Some mechanics I love; other mechanics… not so much. Today we are going to look at a mechanic that I, more often than not, wish was not used. There are a few games that use the mechanic well, however, and we will look at how it is done well in those cases in comparison to how it is used poorly in other games. So without further delay lets look at the history of Player Elimination.
The mechanic is an old one; a very old one. According to BoardGameGeek the mechanic can be traced back to an ancient Indian game, Chaturanga, from the year 650. I have never heard of said game, but another common example would be poker. Looking at poker and the history of gambling it is safe to presume that the mechanic is possibly...
Tag Archives: fun
Wild Card Thursday – The Resistance
There are times that my friends accredit me with the term “Board Game Hipster” I would argue the title is undeserved though it is not uncommon to hear me say I enjoyed a game “before it was cool”. The Resistance is one such game.
Released: 2009
Designer: Don Eskridge
Plays: 5-10
EPT: 30 minutes
I picked up The Resistance while on a family vacation after hearing it described as “Mafia without player elimination or a need for a narrator.” Having lived in a dorm environment the year before that enjoyed almost weekly mafia games where I was always eliminated round 1 or made the narrator I was very excited at the prospect.
In The Resistance players find themselves living in a world in which the government has become too powerful and run...
Worker Wednesday – Zoophoria
Thus far on Worker Wednesdays we have mostly looked at fairly well known worker placement games. Games that most have played or at least heard of. Today we will step off the beaten trail and look at something different; a game less well known. Zoophoria.
Released: ~2014(ish)
Designer: Jim Billingham
Plays: 2-6
EPT: 60-90 minutes
Zoophoria is a game that Sean and I received via GameCrafter, and was later placed on Kickstarter; sadly the game did not reach its funding goal and is currently unavailable on TGC, but with time the game will hopefully resurface; until then you can check out more information on it at the website www.zoophoria.ca
In Zoophoria players are attempting to manage a zoo as the current curator prepares for retirement; and like in all real life professions the best way to determine who takes over...
Follow Up Tuesday – Dominion
In yesterday’s Mechanic Monday we looked at Card Drafting, one of my favorite mechanics carrying over from my days as a MTG Booster Drafter. Today we are following that up with a look at Dominion; a game that was once the new hotness, and after releasing it’s fifty second expansion last month is still holding on in many people’s top 10 lists. (yes the 52nd expansion was an exaggeration there are only 9ish expansions)
Released: 2008
Designer: Donald X. Vaccarino
Plays: 2-4
EPT: 30 minutes
We are experimenting with a slightly new format today; rather than give an in depth rule explanation we will merely skim the rules as this isn't a tutorial so much as a review. In Dominion players are attempting to earn the most points in the form...
Mechanic Monday – Card Drafting
Everyone has mechanics that speak to them and hold a special place in their gaming hearts. For me Card Drafting is one of those mechanics. This developed favoritism helps games that use this mechanic just as much as it hurts them. Games that manage to use card drafting well will be that much better in my eyes, while those that implement the mechanic poorly will feel that much worse in my hands.
The mechanic can be traced back on BGG to some time before 1742. The exact date of the first games to use Card Drafting may not be known but the 1742 edition of Hoyle’s Guide to gaming is flagged as using the mechanic; one desiring to pick out a specific game for the mechanic’s debut need look no further than the 1800s where they...
Kickstarter Wednesday – Hitman Holiday
We are taking a break this week from our normally scheduled programming to take a look at Hitman Holiday; a game currently on Kickstarter.
Released: Now on Kickstarter
Designer: Dominic Michael H.
Plays: 2-10
EPT: 45 minutes
I first learned of the game when contacted by the designer asking if we would be interested in previewing the game before launch. After checking out the games page on BoardGameGeek I was instantly intrigued.
Hitman Holiday pits players against each other in a deadly battle in which each player acts as a hitman attempting to remove the competition in hopes of retaining their position in the assassin’s guild. Rather than spend 4 or 5 paragraphs explaining the rules I have embedded our preview of the game on Dice Tower down below; the...
Mechanic Monday – Crayon Rail System
Friday we looked at Empire Builder; a great classic from 1982 that brought the Crayon Rails mechanic into the mainstream. The mechanic is traced on BoardGameGeek back to 1973 with the game Railway Rivals. As of when I wrote this blog BGG has 80 games listed as using the Crayon Rail System; most of which, however, are additional maps for Railway Rivals or games in the Empire Builder series. The last decade, however, has shown potential promise, mostly in the indie communities, of this mechanic expanding.
So what is the Crayon Rails System? How does it work? In which ways does it influence themes or partnered mechanics? These are all questions that I imagine a variety of readers are asking simply due to the smaller scale of exposure Crayon Rails has in comparison to mechanics...
Favorite Fridays – Empire Builder
I
love trains and by proxy I love train games; some of the time. Not all train games are created equal, and while I have not player all train games in existence I have my favorites, one of which is Empire Builder.
Released: 1982
Designer: Darwin Bromley and Bill Fawcett
Plays: 2-6
EPT: 180 minutes
Using the Crayon Rails System players spread their locomotive dominance across North America attempting to move goods and passengers across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The first player to end their turn with 6 of the 7 major cities connected to one continuous railroad while holding 250 million in cash is declared the winner.
Before play begins each player is given a colored pawn, a crayon of a matching color, a train with a speed...
love trains and by proxy I love train games; some of the time. Not all train games are created equal, and while I have not player all train games in existence I have my favorites, one of which is Empire Builder.
Released: 1982
Designer: Darwin Bromley and Bill Fawcett
Plays: 2-6
EPT: 180 minutes
Using the Crayon Rails System players spread their locomotive dominance across North America attempting to move goods and passengers across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The first player to end their turn with 6 of the 7 major cities connected to one continuous railroad while holding 250 million in cash is declared the winner.
Before play begins each player is given a colored pawn, a crayon of a matching color, a train with a speed...
Worker Wednesday – Bremerhaven
Last week on Worker Wednesday we looked at a game that splits the fence on if it counts as worker placement game in Castles of Burgundy; this week I will continue in the world of ambiguity; why? Because some men just want to watch the world burn… So let us look at Bremerhaven and ask the question is it really a worker placement game?
Released 2013
Designer: Robert Auerochs
Plays: 1-4
EPT: 90 minutes
Bremerhaven gives players the chance to take on the position of a harbor manager controlling the incoming and outgoing of goods with the end goal of having the highest score once the final round is over; this score is calculated by multiplying your remaining money by your harbor’s prestige.
The game takes place on three main boards; water,...