2005 Mensa Select
Thomas McCorry
United States
Ashburn
Virginia
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Here are the Mensa Select Game Winners for 2005
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Thomas McCorry
United States
Ashburn
Virginia
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Classic Abstract game that rewards the ability to recognize patterns within patterns
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Thomas McCorry
United States
Ashburn
Virginia
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The Fantasy Flight version was submitted this year. Despite not making the cut last year, it turned out to be quite popular this year
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3.
Board Game: Loot
[Average Rating:6.34 Overall Rank:1042]
Thomas McCorry
United States
Ashburn
Virginia
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Card game where players are tyring to bring home merchant ships in the face of opponents pirates. It had a nice "I want to do two things but I can only do one feel". Good filler with some real tension.
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4.
Board Game: Niagara
[Average Rating:6.59 Overall Rank:637]
Thomas McCorry
United States
Ashburn
Virginia
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Judges were initially put off by the length of the rules (Mensa Select tends to favor games that are shorter with smaller rule sets or quick start rules). But the waterfall gimmick and the interaction of players put it over the top.
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5.
Board Game: Zendo
[Average Rating:7.31 Overall Rank:282]
Thomas McCorry
United States
Ashburn
Virginia
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Abstract Deduction game and Mensa. Need I say more.
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Köln
Nordrhein Westfalen
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Salinas
California
I think it is mainly due to the system that is used: The games are entered by the manufacturers themselves (so if a game isn't entered, it can't win.) The judges each get a list of 30 games to try within a two day period and then pick their favorites. Most of the games are new to the judges.
The many problems with this system:
- Games have to be simple to learn & simple to play. (Anything that takes over 2 minutes to teach is at a disadvantage.)
- Games have to be pretty fast (since most judges want to try get through most of their lists.) Any game over 45 minutes is in trouble.
- Games that may be fun the first time, but may not hold up on repeat playing. There's no TIME for playing anything more than once! (A lot of the abstracts that have won have that problem: some that won are notoriously drawish or imbalanced--which might not be picked on first playing.)
Look at the BGG top 50--all but maybe 5 or 6 simply would never win at Mensa Select. They are either too "complicated", or too "long" or both.
Glendale
Arizona
Actually, Mensa is simply a social club whose only membership requirement is scoring in the 98th percentile an IQ test. It's a way for smart people to meet other smart people. Most Mensans have no interest in standing on a soap box and proclaiming their membership to the world because they'd rather avoid eliciting a reaction such as this.
Before you react negatively to this post, consider what prejudices you have about Mensa and Mensans and why you have them. I guarantee Mensans are far more diverse than the stereotype you may have in mind.
Not that I'm trying to hijack this geeklist into a referendum on Mensa....
Ashburn
Virginia
I agree the judging methodolgy is not the best, but it is what it is.