What game is hitting your table?

[Bixby]

Here is an opportunity to let people know what games you are playing. This thread will be more successful if lots of people get involved. You can be as brief as you want or elaborate to let us know what you think of the game. Also, if you see someone has been playing a game you are curious about, it is an opportunity to ask about the gameplay. 

So, what game is hitting your table?

Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=124.0

[Bixby]

Formula De
I run a Formula De League and we are currently in season 5. It is a league with a full 10 players. We just played race 2 of the season, (a season is 6 races). The game really comes alive in League play. The Meta game of points throughout the season adds a nice dynamic. If you are curious about the league format, information can be found Here.

Poker
I also run a Texas Hold'em Poker League and we are in our 8th year. Just recently played game 2 of an 8 game season. I came in 4th which had me placing just outside the money.

Crokinole
We have a nice Crokinole board, and it is often brought out on Poker night. As players get eliminated from the poker game, they can play Crokinole or Rock Band III.

Werewolves of Miller's Hollow
This is a great game for a large group. 12 of us met at a local Irish Pub for a couple of games of Werewolf. A good time was had by all.

[Tacita]

Right now we do not play a lot of board games; we are too busy with computer games.

That does not mean we play no games at all though! We recently re-discovered Elfenland. The more I play it the more complex it becomes. It is a great little game that can get me in a seriously bad mood, there is no end to the crap you can fling at others and since I usually start it I will also receive quite a lot 

The usual games of Small World in its different forms are also quite common. We quite recently bought the big expansion Realms, which is quite enjoyable. I am still looking for Leaders, if anyone has an extra copy ...

We have started to explore Mansions of Madness, but I am not sure I quite like it yet. More plays will tell.

Of course, Dixit sees some play when we are not at home. It is an excellent game to bring with you and I have yet to meet a single person who dislikes it. I am still looking for some of the promo cards *hint*.

On our bi-weekly game nights (days?!) we have lately tried to bring bigger games to the table, with some success. We have gone through Twilight Imperium, Mare Nostrum, Diplomacy and warrior Knights. Next up is Wildlife, but I am not sure we will get exactly six persons for it.

Yeah, we just play a lot of games, but not nearly as many as we used to do. 

[Bixby]

That is quite a variety pack Tobias. I will have to check into Elfenland.

A friend of mine just sold his copy of Small World: Leaders. I had no idea it was rare. I know what you mean about the Dixit Promo cards. They are both rare and expensive. I am looking as well.

How did your game of Diplomacy go?   

[Scott]

I saw Dixit on TableTop and it doesn't interest me.

Wish I could say that games have been hitting my table, but as per usual they just sit on my shelf.

[morris]

We (my wife and older son) play mainly Dominion and 7 Wonders. Sometimes we also play Sequence and Rummikub. Younger kid likes to play Key Largo When we visit friends then also Settlers of Catan and Dixit hit the table.

[Bixby]

We (my wife and older son) play mainly Dominion and 7 Wonders. Sometimes we also play Sequence and Rummikub. Younger kid likes to play Key Largo When we visit friends then also Settlers of Catan and Dixit hit the table.

I have played a bit of 7 Wonders. I would like to try it now with the Leaders & Cities expansions in play.

[Tacita]

How did your game of Diplomacy go?   

I won as Russia! 

Our gaming group is always ruthless. Diplomacy was just another game.

I have tried 7 wonders, but it did not hit. If given the chance I would like to play it at least one more time though.

Dominion saw a lot of play a year or so ago, but has not been played a lot lately. We both like well enough though, so it will probably see many more plays in the years to come.

[Bixby]

Last Night at ChewsDay Challenge...

Coloretto
Played two quick games of Coloretto. Quick light game that is easy to teach and quick to play. I like push your luck games, although I tend to do poorly at them.

Kakerlaken Poker
Played a four player game of this. This is a game where everybody wins except one player who is the loser. I lost.

River Dragons
Very clever game that involves programmed planning and offers the opportunity to screw over the other players. WOuld like to play this some more.

Masquerade
There is a lot of game packed into this tiny box card game. more interesting decisions than I would have first thought. Clever design.

[Tacita]

Another game night is at an end. Today we were mainly three players (a fourth came, played a couple of games and then headed off to other adventures). We are ususally five or six at least, but sometimes people are otherwise engaged.

Anyway:

We started off with Stone Age. It is a farily easy worker placement game. I like it though, partly because it is beautiful, but mostly because it is easy to grasp for new comers.

We followed up with Metro, which is one of the very first games I bought when I got hooked on this hoppy again. I think I only owned El Grande before this. Not counting crap games like Risk &c. This game is reprinted as Cable Car and I warmly recommned it. You can play it with everyone!

Now we are only three players for the rest of the night, but we are all veteran boardgamers and very used to play with eachother. So, we took out Space Station, which is a locally produced game with more "game" in it then one might first think. It is all about balance, which is rather nice.

Then we played a game of Tales of the Arabian Nights, which is one of those game that have a beautiful, wonderful idea but maybe fails to execute it. It is no end to all the crap that will hit you over and over again. Still - I am very happy to own it and we will play it again, next year or so!

Then we played Ticket to ride with the Swiss expansion and also Alvin & Dexter. The latter expansion I had wrote off as useless crap, but this time I saw it shine. You can use it very tactically to hinder someone from ending the game, for example. You will not miss it if you do not have it, but it adds a nice level of "in your face!" to an already tight game (we never play the original game, but usually Nordic countries or maybe Europe).

We ended the night with San Juan, Tsuro and Liar's Dice, all of which are nice games.

[Scott]

Then we played Ticket to ride with the Swiss expansion and also Alvin & Dexter. The latter expansion I had wrote off as useless crap, but this time I saw it shine. You can use it very tactically to hinder someone from ending the game, for example. You will not miss it if you do not have it, but it adds a nice level of "in your face!" to an already tight game (we never play the original game, but usually Nordic countries or maybe Europe).

Although I haven't played it, I would say the Alvin & Dexter expansion IS crap, but it could be fantastic if the same mechanic was implemented in a way that didn't involve giant monsters.

[Whaleyland]

We use Alvin & Dexter occasionally, and find it quite fun. It also mixes well thematically with the Halloween Freight expansion.

[metoth]

My husband and I have two kids still living at home, a nine year old and a fifteen year old, so they often choose what games hit the table.  Lately we've been playing a lot of Ticket to Ride, Zooloretto, Hunters and Gatherers, Apples to Apples, Scrabble, and Yahtzee. 

[Ratz65]

Fresko from Queen Games
http://www.queen-games.de/games.aspx?productid=7

[Bixby]

I have not played with Alvin and Dexter, I have always felt that it did not fit the game theme and have passed on buying it.
Four of us decided to play some games this past Friday. We started with:

In the Year of the Dragon
I had played this once before and was considering selling it but wanted another play. I am keeping it. Something about Stephan Feld designs. They kind of rock!

World Without End
You always feel like yo are getting beat up by the game itself with this title; some games worse than others. The cards that came up were so unforgiving that it was hard to worry what the other players were doing. Resources were always scarce and much in demand. Fun game. It is climbing the charts for me.

Poseidon's Kingdom
The Lamont Brothers, (Fragor Games), really make some interesting designs. This is a game that is hard to get your head around the first game. In many ways because they take a very different approach with their game mechanics. This was my fourth play of the game and I think I have a solid grasp on how to play and adjust my strategy. I enjoy playing this once in awhile. It has great bits and a novel design. Not my favourite game in the collection, but definitely a keeper.


On Saturday night I met with another group for a six player game of

Eclipse
I really like the design in this game. So much so I bought a copy for myself. I can't help but feel that initial exploration tile draws can really hamper your play / strategy. I will withhold judgement until I get in a few more plays though. In the six player game, I had a really hard time getting my resource engine going and I was physically cut off from the other races. Fun game with lots to explore. I would like to play again soon.


On Sunday night, Kathy and I played 3 games of

Kingdom Builder
I had played this once before and thought of it is a very light Euro design. I have since come to recognize it for a very clever abstract design. I enjoyed the three games, but I think Kathy will pass on future plays as she does not enjoy abstracts that much.