As I mentioned, Gone Gaming released the Board Game Internet Awards to me, and I decided to ask Board Game News if they would like to host them. This was greeted with enthusiasm (we'll see how they feel after they have to review 100 web sites).
So here they are: the 2007 Board Game Internet Awards. Check 'em out and nominate your favorite sites and posts.
My Weekend
I went on a weekend away with my synagogue this weekend, but I felt under the weather. I went to sleep at 7:00 pm Friday evening and didn't wake up again until 10:00 am on Saturday morning. Then I slept again from 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm.
I hear the weekend went well.
While I was sleeping in the evening, Tal brought out Apples to Apples and Set from my game bag, and they went over well with some new players. The next day, during my awake periods, Nadine, Tal, and I devoted to Mr Jack.
I've been concentrating on playing Criminal in all of the games I play with this, trying to figure out whether Jack ever really has a prayer of escaping against decent opponents. I managed a victory, but like all my other Criminal victories, it was through a mistake on Detective's part. The other two games were wins for Detective. In those cases, Criminal lost due to the random elements.
Still, we're still fascinated enough with the game to hope that Criminal will find a few winning strategies. I still don't see how it's ever going to be equally balanced. But even when it's not equally balanced, Detective has to play decently (not necessarily perfectly) to win.
Game News
There's a huge U.S. federal investigation going on called Operation Board Games. It's "an ongoing federal public corruption investigation of insider-dealing, influence-peddling and kickbacks involving private interests and public duties related to various state boards and non-profit organizations." Sorry, nothing to do with Monopoly.
Breda Brathwaite is one of many experienced video game designers who advises other aspiring video game designers to start by designing a board game.
The staff of a New Zealand store called "Bunnings" were given the board game Monopoly instead of a pay increase, and are now protesting. I've got two news sources for this: one of which implies that they are striking as a result of being given the game, and one of which implies that they were given the game only after protesting. Both imply that being given Monopoly for Christmas is a deliberate insult.
I love it when inventors talk in terms of the patents they invent, which makes the product seem to be a side-issue. In this case, the guy patented a deck of cards where the suit is printed next to the number, and not only beneath it. The claim is that this saves valuable quarter-inches when you're laying the cards out in a column, such as you would do as dummy in Bridge.
Only, uh, if you're laying out columns of cards in Bridge, don't all the columns consist of cards of the same suit? And, therefore, isn't the visible suit marking on the last card in the column sufficient?
Yehuda
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Off for the weekend
I've been falling behind on my session reports, and now I'm off for a weekend with my synagogue. And I'm not feeling too well. Still, I was asked to bring games for various circumstances, and I wouldn't want to disappoint.
The end of the year posts write themselves. I've got "top board game news items from 2007", "strangest board games released", "games played this year", and a host of other posts waiting in the wings. Do stick around.
See you on the other side of shabbat.
Yehuda
P.S. Little article on board games in The Independent.
The end of the year posts write themselves. I've got "top board game news items from 2007", "strangest board games released", "games played this year", and a host of other posts waiting in the wings. Do stick around.
See you on the other side of shabbat.
Yehuda
P.S. Little article on board games in The Independent.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Making a Comeback
Every year around this time, for the past dozen years or more, mainstream journalists who don't know how to search Google tell us that "board games are making a comeback", just as if they haven't been reported to be doing so for the last dozen years or more.
And every year I find myself curious as to what else is making a comeback, if we are to believe mainstream journalists.
This is from the last thirty days on Google News (click here to see last year's list):
It doesn't seem enough to say that so and so now has a hit after a long absence. No, it has to be a trend. And a trends go ever onwards in only one direction, either up or down.
Do they expect to be rewarded for having been the first to spot this trend? Or are the actual facts without prediction too dull to make a good story?
Yehuda
P.S. Scott Jon Siegel on Joystiq reviews my game.
And every year I find myself curious as to what else is making a comeback, if we are to believe mainstream journalists.
This is from the last thirty days on Google News (click here to see last year's list):
- the A-10
- ABB
- absinthe
- ActiveWorlds
- affordable living
- Agathiyan
- the age-old curse of inflation
- Akron
- alligators
- all-in-one pcs
- al Qaeda and the Taliban
- AMD
- Amit Khanna's character in Karam Apna Apna
- animal prints
- ankle boots
- Aparna Popat
- Apenisa Qereqeretabua
- Apple Cup week trash talking
- aprons
- Arabic
- Arsenal
- August's credit turmoil
- baldness
- Barbie
- Barry Manilow
- bed bugs
- Bedford North Lawrence High School’s long-dormant pep club
- Ben Cousins
- "the best man for the job is a woman"
- Big Cat
- Billy Ray Cyrus
- bio enhancements
- the BJP
- black crepe headlines
- blue-ear pig disease
- boar
- board games
- Boon Lim
- Boyzone
- Brian Schwartz
- the bruising babes of roller derby
- bubblegum
- the Buckeyes
- Buffalo
- Cabbage Patch Kids
- Cadilac
- calorie- and carb-heavy macaroni and cheese
- Calum Menzies
- Carbohydrates
- the Cardinals' glory years of the 1940s
- Caribbean cruises
- Catholic confession
- chastity
- Che Mohd Azrol Che Mat
- the chestnut crop
- Chitrangada
- Christopher Kane
- civil society
- Clifford Mulenga
- coal
- cod
- college nursing program
- comedy
- common sense
- the community's economy
- Confucius' ideas
- conservative underwriting
- the constitution
- countertenors
- crafting
- Crosstalk
- cuff links
- Cullinan operation
- the culture of command economy
- curling
- Dale McDonald
- dinner, drinks, hanging out
- Dino
- Dinosaur Jr.
- the discarded policy of assimilation
- disco
- the DIY movement
- dolls and dolls clothes
- Don Imus
- door-to-door caroling
- the downtown
- Dreamcast
- driftwood and distressed leather
- drive-in movie theaters
- Duro Olowu
- The Eagles
- eagles, barred owls and ravens
- Earth Shoes and Birkenstocks
- Ecstasy
- Elizabeth Berkley
- endangered bats
- enrollment at Vincennes
- Erdem
- everyone from Led Zeppelin to the Spice Girls
- everything from chinchilla to fox
- EVs
- Extreme
- fabric-topped convertibles
- false eyelashes
- the fascinating cultural traditions of the Kyrgyz nomads
- Father Ioann Okhlobystin
- faux firs
- FHA loans
- Florida panthers
- Fort Wayne
- Frank Sinatra
- frogs
- the furry-upper lip
- the gameshow Mr & Mrs
- Gareth Bale
- Gary Neville
- gazundering
- geese
- Genghis Khan and Tamerlane
- George W. Bush
- Gerard Denton
- Ghostbusters
- Glendon Rusch
- gold panning
- the Goundamani-Senthil duo
- granola
- green bean casserole
- grey and white hair
- "Growth is good"
- hair metal
- Happy Mondays
- Harbhajan Singh
- the high street
- Hollywood Regency
- Hope For Agoldensummer
- horror
- hotel restaurants
- the humble clothesline
- illiberal notions like protectionism
- the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Cherokee Street
- Isiah Thomas
- Islam
- job perk programs
- John Howard
- John McCain
- Jonathan Lounsbury
- Jules Schneider
- Julia Roberts
- Julio Arca
- Justin Stanley
- Karran Nathh
- Kesaco Phedo
- Kimberley Underground workings
- Knight Rider
- labor unrest
- the Lady Red Devils
- Lalit Pandit
- Latin (and the traditional Latin Mass)
- Law & Order
- Lawrence
- layaway
- LeBron James
- legislation putting the state superintendent's job in the hands of the governor and subjecting state school board elections to party politics
- liberalism
- a lighter shade of burgundy
- Lilliputian "bubble cars"
- linoleum
- lipstick
- Lisa Fernandez
- Little Shop of Horrors
- live jazz
- Louise Goldin
- Madhuri Dixit
- Maine agriculture
- malaria
- manual mowers
- manufacturing in a different form
- many of the world's forests
- the marathon in the SEA Games athletics programme
- marble
- Marcus Portman
- mare's milk
- Marios Schwab
- marriages between college graduates
- Marvel Annual
- Mervyns
- Michael Jackson
- Michael Schumacher
- micro distilling
- micro-hydro
- midfield maestro Dirang Moloi and striker Jerome Ramatlhakwana
- midwives
- model-home merchandising
- Mona Millie Vasu
- mullets
- Munaf Patel
- Nabaztag
- national accounts
- Nawaz Sharif
- Nazmul Hossain
- the names of mythological characters and royalty that feature in Indian folklore
- the nearly obsolete practice of doctor house calls
- the new 2008 TT
- New Rochelle
- The No. 3
- the notion that colleges are engines of "social inclusion"
- Notre Dame
- the noose
- nuclear power
- a number of species
- Octagon and El Hijo
- Ogre Battle
- old Britney
- old Christmas standards
- the old-fashioned ski train
- the old Forest Service timber program
- the Old Right libertarian message
- the once derided middle man
- Onondaga Lake
- open outcry
- open racism
- the original cast of Sleeping Beauty
- the original [punk] formula
- outdoor pools
- oversize knits
- oysters
- Panchito Bojado
- pale
- passenger-only ferries
- passion
- Paul Wotton
- the PC
- Pee-wee Herman
- penguins
- person-to-person lending
- Philip "Time Bomb" Ndou
- piped Christmas music
- Pippi Longstocking
- the Plague
- plastic bags
- polished chrome
- polo
- Portishead
- post-punk cultural touchstones
- pressure coookers
- Priest Holmes
- private equity
- pudding
- pumps
- Purdue
- radio
- The Raiders
- rainbow Afros
- Rambo
- rare and endangered key deer
- Ray Park
- rear wheels
- red Christmas trees
- religion
- retro music
- "Revival dishes and drinks more familiar to our grandparents
- the rice industry
- Richard Blackwood
- rickets
- river otters
- Robbie Williams
- Robin Goad
- Rodrigo Lopez
- Ryumochnayas
- sabbaticals
- The Salinas Activities League
- San Diego Chargers
- sanity in baseball
- Sarah Hammer
- satsuma
- school blazers
- the Sears Wishbook Christmas Catalog
- self adhered roofing systems
- the Shabby Rose
- shads
- Shoaib Akhtar
- Sid Owen
- silver
- some of those media stocks
- so-called "heritage" turkeys
- Sony PS3
- Sourav Ganguly
- Spanish
- sparkling wine and champagne cocktails
- Spiegeltents
- Srabanti Majumdar
- the stations that already carry the oldies
- the sterling
- still life
- storybook architecture
- streetcars
- Striker Harris
- Sunil Kumar Sipaeya
- Sweet Caroline
- the swinging sounds of the 1960s
- syphilis
- Tabu
- Taufeeq Umar
- a team from Rossel Island
- technology stocks
- themes of reincarnation, occult, supernatural powers and magic
- tighter churidars
- Tim Roth
- Todd Lynn
- Tom Ada
- Tony Evans
- toys from the 80s
- trains
- traditional kopitiams
- traditional lights
- traditional ivory, red and green
- the tradition of the church bazaar
- trenchcoats
- tripe
- Tropical storm "Lando"
- trunks
- tuberculosis
- turboprop regional airliners
- the ugly but comforting mongrel of a system put together by "mix and match economists"
- ukuleles
- Umar Gul
- variety shows
- Vimal
- Vinicius Bacaro
- Virender Sehwag
- Vladimir Putin
- the WAP
- watches with leather bands
- wearing animal skins, drinking beer and scratching yourself
- "We're by far the greatest team.... the world has ever seen"
- the western
- the wetlands
- Whitney Houston
- the whole community involved in raising a child, and neighbor looking after neighbor
- whooping cough
- whooping cranes
- wild turkeys
- winetails
- Winston Peters
- winter
- wooden train sets and painting packs
- wood flooring
- work bikes
- this worrisome [traffic] phenomenon
- The X Files
- the yen
- Yiddish
It doesn't seem enough to say that so and so now has a hit after a long absence. No, it has to be a trend. And a trends go ever onwards in only one direction, either up or down.
Do they expect to be rewarded for having been the first to spot this trend? Or are the actual facts without prediction too dull to make a good story?
Yehuda
P.S. Scott Jon Siegel on Joystiq reviews my game.
Christmas Games
Check out my Holiday Gift Guide if you're looking for games to buy this Christmas season.
This is a catalog of games with Christmas themes.
Before the mid-1800s, Christmas was not the joyful, child oriented, consumer holiday that you know today. It was solemn, holy, and serious. As Puritan values began to mellow, and literature about Christmas, such as A Visit from Saint Nicholas, began to appear in the early 1800s, Christmas began to mellow out.
Early depictions of Santa Claus had him as a drunkard. It was Thomas Nast's cartoons in Harper's Weekly of an old gentleman with a round belly who gives out presents that gave Santa his current image.
Generic Christmas Games
Excessive consumerism during Christmas has been criticized since at least the 1850s, but that doesn't stop companies from branding everything they can with Christmas logos and decorations. If they can't brand the object, they brand the packaging. And if they can't brand the packaging, they brand the advertisements.
Therefore it should come as no surprise that you can find Christmas themed Chess, Checkers, Dominoes, several murder mystery games, playing cards (general, or specifically intended for a particular card game), Bingo daubers, Memory, Tic Tac Toe (Nick Tac Toe, anyone?), Charades, Bean Bag Toss, Ring Toss, bowling, golf, Pinball, Monopoly, UNO, Halli Galli, Trivial Pursuit (1981 and 1991 versions), and so on.
Of Monopoly versions, there is: Christmas, A Christmas Story, Twas the Night Before Christmas, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
There are Christmas-themed expansions for games which simply add Christmas figures, cards, trivia, or decorations to the usual game play.
Several brands have managed to associate themselves with the Christmas concept and are joined together with the Christmas theme on several items. A notable example is the Coca-Cola brand. Coke ran some memorable commercials featuring Santa drinking their product, and so several games were produced bearing these images.
Other examples include famous Christmas stories, television specials, and movies: It's a Wonderful Life, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated and live action versions), Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas (Party Game, Board Game, and others), A Christmas Carol (Mr Magoo's television special, or otherwise), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Story, and so on. I won't list all of these. You can find them at most stores, including Amazon.com .
Many simple game retreads are created for dollar stores, magazine inserts, or print-and-play downloads. The ESL board game database, with member-created games on every conceivable topic, lists at least five Christmas-themed games available for download.
Specific Christmas Games
Note: Images below are linked to their source, when possible.
The Christmas Stocking Game
1889. This is some sort of card game with gift cards, stocking cards, and a Santa Claus card.
Santa Claus Game
1898-1900. The game is printed on the inside box bottom. A roll-and-move game.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
1948. This spin-and-move game comes in two versions, a plain version and an elaborate 3D version which sets up like a house. A copy of the latter was just sold on eBay.
Santa Claus Christmas card game
1960s. A card game of some kind.
Hi Ho Santa Claus
1962. Trim the tree using your eight colored balls. Pictures is the 1962 version, and there is also a 1969 version.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
1977. A roll-and-move Cadaco game.
The Christmas Game
1980. The first to spend all of his money on shopping wins. I kid you not.
The Christmas Game
1983. Roll-and-move around the board completing four Christmas scenes before the manger scene.
Christmas Game
1983. From a line of cooperative board games for 3 to 7 year olds by Eco choices.
I Believe in Santa Claus
1984. Some sort of roll-and-move collecting reindeer game.
Christmas Trivia
1985. I've seen a Trivial Pursuit 1981 Christmas edition on eBay, although I can't find it anywhere. This game uses similar mechanics.
Tis the Season: Christmas Trivia
1988. Another Trivia game, but without a board. You can actually still buy new copies of this game here.
Christmas Stories: The Game
1988. Collect five story cards and then tell a story using all five themes to win. You can find it on eBay right now.
Hanna Barbera's Greatest Adventures: The Nativity
1988. Hannah Barbera produced a number of short animated films in their Greatest Adventures series, including this one. This one was made into a trivia-and-move game of some sort.
1990s
Han Heidema is a Dutch game designer who gave out specially produced games (by other designers) as Christmas cards every year from 1990 to 1999, and all with Christmas themes. You can find some of them listed on BGG.
Santa's Special Delivery Game
1990. A Candyland-type game.
The Santa Incident
1992. A GDW war game of Iran vs Kris Kringle.
The Original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
1995. Roll and move game where you pick up items on the way.
The Christmas Game
1997. By something called Alawhe games. Be the first to give all your money to charity by answering trivia questions.
Happy Holidays! The Christmas Carols and Songs Game
1999. A roll-and-move Name That Tune kind of game.
Dirty Xmas
1999. A French card game about Santa hiring a successor, suitable for family play despite the name.
2000s
Gamesake Christmas Board Game
2004. There are lots of feel-good games like this around. Basically, you are supposed to create the cards and/or spaces with your own memories and stories, and then use the game as a way of sharing these stories in the future.
Santa's Elves
2004. A simultaneous movement game of trying to earn stars from Santa so as to be named Chief Elf.
Christmas Tree
2004. Flip cards until someone calls out three cards with any matching characteristics.
Julemandsspillet
2005. A Swedish Christmas game of some sort.
The Christmas Wars
2005. By Team Frog Studios, a light war game and parody.
The Christmas Game
2006. A gift delivery game from Germany.
Trivia By the Pound
2007. Pure and simple trivia game.
I Spy Holiday Wishes Card Game
2007. Pick a card and let others try to guess what it is.
Great Christmas Race
2007? An MJS creation by BoardGameDesign.com . Looks like your typical roll-and-move game.
Yehuda
This is a catalog of games with Christmas themes.
Before the mid-1800s, Christmas was not the joyful, child oriented, consumer holiday that you know today. It was solemn, holy, and serious. As Puritan values began to mellow, and literature about Christmas, such as A Visit from Saint Nicholas, began to appear in the early 1800s, Christmas began to mellow out.
Early depictions of Santa Claus had him as a drunkard. It was Thomas Nast's cartoons in Harper's Weekly of an old gentleman with a round belly who gives out presents that gave Santa his current image.
Generic Christmas Games
Excessive consumerism during Christmas has been criticized since at least the 1850s, but that doesn't stop companies from branding everything they can with Christmas logos and decorations. If they can't brand the object, they brand the packaging. And if they can't brand the packaging, they brand the advertisements.
Therefore it should come as no surprise that you can find Christmas themed Chess, Checkers, Dominoes, several murder mystery games, playing cards (general, or specifically intended for a particular card game), Bingo daubers, Memory, Tic Tac Toe (Nick Tac Toe, anyone?), Charades, Bean Bag Toss, Ring Toss, bowling, golf, Pinball, Monopoly, UNO, Halli Galli, Trivial Pursuit (1981 and 1991 versions), and so on.
Of Monopoly versions, there is: Christmas, A Christmas Story, Twas the Night Before Christmas, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
There are Christmas-themed expansions for games which simply add Christmas figures, cards, trivia, or decorations to the usual game play.
Several brands have managed to associate themselves with the Christmas concept and are joined together with the Christmas theme on several items. A notable example is the Coca-Cola brand. Coke ran some memorable commercials featuring Santa drinking their product, and so several games were produced bearing these images.
Other examples include famous Christmas stories, television specials, and movies: It's a Wonderful Life, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated and live action versions), Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas (Party Game, Board Game, and others), A Christmas Carol (Mr Magoo's television special, or otherwise), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Story, and so on. I won't list all of these. You can find them at most stores, including Amazon.com .
Many simple game retreads are created for dollar stores, magazine inserts, or print-and-play downloads. The ESL board game database, with member-created games on every conceivable topic, lists at least five Christmas-themed games available for download.
Specific Christmas Games
Note: Images below are linked to their source, when possible.
The Christmas Stocking Game
1889. This is some sort of card game with gift cards, stocking cards, and a Santa Claus card.
Santa Claus Game
1898-1900. The game is printed on the inside box bottom. A roll-and-move game.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
1948. This spin-and-move game comes in two versions, a plain version and an elaborate 3D version which sets up like a house. A copy of the latter was just sold on eBay.
Santa Claus Christmas card game
1960s. A card game of some kind.
Hi Ho Santa Claus
1962. Trim the tree using your eight colored balls. Pictures is the 1962 version, and there is also a 1969 version.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
1977. A roll-and-move Cadaco game.
The Christmas Game
1980. The first to spend all of his money on shopping wins. I kid you not.
The Christmas Game
1983. Roll-and-move around the board completing four Christmas scenes before the manger scene.
Christmas Game
1983. From a line of cooperative board games for 3 to 7 year olds by Eco choices.
I Believe in Santa Claus
1984. Some sort of roll-and-move collecting reindeer game.
Christmas Trivia
1985. I've seen a Trivial Pursuit 1981 Christmas edition on eBay, although I can't find it anywhere. This game uses similar mechanics.
Tis the Season: Christmas Trivia
1988. Another Trivia game, but without a board. You can actually still buy new copies of this game here.
Christmas Stories: The Game
1988. Collect five story cards and then tell a story using all five themes to win. You can find it on eBay right now.
Hanna Barbera's Greatest Adventures: The Nativity
1988. Hannah Barbera produced a number of short animated films in their Greatest Adventures series, including this one. This one was made into a trivia-and-move game of some sort.
1990s
Han Heidema is a Dutch game designer who gave out specially produced games (by other designers) as Christmas cards every year from 1990 to 1999, and all with Christmas themes. You can find some of them listed on BGG.
Santa's Special Delivery Game
1990. A Candyland-type game.
The Santa Incident
1992. A GDW war game of Iran vs Kris Kringle.
The Original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
1995. Roll and move game where you pick up items on the way.
The Christmas Game
1997. By something called Alawhe games. Be the first to give all your money to charity by answering trivia questions.
Happy Holidays! The Christmas Carols and Songs Game
1999. A roll-and-move Name That Tune kind of game.
Dirty Xmas
1999. A French card game about Santa hiring a successor, suitable for family play despite the name.
2000s
Gamesake Christmas Board Game
2004. There are lots of feel-good games like this around. Basically, you are supposed to create the cards and/or spaces with your own memories and stories, and then use the game as a way of sharing these stories in the future.
Santa's Elves
2004. A simultaneous movement game of trying to earn stars from Santa so as to be named Chief Elf.
Christmas Tree
2004. Flip cards until someone calls out three cards with any matching characteristics.
Julemandsspillet
2005. A Swedish Christmas game of some sort.
The Christmas Wars
2005. By Team Frog Studios, a light war game and parody.
The Christmas Game
2006. A gift delivery game from Germany.
Trivia By the Pound
2007. Pure and simple trivia game.
I Spy Holiday Wishes Card Game
2007. Pick a card and let others try to guess what it is.
Great Christmas Race
2007? An MJS creation by BoardGameDesign.com . Looks like your typical roll-and-move game.
Yehuda
Seventh Game Results
Thanks to all the participants in all the games. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog; I sometimes give away little things on the spur of the moment to my readers and subscribers that I don't announce on BGG or BGN!
GAME A
FORTUNE PLAYER (ADJ) EVAL POSITION / SCORE
850 Pesos Jonathan Davis -55 = 795 13 / 02
719 Pesos Mark Hansen -55 = 664 16 / 02
991 Doubloons Ken Spontelli -3 = 988 03 / 18
850 Pesos Scott Nicholson +10 -55 = 805 12 / 02
996 Pesos Seth Bell -55 = 941 08 / 08
930 Pesos Ernie Lai -55 = 975 05 / 14
750 Pesos Seth Ben-Ezra -55 = 695 15 / 02
1000 Pesos Avri Balofsky -55 = 945 07 / 10
982 Doubloons Frank Teplin -3 = 979 04 / 16
810 Pesos Jonny German -55 = 755 14 / 02
950 Pesos Jose Zagal -55 = 895 11 / 02
996 Florins Gabriel Cunningham -5 -1 = 990 02 / 20
972 Pesos Derek Jung -55 = 917 09 / 06
1000 Doubloons Koby Shachar -5 -3 = 992 01 / 00
963 Florins Duncan Munro -1 = 962 06 / 12
965 Pesos Dustin Gervais -55 = 910 10 / 04
Gabriel Cunningham is first in line to be the new prince. Yay! Now can he charm the princess with his humor?
Unlike the story competition, most of you were pretty pathetic at Why Did the Chicken? humor. Some of the points awarded are sympathy points!
GAME B (Number in parenthesis is the points assigned)
-1-
What is the difference between a board game and a bicycle?
On a bicycle people actually enjoy "roll-and-move." JD (9)
Your wife might actually like to go on a bike ride. MH (7)
None. You'll cry no matter which one dad backs the car over. KS (2)
A sign of a bad boardgame is that you roll and move, but if a bike doesn't do it, you're stuck! SN (5)
Vigorous playtesting. SB (1)
You only need 1 bicycle. EL (10)
A bicycle only has two wheels. SBE (4)
With war games you have To Wield Weapons, and a gang on bikes are riding Two Wheeled Weapons. AB (5)
One can get you around Dallas. The other makes you GO to Dallas. FT (4)
In a board game, it's rarely good to finish right back where you started. JG (7)
Fish don't ride bicycles like I play boardgames. JZ (6)
You rarely need to wear a helmet while playing a board game. GC (4)
When you play a board game, you might "roll the bones". When you roll a bicycle, you might break them! DJ (5)
With bicycle you don't need a Ticket to Ride. KS (8)
On a bike when things go around you get somewhere. DM (3)
Try sitting on a board game and you'll know. DG (4)
I asked a Doctor HaHa of Humorology at the Department of Funny Stuff for the correct answer, which is:
"If you don't know, please don't put it on my table."
-2-
What did the meeple say to the cow?
"Hey cow, do they put you in 'interesting' positions with 10 of your buddies and take pictures all the time?"
OR: "Hey cow, didn't your farmer just complete something? Why has he been laying down in the field all day today?"
OR: "Hey cow, check out my new MC Hammer pants.This is my ticket to get elected mayor!" JD (1 [can't score more than 1 for three answers!])
Moove it, your in my spot. MH (3)
MAN! How big is the tile YOU'RE standing on? KS (4)
"Thanks for leaving this pillow for me to lay down on out in the field! What is that smell, anyway?" SN (3)
"Give me all your milk cubes or I'll turn you into beef cubes." SB (2)
"So, they tipped you over too, huh?" EL (5)
Moo! SBE (2)
"Ahhh! I'm a talking meeple!" AB (10)
Wow! I only get milked for points! FT (4)
Get off my foot! JG (8)
If you don't stop mooing, I'll turn you into a carcass-one! GC (5)
"Hey look! A Moople!" DJ (10)
I'm sorry, we had to choose... it's Germen games not Dutch games... KS (2)
Mooooove off my field. DG (3)
I wrote to Doctor Chickenlips of the University of Hoople in Southwest North Dakota for the correct answer, which is:
"It's your moove."
-3-
What's the first thing a board game does when it gets out of bed in the morning?
It relishes over who got lucky and went on a hot streak the night before. JD (2)
Practices its German. MH (1)
He used his first action point to scratch his bits. KS (3)
The box farts! SN (3)
It unfolds. SB (4)
Let loose with a long and satisfying box fart. EL (3)
Makes its bed. SBE (4)
Get dressed up with its theme. AB (5)
Kiss its owner on the cheek, then get back in the closet. FT (1)
Checks his bits. JG (4)
Stretches out the shrinkwrap. JZ (6)
Chooses Craftsman so it can have its morning coffee. GC (7)
It relieves its morning "El Grande"! DJ (3)
Yawn: "I'm bored!" KS (2)
Rolls to see who goes first. DM (8)
It takes care of its morning wood. DG (4)
I entered the question into the Searchable Online Database Of Funny Frases to get the definitive answer, which is:
"Fall."
-4-
Why did the pawn cross the road?
You see, the pawn started existentially inquiring into his subconscious racism, sidestepping anyone he ran into from the other side of the tracks. He began to grow very depressed and thought maybe a new game would brighten things up. He decided to depart from Ville in search of a new life in the big city Bohnanza. When he got there, he was horrified by the stench emanating from all the stink beans people were planting in the pot holes of the streets. He started running hoping to get away from the stench. While crossing one particular street, he tripped and fell into a pothole, getting a mouth full of chili beans. He got up and ran screaming into a nearby donut shop, grabbed a donut and a glass of milk hoping to get the fire out of his mouth. As it was a donut shop, a police officer promptly arresting him, charging him with theft and a failure to have any luck.
JD (2)
Because there was already a meeple thief on it. MH (1)
To maximize his value in points by taking majority in that area. KS (6)
To get to Roll Again! SN (2)
To sell the king a new castle. Traitorous little bastard. SB (5)
Because the chicken's gaming group was on the other side. EL (2)
Peer pressure SBE (10)
To check on its mate? AB (8)
It was due for a promotion. FT (9)
She wanted to leave her checkered past behind. JG (3)
Delusions of grandeur mainly. Like, who actually believes you can become a queen by crossing enough "roads". Sheesh. ;-) JZ (2)
Because the chicken did, and the pawn wanted chickmeat. GC (9)
Because the road had stabbed the pawn in the back in their last Diplomacy game -- darn metagamers. DJ (9)
Because on the other side he saw a mate that he had to check. KS (7)
To get to the other king. DM (3)
His wife wants him to get promoted. DG (6)
I created a Universal Improbability Drive, reset its capacitors, and fed it a really hot cup of strong tea in order to get the correct answer to this question, which is:
"To check a mate."
-5-
How is a card game like a city street?
You see, the pawn started existentially inquiring into his subconscious racism, sidestepping anyone he ran into from the other side of the tracks. He began to grow very depressed and thought maybe a new game would brighten things up. He decided to depart from Ville in search of a new life in the big city Bohnanza. When he got there, he was horrified by the stench emanating from all the stink beans people were planting in the pot holes of the streets. He started running hoping to get away from the stench. While crossing one particular street, he tripped and fell into a pothole, getting a mouth full of chili beans. He got up and ran screaming into a nearby donut shop, grabbed a donut and a glass of milk hoping to get the fire out of his mouth. As it was a donut shop, a police officer promptly arresting him, charging him with theft and a failure to have any luck. JD (1)
Lots of suit on them. MH (5)
Dealers and people taking trick at every corner. KS (7)
Things always slow down at a Bridge. SN (3)
You get lost in the shuffle. SB (10)
They both have dog poop on them. Wait... dog poop? Rover! Have you been going through my games again?!? EL (6)
Both require a great deal of luck to navigate. SBE (3)
They both have lots of stabbings. AB (10)
Both should move along swiftly, but inevitably get bogged down by the one person who doesn't know what the heck they're doing! FT (9)
You could get creamed from either side if you don't look out! JG (5)
You have to always make sure you're facing the right way. JZ (4)
Things can quickly get out of hand. GC (4)
They're both full of tricks, depending on the street! DJ (3)
In both of them a club could greatly improve your situation. KS (6)
Everyone has their own set of directions. DM (10)
First, you deal and then you meld. DG (8)
I traveled by rickshaw to Mount Wisdom in outer Nepal and climbed a mountain to talk to the Great Guru of Laughter to hear the correct answer, which is:
"You can get lost in the shuffle."
-6-
Why did the board game eat a donut?
You see, the pawn started existentially inquiring into his subconscious racism, sidestepping anyone he ran into from the other side of the tracks. He began to grow very depressed and thought maybe a new game would brighten things up. He decided to depart from Ville in search of a new life in the big city Bohnanza. When he got there, he was horrified by the stench emanating from all the stink beans people were planting in the pot holes of the streets. He started running hoping to get away from the stench. While crossing one particular street, he tripped and fell into a pothole, getting a mouth full of chili beans. He got up and ran screaming into a nearby donut shop, grabbed a donut and a glass of milk hoping to get the fire out of his mouth. As it was a donut shop, a police officer promptly arresting him, charging him with theft and a failure to have any luck. JD (1)
Don't it make perfect sense? To determine player order. MH (1)
Because everyone told him that his theme was too thin. KS (5)
To hide its holes! SN (4)
Because it had given up on its all fiber diet. SB (6)
To increase its game weight. EL (7)
Better than the donut eating it. SBE (4)
It wanted to be considered a heavy game. AB (10)
Ameritrash games need to keep their weight up! FT (4)
The Berliner reminded him of home. JG (1)
He wanted to feel a little filler. JZ (9)
Because as his rules were being described to new players, they all had a glazed look in their eyes and he felt inspired. GC (7)
The Fantasy Flight executive wanted it to be a "big box" game. DJ (7)
Because it wanted to get to the other side! (A donut in math is an endless board) KS (3)
It was trying to become heavier. DG (7)
I fasted and prayed for three days and nights in a dark sanctuary so that the answer would be revealed to me, and it was:
"It was Hanukkah."
-7-
What did the dice say to the duck?
"Just so you know duck. I don't want things to get awkward, and I hope we can be just friends, but I've been looking at the CRT table and I just don't think this thing we've got going is gonna make it." JD (3)
Hear your a good craper. MH (1)
Which do you want for breakfast, Dice Krispies or Ducky Charms? KS (8)
Nothing. They just stared with those evil snake eyes. SN (2)
"Why the hell are you here? Go back to your home!" SB (2)
"I'm pretty sure he said 'Gimme some luck!' not 'Gimme some duck!'" EL (7)
"Sorry, but this is how we roll." SBE (4)
"I don't think this guy knows what a Duck Roll is." AB (3)
"Fine, you're right, you can do more damage to a game in progress if rolled across the table." FT (5)
(Pickomino) Back off! It's not a real worm! JG (4)
Want some knuckles? JZ (2)
Care to take a quack at craps? GC (9)
"Double down!" "Wait, that's blackjack." "Oh, right. Bet the Pass line, then." DJ (4)
Quick, lay your bets! KS (2)
That's just how I roll. DM (1)
We may be square, but at least we don't waddle. DG (2)
I wired my brain up to the world's largest network of satellite dishes and asked the silicon creatures of Omega Omega for the world's best answer to this, and I received:
"Having bad luck? You look pretty down."
-8-
What did the board game do on holiday?
Mr. Board Game won't be hitting the table all week after his feigned enthusiasm for Mrs. Game's "Travel Edition" makeover. JD (5)
Got its bits enlarged. MH (6)
He went to the nude beach, threw off his cover and showed his bits to everyone. KS (4)
Met up with friends and played some people. He's a playa! SN (6)
Stayed away from Essen. All the playtesting made him feel used. SB (6)
Nothing, he was a bored game. EL (9)
Nothing. That's why he was bored. SBE (8)
Stayed in bed and played with itself. AB (7)
Decided to Goa way down to San Juan, Puerto Rico, called "Shogun!" on the Roads and Boats ride Through the Desert, drank El Grande margaritas and ate lots of deZertz, and watched the Twilight Struggle as a Blue Moon rose. FT (10)
Played some people with family. JG (7)
Nothing much, he got bored pretty quickly. JZ (5)
It wanted to buy a Ticket to Ride to Europe, but had to Settle for Catan instead. GC (7)
It went to Essen, where it was deemed too random to be a gamers' game and too complicated to be a family game. It was last seen in the back alley behind the convention center, holding a sign saying "The end is nigh! Redesign me or cannibalize me!". DJ (6)
Sit it the sun and get Tan-gram KS (7)
Bought a Ticket to Ride. DM (8)
For a change of pace, it went to Hoboken to clean a toilet. DG (2)
I asked my two-year old for the answer to this, and he said:
"It was board the whole time."
COMBINED SCORES
Jonathan Davis 02 + 24 = 26
Mark Hansen 02 + 25 = 27
Ken Spontelli 18 + 39 = 57
Scott Nicholson 02 + 28 = 30
Seth Bell 08 + 36 = 44
Ernie Lai 14 + 49 = 63
Seth Ben-Ezra 02 + 39 = 41
Avri Balofsky 10 + 58 = 68
Frank Teplin 16 + 46 = 62
Jonny German 02 + 39 = 41
Jose Zagal 02 + 34 = 36
Gabriel Cunningham 20 + 52 = 72
Derek Jung 06 + 47 = 53
Koby Shachar 00 + 37 = 37
Duncan Munro 12 + 33 = 45
Dustin Gervais 04 + 36 = 40
Avri won the humor contest, but the grand winner is: Gabriel Cunningham! Yay!
BLOG SUGGESTIONS
- Have a series of articles dedicated to the design, testing, and production of a game.
- More Game Theory analysis
- Include pictures (or videos!) with your session reports
- Add more photos! Photos break up paragraph & text-only blogs and make them easier and more fun to read.
- Publish or re-publish things from your blog on BoardGameGeek. Some really cool content there, but I'm sure I'm just one of many who sticks almost purely to BGG for board game commentary.
- Your site has a TON of links at the moment and it's quite overwhleming and hard to find what you're looking for. You might want to consider pruning some of them (from the homepage) or placing them on a separate page.
- Provide direct links to the most recent comments on your blog. This would help enliven the discussion a bit more by letting people see "where the action is" more easily.
- How about a little thumbnail picture next to/above/below your game on the right side? It might be more attention grabbing that way.
- There's a decent page of reviews on the website for the Gamepack game club in the Netherlands. http://www.gamepack.nl
Thank you for your great suggestions! This wraps up the holiday giveaways. Happy holidays and see you on my blog!
Yehuda
GAME A
FORTUNE PLAYER (ADJ) EVAL POSITION / SCORE
850 Pesos Jonathan Davis -55 = 795 13 / 02
719 Pesos Mark Hansen -55 = 664 16 / 02
991 Doubloons Ken Spontelli -3 = 988 03 / 18
850 Pesos Scott Nicholson +10 -55 = 805 12 / 02
996 Pesos Seth Bell -55 = 941 08 / 08
930 Pesos Ernie Lai -55 = 975 05 / 14
750 Pesos Seth Ben-Ezra -55 = 695 15 / 02
1000 Pesos Avri Balofsky -55 = 945 07 / 10
982 Doubloons Frank Teplin -3 = 979 04 / 16
810 Pesos Jonny German -55 = 755 14 / 02
950 Pesos Jose Zagal -55 = 895 11 / 02
996 Florins Gabriel Cunningham -5 -1 = 990 02 / 20
972 Pesos Derek Jung -55 = 917 09 / 06
1000 Doubloons Koby Shachar -5 -3 = 992 01 / 00
963 Florins Duncan Munro -1 = 962 06 / 12
965 Pesos Dustin Gervais -55 = 910 10 / 04
Gabriel Cunningham is first in line to be the new prince. Yay! Now can he charm the princess with his humor?
Unlike the story competition, most of you were pretty pathetic at Why Did the Chicken? humor. Some of the points awarded are sympathy points!
GAME B (Number in parenthesis is the points assigned)
-1-
What is the difference between a board game and a bicycle?
On a bicycle people actually enjoy "roll-and-move." JD (9)
Your wife might actually like to go on a bike ride. MH (7)
None. You'll cry no matter which one dad backs the car over. KS (2)
A sign of a bad boardgame is that you roll and move, but if a bike doesn't do it, you're stuck! SN (5)
Vigorous playtesting. SB (1)
You only need 1 bicycle. EL (10)
A bicycle only has two wheels. SBE (4)
With war games you have To Wield Weapons, and a gang on bikes are riding Two Wheeled Weapons. AB (5)
One can get you around Dallas. The other makes you GO to Dallas. FT (4)
In a board game, it's rarely good to finish right back where you started. JG (7)
Fish don't ride bicycles like I play boardgames. JZ (6)
You rarely need to wear a helmet while playing a board game. GC (4)
When you play a board game, you might "roll the bones". When you roll a bicycle, you might break them! DJ (5)
With bicycle you don't need a Ticket to Ride. KS (8)
On a bike when things go around you get somewhere. DM (3)
Try sitting on a board game and you'll know. DG (4)
I asked a Doctor HaHa of Humorology at the Department of Funny Stuff for the correct answer, which is:
"If you don't know, please don't put it on my table."
-2-
What did the meeple say to the cow?
"Hey cow, do they put you in 'interesting' positions with 10 of your buddies and take pictures all the time?"
OR: "Hey cow, didn't your farmer just complete something? Why has he been laying down in the field all day today?"
OR: "Hey cow, check out my new MC Hammer pants.This is my ticket to get elected mayor!" JD (1 [can't score more than 1 for three answers!])
Moove it, your in my spot. MH (3)
MAN! How big is the tile YOU'RE standing on? KS (4)
"Thanks for leaving this pillow for me to lay down on out in the field! What is that smell, anyway?" SN (3)
"Give me all your milk cubes or I'll turn you into beef cubes." SB (2)
"So, they tipped you over too, huh?" EL (5)
Moo! SBE (2)
"Ahhh! I'm a talking meeple!" AB (10)
Wow! I only get milked for points! FT (4)
Get off my foot! JG (8)
If you don't stop mooing, I'll turn you into a carcass-one! GC (5)
"Hey look! A Moople!" DJ (10)
I'm sorry, we had to choose... it's Germen games not Dutch games... KS (2)
Mooooove off my field. DG (3)
I wrote to Doctor Chickenlips of the University of Hoople in Southwest North Dakota for the correct answer, which is:
"It's your moove."
-3-
What's the first thing a board game does when it gets out of bed in the morning?
It relishes over who got lucky and went on a hot streak the night before. JD (2)
Practices its German. MH (1)
He used his first action point to scratch his bits. KS (3)
The box farts! SN (3)
It unfolds. SB (4)
Let loose with a long and satisfying box fart. EL (3)
Makes its bed. SBE (4)
Get dressed up with its theme. AB (5)
Kiss its owner on the cheek, then get back in the closet. FT (1)
Checks his bits. JG (4)
Stretches out the shrinkwrap. JZ (6)
Chooses Craftsman so it can have its morning coffee. GC (7)
It relieves its morning "El Grande"! DJ (3)
Yawn: "I'm bored!" KS (2)
Rolls to see who goes first. DM (8)
It takes care of its morning wood. DG (4)
I entered the question into the Searchable Online Database Of Funny Frases to get the definitive answer, which is:
"Fall."
-4-
Why did the pawn cross the road?
You see, the pawn started existentially inquiring into his subconscious racism, sidestepping anyone he ran into from the other side of the tracks. He began to grow very depressed and thought maybe a new game would brighten things up. He decided to depart from Ville in search of a new life in the big city Bohnanza. When he got there, he was horrified by the stench emanating from all the stink beans people were planting in the pot holes of the streets. He started running hoping to get away from the stench. While crossing one particular street, he tripped and fell into a pothole, getting a mouth full of chili beans. He got up and ran screaming into a nearby donut shop, grabbed a donut and a glass of milk hoping to get the fire out of his mouth. As it was a donut shop, a police officer promptly arresting him, charging him with theft and a failure to have any luck.
JD (2)
Because there was already a meeple thief on it. MH (1)
To maximize his value in points by taking majority in that area. KS (6)
To get to Roll Again! SN (2)
To sell the king a new castle. Traitorous little bastard. SB (5)
Because the chicken's gaming group was on the other side. EL (2)
Peer pressure SBE (10)
To check on its mate? AB (8)
It was due for a promotion. FT (9)
She wanted to leave her checkered past behind. JG (3)
Delusions of grandeur mainly. Like, who actually believes you can become a queen by crossing enough "roads". Sheesh. ;-) JZ (2)
Because the chicken did, and the pawn wanted chickmeat. GC (9)
Because the road had stabbed the pawn in the back in their last Diplomacy game -- darn metagamers. DJ (9)
Because on the other side he saw a mate that he had to check. KS (7)
To get to the other king. DM (3)
His wife wants him to get promoted. DG (6)
I created a Universal Improbability Drive, reset its capacitors, and fed it a really hot cup of strong tea in order to get the correct answer to this question, which is:
"To check a mate."
-5-
How is a card game like a city street?
You see, the pawn started existentially inquiring into his subconscious racism, sidestepping anyone he ran into from the other side of the tracks. He began to grow very depressed and thought maybe a new game would brighten things up. He decided to depart from Ville in search of a new life in the big city Bohnanza. When he got there, he was horrified by the stench emanating from all the stink beans people were planting in the pot holes of the streets. He started running hoping to get away from the stench. While crossing one particular street, he tripped and fell into a pothole, getting a mouth full of chili beans. He got up and ran screaming into a nearby donut shop, grabbed a donut and a glass of milk hoping to get the fire out of his mouth. As it was a donut shop, a police officer promptly arresting him, charging him with theft and a failure to have any luck. JD (1)
Lots of suit on them. MH (5)
Dealers and people taking trick at every corner. KS (7)
Things always slow down at a Bridge. SN (3)
You get lost in the shuffle. SB (10)
They both have dog poop on them. Wait... dog poop? Rover! Have you been going through my games again?!? EL (6)
Both require a great deal of luck to navigate. SBE (3)
They both have lots of stabbings. AB (10)
Both should move along swiftly, but inevitably get bogged down by the one person who doesn't know what the heck they're doing! FT (9)
You could get creamed from either side if you don't look out! JG (5)
You have to always make sure you're facing the right way. JZ (4)
Things can quickly get out of hand. GC (4)
They're both full of tricks, depending on the street! DJ (3)
In both of them a club could greatly improve your situation. KS (6)
Everyone has their own set of directions. DM (10)
First, you deal and then you meld. DG (8)
I traveled by rickshaw to Mount Wisdom in outer Nepal and climbed a mountain to talk to the Great Guru of Laughter to hear the correct answer, which is:
"You can get lost in the shuffle."
-6-
Why did the board game eat a donut?
You see, the pawn started existentially inquiring into his subconscious racism, sidestepping anyone he ran into from the other side of the tracks. He began to grow very depressed and thought maybe a new game would brighten things up. He decided to depart from Ville in search of a new life in the big city Bohnanza. When he got there, he was horrified by the stench emanating from all the stink beans people were planting in the pot holes of the streets. He started running hoping to get away from the stench. While crossing one particular street, he tripped and fell into a pothole, getting a mouth full of chili beans. He got up and ran screaming into a nearby donut shop, grabbed a donut and a glass of milk hoping to get the fire out of his mouth. As it was a donut shop, a police officer promptly arresting him, charging him with theft and a failure to have any luck. JD (1)
Don't it make perfect sense? To determine player order. MH (1)
Because everyone told him that his theme was too thin. KS (5)
To hide its holes! SN (4)
Because it had given up on its all fiber diet. SB (6)
To increase its game weight. EL (7)
Better than the donut eating it. SBE (4)
It wanted to be considered a heavy game. AB (10)
Ameritrash games need to keep their weight up! FT (4)
The Berliner reminded him of home. JG (1)
He wanted to feel a little filler. JZ (9)
Because as his rules were being described to new players, they all had a glazed look in their eyes and he felt inspired. GC (7)
The Fantasy Flight executive wanted it to be a "big box" game. DJ (7)
Because it wanted to get to the other side! (A donut in math is an endless board) KS (3)
It was trying to become heavier. DG (7)
I fasted and prayed for three days and nights in a dark sanctuary so that the answer would be revealed to me, and it was:
"It was Hanukkah."
-7-
What did the dice say to the duck?
"Just so you know duck. I don't want things to get awkward, and I hope we can be just friends, but I've been looking at the CRT table and I just don't think this thing we've got going is gonna make it." JD (3)
Hear your a good craper. MH (1)
Which do you want for breakfast, Dice Krispies or Ducky Charms? KS (8)
Nothing. They just stared with those evil snake eyes. SN (2)
"Why the hell are you here? Go back to your home!" SB (2)
"I'm pretty sure he said 'Gimme some luck!' not 'Gimme some duck!'" EL (7)
"Sorry, but this is how we roll." SBE (4)
"I don't think this guy knows what a Duck Roll is." AB (3)
"Fine, you're right, you can do more damage to a game in progress if rolled across the table." FT (5)
(Pickomino) Back off! It's not a real worm! JG (4)
Want some knuckles? JZ (2)
Care to take a quack at craps? GC (9)
"Double down!" "Wait, that's blackjack." "Oh, right. Bet the Pass line, then." DJ (4)
Quick, lay your bets! KS (2)
That's just how I roll. DM (1)
We may be square, but at least we don't waddle. DG (2)
I wired my brain up to the world's largest network of satellite dishes and asked the silicon creatures of Omega Omega for the world's best answer to this, and I received:
"Having bad luck? You look pretty down."
-8-
What did the board game do on holiday?
Mr. Board Game won't be hitting the table all week after his feigned enthusiasm for Mrs. Game's "Travel Edition" makeover. JD (5)
Got its bits enlarged. MH (6)
He went to the nude beach, threw off his cover and showed his bits to everyone. KS (4)
Met up with friends and played some people. He's a playa! SN (6)
Stayed away from Essen. All the playtesting made him feel used. SB (6)
Nothing, he was a bored game. EL (9)
Nothing. That's why he was bored. SBE (8)
Stayed in bed and played with itself. AB (7)
Decided to Goa way down to San Juan, Puerto Rico, called "Shogun!" on the Roads and Boats ride Through the Desert, drank El Grande margaritas and ate lots of deZertz, and watched the Twilight Struggle as a Blue Moon rose. FT (10)
Played some people with family. JG (7)
Nothing much, he got bored pretty quickly. JZ (5)
It wanted to buy a Ticket to Ride to Europe, but had to Settle for Catan instead. GC (7)
It went to Essen, where it was deemed too random to be a gamers' game and too complicated to be a family game. It was last seen in the back alley behind the convention center, holding a sign saying "The end is nigh! Redesign me or cannibalize me!". DJ (6)
Sit it the sun and get Tan-gram KS (7)
Bought a Ticket to Ride. DM (8)
For a change of pace, it went to Hoboken to clean a toilet. DG (2)
I asked my two-year old for the answer to this, and he said:
"It was board the whole time."
COMBINED SCORES
Jonathan Davis 02 + 24 = 26
Mark Hansen 02 + 25 = 27
Ken Spontelli 18 + 39 = 57
Scott Nicholson 02 + 28 = 30
Seth Bell 08 + 36 = 44
Ernie Lai 14 + 49 = 63
Seth Ben-Ezra 02 + 39 = 41
Avri Balofsky 10 + 58 = 68
Frank Teplin 16 + 46 = 62
Jonny German 02 + 39 = 41
Jose Zagal 02 + 34 = 36
Gabriel Cunningham 20 + 52 = 72
Derek Jung 06 + 47 = 53
Koby Shachar 00 + 37 = 37
Duncan Munro 12 + 33 = 45
Dustin Gervais 04 + 36 = 40
Avri won the humor contest, but the grand winner is: Gabriel Cunningham! Yay!
BLOG SUGGESTIONS
- Have a series of articles dedicated to the design, testing, and production of a game.
- More Game Theory analysis
- Include pictures (or videos!) with your session reports
- Add more photos! Photos break up paragraph & text-only blogs and make them easier and more fun to read.
- Publish or re-publish things from your blog on BoardGameGeek. Some really cool content there, but I'm sure I'm just one of many who sticks almost purely to BGG for board game commentary.
- Your site has a TON of links at the moment and it's quite overwhleming and hard to find what you're looking for. You might want to consider pruning some of them (from the homepage) or placing them on a separate page.
- Provide direct links to the most recent comments on your blog. This would help enliven the discussion a bit more by letting people see "where the action is" more easily.
- How about a little thumbnail picture next to/above/below your game on the right side? It might be more attention grabbing that way.
- There's a decent page of reviews on the website for the Gamepack game club in the Netherlands. http://www.gamepack.nl
Thank you for your great suggestions! This wraps up the holiday giveaways. Happy holidays and see you on my blog!
Yehuda
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Board Games Are the New Video Games
Quite literally, actually.
Gamasutra is just one to pick up on the emerging trend that people want a social online experience. Single-player games are an aberration (I think Raph Koster said this first).
Look for more board and card games to come to your consoles and computer systems in the coming years.
Dan Vierria of The Statesman.com uses the Magical Phrase of Cluelessness as the title of his article: Board Games Are Making a Comeback. Yes, they are, and they have been every year for over ten years.
Wits and Wagers gets more press, this time from the Washington Post.
Another instance where Games Matter: the New York Times story of how letting inmates play poker is leading to the capture of wanted criminals.
Here's a site that sells nothing but play money from board games.
If you didn't just get enough games from me, Ludic Infinity is running a puzzle contest with a prize of Hollywood Blockbuster.
Go was just an event at the Southeast Asian Games, making it more likely to get into the Olympics at some point.
And an Israeli just won the Grand Worlds Magic final. Here is a play by play of the finals.
Gone Gaming has given over to me the Board Game Internet Awards to do with as I will. I think it's better when a bunch of people run the awards, however, so I'm planning on moving it to Board Game News. It should start Real Soon Now.
Yehuda
Gamasutra is just one to pick up on the emerging trend that people want a social online experience. Single-player games are an aberration (I think Raph Koster said this first).
Look for more board and card games to come to your consoles and computer systems in the coming years.
Dan Vierria of The Statesman.com uses the Magical Phrase of Cluelessness as the title of his article: Board Games Are Making a Comeback. Yes, they are, and they have been every year for over ten years.
Wits and Wagers gets more press, this time from the Washington Post.
Another instance where Games Matter: the New York Times story of how letting inmates play poker is leading to the capture of wanted criminals.
Here's a site that sells nothing but play money from board games.
If you didn't just get enough games from me, Ludic Infinity is running a puzzle contest with a prize of Hollywood Blockbuster.
Go was just an event at the Southeast Asian Games, making it more likely to get into the Olympics at some point.
And an Israeli just won the Grand Worlds Magic final. Here is a play by play of the finals.
Gone Gaming has given over to me the Board Game Internet Awards to do with as I will. I think it's better when a bunch of people run the awards, however, so I'm planning on moving it to Board Game News. It should start Real Soon Now.
Yehuda
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