Games played January 08

The new year began with the lowest number of plays since April 2006! A lot of travel and a crazy schedule effectively killed the chances of regular gaming at home.

Hive - 6 plays

Atlantic Star and LOTR:The Confrontation - 3 plays

10 days in Africa, Carcassonne, For Sale & High Society - 2 plays

Elasund, Giro Galoppo, King Me!, Mystery Rummy: Jack the Ripper, Seafarers of Catan, Settlers of Catan, Struggle for Rome and Thurn & Taxis: Power & Glory - 1 play each.

Top 15 games played in 2007

2007 saw a significant increase in the number of plays. More regular gaming, lots of new games bought and more choice to play games at home. This meant that some games were just moving fast to becoming hot in the household.

Ticket to Ride USA:1910 - 116 plays

The number 1 game for me as far as plays went was TTR 1910. Since I had got it only at the end of 2006, the game became such a favorite at home. So much fun but the excitement had finally worn off towards the end of the year. By Nov/Dec people just did not want to play it anyore.

Thurn & Taxis - 52 plays

This was the no 1 2 player game for me and Aarthi. Add the plays of the Power & Glory expansion and we have a real winner!

The Settlers of Catan - 39 plays

Settlers is the no 1 choice for our 3 player afternoon lunch sessions with Varadu last year.  Settlers enjoyed additional plays via Seafarers (11) and Fishermen of Catan (6) plays. I personally found that plain vanilla Settlers shone with 3. But with 4 I do want to play Seafarers or Fishermen. I have to get Cities and Knights this year positively.

Bohnanza - 32 plays

This was our favorite during the Oz holiday. Sushanth loved it and we played a lot. But again hardly any plays in the latter part of the year.

10 Days in Africa - 29 plays

The simplicity, speed and ease of getting newbies in made this a new star in our game collection. Though I have got bored of it and would like to try some of the other 10 days, this will see a lot of plays quite regularly I think.

San Juan - 28 plays

After so many 2 player games I finally got Mohan to learn it and we had some super duper 3 player sessions. Still one of my top games that lives upto its billing.

High Society - 27 plays

This has replaced For Sale as my preferred auction game now. Sushanth has also learnt it and we get plays quite regularly now.

Thurn & Taxis - Power & Glory - 23 plays

Puerto Rico - 20 plays

Shreyasi’s gaming ahs petered down this year. And the only others who know adn play this game are in Oz. ave to teach it to varadu this year to get more plays. Meanwhile I have got the expansion and we played a few games of the 2 player variant. But am missing the big 5 player games we had in Oz last year these days.

Cartagena - 17 plays

Still gets regular 2p games with Aarthi. Good solid game.

Zooloretto - 17 plays

Coloretto was one of my early favorites of 2005. I really looked forward to this and the game saw a number of plays early. But somehow cannot find the table these days.

Mystery Rummy: Jack the Ripper - 16 plays

Still is one of our top 2 player games at home with Aarthi. A pity I haven’t been able to get anyone else to play as yet.

Ticket to Ride: Switzerland - 16 plays

A number  of plays as soon as we got the game but have got tired of it now. But I like it a lot with 2 or 3.

Fist of Dragonstones - 15 plays

A sleeper hit if one may call it. Sushanth and Shreyasi both love it and it is our no 1 game where we all play together at home.

Get the Goods - 14 plays

One of my favorite games with so much tension and drama as the game unfolds.

A number of games have dropped out of last year’s top 15. Notably Elasund, Alhambra and the Knizias - Modern Art and Through the Desert. Some of the games that were great hits but not enough plays were Princes of Florence, Struggle for Rome, Thebes and Cleopatra & the Society of Architects. Other surprisingly fun games were Oasis, Mammoth Hunters and Santiago.
Sushanth and me have got some 2 player games going and we have LOTR: The Confrontation at the top. Also will look at Memoir ‘44 and probably Dungeon Twister.

The biggest disappointments of the year were Corsari, Luca Citta and Empire Builder. These have very little chances of seeing more plays and I should put them on the trade list I think.

Games that I have and must play this year - Struggle of Empires, Die Macher, Perikles, Caylus (Just could not get it out at all!) and Tigris & Euphrates!

Games played Dec 07

The toughest month for me in the year because of my professional commitments. But the arrival of Mohan from Oz also helps in a lot of 4 player gaming especially. But still a low month I should say.

Settlers & TTR: Switzerland - 5 plays

LOTR: The Confrontation, Mammoth Hunters, San Juan, Struggle for Rome & T&T:Power & Glory - 4 plays each.  Of these I play LOTR a lot with Sushanth. The only problem is that he insists on playing only the dark side. So atleast I have a good chance to try different strategies. He has picked up the game and plays it well. Mammoth Hunters was finally opened and played. A very very good game with a lot of fun and nastiness. After many many plays of 2p San Juan we played some 3 p games. It plays wonderfully well and all the games were very close. I seem to be preferring this to PR more these days. Struggle for Rome was the other new game. A bit long but a solid Settlers spin off. Seems to lack the nastiness that Elasund but a very good game nevertheless. The length which is longer than our normal 30-45 minute mark is stopping us from getting more plays in at the moment.

Memoir ‘44 - 3 plays - Another new entrant this month. Nice and fun game. Sushanth loves it but will play the Allies only at the moment. We just played the Pegasus Bridge scenario without the special cards. I want more of this in the coming months. Hopefully I can get Aarthi to play this more often.

New England - 2 plays - We got to play this after a year and it still is fresh and interesting.

10 days in Africa, Cleo and the SOE, Elasund, Fist of Dragonstones, For Sale, Hare & Tortoise, Mystery Rummy, Power Grid: Benelux/CE, Seafarers of Catan, Through the Desert & TTR USA 1910 - 1 play each. 

Games Played - November 07

The December music season takes its toll and I just could not get myself to sit and update. Anyway the hit game for November 07 was TTR - Switzerland with 11 plays. Fist of Dragonstones is now our favorite 4 palyer family game and there were 6 plays. Our staple diet of 2 player  San Juan continued with 3 plays and 3 plays of  Settlers as well. Cartagena, Elasund, King Me, LOTR: The Confrontation, Thurn & Taxis and T&T Power and Glory all saw 2 plays each. 10 days in Africa, Cleo and the SOA, Coloretto, Get the Goods, Mystery Rummy Jack the Ripper, Princes of Florence, Puerto Rico, Thebes and Union Pacific - 1 play each.

Games played - October 07

Firstly I hardly had time to sit and post this. Not a great month but 1 definite hit game I should say.

Fist of Dragonstones - 7 plays The game of the month. It plays superb especially with 4. Can get a little drawn out with more. But kids understand and take to the game fast. I introduced it to a couple of boys aged 13 and 11 who had never played these games and they loved it. Sushanth picked it up very fast and Shreyasi also enjoyed it.

Power Grid - 3 plays I think they were all 2 player games. OK but definitely better with more.

10 Days in Africa, Oasis, San Juan, Settlers, Thebes, Thurn & Taxis, Thurn & Taxis Power & Glory expansion, TTR 1910 USA & Zooloretto - 2 plays each. A variety of games played. Thebes was really good and fun. Have played only 2 player and want to play with more.

Bohnanza, Caesar & Cleopatra, Carcassonne, Cartagena,  Cleo & the SOA, Elasund, For Sale, Get the goods, Hare & Tortoise, High Society, Mr Jack, Mystery Rummy Jack the Ripper & Pwer Grid Italy/France - 1 play each.

Overall a lot of games played but lesser number of plays. November also has not been that great so far. But plays will get up pretty soon as the month ends and December starts. Some new games really need to be played. Unfortunately no one wants to read up the rules and teach me. So I have to find the time to do it.

Meeting a champion Boardgamer!

Yesterday I had a chance to shake hands and say hello to a champion boardgamer. Vishy Anand Chess champion of the world! Maybe another day I’ll probably ask him if he knows about Power Grid or Settlers of Catan! For now I was just happy to invite him to me next concert.

Games played - September 07

25 plays - 10 Days in Africa - The no 1 game for the month. Plays very fast, lots of fun and plays great with 2 also.

6 plays - High Society & Mr Jack - Finally we are getting a hang of Mr Jack and I like it a lot now.

5 plays - Settlers of Catan - The Fishermen of Catan - Plain vanillaSettlers shines with 3 but gets a little crowded with 4. So rather than play Seafarers, this new expansion Fishermen of Catan gives it great balance and fun.

3 plays - Cleopatra & the Society of Architects, Oasis, Princes of Florence & Thurn and Taxis - Cleo is a superb light family game and the components are some of the I have seen in my limited collection. Oasis is like a lighter form of New England but Sushanth has taken to that game well.

2 plays - Coda, Elasund, Get the Goods, Lost Cities & San Juan 

1 play each - Bohnanza, Caesar & Cleopatra, Cartagena, Crazy Chicken, Fist of Dragonstones, Frank’s Zoo, Mystery Rummy: Jack the Ripper,  Queen’s Necklace, Settlers of Catan, Thurn and Taxis: Power & Glory, Ticket to Ride: Marklin, Ticket to Ride: 1910 USA

Overall a few new games opened and played were the highlights of the month.

Games Played - August 07

A total of 34 different games played. Some new games were opened and played too.

TTR: USA 1910 is back at the top with 6 plays this month.

Settlers and Elasund  have 5 plays each.  Elasund was great fun. Varadu has also learnt it and it has been a  great step up from Settlers. After a couple of 4p plays I’d say it plays best with 4. With 3 I would still prefer plain vanilla Settlers.

Mystery Rummy Jack the Ripper, San Juan & Thurn & Taxis: Power & Glory  - 3 plays each. Our typical 2p sessions.

Cartagena, Coda, Get the Goods, Thurn & Taxis - 3 plays each. Get the Goods is great to play with Sushanth also liking and asking for it more often.

Cleopatra & the Society of Architects, King Me!, Crazy Chicken, Princes of Florence - 2 plays each. Cleopatra is an excellent fun family game. People catch on to the rules quite fast. And there is so much eye candy value every time you -play the game. Really makes me want to get the entire Days of Wonder series of published games now.

Balloon Cup, Bohnanza, Caesar and Cleopatra, Carcassonne, Category 5, Diamant, Dragon Delta, For Sale, High Society, Lost Cities, Queen’s Necklace,
Samurai, The Fishermen of Catan, That’s Life!    , Thebes, Ticket to Ride: Märklin Edition, TransEuropa, Vampire, Winner’s Circle, Zooloretto - 1 play each
 

Some new games arrive

It is always interesting to get new games. So the ones that came in this month - Queen’s Necklace, Fist of Dragonstones, Cleopatra and the Society of Architects, Fishermen of Catan, Puerto Rico expansion buildings and Jenseits von Theben. A couple more should come in the next two days. So another exciting month of gaming that I am looking forward to. Of the above I have only opened Queen’s Necklace & Cleopatra. Should be opening and playing Jenseits tonight.

Games played - July 07

July was a good month of gaming. Being at home most of the month, regular visits from our lunchtime gaming partner and some new games played were the highlights.

Zooloretto - The SDJ 2007 winner. I got it from a student coming in from Germany. Given that Coloretto was my first game ever, I was eagerly waiting for this ever since I heard about it. Good fun game. Between this and the winner last year I definitely prefer T&T but this is still a good game. (6 plays)

Atlantic Star - 5 plays - A revival this month mostly because Varadu learnt it and we played a number of 3 player sessions. The game has kind of petered down in the interest level for me. I will play it now only if there are more players just to see the difference. Otherwise I will keep it aside for a few months I think.

Get the Goods / Settlers of Catan - 4 plays each. I really like Get the Goods. It is a lighter form of Union Pacific and is a very good 3 player game. So it fills the opener, filler niche and the tension really rises as the game reaches its climax.

Bohnanza, Caesar & Cleopatra, Cartagena, Coda, Prices of Florence - 3 plays each. C & C is a good light 2 player games that is good to play with Aarthi.  I got the 2 player rules of Prices and we had some good tight plays. Though the auctions are not very exciting there is still a lot of fun planning and completing the works.

Category 5, Elasund, Giro Galoppo, High Society, Lost Cities, San Juan, Schildkroetenrennen, Thurn & Taxis, Thurn & Taxis Expansion, TTR 1910 2 plays each. The surprise packet was getting back to Elasund. Great game and the perfect step up from Settlers. After getting bored of it playing just 2 player, Varadu learnt it and we are having fun. Am waiting for the time we get that fourth player to get the most out of the game.

Diamant, Elfenland, Hansa, Mystery Rummy: Jack the Ripper, Seafarers of Catan, That’s Life, TTR, TTR Mystery Train Expansion, TTR Marklin, Transeuropa & Tutankhamen - 1 play each. Playing Settlers with 3 players, plain vanilla version is much better. I think Seafarers shines more with 4 players. TTR Mystery train expansion was another interesting new game last month.

Finally I manged to open A House Divided - a war game that I had found in Germany for 10 euros. We just punched the counters and made a preliminary reading of the rules. The game appears simple and hopefully I should get a full play through in the coming months.