Tuesday 31 January 2012

Board / Card Games: New & Upcoming Ticket to Ride Games

Board / Card Games
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New & Upcoming Ticket to Ride Games
Jan 31st 2012, 12:30

Ticket to Ride: AsiaTwo new games in the popular Ticket to Ride series are now available from publisher Days of Wonder. Ticket to Ride: Asia and Ticket to Ride: India are both expansions which require a copy of the original game (or Ticket to Ride: Europe) to play.

TTR: Asia includes two maps, one for Team Asia and the other for Legendary Asia. Team Asia (designed by Alan R. Moon) is for 4 to 6 players in teams of two each. Teammates share some -- but not all -- destination cards, so working together is a key part of success in this game. Legendary Asia (designed by François Valentyne) adds mountain routes, which cause wear and tear to the trains that travel on them, to the game.

Ticket to Ride: IndiaTTR: India (designed by Ian Vincent) is for 2 to 4 players. It features a Grand Tour bonus at the end of the game for players who connect destination cities with at least two distinct paths. TTR: India also includes a copy of Moon's Switzerland map, which is for 2 to 3 players and is one of my favorite versions of the game.

Days of Wonder has also announced the upcoming release of Zug um Zug Deutschland (Ticket to Ride: Germany), which will debut at the Nuremberg Toy Fair this week. It uses the same map and routes first introduced in Ticket to Ride: Märklin and is scheduled for release in the second half of 2012, only in Germany and Austria.

Images courtesy of Days of Wonder

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Board / Card Games: Super Bowl Week = Football Games

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Super Bowl Week = Football Games
Jan 31st 2012, 09:15

BattleBallThe week of the Super Bowl always gets me pumped to play a few football-themed board games. As a young child, I was taken with the buzzing excitement of Electric Football. Now, I'd much rather play great games like 1st & Goal, Pizza Box Football, and BattleBall. (In fact, this Saturday my wife and I are hosting a game event that features our Eighth Annual BattleBall Tournament. Sadly, I've only won once -- and that was way back in 2007.)

Fans of Pizza Box Football will be happy to know that On the Line Game Company is sponsoring its 7th Annual Predict the Winner Event. By filling out a simple form at that site, fans can download team sheets for New York and New England, including custom solitaire system sheets. Over the past six years, PBF players have correctly predicted the winning team five times.

Image courtesy of Hasbro

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Board / Card Games: Forty Thieves - Solitaire Card Game

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Forty Thieves - Solitaire Card Game
Jan 31st 2012, 08:43

Forty Thieves is a challenging solitaire card game in which players must rely more on skill than luck to do well. (The name reflects the fact that 40 cards are dealt out to start the game.) If you're a fan of solitaire games but have not yet tried Forty Thieves, give it a shot. Here are the complete rules for Forty Thieves (and several related solitaire games).

More Solitaire Card Games:

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Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: The Complete Guide to Dominion

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now
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The Complete Guide to Dominion
Jan 31st 2012, 11:04

Dominion, which won the 2009 Spiel des Jahres and was my pick as the best card game published in 2008, is a fantastic deck-building game with many layers of strategy. These resources will help you become a better Dominion player.

1. Dominion - Game Review

DominionImage courtesy of Rio Grande Games

Contributing writer Seth Brown says Dominion "has inspired many imitators with its ingenious deck-building mechanic. Both easy to learn and strategic enough for serious gamers, Dominion may well be a 'must-play.'" I couldn't agree more.

2. Dominion - Game Profile

Dominion: SeasideImage courtesy of Rio Grande Games

Here's a closer look at Dominion, including all of the available expansions, the numerous awards it has won, and much more.

3. How to Play Dominion

Dominion: ProsperityImage courtesy of Rio Grande Games

Dominion is, thematically, a game about monarchs attempting to expand their kingdom. Mechanically, it is a deck-building game where players buy cards each turn to add to their decks, slowly growing more powerful as the game progresses. Here's a quick guide to the basic rules of Dominion.

4. Basic Strategy: Money Tips

Dominion is an incredibly complex game, and with millions of possible board combinations, there is no one "best strategy" that will work in every game. However, these basic strategy tips about money management in Dominion will help if you are just learning to play.

5. Basic Strategy: Action Tips

Dominion is a game about buying cards to put in your deck. And while treasure and victory cards may be important, the meat of the game is all about the different action cards you can buy. Here are a few basic strategy tips to help you figure out what actions to buy.

6. Starting Setup Strategies

Dominion is a game with literally millions of possible board layouts. However, if you're just learning the game, then the chances are good that you'll be playing the recommended starting setup, consisting of Cellar, Moat, Woodcutter, Workshop, Village, Smithy, Remodel, Militia, Market, and Mine. Here are some strategy tips for that layout.

7. Trashing Cards

Dominion, as a deck-building game, may seem to be all about adding good cards to your deck. However, an important thing to remember is that another way to improve the average card in your deck is to trash the bad cards. Here are some beginner strategy tips on how to thin your deck.

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Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: How to Play Battleship

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now
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How to Play Battleship
Jan 31st 2012, 11:04

Battleship (or Battleships) is a game for two players where you try to guess the location of five ships your opponent has hidden on a grid. Players take turns calling out a row and column, attempting to name a square containing enemy ships. Originally published as Broadsides by Milton Bradley in 1931, the game was eventually reprinted as Battleship.

Players: 2 players

Contents: Each player gets a board with two grids, five ships, and a bunch of hit and miss markers. (Alternatively, the game can be played with pencil and paper by drawing the grids. Here are the rules for that game, known as Salvo.)

Goal: To sink all of your opponent's ships by correctly guessing their location.

Setup

Give each player a board with two grids, one of each type of ship, and a bunch of hit and miss markers. Pen and paper players should note there is one length 2 ship, two length 3 ships, one length 4 ship, and one length 5 ship.

Secretly place your ships on the lower grid. Each ship must be placed horizontally or vertically (not diagonally) across grid spaces, and can't hang over the grid. Ships can touch each other, but can't both be on the same space.

Play

Players take turns firing a shot to attack enemy ships.

On your turn, call out a letter and a number of a row and column on the grid. Your opponent checks that space on their lower grid, and says "miss" if there are no ships there, or "hit" if you guessed a space that contained a ship.

Mark your shots on your upper grid, with white pegs for misses and red pegs for hits, to keep track of your guesses.

When one of your ships is hit, put a red peg into that ship on your lower grid at the location of the hit. Whenever one of your ships has every slot filled with red pegs, you must announce to your opponent that he has sunk your ship.

Victory: The first player to sink all opposing ships wins.

Salvo Variant

To speed up the game, some players play a Salvo variant where you get multiple shots per turn. On your turn, you get to take one shot for each ship you have remaining in your fleet. Once you have announced all of your shots (five, at the beginning of the game), your opponent tells you which ones were hits.

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Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: History of Risk

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now
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History of Risk
Jan 31st 2012, 11:04

When Parker Brothers / Hasbro published the 40th Anniversary Edition of Risk in 1999, they included information about the game's history in the rulebook. This brief history of the board game Risk is compiled from that information and details found elsewhere.

RISK TIMELINE

1950s - Parker Brothers forms an affiliation with the Miro Company in France.

1957 - A representative of Miro approaches Parker Brothers with La Conquete du Monde (French for "The Conquest of the World"), a game designed by Albert Lamorisse. Lamorisse (a movie writer and director best known for The Red Balloon) and Micheal I. Levin are co-credited with the game design at BoardGameGeek.com.

1959 - Parker Brothers first publishes the Risk Continental Game in the United States.

1986 - The game Castle Risk (played on a map of Europe) is published.

1993 - The rules for Secret Mission Risk, which had been a variant in Europe, are added to the United States edition.

1999 - A limited edition of Risk is published in France, as 10,000 copies of Risk Edition Napoleon are released. An expansion in 2000 added the Ottoman Empire.

2001 - Risk players can now conquer the moon and underwater territories with Risk 2210 AD.

2002 - Risk moves to Middle-earth with the release of Lord of the Rings Risk.

2003 - Risk travels deeper into Middle-earth with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy Edition.

2004 - Risk: Godstorm is published, injecting mythology into the game of world domination.

2005 - Risk: Star Wars - The Clone Wars Edition is published in concert with the release of the third Star Wars prequel, Revenge of the Sith.

2006 - Risk: Star Wars - Original Trilogy Edition is published. The game features three factions, each with its own victory conditions.

2008 - A new basic edition of Risk is published by Hasbro.

Numerous unofficial expansions and new maps have also been published through the years.

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Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: Oklahoma Gin - Card Game Rules

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Oklahoma Gin - Card Game Rules
Jan 31st 2012, 11:04

Oklahoma Gin is a close relative of Gin Rummy.

Players

2 players

Deck

Use a standard 52-card deck.

NOTE: An Ace is always low card in Oklahoma Gin; it cannot be used as high card. Also, face cards are worth 10 points each; number cards are worth their face value; an Ace is worth one point.

Goal

Collect sets (three or four of a kind, or three or more consecutive cards of the same suit) to earn points. The game is played over several rounds.

Setup

Choose a dealer randomly to deal the first round; throughout the game, the winner of each round deals the next.

Shuffle the deck and deal 10 cards to each player. Players should look at and sort their cards.

The next card is turned face up in the middle of the table to start the discard pile. This card is very important, because it determines the maximum numbers of points a player can have remaining in his hand when he knocks (see "Knocking" below). For example, if it's a face card or a 10, a player may knock with 10 points or fewer. If it's a 6, a player may knock with 6 points or fewer.

The remaining cards are placed face down next to the discard pile to form a draw pile.

Gameplay

Each normal turn consists of two parts.

First, you must take a card -- either the top card from the draw pile or the top card from the discard pile.

Second, you must discard a card (face up) onto the top of the discard pile.

NOTE: On the very first turn of each round, the non-dealer decides whether or not to take the first face up card. If that player declines, the dealer may take the card. If one of the players takes the card, that player completes his turn by discarding and then the other player takes a turn. If both players decline to take the card, the non-dealer starts the game by drawing the top card from the draw pile.

Knocking

The round ends when a player "knocks." This may be done on any turn (including the first turn) after drawing but before discarding. A player may knock when he has the ability to form sets, discard one card, and have an appropriate number of points remaining in his hand (see "Setup" above).

NOTE: A single card cannot belong to two sets.

After knocking and discarding, the player who knocked organizes and spreads all of his cards face up on the table.

The player who did not knock does the same. If the knocker did not go gin (see "Going Gin" below), the opponent is also allowed to lay off any unmatched cards by adding to the knocker's sets (e.g. adding a fourth card to a group of three of a kind, or adding further consecutive cards of the same suit to a sequence).

NOTE: You're never required to knock. You may continue playing in an effort to develop a better hand.

Scoring

Each player calculates the value of their unmatched cards. If the knocker's count is lower, he scores the difference between the two counts.

If the knocker did not go gin, and the values are equal -- or the knocker's value is greater than his opponent's -- then the knocker has been undercut. The knocker's opponent scores 10 points plus the difference between the values.

Going Gin

If the knocker has no unmatched cards, it's known as going gin and he scores 25 bonus points (some sources say the bonus should be 20 points). Additionally, his opponent cannot score any points, even if his opponent also had no unmatched cards.

Draws

If only two cards remain in the draw pile after a player discards and neither player has knocked, the round ends in a draw. The same player deals again.

Winning

Additional rounds are played until one player's cumulative score reaches 100 points or more. That player is the winner.

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Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: Hollywood Gin Rules

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now
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Hollywood Gin Rules
Jan 31st 2012, 11:04

Hollywood Gin is a close relative of the card game Gin Rummy.

Players

2 players

Deck

Use a standard 52-card deck.

NOTE: An Ace is always low card in Hollywood Gin; it cannot be used as high card. Also, face cards are worth 10 points each; number cards are worth their face value; an Ace is worth one point.

Goal

Collect sets (three or four of a kind, or three or more consecutive cards of the same suit) to earn points. The game is played over several rounds.

Setup

Choose a dealer randomly to deal the first round; throughout the game, the winner of each round deals the next.

Shuffle the deck and deal 10 cards to each player. Players should look at and sort their cards.

The next card is turned face up in the middle of the table to start the discard pile. The remaining cards are placed face down next to the discard pile to form a draw pile.

Gameplay

Each normal turn consists of two parts.

First, you must take a card -- either the top card from the draw pile or the top card from the discard pile.

Second, you must discard a card (face up) onto the top of the discard pile.

NOTE: On the very first turn of each round, the non-dealer decides whether or not to take the first face up card. If that player declines, the dealer may take the card. If one of the players takes the card, that player completes his turn by discarding and then the other player takes a turn. If both players decline to take the card, the non-dealer starts the game by drawing the top card from the draw pile.

Knocking

The round ends when a player "knocks." This may be done on any turn (including the first turn) after drawing but before discarding. A player may knock when he has the ability to form sets, discard one card, and have 10 points or fewer remaining in his hand.

NOTE: A single card cannot belong to two sets.

After knocking and discarding, the player who knocked organizes and spreads all of his cards face up on the table.

The player who did not knock does the same. If the knocker did not go gin (see "Going Gin" below), the opponent is also allowed to lay off any unmatched cards by adding to the knocker's sets (e.g. adding a fourth card to a group of three of a kind, or adding further consecutive cards of the same suit to a sequence).

NOTE: You're never required to knock. You may continue playing in an effort to develop a better hand.

Basic Scoring

Each player calculates the value of their unmatched cards. If the knocker's count is lower, he scores the difference between the two counts.

If the knocker did not go gin, and the values are equal -- or the knocker's value is greater than his opponent's -- then the knocker has been undercut. The knocker's opponent scores 10 points plus the difference between the values.

Going Gin

If the knocker has no unmatched cards, it's known as going gin and he scores 25 bonus points (some sources say the bonus should be 20 points). Additionally, his opponent cannot score any points, even if his opponent also had no unmatched cards.

Hollywood Scoring

In effect, three games will be played simultaneously. When a player wins his first game, that score is credited to the first game. His second win is credited to the first and the second games; his third win and all subsequent wins are credited to all three games.

The three games are scored separately and they end separately. When the third game ends, a new series may begin.

Example:

Bob wins with 10 points. This is used as his first score in the first game.

Alexandra wins with 18 points. This is used as her first score in the first game.

Bob wins again, this time with 30 points. This is used twice: as his second score in the first game, and his first score in the second game.

Bob wins again, this time with 4 points. This is used three times: as his third score in the first game, his second score in the second game, and his first score in the third game.

At this point in the example, the scores over the three games would be:

Alexandra, 18 / 0 / 0
Bob, 44 / 34 / 4

Draws

If only two cards remain in the draw pile after a player discards and neither player has knocked, the round ends in a draw. The same player deals again.

Winning

Additional rounds are played until one player's cumulative score reaches 100 points or more in a game. That player is the winner of that game. The overall winner is the player who wins two of three games.

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Monday 30 January 2012

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: Wits & Wagers - Review

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now
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Wits & Wagers - Review
Jan 30th 2012, 11:04

The Bottom Line

If you've stopped playing trivia games because there's someone in your group who always wins, consider giving Wits & Wagers a try. Every question can be answered numerically (e.g. "In dollars, how much was each extra paid to run across the beach and scream in the movie Jaws?"), and players all answer secretly. Those answers are then sorted onto the casino-style board, and players bet on which one they think is correct. The winning bets are paid according to the odds, and play continues.

Pros

  • Exceptionally fun and clever party / trivia game.
  • Can be played with up to 21 players.
  • Don't need to know the right answers to win.

Cons

  • Some find the final "all-in" question too powerful.
  • Some will be turned off by the gambling /casino theme.

Description

  • For 3 to 21 players, ages 10 and up.
  • Published by North Star Games.
  • Designed by Dominic Crapuchettes, Satish Pillalamarri, and Nate Heasley.
  • About 30 minutes per game.
  • Comes with 700 questions, 120 Poker chips, 14 cubes, timer, betting mat, laminated answer cards.

Guide Review - Wits & Wagers

Combining the excitement of a betting game with the fun of a party game -- and using trivia to hold it all together -- Wits & Wagers is an unqualified hit among those I've played it with. It has surpassed Smarty Party, which I still love, to become my favorite trivia game.

Play begins with each player holding 80 points worth of chips. When a question is read, everyone writes down an answer on a dry erase board; they're all revealed simultaneously. Since all answers are numbers, they can be easily sorted and spread on the high-quality felt betting mat.

Players then choose which one or two answers they want to bet on -- the goal is to bet on the one closest to being correct without going over. The answer in the middle only pays 1:1 odds, so it can be beneficial (and risky) to bet on an answer at one extreme or the other. The largest and smallest answers each pay 4:1. If you're willing to bet on "smaller than all given answers," you can win 5:1.

Once the bets are made, the correct answer is read. Every player who bet correctly collects the appropriate number of chips; the player who actually wrote the right answer gets a 10-point bonus. For six questions, players are limited in how much they can bet. However, the seventh and final question allows for "all-in" betting -- and often the winner is determined by smart betting on this final question.

Everything about Wits & Wagers is done right: this game provides clear rules, excellent components, and always a fun time.

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

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Sunday 29 January 2012

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game - Tactical Evolution

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now
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Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game - Tactical Evolution
Jan 29th 2012, 11:04

The Tactical Evolution booster set for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game introduces a new card type, a new card rarity, new foil technology, and even a new way to win the game. According to game publisher Upper Deck Entertainment, this is the biggest Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG set in three years.

The new Yu-Gi-Oh! GX cards should appeal to fans of the animated series, while innovative game mechanics offer plenty of possibilities to experienced players.

Featuring 90 different cards, the set features 10 brand new cards never seen before, not even in the game's home country of Japan. Tactical Evolution also debuts GX's "Rainbow Dragon," Gemini Monsters (a new type of monster card), the new "Venom" theme and legacy support for established decks like Cyberdarks, Zombies, Aliens and Normal monsters.

The Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG was introduced to the U.S. in April 2002. Each player starts with 8,000 life points and the object of the game is to bring your opponent's life points down to zero. By using the Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, two players face off in a Duel where they summon monsters and activate magic and trap cards. According to Upper Deck, players typically range from 9 to 18 years old.

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Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: Best Board Games of the 2000s

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now
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Best Board Games of the 2000s
Jan 29th 2012, 11:04

Remarkably, traditional board games are thriving even as electronic games become more and more sophisticated. Today's board games are better and more diverse than ever, with games suitable for everyone from players who just want to relax and laugh to those who seek deep strategic challenges. Here are my picks for the best board games published from 2000 through 2009.

What do you think were the best board games of the 2000s? Share your thoughts here.

1. Puerto Rico (2002)

Puerto RicoImage courtesy of Rio Grande Games
For 3 to 5 players, ages 12 and up. Designed by Andreas Seyfarth, published by Rio Grande Games.
Players compete to run successful plantations, growing corn, coffee, sugar, tobacco and indigo. On each turn, players choose from several roles (such as the mayor, builder, or captain), and each role gives them different abilities. The goal is to use these abilities to construct buildings and ship goods efficiently, becoming the player to earn the most victory points. Puerto Rico won the 2002 Deutscher Spiele Preis, the 2002 International Gamers Award for Multi-Player Strategy Game, and a 2002 Meeples Choice Award. It was also my pick as the best board game of 2002. The card game version, San Juan, is also excellent.

2. Ticket to Ride (2004)

Ticket to RideImage courtesy of Days of Wonder
For 2 to 5 players, ages 8 and up. Designed by Alan R. Moon, published by Days of Wonder.
Building railroads across the United States and Canada is the goal in the original Ticket to Ride, as players both develop their own plans and disrupt the plans of others. This is an absolutely top-notch game with broad appeal, playing in less than an hour and providing a lot of depth without being complicated. Players must make a variety of strategic and tactical choices, giving it considerable replay value. A number of expansions and sequels (and a card game) are available with new maps and creative new twists in the gameplay. Ticket to Ride won the 2004 Spiel des Jahres, and it was my pick as the best board game of 2004.

3. HeroScape (2004)

HeroScape Master Set 2: Swarm of the MarroImage courtesy of Hasbro
For 2 or more players (best with 2 to 4 players), ages 8 and up. Designed by Stephen Baker, Rob Daviau and Craig Van Ness, published by Milton Bradley / Wizards of the Coast / Hasbro.
HeroScape's subtitle is "The Battle of All Time" and it certainly is. Everything about this game is well done. If you're at all interested in the theme (battles involving warriors from different time periods), I strongly recommend that you try HeroScape. The fun starts by setting up your battlefield: the interlocking terrain pieces can be assembled in any number of combinations. Players then draft armies -- choosing from robots, airborne troops, samurai, and more -- and do battle. HeroScape was my pick as the #2 board game of 2004.

4. Pandemic (2008)

PandemicImage courtesy of Z-Man Games
For 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up. Designed by Matt Leacock, published by Z-Man Games.
Pandemic is an addictively fun board game in which all the players work together to eradicate four diseases. Each player is given a different role, such as the Scientist (who can cure diseases more easily) and the Operations Specialist (who can build research stations). Playing against the game system, they must travel the world to contain infections while developing the cures. If the players don't find all four cures in time (e.g. before there are eight outbreaks), they all lose. Various levels of difficulty are available. Pandemic was named the 2008 Family Game of the Year by Games magazine. It was also my pick as the best board game of 2008.

5. Age of Steam (2002) / Steam (2009)

SteamImage courtesy of Mayfair Games
For 3 to 6 players, ages 12 and up. Designed by Martin Wallace, published by Warfrog / Winsome Games / Eagle Games (Age of Steam), Mayfair Games (Steam).
The eastern U.S. is the scene of this fabulous railroad-building game. Players try to develop efficient and productive rail lines, adding track to the board and delivering goods while their opponents are doing the same. The balancing act is a difficult one: borrowing money at the best times, reaching the best-paying goods before your opponents, and upgrading locomotives are just a few challenges. Age of Steam was streamlined and released as Steam in 2009. Age of Steam won a 2003 International Gamers Award, a 2002 Meeples Choice Award, and it ranks high on my list of the best train games.

6. 1960: The Making of the President (2007)

1960: The Making of the PresidentImage courtesy of Z-Man Games
For 2 players, ages 12 and up. Designed by Christian Leonhard and Jason Matthews, published by Z-Man Games.
This is the best political game I've played. The players take on the roles of John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in the 1960 election, trying to win enough electoral votes to claim victory. 1960: The Making of the President is full of tough decisions. It captures many of the emotions in a hard-fought campaign, with swings of euphoria and depression, as well as the tactics and strategy needed to win in the Electoral College. A second game co-designed by Matthews, Twilight Struggle, set in the Cold War, also deserves to be mentioned. 1960 won a 2008 International Gamers Award, and it was my pick as the best board game of 2007.

7. BattleLore (2006) / Memoir '44 (2004)

BattleLore Game Box CoverDays of Wonder
For 2 players or teams, ages 10 and up. Designed by Richard Borg, published by Fantasy Flight Games / Days of Wonder.
BattleLore puts players in control of armies that mesh history and fantasy on a battlefield in medieval Europe, using a card-based system like Memoir '44. The BattleLore characters include wizards, clerics, warriors, and monstrous creatures. The basic game system was also used in Borg's Commands and Colors and Battle Cry. The battles take place on a variety of terrain and landmarks as players fight to capture the enemy's banners in a series of adventures. BattleLore was my pick as the best board game of 2006. Memoir '44, which won a 2004 International Gamers Award, was my pick as the #4 board game of 2004.

8. Carcassonne (2000)

CarcassonneImagecourtesy of Rio Grande Games
For 2 to 5 players, ages 10 and up. Designed by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, published by Rio Grande Games.
Players place a total of 72 tiles to develop an area of France in this game, placing their eight meeples (wooden, people-shaped pawns) on the roads, cities, cloisters, and fields. The game is a model of simplicity: a player's turn is simply to draw a tile and then place it on the table, adjacent to a previously played tile. They then have the option of placing a meeple on the board. At that point, any completed feature (city, road, etc.) is scored. Meeples score based on the quality of the areas where they are placed. Carcassonne won the 2001 Spiel des Jahres, the 2001 Deutscher Spiele Preis, and a 2000 Meeples Choice Award.

9. Wits and Wagers (2005)

Wits & WagersImage courtesy of North Star Games
For 3 to 21 players, ages 10 and up. Designed by Dominic Crapuchettes, Satish Pillalamarri and Nate Heasley, published by North Star Games.
If you've stopped playing trivia games because there's someone in your group who always wins, consider giving Wits & Wagers a try. Every question can be answered numerically (e.g. "In dollars, how much was each extra paid to run across the beach and scream in the movie Jaws?"), and players all answer secretly. Those answers are then sorted onto the casino-style board, and players bet on which one they think is correct. The winning bets are paid according to the odds, and play continues. Wits and Wagers ranks high on my lists of the best trivia games and the best games for family gatherings.

10. Power Grid (2004)

Power GridImage courtesy of Rio Grande Games
For 2 to 6 players, ages 12 and up. Designed by Friedemann Friese, published by Rio Grande Games.
Players compete to supply as many cities as possible with power, making often tense choices. For example, as you buy power plants, you simultaneously make more efficient plants available to all players. Raw materials like coal and uranium are also necessities, unless you rely on solar and wind power. Power Grid is a fairly heavy strategy game, and it is highly acclaimed. The base game comes with maps of the U.S. and Germany. Expansions are available with a variety of new maps. Power Grid won a 2004 Meeples Choice Award, and it was my pick as the #6 board game of 2004. It also ranks high on my list of the best economic games.

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Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: Baker's Dozen Solitaire

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now
These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week // via fulltextrssfeed.com
Baker's Dozen Solitaire
Jan 29th 2012, 11:04

Baker's Dozen Solitaire is a distant relative to Klondike Solitaire and a very close relative of Good Measure.

Players

1 player

Deck

A standard 52-card deck.

Goal

Build all four suits up from ace to king in separate piles.

Setup

Deal a row of 13 cards, face up. Then deal three more rows, each row overlapping the previous one. When finished, all 52 cards should be visible in 13 columns of four each. This creates the tableau.

Move all four Ks to the bottom of their respective columns.

See Baker's Dozen Solitaire - Illustrated Setup for an example.

Foundations

As they become available, the four aces must be played above the tableau; these are the four foundations. Cards of the same suit may be played on each ace in ascending order, from low (2) to high (king).

Only cards which are completely uncovered may be played on a foundation.

Once a card is played on a foundation, it can't be removed.

Playing on the Tableau

If it is uncovered, the next-lowest card may be moved to the top of a tableau pile, regardless of suit or color.

EXAMPLE: The 9 of hearts can be played on the 10 of diamonds, clubs or spades.

If a column in the tableau is emptied, it remains empty.

Winning

You win Baker's Dozen Solitaire by building all four suits up from ace to king.

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Saturday 28 January 2012

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: Salvo - Battleships - Rules

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now
These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week // via fulltextrssfeed.com
Salvo - Battleships - Rules
Jan 28th 2012, 11:06

Salvo is the paper-and-pencil game which the classic board game Battleship is based on.

Players

2 players.

Equipment

A piece of paper and a pencil for each player. Graph paper is helpful, but not necessary.

You can also print and use this Salvo board (PDF).

Goal

To sink all of your opponent's ships before she does the same to you.

Setup

Each player draws two 10x10 grids on their paper. The grids should be labeled with letters across the top (A through J) and numbers down the side (1 through 10). One of the grids should be labeled "Self" and the other labeled "Opponent."

Each player then decides where to place his four ships: a five-space battleship, a four-space cruiser, a three-space submarine, and a two-space destroyer.

NOTE: Some players use a five-space battleship, a three-space cruiser, and 2 two-space destroyers.

None of the ships may be placed diagonally; they must all be placed in straight lines either horizontally or vertically. It is legal (but not required) for two or more ships to be adjacent to each other. The ships are marked by blocking in the appropriate spaces.

Gameplay

Players take turns taking shots at each other. A shot is taken by calling out the coordinates of a space on the 10x10 grid.

Each player takes one shot at a time.

If the player calls the coordinates of a space where a ship is located, his opponent tells him so by saying "hit." If he missed, his opponent says "miss."

Players should take care to mark the shots they take on their "Opponent" grid, and whether each shot was a hit or a miss, so that they don't call any space more than once. Players may also mark the "Self" grid with shots taken by their opponent.

A ship is sunk when all of its squares have been hit. When this happens, the player whose ship was sunk says, for example, "You sank my battleship."

Alternative Gameplay

Players take turns taking shots at each other. A shot is taken by calling out the coordinates of a space on the 10x10 grid.

The number of shots each player is determined by the number and type of ships she has remaining. The battleship is worth three shots; the cruiser is worth two shots; the submarine and destroyer are worth one shot each. Thus, in the first round each player has seven shots.

Both players simultaneously mark the spaces they want to target on their "Opponent" grids. In the first round, they mark these spaces with a "1," in the second round with a "2," and so on.

After both players mark their shots, they take turns announcing the spaces they targeted. The first player announces all of his shots, then the second player does the same.

After each player announces the shots, his opponent tells him how many were hits and which ships were hit. For example, if four hits were scored, he might say, "You hit the battleship twice, the submarine once, and the destroyer once." He does not say which specific shots caused the hits.

If the player calls the coordinates of a space where a ship is located, his opponent tells him so by saying, "hit." If he missed, his opponent says, "miss."

A ship is sunk when all of its squares have been hit. When this happens, the player whose ship was sunk says, for example, "You sank my battleship." A player with one or more sunk ships takes fewer shots per round.

Winning

The first player to destroy all of his opponent's ships wins the game.

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Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: Monopoly Here & Now (U.S.)

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now
These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week // via fulltextrssfeed.com
Monopoly Here & Now (U.S.)
Jan 28th 2012, 11:06

Parker Brothers has unveiled a major new edition of Monopoly -- Monopoly Here & Now.

While some versions of Here & Now, such as the U.K. and Canada, were published earlier, the U.S. edition of Monopoly Here & Now was released in September 2006. It updates all of the classic real estate game's properties, property values, player tokens and more. The railroads are changed to airports, and the electric company and water works are now a cell phone service and an Internet service provider.

The most coveted spot on the board, Boardwalk in the original U.S. version, is now New York City's Times Square. Park Place has been replaced by Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox.

In the spring of 2006, Hasbro asked people to vote online to help choose the new properties. These votes determined which landmarks from 22 pre-determined cities made it onto the board, as well as the location of the landmarks on the board.

Monopoly Here & Now is available for a suggested retail price of $29.99.

We have a photo gallery of images from Monopoly Here & Now.

Property Changes

Here's a look at how the properties from the traditional edition of Monopoly have been changed for Monopoly Here & Now, with the most expensive properties listed first.

Blue Properties

Boardwalk is now New York City's Times Square
Park Place is now Boston's Fenway Park

The rent on Boardwalk was: $50 undeveloped; $200 with one house; $600 with two houses; $1,400 with three houses; $1,700 with four houses; and $2,000 with a hotel.

The rent on Times Square is: $500,000 undeveloped; $2 million with one house; $6 million with two houses; $14 million with three houses; $17 million with four houses; and $20 million with a hotel.

Green Properties

Pennsylvania Ave. is now The White House
North Carolina Ave. is now Chicago's Wrigley Field
Pacific Ave. is now Las Vegas' Las Vegas Blvd.

Yellow Properties

Marvin Gardens is now San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge
Ventnor Ave. is now Hollywood
Atlantic Ave. is now the French Quarter of New Orleans

Red Properties

Illinois Ave. is now Orlando's Disney World (this is the property most often landed on)
Indiana Ave. is now Honolulu's Waikiki Beach
Kentucky Ave. is now Phoenix's Camelback Mountain

Orange Properties

New York Ave. is now Seattle's Pioneer Square
Tennessee Ave. is now Houston's Johnson Space Center
St. James Place is now Miami's South Beach

Magenta Properties

Virginia Ave. is now Philadelphia's Liberty Bell
States Ave. is now Denver's Red Rocks Amphitheatre
St. Charles Place is now Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park

Light Blue Properties

Connecticut Ave. is now Minneapolis' Mall of America
Vermont Ave. is now St. Louis' Gateway Arch
Oriental Ave. is now Nashville's Grand Ole Opry

Purple Properties

Baltic Ave. is now Dallas' Texas Stadium
Mediterranean Ave. is now Cleveland's Jacobs Field

Player Tokens

The race car has been replaced with a hybrid Toyota Prius, the shoe is now a New Balance sneaker, and the Scottish terrier has become a labradoodle.

The other game tokens are McDonald's French Fries, a Motorola RAZR cell phone, an airplane, and a laptop computer.

Everything is More Expensive

The new game has higher property values and rents. Players start with $2 million each. Everything in the game appears to be proportional to the original edition, multiplied by 10,000.

Chance and Community Chest

Chance and Community Chest cards have been updated. For example, winning $10 in a beauty contest has become winning $100,000 on a reality TV show, and players are sent to jail for crimes like identity theft and insider trading.

Traditional Monopoly

The traditional Monopoly game, based on streets in Atlantic City, New Jersey, will still be sold.

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Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: Rock Paper Scissors - Rules

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now
These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week // via fulltextrssfeed.com
Rock Paper Scissors - Rules
Jan 28th 2012, 11:06

Rock Paper Scissors (sometimes abbreviated as RPS) is a classic two-player game. Although the rules are very simple, some people take it to another level by analyzing it as a psychological test. The World RPS Society sponsors the annual RPS World Championship, and has published a 208-page strategy guide.

Rock Paper Scissors is often played to determine who goes first in some other activity.

Players

2 players.

Equipment

No special equipment is necessary.

Goal

The goal of Rock Paper Scissors is to choose the item (rock, paper or scissors) which defeats your opponent’s chosen item.

Setup

Players face each other and create a fist using the hand they will use to play.

Gameplay

The players simultaneously countdown from three. (i.e., They say, "Three, two, one, go.") When the players say "go," they each use a hand to create the shape of their chosen item, as follows:

  • Rock is represented by a closed fist.
  • Scissors are represented by a closed fist with two fingers (the pointer finger and the middle finger) extended.
  • Paper is represented by an open hand.

Winning

The winner of Rock Paper Scissors is determined as follows:

  • Rock defeats (breaks) Scissors.
  • Scissors defeats (cuts) Paper.
  • Paper defeats (covers) Rock.

If both players choose the same item, the game is a tie and they play again.

Players can choose to play a predetermined number of rounds, such as best two out of three, or best three out of five.

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Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now: Monopoly 101

Board / Card Games: What's Hot Now
These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week // via fulltextrssfeed.com
Monopoly 101
Jan 28th 2012, 11:06

Monopoly is published in 26 languages and sold in 80 countries. But how much do you know about this game, first published commercially in 1935 -- the height of the Depression?

Whatever you want to know about the board game Monopoly, these links will provide it.

Monopoly Rules and Strategy

When you play Monopoly, do you get money for landing on Free Parking? If so, you're not playing by the official rules -- and you're making the game longer and probably less fun than it should be.

There are also some time-proven strategies to being a successful Monopoly player.

Playing Monopoly Online

When you can't find anyone to play Monopoly in person, there are several ways to enjoy the classic real estate game online for free.

Monopoly History

Monopoly's history is not as simple as you might imagine. Charles Darrow was not the first person to design a Monopoly-like game, and the publication of a 1974 game called Anti-Monopoly led one man to do a lot of investigating.

Collecting Monopoly

Monopoly may be the most collectible board game in history, as hundreds of editions have been published through the years. Many major U.S. cities and universities have their own special themed editions of Monopoly, as do the NFL, Coca-Cola, Betty Boop, the Simpsons, Elvis Presley, NASCAR and many others.

Some collectors have amassed thousands of Monopoly-related items, including board games, computer games, mugs, greeting cards, keychains, gum, boxer shorts and more.

If You Like Monopoly, Try These Games

There are many great board games with an economic theme. Monopoly is the best-known, but many others deserve a spot on your game shelf.

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