I have to admit that I'm looking forward to the next expansion to Race for the Galaxy. Rio Grande Games is saying Rebel vs Imperium will be released in June.
Race for the Galaxy: Rebel vs Imperium
Designer: Tom Lehmann
Publisher: Rio Grande Games
Players: 2-5 (1-6 with The Gathering Storm expansion)
Year: 2009
Time: 60 minutes
Ages: 12 and up
As the Imperium crushes outlying systems, Rebel worlds begin to ally, politically and militarily. Meanwhile, the Uplift Code, within the genomes of the Alien Overlords' former servitor races, is being sequenced. Can you build the most prosperous and powerful space empire in a galaxy where border conflicts rage?
Check out the designer's preview at Boardgamenews. Apparently the focus of the new expansion is "on new cards (with twice as many play cards as in the first expansion), new powers, and seven new 6-cost developments, which open up new strategies." I like the idea that there is going to be an option for takeovers of other players' military planets, under...
Mag Blast (Third Edition)
Designers: Christian T Petersen, Anders M Petersen
Manufacturer: Fantasy Flight Games
Artist: John Kovalic
Year: 2006
Players: 2 - 8
Time: 10 - 20 minutes
Ages: 10 and up
Description:
Mag-Blast is a space-themed card game in which each player tries to blast the other players from the universe. Each player assumes command of a race of beings whose powers are signified by the Flag Ship card at the center of their battle formation. The Flag Ship is surrounded on four sides with attack ships from the Ship Yard, up to 3 ships per side. On your turn you discard cards, draw back up to five, call for reinforcing ships (by playing combinations of 3 cards), and then play as many attack and defense cards as possible. Once you blast away an opponent's outer ship protection, you may attack his Flag Ship, hopefully destroying it, and eliminating it from the game. In the third edition, the unique "Make a Silly Noise or Miss!" Blast Targeting...
Lost Cities
Designer: Reiner Knizia
Manufacturers: Rio Grande Games, Kosmos
Year: 1999
Players: 2
Time: 20 - 40 minutes
Ages: 10 and up
Description:
Lost Cities is a game of exploring ancient ruins and is one of the best two player games ever designed - one of Reiner Knizia's masterpieces. A game that has been played by thousands of couples, each player is attempting to play cards in sequences that will score many points for them. Each turn, players simply play or discard one card, then draw one card. Players attempt to wait as long as possible to play high cards for themselves and hold cards that their opponents want. It is the ultimate two player game and can be finished in less than thirty minutes. This addicting game is three rounds of card laying fun!
My thoughts:
Sometimes, David and I want to play a game, just the two of us. Lost Cities is perfect. It doesn't take too long and we're fairly even, unlike when we used to...
Race for the Galaxy
Designed by Thomas Lehman
Description:
The players all compete to explore the galaxy by exploring new worlds and developing new technologies. Each turn each player chooses one action, but the others will share in the actions chosen. In the end, the player with the most points is the winner!
My thoughts:
We played this game three times last Saturday, but, for the record, we probably should have quit after the second. It's a blast, just three games is too many. Exploring or conquering new planets, producing and selling goods and purchasing developments all get you victiory points. The player with the most points at the end wins.
This games takes a little while to get a hang of, but after you know how the basics work, there are a wide variety of strategies to win. You can play the military strategy and just take over as many planets as possible, and, hopefully, pick up a development that gets you extra points. You...
When you have more than 4 players or so for a game night, it can sometimes be hard to find games that everyone can play together. These are a few of my favorite card-based games that can be played with a larger number of players.
The Great Dalmuti
designed by Richard Garfield
Description:
Life isn't fair... and neither is The Great Dalmuti! One round you're at the top of the heap, and the next you're peasant scum in this fast-paced card game of medieval one-upmanship. The players take their places in the pecking order, from Greater Peon to Greater Dalmuti, and try to get rid of the cards in their hands. Next round, everyone's roles could change because the faster you get rid of your cards, the higher you'll go. If you're unseated, you're really unseated: everyone moves around the table each round to take up their new positions. But don't get comfortable in the cushy chair of the Greater Dalmuti, because in a...
I'm happy. Rio Grande has put Dominion: Intrigue, designed by Donald X. Vaccarino, up on their website. I've seen a couple pictures of the box, so I just posted one. It may not actually look like this when it comes out in May.
From the publishers site:
Dominion: Intrigue adds rules for playing with up to 8 players at two tables or for playing a single game with up to 6 players. This game adds 25 new Kingdom cards and a complete set of Treasure and Victory cards. The game can be played alone by players experienced in Dominion or with the basic game of Dominion.
I can't wait! Like I've said before, this is currently one of my favorite games. An expansion that allows for 6-8 players will be especially nice for us, since that's how many we usually have on a game night.
I have to say that I really love Rio Games. They have a great list of games, and I've enjoyed all...