Tag: terra mystica

New games I’ve played: Arkwright, Council of Four

New games I’ve played: Arkwright, Council of Four

Man, where did the time go? It’s already mid-July, and it’s still hotter than hell. I’m so ready for the Phoenix summer to be over! I’ve been staying inside a lot, playing board games naturally. Even amid all the Pokemon Go excitement (yes, I totally downloaded the game), I’m still not venturing outside too much, unless I really have to. And with that, there are two new games I’ve played in the past two weeks, and a couple oldies but goodies …

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Recap of Strategicon: Gamex 2016

Recap of Strategicon: Gamex 2016

Strategicon holds its board-game convention three times a year in LA. I had so much fun the last two times I went (at Gateway and OrcCon) that my friend and I decided to make the trek west again.

Over the span of the 3 days I was there, I played 12 games, one that lasted 11 hours. (We left early Monday but the con continued until late that afternoon). It was a great mix of personal favorites and learning a whole bunch of new ones. Brace yourself, folks, there’s a lot of photos ahead …

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My top 9 board games

My top 9 board games

A few days ago @theboardgeek asked on Instagram what #mytop9boardgames were.
Here’s the photo I posted on Instagram for the #mytop9boardgames thread.

The user @theboardgeek started this hashtag #mytop9boardgames a few days ago on Instagram, and I decided to jump on it and create my own photo grid. I hadn’t actually thought to write down my list in a while. There are just so many games out there! And of course, as you get deeper into the hobby, your tastes and preferences change. If you check out the list, I totally love heavy, crunchy games.

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When adding 1 more player is too many

When adding 1 more player is too many

One of my absolute favorite games to play -- Battlestar Galactica. But only with five players.
One of my favorite games to play — Battlestar Galactica. But we only play it with five players.

All games come with a set number of players. It says so right on the box. But as you game more and more, those numbers often become mere suggestions. Sometimes playing with the max number of players isn’t always a good idea. Sometimes adding another player negatively affects everyone’s gaming experience.

On boardgamegeek.com, when you search for a board game, there’s an entry for each game that says “# of players” and then, “User suggested # of players.” That second entry is key. Just because you can play with seven players doesn’t necessarily mean you should.

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Terra Mystica rematch, and playing new games

Terra Mystica rematch, and playing new games

I was lucky enough to do some back-to-back gaming sessions this weekend. I was starting to get some gaming withdrawal as I hadn’t been able to attend my weekday game group because of work. And missing gaming totally makes me a cranky Meeple Lady.

The land of Terra Mystica.
The land of Terra Mystica.

Last Friday night after work, a group of us met up to play Terra Mystica. We had recently played a few weeks ago and we all wanted a rematch. As much as I love playing Terra Mystica, it isn’t one of those games I play frequently, namely because so few people want to spend time playing such a heavy game and it has a steep learning curve that makes it hard for people to jump into.

It takes a few plays to understand the mechanics of the game, and then throw in the fact that you can choose one of fourteen different “peoples” with their own special abilities and drawbacks, well, it’s a complex game.

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