Recent Gaming - July 11, 2009
July 11, 2009
Most of these are games I acquired in a recent frenzy of trading...
Big City - I owned this at one time -- back in the day (ie, when it was first released). Being somewhat fun, but rather simple, it got traded away quickly. However, the reputation of Big City has grown over the years, so I traded for a used copy to see if I had, perhaps, missed something crucial the first time around. Interestingly, the person I acquired it from had also received it in a trade, so there is some possibility that I'm getting back my original copy I traded so long ago.
I'm happy to own it again. No, I still don't believe there are any Earth-shattering ideas here, but the toy element is strong. Building the city is fun! And it looks so cool.
Tribune - Another recent trade acquisition. This is a game I've been trying to get to play for two years. I'm glad I finally did. It's probably my favorite of the worker selection genre, which is, perhaps, faint praise since I'm not overly keen on the worker selection genre. Tribune has a not-inconsiderable number of rules, but I give Karl Heinz Schmiel credit -- they fit together quite nicely. Once you get going there isn't alot of diving back into the rulebook. The rules make sense in context of the overall experience. A winner.
Strozzi - Ra meets Medici. Someone cleverer than I said to imagine that you're bidding on Medici-like-stuff, but using Ra tiles, each player having tiles valued 1, 1, and 2. I can't think of a better way to describe it. It might be brilliant, but it just didn't excite me that much. It feels like the uninspired end of a trilogy that probably should have ended at Book 2.
Blox - This is one that I got to try at the recent Gathering of Friends (2009). A 2008 SdJ-nominee, Blox is a heavily abstract contest of tearing down and building up towers of, well, blocks. I want to say it's more enjoyable than original, but then I can't quite think of another game that feels like this. Blox feels like the kind of game that should have existed for awhile, but hasn't, I suppose.
Steam - Little brother of Age of Steam. AoS is the kind of game I enjoy playing, but am horrible at. It's a little heavier than I'm typically comfy with, but it's a fun experience, nonetheless. Steam (particularly the base game, which we played) is much simpler than Age of Steam, which suits me just fine. I'm still awful at it, but it's a step in the right direction for this gamer.
Dog - Partnership Parcheesi. I made my own set after watching it being played at Gathering 2009. It failed to excite, I'm sad to say. Especially after all the work I put into it.
Pants on Fire - Tried out someone else's copy since I haven't received my own yet. Hmph!
Most of these are games I acquired in a recent frenzy of trading...
Big City - I owned this at one time -- back in the day (ie, when it was first released). Being somewhat fun, but rather simple, it got traded away quickly. However, the reputation of Big City has grown over the years, so I traded for a used copy to see if I had, perhaps, missed something crucial the first time around. Interestingly, the person I acquired it from had also received it in a trade, so there is some possibility that I'm getting back my original copy I traded so long ago.
I'm happy to own it again. No, I still don't believe there are any Earth-shattering ideas here, but the toy element is strong. Building the city is fun! And it looks so cool.
Tribune - Another recent trade acquisition. This is a game I've been trying to get to play for two years. I'm glad I finally did. It's probably my favorite of the worker selection genre, which is, perhaps, faint praise since I'm not overly keen on the worker selection genre. Tribune has a not-inconsiderable number of rules, but I give Karl Heinz Schmiel credit -- they fit together quite nicely. Once you get going there isn't alot of diving back into the rulebook. The rules make sense in context of the overall experience. A winner.
Strozzi - Ra meets Medici. Someone cleverer than I said to imagine that you're bidding on Medici-like-stuff, but using Ra tiles, each player having tiles valued 1, 1, and 2. I can't think of a better way to describe it. It might be brilliant, but it just didn't excite me that much. It feels like the uninspired end of a trilogy that probably should have ended at Book 2.
Blox - This is one that I got to try at the recent Gathering of Friends (2009). A 2008 SdJ-nominee, Blox is a heavily abstract contest of tearing down and building up towers of, well, blocks. I want to say it's more enjoyable than original, but then I can't quite think of another game that feels like this. Blox feels like the kind of game that should have existed for awhile, but hasn't, I suppose.
Steam - Little brother of Age of Steam. AoS is the kind of game I enjoy playing, but am horrible at. It's a little heavier than I'm typically comfy with, but it's a fun experience, nonetheless. Steam (particularly the base game, which we played) is much simpler than Age of Steam, which suits me just fine. I'm still awful at it, but it's a step in the right direction for this gamer.
Dog - Partnership Parcheesi. I made my own set after watching it being played at Gathering 2009. It failed to excite, I'm sad to say. Especially after all the work I put into it.
Pants on Fire - Tried out someone else's copy since I haven't received my own yet. Hmph!
posted by Stephen @ 10:10 PM
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