Sunday, March 27, 2016

Dove Hunting

            As you can tell, I like playing games.  And while losing can be fun, I’m really fond of winning.  However, if I lose every board game for a year, but win Dove Hunting, my annual fantasy baseball league, I’d be okay with it

            I started Dove Hunting in my freshman year of college.  I played in a different league in high school, but it didn’t survive the diaspora of graduation.  Dove Hunting was named after a pitch by Randy Johnson, a 6-10 left-handed behemoth, that exploded an unfortunate dove which flew into the pitch’s path.  The league started with nine members in its rookie year and has hovered between 11-13 since.
               
           One of the things that makes the league unique is an all-day online auction draft in March.  The draft is an absolute pain to schedule and is by far the most stressful part of running the league.  We always get through it, but some years have been dicey.

           This year’s draft started twenty minutes late as a couple of members had technical difficulties which resulted in a near mutiny before we even began.  The draft featured about 400 Trump jokes, a dozen “Dammit Joel’s”, significant lagging issues, and a participant storming off in anger over a near meaningless commissioner decision.  It ended nearly eight and half hours after it began with a tired, hungry and irritable crew.  All and all it was a pretty smooth year.

             Of course with these things, a league is only as a good as its members.  Despite being a rather active league, there has been a good deal turnover over the years.   New people join, veterans leave, and others come and go as their schedule allows.  Only two others have participated in all 15 previous drafts. 
One them is Alex, one of the kindest, gentlest, persons you will ever meet.  His team has virtually always been named Jose Mesa, a bit of nostalgia that I doubt either of us fully understands.   When, after years of being runner-up, he finally won a title last year, everyone was happy for him.

                Then there is Deryl.  There are others in the league that bring out my competiveness.  There is my childhood friend who I’ve been trying to beat at everything , since the 7th grade.  Relatives whose success I have to hear about more than I like.   However, if there is nothing I care about winning more than fantasy baseball, then there is no one I care about beating more than Deryl.

                It isn’t that Deryl wins, has been the most successful member in league history, or that he has won 6 titles where I have squeezed out only two victories over him, each requiring the season’s final day. No, I can accept losing.  When Alex finally won with strong keepers and logical moves, I understood it.  Deryl drafts irrationally, erratically and not exactly sober, vastly overpaying for mostly local or young guys he has fallen for.  He gets obsessed with his guys and gives up on then a week later after a poor stretch.  He is overly emotional, berating and praising other league members as he tries to work out deals.  He breaks every rule of how one should run a team. I have no idea how he beats me and everyone else, and yet he has done it over and over again.  

                
               Unsurprisingly, Deryl is as competitive as me, and really enjoys beating me too.  We can’t make trades with each other, since we both think the other has a secret ploy.  I consider Deryl my greatest rival, so it may surprise you that we have never met.  Deryl and I met playing Overpower, a ccg, online.  When I started Dove Hunting, I asked him to join.  It isn’t that I haven’t tried to see him.  We were supposed to meet at comic con, but his plans fell through.  When my family visited Oakland and San Francisco, I reached out to him about meeting up or seeing a game, but it never quite worked out.  I’ll be honest though, I never tried too hard.  The imagine of our two decade long rivalry is a hard thing to live up to, and I’m not sure I want to handle the shock of an actual face-to-face meeting.   I think I’m good with Deryl being that elusive alter-ego, always challenging me to bring my best.

Small World

Wonder what the historian ghouls study

Editor note: The Small World app as well as Ticket to Ride and Splendor are currently on sale for Easter. 

Most gateway games are family friendly affairs.  They leave everyone, wins or lose, satisfied and on speaking terms.  While this is nice for most people, some individuals have much different associations with what games should be.  Those whose strongest game memory is taking over the world from a secure bunker in Western Australia.  Those who discovered that Japan had sailed around the US fleet and invaded Texas through the gulf of Mexico, while they were in the bathroom, and the allies are about to lose, and they didn’t even know that was possible and… sorry where were we?  Oh right, Small World is for the more aggressive gamer who enjoys direct conflict, but still wants the improvements that modern gaming offers.

  Publisher:

  Days of Wonder

Designer:

Philippe Keyaerts

Elevator Pitch:


You select a paired fantasy race and special power attempting to conquer a piece of the world not big enough for everyone.  When your race has outlived their usefulness, put them in decline and storm the board with a new pairing.

Personal Impression:


There was a time where an ongoing epic war game occupied my basement.  We will call that junior year.  Now my time and taste for unending games has diminished, so I appreciate games that take some of those aspects and put them into a more condensed affair.   Small World lets you have cool powers and aggressively attack opponents while keeping a brisk pace and a set end point.  The decline mechanics eliminates the issue of a player being too weak to have fun, though the turn skip can be annoying.  Plus you can discover all sorts of neat power combos.  Who amongst us didn’t want to be a flying skeleton?  There are some downsides to this approach, the fact that many options provide similar points means you might as well gang up on the perceived leader, which is problematic if you are said leader and can’t do anything about it.


Good for People who Grew up Playing:


Risk
  
Ease of Learning:

For a gateway game it is reasonably complicated, but for a “war” game is it exceedingly straight forward.  To take a territory, you need two units plus one more for each piece of cardboard in the location.  It the easiest combat system this side of checkers.  The tricky part is remembering what all the special powers do, but you only need to know a few of those at a time.


Fidgety Index

This is game is chock full of little bits with interesting artwork, though it easier to make a mess than a work of art.


Universal Theme:

It is fantasy which is not for everyone, and it is a dark weird version at that.  Still if you can embrace it, then it is fun to think about the combination created, and what they would be like.


Player Count and Length:

2-5.  Board changes based on player count to ensure things are always crowded.  Game length is about an hour half regardless of player count as larger games last fewer rounds.

Expansions:


Grand Dames, designed by a contest winner, balances out the gender ratio of the base game adding Gypsies, Priestesses, and White Ladies.

Cursed, also a contest winner, adds Kobolds and Goblins along with several new powers.  These items are a bit more situational than the ones in the base game, but used right can be quite powerful.

Leaders as the name would suggest add a leader to each race.  The leader gives you an extra token, but does have a tendency to get kidnapped and ransomed.

Be Not Afraid adds five new races and five new powers and perhaps more importantly a storage container to fit itself and other expansions.

A Spider’s Web, part of a kickstarter campaign, Spider’s web offers three new races and powers.

Royal Bonus is another mini-expansion originally given to backers of the Small World digital campaign on Kickstarter features three more races and powers.

Necromancer adds one against many element to the game.  One player, the Necromancer, battles against the other players.

Tales and Legends is an event deck that impacts game play each round.  It is good for changing things up a bit

6 Player board is doublesided with the other one used for the Underground spinoff.  It changes Small World into a team game where three sets of partners compete.

Realms adds variety to the map setup.  Also usable by Underground, Realms also you to design your own map

Tunnels was originally a promo that allows the Small World base game and the Underground to be connected


Spin Offs:

Vinci:  In this case Small World is the spinoff regimenting Vinci with a fantasy theme.  Some people prefer the historic theme and more interesting maps of Vinci, but I like the streamlined faster Small World more.

Small World Underground:  A stand alone Small World that can be combined with the original one using tunnels.  It adds races and powers that you would expect in the underground as well as relics that provide additionals benefits.  All in all it plays pretty similar to the main game.


Designer Edition For those who like turn large amount of green paper into shiny things.  Everything is deluxe here , wooden tokens for each race, metal coins, custom art, minatures etc, but you could also buy a substantial game collection for the cost to track this down.  

Introducing the Game to New Gamers: 

Being that Small World is at least kind of a war game, the entire premise is that the world isn’t big enough for all of us, being nice to opponents isn’t workable.  The good news is that new players have an easy an obvious way to balance the scales.  Just gang up on the person who knows what they are doing.  You might still try to kind around the edges, attack neutrals over other players and not taking the almost broken race combo, but mostly the game and social dynamics should take care of things.

Apps:

The Small World app has gone through a few phases.  It is one of the first designer board game apps made for ipads and was fantastic for its time.  However it was neglected for a time and its flaws like inability to play with more than 2 players stood out over time.  In 2014 Days of Wonder rectified it with a Kickstarter.  This led to Small World 2, a great implementation that does pretty much everything you want an app to do. It allows you to learn the game, play solo, locally, or online, and across platforms.  The interface is logical and smooth and the ai can be challenging, and there are expansions available for purchase to increase variety.

Links:

Monday, March 21, 2016

Tichu

Our well used set
Tichu is a partnership game, so it is key to have a good rapport with your partner.  For instance, my aggressive style works well with my wife’s conservatism.  With partners I consider rivals, it is a little trickier.  It is difficult to properly celebrate their Tichu getting thwarted when they are on my team.  I mean I will still do so, but it is a challenge.

  Publisher:

  Abacusspiele

Designer:

Urs Hostettler

Elevator Pitch:


Tichu is a partnership card game that uses a themed deck of cards plus 4 special cards.  A player leads with a legal play such as a single card or a full house, and all subsequent cards played that round must be of the same card grouping but higher.  The main goal is to ensure you and/or your partner empty your hand first, particularly when you made a bet called Tichu that you will do so.

Personal Impression:


Tichu is a solid 9 for me.  I have fond memories of playing cards growing, and Tichu is comfortably the best card game I’ve ever played.  I have played hundreds of hands and still find the decisions fascinating.   What should I pass?  Is this a Tichu hand?  Do I break up my straight to play consecutive pairs?  Do I save my best cards or sell out my hand to stop an opponent now?  It is type of game that can be as fun to postmortem as to play.  I have plenty of stories that will have you shaking your heads as soon as you know what it means, like when I wished away my partners ace bomb.  The only issue I have with Tichu is that I know several people, including one that chose to marry me, who rate it a 10+.  People who, if we have 4 people, always want to play Tichu, and if we have some number other than 4 want to know how to get to 4.  So while I quite like Tichu, you might see a pained look upon my face after we hit the three hour mark, and there is a chorus around me saying “let’s go again.”


Good for People who Grew up Playing:


General card games with a standard deck of cards. 
  
Ease of Learning:

If you are with someone who hasn’t played many card games, then Tichu is probably too complex for them to pick up quickly, and I would try something else.  However, for card players, particularly ones who have played climbing and/or trick taking games, a lot of the gameplay will feel natural.  There will still be a lot to learn, and they likely will have questions throughout the first play session, but they will probably enjoy the process.  I have taught this game to many players who were eager to try again shortly thereafter.


Fidgety Index

It comes with two decks so you can constantly shuffle the deck not in use if you want.   


Universal Theme:

Takes a traditional 52 card deck, and changes the suits to stars, jade, pagodas and swords to try for a culturally Chinese feel, but it’s fairly irrelevant.


Player Count and Length:

Strictly 4 players.  There are variants for some other numbers, but they aren't worth playing.  Game length depends on what score to which you want to play.  We tend to play to a thousand points, which can take a couple of hours depending on how successful Tichu calls are.  You can play to any number though, and it is easy to put away and pick back up.

Expansions:


Nope

Spin Offs:

Gang of Four: Is a similar enough game that some people refuse to play it and Tichu to avoid confusion.  I personally find it terrible, I despise the mechanic that punishes you for losing and the non-linear scoring that screws you on a bad hand, but your mileage may vary.


Haggis: is billed as a Tichu game that works for 2 or 3.  It is more tactical than Tichu as special cards mean every play has bombs every turn, so the question is when to use them.  I found the game less strategic though and it failed to scratch the Tichu itch for me.  

Introducing the Game to New Gamers: 

Partner new players with experienced ones.  Try to match a passive player with an aggressive one as well.  Consider playing a hand or two open-handed and without scoring.

Apps:

There is a decent app .  The ai is a little weak on normal levels.  It gets harder on more difficult levels, but does it by cheating (knowing your cards), which can be frustrating.  Your ai partner, Becky, will likewise drive you crazy.  Works reasonably well on local internet with multiple devises although the connection gives out too often.  There is also an app that we always use to keep track of the scores of real live games.


Links:

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Dixit

Aren't they pretty?

I’m generally good at games, but Dixit involves skills like noticing small details and understanding pop culture references, which are absent from my DNA.  Even when clues are specifically meant for me, I have a 50/50 shot at getting them right and about a 10% chance of it being for the correct reason.

  Publisher:

  Asmodee

Designer:


Elevator Pitch:

Describe a card of abstract artwork anyway you like.  Each other player takes a card from their hand and tries to match your description.   Shuffle them together and have each other player try to figure out which one your original card was.  If at least one, but not all get it, success!

Personal Impression:

There is fairly strong correlation between games I like and games I’m good at, so the fact that I like Dixit despite my terribleness at it is high praise.  It is fun, though sometimes frustrating to come up with the right clue for a card, or try to figure out someone else’s reference.  Once in a while when I do nail it, it feels pretty sweet.


Good for People who Grew up Playing:

Pictionary
  
Ease of Learning:

The Elevator pitch is pretty much all the rules, minus scoring.  It is not a difficult game to teach.  It does however require players be able to look at the abstract art and let their imagination run, which not everyone can do or enjoys doing.



Fidgety Index

The art is absolutely fascinating.  You can stare at it all day.  Nothing to play with though.


Universal Theme:

Dixit fits in the party game realm, which generally don’t do theme.  Dixit is no exception.



Player Count and Length:

3-6.   Works better on the higher player counts where there are more cards to choose between.  Game takes about 45 minutes to go around the board, but is easily shortened or lengthened.  Expansions add components for up to 12 players, but I have not tried it with that many.

Expansions:

After a while you are going to get repeat clues, so it is good to expand your Dixit.  The easy part of choosing among Dixit expansions is that each expansion is just more cards, so you can pick whichever set has artwork you like.  The tricky part is that some expansions come in multiple forms and names.  The expansion called Dixit 3 is just an additional pack of cards, however it is also available as a standalone under the name Dixit Journey.  Meanwhile Dixit Odyssey comes in two forms, under the same name: one is a standalone game with components to expand to 12 players, and the other is just the cards.  For the completionists, there are numerous promos as well.

Spin Offs:

Dixit Jinx in rotten stepchild of the Dixit family.  It adds a speed element that is out of place and ruins the core of what makes Dixit great.


Mysterium is what happens when you turn Dixit into a co-op.  It technically isn’t a Dixit game, but it is close enough in style and artwork that you can replace the cards with those from Dixit and it works just fine.  It is tough game, particularly if you are the Ghost trying to clue the rest of the players, but it can be nice to work together.  

Introducing the Game to New Gamers: 

Don’t try to game the system.  Don’t use clues that are completely random, from a previous game, or that only one person could get, like “the place we went for our 5th wedding anniversary.”  This isn’t really a suggestion for playing with newbies as much as it is just making it an enjoyable game.  Otherwise you will annoy your opponents and be mad at your spouse for forgetting your glorious evening at Morton’s Steakhouse.

Apps:

Technically there is an app, but it hasn't been updated in 5 years and wasn't especially usable then.  It is just as well though as Dixit isn't really something that translate well to the digital world.


Links: