Game Night- Dominion: Prosperity

Dominion: Prosperity Designers: Donald X Vaccarino Manufacturer: Rio Grande Games Year: 2010 Time: 20 - 30 minutes Ages: 8 and up First you need to know this is an expansion. You need to have either he original Dominion or Dominion: Intrigue to play, if only for the treasure and victory  cards. Second thing I need to tell you is that I really like Dominion a lot, so it's really no surprise that I enjoy this addition. Dominion, is probably one of my favorite games. Here's the blurb for this one. Ah, money. There's nothing like the sound of coins clinking in your hands. You vastly prefer it to the sound of coins clinking in someone else's hands, or the sound of coins just sitting there in a pile that no-one can quite reach without getting up. Getting up, that's all behind you now. Life has been good to you. Just ten years ago, you were...
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Game Night Quote

From The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino: "You know, chess really isn't my kind of game," Kusanagi muttered. Yukawa rolled his eyes. "Here he goes again." "First of all, what's all this about taking your opponent's pieces and not being able to use them? They're the spoils of war! Why can't I add them to my army?" "Don't go blaming the rules of the game. Besides, the fact of the matter is your opponent's pieces aren't spoils, they're soldiers. When you take them off the board, you're kiling them. Not much use for dead soldiers." "But you can use them in shogi!" "Well, credit the man tho though t up shogi for being so flexible. I suppose that when you capture pieces in shogi your'e making them surrender, not killing them. That's why you get to use them again." "Chess should be the same way." "I don't think going turncoat sits well with the spirit of knightood." (pg 39-40 in the ARC)...
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Game Night – Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island Designer: Matt Leacock Manufacturer:Gamewright Year: 2010 Players: 2 - 4 Time: 30 minutes Ages: 10 and up We've only played the game once, so this is just more or less my first impression. Players are a group of adventurers attempting to capture four sacred treasures before the island sinks. You have to work together to collect four treasure cards, grab the treasure and escape by helicopter. The island is formed by cardboard tiles that are randomly place. As the spot on the island floods it is turned over and then eventually sinks away and is removed. Thankfully, each player has a special power that helps in the mission. We lost. We had all the treasures and just had to get the helicopter, but then the tile where the helicopter lands sunk into the abyss. It's a fun game, though and I love that it's co-operative. The pieces are all really well done and Amber (10) had to be charge of the treasure pieces. They're really nice-...
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Game Night – New Additions

A couple of new boardgames were under the tree this morning. I'm looking forward to playing them, but in the meantime I thought I'd show you what we got. Colosseum Designers: Markus Lubke, Wolfgang Kramer Manufacturer: Days of Wonder Year: 2007 Players: 3 - 5 Time: 60 - 90 minutes Ages: 10 and up In Colosseum you are a Roman impresario - producing great spectacles in your arena in the hope of attracting the most spectators to your events. You'll earn wealth and glory for each event you run, using it to build ever more ambitious events. Attract the most spectators to one of your events and you'll be granted the title of Grand Impresario, with tales of your extraordinary spectacles acclaimed throughout the empire. Purchase at Amazon or Funagain Games. Forbidden Island Designer: Matt Leacock Manufacturer: Gamewright Year: 2010 Players: 2 - 4 Time: 30 minutes Ages: 10 and up Dare to discover Forbidden Island! Join a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to...
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Game Night – The Game of Life

The Game of Life Manufacturer: Hasbro Players: 2 to 6 Ages: 8 and up In this classic game of fortune, your goal is to dodge bad luck and make a buck. Along the way, you'll also earn valuable Life Tiles by doing good deeds, helping your community, or just taking a break from the rat race! Retire with the biggest fortune, and you'll win! Each space is a different adventure, so you'll get a whole new Life every time you play. What does Life have in store for you' Take a spin and find out! First of all, our version is not the same one I remember from when I was a kid. There are some changes, like the tiles you collect and don't reveal how much money they're worth until the end. There's a new way of choosing careers and salaries and how those affect the game. The basics are still the same though. It's not a game I...
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Game Night – Stone Age

We played Stone Age last weekend. I talked a little about the game last year. At that time I said that I felt like I was getting an idea on what it took to win. I was wrong. Here's the blurb: The times were hard indeed. Our ancestors worked with their legs and backs straining against wooden plows in the stony earth. Of course, progress did not stop with the wooden plow. People always searched for better tools and more productive plants to make their work more effective. In Stone Age, the players live in this time, just as our ancestors did. They collect wood, break stone and wash their gold from the river. They trade freely, expand their village, and so achieve new levels of civilization. With a balance of luck and planning, the players compete for food in this pre-historic time. Risk and grow as your ancestors did. Only then the victory...
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