Game Review: Innovation

I sadly don't have official "unboxing" photos of the new game, "Innovation" (Carl Chudyk, Asmadi Games), since I picked it up at 2010 Origins and there was a hasty unboxing during the shuttle ride back to the hotel one night. Since that time the box has been collecting dust in our game closet (with no disrespect meant to the game--it's just so many games, so little time!). But we finally broke it out just a few days ago, and here's what I thought!

First Impressions
This is a simple card game that looks very portable. The box is oddly large considering that the game is entirely one large deck of cards (UPDATE: Newer versions of the game have a more svelt box!). The rule book and action reminder cheat-sheet cards take up a little wider space, but being flat, this is one odd packaging concept. (Note to self: Sew an awesome and portable felt drawstring travel bag for Innovation game deck.)

Set-Up
First, players set out ten stacks of "Ages" cards that represent the evolution of man--1 is Prehistory and it goes up to 10 as the Information Age. For what we can only assume is aesthetic reasons, the game rules have players set up these ten stacks in a circular pattern, with a spread of "Achievement" cards in the center. When tabletop space is limited, we'll probably just spread these out wherever there's space in an untidy row. Same diff. Then each of the players gets two cards from the Age 1 pile, and the game is ready to begin.

The Gameplay
So here's what you do: On your turn, you choose 2 actions to take from a list of 4 types:
option #1 - Meld (lay down a card)
option #2 - Draw
option #3 -Achieve (buy a victory point)
option #4 - Dogma (use a melded card's action)

Drawing cards from the game piles gives you more interesting possible actions to "dogma" later, and you can't draw without taking this action, so the typical sequence to follow throughout chains of turns is Draw-Meld-Dogma. Draw-Meld-Dogma. Draw-Meld-Dogma. (Still waiting for that first "Achieve" moment!)

The whole goal is to earn "Achievements", which are the equivalent of victory points. Us two-player peeps need 6 achievements, which by the way, can take an ass-long time to earn. I can't decide yet if that makes this a richly deep card game, or just boring. But anyway, you earn these Achievements by scoring points that act as currency, and playing your action cards--which are accumulated in color-coded piles in your giant-ass sprawling personal gameplay area (two players playing this game will barely fit on a coffee table)--to screw over your opponent(s) or advance yourself into new Ages (read: start collecting better action cards). Yes, there's a lot going on here. Again, turns will be spent not only collecting and playing cards, but also trying to play actions that either disrupt your opponent, earn you points, or maybe help you reorganize your current piles of playable cards.

The Review
Innovation is, if nothing else, an intriguing game. There are so many different action cards--and, really, "dogma-ing" (to use the new gaming verb husband and I coined) is the bulk of the gameplay--that every game is a bit different, exciting, and potentially mind-boggling. In this sense, it reminds me of the stupidly splendid game, We Didn't Playtest This At All. Anything can happen, and people can win in the blink of an eye, or the whole game can snap around with one crazy action. There's also a lot of excellent opponent bashing that can happen here, giving us a flicker of rowdiness. And all this comes from a simple deck of cards. Nifty! And portable!

That's the really good news. The bad news? It's a bit dry. A fresh spread of clever artwork on the cards, or a little injection of humor could have breathed easy life into a game whose mechanics are all tidily in place. Plus, if you're sitting down for a game, be sure to have plenty of table space in front of you, and tell grandma to put on her reading glasses, because you'll be pouring over lots and lots of text in this game. This isn't a terrible thing at all, but is not for someone who's already fatigued or impatient.
Those paltry criticism aside though, there's something that's just off-beat enough about the different card actions, and the opponent rivalry can be just brutal enough that's it's got me hooked for at least a few more plays. And if the gameplay starts flowing more smoothly (right now it's like gloppy spoiled milk chunking out of a carton because we're a little slow on the reading and light on the focus), this might be a permanent keeper and a nice way to mix up game nights. Different is good, even if it's a bit scary at first. For that reason, this game gets an affectionately high and hopeful grade.
B+

Apples to Apples Saves the Day!

Hey there, friends. Are you having guests over tonight and don't know how to entertain them? Are you listless and bored? Do you poop out at parties? Well, if so, folks, have I got a solution for yooooou! Introducing the handy-dandy party saver in a box....it's APPLES TO APPLES!

Yeah, sorry. I thought I kind of had to sell it like that because I feel that kind of cheesy pulling out such a pedestrian party game, and that's what I did when some friends came over this past Saturday night. They're great people--another married couple our age (who have deliciously warped minds) and their teenage ward (long story). Just the five of us. And even with the wine flowing the conversation well dried up within the first 45 minutes. That's when I got desperate. Gilmore Girls fans out there know it was nearly Bop-It time, so I pulled out the Apples to Apples.

And let me tell ya, that game can save any party. So I'm going to give it its full due here for the thin slice of brilliance it really is. First of all, allow me to praise how simple it is to explain. When the teenage girl tried to "sit out" the first game so she could text on her phone, I had slurred out the rules faster than she could object to me shoving her into a chair. "There's a judge who reads a descriptive word, the other people toss out a card from their hands with a word that fits the description. The judge picks which card is the best, and that person wins a point. First person to seven wins." Boom. Game explained. (Take that, Puerto Rico!)

It's not just the simplicity that is attractive either--the game gets people laughing and bickering and brings out the best in a room full of casual drinkers. My favorite part of the evening (aside from when the husband pulled fresh-baked cookies out of the oven for mid-game munching) was when massive finger pointing followed a rash call that had something to do with: "Com'ON--vampires are NOT juicy! Yeah, the blood they suck might be juicy, but Alexander Skarsgard's intense sexual appeal aside, there is no frickin' way that vampires are juicy inside!....And are we out of the riesling already?!"

Yeah, the game gave us something to talk and laugh about, to break bread over, and to keep us up well into the wee hours of the morning. And I realized that Apples to Apples has never let me down. I've never met anyone who didn't enjoy playing it at least a little. If anyone out there has seen this magic party game fail, I'd love to hear how it happened and what went down. But without further proof, I'll just have to assume that this game is positively magical...and might just be worth picking up a new set where the cards won't be sticky with chocolate chips and wine.

The Market of Alturien: An Unboxing and Review

Last night the husband and I actually had a free moment to dive into our board game closet and pull out a new game. Ooh. Aah. We have approximately 8 or 9 games that are still never played, some of them still in the shrink (for shame!). And last night's choice was....The Market of Alturien--"a game for 2 to 6 crafty traders".

We picked this up at Origins 2010 on super discount, and have let it sit ever since June. Last night, we peeled off the shrink wrap on this giant box, and here's how it went.

First Impressions
Just examining the box it's hard not to notice how large it is. Unlike so many Euro games, it's not especially thick, but due to its large board size, this puppy is going to take up 12"x17" of your game closet space. The box artwork is absolutely beautiful and already tells me that some thought and care went into the game design. Awesome.

The Unboxing
Here are some shots from the unboxing. As you can see from the top photo, the box comes with full-color glossy instructions (which, by the way, were extremely easy to follow and well-written), large size board, a bag full of plastic "trade houses" in an assortment of 6 rather impressive colors: Yellow, fuschia, orange, black, green, and blue. (It's a shame they didn't pop for wooden pieces instead of plastic, which really could've elevated the game.) The game also comes with 7 plastic figures as shoppers and a thief (beautifully designed!), a deck of assorted gameplay cards, 2 special D6s, play money (nothing fancy, very Monopoly-esque), and two black cloth bags for part storage (score!).

                                                             The box freshly opened

The board and pieces all laid out and ready for play

A silver, bronze, and gold customer pose with the thief

The Game Play
Okay, so the game play is actually very simple. Players claim markets using their little plastic "trade house" pagodas, and then each turn is spent rolling dice and moving the "customer" figures around the board, and aiming them at markets you've claimed so they'll give you money for purchases. And money is king in this game, you need to save up enough bucks to buy "Prestige Cards". Purchasing three Prestige Cards before anyone else will win you the game. During a players turn, after the customers have been moved, players can use their money to buy "investments", which can include upgrades, new markets, and whatnot. Players also have to worry about a thief (the man in black) roaming the board. He, too, is controlled by other players and dice rolls. If he lands on your market, whoever placed him there gets to steal some of your money. Since the thief can't steal from the player with the least amount of money, his function in the game is to really act as the great equalizer.

 The board game set up and ready to play. Orange is ready to dominate!

The Review (based on a 2-player game)

The Market of Alturien

by Wolfgang Kramer

Mayfair Games

2007

2-6 players

To start with, this is one beautiful game. The board is artfully created and the customers and robbers really add to the game's prestige points (ha!...ahh, game humor). It's a shame they cheaped out on the Monopoly-type money and the plastic trade houses, since it took a game that could've been really elegant and made it resemble a Milton Bradley offering. The gameplay itself was really simple to catch onto. Let's be clear here: This is not a deep game--this is the type of thing you can pick up and play while watching a movie or chatting with friends. Note I don't necessarily mean this as a criticism, since sometimes we need a break from the deeper strategy gauntlets. 

Beginning the game, we start off with the robber not in play and at first the gameplay focuses on just scooting those little shoppers around the board, building up your markets, and buying investments. Cash is free-flowing. On the surface, this may make the game seem too simple, but there is a certain deeper strategy that experienced and stealthy players can employ to make the game a cute combination of Chess and Nuns on the Run. I'm usually not a fan of games that depend on dice rolls too greatly, but the element of chance is minimal since a single roll doesn't impact game strategies too greatly. In other words, you roll those dice often enough that the chance factor takes a back seat to overarching strategies about where to aim the shoppers on the board and when to remove a heavy spender from one of your opponent's markets. Screwing people over has never been so much fun.

But then the robber entered the game--the great equalizer. And that's when the game took a slide. The problem is the robber equalizes too much. Basically, opponents move him around the board and whenever he lands on an opponents market, he steals money from the market and gives it to the player moving him. This happens every. single. turn. since people who move the robber can then proceed to roll the dice again (feasibly even moving the robber a second time). And since the person with the least amount of money gets control of the City Guard Card, which makes you immune to robbery, the person in last place can REALLY clean up. 

In a two player game, this is devastating. I, as the orange player, was in a healthy lead with two Prestige Cards already in my figurative pocket (we opted to play to four prestige points), and the husband had none. I also had a stack of dough a mile high...until the robber started to take away $2 here, $4 there, and then all of a sudden I couldn't keep up with his thievery. And I couldn't hit back. That was the worst. There was no consequence to the husband just striking with the robber over and over. So in the end, I essentially just handed the husband all of my money until we were on completely even footing (which is the point when the City Guard Card and its immunity can finally change hands). The game was unjustly close at the end, and the husband pulled out a narrow victory, which even he admitted was completely unfair. I unabashedly submit that I should have won the game. My placement strategy was better, my clever Customer movement was spot-on, and my cash management was effective. I did all I could to fight off the robber, but I never stood a chance. He was too powerful.

So by the time the game was over, I had enjoyed parts of the gameplay, but I was kicking the gravel and muttering to myself about the unbalanced robber play. Perhaps in a 3+ player game this wouldn't be such an issue. But since the husband and I almost exclusively play 2-player games, I think next time we will either remove the City Guard Card (and therefore revoke robber immunity), or remove the robber altogether. With a little tweaking this could be a nice, light game for a weeknight (...or for slower friends). Kids and families could certainly enjoy this game as the turns move quickly, the games don't take too long (about 40 min. in our case), and the game is just overall light and airy. No inappropriate themes here, either.

Overall, I'm grading this game based on how enjoyable it was, how well the game was crafted, and how likely I'll be to play this again. The bottom line is that it will hold a space in my game closet...at least for the time being...and we'll probably play it a handful of times down the road. But this isn't a classic I'll cling to.

C+

The Unofficial Guide to Explaining Modern Board Games to Outsiders

Explaining board games to non-gamers often feels like trying to explain text messaging to my mother. Or explaining what's funny about South Park to a puritanical mom. Lots of blank stares. And in the case of board games, references to "Oh, I like Monopoly, too!" Ugh.

First, a bit of history to understand why we're in this position. In the past 50 to 60 years, children have corrupted many parts of our society that used to belong exclusively to adults--the Halloween holiday is one famous example, and board games are certainly another. They used to be part of the adult sphere primarily with such challenging games as chess and backgammon. Then somewhere along the line, board games took an ugly, dumb turn. A hobby that was once reserved for the meatiest minds and cleverest of brains in the world was now marketed for mass audiences and children. Monopoly, Sorry, Guess Who?, and Candyland--all games (and I use that word loosely) that are meant as time fillers that can be played quickly and by the simplest of folks. Why teach our children deep strategy and planning, when we can teach them how to pop a pop-o-matic bubble? Suffered a massive head injury lately? No worries! Anyone can play Chutes and Ladders or Sorry!

What we have today though is a revolution in the board game hobby. The adults--nay, the nerds--are reclaiming the hobby and art form of board gaming and the industry is exploding. The problem is, how do you explain it to laypeople?

The key, I think, is making the distinction between mainstream games and regular games. To simplify, I generally refer to the new-wave adult-targeted games as either "Euro games" or "thinking games". The latter can sometimes garner comments about Trivial Pursuit...but it's a crucial step away from Scene It. I think the next most important step is to describe what a difference there really is between games. These social strategy games chuck the spinner right out of the game and rarely make heavy use of dice. These are largely self-propelled games that are driven by movements, actions, and board construction--not chance.

Quality and availability are other issues. These aren't games you'll find at Target. (Although this distinction is dissolving more and more as I'm finding Settlers of Catan at Barnes & Noble and Bananagrams at Target. Wow.) These are game sets that are often crafted, that include wooden pieces, and that players take such pride in that they improve them.

I'll also make generalizations about game themes, describing them as largely sci-fi or historical fiction. And this, my gamer friends, is where I found the key is in reaching the unwashed drooling masses: Describe board games in terms of books, and even Cletus can understand. If Monopoly is pop fiction from the Oprah Book Club, then Carcassonne is a historical novel. Galaxy Trucker is an Asimov tale. Mainstream folks may never understand the virtue of either Agricola or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but at least they can respect the two and recognize that they are legitimate outlets for deep thinking and enjoyment.

Or if you're really tired and just don't have the energy to tell Granpaw or Hillbilly Jarvis that Parker Brothers just ain't your thang, then just say what I say: "Yes, you're right, that Monopoly is one great game. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a bottle of wine to open."

Dominion Never Looked So Good and Sexy

Anyone who's played the Rio Grande game Dominion, no doubt understands that this card-intensive game is tricky to organize and store. Tons of stacks of cards, all of which need to be easily accessible, sorted, and secure in the box. To give credit to Rio Grande, they did a tolerably fair job of packing the original box, using a slatted cardboard insert and label sheet to help players find cards in a pinch (get it? 'cause you'd pinch the cards out of the box? Oh, never mind...). But not only is it far from ideal, the original packaging doesn't account for the oodles and oodles of expansions. That's where the Hope Diamond of all Dominion boxes comes into the story.

Now, I think most hardcore gamers who bum around Boardgamegeek.com (BGG) have seen many, many attempts to "pimp out" their Dominion decks. But the other day I stumbled across the prettiest, shiniest, smiliest game box I have ever seen. I want to pet it. I want to name it and take it home and put it in a little dress and serve it cookies. (And I'm only half in love with Dominion to begin with, owning just the original set.)

Furniture craftsman, and BGG member Wade Ashton, recently debuted his treasure chest-inspired wooden Dominion case as a prototype. The case features wooden row dividers, tabbed divider cards, metal hinges, a metal handle, and original Dominion artwork. And the whole thing is customizable since the row dividers can be removed and rearranged. Drooooool.  

The finished chest, which will accommodate even the cards in protector sleeves (Dominion nerd alert!), is being sold for between $160-170 (plus shipping). An unfinished version of the box is available for $90. And damn, is it worth the price. I'm very pleased to see that a number of pre-order requests are being placed (some for multiple boxes). You can find out more about ordering the box here. And if you'd like to gift one to me for the big 30th birthday in a couple weeks, leave a comment below and I'll promptly provide my shipping address. Anyone? Anyone?

7 Reasons Carcassonne is a Truly Great Game

Ah, Carcassonne, the beautiful tile-laying game of strategy and meeples. It is hands-down my absolute favorite board game of all-time for a number of reasons, which I will naturally detail below (otherwise the title of this post would be a big fat lie, wouldn't it?). I feel I have to jump to the defense of this board game, because it takes a lot of punishment on forums and in gaming communities. But I contend a lot of the negative press is backlash, similar to what people spout about Settlers of Catan, both being ubiquitous entries in the Beginner's Guide to Starting a Board Game Hobby. I will fight the wave of criticism with an airtight argument for why Carcassonne truly is one of the greats of the board game world.

First, for those not in the know, let me describe the beautiful simplicity of the game: It is perhaps the quintessential tile laying game in which 2-5 players take turns laying down the square tiles that form the game board, which takes on the shape of the town of Carcassonne. The tiles, of course, have to be placed so that sides match up with already placed tiles, and as the cities and roads are formed, players use meeples to claim territories on the board. Since claiming territories successfully scores points and is what decides the game, tile placement must be extremely strategic and thoughtful.

And if that isn't enough to convince you to run straight to the nearest gaming store and buy a brand-spankin'-new copy, here's my list of 10 reasons it is a simply marvelous game:

1. Works Best With 2 Players
I've played this game with 3 and 4 players before and was surprised to find myself yawning. Well no wonder!, I thought, This is why so many people pass the game by. The game truly shines when it's being played by just 2 players. There's a certain tete-a-tete that occurs when two players duke it out to carve out their territories and fight each other for points. Farmers are easier to keep track of, and the limited competition makes the tile placement more cutthroat. Hmm, I know, if I place this little city nub right next to his metropolis, I bet my jumbo farmer can run him out of town and totally pirate his beautiful city! Stealing your opponent's city is a beautiful thing. Plus--and this is a biggie--two-player games move FAST. Most turns the husband and I are slapping tiles down in a flash and smacking each others' hands to get to the draw pile first. Games (which in our household includes the basic set and two expansions) will typically take us 30-45 minutes, tops. And they are b-r-u-t-a-l.

2. Meeples
In case you don't already know, meeples are those little wooden guys that come with a handful of Euro games. In Carcassonne, meeples are the markers used to claim territories on the board (and to look cute and spell out your name while the game is still beginning). There's something entirely lovable about meeples, and they only add to the game's aesthetic and kitsch value. Plus, some of the expansions (like Princess & Dragon) have wicked awesome unique meeples. My dragon meeple is maybe one of my favorites in all of my games (even if it's a weak expansion).

3. The Ever-Changing Board
Some of the best board games I've ever played change up the board with every game, and Carcassonne is the epitome of this concept. No two games ever look the same, and it is virtually impossible to ever repeat the same game twice (cough, I'm looking at you, Monopoly, and even you, Agricola!).

4. Expansion Variety
There are loads, mountains, and dump trucks of expansions available for Carcassonne--some more playable than others. The down side to a lot of these expansions is that many of them completely change up the game. The up side, is that if you need to mix things up, adding an expansion or two can turn the Carcassonne game already in your closet into a brand-new game. My favorites? "Inns and Cathedrals" and "Traders and Builders". "The Tower" is also worth it just for the giant cardboard tower which acts as a darling draw pile and tile caddy.

5. "Farmer Lying Down on the Job" Jokes

Forget "Why did the chicken cross the road?", that's old hat compared to the quintessential Carcassonne joke, "Why is the farmer lying down on the job?". And let me tell you, it NEVER gets old. No matter how many times you tell the joke in a single evening to the husband. And it NEVER throws his game off.

6. Simplicity of the Rules
I don't know about you, but lately I've been bombarded with games, some of which are brilliant and excellent, but all of which have narcolepsy-inducing rules. Forget Agricola, Carson City, or Puerto Rico. This game keeps it straight-forward and is very teachable to "outsiders". <shifty eyes, shifty eyes>

7. No Dice
While there are certainly elements of chance in the game of Carcassonne (com'on three-sided city tile with a road trailing out the butt!), none of it hinges on a dice roll. And no chance draw of a tile results in the dreaded "Well now I'm screwed" moments that come with many dice games.

Now this is by no means a complete list of the virtues of Carcassonne, and I certainly welcome additional feedback in the comments section below. But the bottom line is that hopefully this list will convince you that if you haven't enjoyed Carcassonne in the past, maybe you haven't given it a fair shake. Sit down with your best (competent) gaming partner and enjoy a good two-player back-and-forth match. Preach!

Pimping Out Our Castle Panic Game - Part 1

Castle Panic was a game the husband and I first sat down with at Origins 2010, and even though it didn't entail us jumping up and running around the table, waving our arms and screaming every time someone said the word "castle", it still was a pretty fun game. Essentially you have a small castle keep surrounded by ominous monster-filled woods. You draw tiles to determine how fast these aggressive beasties advance on your keep, and play different cards, like archers, to fend them off. If the boogers reach your outer wall, then they knock it down and have the path cleared to start razing your towers. If they take down all six of your towers you--and all of the other players--lose. I won't launch into a full review here, but sufficed to say it's a pretty well-balanced and lively game in spite of the fact that I normally loathe cooperatives--I'd rather smash the husband to smithereens rather than celebrate a victory with him (it makes my pillow-spiking victory laps so much more delightful and meaningful).

The only flaw with the game? Somewhat low production value. The castle and tower pieces are cardboard cutouts that are placed in little plastic stands. And we can do better than that, CAN'T WE?

So here's what the husband and I came up with to "pimp out" our slightly used, recently acquired copy of Castle Panic. First, we decided that the walls and towers clearly needed to be 3D. A quick trip to Joann's proved fruitless in finding any little wooden or stone creations that fit the bill. And wouldn't it be too easy if I went to the local hobby store and bought pre-made little walls? I think so too. So instead, I picked up some Crayola Model Magic--this super soft, pliable modeling clay that feels like it's been whipped like Cool Whip. Crayola notes on the packaging that it's "7x easier to use than modeling clay!". I wonder how they quantify that....

Anyway, back at the game cave (read: our living room), construction began.

The walls were the easiest, since I was able to just use a little bit of brown Model Magic to make a few cubed rectangles and implemented a tooth pick as an advanced poking device to create the stone/brick facade. The towers on the other hand....were a bit harder. Six towers need to fit in a tiny space in the center of the board. So do I make a series of round towers? Nah, that looks goofy--who builds a keep like that? The husband suggested making one round castle and dividing it into 6 pie-wedge pieces as parts of the castle. But since that quickly proved to be a logistical nightmare and resulted in the husband being pelted by balls of Model Magic, we moved on to the next plan: semi-circular walls that all join together to roughly form a ring of walls. Here's an image of the battlements being created. They're made out of a thin layer of Model Magic which is tacked on to the top of the tower.

 Here's another image to see how it all started to come together once one of the pieces were molded. All that's left now is to add a top-notch paint job to both of these.The husband will break out his acrylic paint set and tiny brushes we use for D&D mini painting and give them a nice gray, weathered look. Maybe a little moss. Maybe a little blood.

Aside from painting, we still need to construct the two wall reinforcement pieces, for which we have purchased some dollhouse picket fence materials. More to come on this, and the finished paint job in Part 2. Overall, I'm very excited to see how these prototypes came together compared to the cardboard originals (shown below). I think it'll make the game a lot more exciting and even a bit more realistic.

The husband and I have even considered creating a few extra sets and putting them up for sale, but I think we'll have to see if there's any real interest in something like this. I know for us, this is just the perfect upgrade to any already awesome game. In fact, the only thing that might make in better is if we actually institute that rule about screaming and running around the table in a panic every time someone says "castle".