And we’re back for another month of plays. This is the first full month of plays in 2016
and I must say that it was a really good month for me and Em. We worked on getting some of the new stuff to
the table that we received for Christmas.
Some of these games were absolutely awesome and I can’t wait to play
them again! This is also our new record
holder for amount of plays in a month with 76!
Okay, enough of that, let’s check out the stats.
Statistics:
Total plays in January 2016 – 76
Total unique games played in January 2016 – 31
New games played in January 2016 – 8
New games acquired in January 2016 – 5
Most plays of a single game – 18
Red7
Designer – Carl Chudyk/Chris Cieslik
Publisher – Asmadi Games
Last play before January 2016 – 12/27/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 18
Wow, this game has really become a go to game for me and
Em. We bring it everywhere with us as it
is super portable, quick, and a really fun card game. We’ve found that it plays well anywhere in
the play count of two to four players.
This game just makes me more interested in checking out Chudyk’s other
games!
Land 6
Designer – Santiago
Eximeno
Publisher – (Self-Published)
New to me
First play – 1/16/16
Total plays in January 2016 – 8
This is a nifty little print and play game released in
2014. It was second in the 2014
Solitaire Print and Play Contest in the Best Small Sized Game category. I like the interplay of card and dice and it
has some pretty meaningful decisions for being such a small game.
Fields of Arle
Designer – Uwe Rosenberg
Publisher – Z-Man Games
New to me
First play – 1/4/16
Total plays in January 2016 – 4
This game has been one of my most anticipated games for some
time. I’ve actually been looking forward
to it since Essen Spiel 2014. Since then
it’s been hanging out on my list and finally I had the opportunity to get it
for Christmas. I have to say that it has
been awesome! It hasn’t disappointed me
in any way and I can’t wait to get this to the table a bunch more this year!
7 Wonders: Duel
Designer – Antoine Bauza/Bruno Cathala
Publisher – Repos Production/Asmodee
Last play before January 2016 – 11/28/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 3
This game continues to be an awesome go to game for me and
Em when we play two-player. Every time
we play it we really seem to get a different experience. We’ve each won every way possible, from final
score to military win to science/technology win. Love this one and looking forward to any
expansions that will (obviously) be released in the future.
Animal Upon Animal
Designer – Klaus Miltenberger
Publisher – HABA
Last play before January 2016 – 12/29/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 3
Em and I got in a few games of this fantastic little HABA
game this month. It is such a simple
game but it is quite fun. We prefer
Rhino Hero (so far our favorite HABA game) but this is also a fun little
game. I look forward to see what they
release in the future!
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
Designer – Matt Leacock/Rob Daviau
Publisher – Z-Man Games
New to me
First play – 1/20/16
Total plays in January 2016 – 3
Okay, wow. I now
understand the craze that has become this game!
We’ve been looking forward to it for some time and were finally able to
get our group of four together and play it this past month and it was
awesome! When Em and I revisit our top
10 (or 5 for Em) lists in a couple months I have a feeling that this one could
make a push up that list. It is just a
wonderful experience and we’ve only made it through the first month! Can’t wait for more!
Patchwork
Designer – Uwe Rosenberg
Publisher – Lookout Games/Mayfair Games
Last play before January 2016 – 12/29/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 3
I’m not sure how much more can be said about this game that
I haven’t already stated in previous “What I Played In…” posts. It is a perfectly balanced two-player
experience and continues to be one of our favorites.
Rhino Hero
Designer – Scott Frisco/Steven Strumpf
Publisher – HABA
Last play before January 2016 – 12/25/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 3
Oh Rhino Hero, how we love you! We picked this up a few months ago during our
anniversary trip and we haven’t looked back.
It continues to be one of our favorite game night fillers and I don’t
think that will end any time soon. Bravo
for taking family games to a new level HABA!
Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn
Designer – Isaac Vega
Publisher – Plaid Hat Games
Last play before January 2016 – 11/6/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 2
Man do I ever love this game! Here is another one that is vying for my top
10 list. So far this is the only battle
game that I am in any way interested in!
I can’t wait until the new Phoenixborn, Lulu Firststone, Brennen
Blackcloud, and Rin Northfell come out this April.
The Big Book of Madness
Designer – Maxime Rambourg
Publisher – IELLO
Last play before January 2016 – 12/26/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 2
Okay, this is a game that I was totally excited for and then
it got delayed for what seemed like forever!
I wasn’t sure if that delay meant it was going to be a bad game, but let
me reassure you, it doesn’t! This game
is great! It is a very difficult and fun
co-operative experience that my wife and I love so far! We were able to beat the easy mode after three
plays. We’ll take on easy a few more
times and then start on normal mode!
Bottom of the 9th
Designer – Darrell Louder/Mike Mullins
Publisher – Greater Than Games/Dice Hate Me
Last play before January 2016 – 12/27/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 2
Em and I got in a couple more games of this great little
filler in January. It is still a great,
thematic little game and we love playing it.
This is a game that we always have to play twice so we each get to play
the batter once and the pitcher once.
Onirim
Designer – Shadi Torbey
Publisher – Z-Man Games
Last play before January 2016 – 7/30/15
Total plays in January 2016 - 2
I pulled this game out for the first time since July and
played a couple of rounds. It made me
remember how good of a quick little solitaire game this is. The only drawback is the amount of shuffling
that is involved, but I can get over that quickly with a fun game. I had to play two in a row in order to get my
win!
Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Rise of the Runelords
Designer – Mike Selinker/Chad Brown/Tanis O’Conner/Paul
Peterson/Gaby Weidling
Publisher – Paizo Publishing
Last play before January 2016 – 9/1/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 2
Em and I picked up our campaign where we left off in
June. This is another game that I forget
how much fun it is till we pick it back up.
We are on the fourth pack right now, the Fortress of the Stone Giants,
and soon we will have to decide if we will continue. I think we will…if only to say we made it
through the whole box! Seriously though,
we really do like this game…I just wish I didn’t have to shuffle so much to set
up!
Roll for the Galaxy
Designer – Thomas Lehmann/Wei-Hwa Huang
Publisher – Rio
Grande Games
Last play before January 2016 – 10/22/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 2
We got in a couple of plays of Roll for the Galaxy and Em
stomped my butt into the galactic ground both times. I figure I’ll eventually win again but who knows
when? That being said, here is another
game that is threatening my current top 10.
It is going to be difficult to make that list!
Trambahn
Designer – Helmut Ohley
Publisher – Lookout Games/Mayfair Games
Last play before January 2016 – 12/12/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 2
This game and Patchwork have really been mainstays mine and
em’s two-player series of games. We love
bringing this one to our weekly coffee dates and always have a great time with
it. I’ve heard people complain about the
luck of the draw, but we don’t mind for a short, fun game!
Wizards of the Wild
Designer – Adam West/Dan Schnake/Abe Schnake
Publisher – CrossCut Games
Last play before January 2016 – 12/2/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 2
Em and I got in a couple of plays of this little Kickstarter
gem in January. I find myself really
enjoying this one more with each play.
There are a ton of cards which give some good variability and a ton of
starting characters for you to choose from.
It is just a fun game with some good components and a very fun theme.
Above & Below
Designer – Ryan Laukat
Publisher – Red Raven Games
Last play before January 2016 – 12/5/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
This game is just a fun experience. Laukat’s worlds for some reason remind me of
one of my favorite animated movie directors, Hayao Miyazaki. His worlds are just so very fantastical and
beautiful and evocative that I want to always come back for more. This game is just like that and it always
makes Em and I want to come back for more!
Designer – Charles Chevallier
Publisher – Argentum Verlag
New to me
First play – 1/4/16
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
This game was high on my radar during the Essen season and it was purchased for me as a
present during Christmas. Em and I
pulled it out and played it and I quite enjoyed it. It has an area control type mechanic along
with a moving sun that gives you your actions.
The scoring is very odd but I really like it as it is so different. All of that along with an incredibly
beautiful board and components make this quite an interesting and so far, fun,
game.
Designer – Marco Pozzi
Publisher – Placentia
Games/Post Scriptum
New to me
First play – 1/25/16
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
This is another Christmas present and it is another that I
had my eye on during the Christmas season!
This game focuses on the
European area (and money) and building lighthouses in the water that surrounds
the land. This is a worker placement
game with some wrinkles. When you place
a worker you will soon thereafter choose whether to take it right off and back
to your warehouse (and score two points) or if you will leave it there in order
to possibly get a higher score later on.
I loved the decisions in this game and look forward to more plays.
Designer - Klaus-Jürgen Wrede
Publisher – Z-Man Games
Last play before January 2016 – 9/26/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
Yay for a play of Carcassonne . At this point we have quite a few of the
small expansions for the game which really give it more tiles and make the
board even cooler looking when you’re done.
I think this is half the fun of the game…especially since Em likes to
kick my butt with her little Totoro meeples!
Forbidden Island
Designer – Matt Leacock
Publisher – Gamewright Games
Last play before January 2016 – 7/31/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
We got in a play of Forbidden Island
The Gallerist
Designer – Vital Lacerda
Publisher – Eagle-Gryphon Games
Last play before January 2016 – 12/16/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
I got in a solo play of The Gallerist in January and ended
up getting a score that put me in the highest level! I am now a master gallerist! I love this game and just want to dive into
it more but it is a pretty tough one to get to the table as Em still doesn’t
feel too comfortable with it.
Hanabi
Designer – Antoine Bauza
Publisher – R&R Games
Last play before January 2016 – 12/13/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
Em and I got in a play of this fun little card game this
month and it was the first time that we completely blew up our fireworks
display! I guess we had to do it at some
point.
Imperial Settlers
Designer – Ignacy Trzewiczek
Publisher – Portal Games
Last play before January 2016 – 11/7/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
We picked this game up this month and Em used her favorite
Egyptians while I pulled out the Japanese.
We were very nice to each other and able to build some good
engines. I should have had the game but
got greedy and thus left the door open for her to come back and get some
massive points in the last round. We
tied at 102 and she won the tie-breaker!
Magic: The Gathering: Arena of the Planeswalkers
Designer – Craig Van Ness /James
D’Aloisio/Ethan Fleischer
Publisher – Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast
New to me
First play – 1/17/16
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
I have been quite excited to try this game out for some time
but for some reason hadn’t bought it.
Then, my sister and her husband bought it for me and Em at
Christmas. We were able to get in a game
(I played Gideon and Em played Jace) and we both really enjoyed it. We had played Heroscape for the first time
this past summer and I enjoyed it but Em thought it was too long. She really enjoyed this version though as it
seemed quicker and more streamlined.
Can’t wait to get into it a little more and pick up some expansions.
Mysterium
Designer – Oleksandr Nevskiy/Oleg Sidorenko
Publisher – Libellud/Asmodee
New to me
First play – 1/10/16
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
This is a game that I have been waiting so long to try out
and finally the English version was announced and released this past year! We picked it up in late December and weren’t
able to get it right to the table. In
January however, we had a game night and learned this game and it was
awesome! I really enjoyed our play and
look forward to trying this with more people!
Nyet!
Designer – Stefan Dorra
Publisher – IELLO
New to me
First play – 1/10/16
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
This is a nifty little trick-taking game with absolutely
beautiful art from IELLO. I love a good
card game and this is definitely a good card game! As much as I enjoy Diamonds, I think I enjoy
this one just a little bit more with its clever Nyet! phase where you choose
who goes first, trump, points, and other things. Then you move to the trick-taking phase. It’s a very cool game.
Snow Tails
Designer – Gordon Lamont/Fraser Lamont
Publisher – Renegade Game Studios/Fragor Games
Last play before January 2016 – 12/28/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
We have a little bit of a snowstorm here on the East Coast
this past month and during it Em decided she wanted to play this game because
of the snow. Yeah, she is awesome! Oh, and I really like how this is a racing
game that uses card mechanics, it is a really fun game.
Taste of Poland
Designer – Violetta Kijowska/Marcin Senior Ropka
Publisher – Bomba Games
Last play before January 2016 – 12/14/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
This is a hand management game with a bit of a speed element
that was released at Essen Spiel this past year. It is a fun game with beautiful artwork of
different Polish dishes. We enjoy taking
this game to our Wednesday coffee dates.
Tokaido
Designer – Antoine Bauza
Publisher – Funforge
Last play before January 2016 – 9/26/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
Em wanted to play a round of Tokaido this month and I was
all about it! She was also excited to
use her new Totoro meeples from Meeple Source.
I was able to win this round…yay souvenirs!
Viceroy
Designer – Yuri Zhuravlev
Publisher – Mayday Games/Hobby World
Last play before January 2016 – 11/8/15
Total plays in January 2016 – 1
This game has been a huge hit in our house ever since we got
our Kickstarter pedge in the mail. We
love the card play, the blind bidding, and the tableau-building. It is a very fun game that we very much enjoy
every minute of.
And there you go.
Here are a whole bunch of games that we were able to get to the table in
January. Many of these games were first
times and thus I can’t wait until we are able to get them to the table
again. There are so many great games
here and so many more out there that we may get in the future. Here are the new games that we added to the
collection in January.
New acquisitions in January 2016:
Fields of Arle
Land 6
Magic: The Gathering: Arena of the Planeswalkers
As always, thanks so much for reading and stay tuned for
more post coming soon. I am going to
continue with my “End of 2015” series and the next one will be my “awards”
for the year. Feel free to leave me any
questions or comments below or hit me up on BoardGameGeek. Until next
time, game on!
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