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A closer look at Weekend Farmer
May 24th, 2010
The Farming Game Board Game
Weekend farmer has 9 games available now, but the farming game continues to be their most well known game. They have added the farming game card game, the farming game kids and the construction game to the products that they offer. These games are all built around the original premise of the farming game, but have slight variations to adapt them to their target audience.
New titles from Weekend Farmer inlcude:
1. Fix the fence game
2. Racing n Rodeo Game
3. Hay is for Horses
4. Redneck Life
5. Trailer Park Wars
While these additional games are not nearly as well known as the farming game and the farming games kids, they still contain original elements that make them a lot of fun. Weekend farmer tries to provide games that are fun for the whole family. I am excited to see what new games they release and appreciate their efforts to develop the farming game and bring it to market.
Ticket to Ride Testimony
May 17th, 2010Ticket to Ride is one of our families FAVORITE games! It is usually the first pick around the table.! I love watching the kids try to guess where the other players are going to see if they can cut them off and get the longest train! It is fun to see their wheels turning and see the excitement when they finally reach their destination!
By,
Aubri
The Settlers of Catan Dice Game
May 15th, 2010There are a number of forms of board game categories. There are card games, board games, dice games as well as numerous sub sets of each one. Of the three different types of categories, dice games are the ones which i play in the the very least. it’s not necessarily that i don’t like them, generally there simply are not as many dice games that are as persuasive and that capture my personal interest.
I had the opportunity to try out the Settlers of Catan dice game and we genuinely liked it. I’d been very suspicious going into the dice game because i liked the board game so much i was not sure how the dice game might actually be capable of create exactly the same game. Mayfair games did an outstanding job of putting this game together. Instead of the dice supplying numbers which determine your resources similar to they do in the board game, in the dice game the resources are right on the dice therefore you just roll to find out what you’ll receive. You have three rolls to manipulate the dice until you are satisfied. This dice game is actually a lot of fun and does a fantastic job of providing a quicker experience with Settlers of catan.
If you are not really acquainted with dice games, or skeptical about giving them a try i would recommend that you begin with The settlers of Catan Dice Game.
I love Ticket to Ride Game
May 14th, 2010I think Ticket to Ride game is one of funnest games available. I like the competitive atmosphere, the challenge to complete your routes and the anxiety that you feel when another player starts building close to your route. Ticket to ride game is fun to play with just two people, but can easily be played with 5.
If you like strategy games that can be quite social and interactive then i fully recommend the ticket to ride game.
PowerGrid Board Game playing tips
May 8th, 2010Roughly a 1 week ago i recevied my 1st experience with PowerGrid. As it works out powergrid was one of those board games which evolved into love at first sight for me. I was having fun with 4 beginer participants and one pro. Naturally the Skilled player mopped the ground with all of us and had victory by a long shot. The actual lessons and principles learned through losing initially I enjoyed PowerGrid improved me significantly the second time which i gamed. I assumed it would be helpful if you have not really gamed power grid, or those people who are inquisitive about the overall game if i discussed some of the beginning techniques i discovered by playing the overall game.
1. Money is not necessarily as essential as it can feel. Early in the game you could sense that you do not possess enough cash. Later in the game you might feel like you have a massive money supply and you can do whatever you want. While you engage in, don’t be afraid to spend your savings. Depleating your own funds are the only method that will you will have the ability to expand you cities and your ability to power them. Buy the cities and also the powerplants that you want. Never waste time seeking to be careful, if it indicates their is a round that you simply won’t be able to build that is acceptable, just set yourself up to complete your objectives.
2. Possess a plan. A lot of people just start off building with out exploring where they are going. Take the opportunity to think about the board and select a region that will allow for rapid enlargement without having great epensive or competative pressure. Sometime the particular places where it is more expensive to grow turn out to be the best because their is less pressure and competition. You want an area where your first 2-4 cities can be built for a relatively low cost. Once you have your first few cities the cost for expantion becomes less important.
3. Buy the right powerplants. Your very first turn most gamers have no choice but to buy plants that are only going to power one city. For the up coming few rounds some other expensive plants are likely to appear that could power three or four. The moment it will probably look like they are too expensive to acquire. They are not. In my experience the player that buys the greatest powerplants out of the entrance contains the greatest shot at winning. It really is irrelevant how much it costs out of the gate, because the game continues on the resources are likely to really feel cheap, merely buy at plant that powers by far the most cities using the fewest resources.
4. Watch out for Phase 2. The 2nd phase is entered whenever a gamer creates his / her seventh city. Once the 2nd phase is entered players can now build on the second area within the cities. These area’s cost a bit more $15 rather than $10, but they enables other gamers to maneuver through your location rapidly. There is no issue with having them occupy the exact same cities that you’re in, it simply allows for speedy expansion and kind of tosses the game right into a loop. The game play is similar, merely be aware that somebody may move from the losing position to a winning position very quickly if they have played their cards right.
5. Powering the cities. The winner is the person who can power the most cities following a individual player builds their 17th city. This can occur rapidly, especially if the player that will construct the 17th city beleives that he or she can power the most. Watch closely right after somebody gets to their 13th city. Ensure that you possess the resources you’ll want to power your plants and that you understand the number of plants can be powered by each of the other gamers.
I really hope these tips assist you to. They aren’t all-inclusive, but they are intended to become good information as you study PowerGrid.
PowerGrid Board Game Review
May 2nd, 2010Power Grid is a game that has received several awards. I was excited to get my first experience with the game, but was initially intimidated by the small bookl that you have to read in order to learn the rules. I called one of my good friends who had played the game before and asked if he would walk me through it. He was kind enough to donate a few hours of his time to my cause. We actually ended up with a total of 5 players which is ideal for Powergrid. The game turned out to be much easier then i initially thought it was going to be. I had a great time and am happy to count powergrid among my favorites.
Game Review:
In powergrid each player is trying to expand the number of cities that they are in, as well as the the number of cities that they can power. Players must manage their money, the number of cities that they can light and the cities them self. It is a fun game because you are always working on something to help you advance the number of cities that you have on the board.
The strength of the game is in its unique setting and that there are several things going on at once. Each player is always engaged and has to closely watch what the other players are doing. It is also a game where you will do much better the second time that you play it. The first time through focus on getting a feel for how the game plays and for how quickly you should expand and what you should bid for each plant. It really takes a full time through the game before you are going to fully understand what you should have been doing from the begining of the game.
The weakness of the game is the lack of complexity in winning. I felt like the money that you earned was undervalued and was important in the game, but really only is needed to help you expand. This is a lesson learned and one that will certainly make me much better the next time i play. The only other weakness of powergrid would be the play length. It would be nice if the game played a little faster. As a parent with a young child it is tough to find two hours to play a game.
I really enjoyed the game. I give it high marks on replayability, creativity and enjoyment. I would give it a score of 40 on our 50 point scale.
Mystery Express by Days of Wonder
April 7th, 2010Mystery Express is the newest game by Days of Wonder. It is set in the ever popluar them of a train game, but this time instead of focusing on what is going on outside of the train, the gamer is focused on what is happening inside the train. In this exciting adventure game each player moves throughout the coridoors of the train trying to solve a mystery.
Mystery express has only been about about and we are exciting to see how this board game does. We will have our first copies in stock and ready for shipment this week. Stay tuned for more updates and information on the Mystery Express by Days of wonder and ever popular family game.
Ticket to Ride: Europe, or USA?
April 5th, 2010Ticket to Ride is a must for anyone who likes board games. Most people who buy the board game end up getting the whole series. The question I frequently get asked is which version do I start with? The good news is that when it comes to picking the best ticket to ride, there is not a wrong answer. All of the versions of Ticket to Ride are so good that you can’t go wrong.
There are three things to consider when choosing between the United States Ticket to Ride and the Ticket to Ride Europe.
1.) If you are planning on playing with your kids consider which cities they are most familiar with, or which geography you would like them to be familiar with.
2.) Is the group you are playing with one that likes to be able to be cut-throat and block routes, or would they prefer to be able get through road blocks. In USA if you get blocked you are done. In Europe there are train stations that allow you to move through a road block.
3.) Do you like pure strategy, or do you like to mix in a little change. In Europe you don’t know exactly how much it will cost you to build tunnels. It makes the game a little more interesting and can cost you an extra turn if you aren’t careful.
When picking the right version for you consider the three items listed above. Remember, there isn’t a bad choice, you will certainly like any version of Ticket to Ride. Hopefully considering some of the additional features of the Europe Ticket to Ride will help you decide which one is right for you.
Incan Gold Boardgame Review
April 2nd, 2010Incan Gold is a very fun, very entertaining board game! It is simple in concept, but great in its design and presentation. Each player must determine how risky they are willing to be and when to leave the cave that is full of incan treasures. Each player has their own tent that is a safe zone for their loot and treasure. Each round is played by players taking turns flipping over cards. Any cards that present treasure are split equally among the players that are still in the cave, any hazard that is played also affects everyone else that is sill in the cave as well. As you venture farther and farther into the cave your fate depends as much on the other players as it does on you.
The object of the game is to collect the most treasure (points) by the end of the game. You obtaing treasure as you and other players turn jewel cards face up and split the reward. The game literally comes with a bag of jewels that are awarded to each player as the jewel cards come up. These jewels are placed on the outside of your tent (safe area) until you decide to exit the cave. After every player has turned over one card everyone must decide if they are going to exit the cave or venture further. Those who choose to exit the cave will immediately take and treasure that is awarded and place it inside their tent. The treasure is now theirs and can never be lost. Those that continue then each flip another card, as long as two of the same hazards have not been shown the players may continue on their quest. This process is continued for 5 stages in the game and it makes for a very fast paced and exciting game.
I will share more on the rules of Incan Gold in another card game. This is a game that can be played in 20 minutes and is very fun. It does not require much strategy and success in the game is usually based on luck, intuition and knowing when to leave the cave. That being said i really enjoy the game and enjoy the break from the hard core strategy games that leave me with a brain cramp. On of the most engaging parts of the game is being awarded teh jewel peices. Even though it is fake, there is something exciting about being given treasure.
Overall i really like the game and give it a 7 on the recomendation strength.
Atlantis by Mayfair Game Review
April 1st, 2010Atlantis is a very fun game that i was just introduced to. In the Atlantis board game each player is trying to flee from the sinking city of atlantic and get back to solid ground with as much treasure (points) as they can. In this game players compete to move through the board by playing color cards that advance them to the next tile on the board with the same color. Each player then collects the first available game peice that is directly behind them. As tiles are taken patches of water are introduced to the board and as the following players cross them they are charged a fee for crossing.
Each player has 3 individual player peices that they are trying to save while scoring the most points in the game. One of the designs of this game make it very replayable. The board is rebuilt each time you play out of a stack of tiles. These tiles are randomly set up each time, so Atlantis will never play the same way twice.
The first player to move all three of their peices to solid ground is the one that calls the game to an end. Every player must then immediately move their players through the board and to solid ground. They then must pay any applicable fee’s that they incur by crossing water. The points are then added up and the player with the most points wins.
The good things about the atlantis board game are:
1. It is an easy game to learn and to teach others.
2. Because the board is set up differently each time it has high replayability.
3. The play time is only about 30 minutes so you can cram a game in about anytime.
4. The game has more strategy involved than most games with a similar play length.
The opportunities for Atlantis:
1. It is not a heavy strategy game and so the hard core gamer might be quickly bored.
2. Set up takes a couple of minutes and could have been made a little easier.
Atlantis is a great game and very fun to play. I give it a 7.5 as a strong recomendation to everyone to pick this game up and try it with your family and friends. It is a board game that almost everyone will get a kick out of.
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