How to learn new rules - play the game yourself!

I've been dying to play Bang! for some time now - http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/3955 - it looked a little complex and I really needed to get the rules under my belt before introducing it to the family. It's a nice cheap little game that is very fast moving and can accommodate up to 7 players. Everyone takes the part of different characters in a Western shoot out - all the roles are secret, bar that of the Sheriff. The roles are a mix of Outlaws, Deputies and a Renegade. Also everyone gets to choose a character card that affects the game play. Then everyone gets a number of cards to play with that can help them or hinder the others before a Bang! card is played which is basically a shot at someone else in the game. Normally the Bang! cards have a range of 1 ie the player either side of you but alternate weapon cards and other game play cards can increase this.

I dug out the game the other day and sat down and played all 7 players single handed! No mean feat! But it got the rules down in my head and it's quite a fun simple and most of all quick game to play. It can last 20 mins apparently according to the rules. I would recommend it and I hope to get the family playing it soon and even organise a theme night with some of the local players - bring your own hat, badge and pistol!

Aquaretto arrives!

Following on from the very popular family game Zooleretto, we found out that Aquaretto is available - a Sea Park based version of the original game that is a full game with new rules in its own right or it can be added as a super-expansion if you dare to the original. I picked this up from our local game supplier battlequestgames, very helpful and accomodating Andy quickly turned around an invoice and I was able to collect it within an hour of ordering.

I had a quick look inside and the components were as good as ever for Rio Grande Games with solid pieces, fantastic art and solid wood Meeples - but the base board is grass?? What sort of water park uses a grass base board and solid water tiles? Not sure about that but that is just esthetics. Cannot wait to play!

Bank Holiday Gaming Madness!!

Wow! What a bank holiday weekend! What do you do when it's the standard UK Bank Holiday fair ie cold wet and damp? Get out your favourite Euro games and start gaming like mad!! This was a weekend we wanted to spend time as a family, and gaming is one of the best ways we can do this.



Firstly, it was one of Maya's favourites - Gulo Gulo. A fun family favourite - nice quick and simple especially for the younger gamer - results: Roshni won! :)



Ok, then it was Ticket to Ride: USA version. An excellent tactical game with nice and simple rules. Last time we played this, the Europe version, the kids just didn't quite get it, so we thought we would play the simpler US one in teams. So it was Kavita and I vs Roshni and Anita with Maya playing with her own stuff by her own accord. They started to get a good idea of what was involved to play, especially Kavita who started to get into the tactical side. Still, it was an Anita/Roshni win at a crushing 131 to 57.

Then came another big family fav, especially with Anita, Zooloretto. This is a brilliant family game with so many tactical aspects that are very subtle and easily played by the kids, even Maya with a little help. Anita obsolutely loves this one and it shows! :) Final scores Roshni/Anita - 35, Maya - 29, Kavita 26 and me bringing up the rear at 17.

The addons really bring great new dimensions to the game and are thoroughly worth it. Cannot wait to get Aquaretto!

Up next was Queens Necklace - a great little 'Days of Wonder' Gem trading game set in the 1800s or something in France. The idea is to purchase gems that may well sell for large amounts at the Kings court at three sales that will occur during the game. And that is what I love about Euro style games - the time limit on the back of the box is how long it will last! When they say 1 hr, its how long it will last because of in built game mechanics and rules. Its an amazing principle. So if we know we have only 45 mins spare, we dig out Zooleretto knowing it will last 45 mins. Again Anita won this hands down - Kavita: £140, Anita: £480, Maya: £240 and me: £280.

Then there was time for quick game of Diamant - always a favourite with Maya - and yes, yet again she wiped the floor with us! Maya: 43, Kavita: 35, Anita: 25 and Me: 18...

Finally today we played Eketorp. Just a great game - all sorts of fun - although I tried lots of tactical gaming and Viking raids on other villages, yet again Maya won us out (She is 5 remember...!) - 5th place - Me 17 points 4th place - Roshni 26 points 3rd place - Kavita 30 points, 2nd place - Anita with 32 points and finally Maya with a whopping 47 points!!

A great gaming weekend for one and all.

Getting back up to speed in gaming

What with trying to find another one job, its been a hard time to fit in a game. Plus also the lure of the XBox doesn't help. Damn you Gates and your perfectly able gaming console. :)
We've fitted in a few games of F1 Racing and the very enjoyable Zooleretto - using the expansions which livens things up quite a bit :)

When parents game.....

Crikey been a while since I blogged - is that a bad thing? Anyhow, introduced another member of the family, my mum, came to stay and was introduced to Zooleretto and Diamant - a highly enjoyable hour and a half for the kids. Haven't really gamed for a while which is bad....so intend to get in some more asap. Less XBox Live, more board gaming - although Anita is happy to participate in both - how many husbands can say that?!

Gulo gulo....means "Wolverine"??

Surely this is a mistake.... when someone mentions a Wolverine, the first thing I think of that guy with the hair and claws from the X-Men. Not little cute furry things clutching eggs. But so it seems they are. "Gulo Gulo" is a great little game and much enjoyed by the kids. We played a couple of games last weekend.


Then last night, Anita and I played a great game of Ticket to Ride: Europe - after lights out for the kids and over a glass of wine and a drop of Malibu white rum. :) It turned out to be a complete thrashing by Anita - 120 points to 55. I tried desperately to link up Copenhagen to some place in Turkey but Anita cut me out by using all the trains up, leaving me with a 21 point penalty! Yikes! We agreed we should get the Ticket to Ride:USA edition at some point.


Final Score: Anita 120 Me 55

This morning we decided to crack open the new game Mystery of the Abbey - an interesting Whodunnit based in a monestary. A monk has been done over and it is up to each character to find out which of the 24 characters on the detective sheet did the deed. The abbey is divided up into a series of Latin named rooms, such as the Chapel, Bedrooms, Library etc. On each turn, the players visit rooms and question their fellow monks in the game to determine the characteristics of the wrong-doer - such as fat/thin, bearded/unshaven and which of the three Chapters. This is done by questioning the other players about the cards they hold or which they have marked off on their sheet.


Rooms also allow certain events to take place or cards to be drawn which effect the game. On each rotation of the game circle of players, the current First player moves a little Mass bell one space on the current Mass card until 5th rotation when mass is called (The little tinkling bell is shaken for effect) and all characters return to the Chapel.

It took a little while to get into with me returning to the rule book several times to help people out, but eventually we all got into the game with Anita finally revealing who she thought had done it and was successful. It was a little difficult to understand, especially for the children, what were the right sort of questions to ask, but eventually we all got into the swing of things. It was generally enjoyed by all but again, introducing adults-only to the game may present a different level of game play. Beware, this is a long game - 1 to 1.5hrs recommended.

Games games and more games!

Anita has gone games mad! She msn's me at work and says She's found Mystery of the Abbey - a sort of advanced version of Cluedo by Days of Wonder (So it must be good....) on Amazon from a US supplier for a decent price. Since when do wives go out and find games or take an interest in their husbands hobbies? That may sound incredibly sexist, but before I get a million complaints, she's never been interested in my games before. It must be to do with the fact that most of the games are a) WW2 based b) Some other war or modern battle based or c) Games Workshop.

Now she is buying games all over. Well I say she, she finds them, I pay for them lol. Anyhow, we found some more in the 'states. Would have been really good price too with the $0.5 to the £1.00 except for the outrageous postage costs......