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Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
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Still reading this? Wow! Just tuning in? I have been exploring some of the 500+ games I have removed from my collection.
Flowerpower - I've noticed that this game has turned into a grail game for some folks. I certainly didn't hate it. But I didn't think it was anything special either. On some level it is a domino variant. It's a 2p game, of course. But I didn't feel it was a great strategic game, yet it induced a silent struggle of pansies.
Formula-1 - This is a pretty cool game, especially for the early 60's. I rather liked it. But after a few plays I could tell I was not likely to play it much anymore. You can see the bones of Formula De here, and I have to admit I'd prefer to play Formula De. So when a friend was looking for a good race game for his children, I happily gifted this game.
Frontier-6 - Okay, this isn't a popular or well known game. But I have some fond memories of it, and would agree to play again in the unlikely event anyone ever asked me to play. Take Monopoly, apply a well integrated "Old West" theme and incorporate a rustling chase mechanic. Voila! Good game, if you can stand the randomness.
Giganten - I really wanted to like this one. It was one of the first Euros I bought, and the game materials were uber-cool. But while the game was some fun to play, it didn't deliver enough reward for strategic thought. In some ways the game played you - with too many obvious choices through the many game phases.
Goldland - Here's another game that I see has achieved coveted grail status for some. I think its a conspiracy that these games gain value after I trade them away. Anyway, Goldland never was too well received around here. I was initially happy to have it, as it was part of my (deceased) Goldsieber collection. I recall noting that Goldsiber had collected the three "Big K's" with an exploration game from each: Klaus Teuber with Entdecker, Knizia with Africa and Kramer with Goldland. The major problem with Goldland was that it dragged as you added players. I think it was probably best with 3 players. But we played too many times with more players, and eventually we tired of it as a slow game.
Hamsterrolle - I still play this occasionally as a friend has a copy. It is a provocative game, and always garners attention from bystanders. For me, I decided to clear it out when I decided I was not as interested in balancing games as I had previously thought. I kept Bamboleo, but Arbos, Bandu, Kapitan Wackepudding and Hamsterrolle were removed.
Le Havre - As I write this I see Le Havre is ranked as #6 on BGG. Huh. Personally I was underwhelmed. One big problem I had with the game was the fidliness, and the ever increasing options. Cards were scattered all over the board, hard to read, and players nearly locked up trying to figure out what options they had and then which one they should take.
Hellas - Here's a game that I was initially quite happy with. You can read my gushing about it here: http://www.thegamesjournal.com/reviews/Hellas.shtml. But ultimately I ended up agreeing with my co-author, Mark Johnson, and found Hellas wanting. The game is nearly guaranteed to create a tight finish, and I would still probably enjoy an occasional game of Hellas. But there is a proper way to play - draw as many cards as you can, especially the War and Zeus cards. He who draws best will likely win.
History of the World - The only reason I let this one go, is because I now own A Brief History of the World!
Illuminati - This is such an 80's game. It was fun and irreverent. But boy were those tiny cards and bits of paper money annoying. A friend got the deluxe version, which was better. But I fear the sun has set on this game. If I were to play again, it would merely be for nostalgia.
In Teufels Küche - Some of the local players think I am cracked for having traded this away. Maybe I am- the game is wildly over-produced. No other game has a cookstove that has a devil randomly pop out! But as charming as the game materials are, I found the game itself to not be to my tastes. I will play occasionally as another copy is still around here. But it is not a favorite.
Indonesia - Despite some high esteem from a few of my trail-marking geek buddies, I could not get into this game. I know I never gave this game enough chances, I only played once. But the drab materials and quirky rules along with my general weariness upon trying to read the rules doomed this one. I suppose I would be willing to try again, but I won't be the one trying to teach it.
Thanks for reading!
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