!
3 Likes
I published a post about this just about an hour ago. I’m not used to posting something ahead of Stately Play. 
I’m slacking lately. A lot going on in real life right now. Might post about it sometime.
Basically not enjoying what life is dishing out right now, and focusing on games is tough. I posted at BGG about it, though.
5 Likes
Oh crap, Dave. I’m sorry if that came out as a criticism. The last thing I want to do is pile on because I know you are having a lot of life issues right now.
It was meant as a playful joke.
I know I’ve joked about this too, but I do get a lot of my blogging inspiration (especially style) from you, so that’s the last thing I want to do.
1 Like
Didn’t take it as criticism at all. Just feeling bad that I’m only getting 1-2 things up (or zero, which really kills me) each day.
It will get better.
Working on a video playthrough and written review of an awesome board game right now. Hoping to have it done for tomorrow. Might not make it until Monday, though.
7 Likes
I have to wait weeks for this! Swines!
Picked up Friedemann Friese’s Finished! and it’s a lovely solo game.
The cards when sorted successfully create a short flipbook “film” that you get to watch at the end of the game (or whenever you want, you cheater)
1 Like
Trying to convince myself to pick up Not Alone again. It was our main 1 vs all game after a couple had what they call “a baby” and long hours playing Fury of Dracula became impossible. When they moved away I gave them Not Alone and they took it and their child (probably the only reason they reproduced in the first place) and now it may be the right time to get playing it again at my local. The only problem is the price has gone up from £17 or so to a cool £25ish. I will buy it, and the expansion, I’m just being miserly.
I also finally got The Carnies expansion to The Bloody Inn played. Adds a lot more interaction. I think it gets a raw deal because of the murdery theme and unique art, but TBI has been in regular rotation alongside Arctic Scavengers with us for ages now.
1 Like
I don’t know anything about Not Alone, but if you’re looking for a Fury alternative that plays much, much quicker, have you tried Specter Ops?
1 Like
Yup, already own it. Bought it immediately on release as we were mainlining Dead of Winter at the time and were big Plaid Hat fans.
Last Sunday, I played a couple of “old-time” (not really that old, but still) games.
Started out with A Study in Emerald (2nd Edition). Was on the Restorationist side along with two others, and one of the two Loyalists just ran away with everything.
All Restorationists ended with 0 points (secret teams and whoever is in last place, everybody on that team loses 5 points at the end of the game).
Then played another Terraforming Mars. I did pretty terribly at it, but didn’t come in last (only by 3 points, though).
Played some Smash Up at lunch on Wednesday with the Spies and Star Roamers faction. Had a lot of fun, but since it was a teaching game, we didn’t have time to finish.
Today I posted my review of a great 45-60 minute game called Imhotep where you are an ancient Egyptian architect trying to get the most glory.
2 Likes
I’ve played Imhotep on Yucata. Pretty neat game.
2 Likes
The expansion isn’t out over here yet, but I understand it’s on Yucata. Unfortunately, I don’t have any reliable players/friends who play on Yucata (my few games with randoms have ended in miserable failures)
1 Like
https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/74555/students-review-liberty-or-death
While the patriots are mostly incentivized by the village-fort victory condition to engage in frontier violence, the Indians have additional motives for their involvement. The “raid” command allows Indians to shift the opposition level (read: public support for the patriots) of adjacent provinces towards neutral, thus directly positively affecting their shared victory condition with the British. Upon raiding a territory, Indians can employ the “plunder” special activity to acquire resources from the patriots. While the names of these actions suggest that they be classified as frontier warfare, unlike other military actions they do not remove pieces – such as forts, militia and continentals – from the rebellion’s side. Instead, these Indian moves serve very different functions inside the mechanism of the game, akin to non-violent actions of other factions. For example, the patriots’ “persuasion” special activity gathers resources and the British “reward loyalty” special activity influences public opinion. Thus, comparatively, the Indians enjoy a wider area of influence in the War through their military operations than the patriots. The diversity of confrontational actions available to the Indians is one of the key elements in Buchanan’s model for Indian-patriot conflict on the western frontier. This advantage is offset by the far greater military power of the patriots.
1 Like
Played another Time Stories scenario last night–The Endurance Expedition. It was not my favorite, but also by no means my least favorite.
I continue to enjoy how each scenario introduces a new rule or manner of operating within the existing rules that alters how you must play to succeed. In this one (this is not a spoiler), you have Sanity points (in addition to other attributes), and you must be careful not to lose all your Sanity, as you will not die, but go insane. You still play on with your team, but operating under specific parameters that none of the other players know. Given that the setting is the frozen Arctic and freezing to death is not out of the question, it was quite tense. Do you take a shotgun away from a character who just went insane? Do you trust anything they tell you about the areas they’re exploring?
The way they handle the insanity mechanic is well done enough that it could be a central aspect of a separate game all on its own. It’s kind of a shame that they never seem to repeat the same special rules twice (though also impressive).
1 Like
Yet just like Jake Gyllenhaal, it doesn’t know how to quit us. This relationship simulator is awash with interesting quirks and details. The setup of a two player game with a couple trying to feel out their conjoined existence is endearing. As cards are played and scenes unfold, the simultaneous answering of questions manufactures engaging moments laced with a bit of drama as you explore unknown territory.
That concept of ‘relationship simulator’ is pretty kooky and something I can totally get behind. On paper it’s pure potential, able to fork off into existential discovery or skip about in lighter social reverie. Newcomers approaching the game have no idea what to expect, and that’s wonderful.
1 Like
Hey, nothing to promote today!
I did have a great gaming session yesterday, though. Played four games, three of them new to me.
First, Clank in Space hit the table for the third time, second this year.
Three-player game, I was the only one who made it off the ship. However, even with the 20 point bonus for escaping, I came in 2nd, 101-75-73 (that’s how bad my point-collecting had been up to that point). It was an exciting finish, as the other two died within a few spaces of the escape pods (but still in the cargo hold, so they were able to score).
Then played a neat area-control game called Mexica, where you are dividing a huge island by placing canals and then placing temples to control those areas. I actually won this one!
Then a card game I’ve been dying to play every time I see it come out. Unfortunately, I’m always in the middle of something else or there’s something else I want to play more. Arboretum is a great, beautiful, and extremely cutthroat card game where you’re playing tree cards to your tableau, but you can only score them if you have an uninterrupted path in increasing card order (1-8) from one card in the sequence to the last card.
The trick is, you have to earn the right to score that tree type (suit) by having the highest total number of that suit in your hand at the end of the game. Have you been saving the 8 of Oak because you want to score the oaks in your tableau? Too bad if an opponent has (for example) the 4 and 5 in their hand.
Lost this one badly, 30-7-5 (the winner only had two suits! But the path was long, of the same suit, and she could score both)
Finally, I’ve been wanting to play Sagrada but it just never came out when I was able to play. Love the colourful dice on this one as you’re creating a stained glass window of dice.
We got a major rule wrong (you can’t place dice with the same colour or number adjacent to each other) and I still did terribly.
All in all, a fun day!
1 Like
Lol. We’ve all messed up rules at one point or another, but that Sagrada goof is a doozy!
Yeah, he was pretty embarrassed. And after he mentioned it, I was like “yeah, I remember hearing that”.
But the fact that I did so terribly even with “easy mode,” I’m not sure how I would do without it. 
I do love Arboretum. People are expecting a relaxing game of tree-planting, and it’s cut-throat as anything, with you ruining things you’ve done to deny others points. Very nice small box game, stacked alongside Blood of an Englishman and Fox in the Forest.
2 Likes