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Just four days away from Christmas, and we haven't sent out any Christmas cards yet. If you're reading this and you expect a card from us, please don't be offended!
Bermuda Games
Beth and I traveled to Bermuda recently, on our never-ending quest for great board games. (OK, really we were there for the pink sand beaches, the quaint charm of St. George's, and a relaxing getaway. But I did look for games.) We found only one that had a specific Bermudian theme:
21 December 2002
Unfortunately, fun theme aside, the game itself looked so bad that I couldn't bring myself to buy it. It's a roll-the-dice-and-move-along-the-track game, where you move however many spaces the die indicates and then do whatever the square you land on says. It looked to have about the same amount of skill involved as does Chutes and Ladders (which is precisely none).
Games I'm Playing
Over the past two weeks, alas, none. Although I brought a couple of games on vacation, we just never had the time to play them. (I spent what free time we did have reading The Bourne Identity. Great fast-paced spy/intrigue novel.)
But today, lots of games are on tap. We're visiting Tom and Dana again; Mark and Amy should be joining us as well. Games on the agenda include Survive! (we're going to sneak in a four-player game before Mark and Amy get there), Nodwick Hench Games, The Touch, Dragon's Gold, and Murder in the Abbey.
Games I Can See While Sitting At My Computer
There are no fewer than six games near my computer with an exclamation point in the name. I'm just not sure what that means. And, yes, with this many games near the computer I'm way overdue for a cleanup. (This list doesn't count the six or seven games currently on the fireplace mantle in our living room, or the two that I took down to the basement earlier today...)
- Blurt!, from Patch Products (a fast-paced, word-based party game)
- Clash of the Gladiators, from Rio Grande Games (gladiators compete to the death in a Roman arena)
- Fa$t $trategy, from Phoenix Entertainment (described as a family game of money, memory and chance)
- Go Goddess!, from Hasbro (a party game for women)
- Three for All!, from Patch Products (a new Tribond-related party game)
- Tiny Tins - Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!, from Patch Products (a game in a small tin; includes lots of plastic bugs)
- Tiny Tins - Dozen Dice Games, from Patch Products (includes dice and rules for a dozen games)
- Tiny Tins - Go Speed Go!, from Patch Products (a very simple car racing game)
- Tiny Tins - Roar! Roar! Dinosaur!, from Patch Products (lots of small plastic dinosaur figures)
- Tiny Tins - Spoons, from Patch Products (the public domain game Spoons packaged in a tin)
- Tony & Tino, from EuroGames (two brothers compete to be the new godfather)
Do you secretly (or not so secretly) enjoy the National Enquirer? Scandal Monger will reward your knowledge of public and private scandals.
About Board Games Forum Post of the Week
From Tom:
I bought a used copy of Ravensburger's Grand Prix (1998), but it did not come with any rules. I searched RB's sites and didn't find any rules available. Does anyone know where I can get a copy of the rules?Post your response in the About Board Games Forum.
Board Games Survivor Island Update
This week, Cosmic Encounter and Merchant of Venus finished in a tie -- but due to its lead in terms of previous votes, Cosmic Encounter was tossed into the ocean.
Boardgames Poll of the Week
Which of these games, the all-time best-selling top 5 at Funagain Games, is your favorite?
- Bohnanza
- Carcassonne
- Settlers of Catan
- Rage
- Lost Cities
Last Week's Poll Results
Which of these, the Top 5 Games With Most Session Reports at BoardgameGeek, is your favorite?
- Puerto Rico, 48%
- Liar's Dice, 26%
- Settlers of Catan, 19%
- 6 Nimmt!, 4%
- Ra, 4%
It's never too late to add your vote!
About Something Else Site of the Week
Seven plans for a new complex and memorial at the site of the World Trade Center in New York City have been unveiled. About.com's Architecture Guide, Jackie Craven, looks at all seven and asks for your opinion. I'm leaning toward the Foster Partners design, but the Think Team design also appeals to me, as does the submission from United Architects. The proposal that leaves me most dry is Peterson/Littenberg.
Green Bay Packers Notes of the Week
Congratulations to Marco Rivera, the first Packers offensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl in several decades.
Well, the Packers keep on winning, but so do the Eagles and the Bucs (with whom we're competing for home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs). So we'll need to win again this week, which (hopefully) shouldn't be too tough an assignment since it's a home game in December. But the Buffalo Bills are (1) a solid team fighting for a playoff berth and (2) no strangers to the cold weather themselves.
Prediction: Packers, 27; Bills, 20
Other Off-Topic Thoughts of the Week
The Two Towers is a wonderful film, quite different in content from The Fellowship of the Rings but just as enjoyable. The battle scenes are simply amazing, and the computer work done to bring Gollem to life is outstanding. Much to my shame, I've never read the books so these films are my introduction to The Lord of the Rings (apart from playing LotR board games!). Knowing that the novels will have even more depth to them, I look forward to reading them soon.
What's That You Say?
Talk back to SMG in the About Board Games Forum.
--Erik Arneson
