I’ve got several two player games on my unplayed list so I managed to persuade first Jan and then Becky to help me cross a few off the list.
First up was a golf game utilising just nine cards and some markers, Famous Fairways. Eight of the cards represent the fairway, rough, water and bunkers in front of the player and the final card shows the clubs available to the players. This one didn’t click with us as it was more a challenge of positioning yourself relative to your opponent rather than against the course so didn’t feel like real golf. It worked but didn’t strike us as something we’d be bothered about playing again. Famous Fairways is here on Boardgamegeek.
Second game was much more fun. In the same series, Famous Fastballs uses eight cards and markers but portrays the classic match-up between batter and pitcher as a rock, paper, scissors guessing game. I was surprised how well it worked and how smoothly and quickly it played. Both Jan and I enjoyed this and, in a five-inning match, I came out ahead 5-3.
The third game was one of my latest shipment from Japan and, as soon as I read the rules, I knew I was going to like Khmer, and I wasn’t disappointed. It is an excellent numbers game, trying to deduce what cards your opponent has and judging when to “knock” to end play. I misjudged things and knocked when Jan had 1 point more than me. Should be played over multiple rounds really but we just played one to see how it worked. With the same feel as Love Letter, this should see a good amount of play.
The final game saw Becky and me try out my other new Japanese game, Greedy Kingdoms. This is a quick engine-building game that has a strong psychological second-guessing element as, if you can guess what cards your opponent is going to play, they’re going to be hampered in their progress. And so it was in our game, I was too obvious in my card choices and Becky got some good upgrades to allow her to build her two royal palaces before I’d even built one. Good fun though.