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%name%
The Kosmos 2 Player Game List: By Average Rating
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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As I am somewhat of a fan of the Kosmos line of 2 player games, I thought it would be good to have a list of them in one place, sorted by their average rating on BGG.


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Popular Tags: 2-player [+] kosmos [+] twoplayer [+] Pub:Kosmos [+] tops [+] game_families [+] [View All]
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1. Board Game: Ingenious: Travel Edition [Average Rating:7.29 Overall Rank:289]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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The theme of this is... um... well... at least they didn't try to tack on a theme.
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Michael Christopher
United States
Seattle
Washington
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I actually enjoy this version better than the big multiplayer production. The tiny tiles are cool, as is the plastic board. Maybe it's just that...I dunno...this version seems more humble than its overblown multiplayer predecessor.
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  • Posted Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:33 am
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Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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I have yet to try this, but I certainly enjoy the big version.
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  • Posted Tue Mar 25, 2008 4:09 am
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2. Board Game: Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation [Average Rating:7.28 Overall Rank:167]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Confront this!
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Luca Iennaco
Italy

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So my favourite is the favourite of many other players...
Deserved.
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  • Posted Sun Jun 6, 2004 10:52 am
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Kawi Santosa
Indonesia
Jakarta
DKI Jakarta
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The best of 2 players game, in my opinion.
as the fact, this game is for 2 players only
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  • Posted Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:13 pm
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Fred
United States
San Antonio
Texas
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Haven't been able to locate this game in my area, but I'm definitely looking forward to eventually playing it!
 
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  • Posted Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:59 pm
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suPUR DUEper
United States
Villa Hills
Kentucky
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Solid game though at this point I would recommend one get the deluxe version. Tense game with a great mix of strategy, guessing, bluffing and planning.
 
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  • Posted Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:08 pm
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Tim Stellmach
United States
Arlington
Massachusetts
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Bribaba wrote:
A Stratego clone.

It's always hard to tell whether people on forums are just kidding, or actually crazy.
 
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  • Posted Sun Dec 5, 2010 6:37 pm
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3. Board Game: Jambo [Average Rating:7.15 Overall Rank:222]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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A peaceful Swahili trading game that takes place before the whole colonization thing.
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Paul Hackman
United States
Champaign
Illinois
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I've only played this and Lost Cities. I really enjoy Lost Cities but Jambo seems far more interesting and deep.
 
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  • Posted Mon Nov 29, 2004 5:14 am
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suPUR DUEper
United States
Villa Hills
Kentucky
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Actually I don't think Jambo is that confrontational, so you are probably safe..... In order of confrontation I might go:

Lost Cities
Odin's Ravens
Jambo
Babel
Hera and Zeus
Blue Moon

Babel feels the most confrontational of the lot though. When you play Blue Moon or Hera and Zeus, you know the point of the game is to stirke and counterstrike. When you play Babel you think you are playing Lost Cities until a bunch of Assyrians come over to dinner and raise your temple....
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  • Posted Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:20 pm
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Erin Kary
United States

Florida
My boyfriend and I play this quite often and love it. It takes us about 45min to an hour. Sometime the first few rounds are slow until you can accumulate some utility cards to help you get going.

Hope this helps!
 
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  • Posted Tue Sep 15, 2009 3:56 pm
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Tim Seitz
United States
Glen Allen
VA
Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life; instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him. 2 Sam 14:14
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TedW wrote:
When you play Babel you think you are playing Lost Cities until a bunch of Assyrians come over to dinner and raise your temple....

Is that like what the Amish do when they do a barn-raising?
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  • Posted Tue Dec 15, 2009 12:14 am
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Joe Heaney
United States
Shoreview
MN
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Just the right amount of confrontation. Probably my favorite two player game. It's just so charming and replayable.
 
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  • Posted Tue Oct 4, 2011 9:58 pm
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4. Board Game: Lost Cities [Average Rating:7.14 Overall Rank:195]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Finding the Land of the Lost, and, not ever finding it.
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Roger McKay
Canada
Bedford
Nova Scotia
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Zero theme, but engrossing gameplay.
 
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  • Posted Wed Jun 9, 2004 6:12 am
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Michael Christopher
United States
Seattle
Washington
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I rarely like thinly veiled abstracts, but this one has such nice looking cards and board that it makes the pasted-on "theme" forgivable. It's light, easy to learn, yet meaty enough to sink your teeth into. While not my favorite Kosmos 2-player game, this one has seen a LOT of table time at my house!
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  • Posted Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:38 am
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Stven Carlberg
United States
Atlanta
Georgia
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Lovely decorative motif with the idea of going on these different expeditions that evolve as the card numbers get higher.... but after about 50 plays, I was worn out on it.
 
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  • Edited Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:14 pm
  • Posted Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:13 pm
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p55carroll
United States
Carver
Minnesota
"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." (GK Chesterton)
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"That's how the light gets in." (Leonard Cohen)
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Bought this game for my mercurial wife, and it was an instant hit. Quick setup, fast play (I often play too slow for her liking, even in this game), and nice balance of luck and skill.

It's a bit light and abstract for my taste, but I have fun with it. My only complaint is the trouble of having to score each hand. When I play a game, I want to just play the game; I don't like having to pause and do math problems periodically. (It gets to be second nature, so it's not that big a deal. Just a minor annoyance to me.)

Still, Lost Cities has gotten much more play than any other non-computer game in our house. And even after two or three years with it, I'd still be up for another game.
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  • Posted Wed Oct 1, 2008 4:10 pm
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T Doman
United States

Washington
I just have to disagree on this. This one is just a simple card game that can be played with a regular deck - and there are better classic card games out there. My guess is part psychology -it costs money so people automatically rate it higher than solitaire.
 
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  • Posted Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:42 pm
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5. Board Game: Catan Card Game [Average Rating:6.91 Overall Rank:349]
Ogdred Weary
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San Francisco
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Catan, ever hear of it? Nice place to vacation I hear, except for the cruddy road work, and the rampant crime.
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Roger McKay
Canada
Bedford
Nova Scotia
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Interesting game with various strategies to try (a BIG plus for me). The windmill token seems overpowered to me, though.

I rate it an 8.
 
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  • Posted Wed Jun 9, 2004 6:14 am
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p55carroll
United States
Carver
Minnesota
"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." (GK Chesterton)
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"That's how the light gets in." (Leonard Cohen)
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Bought this several years ago, since my wife had taken an instant liking to the Settlers of Catan board game. We rarely had another couple over to play that with, so the 2-player card game sounded great.

At first, it seemed great. We played two or three games, IIRC. Then I used the Arsonist against her one too many times, I guess. She complained about my BS luck, got fed up with being attacked, and said she never wanted to play the game again.

Since then it has been sitting on a shelf, and we've been playing Caesar & Cleopatra, Lost Cities, and Bohnanza instead. I've been looking at the Settlers Card Game expansions, wanting to complete my collection. But I'd have to talk her into playing again, and I don't know how much luck I'd have with that.
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  • Posted Wed Oct 1, 2008 4:23 pm
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¡dn ʇǝƃ ʇ,uɐɔ ı puɐ uǝllɐɟ ǝʌ,ı
Canada
Calgary
Alberta
There are 10 kinds of people who understand binary: Those who do, and those who don't...
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I always enjoy playing this game, although it does take longer to play than most of the other Kosmos 2-player games, I'd say, so I don't get the chance to do so too often.
There's some luck involved but there is still a great deal of strategy required to develop your domain/ district/ whatever they call it.

I sort of disagree with "The Windmill" comment ("too stong") since both players have to have developed a city before the commerce points count, so the windmill doesn't come into play until the middle of the game- about the same time as the yellow cards do- which can make the other person's game miserable.
So if your opponent seems to be intent on collecting windmill points, use the arsonist to burn down some of his buildings. That can get pretty expensive for the other guy, and he might shift his collection of cards to try to prevent future attacks.
 
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  • Posted Sun Feb 15, 2009 9:07 pm
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¡dn ʇǝƃ ʇ,uɐɔ ı puɐ uǝllɐɟ ǝʌ,ı
Canada
Calgary
Alberta
There are 10 kinds of people who understand binary: Those who do, and those who don't...
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Patrick Carroll wrote:
Then I used the Arsonist against her one too many times, I guess. She complained about my BS luck, got fed up with being attacked, and said she never wanted to play the game again.


You're forgetting a man's #1 rule of being married (I'm 20 years in and this saying has helped me numerous times):

Happy wife, happy life!

I've had many chances to do something really mean (read: fun) in this game to my wife, but I would only do it against one of my drinking buddies- since he would do the same to me.
 
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  • Posted Sun Feb 15, 2009 9:12 pm
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Steven Kreft
United States

Ohio
My wife wouldn't accept a win unless we were fighting as hard as we can for that victory!

Fight hard, win glory!
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  • Posted Sun Jul 19, 2009 8:14 pm
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6. Board Game: Starship Catan [Average Rating:6.90 Overall Rank:387]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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In space, no one can hear you build a road.
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Miguel de la Casa
Spain
Madrid
Madrid
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OK, guys. I just don't get it. Why do you like it? I jus don't get it, I just don't get it...???
 
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  • Posted Mon Jun 7, 2004 2:44 pm
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Daniel Eig
United States
Huntington
New York
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Resource managment/economic maximization is certainly a big aspect of the game - but competition wise I just think of it as a race.

I know a lot of people dislike the game because you don't really interact with an opponent, but how much do you ever interact in a race, except to get somewhere first or to block a route? I've just been turning over the idea in my head over the past few months that maybe the reason why some people like it, and some people don't, is just how they approach the competitive element - thinking of it as a race discounts the need for a lot of "interaction".

Anyway... this whole train of thought is probably better suited for the game page itself, so I've posted an article there to explore the whole idea.
 
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  • Posted Tue Jun 8, 2004 7:11 pm
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Robert Martin
United States
Atlanta
Georgia
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Oh please. This game is boring! The Settlers card game is much better.
 
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  • Posted Tue Jun 22, 2004 9:52 pm
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Brian Schlichting
United States
Minneapolis
Minnesota
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I agree that this game is primarily a race. It's my favorite on this geeklist, and while I have played this one many, many times, I can hardly get myself to break out the Settlers card game. The explorations stacks, along with the great bits and super theme are my favorite parts.
 
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  • Posted Tue Aug 31, 2004 6:13 am
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Alicia Hansen
United States
Sunnyvale
California
I'm a huge fan of Starfarers of Catan so I love playing this game when I can only find one other fan around...Or when we just don't want to play that long.

And yes, this is more of a resource game - it is after all in the Catan family. However, if you view getting the right resources at the right time to build things that give you victory points in order to get to the goal number of points for the game ending condition a race then yes, it's a racing game too - as much as any of the Catan games.
 
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  • Posted Sun Dec 18, 2005 9:58 pm
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7. Board Game: Blue Moon [Average Rating:6.88 Overall Rank:383]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Blue Moon on Monday. Obscure 80's reference.
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♪ Isaäc Bickërstaff ♫
United States
Greer
South Carolina
designer
Entropy Seminar:
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The results of a five yeer studee ntu the sekund lw uf thurmodynamiks aand itz inevibl fxt hon shewb rt nslpn raq liot.
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Obscure? I got it just from reading the title!

::waxes nostalgic::
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  • Posted Sun Jun 6, 2004 3:31 am
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Madd Mugsy
Canada
Unspecified
British Columbia
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It's not really doo-wop, but here are the lyrics:

Blue Moon

From the Movie "Apollo"
Performed by Tony Bennett


Blue Moon
You saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own

Blue Moon
You knew just why I was there for
You heard me say a prayer for
Someone I really could care for

And then there suddenly appear before me
The only one my arms could ever hold
And then somebody whispered
Please adore me
And when I looked the moon
Had turned to gold

Blue moon
Now I am no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own


I think it was also in "Grease" or some other movie too.
 
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  • Posted Tue May 10, 2005 8:58 pm
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Steffen Beck
Germany
Regensburg
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you eighties freaks cool
i was thinking more along Elvis Presley "Blue Moon Of Kentucky"

ahem...so how's the game?-
 
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  • Posted Tue Dec 9, 2008 1:08 pm
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Edwin Nealley
United States
Ardmore
Pennsylvania
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"Doo Wop"- You're thinking The Marcels version - dang-a-dong-ding, Blue Moon.

But the Presley version is also terrific, as I'm sure Tony Bennett's would be.

Also like the Cowboy Junkies reworking of it on The Trinity Session; never played the game, I'm afraid!
 
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  • Posted Thu Aug 6, 2009 3:58 am
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suPUR DUEper
United States
Villa Hills
Kentucky
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Yhis is my favorite of the lot..... Though to be fair, I think you need at least some of the expansions to get the full mileage out of this engine.

The game is easy to learn/teach.
The cards are written in such a way that it is almost always clear what to do.
The decks play very assymetrically; each one has its unique strengths, weakensses and styles of play.
It plays very fast
The cards are illustrated beautifully.
 
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  • Posted Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:14 pm
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8. Board Game: Rosenkönig [Average Rating:6.82 Overall Rank:591]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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War of FTD Florists, only back in ye olde times.
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Steffan O'Sullivan
United States
Plymouth
NH
"There is one really important thing I must write which I have forgotten." (The final sentence in Henry Darger's Autobiograpy.)
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This one is tied for my favorite, but only if played with closed hands. (I.e., no open cards on the table.) It's quick, light fun that way.
 
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  • Posted Sun Jun 6, 2004 12:19 pm
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Kevin Kenz
United States
Kalamazoo
Michigan
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Still mighty tempted to get this one. Maybe one day...
 
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  • Posted Sun Jan 30, 2005 4:16 am
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Kevin Kenz
United States
Kalamazoo
Michigan
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OK, I bought it...cool
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  • Posted Tue Feb 1, 2005 11:15 pm
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Fred
United States
San Antonio
Texas
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love this game!!
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  • Posted Sat Nov 25, 2006 9:01 pm
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9. Board Game: Perry Rhodan: The Cosmic League [Average Rating:6.81 Overall Rank:758]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Inspired by the classic Merchant of Venus, but can you buy/sell/trade such classic items as Finest Dust, Switch switches, Melt pelts, and Rock videos?
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Briareos
Australia
Sydney
NSW
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Haven't played this but am very pleased to hear RGG are producing an English edition. I Hope it has the same components as the German edition which look really nice. Can't wait to try it.
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  • Posted Wed May 14, 2008 2:06 am
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Rob Burns
Macedonia
Skopje
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Oh boy oh boy oh boy... yes, bring on the English edition please!
 
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  • Posted Mon Jun 30, 2008 4:34 pm
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p55carroll
United States
Carver
Minnesota
"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." (GK Chesterton)
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"That's how the light gets in." (Leonard Cohen)
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Well, now . . . my wife (who has become my main and only human gaming partner) always loved Merchant of Venus (which has been sitting in a closet for several years, partly for lack of players). Maybe this will be just the thing for us.
 
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  • Posted Wed Oct 1, 2008 4:34 pm
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10. Board Game: Balloon Cup [Average Rating:6.74 Overall Rank:492]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Balloon racing. Very dramatic sport.
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Jeremy Avery
Canada
Kamloops
British Columbia
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What Lost Cities should have been. Now Balloon Cup is a simple game that I like. More to the decisions without being a complicated game.
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  • Posted Sat Jun 19, 2004 1:59 am
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Derek H
South Africa
Durban
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kentreuber wrote:
I think BC is better with the designer's original rules that limit the ability to play cards on the opponent's side.

Nah, not really. For once, the publisher's "variant" is actually more interesting.
 
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  • Posted Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:03 pm
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p55carroll
United States
Carver
Minnesota
"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." (GK Chesterton)
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"That's how the light gets in." (Leonard Cohen)
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familygaming wrote:
What Lost Cities should have been. Now Balloon Cup is a simple game that I like. More to the decisions without being a complicated game.


That comment makes me want to look into this title. So I think I will.
 
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  • Posted Wed Oct 1, 2008 4:36 pm
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Peaceful Gamin'
Canada
Vancouver
BC
designer
It was solitaire with cool cards. Zero interaction
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Looking for a playtester/editor/translator for your cool new game? Contact us, we're free (but we ask to be mentioned in the acknowledgements, and a copy of the game would be a nice gesture, but not necessary).
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So simple. So good.
 
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  • Posted Tue Mar 9, 2010 12:39 am
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Laszlo Molnar
Hungary
Budapest
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gamesbook wrote:
kentreuber wrote:
I think BC is better with the designer's original rules that limit the ability to play cards on the opponent's side.

Nah, not really. For once, the publisher's "variant" is actually more interesting.

No, the publisher's variant makes the tile flipping really unnecessary.
 
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  • Posted Thu Jul 29, 2010 4:58 pm
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11. Board Game: Odin's Ravens [Average Rating:6.73 Overall Rank:547]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Odin: The Norse god of wisdom, war, art, culture, and the dead and the supreme deity and creator of the cosmos and humans. (Oh, and he likes to race birds)
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Richard Lea
United Kingdom
Leeds
County: West Yorkshire
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Hardly surprising.
 
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  • Posted Sun Jun 6, 2004 10:04 am
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Fred
United States
San Antonio
Texas
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great little time-filler...
 
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  • Posted Sat Nov 25, 2006 9:00 pm
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~Ryan McSwain
United States
Amarillo
Texas
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I love this one. Unusual theme (there are not many Norse games!) and the artwork on the cards is just gorgeous. And on top of all of that, it's even fun to play!
 
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  • Edited Mon Jun 2, 2008 11:14 pm
  • Posted Mon May 7, 2007 6:13 am
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Michael Parsons
United Kingdom
Nuneaton
Warwickshire
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Excellent, My absolute favorite of those i've played from the 'for 2' range.
 
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  • Posted Thu Nov 8, 2007 9:16 pm
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Avri Klemer
United States
NYC
New York
designer
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Robrob wrote:
Colorful, wife pleaser.


*giggity*
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  • Posted Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:09 am
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12. Board Game: Babel [Average Rating:6.73 Overall Rank:584]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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A city (now thought to be Babylon) in Shinar where God confounded a presumptuous attempt to build a tower into heaven by confusing the language of its builders into many mutually incomprehensible languages, and then released a two-player game.
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Ken Shoda
United States
Washington
Dist of Columbia
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Babel left me cold after 10+ playing. I wanted to like the game and, sure, there are some neat mechanics. Get 3 cards consequtively is puzzle-like and fun with unlimited actions you can do each turn. What I don't like about this is there is no long-term strategy because your opponent can make half of your cards discard and it is meaningless to construct something in the hand. Am I missing a point?
 
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  • Posted Fri Jun 18, 2004 7:51 pm
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Morgan Dontanville
United States
Brooklyn
New York
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Plate of Shrimp.
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This is the first one on the list I own. (although, I've bought Confrontation as a gift, wishing it were mine).
 
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  • Posted Wed May 11, 2005 8:12 pm
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J.F. Sebastian
United States

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I really, really like this game a lot.
 
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  • Posted Mon Jun 13, 2005 4:43 am
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Shannon McNair
United States
Beaverton
Oregon
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Do tell why.
 
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  • Posted Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:37 pm
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suPUR DUEper
United States
Villa Hills
Kentucky
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I think Babel is underappreciated. To me, it is Lost Cities on steroids.

The basic mechanics are as simple to learn as in Lost Cities but Babel has significantly deeper strategy,
There are plenty of devious tricks and devices you can do to slow down your opponent.
Your options are not always intuitively obvious. There are many ways to approach your turn.
It forces (and rewards) a clever balance of aggression, defense, planning and patience.
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  • Posted Sun Aug 16, 2009 12:26 pm
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13. Board Game: Kahuna [Average Rating:6.70 Overall Rank:550]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Kahuna Mattata? Sorry.
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Kane Klenko
United States
Ridgeway
Wisconsin
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Mine didn't come with a buzzer. Drat.
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  • Posted Tue Jun 8, 2004 4:28 pm
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Michael Debije
Netherlands
Eindhoven
The Netherlands
I used to like it a lot, but we have NEVER had someone win the first round go on to lose the game. Maybe we are playing incorrectly?
 
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  • Posted Mon Nov 29, 2004 10:39 am
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Kevin Kenz
United States
Kalamazoo
Michigan
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Had a close, tense game the other night. I won the first round, we tied the second, and the third round gave two points to my opponent. A 2-1 game that I lost in the end, but I had won the first round. Played well by both players, Kahuna can be a very, very close game that is not very forgiving of even the smallest of errors. Brilliant little game, right at the top of the Kosmos 2 player series. My first purchase in the series, remains one of my favorites.
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  • Posted Sun Jan 30, 2005 4:04 am
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Nathan Graham
United States
Colorado Springs
Colorado
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Too agressive for us, the whole game is about destroying what your opponent has built. Could probably play with a friend, but this game did not make for marital bliss. Ebay'ed it.
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  • Posted Thu May 26, 2005 3:30 am
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Ann De Haes
Netherlands
Doorwerth
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We gave this one gladly away after playing it for a year or so. We never go the hang of it, and it was always too soon clear who was going to win.
 
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  • Posted Sat Jun 4, 2005 1:44 pm
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Martin Cassel
Canada
Montréal
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This one is actually my favourite. Deepest tactical game on the list.
 
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  • Posted Fri Nov 28, 2008 9:10 am
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14. Board Game: Hera and Zeus [Average Rating:6.57 Overall Rank:755]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Hera and Zeus. A cute couple, except that they fight too much.
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Dane Peacock
United States
Stansbury Park
Utah
That tickles
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My #2 on this list. Much better than some of the games ahead of it.
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  • Posted Sun Jun 6, 2004 7:37 pm
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Joel Weeks
United States
Roswell
Georgia
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bad game, bad bad game, go home.
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  • Posted Mon May 28, 2007 12:20 am
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Jessica S
United States
La Verne
California
I love this game! My sweetie and I play this at mealtimes, a LOT, when the food isn't too messy. But comparing it to stratego just doesn't work, and we've found that if you don't play with a moderate amount of aggression, it gets stale.
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  • Posted Thu Sep 6, 2007 5:57 pm
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Ryan Maesen
United States
Pacifica
California
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jody wrote:
I'd rather take the time and clean out my refrigerator than play this game again! If you're looking for a Stratego type variant, go for LotR-Confrontation instead.


I'd rather come over and clean your fridge than play this game.
 
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  • Posted Thu Nov 29, 2007 7:10 pm
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p55carroll
United States
Carver
Minnesota
"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." (GK Chesterton)
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"That's how the light gets in." (Leonard Cohen)
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Bought a copy on eBay when a reviewer called this the best of all the Kosmos 2-player games. We've played it only once so far, and my wife just shrugged at it. Never having played Stratego, she said it's just an elaborate version of the children's card game War.

I'm sure there's a whole lot more to it than we discovered in our trial game, but the Stratego-like mechanism was kind of a turn-off to me too. (I did play Stratego as a kid, and I never liked it that much.)
 
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  • Posted Wed Oct 1, 2008 4:45 pm
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15. Board Game: Flowerpower [Average Rating:6.56 Overall Rank:1204]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Tending a virtual garden.
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Jody Ludwick
United States
(northern)
Indiana
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This rating surprises me as Flowerpower is probably our least favorite of the (17) Kosmos 2-player games we own.
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  • Posted Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:49 am
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Fritz Schwartz
United States
Oakland
California
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We like this game on occasion. Effective use of the neutral zone can be decisive (a ten-flower bed that sneaks into the opponent's zone to take away a three-flower bed from them can be a slick move) and the correct placement of weeds in their garden can stunt their long-time growth potential.

I'm not saying that it should be rated higher than it is, but it's a nice warm-up or late night closer.
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  • Posted Tue Jun 20, 2006 5:06 pm
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Robert Rossney
United States
San Francisco
California
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I thought this game was just okay until I played with a friend of mine who'd figured it out, and found that I couldn't beat him. It turns out to be a lot deeper (and a lot less random) than it looks.
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  • Posted Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:38 pm
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16. Board Game: Caesar & Cleopatra [Average Rating:6.50 Overall Rank:807]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Egyptians and Romans lovin' each other. Ok, this time I'm Rex Harrison, and you can be Elizabeth Taylor!
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Justin Rueff
United States
Long Beach
California
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Hey did you change this? Wasn't this the one with the Ghostbusters reference? Where did it go? Was it slimed?
 
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  • Posted Tue Jun 8, 2004 10:07 pm
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Jeremy Fridy
United States
Kent
Ohio
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We called this Risk the Card Game. I have since heard there IS a Risk the card game, but think about it.

You use people (armies) to take over Roman Senators (Countries) of sever factions (Continents.)

Also I like the rule where you get to pre sort your special card deck, so you can put the cards you think you need on top.

Good game, for more Risk style card games, try the Battleship Card Game.
 
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  • Posted Sun May 28, 2006 3:11 am
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p55carroll
United States
Carver
Minnesota
"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." (GK Chesterton)
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"That's how the light gets in." (Leonard Cohen)
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My wife and I liked this one the few times we played it. Then it got pushed to the back burner by Lost Cities and other games. But we plan to get back into it one of these days.
 
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  • Posted Wed Oct 1, 2008 4:48 pm
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¡dn ʇǝƃ ʇ,uɐɔ ı puɐ uǝllɐɟ ǝʌ,ı
Canada
Calgary
Alberta
There are 10 kinds of people who understand binary: Those who do, and those who don't...
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Isn't this game just "Hera and Zeus", dressed up in an Egyptian theme?

Not having played Hera and Zeus I can't say for sure, but I can say this: I sure do like playing Caesar and Cleopatra.

BTW, did everyone see the geeklist about artwork on the backs of the cards? When you line up your #1 through #5 cards, plus the philosopher, on the table, the scene (mountains & sand, etc.) makes a large picture- kind of like a mini-jigsaw puzzle.
The Senators, Praetors, etc. also can be lined up to make a complete "scene".

Very cool.
 
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  • Posted Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:49 pm
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Andrew Migliore
United States
Portland
Oregon
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Unfortunately the orgy card keeps this in the closet.
 
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  • Posted Sun Dec 5, 2010 6:32 am
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17. Board Game: Anno 1701: Das Kartenspiel [Average Rating:6.45 Overall Rank:2342]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Based on a fun computer game of the same name.

See the world, build stuff, trade stuff, get in good with Queenie!
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18. Board Game: Times Square [Average Rating:6.32 Overall Rank:1469]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Champagne Charlie and Saucy Sue entice you to their fancy clubs in Times Square. Sue is Saucy and Charlie makes your nose tickle.
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Kane Klenko
United States
Ridgeway
Wisconsin
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I just picked this up and I must say that I was quite impressed with it. It's basically a card driven tug-o-war game where you control (directly or indirectly) 6 different figures. The special movement powers of the different pieces are all very clever and well balanced. It certainly feels like a Knizia. Every character is useful but not overpowered. Great game!
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  • Posted Thu Jun 8, 2006 5:46 pm
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Kevin Kenz
United States
Kalamazoo
Michigan
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Played this quite a bit. There is some depth to it that takes it beyond a mere card game with some special actions. You start seeing neat ways to manipulate things and it draws you in. Fine game.
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  • Posted Wed Nov 1, 2006 1:29 am
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Stven Carlberg
United States
Atlanta
Georgia
designer
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Yep, superb game. Thanks for using the "Auf der Reeperbahn" picture since the "Times Square" title doesn't make any sense for the game.

The rules are easier to remember if you use the German character names, too. Die Rote Lola being "red Lola" and all that.

Of course it helps to have a smidgen of German. But how much smidgen do you need to understand that Der Blonde Hans is "blonde Hans"?
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  • Posted Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:23 pm
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19. Board Game: Hellas [Average Rating:6.26 Overall Rank:1285]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Greeks fighting each other, and the Gods help them out just for their own sick amusement.
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Chaddyboy
United States
Olathe
Kansas
admin
Bloooooop.
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Probably my favorite Kosmos two player. A tight little war game with just the right amount of luck that can be played in about a half hour.
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  • Posted Sun Jun 6, 2004 5:55 am
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Morgan Dontanville
United States
Brooklyn
New York
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Plate of Shrimp.
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Standard Deviation 1.43. Seems pretty high to me.

I love it. It seems to garner all sorts of opinions. For me this is in the top 3 for the series.
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  • Posted Wed May 11, 2005 8:25 pm
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Steve Bullock
United States
Palm Coast
Florida
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This is either my favorite or second favorite 2-player Kosmos game, depending on my mood at the time. It is the only game that has caused my wife and I to get so upset over that we literally had to quit playing the game in the middle and not play it again for a few weeks! We are both very aggressive in our playing styles, and she wanted desperatly to attack me using a Mars card, which she could not use out of turn. It was a bad scene...we love the game now, and play it and laugh about that session. The only complaint I have are the tiny bases of the Greek soldiers- they would fall over too easily. I took care of the problem by buying some small metal washers from the hardware store and superglued them to the bases. Now they stand at attention!
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  • Posted Fri Apr 7, 2006 5:48 pm
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This is a great game. Not a classic wargame by any means, but a fun, fast, easy-to-learn game with a blend of European and Wargame features. A good warm-up or cool-down from a real wargame. The bits are great!
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  • Posted Tue Jun 20, 2006 2:33 pm
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Fred
United States
San Antonio
Texas
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It's the little war-game that could... It just seems to grow on you...good things do come in small packages.
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  • Posted Sat Nov 25, 2006 9:03 pm
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20. Board Game: Heave Ho! [Average Rating:6.23 Overall Rank:1671]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Whisky if you are in Scotland, Whiskey if you are anywhere else. The Japanese love scotch, and they make their own kind, but a scotch can only be called a 'scotch' if it is from Scotland. (Oh, and Bourbon is only made in Kentucky, so Jack Daniels is not bourbon) Here endeth the lesson.
 
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Will M. Baker
United States
Chicago
Illinois
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I haven't played most of the games ranked below this, but I can't imagine they are less enjoyable than this entry. The most interesting part is the deck-building, which, of course, only lasts twenty seconds.
 
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  • Posted Mon Jun 7, 2004 5:02 pm
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Captain Fox
United States
Southwestern
Michigan
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I pulled this game out again recently and had fun with it. It doesn't hold up to repeated play, so it's not so good for a serious gamer. But if you have kids or want a game that catches non-gamer's eye, then this works. Having said that, would I buy it again? no. But I wouldn't put it up for trade, either.
 
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  • Posted Sat Feb 19, 2005 2:06 pm
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Dan Alban
United States
Arlington
Virginia
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Actually, bourbon doesn't have to be made in Kentucky, though most of it is. The definition of bourbon is statutory, and it allows for bourbon to be made anywhere in the U.S. Virginia Gentleman bourbon is made in Virginia for instance (though it is originally distilled in Kentucky, it is redistilled, aged, and bottled at the A. Smith Bowman distillery in Fredericksburg, VA) and A.H. Hirsch bourbon was made at the Michter's Distillery in Shaefferstown, Pennsylvania until the distillery closed in the late '80s or early '90s.

Jack Daniels isn't bourbon because it's charcoal filtered *before* being aged in barrels (the Lincoln County Process), not because it's made in Tennessee. Otherwise, they are made with a similar mash bill to the same standards.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey
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  • Posted Sat Jan 14, 2006 5:06 am
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Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Ah, you are correct sir! Bourbon can be made in other states, but Kentucky is the only state allowed to put its name on the bottle.
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  • Posted Sat Jan 14, 2006 3:52 pm
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Colls
United States
Silver Spring
Maryland
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My six-year-old daughter loves this game, and won't let me trade it.
 
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  • Posted Fri Jan 14, 2011 2:05 am
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21. Board Game: Dracula [Average Rating:6.23 Overall Rank:1453]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Play out the plots of a million mediocre films, do your best Keanu impression, and watch out for large colored sticks blocking the streets.
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Jeremy Avery
Canada
Kamloops
British Columbia
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Very nice little memory and bluffing game with great art. I am surprised this game hasn't done better.
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  • Posted Sat Jun 19, 2004 2:01 am
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Morgan Dontanville
United States
Brooklyn
New York
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Plate of Shrimp.
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Easily one of the least favorite games I've ever played. Yes, the memory is kind of annoying, but I love Der Plumpsack and that is all memory.

The Maze aspect just seemed silly to me. I am Dracula. I am going to put a red bar in the street. You can't cross it! Blah! Blah! (Both meanings).
 
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  • Posted Wed May 11, 2005 8:28 pm
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Carbon Copy
United Kingdom
Unspecified
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This is the first Kosmos game I have bought and I really like it (i've actually just posted a review). I just can't help feeling that the cards seem to be weighted in favour of Van Helsing, and really, who wants the good guys to win?
 
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  • Posted Sat May 28, 2005 3:26 pm
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Kent Reuber
United States
San Mateo
California
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I play with the addition of black (Dracula) and white (Van Helsing) stones to mark the cards. That way, you know whose card it is, but not what it is. This relieves a little of the memory intensity of the game.
 
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  • Posted Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:36 pm
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Andrew Migliore
United States
Portland
Oregon
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Least favorite of these two player games which in general are great.
 
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  • Posted Sun Dec 5, 2010 6:33 am
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22. Board Game: Elk Fest [Average Rating:6.21 Overall Rank:1464]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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"Flicky da stone ta helpy da moosey," is how Mario the plumber explained the game to me right before he was smashed by a barrel.
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Jody Ludwick
United States
(northern)
Indiana
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Elkfest is probably this most entertaining, in terms of sheer fun and laughter of all the Kosmos games we own. I would never part with this 'flicking' game. Two moose (Ole & Jule) trying to cross a cold raging river without getting their hooves wet. How could anyone resist?
 
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  • Posted Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:38 am
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Jim Carvin
United States
Hamburg
Pennsylvania
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I agree, this is a lot of fun! A few friends have even bought their own copy after playing mine.
 
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  • Posted Thu Sep 9, 2004 4:40 pm
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Fred
United States
San Antonio
Texas
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you should try playing this inebriated!
 
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  • Posted Sat Nov 25, 2006 9:06 pm
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Andy Andersen
United States
Newark
Delaware
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I may have to take a look at this one.
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  • Posted Tue Nov 15, 2011 8:30 pm
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23. Board Game: Die Pyramiden des Jaguar [Average Rating:6.18 Overall Rank:1808]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Eh, insert witty comment here.
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Brian A
United States
Las Vegas
Nevada
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Top 2 or 3 on this list for me. LOVE this game.
 
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  • Posted Tue Jun 8, 2004 9:54 pm
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Jody Ludwick
United States
(northern)
Indiana
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In our top 5.
 
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  • Posted Wed Jul 14, 2004 12:29 am
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Ed Sherman
United States
Colorado Springs
Colorado
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I played this once and liked it. Wish there was an English version. Maybe one day I'll give up and buy it anyway.
 
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  • Posted Thu Sep 9, 2004 7:03 pm
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Kevin Kenz
United States
Kalamazoo
Michigan
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Pacal, the original, was, and still is, a great little card game.
 
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  • Posted Sun Jan 30, 2005 4:07 am
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Gunnar Bernler
Sweden
Molndal
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Played two times (a second chance) but never more
 
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  • Posted Mon Nov 6, 2006 11:31 am
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Wisconsin
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Old Geeklist, but I'll add this here. I got this in trade a couple months ago, and have played it a handful of times since then. I like it. I like it a lot. The basic mechanism of offering two cards to your opponent and getting stuck with the card not chosen makes for some really tough decisions. I've played this with both my wife and my mother, neither of whom liked it very much. They both felt it was too thinky (which is exactly why I like it).

The jungle-test endgame condition is really weak, though. Makes more sense to me to just play until one player exits the path.
 
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  • Posted Mon May 28, 2007 4:49 am
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24. Board Game: Tally Ho! [Average Rating:6.10 Overall Rank:1721]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Official Kosmos 2 player game of the Pacific Northwest. Play this game while enjoying a cold can of Olympia beer.
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Will M. Baker
United States
Chicago
Illinois
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Nine months and still no comment for Tally Ho? I haven't played it, but it shouldn't be the ONLY game on this list to not have a comment. So, here.
 
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  • Posted Wed Mar 9, 2005 6:58 am
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Briareos
Australia
Sydney
NSW
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darquil wrote:
I haven't played it either, but it is certainly one of my favorite games.


??? This doesn't make a lot of sense to me.


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  • Posted Fri Jan 9, 2009 3:07 am
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¡dn ʇǝƃ ʇ,uɐɔ ı puɐ uǝllɐɟ ǝʌ,ı
Canada
Calgary
Alberta
There are 10 kinds of people who understand binary: Those who do, and those who don't...
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A very under-rated game. This one ranks #2, at least, with me and my oft-time hunting partner. We both see elements of Chess in the gameplay; Sort of like if there were only Rooks and Kings: you try to set up a situation where you can force a bear (who can only move one space at a time) to move and then, using the rule that you can't go back to the same square that you just moved from, move a bird out of the way. or into his path, so that your hunter can move (multiple spaces in a straight line, if needed) to get a bead on him.
 
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  • Posted Sun Feb 15, 2009 8:58 pm
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Brent Gallmann
United States
Oshkosh
Wisconsin
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Tons of luck here, but tons of fun. Quick enough game that you can play a few times in a row to even out the luck.
 
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  • Posted Sun Jul 19, 2009 3:13 am
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Peter Neely
United States
Columbia
Missouri
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I just picked this up today at my LGS on a whim. Hopefully I can bust this bad boy out at some point soon. It looks light, easy and possibly fun
 
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  • Posted Tue Dec 13, 2011 1:15 am
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25. Board Game: Lord of the Rings: The Duel [Average Rating:6.00 Overall Rank:2236]
Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Re-Live a dramatic battle, shot with amazing computer technology and cinematography, only this time with tiny pieces of wood!
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Jeremy Avery
Canada
Kamloops
British Columbia
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The position this occupies seems about right. The graphics are great, but the gameplay is fairly straighforward. Doesn't really seem to be much game here at all. Very abstract.
 
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  • Posted Sat Jun 19, 2004 2:05 am
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Chris Schenck
United States
Dayton
Ohio
GO BUCKS!
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This is one of those games where you really don't start to appreciate it until you know the cards by heart. Until that point, it seems pretty random and lame. Unfortunately, it takes many (10-20+) plays before you start to know the cards well. Needless to say, not many people replay 20 times a game they perceive as random and lame ... hence the lower rating.

It really is an engaging and spirited game when both players know it well though -- lots of planning and counter-planning. If you don't own this game, don't buy it unless you're willing to devote the plays necessary to make it past the hump. If you do own the game, try giving it a few consecutive plays in one night and see if you don't come to appreciate it more.
 
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  • Posted Sun Nov 30, 2008 6:29 am
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David Bush
United States
Lexington
Virginia
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I would just like to point out, again, that Kosmos sells Twixt, and Twixt is a 2-player game. I didn't add it to your list because it has been explained to me that the Twixt box is too big to qualify as a member of the "two-player series" of Kosmos games. But sometimes good things come in large packages. And since Kosmos seems to have zero interest in trying to sell this game (for example they don't sponsor a Twixt tournament at the Essen spielfest), I thought I would give it a plug. BTW the MSO tournament in Manchester is coming on August 26: http://www.msoworld.com/2004/schedule.html#twixt and you can train for the event on the realtime server at http://www.k2z.org/ for free!
 
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  • Posted Thu Jul 1, 2004 12:43 pm
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p55carroll
United States
Carver
Minnesota
"If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly." (GK Chesterton)
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"That's how the light gets in." (Leonard Cohen)
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Just the geeklist I was looking for! Thanks. (Now I guess we just need a periodic update, since a few years have passed.)
 
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  • Posted Wed Oct 1, 2008 4:01 pm
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Ogdred Weary
United States
San Francisco
California
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Patrick Carroll wrote:
Just the geeklist I was looking for! Thanks. (Now I guess we just need a periodic update, since a few years have passed.)


A few years has passed with this list. I would love to see comments of people that have played these games since this list was first posted.
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  • Posted Wed Oct 1, 2008 4:15 pm
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Betty Dingus
United States
Austin
Texas
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gashlycrumb wrote:
Patrick Carroll wrote:
Just the geeklist I was looking for! Thanks. (Now I guess we just need a periodic update, since a few years have passed.)


A few years has passed with this list. I would love to see comments of people that have played these games since this list was first posted.


Me, too.
 
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  • Posted Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:38 pm
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Peaceful Gamin'
Canada
Vancouver
BC
designer
It was solitaire with cool cards. Zero interaction
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Looking for a playtester/editor/translator for your cool new game? Contact us, we're free (but we ask to be mentioned in the acknowledgements, and a copy of the game would be a nice gesture, but not necessary).
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Dingus wrote:
gashlycrumb wrote:
Patrick Carroll wrote:
Just the geeklist I was looking for! Thanks. (Now I guess we just need a periodic update, since a few years have passed.)


A few years has passed with this list. I would love to see comments of people that have played these games since this list was first posted.


Me, too.


Ok, here my comments: Love Balloon Cup. Used to detest Starship Catan, but after a three year dormancy, we picked it up recently, and loved it - this time there was no tense head-to-head dog-eat-dog silence on the table, but playful interaction, trading, aid in selecting the right heap to fly to, and after half the game we played it with four. And, all of a sudden, the theme looked really nice. All in all, it left a bit of a beguilement in us, and we now play it occasionally. Been playtesting a lot of 2p games recently, so I don't get to the published stuff that often anymore...
 
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  • Posted Tue Mar 9, 2010 12:45 am
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