Shelf Wear #1: A Seasoned Look at 7 Wonders

In Blink, Malcolm Gladwell relates an intriguing story. In the 1970s, as he tells it, Pepsi began the "Pepsi Challenge" taste test to determine whether people would choose Coke or Pepsi if they didn't know which brand was which. Pepsi won overwhelmingly in the test (which resulted in the failed and much maligned "New Coke"), even though most drinkers still professed to prefer Coke. Gladwell's point was that the method used to determine which was better was a "sip test," based on a very small sample of each cola, rather than the fuller view provided by an entire drink. Pepsi may be better after a sip, Gladwell says, but Coke is better after a glass. (Says him: I still prefer Pepsi.)

So what does that have to do with iSlaytheDragon? We are a blog that strives to be timely, and as such, our reviews are often a "sip test." We play games several times before reviewing them, but numerous pressures (timeliness, deadlines, variety) generally prevent us from "whole beverage" kinds of reviews, reviews of games that have stood the test of time for us. And that's okay. As I've said over and over again, we're reviewers, not critics. We strive to help our readers discover games and determine whether those games are worthy of their gaming dollars. The "whole beverage" test we leave up to our readers.

But the thought of going deep rather than simply broad with reviews is appealing. Hence this new series, which I'm calling Shelf Wear. Shelf Wear will focus on games that we've played a lot, quantified to 50+ plays. Chances are these will be games we've already reviewed or at least talked about, but our opinions may have changed with (or are at least better informed by) experience.

The first Shelf Wear retrospective review is of 7 Wonders.

Debt, Diplomacy, and Deviousness (a review of 7 Wonders: Cities)

It's easy to blend in when you're in the city. In the country everyone knows everybody. It's hard to carry out your subtle machinations among farmers. But in the city? There's so much activity, so much bustle, that you can traverse dark alleyways without notice. There are plenty of places to hide, even in plain sight. There are plenty of people to plan with, plenty of people to backstab. And there are plenty of opportunities for you to make your way to the top.

Enter the dark underworld of 7 Wonders in Cities.

Heads of State (a review of 7 Wonders: Leaders)

Civilizations may be built on the sweaty backs of the workers, but they stick around through shrewd management at the top. You may be in command of the chariot of your civilization, but the the wheels of your victory will spin faster with the right foremen and -women in place. Micromanaging is what your workers need.

The Leaders expansion to 7 Wonders allows you to put powerful overseers like Caesar and Cleopatra to work for you.

I've Got My Samurais On You (A Review of Shitennō )

Japan has been unified.  After years of turmoil and uncertainty, a new Shogun has brought the warring provinces under his control through cunning diplomacy and ruthless conquest.  But that doesn’t mean all the fun has to stop!  Now the emperor’s conniving court officials, governors, and generals squabble behind the scene – or rather in plain sight – for the Shogun’s favor.  Peace is such an illusory concept.

Spinning Out of Control (a review of Gravwell)

This game, in case you couldn't tell, takes place in SPACE

Trapped in the 9th Dimension, engines down. This is your predicament; the only working device on your ship is your tractor beam, so the only way to move is to push or pull off of the nearest heavy object. But what happens if that object moves the other way?

This is the premise of Gravwell, and you'd better be on your toes, because only one of you can make it out of this dimension. Try not to spin out of control.

Far from a Raw Deal (a review of Sushi Go!)

Sushi: a food as beautiful as it is polarizing. Fish--raw or otherwise--may not be your thing, but you know what is?

Victory points.

And there are many of those to be had if you compose the best meal, preferably washing it down with the most pudding.

For Czar and Country (a review of Saint Petersburg)

Somewhere in Russia, a man sits atop a horse. Thankfully, he is not glowering, as in other Euro games, nor is he a medieval. No, he is the czar--Czar Peter, Czar and Carpenter, Czar Superstar--and he sets the hopeful tone for the city of Saint Petersburg, about to be built up despite the scarcity of rubles available to its Russian tycoons.

You are one such tycoon. Do you have what it takes to build this great city? Find out below.

Feel the Burn (A Review of Cavemen: The Quest for Fire)

In the land before time – because early man hadn't yet invented swatch watches – our knuckle-dragging ancestors lacked many things like bows, baskets, and trapper-keepers.  Indeed, you may wonder how the species survived without Tupperware, pedometers and koozies, but times were even darker than that - literally.  Until, that is, one momentous, undocumented moment.  Now, Rio Grande sends you back in time – way back – to be a part of arguably the greatest achievement in human history: the discovery of fire!  Can you lead your small tribe of cavemen to grow and prosper, being the first to patent the roaring flame?  Can you do better than our distant cousins?  Well, let’s hope so, considering that their IQ was smaller than the number of fingers you have on one hand.  And s'mores-eaters and Kumbaya-singers throughout history will memorialize you forever more!

The Sky's the Limit (a review of Sunrise City)

I was playing WarCraft III with @Futurewolfie and one of our friends a few years ago. We were on a local network, each on our laptops or desktops, our positions and strategies unknown to the others. I was furiously clicking, commanding my workers, building my army, preparing for battle. I had all sorts of buildings, my upgrades were maxed out, and my little city was beautiful.

I was out of the game almost as soon as my location was discovered.

The reason? I was playing WarCraft like it was Sim City.

I've abandoned computer games for the most part, but I've taken my desire to build into the tabletop realm. Even after several years in the hobby, though, I hadn't found a game that mimicked the experience of building a city from the ground up.

Until I saw Sunrise City from Clever Mojo Games. But is it worth breaking ground for? Find out below!

Rebuilding Another Medieval French City--In Style (a review of Tournay)

I know: the title of this review is probably not making you very enthusiastic about Tournay (another Medieval French Belgian town needs to be rebuilt?!), the leaner younger brother to geek darling Troyes , but hear me out. Tournay is different within the Medieval city-building genre, and it's significantly different from Troyes. While it's true that Troyes is more clever and maybe more enjoyable (that's debatable), Tournay remains in my collection while Troyes passed quietly out--unwept, unhonored, and unsung. Why is that? And why are comparisons to Troyes most likely inappropriate for this game? Check out my comments below!