http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/7972 en-us Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:22:03 -0500 Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:22:03 -0500 aldie@boardgamegeek.com BoardGameGeek features information related to the board gaming hobby <i>And perhaps, just perhaps, a handful of persecuting reviewers had created its negative reputation out of a personal dislike.</i> <br> <br>Yeah what's up with reviewers giving bad reviews just because THEY don't like the game? Where are the honest reviewers, that can end a review with "I really like this game, it has fantastic mechanics and is great fun to play, but I'm giving it a 3.". http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/2446491#2446491 2008-07-03T05:40:26+00:00 degamer So what is the Gateway Value of this game? <br> <br>:star::star::star::star::star: <br> <br>or <br> <br>:nostar::nostar::nostar::nostar::nostar: <br> <br> <br>:devil: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/2446401#2446401 2008-07-03T05:05:01+00:00 cannoneer I worked the CABS desk at Origins where the games were distributed. One can barely believe the joy, elation, wonder, and sheer excitement that we saw with each copy of Crocodile Pool Party that was distributed. With the notable exception of one particularly nasty fight that broke out as people scrambled to get CPP, the game distribution went well. http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/2446205#2446205 2008-07-03T03:46:33+00:00 jemccarty Sounds like it's dripping in theme. http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/2445843#2445843 2008-07-03T01:24:51+00:00 jdberry Good fun. Maybe I should pick up a copy... ;) http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/2445774#2445774 2008-07-03T12:55:46+00:00 Aetheros When I won a copy of <i>Crocodile Pool Party</i> from the Board Room at Origins I was initially in despair. Besides having to admit to owning a copy of the second most reviled game on the Geek I would never be rid of it. Who could I possibly trade it to? I couldn't even throw it out as disposal of Crocodile Pool Party requires a hazardous dumping permit complete with environmental impact statement. <br> <br>And yet I was intrigued. I had to try it to see how it played. And perhaps, just perhaps, a handful of persecuting reviewers had created its negative reputation out of a personal dislike. Could the rumors be true that designer Rudi Hoffmann stole Tom Vasel's girlfriend in high school be true? <br> <br>With trepidation I opened the shrink wrap and I must say I was shocked. <br> <br>If you take nothing else from this review please remember these words: spectacular, a tour-de-force, transcendent, and magnificent. <br> <br><i>Crocodile Pool Party</i> isn't so much a game as an experience. From the moment you open the large, colored board and examine the sheet of twelve counters you will be astounded. And playing the game is an experience that you will remember. <br> <br>Each player has a set of six double sided counters printed on thick cardboard capable of sustaining a man for several minutes in the event of severe famine. One side features the charming image of a swimmer while the other the diabolical crocodiles. Players place the tiles with the crocodile side down and then shuffle them before lining them up in ranks on their side of the pool. The goal is to maneuver these tokens to the far side evading your opponents crocodiles in the process. <br> <br>Each turn the player may move a swimmer one or two spaces orthogonally, turn a swimmer over to the crocodile side and then move the crocodile, or just move a crocodile the number of spaces one to six spaces as printed on the token. Most crocodiles may only turn their path once in their movement but the one that moves six may change their path twice. The crocodile that may move one space may move on the diagonals. All movement for the crocodiles must be their full movement. Should a crocodile land on an opponent's token, human or crocodile, then they place their token on top of their opponents and may move the entire stack. <br> <br>Once there is only one color of tokens in the pool either by capturing them or moving them out of the pool into the safe areas at the far ends the game is over. Players get one point for each token in a stack they control. <br> <br>It is this elegant rule system that transforms <i>Crocodile Pool Party</i> beyond a simple matter of playing for position as you maneuver through a hostile field. The swimmers, for example, cause the player to make a challenging choice of revealing their crocodile or remaining vulnerable to the hostilities of their opponent. By only using six units per side the game also prevents over exertion on the part of the players as they do not have to concern themselves with making large numbers of decisions. <br> <br>A vital strategy for success is transforming the swimmers to crocodiles. Popular culture may give a player the impression that the swimmer has some advantage over crocodiles, particularly if the swimmer is Australian but this is not the case. Crocodiles have greater movement, the ability to capture, and move once they transform so that it costs a player nothing to do this. Should you find yourself playing against an opponent who has not read the paragraph of rules they may not recognize how vital this strategy is. In this situation it may also help to distract this player with any shiny objects you have at hand so they might miss this trick as you turn your own token over. <br> <br>Perhaps I should not reveal my secrets but the greatest strategy that I have uncovered in the game is to turn over your swimmers. Should you wisely be the first to uncover the crocodile that moves six you can quickly place him so that you may capture a significant number of your opponent's tokens. This is due to the unique mathematical properties of the number six and the unique within this game "double turn" maneuver which results in all tokens within six squares and not directly adjacent to this crocodile to be vulnerable to it. As an opponent may only move one token a turn the player who uncovers theirs first can rest soundly in the knowledge that they will almost certainly win. <br> <br>In addition to this I should strongly encourage you to be the first player. This is helpful as the second player will be bewildered as you move to threaten their pieces before they can move to threaten yours. With six tokens per side in the game being first is a vital advantage that a player should not be willing to give up. <br> <br><i>Crocodile Pool Party</i> is a game truly worthy of note. In an era where games are gaining so much it rejects those trends and pursues simpler goals of crocodiles in pools. As other games offer challenging decisions of strategic depth it avoids them recognizing that the games that have made the greatest impact on the public consciousness are typically those which offer the player few meaningful choices. I applaud Rudi Hoffmann for his unequaled achievement. <br> <br>Finally I do need to mention my copy is available for trade. Though it would pain me I might be willing to give it up for <i>Agricola</i>. And yet how could any game possibly compare with the <i>Pool Party</i>. http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/2445708#2445708 2008-07-03T12:07:59+00:00 Just Some Guy