The best game reviews come from gamers who know you well. Here's what KingPut has to say about games from 2007.
Note: KingPut is the organizer of a successful open family game night, and my personal expert on games that appeal to children, families and casual gamers, but don't make you want to bang your head against the table to relive the boredom.
KingPut says...
With the holidays coming up I've made the following list of newer games I've played this year. Most of the newer euro type games I've played over the last year have been crappy to barely tolerable. I wouldn't recommend buying any of them. I'd have Francie and you try Thebes and Zooloretto. They might be good purchases for her. They're in my Francie type games that Uba would tolerate category.
3 games that I'd like to play again:
Age of Empires III - I saw your review of this. After 3 plays its still my favorite game from 2007. Designer Glen Drover who worked Railroad Tycoon and Conquest of Empires with Wallace is the most Wallace-like designer out there. Of course he borrowed from Caylus and Puerto Rico so I can understand your low rating of this game.
Way out West - Older Martin Wallace game. I finally got to play this with Mike and Robert while drinking Hot Cider and Makers Mark. The game is a simpler and flawed Wallace game. But it has enough Wallace craziness to make it a lot of fun. It was fun playing with the 2 brothers.
Imperial - I liked this game but I also like multi player war-games that aren't really war-games.
I'm not sure if you'd like it. I thought it was ok:
Fire and Ice - On the negative side. There is very little player interaction and it's a little long for many people. On the good side. you get to load up a boat with Vikings and sail around Europe and Trade, Raid or Settle areas. Ameritrash people hate this game because it's not a wargame (risk like game) or an adventure game. It's still a Hybrid Eurogame.
Games Francie would like or love and you and Al can tolerate:
Thebes - The best of these type of games. The game of competitive archeology. This is a travel around the board searching and digging for stuff game. It has a Ticket to Ride, Around the World in 80 days feel. Fast pace. Plays in 60 minutes. A lot of luck involved in the game but that's OK. Nice graphics and components.
Zooloretto - I really didn't enjoy this but Z, Francie, G etc might and you might be able to tolerate it.
Crappy Games I don't think you should play:
Yspahan
Vikings
Pillers of the Earth
Norte Dame
Lenardo (thats right we played it)
Containers
Arkadia
Gheos
A number of other forgettable games
10 comments:
How about comments from people who don't know you...
I've not played most of those games but here's my thoughts on some ofthem:
Imperial: 1 play. Our game crashed and burned. It seemed like the choices were obvious and everyone got into the same pattern. We aborted after an hour and half (caveat: We were learning the game and may have gotten some of the rules wrong)
Thebes: 2 Plays. I liked this one quite a bit but it totally missed the boat by not having an Indiana Jones theme and a little "take that" to it. I'm considering making my own copy with great graphics and house rules.
Zooleretto- 2 plays. I agree with Kingput. Harmless and lame. I found myself thinking..Why even take the time to play this? Incidentally I won both times. I must have a knack for herding and breeding animals.
Leonardo- 1 play. Typical Euro efficiancy excercise. I'd play it agian just becuase its got Leonardo Davinci as a theme ;D
Yspahan: 4 plays. I like this one. Really, I actually just like the gambling aspect of it. The fun is in hoping you'll get a good roll and making hard choices when there are multiple good things popping up. I think the game is 'solvable' with enough plays though. There are definately some best choices to go after.
Gheos: 1 play. tough one to call and I need to play this more. It is both viscious but dry at the same time. You need to try it for yourself and play with people who will happily cut out your heart. I own a copy but the dryness keeps me from pulling it out.
Notre Dame: 1 play. Agreed. Don't play it.
Steve"gamesnob"Avery
Steve, excellent idea on adding the Indiana Jones theme to Thebes. It would be a much better game with snakes, whips and the giant ball chasing you. I might actually buy a game like that. Maybe you could add some new cards with objects that you can actually use besides the car and the blimp.
I kind of liked Yspahan the first couple of times I played it also. It's fun rolling dice and playing with the camels. But I've been forced into playing this game about 8 times this year. So each time I've enjoyed it less.
StephenAvery said...
How about comments from people who don't know you...
Your comments are appreciated too.
It seems that you both agree that none of these games are particularly wonderful.
I think that Francie is considering purchasing Zooloretto for S (who is 11 years old), but she hasn't made up her mind yet. I told her that I was hitting the buy button on my order as soon as Last Night on Earth was in stock at my favorite on-line retailer, and to hurry up and make up her mind if she wanted to go in with me and get free shipping.
Personally I'm waiting for the restock of War on Terror and release of Prophecy.
I've just surfed the Essen new releases and I'm very disapppointed. The only ones I'm even a little interested in are:
Race for the galaxy
The Circle
Antler Island (I liked Sheer panic-kinda)
and Lambogini
Where are all the space robot voodoo gangster Wizards?
(ok there's actually one gangster game that might be decent too.)
Kingput should be happy though. They've relesed a nicer copy of Caylus. That reminds me. At the Mercer thing there were 4 guys in a corner playing Caylus and I went over to take a picture. I said "Ok Guys- look thoughtful!" I got a pic of four guys giving me an Eat Shit look. I'm totally going to post it on the geek. It needs a clever caption though.
BTW Kingput. that was all the encourangement I needed. Now you've gone and done it!
Ok I'm off to go steal images of Indianna Jones...
There are three Essen releases that I'm interested in.
Liebe & Intrige - I'm not going to kid myself. It's a girl thing. I'm going to own it.
Battue: Storm of the Horse Lords - Dude, it's called "Storm of the Horse Lords." How cool does that sound. Bruno Faidutti gave it a slight nod in his blog, which is a good sign. However, I'm waiting for some reviews to come in on this one. It may be too abstract for my taste.
Brass - It's Martin Wallace. Could be great. Could suck. I'm waiting for KingPut to try it, since I know that someone in his game group will probably get it as soon as it is out.
Also, I just realized that despite playing a good number of 2007 games, they were all too boring to buy. I do, however have a few that are sitting in my cart that I am purchasing on hope and faith.
Last Night on Earth - This is a no brainer for me.
Red Dragon Inn - I think that this may work well with a couple of groups I play with.
300: The Board Game - It's got pictures of guys with awesome beards.
Finally, I just read that Mordred is still in transit to the U.S.
So there is still a chance that I might have something positive to say about 2007 games before it is 2008.
Alright Girly Girlpie, Lets get this blog rolling again.
For fun, I pasted your face onto the bodies of the southern belles palying Liebe and Intigue. If only I had a picture with better resolution!
You are 40 years off and an ocean away. They aren't southern belles. The are ladies of the British Regency period. Now when geeks make comments about L&I being Victorian, you too can correct them and sound like you know something about Jane Austen.
I'm not going to put on any pretenses. I'm an uncultured curr with little or no knowledge of literature, politics, or music (or really anything else. Its probably one of the big reasons I *hate* trivia games...
Sorry 'bout that Steve. My student loan debt was larger than my mortgage. I sometimes feel compelled show off the scattered bits of impractical knowledge it afforded me.
Anyway, as a guy you are not expected to actually know anything about Jane Austen. It's a girl thing.
Phew! Good thing. Now if I can get away with not knowing any other stuff too...
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