Entry 53: Week 8- Windward (Cooperative Mode)

        This week we just focus on one game and within the game just the cooperative mode. Our first introduction to El Dorado Games was the game The Island of El Dorado have it and all the expansions. The publisher did do a Kickstarter for Windward but we decided not to back the project at the time because we had a bunch of other campaigns we were backing at the same time. Because we did back The Age of Atlantis Kickstarter (which should be shipping soon) we decided to pick up a retail copy of Windward to try it out. 

BGG Description 

        You are a captain flying your Ship on the skies of the gaseous planet Celus. Gain the most notoriety by sailing the skies, hunting cresters, fighting opponents. Whichever player has the most notoriety points at the end of the game is the winner. To gain notoriety, you can trade in Crester teeth and gas at the trading post. Players take turns to move their ships, take actions, use supply cards, and battle other players. 

Weight 2.29/5 

What we like about the game 

 *** Just to remind you, this review was for the cooperative mode that we played. We have not done a regular game in which you can fight each other.***

        The overall looks of the game is pretty cool. The board in six wedges is neat and the miniatures definitely give it a floating out-of-this-world alien creature hunt vibe. Having the multiple levels of “cloud” was cool because you need to fully use your smaller longboats to get the creatures on the lower level. 

        We did like that there is two sections of actions “At Port” and “At Sky” that you can perform based on where your main ship is at. 

What we don’t like about the game 

        We felt that the cooperative mode was basically set up for you to fail (at least at two players). At the end of your turn you have to move the White Crester X amount of spaces (depending what level of difficulty you play) towards you which can make things really difficult if your partners ship is in the area. 

        We also did not like that you have to discard a Supply Card or loose a morale level, both of which are difficult to get and/or maintain. If your morale goes to zero then your ship becomes “lost” and then you have to follow another set of rules ending your turn. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

        This is a game that is an acquired taste which for us, is leaving a bad one in our mouths. Yes, we only played one game and only in the cooperative mode so our judgment is limited to what we have experienced. Will the bad taste go away once we play the regular game mode? Maybe, maybe not; we are not in any rush to try it again anytime soon. 

        Next weekend we are on our annual family “mini-vacation” up to the mountains of Washington State (specifically to our favorite Bavarian town, Leavenworth). So I will be packing a few games with me and will do my best to have the blog up on Sunday like normal.

Entry 52: Week 7- Azul & the Take That Mechanic

        For St. Valentine’s Day, my wife blessed me with a few new games to add to our growing collection. One of the games we were introduce to by a friend and wanted to pick up the expansion so we stopped by Barnes & Noble to find it because we know they carried it (they were out) and of course we found a couple more games that was marked down. Anyways, one of the games from my gift stack was a game that my wife tried out on Board Game Arena and decided to get it because she thought it was fun (even though she didn’t understand it fully after one play). The game is Next Move’s Azul. 

AZUL (2017) 

        Over that past 4 years I had kept seeing more and more posts bout this game, its expansion, and the newer versions but had always been hesitant since the game isn’t our “normal” (if we have such a thing). After just one play, I can now state that this game actually does fit into a game style that we do like and fits really well into our collection. On top of that, I like the BGG description because it goes along with last week’s blog. 

BGG Description 

        

Introduced by the Moors, azulejos (originally white and blue ceramic tiles) were fully embraced by the Portuguese when their king Manuel I, on a visit to the Alhambra palace in Southern Spain, was mesmerized by the stunning beauty of the Moorish decorative tiles. The king, awestruck by the interior beauty of the Alhambra, immediately ordered that his own palace in Portugal be decorated with similar wall tiles. As a tile-laying artist, you have been challenged to embellish the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora. 

In the game Azul, players take turns drafting colored tiles from suppliers to their player board. Later in the round, players score points based on how they've placed their tiles to decorate the palace. Extra points are scored for specific patterns and completing sets; wasted supplies harm the player's score. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins. 

Weight 1.76/5 

What we like about the game 

        What we liked about this game first and foremost is that it is not hard to figure out the game play. It does take a bit of strategy to draw the game out a little longer in order to maximize the points you can earn but if you just want to play it as a quick “lightning” speed game, you can end it in as few as five rounds because you need to fill one row up on your player board. 

        I do like that there is a penalty involved for having to take the first player tile and that if there is excess tiles from your staging rows that you also get a penalized. After the first couple of rounds our scores were low because of penalties but as the game goes further and further, the positive points add up quickly. 

        Not that I want to sound mean or anything, but the Take That (see below for definition) game play for me is kind of enjoyable. It isn’t that I want to be mean it is just that if I take something that would or could benefit you more but benefit me less for the round, I will have a smile on my face. 

What we don’t like about the game 

        After playing our fourth game of Azul in one day and really picking it apart, we have come to the conclusion that there isn’t anything that we don’t like about the game. 

        My wife wishes that after filling a row if you have excess the tiles could be placed onto an open row but she fully understands that the reason for the floor line is to maintain a good balance in the game play. 

“TAKE THAT” MECHANIC 

        Board Game Geek lists 4,308 games that use a Take That mechanic. Some games in this category include Uno, Magic: the Gathering, Dominion, Smash Up, Potion Explosion, Tapestry, Sorry!, and much, much, more. But what exactly is it? 

BGG Definition 

Competitive maneuvers that directly attack an opponent's progress toward victory, but do not directly eliminate any characters or components representing the opponent. Such mechanics include stealing, nullifying, or force-discarding of an opponent's resources, actions, or abilities. A take-that maneuver often results in a dramatic change in the players' position of power over a relatively short period of time. 

Popularity 

        The “Take That” mechanic in games ranks high in popularity and is considered a core mechanic in board games. With four games in the top 16 having this mechanic (twenty four in the top 250), this game mechanic is definitely here to stay. 

        One of the best examples of a Take That game is Uno. With the Draw 2 and Draw 4 cards, a person who is one card away from winning the round can easily be knocked back to last place in an instant. 

        In modern gaming, some of the easiest games to more complex games that are popular among the gaming community contain some form of the mechanic, you would be amazed as to what games actually use it. You can check out the full list here. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

        I am thrilled that my wife bought me Azul for Valentine’s Day and that we were able play a handful of games already. For people who are very analytical, this game definitely does the job well. It fits right in with games like Sagrada. 

        

        Do I see us picking up the rest in the series? Probably since we do like games that adds some beauty to our lives.

Entry 51: Week 6- The Golden Ticket Game/ Alhambra

        

This week has been a fun one. We were able to get some good game sessions in with various friends and family throughout the week. Once again, we were able to table two new games. 

        My wife had asked me that if we keep up this pace will we have enough to finish the year out? I just let out a laugh and told her “we should be fine, we have a bunch of Kickstarter projects that should come in this year.” 

GAME 1: THE GOLDEN TICKET GAME 

        Over the past couple of years, more and more games have been released based on new and old movies. I saw this one at a big box retailer over the holidays and picked it up as a Christmas gift for our family because I loved Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka and this is based on the movie he was in. 

BGG Description 

Willy Wonka is opening his factory at last –but only for a lucky few! He has hidden Golden Tickets in his Wonka Bars. If you can find a Golden Ticket, then you win the big prize. 

Use strategy on every move and play your Wonka Candy cards to collect as many Wonka Bars as you can to better your odds of finding a Golden Ticket! When the last Wonka Bar is picked up, everyone opens up their collection to see who’s got a Golden Ticket! This family strategy game requires planning, combo-making, and a little bit of luck. 

On a player's turn they can do two actions. The actions consist of playing cards from their hand, discarding a card to move one space, or refilling their hand back up to their draw size. When a character lands on a gameboard space, they can also use the do listed action on that space as part of their move. At the beginning of the game, a limited number of golden tickets are added to the Wonka Bars depending on the number of players. The bars are then mixed up. The whole point of the game is to try and earn as many Wonka Bars as possible throughout the game to better your chances of ending with a Golden Ticket. 

When all Wonka Bars from the pool of bars are claimed the game is over. At this point all players will unwrap the bars they have earned. 

Any player that ends with at least one Golden Ticket wins! 

Any player that does not end with a Golden Ticket loses. 

Weight 1.14/5 

What we like about the game 

        This is a fun whimsical game that, if you have seen the movie, really immerses you into the world of Willy Wonka because you play as one of the children from the movie. Each one has a different special ability and allowance amount which balances the game out. 

        We do like that the nine location tiles have a basic side to it and an advanced side; You can decide which side on each tile is play so you have a ton of combinations you can set up and play. 

        We also like that if you play with more than two players there is a chance that there will be multiple winners in the game because during set up you are hiding Golden Tickets based on the number of players minus one (3 players= 2 tickets, 4 players= 3 tickets). 

        Another plus is that the game also comes with an extra ticket (5 total) and five extra chocolate bars for the purpose of fully customizing the game to how you want to play it after learning the basics of the game. Even the instruction book says you can do it. 

What we don’t like about the game 

        I normally don’t have an issue with this but for some reason the initial prep work bothered me this time. Not the sleeving of cards (because this is a personal preference) but the process of unfolding the wrapper, inserting the chocolate bar, and folding the close-able end. 

Overall Thoughts 

        I really liked the game overall. The actions are simple, and the cards are beautifully done. After playing a few times I felt the desire to watch the movie again and find me a Scrumdiddlyumptious Bar to eat. This is one game that I would table it over and over just bring back happy thoughts and feelings. Yumm!!!! 

GAME 2: ALHAMBRA (BIG BOX 2nd EDITION)

 

        Thanks to my wife, we have fallen in love with the publisher Queen Games. In BGG they have over 300 games listed as a publisher. 

        We added Alhambra to our 10x10 challenge this year because we had Kickstarted the 2nd edition big box and because Alhambra is a staple for most gaming collections. The game is also considered to be one of the first major hits by the company as well. We wanted to play at least ten games to really see how much we would like it because there is a ton of content for the game. 

        Since we have the Big Box 2nd Edition and the Designers’ Expansion Box, I felt that putting in the description for each is needed because the big box description doesn’t talk about the game itself just the changes from BGG Description 

Alhambra (2003) 

Granada, 1278. At the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, one of the most exciting and interesting project of the Spanish Middle Ages begins: the construction of the ALHAMBRA. 

The best master builders in the whole of Europe and Arabia want to demonstrate their skill. Employ the most suitable teams of builders and make sure that you always have enough of the right currency. Because no matter whether they are stonemasons from the north or horticulturalists from the south, they all want a proper wage and insist on their "native" currency. With their help towers can be constructed, gardens laid out, pavilions and arcades erected and seraglios and chambers built. 

In Alhambra, players are acquiring buildings to be placed within their Alhambra complex. 

The money in Alhambra comes in four different currencies and is available in the open money market. The 54 buildings of six types become available for purchase in the building market four at a time; one building is available in each of the four different currencies. On a player's turn, a player may 1) take money from the open money market, 2) purchase a building from the building market and either place it in his Alhambra or reserve, or 3) engage in construction and re-construction projects with buildings that have been placed in the player's Alhambra or reserve. The game rewards efficiency, as when a player purchases a building from the market for the exact amount of money, the player may take another turn. 

Players with the most buildings in each of the six building types in his Alhambra score in each of the scoring phases, and points are awarded for players' longest external "wall" section within their complex. The game ends when the building market can no longer be replenished from the building tile supply, and there is a final scoring, whereupon the player with the highest score wins. 

Weight 2.1/5 

Alhambra: Big Box 2nd Edition (2021) 

The Alhambra: Big Box (Second Edition) features all new artwork and includes all 6 expansions and the 2 Queenies amounting to 26 modules. 

No Weight Listed 

Alhambra: Designers’ Expansion Box (2019) 

Originally available as part of the Alhambra Designers' Edition Kickstarter. This expansion contains 14 expansion modules by 9 famous designers, plus 3 fan expansion modules. 

The expansions are: 

Dirk Henn: New Building Grounds 

Dirk Henn: Major Construction Projects 

Emanuele Ornella: Palace Staff 

Emanuele Ornella: Orchards 

Klaus-Jürgen Wrede: Travelling Craftsmen 

Klaus-Jürgen Wrede: Bathhouses 

Klaus-Jürgen Wrede: Wishing Well 

Marco Ruskowski & Marcel Süßelbeck: Fresh Colors 

Marco Ruskowski & Marcel Süßelbeck: Palace Designers 

Michael Schacht: Alhambra Zoo 

Michael Rieneck: Gates without End 

Mike Elliott: Buildings of Power 

Rüdiger Dorn: Extensions 

Stefan Feld: Handymen 

Fan Expansion Modules: 

Louis-David Péloquin: Personal Building Market 

Frank Sander: Treasures 

Stefan Schiltz: Caliph‘s Guidelines 

Weight 2.0/5 

What we like about the game 

        We have just played a handful of the base game and not any of the expansion modules to date. What we really like about the game is how simply the game play is. As stated in the BGG Description, there are only three main actions you can choose from each turn so no complicated rules at all. When placing your buildings in your city, you just need to make sure that you follow the placement rules which are not hard to follow at all. 

        We do like that you have options with the modules of which to add, and from what I can tell, you can mix and match and add multiple modules at once if you want. 

         We played with my mom and opened the box, the first thing she said was “looks to complicated for me” and then when I took out the items that we needed for the base game she let out a sign of relief and said “that’s all for the base game??” We like that there isn’t much you need to get a quick game started. 

        We also like that the game is scored in only three phases and the first two is based on when the shuffled scoring card show up during the game. The third scoring phase is triggered with the end game. 

What we don’t like about the game 

        The first thing that we don’t like so much is that with the third action, we wish that if you have multiple tiles in reserve you can place them together. It is understandable that this game doesn’t allow it whereas other similar games that were published after this one does. (My wife has more of an issue with it than I do) 

        The only other thing that we don’t like is that during the end game phase, we wish that you can add the tiles in reserve to your city if you can legally place them. We feel that if you can place the left over tiles that you acquired from the end game, you should be able to move the reserves into the city. 

        Other than those two items, no other issues with the game. 

Overall Thoughts about Alhambra 

        We are so glad that we picked up the Big Box with all the extra goodies because once you understand the base game having the option to add more to your game is nice. We are looking forward playing the game more with the different additions. Just remember that even though it is in a big box that it does mean it is a hard game to play. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

               

                                (The real Alhambra Palace)

         

        The two new games for the week were a nice change for me. Alhambra being on our 10x10 was motivation to table it. Now that we have played it a few times, it has become a new favorite of mine (Tang Garden will be my forever number one). 

        The Golden Ticket Game brings back memories of the “olden” days (I am not old enough to refer to the “Golden” days yet, unless you talk to my wife). It was fun playing the game to collect chocolate bars without having the desire to actually eat chocolate bars. 

        I do recommend both of these games for families to play because both are easy to learn and fun to play. Hope this week everyone has a Scrumdiddlyumptious Valentine’s Day.

Entry 50: Week 5- Momiji / Dragon’s Cave / Tapestry: Plans and Ploys

        We ended the month of January with a total of 61 game plays of 27 different/expansion games (we are trying to record which expansions we played instead of recording just the base game play). Of the 27, one-third were new to us. A few of them were introduced to us by a new local-gaming friend (and of course, the new games we just had to pick up for ourselves). 

        The 52-week challenge has motivated us to sit down and play new material which we can introduce to others to continue to share our love of gaming. With an ever-expanding collection, it is nice to actually “get out of rut” and play our variety that we have. 

        That being said, this week we played a few new games. The first being from one of my favorite creators… Francesco Testini. 

GAME 1: MOMIJI 

        From the creator of my #1 game of all time, Tang Garden, comes another game in which beautiful landscape power tiles form a panorama picture. This game takes you to an Imperial Japanese Garden in the fall where you collect and play sets of leaf cards with the topmost being the score multiplier for the stack. I will let the BGG description tell you more. 

BGG Description 

In Momiji, you attempt to fulfill objectives by collecting the most valuable autumn leaves from the Imperial Garden in ancient Japan. 

You start with a hand of six leaf cards and a series of three landscape powers that combine to form a unique panorama. (For the first game, landscapes are assigned, but they can be drafted in subsequent games.) Leaf cards come in 4-6 types depending on the number of players, with values of 0-3 in each type. Start with four random cards in the central playing area, sorted by type. Place 4-6 randomly chosen objective tokens in the center of play; sample objectives are collecting the most 0s, having the most cards of a specific type, or having the highest sum of visible cards at game's end. 

On your turn, choose one of these three options: 

• Collect leaf cards: Take all the leaves of one type from the central display and add them to your hand; if you wish, pay one acorn token to reveal four new leaf cards prior to choosing a type. 

• Play leaf cards: Place 1-2 leaf cards of the same type or two or more cards of different types in your player area. Each type is placed in its own pile, with 0 being the first card you can play of a type; each subsequent card must the same number or at most one larger. Once you play a 3 on a pile, cover that pile with a torii token as that pile is now closed for you. If you play different types, then after playing, each pair of adjacent topmost cards in your area; if both cards show an acorn on the adjacent corners, you take two acorn tokens from the reserve. 

• Activate a objective token: Pay three acorn tokens to place an objective token in your player area. This activates the objective, and anyone might score for it at game's end. 

Once during a turn, you can discard two cards from your hand for one acorn token or spend an acorn to use a landscape power or do both of these actions. You can use each landscape power at most once during a game. 

When the leaf card deck is empty or after 4-6 leaf piles are closed with a torii token, the game ends. For each pile of leaves, you score points equal to the value of the topmost card multiplied by the number of cards in the pile. Remaining acorn tokens are worth 1 point each. For each activated objective, you see who best meets the condition and therefore scores points; if the player holding the token scores, they receive 10 points, whereas anyone else who scores that objective receives 3 points. Each player scores in case of a tie. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game wins. 

Weight 2.0/5 

What we like about the game 

        This game is another hit for us and not just because it is a Francesco game. It is a hit because the game play is simple, quick, and very easy to learn and teach. There is some strategy involved because of the limited number of cards; zero’s having the most cards and decreasing as you go up to the three cards. The variety of power tiles do help if utilized at the right moments in the game. 

What we don’t like about the game 

        Now this is just our personal preference, but what we don’t like is that you can only have one stack of each color. We do wish that after a stack is capped off that we could start a new stack of the same color. Yes, the chances of scoring it is low but we would be okay with that. 

Expansions/Modules 

        The deluxe version comes with the Ancient Garden expansion along with the Squirrel and Golden Leaves modules which is not available separately. As an add-on to the KS campaign, the Falling Leaves, Metal Leaf, and Morning Dew modules are for both standard and deluxe version. The Morning Dew module also adds a 5th player option. 

        

        We haven’t played the expansion or modules yet but soon though (we hope). 

Overall Thoughts 

        We have played two, three, and four player games and feel that is does play best at three. This game for sure will get tabled over and over again. 

GAME 2: DRAGON’S CAVE 

        We found this game at a children’s second hand store that every now and then would have some interesting used games. We saw this one and a tile laying Sonic the Hedgehog racing game. I opted for this one because we have enjoyed games from Blue Orange. 

BGG Description 

Lured by a precious treasure, you are brave dwarves venturing into the dragon's cave, gathering gold coins on your way! Pick each step forward carefully because if the dragon predicts your next move on the path, you'll move backward and risk losing the coins you haven't saved in your treasure chest. 

Bluff your way through Dragon's Cave to strike it rich! 

—description from the publisher 

Weight 1.0/5 

What we like about the game 

        A very fast game that is simple enough that our 2 ½ year old should be able to understand it soon (FYI.. she’s really really smart). Since the cards you play are kept face up until you refresh your hand, the person acting as the dragon for the turn can make a better guess as to how to catch a dwarf or two. 

Gameplay 

        Since the description doesn’t talk about game play, here it is in a nutshell. 

        Every player has the same six cards to select from which corresponds to the spaces on the path and in the dragon’s lair. Each person also takes turns as the dragon as well. The dwarves will pick a card that corresponds to the space they want to move to, some have coins to earn and some do not, and place it face down. The Dragon then selects one of the five spaces in the lair hoping to match a dwarf or two. The dwarves then reveal their cards. 

        If you are caught by the dragon you move backwards on the path and take the coins you have in your purse and divide them as you choose secretly in your hands then the dragon will pick a hand and you discard what was picked (if any). If you weren’t caught, you move up to the next space that matches the card you played and earn the reward shown on the space (if any). 

        Dwarves refresh their hand by either getting caught by the dragon or playing the chest card to put the treasure from the purse into their chests. 

        Game ends when a dwarf or dwarves makes up into the dragon’s den which gives them four additional coins. You then add up the coins in your purse and in your treasure chest. Most coins win. 

What we don’t like about the game 

        Because of how simple the game is, a single person could run away with the game if they can easily outsmart the other players. 

        This would be a great introduction game to younger kids but if you play the game with just adults it can be pretty boring after a few turns and/or games played. 

Overall Thoughts 

        

        Would we pay full price (Blue Orange lists it at $15.99), probably not. So if you can find the game on sale for $10 or less, I would snag it at that price just for the entertainment value. 

        Blue Orange have a great variety of games for all ages in their catalog. Some are hits like Kingdomino (and Queendomino), New York 1901, and Vikings on Board and some are misses such as this game. 

        “Board games are like a box of chocolates….” 

    

       Wait a minute, are they?? I guess in some cases (even after researching them) 

         “… you never know what you are going to get.” 

GAME 3: TAPESTRY 

        Stonemaier Games and more specifically, Jamey Stegmaier, has put out some of our favorite games and this is one of them hence the reason why it is on our 10 x 10 Challenge this year. 

        Because I haven’t written about the base game in the past, this section will be treated like I wrote about Happy Little Dinosaurs from Entry 47. 

BGG Description 

Tapestry is a two-hour game for 1-5 players designed by Jamey Stegmaier. 

Create the civilization with the most storied history, starting at the beginning of humankind and reaching into the future. The paths you choose will vary greatly from real-world events or people — your civilization is unique! 

In Tapestry, you start from nothing and advance on any of the four advancement tracks (science, technology, exploration, and military) to earn progressively better benefits. You can focus on a specific track or take a more balanced approach. You will also improve your income, build your capital city, leverage your asymmetric abilities, earn victory points, and gain tapestry cards that will tell the story of your civilization. 

—description from the publisher 

Weight 2.9/5 

What we like about the game 

        As the description says, this game you literally start with nothing and work your way up four different advancement tracks. We enjoy that you can start with focusing on a specific track and then change directions to fit what’s best for your civilization. 

        I tend to start with a focus on the science track, whereas my wife usually goes for the technology line. Each game is different in the sense that you are drawing new cards to help benefit your advancement (tapestry cards) and placing new tiles (exploration track) that expand your area on the world map ready to be conquered (military track). 

        We also like that there are larger landmark (buildings) you place on your capital mat if you are the first to reach certain advancement levels and/or if your technology card reaches the top level that allows you to place a new landmark. The smaller income buildings also help with filling in gaps in your capital and allows you more income during that phase of the game. 

        The last thing I want to mention is that based on your choices made, each player will finish the game at different times. Not everybody will advance to the next age at the same time. This is like Everdell in terms of game play. 

What we don’t like about the game 

        I don’t have anything that I can’t really say that I didn’t like about the game. The only improvement I would do is to probably reword some of the civilization cards, a few we had to look up online for clarity. Other than that, solid game. 

EXPANSION 1: PLANS AND PLOYS (2020) 

BGG Description 

Choose from a variety of new civilizations, pursue individual achievements to add landmarks to your capital city, and sneakily interact with the opposition in this first expansion for Tapestry. 

—description from the publisher 

Weight 2.84/5 

What we like about the expansion 

        The new civilization cards provides new ways to look at your individual game play. In the game we played, the two civilizations cards I got to look at were from the expansion. One game me negative points right away and the other gave me a lot of points right away but also could make me loose points at the end of the game if I didn’t fully take advantage of the civilization card’s ability (I picked that one but misread something on the card that probably resulted in why I lost to my wife by 81 points). 

        We also liked having the individual achievement cards that gave us a landmark to add to our map if we met the requirements to place it. 

What we don’t like about the expansion 

        I wish that there were multiple achievements cards for each landmark (there is only 5, one per person). This would add more variety because if you get the same card over and over you might lose interest. Since the last player draws the achievement cards first and selects the one they want, they could just as easy draw new cards for any duplicate landmark cards drawn. 

EXPANSION 2: ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE (2022) 

        I will leave this section alone for now and write about it when we play it. The official (retail) release of this expansion was a few days ago. But as Stonemaier Champions, we were able to pre-order it and got it before Christmas. 

Overall Thoughts about Tapestry 

        As I said above, this game and even the expansion is solid. With the set-up, it may look pretty intimidating but it really isn’t all that bad. It isn’t like Uwe Rosenberg or heavy Euro games. 

        It is a game that we can actually not feel rushed to complete because for the most part, you can plan ahead of time what your next turn will be. Even with the distraction of a nearly-three year old who didn’t want to go to bed, we finished the game around the estimated play time. Keep in mind that when teaching new players to the game (or any game) it will take longer to play until they get a handle of the game play. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

        Last week was a pretty good one in terms of gaming. We picked up new games, played new games, backed another Kickstarter, worked on our and my mother’s 10 x 10 challenges. 

        The three games highlighted in this week’s blog were fun to play. I am excited that Francesco’s game arrived for we truly enjoy playing his game. 

         My last thought for this entry is WOOHOO!!!!! This is entry #50. I am excited that this blog is almost to the 1 year anniversary. I hope the few that have read this blog have enjoyed  it as much as I have enjoyed writing them.