Three Years Of Games (Data, Data, Data!!)

That pretty much sums up my 2013!

At the beginning of 2011 I was inspired to start recording some of the things I was doing out of curiosity.  Specifically I wanted to track the games that I played and the music that I listened to.  I wouldn't exactly call it a new year's resolution but I was determined to stick with it and I have.  Now, three years later, I've recorded every single game I've played and every album I've listened to.  Since this is a board game blog I won't share my fastening music history but I will indulge you with tales of the games I've played (or at least the data I've collected).  One thing's for sure, the games you love and think you're playing are not necessarily the ones you're actually playing.  So let's start with my Nickle and Dime list, I know it has bias towards shorter games but it's still worth looking at.  Here it is presented in wonderfully abbreviated microbadge form, the number on the left is the play count.

Remembering Your First Play Of A Favorite

Celebrating a new game order by making it rain packing peanuts!

I wouldn't describe myself as being a member of the Cult of the New, a notorious title for people who like to play only the latest and greatest games.  In fact, I've only played 9 games that were released this year and am still catching up on last year's Essen catalog.  However, I cherish the experience of playing a game for the first time (regardless of when it came out).  There's something about exploring the possibilities in a new game and marveling at an elegant design.  Maybe it's the excitement that comes with discovering a new mechanic, seeing a clever twist on your favorite formula, or immersing yourself in a new setting.  Whatever it is, first plays are certainly memorable and after dozens or hundreds of plays chances are you'll still remember that first time.  Don't get me wrong, I still love to explore the depth that comes with repeated plays but that first play is special.

News Bits: 11/25/2013

"It's the holiday season..." Or at least it's coming. And that's probably why this was a slow week. (That, or everyone was at BGG.Con.) In any case, here's this week's NEWS:

Race for the Galaxy: Alien Artifacts coming soon [Link] The news has to be legit this time, since the designer diary was posted on Board Game Geek. Also, Tom Lehman comments that it is in transit now to the Rio Grande warehouses. Alien Artifacts takes Race for the Galaxy in a new direction, beginning a new arc for the game. It may be time to jump back in...

Top Ten Lunch Games

I've written on the subject of lunch games many, many times, but probably most completely here. The category of lunch games--games that can be played and in most cases taught in an hour--is near to my heart for several reasons, not least of which is lunch when I am most likely to have time free to play a game. The pressures and responsibilities of home prevent me from attending more than one game night a month. But over lunch? Then I am free.

In my earlier post, I listed several criteria for ideal lunch games. They are:

• Goldilocks playtime (neither too short nor too long)
• Simple rules
• Simultaneous (or near simultaneous) play (in other words, there's always something to do)
• Chaos factor (players have an opportunity to break gameplay conventions)

So which games am I most excited to play over lunch? Here's my list.

News Bits: 10/28/2013

News! This week was the big game fair in Essen, Germany. I'm sure we'll be getting more news this week. And I'll pass along what I find out to you.

Essen, Essen, Essen! [Opinionated Gamers, MetaGames] This week was the world's largest board game fair in Essen, Germany. As much as I would have loved to go, alas! I was stuck at home. However, several writers for the Opinionated Gamers blog were able to be there, and they have detailed their experiences (some are more about the games than others). Also, James from the MetaGames blog has been posting periodic tweets about games from Essen and usually posts fuller reviews on his blog a little later. And I will be watching for more news as it's revealed this week. (And be sure to check out the GeekBuzz list on BGG.)

News Bits: 8/5/2013

Lots of news this week, including a development from last week's story. Now, the NEWS:

The publisher that saved Atlantic City from doom [Link] After all the hubbub I mentioned in last week's news about the failed Doom That Came to Atlantic City Kickstarter campaign, Cryptozoic has announced that they will produce the game--and provide a copy free of charge to backers. This is most certainly a gracious move on the company's part. It's also a brilliant PR coup. Still, let's not forget what this costs the company: after all, they don't receive the Kickstarter funds to print the game, and they're starting off in the red for both producing the game and giving out free copies. I hope this doesn't become the norm (failed Kickstarter campaign? Don't worry--someone will bail you out), but Cryptozoic does deserve major kudos for this.

Build Me A Kingdom Worthy Of Donald X (A Review Of Kingdom Builder)

There is vast land all around just waiting for someone to come along on horseback, look out over a scenic cliff, and build a kingdom.  As far as creative titles go, Kingdom Builder is not going to give you an overwhelming sense of what kind of Kingdom you're building or why you're building it.  But as the wise people who give out the Spiel des Jahres know, it's not the name of the game but how it plays that counts.

News Bits: 7/1/2013

As we approach GenCon, there seems to be more and more NEWS available:

Z-Man unveils scenarios for Pandemic [Link] This is an excellent way to increase the mileage of an already great and oft-played game. I hope they continue! (Also, check out the new Pandemic insert that will be available in the reprint of On the Brink.)

Hit the Deck! (A Guide on Deckbuilding)

All Hands On Deck! (Dominion)

Deckbuilding is a pretty popular buzzword in the tabletop community these days, and it almost seems as if every month a new slew of hot deckbuilding games are on the verge of release. You may have heard of Dominion, the game that started it all.

So what the heck does "deckbuilding" mean, anyways?

Dystopian Digging in Deck Building (a review of Arctic Scavengers)

Since Dominion's release, many have been eager to capitalize on the deck-building phenomenon, but in every case, I've found myself cold toward the new and that much more impressed with the original. Ascension, for example, I thought was okay, but its twist (same cards each game/different order and two currencies) left me craving the more balanced approach of Dominion. Eminent Domain was kind of neat, but it lacked the variety (and thus replayability) of Dominion. Thunderstone was thematic, but its mechanics were bogged down by its theme, and games outlasted my interest. On and on.

Arctic Scavengers is the newest in the line of Dominion followers, set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland of scarce resources and frightening possibilities. How does it stack up to the others? Find out below!

Guide to Gaming: Two's Company, Three's a Crowd--Good Games for Two (and More)

This is a gaming blog. I don't think I need to sell you on the pleasures of gaming. We all know this simple truth: life is hard sometimes, and a good game with good friends is good medicine.

Of course, finding friends to play games isn't always the easiest. There are the occasional (or even weekly) game nights, but the friends most readily at hand are likely found in the home. The friend I play games with the most (and also my favorite gaming partner) is my wife, but finding a good two-player game can be difficult, especially if you want to maximize your gaming dollar. I don't often buy games that don't have a two-player mode (unless they are obvious group games, like The Resistance), and a good two-player mode is often what keeps games hitting the table and off my BGG trade list. Since I've had some false starts and some successes, I thought I'd put together a brief guide for others who might be in the same boat.

What follows is a list (with some commentary) of good multiplayer games that are fun with two to help you get the most out of your gaming dollar. (I've also added a brief list without commentary of some two-player-only games that are worth your time.)

Bad Days Ahead (a review of Dominion: Dark Ages)

It's no secret that we here at iSlaytheDragon are big fans of Dominion and its many expansions. I think we may have logged more plays of that game alone than all our other games combined, especially if you count online play.

So when Dark Ages, the seventh expansion and fifth big-box expansion was announced, we were excited and yet filled with reservations. With hundreds of cards already in the mix, what new could Dark Ages bring that wouldn't toss the game over the edge of the cliffs of insanity? Would this be the expansion that finally jumped the Dominion shark?

Find out below as both @Futurewolfie and @FarmerLenny share their thoughts on the latest, biggest Dominion expansion.

Medieval Love Child (A Review of For the Crown)

I, Chess, take you, Dominion, to be my lawful wedded wife, to stack and build decks with, for better draws and for worse, for lots of buys and just one, in the base game and in expansions, to sleeve and build custom inserts for; from this day forward until death do us part.

I, Dominion, take you, Chess, to be my lawful wedded husband, to line up and attack with, for sacrifices and promotions, for mobility and forced moves, in blitzes and in stalemates, to polish and place in felt cases; from this day forward until death do us part.

Nine months later…

Guide to Gaming: Which Games Should I Buy First?

When you’re first discovering the world of tabletop gaming, you will likely run into one of two problems: either difficulty in finding these new designer games, or discovering a good place to get them but getting overwhelmed with the number of choices. I remember discovering the board game section at my first real hobby gaming store. “There are so many!” I said at the time, “some of these HAVE to be great. But which ones?” Fortunately for you, I went through that experience and now I can help you skip the confusion.

So which board games should you buy first? Let’s start with what I like to call The Big Three.

The big three are games that almost every gamer will have in their collection–Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, and Dominion. These aren’t necessarily the favorite games of any collector, but they’re excellent starting points for many reasons. They’re easy to teach; almost universally enjoyable; and they introduce new players to many of the gaming world’s staple elements.  These are the first three games I teach to anyone who visits my house; they go over well almost 100% of the time.

My Year in Games: 2012

Starting near the end of April 2011, I began to track every game I play (give or take a few, I'm sure) on Board Game Geek. And starting in January of 2012, I gave an overview of the games I played in the previous year, namely my "nickels and dimes" (games played 5+ and 10+ times, respectively).

It's time to continue that tradition. Here's my list of nickels and dimes from 2012, along with some commentary and a comparison to my list from 2011.

News Bits: 12/24/2012

Oh, baby it's Christmas...all over...again. But before you get trampled in last-minute shopping lines, take a look at this week's news:

Hyperbole Games begins penpal prototype program [Link] If you have a prototype that needs playtesters and is in its alpha or beta state (read: not broken), this seems like a great way to get feedback.

The Fellowship: An Unexpected Journey

I wrote a long post about CCGs (customizable card games) for my personal blog, which you're welcome to read if so inclined. The basic gist of it: My name's Lenny, and I'm addicted to CCGs.

Hi, Lenny.

Actually, that's not entirely true. I used to be addicted. When 100% of my money was discretionary income, 100% of it was spent on trading card games. Overpower, Redemption, and then the Star Wars CCG were the biggest monetary sinkholes, but I also dabbled in just about every other CCG that was released, even the lesser-known ones. When Magic: The Gathering was in its heyday, there were many, many copycats.

Because of my former addiction, I've tried hard over the years to steer clear of overly mercenary collectible card games. When I discovered Dominion, I found what I imagined was the Platonic ideal for all those CCG shadows on the cave wall: no random collecting, no trading, simple enough rules that anyone can jump in and play.

News Bits: 8/20/2012

For those of us who had to live vicariously through GenCon attendees, this past week was rough. Not only did we have to live through the bragging tweets of "Look what I got!"—inevitably followed up by the news that "THIS GAME IS SOLD OUT FOREVER"—we had to live through the long periods of radio silence as people selfishly played games instead of tweeting about them. Oh well. For some GenCon recaps, here are some various sources:

• Fantasy Flight released a video update for each day of the con (1, 2, 3, 4).
• Board Game Geek News points to some first- and secondhand sources for GenCon updates.
• Dice Hate Me has a pictorial overview of his time at GenCon.
• Finally, Matt Carlson of The Opinionated Gamers has a pretty comprehensive overview, as does Dale Yu.

Stay tuned as I'm sure our own @Futurewolfie reports on his own (condensed) time at the con.

News Bits: 8/13/2012

This week is GenCon, so that's the biggest news. If you're not going (like me), you can live vicariously through those who are. And you can be sure that, come next Monday, I'll have the juiciest tidbits ready for your perusal, with my usual comments, of course.

Oh, and if you will be at GenCon, be sure to track down chief dragon slayer @Futurewolfie...if he isn't too busy doing all the tasks I've assigned to him.

Now: the news.

Dominion, More Dominion, and Even More Dominion
Again, I make no pretense of impartiality here: I love Donald X's design. I think it's fantastic. So I was especially excited when he released these five previews of Dark Ages (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)--with another 26 cards awaiting discovery at GenCon! But that's only one Dominion announcement. The other centers on third-party Dominion apps and websites. As of August 22, all these will close down. (You can see one such announcement on Board Game Arena and another on Isotropic.) On the positive side, the official Dominion app (and online implementation) will be released August 16 for iOS and Android. Details are a bit scant now, but it seems that users will be able to play the base game for free, with additional expansions available as in-app purchases. And according to DXV on BGG, playing with expansions will require only one player to have purchased it. All of this, depending on in-app prices, seems like a pretty good deal to me, and I am super stoked about this.

News Bits: 8/6/2012

The Donald Discusses Dark Ages
No, not that Donald. The other Donald. The big name in board games. The one who just won his second Spiel des Jahres. Starting today, he is previewing cards from the new Dominion set, Dark Ages. Here is the first preview. I have to say, I get unnaturally excited at the release of each new Dominion set, and this one is no exception. (Dark Ages will release at GenCon...and I won't be there [that's more incidental and not really news].)