Girls' Games Our Tuesday girls' group held an end-of-year potluck and played some Cards Against Humanity. Most creative pot-luck moment - Julia's failed fruit-salad turned amazing smoothie! Angela and I, addicts that we are, continued to catch up on Tuesday nights anyway with a friend or two. A couple of people have shown interest in our Girls' Group. I'm actually the newbie here - this group was started by the other members and unfortunately we don't have space to add anybody else. However, my plan this year is to implement another group like this (although less often - something like once a month) if the interest is there. New to the collection My Amazon haul arrived early in the month, and I decided that I could have one now, one as my Christmas present, and one later when I would appreciate it. The first game I opened was Tokaido, as I thought it would be a good one for the family. I hadn't expected much as the general opinion is that it's very very light. I was actually pleasantly surprised with the gameplay it contained. To my shame, I still haven't played it with the younger kids. For Christmas "Brad" gave me Broom Service and I got a full group of players to try it out with me on New Years' Day. With light rules and cute graphics, it's still pretty strategic and one of my more "euro" games. I still have not played my copy of Splendor, but I finally gave it to myself the other evening. :D It's a game I've played a few times and am familiar with, and one which warranted owning so I could play it more often. I also went to Te Wharehouse and picked up good ol' Uno and Skip Bo. The kids love these and they are great for number skills. Don't underestimate young kids' ability to play Uno - as soon as they can recognise numbers they're good to go! Katie first played it when she was 3. Other gaming Christmas Day itself was definitely a success in the pressie department! Not only did I get Broom Service, but managed to convince my Mum into getting me Junk Art (a wooden stacking game) and my friend Gareth gave me a copy of Mombasa! I was grinning from ear to ear getting three whole games this year!! I didn't get any games played on Christmas, though, as Mum and Ken generally don't enjoy them. Although I haven't made it to a Wednesday for a while, I also managed to get a few games in with various friends. Recent Gaming Moments Games I played in DecemberTokaido* (x3) Fluxx (x2) Junk Art* (x2) 7 Wonders Blood Rage* Cards Against Humanity Coloretto Amazonas Dominion Magic: The Gathering Sherlock Holmes: The Card Game* Skip-Bo Takenoko *New to me Played online at BoardGameArena (as Kyanite): Carcassonne (x2), Takenoko (x4), Seasons, Puerto Rico, Tobago, Bombay*, Dragonheart. Most enjoyed: Takenoko Why? My love affair with Takenoko continues, and the Chibis expansion has breathed some new life into it, too. It's just a fun, light, relaxing game. Least enjoyed: Sherlock Holmes: The Card Game Why? I actually played a lot of games I don't like very much in December, as is always the case when you are catering to many different people. Good thing I enjoy playing anything - even games I don't like! However, Sherlock Holmes had the biggest gameplay problem. In Sherlock Holmes you play cards to travel, investigate, arrest etc, and those cards inform which ones you are allowed to play next. Unfortunately we kept getting stuck in the "countryside" by a certain travel card that was very common. You could only play two specific cards to follow it and we just weren't drawing them. We played a couple of rounds but this happened each time. The game is thematically entertaining, but it's never fun being unable to move forwards. (Sorry John! I would still play it again, though.)
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On Sunday the 27th of November, I held a Pand-Tastic Afternoon Tea, attended by Lisa, Carlos and Dion.
It was a beautifully warm and sunny day! I have recently bought two new games for my library! Takenoko: Chibis The adorable but overpriced expansion for Takenoko. I'd resigned myself to not getting it as I wasn't willing to fork out the $60-odd for a small box expansion. Then I found a copy on eBay for half that price! I didn't buy it blind - a friend has a copy and I've already played it a couple of times. It's a welcome addition to Takenoko. At the Gates of Loyang This has been on my wishlist for ages, but I keep overlooking it for other new and exciting titles. It's a really good game that just doesn't get table time at my Wednesday game group because (a) very few people know how to play it and (b) it requires either 2 or 4 players, specifically, to play best. It's an older title, so people would always rather play an exciting new game or an old favourite that they already know. When I was in Wellington I insisted on visiting Cerberus games, but hadn't found anything I wanted enough to actually buy - until I checked the clearance stand and saw Loyang sitting there at 25% off. It was time to acquire it. Games I Played in SeptemberCodenames (x5) Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 (x4) Dead Man's Draw (x2) Get Lucky* (x2) Jenga (x2) Takenoko (with Chibis* expansion) (x2) 7 Wonders: Duel* Blokus Carcassonne Castles of Mad King Ludwig (with Secrets* expansion) Concept Lords of Waterdeep (with Scoundrels of Skullport expansion) Seasons Summoner Wars Ticket to Ride: 10th Anniversary Ticket to Ride: Europe* Zooloretto *New to me Played Online: Targi*, Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar, Seasons (x2), Takenoko (x2), Elfenland Most Enjoyed: Pandemic Legacy still takes top spot, but, other than that, I was impressed with 7 Wonders: Duel. Why? I thought the idea of selecting cards from a pyramid rather than drafting, in 7 Wonders: Duel, was extremely inspired. Least Enjoyed: Get Lucky Why? The company was fabulous so I had a good time playing, but the game itself I didn't quite *get* Thumbs up for the card humour though. September Gaming MomentsApologies for the anticipation of a post a week ago - if anyone saw it - I started writing it and then got sidetracked... for a week... On the 22nd of May we had our semi-annual game of Twilight Imperium 3. This game is gargantuan, and requires at least an entire day so we need to plan it weeks or months in advance. There are a group of us who enjoy playing high-conflict, explorey games filled with betrayal, backstabbing and hilarity and are willing to devote hours to creating an alien empire, tabling and voting on ridiculous laws, and in Jeremy's case, suicide-bombing particular players with his explosive fish-ship. During the game there evolved a rivalry between Luke/Jeremy and Matt/Michael. We had expected Luke and Jeremy to be at each other's throats as they were next to each other and can both be very clever but aggressive players. To our shock, they decided that working with each other was more beneficial, and that was terrifying. As the game drew to a close, it became so close between Luke, Matt and Jeff that the alliances came to the fore and there was much bribery and corruption. Luke took it out in the end, with what I think was a well-earned victory. Other than that I have been enjoying games with Angela and her girls' group, Wednesday night gaming and even a lovely lunch-and-a-game with my best friend and his family while the kiddies played. It certainly seems about time for another games night soon so I'll look at my calendar and see where I can schedule one in. Takenoko at Mark's on June 1st with the expansion "Takenoko Chibis" (kindly provided by Martyn). It's a good expansion that adds a GIRL PANDA (!!!), some cool special tiles and cute baby tokens. Sorry guys, I won't buy it for the $54 it's retailing at, but maybe if there was a good sale it might turn up in my collection one day. Games I Have Played in MayColt Express
The Resistance: Avalon Codenames (x3) Dominion (base game) Star Trek: Catan Viceroy Dead Man's Draw Twilight Imperium 3 (with Shards of the Throne & Shattered Empire expansions) Sequence (x3) Catan Perudo (Liar's Dice) Lords of Waterdeep (With Scoundrels of Skullport expansion) Legacy: The Testament of Duke de Crecy Most enjoyed: Legacy: The Testament of Duke de Crecy Why? I just love the story that develops for each player as they build their family. Least enjoyed: Viceroy Why? The theme didn't seem to be attached to the gameplay and it just seemed fiddly for no reason. |
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