Spiel: Boardgaming in the UK

Our very own Pete Darby has decided to dip his toe in the water and start a new gaming blog. Entitled A Game of Life, Pete reckons that it is :

“partly to waffle on generally about games and life, and with one eye on getting material together to engage with and teach “muggles” about the hobby of gaming. A lot of it may look like going over old ground, or teaching you to suck eggs, but it’s with a view to talking to people who never sucked eggs, and if they did, it was a long time ago and the eggs were rotten. Wait, that metaphor ended somewhere stinky.”

Best of luck, Pete, and I’m looking forward to what you’ve got to say – complimentary comments about game club organisation will be gratefully accepted.

Summoner Wars Master Set
Card game for 2 players, ages 9+
Playing time approximately 30 minutes.
Published by Plaid Hat Games, designed by Colby Dauch

Summoner Wars: Goodwin’s Blade
Card game expansion for 2 players, ages 9+
Playing time approximately 30 minutes.
Published by Plaid Hat Games, designed by Colby Dauch

Summoner Wars: Hawk’s Strike
Card game expansion for 2 players, ages 9+
Playing time approximately 30 minutes.
Published by Plaid Hat Games, designed by Colby Dauch

The Hills Of Emyn Mul Adventure Pack
Lords of the Rings LCG expansion for 1-2 players, ages 13+
Playing time approximately 60 minutes.
Published by Fantasy Flight, designed by Nate French

Sentinels of the Multiverse
Boardgame for 2-5 players, ages 8+
Playing time approximately 60 minutes.
Published by Greater Than Games, designed by Christopher Badell & Paul Bender

Arcana (revised edition)
Card game for 2-4 players, ages 13+
Playing time approximately 60 minutes.
Published by Fantasy Flight, designed by Damien Desnous

Food Fight
Card game for 2-6 players, ages 13+
Playing time approximately 30 minutes.
Published by Cryptozoic Entertainment, designed by Matt Hyra

Fresco: The Scrolls
Boardgame expansion for 2-4 players, ages 10+
Playing time approximately 45 minutes.
Published by Queen Games, designed by Wolfgang Panning, Marco Ruskowski & Marcel Susselbeck.

Martian Dice
Dice game for 2-99 players, ages 8+
Playing time approximately 10 minutes.
Published by Tasty Minstrel Games, designed by Scott Almes

Loads of titles this week so this list has abbreviated details compared to normal:

Blood Bowl Team Manager – The Card Game
Card drafting game for 2-4 players, ages 14+, from Fantasy Flight Games.

Star Trek: Fleet Captains
For 2-4 players ages 14+, from Wizkids/NECA

Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War
Board game for 2 players, ages 12+, from Stronghold Games.

Deadwood
Board game for 2-5 players, ages 13+. Published by Dust Games/Fantasy Flight

The Walking Dead: The Board Game
Board game for 1-6 players, ages 13+, from Z-Man Games

The Climbers
2-5 players, age 8 to adult, from Strategic Space.

Survive: 5-6 Player Mini Expansion
Expansion for Survive—Escape from Atlantis, from Stronghold Games.

Claustrophobia: De Profundis
Expansion for Clautrophobia, from Asmodee

Eye for an Eye
For 5-21 players, ages 12+, from MJ Games.

Galapa Go!
For 2-6 players, ages 6+, from MJ Games.

Miam
For 3-5 players, ages 8+, from MJ Games.

Picnic Blitz
For 2-4 players, ages 7+, from MJ Games.

Shashawa
For 4-12 players, ages 5+, from MJ Games.

Shokoba
For 2-4 players, ages 8+, from MJ Games.

Sultans of Karaya
For 5-15 players, ages 12+, from MJ Games.

Insidious Sevens
For 2-5 players, ages 9+, from MJ Games.

Vizia
For 2-4 players, ages 7+, from MJ Games.

Curse of the Jade Emperor Asylum Pack
Expansion for Call of Cthulhu Living Card Game, published by Fantasy Flight Games.

Here To Serve Chapter Pack
Game of Thrones Living Card Game expansion, from Fantasy Flight Games

The Adventurers: Pyramid of Horus
Boardgame for 2-6 players, ages 13+
Playing time approximately 45 minutes.
Published by Fantasy Flight, designed by Guillaume Blossier & Frederic Henry

Star Fluxx
Card game for 2-6 players, ages 8+
Playing time approximately 15 minutes.
Published by Looney Labs, designed by Andrew Looney

Timeline: Inventions
Card game for 2-8 players, ages 8+
Playing time approximately 15 minutes.
Published by Asmodee, designed by Frederic Henry

Grave Business
Boardgame for 2-4 players, ages 13+
Playing time approximately 45 minutes.
Published by Minion Games, designed by Andy van Zandt

The result of this year’s voting for the other German game award has just been announced. And 7 Wonders picks up another win after its Kennerspiel des Jahres victory. Here is the list of the top ten:

1. 7 Wonders, by Antoine Bauza (Repos Production)
2. Die Burgen von Burgund, by Stefan Feld (alea)
3. Troyes, by Sébastien Dujardin, Xavier Georges and Alain Orban (Pearl Games)
4. Navegador, by Mac Gerdts (PD-Verlag)
5. Asara, by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling (Ravensburger)
6. Mondo, by Michael Schacht (Pegasus Spiele)
7. Pantheon, by Michael Tummelhofer (Hans im Glück)
8. Lancaster, by Matthias Cramer (Queen Games)
9. Luna, by Stefan Feld (H@ll Games)
10. Strasbourg, by Stefan Feld (Pegasus Spiele)

A bit like buses, you wait for ages and then two come along together. Hot on the heels of last Sunday’s Bolton games day, this weekend sees the gaming action transferred to Chester. Here’s some info from John Roach:

I know that this is the weekend after the Bolton all-dayer but some of you may be interested in this gaming opportunity.

It is mainly a chance for the club’s wargamers to play some epic games but there will be a boardgaming presence and you are welcome to join us.

Deeside Defenders have secured the use of a hall at the Airbus factory in Broughton near Chester from Friday pm until Sunday evening. There is a cheap bar and food available. I am not aware of any entry fees but I will provide more details as I get them. In the meantime, it would be helpful if you are interested in coming along so we can ensure that we have sufficient tables available.

For directions etc please visit the Deeside Defenders website.

Opening times are Friday noon to 11pm, Sat 9am to 11pm, Sun 9am to 11pm.

Only one item on Esdevium’s list this week:

Talisman: The Dragon Expansion
Boardgame expansion for 2-6 players, ages 13+
Playing time approximately 90 minutes.
Published by Fantasy Flight, designed by John Goodenough

The next gaming event in the calendar is an all-day gaming session from the GNOME guys. Here’s the lowdown:

Gamers North of Manchester England (GNOME) are holding another of our famous and increasingly popular all-dayers on Sunday 18th September 2011 at St Mary’s Church Hall, Horwich. Access to the car park is from Richmond st (BL6 5QT for you Satnavvies). Doors open at 10:30AM 11AM and we need to be out by 11PM.

As previously, we have the hall to ourselves and the bar is open from 12 Noon to 11PM. There are shops and takeaways within easy walk but we will be providing some light grub at around 6PM to keep you going.

Everyone is welcome of course, from newbies to old hands and including kids (so long as they are gamers and not run-around-and-knock-things-over-ers). Bring your own games or come and play ours. Over 70 gamers turned up last time (despite an emergency change of venues, promise it won’t happen again this time) and there is a genuinely friendly atmosphere.

Entry is £3 (£1 for under 16s) which includes free hotpot/soup at 6:00PM. There is no such thing as a free lunch, but consider this a free tea (or free dinner for any soft Southerners out there).

More information can be found on this BGG thread, including a list of expected attendees.

Order of the Stick Adventure Game Deluxe
Boardgame for 2-6 players, ages 12+
Playing time approximately 180 minutes.
Published by APE Games, designed by Kevin Brusky & Rich Burlew

The Boss
Card game for 2-4 players, ages 10+
Playing time approximately 40 minutes.
Published by Asmodee, designed by Alain Ollier

Hornet
Boardgame for 2-5 players, ages 10+
Playing time approximately 40 minutes.
Published by Asmodee, designed by Jani & Tero Moliis

A Journey to Rhosgobel Adventure Pack
Lord of the Rings LCG Expansion  for 1-4 players, ages 13+
Playing time approximately 60 minutes.
Published by Fantasy Flight Games, designed by Nate French

Elder Sign
Boardgame for 1-8 players, ages 13+
Playing time approximately 120 minutes.
Published by Fantasy Flight Games, designed by Richard Launius & Kevin Wilson

Hey, That’s My Fish (new edition)
Boardgame for 2-4 players, ages 8+
Playing time approximately 20 minutes.
Published by Fantasy Flight Games, designed by Gunter Cornett & Alvydas Jakeliunas

Bears
Boardgame for 2-4 players, ages 7+
Playing time approximately 20 minutes.
Published by Fireside Games, designed by Anne-Marie De Witt

The Dwarf King
Cardgame for 3-5 players, ages 10+
Playing time approximately 30 minutes.
Published by IELLO, designed by Bruno Faidutti

Nitro Dice
Boardgame for 2-6 players, ages 9+
Playing time approximately 60 minutes.
Published by Minion Games, designed by David E Whitcher

Ranking
Boardgame for 3-5 players, ages 8+
Playing time approximately 30 minutes.
Published by Rio Grande Games, designed by Stefan Dorra & Ralf zur Linde

Gnomes of Zavandor
Boardgame for 2-4 players, ages 10+
Playing time approximately 75 minutes.
Published by Z-Man Games, designed by Torsten Landsvogt

The good news is that Fragor Games have released details of the Lamont Brothers’ new game: Poseidon’s Kingdom. The bad news is that the limited run of 1,000 games is already sold out on pre-order after 11 days. There may be a few available for sale at Essen, depending on how many actually are delivered by the printers (their margins of error are +/-10% and Fragor stopped taking pre-orders at 900). However, unless you got in early, you’re likely to be disappointed. Here’s a description of the game:

Poseidon has lost his treasured trident. Your friends have disappeared while trying to find it. It turns out they have been captured by evil Hans the Kraken. Suckers ! The Kraken plans to make a nice stew out of them. Can you prise open his tentacles, release your friends and defeat him ? You had better hope so. Oh, its probably not a good time to mention the shark …

Now, the game has a number of interesting features but, to be fair to those that won’t be seeing a copy of the game, I’ve added an alternative description:

1. A wave which crashes dice onto the board, or a cheap cardboard gimic that adds nothing to the game
2. Pieces (or THE FANTASTIC ANIMAL CREATURES ARE BACK !), although none of them are animals and sea creatures can’t be cute
3. Engaging gameplay for both gamers and non-gamers or a design that tries to cater for both but satisfies neither.
4. Possibly some of the worst “fishy” puns imaginable (we put them in for the halibut), or possibly some of the worst “fishy” puns imaginable (we put them in for the halibut).
 

So, I hope that makes everyone feel better.