Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Obligatory “What I Played In…” Post Part XXXVIII: August 2018

Hey everyone, I’m back with this month’s games played!  This past month was quite a good month as I was able to go to Gen Con 2018 for a couple of days and thus able to pick up more stuff that I was interested in!  I was able to get in 78 plays of 28 different games and it was awesome!  Before we move on feel free to check out my 25x5 challenge post.


Okay, welcome back.  Now it’s time to head on to the main part of my post.  These are the different games that I had a chance to play during the month of August which included Gen Con!  Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoy!

Statistics:
Total plays in August 2018 – 78
Total unique games played in August 2018 – 28
New games played in August 2018 – 14
New games acquired in August 2018 – 9
New expansions acquired in August 2018 – 14
Most plays of a single game in August 2018 – 18



Designer – Carl Chudyk/Chris Cieslik
Publisher – Asmadi Games
Last play before August 2018 – 9/10/17
Total plays in August 2018 – 18

It had been a while since I’d last played this card game gem so I brought it with me and taught Steph how to plays.  We were able to get in a bunch of plays and she really enjoyed it so I figured I’ll bring it again!



Designer – Christopher Badell/Paul Bender/Adam Rebottaro
Publisher – Greater Than Games/Sentinel Comics
Last play before August 2018 – 7/14/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 17

Woot, another month in the books and another 17 plays of one of my favorite games.  This game remains as one of my favorite games of all time and I love every single play I get in.  I’ve finally been shipped the OblivAeon expansion so I can’t wait to start really digging in to the new content.



Designer – Emerson Matsuuchi
Publisher – Next Move Games/Plan B Games
New to me
First play – 8/4/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 5

This is one of the games that I picked up at Gen Con this year.  We were able to play it with a bunch of different people and play counts and I’m happy to say that I really like the game at all different counts.  This company so far has done a great job and can’t wait to see what they do next!



Designer – Liesbeth Bos
Publisher – HABA
New to me
First play – 8/7/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 4

Em had me pick this kids game from HABA while it was at Gen Con for our daughter.  We have played it a couple of times with her and she seems to enjoy it while her focus is actually on it.  I am still curious to see if she’ll grow into gamers like her mother and father or not so much!  Only time will tell.



Designer – Isaac Vega
Publisher – Plaid Hat Games
Last play before August 2018 – 6/27/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 2

While I was at Gen Con this year I was able to pick up the remaining four decks that we didn’t have yet and they just add some more replayability and awesome characters to the game.  I will always pick up the new decks for this game!



Designer – Mike Fitzgerald
Publisher – Eagle-Gryphon Games
Last play before August 2018 – 5/3/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 2

Em and I pulled this wonderful card game out this past month and played a couple rounds of it.  I was able to win the first one while she took over and beat me in the second series.  This is such a great game and I always enjoy playing it!



Designer – Gavan Brown/Matt Tolman/Martin Wallace
Publisher – Roxley
New to me
First play – 8/17/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 2

Josh picked this and Brass: Lancashire up from a Kickstarter by Roxley.  He and I learned the game and then we were able to play a round with Jeff a week later.  This game is absolutely amazing and I love the way you select your actions via cards.  I will always play this one and wouldn’t mind picking up a copy for myself!



Designer – Xavier Georges
Publisher – Quined Games
New to me
First play – 8/4/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 2

I was able to get in a demo of this fun little card game at Gen Con and immediately picked up a copy as it was pretty cheap and actually a lot of fun.  Later in the month I was able to teach Josh and Jeff how to play and I quite enjoy the auction style draft along with the tile placement.



Designer – Isaac Childres
Publisher – Cephalofair Games
Last play before August 2018 – 7/14/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 2

We were actually able to get in two plays of our campaign this past month which was really awesome!  I love the nights that Em, Josh, Dustin and myself are able to get together to troll through some dungeons, pick up loot and just have a fun time doing it!



Designer – Uwe Rosenberg
Publisher – Mayfair Games/Lookout Games
New to me
First play – 8/18/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 2

This was an Uwe game that I had never played before and I loved every minute of it.  This could possibly move up in my favorite Rosenberg games of all time.  I look forward to any plays I will get of this in the future and actually wanna play right now!



Designer – Brett Sobol/Seth Van Orden
Publisher – Nauvoo Games
New to me
First play – 8/7/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 2

This was another game on my Gen Con list and I was able to pre-order and pick it up at the convention.  This was a last minute decision and I’m glad I made it as it is a really good co-operative game.  We’ve had a blast every time we’ve played and I look forward to seeing what else they do with the game in time!



Designer – Scott Frisco/Steven Strumpf
Publisher – HABA
New to me
First play – 8/11/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 2

Here is another game that I picked up at the HABA booth at Gen Con.  We’ve owned Rhino Hero for many years and were really excited when this game was announced last year.  Finally we decided to pick it up and man is it ever fun!  While we enjoyed the original game, this game really kicks it up a notch and is a really fun dexterity game!



Designer – Ignacy Trzewiczek
Publisher – Portal Games
Last play before August 2018 – 9/26/15
Total play before August 2018 – 2

It has been a long time since my wife and I originally owned the Z-Man Games edition of this game.  I sold it off when the new Portal Games edition was announced and only now picked it up again and man am I ever happy that I did!  I forgot just how great this game is and was able to play it a couple times this past month to reaffirm my position on it!  I can’t wait to play another scenario!



Designer – Craig Van Ness/Jeff Van Ness
Publisher – Soaring Rhino
New to me
First play – 8/3/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 2

This is another Gen Con game that I was able to get my hands on during the convention.  I had a pretty good idea that I was going to buy it but still decided to do a demo when we hit their booth.  The designer, Craig Van Ness, was there and gave Josh and me a demo of the game.  We played a whole game and both of us had a ton of fun playing.  This is a great game and I hope it gets some love!



Designer – Kevin Riley
Publisher – Action Phase Games/Indie Boards & Cards
Last play before August 2018 – 6/15/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

I ended up pulling this game out and teaching Steph how to play.  We pulled out a new villain I got at Gen Con, Wraithmonger, and went against him.  Much like all of my plays of this game, we had an epic round!  We were able to win with only one turn left before the nameless would have destroyed us!  I love this game and want to play more!



Designer – Uwe Rosenberg
Publisher – Rio Grande Games/AMIGO
Last play before August 2018 – 7/16/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

Em, Steph, Zach and I pulled out this game one night after playing Charterstone and played through a round.  Em continues her winning streak in this game as she was able to win again.  This is still one of the best “deck of card” games that I have ever played!



Designer – Jamey Stegmaier
Publisher – Stonemaier Games
Last play before August 2018 – 6/10/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

We were able to pull out this game and play another round of this wonderful worker-placement/Legacy-style game.  I am continuing my winning ways as I was able to come from behind in this particular game and pull out the win.  We only have three games left so I’m interested to see where it is going!



Designer – Cédrick Chaboussit
Publisher – Ludonaute
Last play before August 2018 – 7/27/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

Em and I had some time after a longer game one night so we pulled out this smaller and quicker dice game and had a blast.  Em was able to pull out the win as she got some really good set-collections going on.



Designer – Andrew Fischer/Nathan Hajek
Publisher – Fantasy Flight Games
Last play before August 2018 – 2/24/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

This past month I was able to teach Em this game.  I quite enjoy this game and I’ve had a ton of fun each time I play.  I’m looking forward to the upcoming expansion as I just want more for the game!  Em really enjoyed the game as well and I’m looking forward to trying another scenario with her! 

Galaxy Runner (Unpublished Prototype)


Designer – Jesse Zimbauer/Danya Zimbauer
Publisher – Zimgamewerks
New to me
First Play – 8/4/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

This was a game that Josh, Ruthie and I went in to playtest during Gen Con.  It is a fairly large pick-up-and-deliver, space-themed game where you are trying to do a whole bunch of things in order to score points.  This game had a lot going on but often times to its detriment.  I would like to see the designer go back and streamline much of what is here because I think it may have the bones to be a good game but right now is contending with many more games that I’d play over it in a heartbeat.



Designer – Steve Nix
Publisher – Plaid Hat Games
New to me
First play – 8/3/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

This was another demo play that I was able to schedule into my busy couple of days at Gen Con 2018.  This is the next game in the Crossroads series following up on the hit Dead of Winter.  This one finds the players in space and seems like it will be a fun campaign style game with the Crossroads elements.  I look forward to trying it out some more.



Designer – Roberto Fraga/Yohan Lemonnier
Publisher – Devir Games
New to me
First play – 8/4/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

This game was the final demo I played before the dealer’s hall closed on Saturday of Gen Con 2018.  This was a quick, fun press-your-luck and take-that racing game.  The players take on the role of goblin drivers in the Warhammer 40k world and it is a pretty good dice-rolling and card game.  I was able to play with Roberto Fraga as well which was pretty cool!



Designer – Levi Mote
Publisher – Daily Magic Games
New to me
First play – 8/24/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

Josh got this game from a Kickstarter earlier this year and it shipped just after Gen Con.  We picked it up one game night and tried it out.  Man was I ever pleasantly surprised!  I know that Daily Magic Games does some really good stuff but this one even surprised me.  I really enjoyed our first play and look forward to more.  Plus, as a bonus, the artwork of The Miho is amazing!



Designer – Nigel Kennington/Sarah Kennington
Publisher – One Free Elephant
New to me
First play – 8/3/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

Josh and I had tickets to do the game playtesting area and hit it up on Friday afternoon of Gen Con 2018.  This is a small, two-player game that won an award for small games that can fit in an Altoids tin.  This is one of the best games I’ve ever playtested.  The game is quite deep and has some excellent strategy to it.  If you’re looking for a good two-player game you can carry with you then you may want to check this one out!



Designer – Isaac Vega
Publisher – Plaid Hat Games
New to me
First play – 8/3/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

While at the Plaid Hat Games booth at Gen Con 2018 I was able to get in a bunch of demos and this was one of them.  This was my favorite of the ones I was able to try.  It is a reimplement of Isaac’s prior game, City of Remnants and I had a blast with the demo.  This may be one I pick up when its released.



Designer – Gil Hova
Publisher – Formal Ferret Games
Last play before August 2018 – 8/26/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

Em, Molly, Dustin and I pulled this game out one night when they came over for some games and dessert and it was awesome!  We played with the new Executives expansion as I was able to pick that up during Gen Con.  The expansion makes this game even better than it was before as it adds more variability to the opening parts and assymetrical leader/TV station abilities as wel.

“Rally Boy” (Unpublished Prototype – Name Pending)


Designer – Josh Jacoby
Publisher – (unpublished)
Last play before August 2018 – 7/13/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

Josh brought his prototype to Gen Con for the guys to play and try it out.  He’s made some more tweaks to the game and I think it is starting to become more polished and ends up a little more entertaining each time.  Most of the development now would come in shortening the time and making sure the powers are somewhat balanced but I think it is getting pretty close to being done!



Designer – Adam Carlson/Josh Carlson
Publisher – Chip Theory Games
Last play before August 2018 – 4/13/18
Total plays in August 2018 – 1

Josh picked up his copy of this expansion while at Gen Con (mine should finally be here on Tuesday!) and we immediately broke it out to try the new content!  It was amazing!  This just reaffirms my position that this is in my top 3 games of all time and new content just makes it even better.  I look forward to trying out the other new expansions that make it a campaign as well.

New game acquisitions in August 2018:

New expansion acquisitions in August 2018:

Well there you have it!  Another month down in the books and so many new games tried out!  I had a great month with Gen Con and just playing some awesome games and I hope next month is even half as good!  Thanks so much for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoyed.  Until next time, game on!

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Obligatory 2018 25x5 Challenge Post Part VIII – August 2018

Another month has come and gone and it’s time to check in on my challenges for 2018!  Of the four that I’ve set for myself I’m doing quite well (or completed) three of them but the 25 different games played 5 different times isn’t going as well!  Enough preamble, let’s see what the numbers say!

2018 25x5 Challenge:

- Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn (2 plays in August, 6 total plays in 2018)
- Bärenpark (0 plays in August, 5 total plays in 2018)
- Baseball Highlights: 2045 (2 plays in August, 4 total plays in 2018)
- Broom Service (0 plays in August, 4 total plays in 2018)
- Champions of Midgard (0 plays in August, 2 total plays in 2018)

- Dinosaur Island (0 plays in August, 5 total plays in 2018)
- Dungeon Petz (0 plays in August, 1 total play in 2018)
- A Feast for Odin (0 plays in August, 2 total plays in 2018)
- Fields of Arle (0 plays in August, 1 total play in 2018)
- The Gallerist (0 plays in August, 1 total play in 2018)

- Great Western Trail (0 plays in August, 1 total play in 2018)
- Imperial Settlers (0 plays in August, 1 total play in 2018)
- Kitchen Rush (0 plays in August, 8 total plays in 2018)
- Mechs Vs. Minions (0 plays in August, 3 total plays in 2018)
- Millennium Blades (0 plays in August, 1 total play in 2018)

- Near and Far (0 plays in August, 1 total play in 2018)
- Roll for the Galaxy (0 plays in August, 4 total plays in 2018)
- Roll Player (0 plays in August, 3 total plays in 2018)
- Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Card Game (0 plays in August, 5 total plays in 2018)
- Seasons (0 plays in August, 1 total play in 2018)

- Spirit Island (0 plays in August, 4 total plays in 2018)
- Too Many Bones (1 play in August, 4 total plays in 2018)
- Via Nebula (0 plays in August, 5 total plays in 2018)
- Viceroy (0 plays in August, 3 total plays in 2018)
- Yokohama (0 plays in August, 2 total plays in 2018)

100 Unique Games Played in 2018 Challenge:

- 16 unique games played in August
- 111 total unique games played in 2018

500 Gameplays in 2018 Challenge:

- 78 gameplays in August
- 430 total gameplays in 2018

25 New-to-Me Games Played in 2018 Challenge:

- 14 new-to-me games played in August
- 43 total new-to-me games played in 2018

As you can see, Gen Con 2018 game me a ton of new-to-me plays thus bumping me way over my challenge in that area.  I’ve also completed the 100 unique games played during the year and still have a few months left!  I haven’t yet finished my goal of over 500 plays for the year but that should either be knocked off this month or the one after.  I am somewhat at the point that I doubt I’ll be able to hit my 25x5 goal but we’ll see!  Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed.  Until next time, game on!

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Obligatory “What I Played In…” Post Part XXXVII: July 2018

Hey all, I’m back with another installment of what games we played this past month.  We had a solid month of a bunch of games played but only one new one.  We ended up with 50 plays of 21 different games.  My next post will include the games played at Gen Con, but for now let’s see how this month went.  Before I move on to the main post, feel free to see how my 2018 challenges are going.


Alright, with that out of the way we can move on to the main portion of the post.  These are all of the different games that we played this past month so read on and I hope you enjoy!

Statistics:
Total plays in July 2018 – 50
Total unique games played in July 2018 – 21
New games played in July 2018 – 1
New games acquired in July 2018 – 1
New expansions acquired in July 2018 – 10
Most plays of a single game in July 2018 – 21



Designer – Christopher Badell/Paul Bender/Adam Rebottaro
Publisher – Greater Than Games/Sentinel Comics
Last play before July 2018 – 7/14/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 21

I was able to get in a ton of solo plays this past month since I didn’t get to do many multiplayer games.  I was able to hit just over 20 plays and it continues to be one of my favorite games of all times!  Now I’m just more excited as the expansion hit my door (although technically in August) and I will be able to play it soon!  Also, August will the month I probably hit 100 total plays of this fantastic, super replayable card game!



Designer – Alexey Konnov/Alexey Paltsev/Anatoliy Shklyarov
Publisher – Brain Games
Last play before July 2018 – 11/28/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 5

Steph and I got a little downtime at work this past month and we were able to pull this little card games out for a few plays.  This is one of those games I like to keep in a bag because it is super quick and easy to teach and a fun little distraction.



Designer – Alexander Pfister
Publisher – alea/Ravensburger
Last play before July 2018 – 6/13/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 2

Em and I pulled this game out this past month and played a couple rounds of it.  This is such a great game and I’m glad that we have it.  I will always play this game as I think it is one of those games that should get more love!



Designer – Cédrick Chaboussit
Publisher – Ludonaute
New to me
First play – 7/19/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 2

This was the only new game we played this past month and we really liked it!  I tried it for the first time with Em and then again about a week later with Josh and Jeff.  This is a fairly thinky little dice and card game that is pretty simple to teach and play.  I look forward to playing more of this one.



Designer – Chris Cantrell/Rick Ernst/Stone Librande/Prashant Saraswat/Nathan Tiras
Publisher – Riot Games
Last play before July 2018 – 3/30/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 2

Em and I pulled this game out one night when Josh came over and we were able to get in two different missions worth of play!  This is such a great game and it really solidifies it every time we get to play.  I am looking forward to going through more missions as we are really getting close to the end!



Designer – Matt Leacock/Rob Daviau
Publisher – Z-Man Games
Last play before July 2018 – 6/3/18
Total plays in July 2018 –2

We were able to play two months of this game with Dustin and Molly this past month and they were epic!  We have finally made it to the last month so we have either one or two games left before reaching the inevitable conclusion of this fantastic game.  I am looking forward to seeing how we end up doing!



Designer – Thomas Lehmann/Wei-Hwa Huang
Publisher – Rio Grande Games
Last play before July 2018 – 3/11/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 2

Em and I pulled this out this past month and played two rounds of it.  I ended up getting some awesome engines rolling (buh-dum-ching) and was able to pull out two victories against Em.  This isn’t normal as her dice-rolling is usually better, but I’ll take it wherever I get it!



Designer – Michael Kiesling
Publisher – Plan B Games/Next Move Games
Last play before July 2018 – 5/27/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

Em and I played this game with Josh this past month and it was a great round!  Josh and I ended up tying for the win but he was able to edge me out in the tie-breaker.  I love the simplicity of this game and how deep it still is!



Designer – Uwe Rosenberg
Publisher – Rio Grande Games/Amigo Spiele
Last play before July 2018 – 6/9/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

Mom and dad came into town this past month to spend a week with us and Fiona and it was great.  This is the game that we most commonly pull out and play with family and this was no different.  I love this card game and it still continues to be one of my favorite and one we pull out consistently!



Designer – Richard Garfield
Publisher – IELLO
Last play before July 2018 – 4/28/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

Em and I pulled this out and played with Josh this past month and I had quite the round!  I was able to get a really good combo together and score very well on the scroll cards that score at the end of the game.  I was happy to win this way as I’ve seen people win all different ways in this game!



Designer – Emerson Matsuuchi
Publisher – Plan B Games
Last play before July 2018 – 5/28/19
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

Em, Josh and I pulled this game out one night when he came over for gaming.  It was another epic round as Josh and I ended up only two points away from each other and I barely pulled out the win.  This is such a great game and I really want to try the new one as well.



Designer – Frank West
Publisher – The City of Games
Last play before July 2018 – 3/8/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

Josh pulled out this game one gamenight and taught Jeff how to play.  We played a great three player round and it was awesome!  We were able to complete the campaign/mission and win the round but didn’t have time to continue on to the higher levels.  I love this game and look forward to getting my own copy of it!



Designer – Jens Drögemüller/Helge Ostertag
Publisher – Z-Man Games
Last play before July 2018 – 3/14/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

I finally brought this game over to a gamenight and taught Josh and Jeff how to play.  They really enjoyed it and picked it up pretty quickly.  I know at least Josh is looking forward to trying it again now that he knows how to play.



Designer – Isaac Childres
Publisher – Cephalofair Games
Last play before July 2018 – 6/28/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

Dustin, Em, Josh and I were able to get in one play of this fantastic game this past month and we have hit about 25 plays and don’t really seem to be even scratching the surface!  I look forward to more plays and we hope to hit a few more next month.



Designer – Peer Sylvester
Publisher – Osprey Games
Last play before July 2018 – 2/10/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

Josh pulled this game out one gamenight that it was just the two of us and we were able to pull out the victory.  We did a good job in managing the deck and ended up winning.  This is a solid co-operative card game!



Designer – Vladimír Suchý
Publisher – Czech Games Edition
Last play before July 2018 – 3/16/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

Josh, Jeff and I played this game during a game night this past month and it was awesome!  This has become one of my favorite space-themed games and also games with dice drafting and action selection.  I love this game and look forward to more plays!



Designer – Keith Matejka
Publisher – Thunderworks Games
Last play before July 2018 – 4/13/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

Josh and I pulled this game out with Jeff and taught him the new expansion to it!  This is a great expansion for the base game and really adds more decision points to an already amazing game.  I look forward to more plays of this and more games in the universe!



Designer – Alan R. Moon
Publisher – Days of Wonder
Last play before July 2018 – 4/28/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

Em and I played this game with my parents when they were here for a week this past month and it was a blast.  We love every play of this game and my parents enjoy it as well.  I am looking forward to seeing what map pack they release next as I’m sure one is in the works.

Rally Boy” (Unpublished Prototype – Name Pending)


Designer – Josh Jacoby
Publisher – (unpublished)
Last play before July 2018 – 5/4/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

Josh pulled his prototype out again as he really wanted to get it ready before going to Gen Con.  We played a round with some new rules and he is really tightening it up.  I’m looking forward to how it continues to grow!



Designer – Martin Wallace
Publisher – Space Cowboys
Last play before July 2018 – 4/20/18
Total plays in July 2018 – 1

I pulled this game out one day when Steph came over to play some games.  This was a new game to her and she did a really good job in it.  I don’t remember the score but I’m pretty sure she was just barely behind me at the end of the game.



Designer – Hisashi Hayashi
Publisher – Tasty Minstrel Games/OKAZU Brand
Last play before July 2018 – 3/20/18
Total plays before July 2018 – 1

This is the second game that Steph and I played the one day she came over during the morning/afternoon to play.  She was new to this one as well and also did a great job picking up the concepts and just barely lost me to me.  I love the elegance of this game!

New game acquisitions in June 2018:

New expansion acquisitions in June 2018:

Woot!  And there we have it, another month in the books and ready to roll into another!  We played some really good stuff but I am fairly certain next month will be just as good since it will include plays from Gen Con!  I was also able to pick up a bunch of the expansions for Arkham Horror: The Card Game.  Thanks so much for reading this month and come back soon for more!  Until next time game on!