time, we move onto Number Two. It's safe to say that this game changed the way we look at games.
See more of the Top 10 at www.gameswithtwo.com
Tue May 15, 2012 11:33 am
-
Jason Moslander
United States
Fenton
Missouri
-
Originally Posted at www.gameswithtwo.com
Remember in Episode III of Star Wars when the Emperor declares that the republic is dead and now they are the Galactic Empire? Remember how sad you were, that the Republic as dead? Well, now the fate of the galaxy is in your hands. You are in control. You will claim plants and develop new technology and try to create the biggest and best Galactic Empire the universe has ever seen. This is your quest. Well, at least it will be your quest for the next 30-60 minutes, as you Race for the Galaxy.
Race for the Galaxy is a 2-4 player card game by Rio Grande Games. It was designed by Thomas Lehmann and was released in 2007. The game plays in 30-60 minutes, and that is mostly based on your experience and how many players you have. With rules and explanation, we hammered out a two-player game in under 45 minutes. In the game, each player is given a hand of cards which are made up of worlds and technology developments. The goal of the game is to end up with the most victory points before the game ends, which occurs when someone plays their 12th card or the victory point bank is empty. You will not only use your card to develop your galactic civilization, they are also your currency and resources. So, on your turn, you will chose one of seven different types of actions to do. These include explore, settle, develop, consume, and produce (Note: two of the actions have multiple options, but are considered to still be part of one of the five actions listed). Your opponents will also chose an action to do as well. Every player will then do all of the actions that were laid down, but you will only get to do the special ability of the card you chose. Let's take a look at the seven different actions as this is the bases of the game play.
I. Explore: This action allows you to draw more cards into your hand. Normally, you are allowed to draw two cards and keep one of them. If you chose this card as your action, you can either draw three cards and keep two, or draw seven cards and keep one.
II. Settle: Settling allows for you to play world cards into your playing area. In order to play these cards, you must discard a card(s) equal to the number shown on the card. So, if the world is has a three on it, you will have to discard three cards to play it. There is also a second smaller number that is the number of victory points the card is worth. Finally, some of these cards give you a bonus during different action rounds. There are ones that give you additional cards or reduce the cost to play a world or development card. They can also help with the consume and produce phases of the game. Finally, if you played this card as your action you get to draw a card from the deck into your hand.
III. Develop: The development phase works very similarly to the Settle phase. The main difference is that instead of playing world cards, you will play development cards. These cards work in most the same way as the world cards. They give you special abilities during the phases, but they vary slightly from those of the world cards. Finally, if you play this as your action you get to play your development card for one less than what the card states (i.e. if you are playing a card that cost two cards to play, it will only cost you one card).
IV Consume: During the consume phase, you can sell cards that you have earned during the produce phase. You can trade these in to add cards into your hand, or you can trade them for victory points. It just depends on the world and development cards that you have in play and what bonuses they give you. When you play this card, you can get double your victory points that you earned during the phase.
V Produce: During this phase of the game, you are able to produce different goods that certain worlds create. These are then sold or turned into victory points during the Consume phase. There are several different goods worth different amounts. When you play this as your action, you can produce on some worlds that you normally are not able to produce on.
And that is the basic game play for Race for the Galaxy. Now, there are some different things that you can do during each phase and it can get more complex with the different bonuses that you have available to play, but in general, you play an action card and then everyone does all the actions that were played and play continues in this way until some plays their 12th card or all the victory points are taken from the bank. The players then count up their points and the player with the most points wins the game.
Race for the Galaxy retails for about $35. The game comes with victory point tokens, four much needed player aids, and a nice, size deck of cards in a box that is the same size as the base game of Carcassonne. The cards has some good artwork and are of a good stock. Rio Grande usually does a very good job with the components, and I think they did a good job with these as well. I would say the price might be a little high. I would like to see it around the $25-$30 range, but $35 is not a bad value for the components, and the game play is deep and allows for the justification of the price.
The game play of RftG is solid. The game has a lot of depth and gives you a lot of strategy options. You can play a balanced game or work on certain areas and go heavy in them. For example, you can just play Settle and continuously build your worlds, or you can play develop cards and work on your technology. There are many ways to try and score victory points which is something I really like. The game plays quickly and there isn't much downtime as you get to do the actions that your opponents played as well. I also like the length of the game: 30-60 minute games work great for us, and you get a rich game experience without having to devote an entire evening to the game.
Although I really enjoyed RtfG and I think it may see Mrs. GWT's Top 10 in the future, it does have some pitfalls, and the biggest one is the icons. There are icons out the wazoo. This can be very overwhelming, especially during your first couple of plays. The cards and reference sheets try to explain the icons well, but it is still a daunting task and can make the game feel a little fiddly. Once you get a couple of plays under you belt though, the icons begin to make sense and the game can flow a little easier.
I also found some of the phases to be a little confusing. In my opinion, the produce phase should be the fourth option and consume should be the fifth option. This just seems like it would make more logical sense and make the game flow a little smoother. These two phases were the hardest for me to grasp and seem to be the most confusing. I think a better explanation in the rulebook may have fixed my issue with this as well.
Both of my complaints are really more for the first couple of plays of Race for the Galaxy. Once you get past the initial learning curve the game is great, but because of this I am hesitant to pull this one out on a game night. I really see this game only being played with Mrs GWT and myself. There might be an occasion or two where I bring it out with some of my gaming buddies, but there is no way that I would bring this to a family gathering or to a casual game night (I can just see the eyes starting to glaze over already). However, if you have a regular game group or your own Mrs. GWT to play this with on a regular basis, this is definitely game that you may want to look into adding to your collection.
From www.gameswithtwo.com
Sat May 12, 2012 12:39 pm
-
Jason Moslander
United States
Fenton
Missouri
-
Posted Originally at www.gameswithtwo.com
Numbers Six and Five
So, we are rounding out the bottom portion of the list and moving into the Top 5. Let's start with a rundown of the games so far: Number Ten: Alien Frontiers, Number Nine: Power Grid, Number Eight: Mystery of the Abbey, Number Seven: Ingenious. Solid picks so far by Mrs. Games With Two. However, the list gets even better. So, let's get on with it and move onto Numbers Six and Five.
Number Six: Small World
Small World is an area control game that has a fantasy theme. Each player takes on the role of a different race ranging from elves, dwarves, wizards, giants, and even regular old humans. Each race is then randomly paired with a special power. You use your race to claim territories on the map and conquer territories controlled by others. This continues over a series of rounds, depending on how many players you have. In the end, the player with the most victory points wins the game. We really enjoy this game. It's quick and easy to learn, and the theme is great. The fantasy characters are light-hearted and fun for kids as well as adults. I also love the fact that there is a different board depending on how many people you are playing with. Small World plays with 2-5 players and you can add a 6th if you have one of the expansions. It works best with four or five players, but you can still have a good time with two or three.
Number Five: Letters From Whitechapel
Letters from Whitechapel is a hidden movement game. One player takes on the role of Jack the Ripper and is trying to kill five "wretched" in four nights. Each night he kills one, except on the third night, where he kills two "wretched." Each night after he kills, he must make it back to his hideout before the police catch him. The other players are the policemen. They are on patrol throughout the city and must work together to find clues and ultimately, to capture the infamous serial killer. The theme is pretty dark, but it is great fun. It plays great with two players, with six players, and everything in between. Mrs. GWT and I can't get enough of this one, and one of our other gaming couples loves this one too. It seems like every time they come over we decide to play LFW, or it is at least nominated as a game to play by someone. If you enjoy hidden movement, and you can find a copy, this game is worth picking up. The only downfall is the length. It can easily go 3 hours especially if you are playing with a group.
Well, we are getting into the games that Mrs. GWT really enjoys now. The ones coming up are her favorites. Next time, we will look at Numbers Four and Three...
See more at www.gameswithtwo.com
Thu May 10, 2012 12:20 pm
-
Jason Moslander
United States
Fenton
Missouri
-
Originally posted at www.gameswithtwo.com
One of the most iconic games of the last ten years. It had a stint as the number one game on Board Game Geek. It has close to a dozen awards, nominations, and recommendations. It has had seven expansions and two spinoff games. The green box is a staple in most hobby game stores. It is Power Grid, or Funkenschlag as it is known in Germany. Designed by Friedemann Friese in 2004, Power Grid is one of the most recognized games in the industry.
Power Grid is a 2-6 player game that takes about 2 hours to play. Expect a game to last a little longer if you are playing with new players and if you are playing with five or six players. Each player takes the role of a power plant company. The goal is to power the most cities with power on the last round of the game. The game takes place in rounds that have five phases each. These include determining turn order, auctioning power plants, purchasing resources, building cities, and bureaucracy (this includes powering your plant to get money, replacing the lowest or highest power plant in the market [depending on the Step the game is on], and replenishing the resource market). Play continues in this fashion until a player reaches the required number of cities to trigger the end game (this differs based on the number of people that are playing).
The first phase is simply determining the turn order for the round. Unlike most games that have a set clockwise turn order, Power Grid determines who is winning and losing the game based on how many cities each player has. If there is a tie, the player who has the higher-numbered power plant is considered to be in the lead. Turn order is an important part of the game. The player in first place has a disadvantage as he is the last person that is able to buy resources and build cities, but he is the first person to go during the auction phase. This mechanism keeps the game balanced and helps prevent a runaway leader. Not everyone likes the mechanic, but most people do.
In the second phase of the game, there is an auction for available power plants. Each player takes a turn bidding on Power Plants. There is a power plant market that has eight plants. The four lowest numbered plants are in the current market and can be bid upon. The highest four plants are in the future market. Each power plant has a starting bid number, which also helps determine it's worth. Each plant uses one of four resources to power it's cities. Each plant also has a maximum number of cities it can power. This number ranges from 1-7 cities with the standard game. Players take turns bidding until only one player is left. Each player will have an opportunity to start the bidding on the power plants, unless they have already purchased a plant during another player's round to start the bidding. This continues until everyone has a chance to purchase a plant. You can have up to three power plants in your possession. If you purchase a fourth plant, you must discard one of your current plants.
The third phase is simply buying resources to fuel your power plants. This happens in reverse turn order. Meaning, the player in last player goes first, and the player in first place goes last. You can buy one of four resources (coal, oil, garbage, and uranium). You can buy up to twice as many resources as your power plant can use. As more resources are purchased, they become more expensive to buy. The market can even run out of resources, in which case players would not be able to power their plants.
Phase four is building cities. Each city you build costs 10 dollars to build and then if you want to build an additional city you have to pay 10 dollars and the connecting cost. During the First Step of the game, only one person can build in each city. During the Second Step you can build in cities that other players have built at a cost of 15 dollars per city. During Step Three, you can build in cities that have two players in them at a cost of 20 dollars per city. Players continue to build their networks and try to power the most cities.
Finally, there is phase 5. During this phase, players burn the resources they need to power their plants and thus their cities. You get money for each city that you power. After everyone powers their city, you reset the power plant market by removing the highest numbered power plant in Steps 1 and 2, and removing the lowest power plant during Step 3. The highest numbers are placed on the bottom of the power plant card stack and will be used during Step 3 of the game. After phase 5, you lather rinse and repeat. And that is the basic game play for Power Grid. There are some other small things that happen during the game, but this will give you a basic idea of how the game is played.
Power Grid has gotten a lot of praise and won some awards, but what do I think? Well, as always, let's start with the components. These are solid. The board is double-sided. One side is a map of the United States and the reverse is of Germany/Deutschland. This is a great feature and allows for some more playability. The resources are each a different color and shape, and are made of wood. The resource cards are great. The artwork is simple, but I like it. The cards help you embrace the power plant theme, while being informative. The game pieces are also language independent, which is a great feature. The price is also right for this game. The MSRP is around $45 which is a steal. This game could easily be put in the $60-70 price range and be worth it's price.
There are a lot of expansions for Power Grid. These can keep the game fresh. There is a set of additional power plant cards that can be mixed and matched with the original deck. There are several promotional cards that add some new flavor to the game. Finally, there are map expansions. Currently, there are ten additional maps that come in two-map packs. There is also another pack that is supposed to come out this year. These map packs are great for those who plays lots of Power Grid. I love a game that keeps it's audience coming back with fresh variants of the game while keeping the game the same.
The game play of Power Grid is flat out amazing. The theme may sound boring to most, but this is probably one of the best economic games ever made. It's mechanics are innovative and the game play is very deep. Power Grid makes you think, but it does it in a way that is engaging. You are still interacting with the other players and enjoying yourself even though their is a lot to consider on each turn. We have found that everyone ends up enjoying this one. It is a little heavier than most of the games we play and it takes a little longer. Because of these two things, it does not see the table often enough. I love how much fun this game is. The planning that has to be done and how those plans can be changed and swayed by the plans of your opponents. Thus, making it a wondrous strategy game and even more fun.
As for the final question, is this a good two player game? And the answer is a resounding no. The game is best with four, five, or six players. With only two or three the game loses its charm. The auction mechanic and the management of the resources drives Power Grid. However, with only two or three players these two mechanisms just feel flat. An auction with only two just loses it's enjoyment. It becomes dull and unexciting, and with only two, resources are not fought over. You just buy power plants that the other player doesn't have. Although the game is does not play well with fewer players, Friedemann has tried to fix this flaw by creating the Robots Expansion. This expansion allows for A.I. players that are supposed to help make 2 and 3 player games more fun. I haven't yet tried the Robots Expansion, but I just picked it up at my Friendly Local Game Store and hope to give it a go soon. That being said, I can't recommend this game enough and I hope that I will soon be able to recommend the Robots Expansion and thus endorse this as a great two player game as well.
See more at www.gameswithtwo.com
Follow me at www.twitter.com/gameswithtwo
Watch me at www.youtube.com/gameswithtwo
Like me at www.facebook.com/gameswithtwo
1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 Next » [7]
|
|
