Tuesday's Games

We had a good turnout Tuesday night and had several good games going.

When I arrived (over 30 minutes late), there were several people playing Reiner Kinizia's card game Money. Money's not anywhere close to my favorite game but a lot of folks in our group like it. It's a solid set building game from the master mathematician of Eurogames.

That soon broke up and four of us played the Downfall of Pompeii. I just finished reviewing this game so I'm sure you all are aware that I like it. If you want to know more just scroll down to the next entry and read away.

Before Pompeii wound up a number of the others started a game of Shogun despite the fact that I'd made it quite clear that I wanted in on the game! Gee with friends like that who needs enemies? I guess they were afraid to play against me. Yeah, that must be it.

Shogun is the new re-themed version of the classic euro-wargame hybrid Wallenstein. It has a new Japanese theme (obviously) and a really cool double-sided map. The rules are almost the same but Shogun has some tiny tweaks that I think actually improve the game a little bit. Of course the classic cube tower is still there. I think Shogun is destined to be a classic just like Wallenstein.

Since Shogun had already started (yes, I'm going to keep harping on that) the rest of us were forced to play a lesser game. And unfortunately this time it really was a lesser game. Curt brought out Bison: Thunder on the Prairie and tried to teach it to us. We got about halfway through the second turn before we all decided that there were much better four player games that we could be playing. Bison might be a good game but it sure didn't seem that way. We never did quite grock the strategy and I think we misinterpreted a couple of rules (although not in a way that broke the game). Either way, I can't remember the last time we've actually aborted a game at game night. I think this was a first. Oh and the artwork in this game is just flat out ugly. I was not impressed.

What better four player game could we play? Why Tichu of course! My night ended with a couple of Tichu games. The first game I partnered with an inexperienced player (and we won) and the in the second game I helped coach that same player (and his partnership won). How's that for a stroke to the old ego?

Also played tonight was a game of Pillars of the Earth.