It's a wonderful event, mainly because of the great people who attend. But also because of the great games you get to play, and that's what we'll focus on here.
The games I played are sorted here into four separate lists -- one for the brand new games I played, one for games new to me (but published some time ago), one for all the games I played in alphabetical order, and one for all the games I played in chronological order.
Recently Published Games Played (Alphabetical Order)
- Age of Steam
Four players took part in this railroad-building game designed by Martin Wallace and published by Warfrog. Players compete to build rail networks that are then used to ship goods. You earn income by using your rail network to ship goods to the cities that want that kind of supply. Along the way, you have to borrow money from investors, build track, collect income, and pay expenses. Our final scores were 95-78-54-48, but it felt much closer than that. Age of Steam rates 4 out of 5.
- Alhambra
This is an interesting tile-laying, city-building game in which you have to decide each turn whether to buy a piece to add to your city or collect more money for future purchases. Players score for having a majority in any of the kinds of tile, and for their longest city wall. I only played once, and it was the very first game I played when I arrived. The final scores in our five player game were 98-78-75-72-63. Alhambra rates 3.5 out of 5.
- Amun-Re
As it is Reiner Knizia's latest "big" game, many gamers eagerly anticipated Amun-Re. Most seemed to feel that it's a very good game, but a bit short of spectacular. (And if that sounds like a criticism, it's not meant to be.) Cloaked with an Egyptian theme, the game offers numerous ways to score and a fascinating mechanic that revolves around making a sacrifice to Amun-Re from your cash. I jumped out to a lead after round one, but finished fourth in a five-player game when the final scoring took place after round two. Amun-Re is an excellent strategy game, and it rates 4 out of 5.
- Balloon Cup
This is a two-player game published by Kosmos and designed by Stephen Glenn. There are five colors of hot air balloons, and the goal is to be the first to win three of them. You win a balloon by collecting enough wooden cubes of the appropriate color (e.g. 3 for gray, 4 for blue, etc.), which in turn is done by playing the right cards. In some cases, the highest total wins cubes; in other, it's the lowest total. You can play cards to your total or your opponent's total, so there's plenty of opportunity for mischief. My first game was against Stephen, and he defeated me 3-1. Although some players found it a bit abstract, I expect my wife and I to play this one a lot. Balloon Cup rates 4.5 out of 5.
- Bean Trader
The Bohnanza board game. Although it seemed to generate mixed reactions, I had a good time playing. Players must produce beans, deliver them to the cities that need them, use their profits to buy more beans, and repeat. Mix in the core elements of Bohnanza (trading and negotiating with other players, and keeping your hand in the proper order), and it's definitely a game worth trying out if you enjoy Bonhanza. Bean Trader rates 3 out of 5.
