Jul
26
Ropecon 2010
Filed Under Bamboleo, Chateau Roquefort, Dixit, Eclipse, General, Hornet, Industrial Waste, Mole Hill, Ninety Nine, Notre Dame, Odin's Table, Power Struggle, Session, The Magic Labyrinth | 6 Comments
Ropecon was held last weekend in Otaniemi, Espoo (Finland). I’ve been participating in it for the last few years and was lucky to be able to show up this year also (lucky because we’re expecting a baby to pop up soon). Convention has originally been a place for roleplayers but nowadays there’s also a lot boardgaming and cardgaming going on from start to finish. This year Ropecon had asked Friedemann Freese as a guest of honor which meant that there was a couple of lectures by Friedemann as well as a lot of his games to be played.
In general I had a lot of fun and it was great to see all the buddies from the Finnish Boardgaming Society, who travel to cons and that’s the place where I can meet them regularly. Obviously I played a lot of games and here’s my thoughts on the ones I had not played before.
The Magic Labyrinth
First game of the con and a game that has just been published in Finnish. I didn’t know anything about the game and was pleasantly surprised. Memory game with a cool gimmick definitely works with children and adults alike and should be fun to play with the family. This is the sort of game for children which I enjoy and appreciate.
Hornet
Hornet is an interesting game which has been in works for a long time. I actually played the prototype of the game last year in Ropecon and was glad that the was finally out. I also had just made an interview with the designers of the game, had great time interviewing and obviously my expectations were high. I got to play the game 2 times; first on Friday night with Friedemann and two friends from the Society and second time on Saturday with one listener of my podcast and his buddies.
Hornet with Friedemann Friese and gaming buddies @ Ropecon
There’s a lot of good things in Hornet and I especially like the art. Mechanics are also sound and typically I’m a sucker for area control games which is one of the main mechanisms of Hornet. The second major mechanism is revealing action card simultaneously which adds bluffing to the game. This is the part of the game I’m not too fond of while it makes the game unpredictable but probably fun with families. Modular game board and scoring which is different each time are bonuses which add to the replay value of the game.
While I think Hornet is a solid design I still feel that there’s something missing from it; it could feel a tad more unique. Hornet is an ok game but unfortunately not much more in my books.
Eclipse (prototype)
I had played the game before the con but as Eclipse is not a published game there had been some changes in the game since I had played it. Eclipse is a space exploration and management game which reminds me of one of the best PC games Master of Orion. Each player controls a race which sets out to the galaxy. Players explore and colonize the galaxy, fight against aliens and themselves and research new technologies which enable them to be more efficient in managing their galactic empire. I think Eclipse is the most promising proto I’ve seen in the Finnish circles and I truly hope that it finds a publisher even though it’s definitely not the easiest game to sell to a publisher.
Our game had 6 players which meant that it was epic in scale and playing time. I enjoyed the game and felt satisfied regardless of the fact that I did not win the game. Epic in a good way for me is that you’ve played a long game after which you still feel that you’ve accomplished something and want to give the game another go. Eclipse with 6 players did it for me.
Rules explanation for Eclipse @ Ropecon
Mole Hill
I played the new(ish) edition with a pencil case look and must say that I liked the production quality of the game. Otherwise Mole Hill is a filler Knizia abstract. It’s simple and elegant but not as compelling as the best Knizia abstracts on the market. I’d gladly play the game again but feel no need to purchase it.
Industrial Waste
Clever and simple optimization game with solid mechanisms and a theme which fits the mechanisms. We played with three and I would have liked to have a fourth player to bring more competition to the game. I also feel that a few plays more would be in place to access the game better but my initial reactions were positive.
Ninety Nine
A card game by David Parlett which is played either with 36 card deck (three players) or 52 card deck (with 4 players). We played the game right after enjoying pizzas at the convention restaurant. 99 is a trick taking game in which players first bid the number of tricks they try to win using three cards of those they were dealt. Then players may reveal their bid or play with open cards to increase the points they get (or lose) and finally players play the ten tricks to see who got it right and who scores the most points for the round. Clever trick taking game which is playable with normal 52 card French deck – there’s never to many of those.
Odin’s Table
Before I go to the game itself I have to say that I hate it when designers are giving a 10 rating in the BGG for a game they’ve designed. 10 rating goes without saying but are you not a little bit biased to give the game a rating? I say yes and you shouldn’t do it since it just looks bad!
The game itself is a mix of two player abstract strategy, bluffing and card counting in a rather fast forward baggage. The board of the game is a 5 x 6 grid and the object of the game is to move three of your markers to opponents end of the board. On your turn you move one of your markers one space and if you end up in a same spot with the opponent where’s going to be a fight. Fighting introduces the bluffing part of the game because each column of the grid has a hidden card (cards rank from 0 to 9 and both players have similar decks) attached to it from both players. Defender reveals the card of the column where his marker currently is and attacker reveals card of the column where his marker came from, they are simultaneously flipped and the player who has higher card wins the battle (in case of a tie the attacker wins the battle) and removes marker of the defeated player from the board.
Image by Matti Jokihaara / BGG
I normally like two player abstracts but the games I tend to play don’t have as high luck factor as Odin’s Table. I felt that the game is too random for my taste and in order to somehow mediate randomness I should have counted the cards which would have taken away the little fun I had with the game. There’s bluffing of some sorts involved in the game and those who like bluffing games will probably enjoy Odin’s Table and as a short filler I could play it again a few times. Unfortunately there’s such a huge variety of more interesting games to play that I fear I won’t find Odin’s Table on my table anytime soon.
Bamboleo
Bamboleo was just published in Finland and it looked extremely cool. In this abstract players take pieces from a wooden disc which stands on a not so well balanced stick. Players get points for the pieces they’ve removed from the disc and round ends when disc and remaining pieces fall from. Not the best dexterity game there is but looks gorgeous and is definitely fun to play.
Chateau Roquefort
I’ve wanted to try this game out for a while and now I had the chance to do so. Chateau is a game where players try to find cheese from a castle with their mice. Gorgeous components combined with a fun theme and solid mechanics form a good children’s game (for a little bit older children) which is also fun for the adults.
Games I played which I had played before
- Dixit (excellent game with 5-6 players, otherwise a good game)
- Notre Dame (excellent game with any number of players)
- Power Struggle (I love the game but it should be played with at least 4 players)
Conclusion
Lots of games, lots of fun. I hope I’ll be able to participate next year but with the new challenges I’m facing I can’t be sure of that.
Jul
18
Lautapelisuomi-podcast jakso 25
Filed Under General, Lautapelisuomi, Podcast | Leave a Comment
Tässä Lautapelisuomen jaksossa:
Uutiset
Lautapelisuomen kilpailun päättäminen
Voittajaksi selviytyi Heikki Niittylä. Kiitos kaikille vastaajille sekä Onni Gamesille palkinnosta
Haastattelu Hornet
Haastateltavana veljekset Moliis, jotka ovat suunnitelleet syksyllä Lautapelit.fi:n toimesta ilmestyvän Hornet -pelin. Käymme läpi veljesten pelihistoriaa sekä erilaisia Hornetin syntyyn vaikuttaneita tapahtumia ja vaiheita.
Haastattelu Toscana
Haastateltavana Paul Laane, joka on pelin suunnittelija. Aiheina haastateltavan pelimenneisyys, Toscanan syntyvaiheet sekä lopuksi myös muutama sana Hornetin grafiikan suunnittelusta, jonka Paul on myös tehnyt.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Jun
15
Gaming at Competo: Tori, Savannah Tails and Hotel Samoa
Filed Under General, Hotel Samoa, Savannah Tails, Session, Tori | Leave a Comment
The annual gathering at Finnish game publisher Competo was held last weekend. Competo is a pioneer of hobby games in Finland and they have been active in publishing Finnish designs in recent years. The members of the Finnish Board Game Society have been invited once a year to play games and this time we had very good roster of games to pick from; Finnish designs Tori and Toscana as well as some other new releases which are not yet published in Finland.
Events are also a meeting point for board game enthusiasts and there’s interesting discussions going on in sauna between the games. This year was no different and we had long and deep conversations on the current situation of the industry in Finland. You can always play games but there’s seldom time to meet the people and chat with them these days.
Image by Kimmo Sorsamo
Obviously I also got some games in. The first game I played was Tori, which is a brand new 2010 release from Competo and designer Kimmo Sorsamo. I’ve already know the game pretty well since I took part in the design process but I enjoy the game nevertheless. Tori is a game of hand management and area control where players expand their businesses in the main market place of Helsinki during the 1952 Olympics and gain points by doing so. There’s lot of interaction in the game while players try to block each other and typically games tend to be tight. Ours was not different and it ended in 12-11-11-3 situation after we had revealed our secret point cards. Unfortunately I did not have 12 points…
Image by Fraser Lamont
After sauna I sat to play Savannah Tails which is a sequel to 2008 hit Snow Tails which I played and thought it as a good design but not much more. Savannah Tails is a card driven racing game which is even lighter than it’s predecessor. It’s quick and easy to teach and play but I felt that it didn’t have the depth nor the re-playability value I wish for a game. Definitely a solid game to introduce to non-gamers but there’s a myriad of better games out there even in the racing game category.
Image by Jonny de Vries
The last game of the night was Hotel Samoa which is a 2010 release Huch & Friends. I have to admit that I had probably taken a beer to mush to really understand the subtle nuances of the game and made it easy for the others to beat me in the game. But I did not like the game too much even though it’s been produced with care, there’s some interesting mechanics and it’s definitely playable with non-gamers. In it’s core Hotel Samoa is just a light blind bidding game and I just don’t enjoy these games too much.
It was a very enjoyable Saturday night with games and games related stuff and hopefully I’ll be able to participate event also next year!
Mar
17
Lautapelinurkka – World Without End
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Lautapelinurkan tuoreessa jaksossa esitellään Kosmoksen/Mayfairin julkaisema World Without End, joka on Taivaan pilareiden jatko-osa. Jaksosta selviää kuinka paljon peli muistuttaa edeltäjäänsä ja onko peli muutoinkaan mistään kotoisin.
http://www.vimeo.com/10208773Toivottavasti koet videon hyödylliseksi ja otan mielelläni vastaan palautetta videoihin liityen.
Mar
12
Lautapelisuomi podcast – jakso 23
Filed Under General, Lautapelisuomi, Podcast | 1 Comment
Lautapelisuomi palaa ääneen pitkähkön tauon jälkeen.
Uutiset
Maininta Jycon -lautapelitapahtumasta maaliskuun lopussa.
Lautapelaamisen SM-turnaus toukokuun lopussa.
Competon kaksi suomalaisten suunnittelijoiden uutuuspeliä, jotka julkaistaan kesällä 2010.
Lautapelioppaan keskusteluhetki
Käyn läpi ajankohtaisia lautapeliaiheita Lautapelioppaan toisen toimittajan Hannu “OpettajaH” Sinisalon kanssa. Puhumme muun muassa Factory Managerista, Peloponnesista sekä Power Strugglesta. Ehdimme myös käsitellä tukun muita aiheitä tässä noin 20 minuutin mittaisessa pätkässä.
Lautapelisuomen kilpailu
Lautapelisuomen uudessa kilpailussa arvuutellaan sitä, mihin peliin jaksossa lausumani teemateksti oikein sopii. Tehtäväsi on arvata oikea peli kuun viimeiseen päivään mennessä. Oikein vastanneiden kesken arvotaan pääpalkinnoksi yksi vapaavalintainen peli Competon tuotevalikoimasta kotiin kuljetettuna.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Jan
24
We played Adv Civ during the Christmas holidays and had fun. We also had a photographer with us who took a awesome picture of one of us playing.
Image by Sonja Tolvanen
Jan
20
Lautapelinurkka – Soul Hunters
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Lautapelinurkan jaksossa käsitellään Ville Hankipohjan suunnittelemaa ja Tuonela Productionsin julkaisemaa korttipeliä Soul Hunters.
http://www.vimeo.com/8858512Jan
13
Lautapelinurkka – Dominion
Filed Under General, Lautapelinurkka | 3 Comments
Lautapelinurkka on muuttunut videolähetykseksi ja sitä julkaistaan nykyisin Lautapelioppaassa.
Tästedes yritän kuitenkin saada jakson näkymään myös täällä.
http://www.vimeo.com/8746425Nov
3
Session report: Last Train to Wensleydale and Genial Card Game
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We had again weekly session at Nokia Board Game Club and we got to play some pretty decent games. First we played Martin Wallace’s latest work Last Train to Wensleydale which is one of the Treefrog line and has all wooden components. Game is all about transporting goods and people with trains and building your railroad network in a euroish way.
Image from BGG by James Hamilton
I had played the game twice before and had a feel for the game. There were three of us playing which was something different compared to the games I had played before and the game was also very different with three; there were a lot more space and collecting goods was far more easy. Game also took a lot longer since with three the game takes one round longer than with four.
I have to say that I really enjoy Last Train to Wensleydale. There’s some clever mechanics and especially the selling railroads to bigger game directed companies is interesting element in the game. The only complain I have with the game is that it looks ugly. The board is just hideous even though it might have been done in purpose; there must have been a way to create a better looking board.
Image from BGG by Werner Baer
Second game we had time to play was Genial Card Game which I bought few weeks ago from Lautapelit.fi with 2 euro and game offers bang for the buck. There’s several games that have exploited the Genial brand and most of the games are totally obsolete but Genial Card Game has the feel on original Genial and is unique. It’s fast, easy and has the same elements as it’s big brother but there’s some special rules with the scoring and obviously cards play much different than tiles even though there’s luck involved with both. If you’re looking for a good filler and like Genial here’s a good game for you.
Oct
14
Night of Finnish card games
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It’s been a long time since the last entry -I apologize. I’ve played games but most of the gaming has happened online so there’s really not that much to report on.
Thus it was fun to have some friends over and play games; especially because I just received fall lineup for Tuonela Productions to review. They have three new card games which all look promising after quick glance on the rules.
We began the night with Politix while one of my friends is active in the field and we always get laughs out of it. Politix is a decent game; it’s quick to play, one gets table talk out of it and there’s even some depth and tactics in it. Obviously it’s nothing for the die hards of gamers games but I rather like it and I’m willing to play it at least with friends who I know will like the game and the theme.
Image from BGG by Touko Tahkokallio
I ended up the the left wing of the political map with Päivi and we squeezed I quite easy win over the right wing. Rightist forgot to secure voters from farmers fraction and lost the election handsomely.
Image from BGG by Daniel Danzer
The second game of the night was Tuonela’s and Ville Hankipohja’s Soul Hunters. Soul Hunters is a card game where players play events and soul hunters on the table to gather negative or positive influence. Influence is used to capture free souls by the players and the one who has captured the most when the game ends wins the game.
There’s a lot of different cards in the games and there’s definitely several paths to play the game and in my opinion that makes Soul Hunters interesting. In our game more choices unfortunately meant also more playing time and more down time for the players. Reading all the cards and trying to figure out how and when to use them is hard especially is any of the players is declined to AP.
Image from BGG by Daniel Danzer
The best part of the game is graphics which I really enjoyed. There’s different groups of soul hunters in the play and every group is easily recognizable because of the color scheme in the cards and also because of the pictures. It’s also extremely fun to table God to gather souls for you when the other players have devils and cultists and even aliens on the table.
Soul Hunters appears to be interesting game and I’m keen on testing it more. If playing time can be reduced to the 60 minutes stated in the box, Soul Hunters is a winner but if 4 player game takes more than 2 hours then there’s not enough content in the game.