General
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.
Games and Education
March 4th, 2010I am always impressed at the lessons that are taught and subsequently learned through playing games. Every type of game, from board games and card games and even dice games can teach us if we let them. The range of subjects that are taught are impressive, they challenge the mind and quicken the intellect. Gaming is not only a very fun way to pass the time, but also a great way to learn and to teach new principles to children, freind and family.
What do Children learn from playing games?
Young kids from ages 3-5 learn matching skills, counting, the value of money, sportsmanship and the ability to lose. As parents we teach our children to be their best and in my opinion most people are a little competative. The fun of playing a game is magnified by the opportunity to win the game. Over time young children improve their ability to play and adapt to the game and the situations that are presented. The may knowingly or unknowingly discover a better way to retain information, when to take risks and when to hold back.
I also mentioned that they can learn good sportsmanship and that they can learn that it is okay not to win. I have a two year old and i already have a million hopes and dreams for her. The poor girl hasn’t played in any type of organized event and i have already envisioned the college basketball games and trophy’s that will adorn the walls of our home. We always want the best for our kids and often we associate what is best for our kids with winning. In reality the best for our children is to have happy successful lives that in reality are going to have some hardship, some loss, set back and dissappointment.
Playing board games with our children can allow us to teach them some of the lessons that can frankly take a life time to learn. It is fun to try and to do your best and that is a principle that can be reinforced by playing your favorite card, dice or board game. You won’t win everytime that you play a game, but will you have fun everytime you play? Will you anxiously look forward to the next time you can get together and play? “Absolutely” The point is, winning isn’t everything, in fact winning means very little. We have an opporunity to reinforce this philosophy with our families as we play games together.
What can adolescents learn from playing board games?
For the young adults the lessons get a little more interesting and complex, but the application and the principles remain the same. Their learnings and opportunities will expand from matching colors and shapes to economic impact of decsions, risk aversion, bluffing, bartering and trading. We can continue to reinforce sportsmanship and we can even make suggestions on differing strategies and approaches. For the young adult a new world can be opened to them. Playing a board game with or against their parents, or with their friends levels the playing field, it teaches life lessons and allows them to break free from the traditional molds of society.
Evaluating Board Games
March 1st, 2010Everyone has thier favorite game. Some people love card games, others board games and then there are those that prefer dice games. It doesn’t matter what kind of game that we each like, it seems like we are always debating which board game, card game, or dice game is the best. For the purposes of leveling the playing field and creating a standard of evaluation i have established a frame work on which i will evaluate each game that i do a review on.
Each of the categories will receive a score between 1 and 10 with 10 being the stronger score. The games will be evaluated by their length of play and then will receive an overall score. I may only have 30 minutes to play a game and so even though my favorite is much longer i want to know the best for the the slot. Games will be slotted into three different time categories. Games less than 30 mintes, games betwee 30 and 60 minutes and games that are over 60 minutes.
Once a game is slotted into a time category it will be evaluated on the following criteria:
1. Fun
2. Uniqueness
3. Appearance
4. Replay ability
5.Learnability
Each game will receive a total score out of 50, the higher the score, the stronger my recommendation on the game will be. Of course the review score will be subject to my personal bias, but i will do my best to fairly evaluate each game according to the aforementioned criteria.
Puerto Rico is a very fun board game
March 1st, 2010Puerto Rico is a great game because each and every player is involved in every turn. Some of the popular stratagy games alternate turns between every player, these games can move slow and can really get bogged down if you have a player that takes a lot of time considering every move. In Puerto Rico each turn you decide what role you are going to play on the island of San Juan. You take your turn and play that role, but then every other player gets to take a turn as that same role.
Puerto Rico is a great board game because everyones turn applies to you, helps you and ultimately can set you up to win the game. Within each role that are so many decision to be made that the game is extremely engaging and helps move your forward. You will be making decision on where to place your workers, what crop to produce and harvest. what buildings to build and what goods should you trade or ship off.
Because puerto rico is such an engaging game it is great to play with family and friends. It is a strong enough game to keep the gamer having a good time and versitile enough to keep a new player coming back for more.
Ticket To Ride Board Game Variations
February 21st, 2010Ticket To Ride Board Game Expansions
February 21st, 2010Hisss Game Review
February 21st, 2010Blog Categories:
- Announcements & Events (5)
- Family Games (4)
- Game Reviews (15)
- Game Rules (14)
- General (37)
- Video Tutorial (3)
Learn the rules
Learn the right way to play your games in the FREE game rules area of our website.
Save BIG with our specials!
Have a look at products currently on-sale and get a
great deal today!