This month, I managed to play 22 games of 15 different titles, with 9 of them being new to me. The new games were:
== NEW GAMES ==
The Blood of an Englishman – 2 plays – 8
First Published 2016
Very nice asymmetric puzzle where one player, as Jack, tries to climb three beanstalks and steal treasure while the other, as the Giant, tries to capture Jack. Good theme and can get quite tense as both players get close to achieving their goals.Enjoyed this a lot.
Sagrada – 1 play – 8
First Published 2017
Dice drafting game about placing dice in a grid following certain placement restrictions while trying to satisfy point-scoring patterns. Any gaps in your stained glass window grid at the end of the game yield negative points and judicious use of tools help you break the rules in certain respects. Nice thinky game.
World’s Fair 1893 – 1 play – 8
First Published 2016
Excellent area control game played over three rounds where area majorities also allow you to cash in card sets for more points. Very straightforward gameplay and nothing very original but it all fits together very well.
Piñata – 1 play – 8
First Published 2013
This is a revamp of Balloon Cup using the designer’s original rules and with a different theme. Very good game that Jan enjoyed quite a lot – didn’t hurt that she won when it came down to the wire.
Polterfass – 1 play – 8
First Published 2013
If you like push your luck games, then this is another good one where you shake number barrels under a dice cup in the hope that they appear standing upright, while everyone else is trying to take a piece of your action but without being too greedy. Good fun.
TimeBomb – 1 play – 7
First Published 2014
I’m not a big fan of social deduction games but the theme of this worked for me, with one team of Sherlock’s helpers trying to cut the wires to a bomb planted by Moriarty to blow up Big Ben. Played with just four so not the best number and I’d be keen to try it again with five or more.
Glüx – 1 play – 7
First Published 2016
Abstract game of placing number tokens on a board where placement is governed by the numbers on your previously placed tokens, with a view to gaining an area majority in certain shaded regions of the board. Works pretty well and plays very quickly, providing players don’t suffer from too much AP.
MotorChamp – 1 play – 7
First Published 2000
Beautiful motor racing game where board congestion is a key part of the play while pushing your luck can have fatal consequences so is only used sparingly. Different from Formula D and makes a nice change.
Meins! – 1 play – 6
First Published 2012
An early Pelikan / Pfister card game. Set collection to claim VP cards from a market. Plays ok but not going to set the world alight with its originality.
== OTHER GAMES PLAYED THIS MONTH ==
4x Formula D
3x Mmm!
2x NMBR 9
1x Limes
1x Mini Mölkky
1x Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle
Book 7 of Hogwart’s Battle proved to be another step up in difficulty and ended in defeat for us. Four more Formula D/De circuits played this month and I’m still really enjoying these. And summer arrived for a short while so Molkky was obviously played and was great fun as usual.
== STATE OF THE COLLECTION ==
I added 17 new titles to the collection, most of which were picked up in the Shire Games closing down sale – which has been a great store over the last 12 years and will be sadly missed. The new games were: Formula D and 5 course packs, Motorchamp and its Course Collection 1, Clash of the Gladiators, Zooscape, Legendary: Villains, Tokaido: Matsuri, The Blood of an Englishman, Pinata, Bang: The Duel, Polterfass and World’s Fair 1893. My total collection now stands at 616. When I’m back from holiday in mid-July, look out for the great purge of 2017 – geeklist auctions-a-plenty as another 200 games are going to disappear from my collection.
My list of unplayed games jumped from 18 to 24 because of the large number of acquisitions in June and my Game of the Month was a tricky decision as there were some really strong contenders but I decided to give it to World’s Fair 1893.