Some Comments on Recent Games

I thought that, while waiting for class to start, that I would jot down some comments on some of the games I have played recently.

Tyros: This is the second time that I have played Tyros, and the first time that I enjoyed it. I now see what everyone else seems to see when they say that they enjoy it. The games plays quick, especially once you get the hang of it. Further, it plays quicker in the later rounds as the meaningful decisions you made earlier in the game start to force interesting battles for majority control. I don't think that it is a game for non-gamers, but it definitely fills a great niche for short area control and empire expansion games.

Fits: After 3 games, I still enjoy the game. I see why some people don't like it, and I do wonder if it's charm will wear off. So far, I am not entirely confident that there is much strategy to the game, yet there must be something to it. In fact, the more I play, the more aware I am of what pieces are yet to hit the grid, and I try to plan ahead for those pieces. It is choices like this, mixed with the wonderful tetris-like nature of the game that make it a blast to play.

Robo-Tory: 5 minutes to play, easy to pack up, super easy to each=a great game. It was expensive, but the price to component ratio is no different than the standard winsome game, and I pick those up with only a slight bat of the eye. In the end, a great 2 player game with a good mix of strategy and depth, especially if you compare the depth to playing time.

Vampire: I am typically not the best at this type of set collection rummy style card game, and Vampire is no exception. The theme is so very intruiging yet it also distracts from the rules. When "Vampire Hunting" meets melding you are sure to get somewhat confused. Yet I do like it and in 20 minutes you have a fun game typical to the other games in this line by Goldsiebre.

Bombay: 3 plays or so and I love it. (Do I hate anything? Yes, I don't like Dominion). This is definitely not your typical Ystari game, but you do need to be aware of your oponents actions or you will not win. And again, the quick playing time mixed with meaningful decisions and beautiful bits makes this a winner in my book.

Lokomotive Werks: Ahhhhhhhh. Thank you Costas for getting me to pick this up! A great economic game. After one play, I cannot wait to enter it into the rigours that constitute the "Game of the Month". I hope to get this out at least 2 or 3 more times and am itching to at least begin to understand some of the complexities underneath the elegant rules. After one play, I know that all 3 of us rushed to develop the next best thing too quickly, instead of trying to fully capitalize on what we already had. But isn't that the American Way? Next time, I am going to try to manipulate turn order better and I will try to better maximize supply and demand for the trains before making the jump to upgrade my factory.

Ok, off to class.