Rosh Hashana Gaming

Blokus Trigon

We had friends for lunch on the first day, gamers mostly. I introduced the kids to Blokus Trigon. I think I can get rid of Blokus now that I have Trigon. Regular Blokus is a slightly better game for four players, but vastly worse for three players, so it's not worth keeping both of them.

Mr Jack

I taught this to Shirley, whose husband Bill has come to game group a few times (but is currently in the U.S.), and who promised to come as well. I know she has some game experience with Bill.

I had her play Criminal, but she didn't quite grasp all the rules of the game after my first run through, and after round one there were only two suspects. She managed to outdo that on the second try, leaving only one suspect after the first round.

I switched her to Detective, where she did somewhat better, but I sacrificed the characters I didn't need in round three, leaving me to escape the board with my first move on round four. Criminal has a slight advantage in this regard, as the even numbered rounds, when Criminal moves first, are also the rounds in which you know what the available characters will be.

Tigris and Euphrates

The three kids who played Blokus Trigon now moved over to T&E, as one of them had played once before and enjoyed it. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough time to finish, but they were having a good time (with lots of calls to me, the referee) as the game went on.

Reels and Deals

I tried this two player with Tal, and we played what was probably reasonably demonstrative of a normal game. Both of us finished two movies. R&D still suffers from one huge problem, in that the guy who makes two movies will always kill the guy who makes one. So, unless you've got the second one ready to go when the other guy finishes, you're out of luck.

Ensuring that this is possible requires a perfect set of scripts: two that are easy, so that you can fulfill them at a moment's notice, and two that are the ones you would really like to finish (worth more points). It also requires a lucky set of pulls for relevant actors and directors.

I can't understand why Tom Vasel dinged the game so much, as I find it enjoyable; I think he was just harping on the box quality and the lack of money and point counters. Pff. It's not a bad game. I just wish the ending weren't so abrupt.

Puerto Rico

Played with Rachel and Nadine, and a few buildings I don't always play with.

I used trading Post and Large General Workhouse to sell and ship goods fairly well. Rachel used Supermarket to sell corns and indigos, thwarting my attempts to keep the Trading House stuck, and buying two large buildings. I also got two large buildings, but Rachel managed to end the game before I could fill my second one. Meanwhile, Nadine had Large Business and an early Coffee sale.

It all ended very closely: Rachel 50, Nadine 48, me 47. If my big building had filled, I would have won.

Yehuda