Know Thy Gaming Self
I'm finding that the more I get to play games regularly, the more I'm finding out which kind of games I really enjoy playing -- as opposed to the kind of games I *feel* like I *should* enjoy playing.
Case in Point: Struggle of Empires
I was really looking forward to playing this one. I read the rules no less than four times just to make sure I had a decent handle on how to play and how to teach. However, I still ended up having to read the rules to the other players, which is NEVER an ideal way to learn/teach a game. I think it must boil down to the fact that some games have just too many rules. Struggle of Empires is one of those games for me. Notwithstanding the fact that I sucked at it and found myself in a huge hole with at LEAST 90 minutes left to play -- the game just wasn't that much fun for me. There was just too much to think about. As much as I recognize the fine design of the game, it made me feel REALLY inadequate as a gamer, and that's not fun when that feeling lasts for 3+ hours. Having written this I'm kinda nervous about how I'll feel about Friedrich. Hmm. Anyway, this one is hitting the trade pile.
Case in Point: Il Principe
Here was another one that sounded REALLY clever when I read the rules, but became a tedious mess in practice. As Valerie very astutely observed, "there were just too many moving parts." I could not have said it better myself. All the mechanics were so tightly connected and there were about a buttzillion different ways to score. I felt like I was spinning plates on the Ed Sullivan show. Plus, my play area was too busy -- I needed room for my tiles, my cards (those on the table *and* those in my hand) plus the fact that some cards were face up and some were face down -- whew. All a whirlwind of activity that felt more like work than play. Trade pile.
Case in Point: Tichu
Now here's a game I love and that I really need to play more often. Yes, it's a bit rules heavy for a cardgame, but once you've got those rules down there's a wide range of options you can apply to each hand. This is the kind of game I could play at least once a week.
Case in Point: Struggle of Empires
I was really looking forward to playing this one. I read the rules no less than four times just to make sure I had a decent handle on how to play and how to teach. However, I still ended up having to read the rules to the other players, which is NEVER an ideal way to learn/teach a game. I think it must boil down to the fact that some games have just too many rules. Struggle of Empires is one of those games for me. Notwithstanding the fact that I sucked at it and found myself in a huge hole with at LEAST 90 minutes left to play -- the game just wasn't that much fun for me. There was just too much to think about. As much as I recognize the fine design of the game, it made me feel REALLY inadequate as a gamer, and that's not fun when that feeling lasts for 3+ hours. Having written this I'm kinda nervous about how I'll feel about Friedrich. Hmm. Anyway, this one is hitting the trade pile.
Case in Point: Il Principe
Here was another one that sounded REALLY clever when I read the rules, but became a tedious mess in practice. As Valerie very astutely observed, "there were just too many moving parts." I could not have said it better myself. All the mechanics were so tightly connected and there were about a buttzillion different ways to score. I felt like I was spinning plates on the Ed Sullivan show. Plus, my play area was too busy -- I needed room for my tiles, my cards (those on the table *and* those in my hand) plus the fact that some cards were face up and some were face down -- whew. All a whirlwind of activity that felt more like work than play. Trade pile.
Case in Point: Tichu
Now here's a game I love and that I really need to play more often. Yes, it's a bit rules heavy for a cardgame, but once you've got those rules down there's a wide range of options you can apply to each hand. This is the kind of game I could play at least once a week.
posted by Stephen @ 1:39 PM
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