Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Obligatory “What I Played In…” Post Part XIV: August 2016

Another month, another post of the month’s plays!  This one will tackle our gameplays from the month of August 2016.  This was a pretty good month for game acquisitions and new plays as we were able to pick up a couple of games from Gen Con as a buddy of mine grabbed them for us.  We also have a couple of a pre-orders that are pending and some other games that I’m looking forward to for the upcoming month…but that is for future Aaron to talk about.  Present Aaron will talk about our games played this past month.  Thanks for your time and enjoy the read!

Statistics:
Total plays in August 2016 – 71
Total unique games played in August 2016 – 33
New games played in August 2016 – 6
New games acquired in August 2016 – 6
New expansions acquired in August 2016 – 3
Most plays of a single game in August 2016 – 13

Würfel Bohnanza


Designer – Uwe Rosenberg
Publisher – AMIGO Spiele
Last play before August 2016 – 7/31/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 13

This game is quickly becoming a favorite filler, dice-roller for Em and I as we continue to get a bunch of plays in of it.  It is quick.  It is light.  It is simple.  It is small.  These all make for a perfect game to throw in a bag and take wherever you go so you can pull it out whenever you have a few minutes to roll some dice and harvest some beans.  We love this game and I wish it were more readily available so people could know how good it is!

Ticket to Ride (w/ Map Collection Volume 2 & Volume 5)




Designer – Alan R. Moon
Publisher – Days of Wonder
Last play before August 2016 – 7/17/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 9

Wow…we are really enjoying Ticket to Ride with the different Map Collection packs!  We were able to pick up Volume 2 (India & Switzerland) and Volume 5 (United Kingdom & Pennsylvania) and these are giving this game a ton of replayability for us!  I have a feeling that this game is going to make my top 10 list when we (hopefully) get them done in the next month or two!

FUSE


Designer – Kane Klenko
Publisher – Renegade Game Studios
Last play before August 2016 – 7/25/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 7

Is there any doubt at this point that FUSE is our favorite 10-minute filler game?  I’m not sure you’d want to vote against it at this point!  We have actually hit 76 logged plays of the game which puts it at our second-most played game in our collection, only behind the 84 logged plays of Red7.  We love FUSE and can’t wait to get Klenko’s new game, Covert, and try it out!

Bear Valley


Designer – Carl Chudyk
Publisher – Stronghold Games
New to me
First play – 8/27/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 3

This is my first boardgame contest win!  During Gen Con, there is a yearly “movement” called Gen Can’t where a bunch of people simply play games and post about them on the different social media outlets.  There are contests during this “un-convention” and I actually won this game during it!  I’ve been wanting to try this game and was now able to.  I’m happy to say that my wife and I enjoyed it!  It is a quick, push-your-luck game where you are laying cards down on the table in order to find your way back to your home base before being attacked by bears.  It is a pretty simple game and quite a bit of fun.

Onirim


Designer – Shadi Torbey              
Publisher – Z-Man Games
Last play before August 2016 – 1/31/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 3

I got in a few plays of Onirim this past month for GenCantSoloCon.  This is always a great solitaire gaming experience as it is quick and fun.  I lost my first two plays and had to keep playing until I won at least once!  Thankfully I was able to win on my third try.  I’d highly recommend this one to solitaire boardgame fans.

Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu


Designer – Chuck Yager (inspired by Matt Leacock)
Publisher – Z-Man Games
New to me
First play – 8/10/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 3

My buddy, Morgan, was at Gen Con this year and was able to pick up this game for us.  I unabashedly love the Cthulhu theme and was excited when I saw this game announced earlier this year.  At first I thought it was a joke but was glad to see that it wasn’t and was coming out at Gen Con.  Three games in already and we love the game!  It is based on Pandemic but has enough differences that I think that they can live in the same space with no problems.  It is a fun game with amazing board art!

The Grizzled (w/ At Your Orders!)



Designer – Fabien Riffaud/Juan Rodriguez
Publisher – Cool Mini Or Not
Last play before August 2016 – 7/27/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 2

I played a couple of solo rounds of The Grizzled this past month for GenCantSoloCon and found it to be quite an enjoyable experience.  It has a similar feel to the game but has pretty good mechanisms set up for the solitaire game.  I enjoyed the plays and would do it again.

New Bedford


Designer – Nathaniel Levan
Publisher – Dice Hate Me/Greater Than Games
Last play before August 2016 – 7/30/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 2

Here is another game that I played this month for GenCantSoloCon.  It has a pretty sweet solo variant that Levan has created.  He used the backs of the player boards to create four different “bot” captains which all play very differently.  It is slightly fiddly but the short play time more than makes up for that ever-so-slight drawback.  I really like this game and look forward to future plays!  This was definitely a Kickstarter win!

Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Rise of the Runelords


Designer – Mike Selinker/Chad Brown/Tanis O’Connor/Paul Peterson/Gaby Weidling
Publisher – Paizo Publishing
Last play before August 2016 – 1/16/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 2

Em and I finished up the fourth adventure deck this past month, Fortress of the Stone Giants.  We were able to pick up the last two decks in the adventure path and will probably finish them up sometime in the next few months as we are really enjoying our plays again!  I’m glad we came back to this game as it is always fun!  Go Merisiel and Kyra!

Potion Explosion


Designer – Stefano Castelli/Andrea Crespi/Lorenzo Silva
Publisher – Cool Mini Or Not/Horrible Games
New to me
First play – 8/10/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 2

This is another game that Morgan picked up for us at Gen Con 2016 while he was there for the festivities.  This is a super fun, pattern recognition game that plays like an analog version of Candy Crush or Bejeweled.  Em is very good at pattern recognition so I have yet to win…but I will eventually.  I think this was a very good pickup for us and for Cool Mini Or Not.

Red7


Designer – Carl Chudyk/Chris Cieslik
Publisher – Asmadi Games
Last play before August 2016 – 6/30/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 2

We got in a couple of plays of this wonderful card game this past month and Em kicked my butt!  We’ve hit over 80 total plays of this game and I fully expect we’ll be over 100 by the end of the year.  This is just one of those great games that we can throw in a bag and pull out anywhere.

Rhino Hero


Designer – Scott Frisco/Steven Strumpf
Publisher – HABA
Last play before August 2016 – 6/12/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 2

It had been a couple months since we’d played this wonderful dexterity game so we broke it out at a game night with our buddies Anna and Ross.  This is one of my favorite dexterity games.  I always like to say that this is Jenga if Jenga was good!  I’m glad we got to teach some new friends this fun game.

7 Wonders: Duel


Designer – Antoine Bauza/Bruno Cathala
Publisher – Repos Production/Asmodee
Last play before August 2016 – 7/2/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

Em and I got a play of this beautiful two-player card game and she took me out!  I thought I had her at one point but she ended up getting all the guilds (my fault) as I was trying to prevent her from getting a military victory.  This game is amazing and we can’t wait for the Pantheon expansion!

Artifacts, Inc.


Designer – Ryan Laukat
Publisher – Red Raven Games
Last play before August 2016 – 4/27/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

Em and I got a good play of this dice placement game and I was able to win.  I love Ryan’s artwork, it really helps to make this game’s theme a little better than just placing dice on cards.  This is a simple, fun game that doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn


Designer – Isaac Vega
Publisher – Plaid Hat Games
Last play before August 2016 – 6/8/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

Oh boy…I lost again!  Em took her pre-con deck, Aradel Summergaard and kicked the butt of my Brennen Blackcloud.  I know I could have done better with the cards I had, but I just wasn’t able to gain any board presence and she was easily able to sweep my board with Aradel’s great action spells.  I love this game and still can’t wait to get the new Leo and Victoria decks!

Baseball Highlights: 2045


Designer – Mike Fitzgerald
Publisher – Eagle-Gryphon Games
Last play before August 2016 – 6/5/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

This is another game that I picked to play for GenCantSoloCon and it was a great play!  I couldn’t get my deck started early so I was down 3 games to 1.  I was able to get some good free agents though and pulled of the victory with 3 straight wins!  I love this game and it is a fun solitaire experience as well!

The Big Book of Madness


Designer – Maxime Rambourg
Publisher – IELLO
Last play before August 2016 – 5/25/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

In a familiar turn of events, this is another GenCantSoloCon play.  I played with two characters and just wasn’t able to build the decks as well as I had hoped.  I actually did pretty well and made it to the final page of the book with a pretty good couple of decks but couldn’t finish off the final curse before the monster made it free to wreck havoc upon the academy!  I love this game…it is a great co-operative deck-builder.

Deep Space D-6


Designer – Tony Go
Publisher – Tau Leader Games
New to me
First play – 8/7/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

I printed this game for GenCantSoloCon’s print-and-play event and wasn’t disappointed at all by the decision!  This is a very simple dice rolling game where you are using the dice as crew members in order to defeat ships and other events that are happening to destroy your ship.  It was a very fun (and difficult!) gameplay and I actually want to look for the published version after my play.

Fields of Arle


Designer – Uwe Rosenberg
Publisher – Z-Man Games
Last play before August 2016 – 5/14/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

What this you say?  Another game played for GenCantSoloCon?  Yeah, I love this game!  This is an absolutely amazing game and it is just as good playing solo or with another player.   I just want to get more plays of it in!

Forbidden Island


Designer – Matt Leacock
Publisher – Gamewright
Last play in August 2016 – 3/12/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

I pulled out this game for GenCantSoloCon and tried it on nightmare level.  I was behind from the beginning and the island started sinking and it was only a matter of time until I lost.  It is a fun game that is pretty mean on the highest level.

Guilds of London


Designer – Tony Boydell
Publisher – Tasty Minstrel Games
New to me
First play – 8/14/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

We picked this game up and were able to play it once this past month.  I quite enjoyed the single play we had and I can’t wait to try it again!  The multi-use cards are amazing.  The only drawback of the game I can find is the icons but that is just something that will be easier with more plays.

Holmes: Sherlock & Mycroft


Designer – Diego Ibanez
Publisher – Devir/Devir Americas
Last play before August 2016 – 7/23/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

This game is a very fun two-player, worker-placement and set-collection game.  Imagine throwing the worker placement of Stone Age along with the set collection of a Trambahn or Lost Cities and you’ll have a basic idea of what this game is like.  My wife and I are really enjoying it and I look forward to more plays of it.

Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King


Designer – Alexander Pfister/Andreas Pelikan
Publisher – Lookout Games/Mayfair Games
Last play before August 2016 – 7/16/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

Oh yeah…another play of this year’s Kennerspiel des Jahres winner!  I think that this game was a well deserved winner this year and am glad I have a copy.  It is a smooth, well designed game that includes so many different ways of scoring that every game really feels different!  My wife and I dig this game and I don’t see it leaving my collection…ever!

Medieval Academy


Designer – Nicolas Poncin
Publisher – IELLO/Blue Cocker Games
New to me
First play – 8/20/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

Em and I got this game in a trade this past month and tried it out.  I can’t say that I was overly impressed by this one.  It is a nice, fairly simple card-drafting game with some interesting scoring involved.  It is a good game but at least at this point if I want a simple card-drafting game I would rather play Sushi Go Party! and if I want something heavier I’d rather play 7 Wonders.  It is solid but I’m not sure it will be staying in the collection.

Millennium Blades


Designer – D. Brad Talton, Jr.
Publisher – Level 99 Games
Last play before August 2016 – 6/28/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

Any time I get to play this game is a good time!  While I only have four plays of it so far it is rapidly rising up my list of top games as I think it is an absolutely amazing game of collectable card simulation.  This game is just a great time every single time Em and I break it out.

The Networks


Designer – Gil Hova
Publisher – Formal Ferret Games
Last play before August 2016 – 7/26/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

This is one of our newer games that we received from a highly successful Kickstarter campaign.  This game is a great card-drafting game where you are taking a crappy, cable-access, television studio and trying to gain the most viewers during the play.  The shows are parodies of current/nearly-current shows and they just add to the thematic experience.  I can’t wait to break this out with a larger group.

Oh My Goods!


Designer – Alexander Pfister
Publisher – Lookout Games/Mayfair Games
Last play before August 2016 – 6/15/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

We got this one to the table this past week and yeah…I lost to Em again!  She just seems to have this game down pat as she usually beats me in this one.  I got behind early this particular play and just wasn’t able to catch up.  It is a good thing that I really like this game because Em really tends to rail on me most of the time!

Patchwork


Designer – Uwe Rosenberg
Publisher – Lookout Games/Mayfair Games
Last play before August 2016 – 7/3/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

Yay!  I won against my beautiful wife in our monthly play of this two-player gem!  I don’t have much to say about Patchwork as it is a great game that we adore and it will never leave our collection.  Is there anything more awesome to say about a game?

Province


Designer – Samuel Strick
Publisher – Laboratory Games
Last play before August 2016 – 12/2/15
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

We took a break and had some pancakes at IHOP this past month and brought this super small worker placement/movement game with us.  We’ve definitely gotten our $5 worth out of this game and this time I was able to defeat Em!

The Ravens of Thri Sahashri


Designer – Kuro
Publisher – Osprey Games/Japon Brand
Last play before August 2016 – 7/22/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

This is a difficult game to explain and an absolute joy to play.  This is about as asymmetrical of an experience as you can get.  One player plays a puzzle while the other plays a bit of a deduction style and they meld into a game that I don’t think could be duplicated.  This is a great two-player game and I’d highly recommend it to those who play with that count often!

Roll for the Galaxy (w/ Ambition)



Designer – Thomas Lehmann/Wei-Hwa Huang
Publisher – Rio Grande Games
Last play before August 2016 – 6/22/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

To nobody’s surprise Em beat me up in our single play of this gem this past month.  I was looking back at the plays and much like Oh My Goods! this is one of those games that she really has down and tends to whip me in most of our plays.  Regardless of this, I love this game and always want to play more!

Samurai Spirit


Designer – Antoine Bauza
Publisher – Funforge
Last play before August 2016 – 12/16/15
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

I played a solitaire play of this great little co-operative game during GenCantSoloCon and was able to win my single play.  I’ve always really liked this game and think that it is a bit underrated or underappreciated.  That doesn’t matter though, I really like it!

Trambahn


Designer – Helmut Ohley
Publisher – Lookout Games/Mayfair Games
Last play before August 2016 – 5/11/16
Total plays in August 2016 – 1

Whew, we got in one play of this rummy-style game and wow did I ever do well!  I played a fairly quick style game but was still able to pull out 200 points even.  This is a great and highly recommended two-player game.  Understand though, it does rely on card draws thus giving it a bit of luck.  We love it and will always give people this recommendation if they want good two-player games.

Well, there are our gameplays for this past month.  Just below you’ll find the different game acquisitions that we obtained this past month.  We picked up some great ones!

New game acquisitions in August 2016:
Bear Valley
Guilds of London
Medieval Academy
Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu
Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Skull & Shackles Base Set
Potion Explosion

New expansion acquisitions in August 2016:
Rattle, Battle, Grab the Loot: Angry Ocean
Ticket to Ride Map Collection: Volume 2: India & Switzerland
Ticket to Ride Map Collection: Volume 5: United Kingdom & Pennsylvania

Well there you have it, another month of gaming in the books and so many wonderful games played.  Thanks so much for reading and I hope to see you back during the next post.  My goal is to get up our (mine and Em’s) top 10 lists either this month or in OctoberI’ll also be working on my Essen Spiel lists and my Kickstarter list for the year.  Stay tuned for some more gaming goodness!  Until next time, game on!

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