Game Night – Stone Age

by Carol3 Comments
It can be hard to pick a new game every week to spotlight from the stacks in our basement and those our friends own. Today's, though, is an interesting one. We've only played it about three times, but it seems good. Stone Age Designer: Michael Tummelhofer Art by: Michael Menzel Manufacturer: Rio Grande Games Year: 2008 Players: 2 - 4 Time: 60-90 minutes Ages: 10 and up You're living during the Stone Age, struggling to survive and prosper. Each player has a tribe whose members are sent out to farm, gather food, make tools and collect resources. In that way it reminds me of other games. You send your guys out to do certain jobs, then, usually, a dice roll decides how well they did. Each round you need to feed your tribe, but you also want to collect resources to trade or build huts with. Players' tribes do not directly fight each other, although resources and the spaces available for each job can be scarce. So,...
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Game Night – Winter Games

by Carol3 Comments
With winter just around the corner, I was trying to think of some seasonal games. Unfortunately we don't have any in our collection. I did find a couple that look fun for families, though. Of course, on a day when it's too cold or mucky to go outside, any board game is great. A while back I posted about Ticket to Ride, which is a fun family game. Well, here's a snowier version. Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries Designer: Alan R Moon Manufacturer: Days of Wonder Artist: Julien Delval Year: 2008 Players: 2 - 3 Time: 30 - 60 minutes Ages: 8 and up Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries takes you on a Nordic adventure through Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden as you travel to the great northern cities of Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki and Stockholm. Visit Norway's beautiful fjords and the magnificent mountain scenery on the Rauma Railway. Breathe in the salt air of the busy Swedish ports on the Baltic Sea. Ride through the Danish countryside where Vikings once...
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Game Night – The Downfall of Pompeii

by Carol2 Comments
The Downfall of Pompeii Designers: Klaus-Jurgen Wrede Manufacturers: Amigo, Mayfair Games Year: 2006 Players: 2 - 4 Time: 45 minutes Ages: 10 and up In the year 79 A.D., the beautiful city of Pompeii sits at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. For years, the lovely town has attracted the best of Rome's citizens, and it is famous for both its businesses and luxuries. But a terrible secret lies deep beneath the slopes of the mighty mountain. A secret that will unleash unspeakable horrors on the fateful afternoon of August 24th... (funagaingames.com) The first half of the game is spent living in Pompeii and encouraging your Roman friends and family to join you. The second half is spent fleeing from the city in terror, trying to survive the explosion. The theme is great, the game plays well. The rules are easy to learn, and there is both strategy and a little luck involved. Everyone enjoys it, from Amber (9) to my husband and our friends, except me....
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Game Night – Abalone

by Carol2 Comments
Abalone Designers: Michel Lalet, Laurent Levi Manufacturers: FoxMind Games Year: 1999 Players: 2 Time: 30 minutes Ages: 8 and up I played this last weekend with my brother and sister-in-law. I had honestly forgotten how much I enjoy this game. Of course, it helps that I won. Basically each player has a set of marbles and they take turns pushing the marbles around the board. The goal is to push six of your opponent marbles off.  But there is a catch. It takes two marbles to move one, and three to move two. With six possible directions, it's difficult to defend yourself perfectly. This is a fun game that I wish I played more often. It's a balance between being of the offensive and making sure your troops aren't separated too much. My husband's not a fan. He doesn't like other people pushing his marbles around, which is the whole point of the game. It's a very easy game to learn, with only a couple...
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Game Night Wish – Masters Gallery

by Carol4 Comments
Today is an "I wish we had..." post. This just caught my eye while I was browsing on-line. It looks like a good game for our family, and a great way to introduce Amber to some beautiful artwork by the masters. Masters Gallery Designer: Reiner Knizia Manufacturer: FRED Distribution Year: 2009 Players: 2 - 5 Time: 20 - 30 minutes Ages: 8 and up The cards in this game feature 30 of the most beautiful pieces of art ever created by Van Gogh, Renoir, Monet, Degas and Vermeer. Players use these cards to establish the relative value of each artist's body of work. Unique mechanics and ingenious design make the game play unpredictable, different and fun every time. Revel in the beauty of old masters art, while enjoying the intriguing game of Masters Gallery. (Funagain Games)...
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Game Night- Incan Gold

by Carol2 Comments
Incan Gold Designers: Alan R Moon, Bruno Faidutti Manufacturers: FRED Distribution Artist: Matthias Catrein Year: 2009 Players: 3 - 8 Time: 20 - 40 minutes Ages: 8 and up Incan Gold is a quick, fun game of bluff and daring in which explorers push their luck while exploring an old Incan temple in search of gold and treasure. In each round, you decide whether to delve deeper into the temple, adding to your riches, or escape with the share you’ve acquired so far. Every time an explorer braves new territory, more gems and dangers appear. Giant spiders, mummies and fire can cause you to lose everything. Is it worth the risk? You decide. But if you leave, those who remain in the temple may acquire a bigger share of each stash of jewels yet to be found. After five rounds of exploration, whoever has the most treasure is the ultimate explorer and the winner! This is a fun little game. It seems to work better with a group of...
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