I'll throw a Mü deck in with my stuff for East. Can't guarantee we'll get a table of players when you're available, though, since you're usually a green :P
Anthony started calling the Juggalo game the "Dark Carnival Deckbuilder". Now I can't walk past the "DC Deckbuilder" box on the shelf at Games Keep without imagining Violent J printed on a playing card.
Anthony started calling the Juggalo game the "Dark Carnival Deckbuilder". Now I can't walk past the "DC Deckbuilder" box on the shelf at Games Keep without imagining Violent J printed on a playing card.
If you wanted a game that had a "Dark Carnival" there's always Doomtown Reloaded.
Anthony started calling the Juggalo game the "Dark Carnival Deckbuilder". Now I can't walk past the "DC Deckbuilder" box on the shelf at Games Keep without imagining Violent J printed on a playing card.
If you wanted a game that had a "Dark Carnival" there's always Doomtown Reloaded.
The rules for Mü actually start on page 18, which is unfortunate. It also has all the printer's marks in the file, so it looks really ugly.
The gist of it is: Normal trick-taking game (must follow suit, high card wins, trump beats the suit led.) 5 identical suits, 12 cards each. Each suit is (0,1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9).
Cards are worth varying amounts of points when taken in tricks, which are indicated clearly below the index on the corner of the card. 1 and 9 are zero points. 6 and 7 are two points. All other cards are one point.
The special wrinkle is the bidding before each hand to determine who gets to pick the trump. Trump can be either a suit (eg. red, green) or a rank (eg. 5, 1), and there can be up to two trumps in each hand. (eg. Red is high trump, 1 is low trump).
The rules for Mü actually start on page 18, which is unfortunate. It also has all the printer's marks in the file, so it looks really ugly.
The gist of it is: Normal trick-taking game (must follow suit, high card wins, trump beats the suit led.) 5 identical suits, 12 cards each. Each suit is (0,1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9).
Cards are worth varying amounts of points when taken in tricks, which are indicated clearly below the index on the corner of the card. 1 and 9 are zero points. 6 and 7 are two points. All other cards are one point.
The special wrinkle is the bidding before each hand to determine who gets to pick the trump. Trump can be either a suit (eg. red, green) or a rank (eg. 5, 1), and there can be up to two trumps in each hand. (eg. Red is high trump, 1 is low trump).
When I won as Chief, I had nearly all of the nines. So I made that Trump, Rym had picked blue. I was able to save two 9 nines for the last hands. It also helped Pence had a really crap hand and was Rym's partner.
In case anyone is interested, the new Star Wars Risk, which isn't really Risk at all and just a re-themed Queen's Gambit, is currently $14.97 on Amazon.
In case anyone is interested, the new Star Wars Risk, which isn't really Risk at all and just a re-themed Queen's Gambit, is currently $14.97 on Amazon.
In case anyone is interested, the new Star Wars Risk, which isn't really Risk at all and just a re-themed Queen's Gambit, is currently $14.97 on Amazon.
Six new-to-me games this week feels like a lot - and it is - but it's not a crazy outlier given the last couple of months. As it turns out, living with someone who has a slightly different taste in games will expose you to several games you hadn't considered.
Collection Played in 2016: 39%. 90 games to go. Added this week: A Brief History of the World
Age of Craft(new to me) - A small Japanese game that I received from another BGG user - plays like a cross between Settlers and Machi Koro. We actually played this twice on Friday, which is a good sign. I appreciate that trading resources is part of the design, and there are reasons to trade.
Automobiles(new to me) - Conceptually in the same category as AEG’s other deckbuilder, Trains. Both plays were more about micromanaging the locations of your cards (cubes)... which actually works well.
Ginkgopolis - I had to skim the rules, since quite time had passed since we last played this. Unfortunately, the rules are in German because I had to import my copy - a wi-fi connection and a cell phone saved the day. The majority scoring in Ginkgopolis is just different enough from Web of Power to be a little annoying to remember.
Can’t Stop - I stop too much. Then again, I will always take the ‘2’ and the ‘12’ tracks when presented with the opportunity.
Wyatt Earp(new to me) - The Eagle-Gryphon version, which I tossed into a CoolStuff order with Anthony. Five hands were enough to start seeing where the decisions are, positioning yourself for a big payout or sharing in 2-3 small ones. The way at-large outlaws keep getting more valuable from hand to hand is very appropriate.
The Gallerist(new to me) - The other half of that big CoolStuff order. Anthony read the rules on Sunday, and we played it twice this week as a two-player game. Lots of decisions, but it’s hard to see where they’re leading from turn to turn due to the number of ways every action can change the board. Still exploring this.
Last Will(new to me) - Last month I played the designer’s more recent game, Prodigal’s Club. Last Will is similar, but more thematic than Prodigal’s Club, which may give it the edge over time. Of course, there’s also the bizarre option in the rules to mash both games into one super-game, but I’m not in a hurry to try it.
A Brief History of the World(new to me) - Not a full game, but a quick run through the first three epochs with Anthony, to learn the rules. Not half bad even if you only play the first half, but it did make some cards (my poor Mayans were lonely, but content) a little useless.
For people going to PAX East Gil Hova is going to have a test copy of "The Networks" with him. It's a game that I Kickstarted a while back and will be getting in a month.
The game ends, when at least one player has $25,000 or more after a hand is scored. The player with the most money is the winner. If two or more players tie, the tying players duel to decide the winner: each draws a card from the card supply and turns it face up. When a player draws a blank (a card without a bullet hole), he is out of the duel. The last remaining player is the winner. If all remaining players draw blanks, they draw again.
We had a three-way tie at $25,000 after I had a particularly good hand.
This is the last week before PAX East, and while I didn't have anything new in the pile to play, Anthony did.
Collection Played in 2016: 41%. 88 games to go.
Millennium Blades(new to me) - This almost works for me, but it feels too difficult to make a mutually beneficial trade between rounds. I was assured that would get easier once people know the cards, but... I don't know if I want to invest that much effort into it.
A Brief History of the World - Finally got in a full play, with six players, too. The score came down to a single point on the final round. I really enjoy how ephemeral any empire is - you're lucky if you have anything left by the time your next turn comes around.
Codenames - A surprising burst of play this week, first at a party, and then at work. I thought EASTER 3 was a great clue for Chocolate, Rabbit, and Soul, but my teammate just couldn't get it. Granted, I usually make bizarre logical leaps for clues.
Wyatt Earp - I really like the tiebreaker in this - all tied players have a shootout (by drawing cards from the deck). Not only is it thematically appropriate, but we ended this game in a three-way tie, which let us reenact the end of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Thunderstone Advance(new to me) - The Numenera-themed one, and the first of two games Anthony and I played on Sunday. I enjoyed this more than Legendary, although some of that is also a fondness for the theme.
Above & Below(new to me) - Not sure how this will hold up for me - I want to play a second time to see how much the game changes. Enjoying it for now. And I really want the game to acknowledge your village gradually becoming super-queer after contacting the underground - think Shadow Over Innsmouth, written by someone who isn't terribly xenophobic.
I didn’t play a lot of new games this PAX - but my threshold for “a lot” is pretty high (I count four new games this week). When we got back home, there was even an early birthday present from Anthony waiting for me - a used copy of In the Year of the Dragon, which has always seemed like the Feld game that would finally have staying power for me.
Collection Played in 2016: 42%. 87 games to go. Games added this week: In the Year of the Dragon.
Settlers of Catan - One game at work, the day before PAX. I was the only person who had played before, and I’m happy to report that even people who only have experience with more modern tabletop games can still enjoy a game of Settlers.
Race for the Galaxy - I actually taught this to two coworkers, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. They even figured out how to set up a produce/consume engine in the first game.
Camel Cup(new to me) - Finally got to play this - and it is as solid as its SdJ pedigree would suggest. A good horse racing game that isn’t about horses.
Quartermaster General - I think this is only the second time we’ve gone to turn 20 without someone winning, and even then it was a very narrow Allied victory - which only happened because the United States got a foothold in North Africa and shelled Italy for four turns.
Welcome to the Dungeon - While we were walking the tabletop area at PAX, we saw a GIANT set of Welcome to the Dungeon at Iello’s table. We didn’t play with it (just my normal-sized set), but there’s something ridiculous and entertaining about watching someone draw a card the size of their torso, consider it secretly, and place it gently onto the deck.
Fast Food Franchise - This is the first time I’ve seen Ice Cream win! Unfortunately, I wasn’t playing Ice Cream this time.
Mü - More learning games, fewer completely disastrous hands. It feels like there’s room to bid more aggressively than you “should” as long as you can get a good high trump and a good partner - you can turn (almost) any hand into a good hand.
Food Chain Magnate - I aimed to aggressively place permanent billboards that could hit two houses, which worked until I realized just how few billboards there are in the game.
Kodama: the Tree Spirits(new to me) - Anthony got this light card game from the Action Phase Games booth at PAX. It has a tiny bit in common with another Daniel Solis game, Belle of the Ball, but I think it’s more clever and more enjoyable.
Oh My Goods! (new to me) - Enjoyable game, but the English rulebook leaves quite a lot of rules ambiguities with its brevity. It also seems like the designer has already submitted a variant set of rules which will be in the second printing, and many of his changes are things I think I would enjoy.
Infiltration - I haven’t played this since 2012, right after I got into board games. And I think I appreciate it more now with context. Playing with the “advanced” scoring rules didn’t hurt, either.
Space Alert(new to me) - Vlaada always manages to get crazy tension out of interlocking systems and a few cards, and this is no exception. If it didn’t *require* some training missions and tutorials to get new players up to speed, I would probably ask to play this at every game session for the foreseeable future.
Camel Cup -> Still a camel race. The excitement of it really depends on the people you play with. I noticed new players keep rolling the dice while experienced players hold off on rolling as long as possible. Rolling the dice to prevent others from betting is a fine strategy, but it makes the game less exciting. Remember to give the start turn marker to the right players so that everyone gets a fair number of actions. I unfairly won a game because of this.
Quartermaster General -> Lets' play again. Need to play again already knowing the cards and rules for maximum effective play. Also, lots of luck in this game in terms of card draw. Many times during the game I was like "if they have X card, we're fucked." Thankfully, they didn't.
Welcome to the Dungeon -> Welcome in my dungeon any time. Basically the same game as No Thanks!, but more fun theme and more fuck you!
Fast Food Franchise -> Random nonsense. Same game as Monopoly, but it ends mercifully before you want to break something. Imagine if Monopoly ended definitively after maybe 4 trips around the board.
Mu -> It's not Wizard. Is it worse or better? I don't know. It's definitely harder.
Food Chain Magnate -> Die in a fire.
Kodama -> Happy tree making yay.
Oh My Goods -> Nice machine building race. With more interactivity this could be baller.
Space Alert -> Still didn't level up to maximum difficulty.
Age of Craft -> Would be more exciting with more/different cards. I like how the protection card was also worth victory points. I also like the card that gives you incentive to trade. Good thinking.
Comments
http://gametyrant.com/news/there-is-now-a-deckbuilder-featuring-juggalos-as-heroes
Kill me now.
It is a well-established fact that everybody jumps to the juggalo sound. Fuck outta here if you ain't down with the clown.
So.
http://riograndegames.com/getFile.php?id=264
The rules for Mü actually start on page 18, which is unfortunate. It also has all the printer's marks in the file, so it looks really ugly.
The gist of it is: Normal trick-taking game (must follow suit, high card wins, trump beats the suit led.) 5 identical suits, 12 cards each. Each suit is (0,1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9).
Cards are worth varying amounts of points when taken in tricks, which are indicated clearly below the index on the corner of the card. 1 and 9 are zero points. 6 and 7 are two points. All other cards are one point.
The special wrinkle is the bidding before each hand to determine who gets to pick the trump. Trump can be either a suit (eg. red, green) or a rank (eg. 5, 1), and there can be up to two trumps in each hand. (eg. Red is high trump, 1 is low trump).
http://www.amazon.com/Risk-Star-Wars-Edition-Game/dp/B00SDJG59K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460128407&sr=8-1&keywords=star+wars+risk
http://riverhorse.eu/labyrinth-board-game-announcement/
They're also making an officially licensed MLP:FiM RPG
Seems like the Cryptozooic of Europe.
They must of re-used some of the mechanics because looking at the two games it looks more extensive than a simple re-skin.
http://opinionatedgamers.com/2016/04/05/eric-edens-star-wars-games-revisited/
Collection Played in 2016: 39%. 90 games to go. Added this week: A Brief History of the World
Age of Craft (new to me) - A small Japanese game that I received from another BGG user - plays like a cross between Settlers and Machi Koro. We actually played this twice on Friday, which is a good sign. I appreciate that trading resources is part of the design, and there are reasons to trade.
Automobiles (new to me) - Conceptually in the same category as AEG’s other deckbuilder, Trains. Both plays were more about micromanaging the locations of your cards (cubes)... which actually works well.
Ginkgopolis - I had to skim the rules, since quite time had passed since we last played this. Unfortunately, the rules are in German because I had to import my copy - a wi-fi connection and a cell phone saved the day. The majority scoring in Ginkgopolis is just different enough from Web of Power to be a little annoying to remember.
Can’t Stop - I stop too much. Then again, I will always take the ‘2’ and the ‘12’ tracks when presented with the opportunity.
Wyatt Earp (new to me) - The Eagle-Gryphon version, which I tossed into a CoolStuff order with Anthony. Five hands were enough to start seeing where the decisions are, positioning yourself for a big payout or sharing in 2-3 small ones. The way at-large outlaws keep getting more valuable from hand to hand is very appropriate.
The Gallerist (new to me) - The other half of that big CoolStuff order. Anthony read the rules on Sunday, and we played it twice this week as a two-player game. Lots of decisions, but it’s hard to see where they’re leading from turn to turn due to the number of ways every action can change the board. Still exploring this.
Last Will (new to me) - Last month I played the designer’s more recent game, Prodigal’s Club. Last Will is similar, but more thematic than Prodigal’s Club, which may give it the edge over time. Of course, there’s also the bizarre option in the rules to mash both games into one super-game, but I’m not in a hurry to try it.
A Brief History of the World (new to me) - Not a full game, but a quick run through the first three epochs with Anthony, to learn the rules. Not half bad even if you only play the first half, but it did make some cards (my poor Mayans were lonely, but content) a little useless.
Collection Played in 2016: 41%. 88 games to go.
Millennium Blades (new to me) - This almost works for me, but it feels too difficult to make a mutually beneficial trade between rounds. I was assured that would get easier once people know the cards, but... I don't know if I want to invest that much effort into it.
A Brief History of the World - Finally got in a full play, with six players, too. The score came down to a single point on the final round. I really enjoy how ephemeral any empire is - you're lucky if you have anything left by the time your next turn comes around.
Codenames - A surprising burst of play this week, first at a party, and then at work. I thought EASTER 3 was a great clue for Chocolate, Rabbit, and Soul, but my teammate just couldn't get it. Granted, I usually make bizarre logical leaps for clues.
Wyatt Earp - I really like the tiebreaker in this - all tied players have a shootout (by drawing cards from the deck). Not only is it thematically appropriate, but we ended this game in a three-way tie, which let us reenact the end of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Thunderstone Advance (new to me) - The Numenera-themed one, and the first of two games Anthony and I played on Sunday. I enjoyed this more than Legendary, although some of that is also a fondness for the theme.
Above & Below (new to me) - Not sure how this will hold up for me - I want to play a second time to see how much the game changes. Enjoying it for now. And I really want the game to acknowledge your village gradually becoming super-queer after contacting the underground - think Shadow Over Innsmouth, written by someone who isn't terribly xenophobic.
Someone bring an xboz controller. I only have three.
Collection Played in 2016: 42%. 87 games to go. Games added this week: In the Year of the Dragon.
Settlers of Catan - One game at work, the day before PAX. I was the only person who had played before, and I’m happy to report that even people who only have experience with more modern tabletop games can still enjoy a game of Settlers.
Race for the Galaxy - I actually taught this to two coworkers, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. They even figured out how to set up a produce/consume engine in the first game.
Camel Cup (new to me) - Finally got to play this - and it is as solid as its SdJ pedigree would suggest. A good horse racing game that isn’t about horses.
Quartermaster General - I think this is only the second time we’ve gone to turn 20 without someone winning, and even then it was a very narrow Allied victory - which only happened because the United States got a foothold in North Africa and shelled Italy for four turns.
Welcome to the Dungeon - While we were walking the tabletop area at PAX, we saw a GIANT set of Welcome to the Dungeon at Iello’s table. We didn’t play with it (just my normal-sized set), but there’s something ridiculous and entertaining about watching someone draw a card the size of their torso, consider it secretly, and place it gently onto the deck.
Fast Food Franchise - This is the first time I’ve seen Ice Cream win! Unfortunately, I wasn’t playing Ice Cream this time.
Mü - More learning games, fewer completely disastrous hands. It feels like there’s room to bid more aggressively than you “should” as long as you can get a good high trump and a good partner - you can turn (almost) any hand into a good hand.
Food Chain Magnate - I aimed to aggressively place permanent billboards that could hit two houses, which worked until I realized just how few billboards there are in the game.
Kodama: the Tree Spirits (new to me) - Anthony got this light card game from the Action Phase Games booth at PAX. It has a tiny bit in common with another Daniel Solis game, Belle of the Ball, but I think it’s more clever and more enjoyable.
Oh My Goods! (new to me) - Enjoyable game, but the English rulebook leaves quite a lot of rules ambiguities with its brevity. It also seems like the designer has already submitted a variant set of rules which will be in the second printing, and many of his changes are things I think I would enjoy.
Infiltration - I haven’t played this since 2012, right after I got into board games. And I think I appreciate it more now with context. Playing with the “advanced” scoring rules didn’t hurt, either.
Space Alert (new to me) - Vlaada always manages to get crazy tension out of interlocking systems and a few cards, and this is no exception. If it didn’t *require* some training missions and tutorials to get new players up to speed, I would probably ask to play this at every game session for the foreseeable future.
Age of Craft - For me, this is the real “Settlers of Catan, only cards.” I’m very curious what Bezier Games is going to do with the design later this year, and whether it will warrant owning both games.
Mamma Mia! - No one has ever gotten all eight recipes fulfilled - but I have now seen seven twice. This time it wasn’t me.
Quartermaster General -> Lets' play again. Need to play again already knowing the cards and rules for maximum effective play. Also, lots of luck in this game in terms of card draw. Many times during the game I was like "if they have X card, we're fucked." Thankfully, they didn't.
Welcome to the Dungeon -> Welcome in my dungeon any time. Basically the same game as No Thanks!, but more fun theme and more fuck you!
Fast Food Franchise -> Random nonsense. Same game as Monopoly, but it ends mercifully before you want to break something. Imagine if Monopoly ended definitively after maybe 4 trips around the board.
Mu -> It's not Wizard. Is it worse or better? I don't know. It's definitely harder.
Food Chain Magnate -> Die in a fire.
Kodama -> Happy tree making yay.
Oh My Goods -> Nice machine building race. With more interactivity this could be baller.
Space Alert -> Still didn't level up to maximum difficulty.
Age of Craft -> Would be more exciting with more/different cards. I like how the protection card was also worth victory points. I also like the card that gives you incentive to trade. Good thinking.