Has anyone tried Rum & Bones. It is quickly jumping to the top of my wish list.
Once or twice a year I take a trip and get together with my long-time friends and former college roommates. Back then, we played quite a bit of Magic: The Gathering, a fair amount of Axis & Allies, and more StarCraft and Age of Empires II than I care to recall (it is amazing that I graduated). We tend to play most iOS board games and strategy games that allow 3 players asynchronously.
Just this last trip, I brought a new copy of Theseus: The Dark Orbit. I chose the game because it isn’t everly difficuly mechanically and being by the designer of Neuroshima Hex, and having a similar, though different, puzzle/battle gameplay was intriguing. Overall, I have to say that it was a hit. The game feels like a whole bunch of chaos with Mancala-style movement, traps, upgrades, battles, etc., but it was certainly tense and I did get a “thinking 5 turns ahead” vibe like I do from NS Hex. I am looking forward to forcing my wife to try this one out because in spite of the theme, I believe she will like the confrontational puzzle elements. If it goes over well with her, I think I will grab the two expansions before the game becomes too hard to find.
1 Like
Just wrapped up another evening of games with a couple friends. We have been talking about the commitment required to take our relationship to the next level… a foursome as it were, to tackle pandemic legacy. Tonight we played two games of vanilla pandemic and were pleasantly surprised. I think we will get legacy to the table soon!!!
Had a game night this week with old friends, but not hardcore gamers, we played a few rounds of Coup and Codenames, both were great for light and social gaming since they can be played in 15 min or so and pretty easy to learn.
Tried Children of Catan?
My group often plays codenames as a warm up game. It’s great! If anyone’s late they can drop into one of the teams, and it’s a great intro game for new players as the rules are simple and your team can help steer you in the right direction.
No, but someday I will get around to it. It’s been nothing by My First Stone Age for about a month now.
Since we’re talking about actual tabletop games in here. 
I just posted my review of Gil Hova’s “The Networks.”
A really awesome game
What else are people playing on the table?
I just posted my review of Century: Spice Road with an addendum post about Century: Golem Edition which is the same game but with better artwork and components.
Has anybody else played Terraforming Mars or Great Western Trail?
I’ve played Terraboring Mars.
Recently on the table I’ve had The Cousin’s War, Twilight Struggle, Pandemic, Dead Men Tell No Tales, A Distant Plain, Fox in the Forest, Survive! Escape from Atlantis, and thanks to KRinella I’m lining up a game of Kingmaker with a Crown of Roses follow-up.
1 Like
Not a fan, I see. LOL
Some great games in your group there!
And I wish I could play Kingmaker. I’m jealous.
No, I enjoy it actually. It’s perhaps not quite as interactive as I like, perhaps one of the many upcoming expansions has more in that vein though.
I’m hoping the Kingmaker game gets off the ground, waiting to see what sort of shape the copy is in.
I’m still waiting for Colonial Twilight to turn up (I botched my order and GMT expertly sorted it out for me), and I have Ici, c’est la France to play in the meantime.
I have Time of Crisis from GMT winging its way to me, and I’m really looking forward to playing that one.
I’m getting really interested in a lot of the GMT games, but I just don’t think I’d be able to get most of them to the table (don’t really play 2-player much except with the wife, and she won’t play wargames, and I don’t have the room for solo play)
1 Like
THe first time I played the Terra Mystica app I hated it; it probably doesn’t help that I barely understood the game and chose the Giants, who are very not beginner-friendly. I tried the app again and though “hmm.” Third time I though “ok…”
Anyways, I bought the tabletop version last week and had a blast playing it last night. I’ve found myself veering more towards the Ameritrash or hybrid games over the last decade and it was nice to get a more traditional euro to the table again. I’m very happy with the purchase and can’t wait for the day I finally win a game.
1 Like
I’m playing around with Colonial Twilight, and apart from getting an unhealthy amount of satisfaction from counter clipping, it seems to be good. I’m a little concerned that negotiation, usually such a strong part of COIN games (when the group realises they are allowed to), is essentially dead, and I’m very concerned that there’s a bot for the Algerian FLN but not the French side, but the game seems to be a nice entry into the series, shorter, lighter, etc. There are some errors in the supporting materials and some minor touches lacking in the game itself.
Just posted my review of Iron Curtain, a really quick (20-minute) yet kinda meaty take on the Cold War.
Don’t have 2 hours for Twilight Struggle? This little card game with a couple of similar mechanisms (card play where the events just may benefit your opponent) may just fit the bill.
Also got another game of Tyrants of the Underdark in on Sunday. I really love that deck-builder area control game. It’s quickly turning into a favourite.
What have you been playing?
Nice review on Iron Curtain. It sounds very similar to 13 Days (no surprise), which I love, but the absence of the tension tracks makes me wonder if the older game wouldn’t just be more enjoyable, for me anyway. Played a little hotseat Ogre with the girlfriend the other day. She is, as usual, both lukewarm on the game and a good sport.
1 Like
So you would definitely recommend 13 Days?
I have heard good things about it.
Had a test game of Crown of Roses. It is a fucking beast and I think I’m going to lose at least one player of the three I’ve got lined up. It’s got blocks, it’s got cards, it’s got war, it’s got politcking, it’s got bidding. We did two rounds and that took us more than three hours, not counting set up. It’ll be an all-day job, but a four-player War of the Roses is difficult for me to pass up. There’s a lot of procedure each round, so I’m digging into it to see if it can be trimmed. Already got extra pieces as player aids.
Was going to break out Sekigahara but apparently I’ve lost a piece from it. Which is absolutely infuriating, as I never do that.
Got some Ici, c’est la France! played to compare it to Colonial Twilight. More plays needed. Bloody love Ici though, CT is unlikely to unseat it as my favourite game on the Algerian War. Not that it’s a crowded field. I wish I had more time to play Tonkin. I shall have to settle for reading even more books instead.
1 Like
I wish I had more ability to play 2-player war games or even COIN games.
My wife is the only person I play 2-player games with (other than a co-worker at lunch, which doesn’t really allow for intricate games), and she will not play war games at all.
Ok, she says she would, but I know she wouldn’t have fun and I’m not going to put her through that just for my sake.