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January is a great time for gamers. We're still basking n the glow of any games received as Christmas gifts, and game companies are busy announcing their releases for the New Year. Two of the biggest sources for news are the Nürnberg Toy Fair, which opens in Germany at the end of January, and the American International Toy Fair in New York City, which opens in mid-February.
Nürnberg Toy Fair 2003
The Nürnberg Toy Fair is one of Germany's two most significant events for gamers; the other is Essen, which takes place annually in the fall. Every year, Nürnberg is the cause of a lot of buzz for upcoming games and this year's no exception.
Remember that most of these games will only be available at the Nürnberg Toy Fair in prototype form -- few, if any, will be in published form. And Rio Grande Games will be publishing English editions of many of these games.
Here's a quick look at some of the games that are most intriguing to me right now (previews of many are available from the About Board Games News page):
Ice Age (Eiszeit in German) by Alan R. Moon and Aaron Weissblum. I love the design team, and the game's being published by Alea -- which probably has the best track record of any single company in the business. (And I'm Norwegian, so there's a natural attraction to ice-anything.) Moon and Weissblum also have several other games coming out including New England, Stop It, Europa Tour, and King's Breakfast. And Moon worked with Bruno Faidutti on the game De l'Orc pour les Braves, which mixes elements of Pit with more strategic considerations.
Amun Re by Reiner Knizia. A big-box strategy game from Knizia. Many people will purchase it based on that alone, and I can't argue with their logic. If you like the ancient Egypt theme, so much the better.
Clans by Leo Colovini. If you've ever played Top Secret Spies, it should be pretty easy to know whether or not you'll like this one. Not that the games are the same, but the core mechanism is. You are trying to advance your clan's position in the game without letting other players figure out which clan you are. Colovini also designed Cartagena, a pirate-themed race game which I quite enjoy.
Bean Trader by Uwe Rosenberg. The card game Bohnanza moves to a board. I get the feeling that if you like Bohnanza, you'll like Bean Trader. If not, you should probably pass -- or at least play before buying.
Polterdice by Spartaco Albertarelli. The name is perfect. And the game is based on the Sid Sackson classic Can't Stop, so it would be hard to go wrong there. Based on the descriptions I've seen (Can't Stop in a haunted house with some new twists -- 1s are "bravery" and 12s are "fear"), this is one I'll definitely be adding to my collection.
Paris, Paris by Michael Schact. I'll admit that the theme -- tourists visiting Paris; the players own businesses in Paris -- doesn't do much for me. But Schact designed Web of Power, which I love, and Don, which I think is very clever, so I'm inclined to think it's a good game.
Richelieu und die Königin also by Michael Schact. The name translates to "Richelieu and the Queen" and it's part of a new two-player line of games published by Ravensburger. Good new two-player games always interest me, so I'll be looking at this one.
Bakerstreet by Marcel-André Casasola-Merkle. Another two-player game from Ravensburger, and this one -- judging from the name alone -- looks to have a Sherlock Holmes theme, which also appeals to me.
Balloon Cup by Stephen Glenn. This is the newest game in the Kosmos series of two-player games, a series of games which has been consistently great. The theme of this one is hot air ballooning.
American International Toy Fair 2003
I'm heading to the American International Toy Fair in New York City on February 16. The word I'm getting from some retailer friends is that this year's show is expected to generate some nice news, so we'll see what's up. Look for a report on this site late February 16 or very early February 17 -- assuming I can stay awake to write it after driving back home. (The AITF runs through February 19, but I'm driving up and back just for Sunday.)
Games I'm Playing
We're heading to Tom and Dana's today with bags packed full of games for a full day of gaming. Scheduled start time - noon. Anticipated finish - midnight. That's 12 hours of gaming, minus a little time for meals and to entertain Tom and Dana's toddler Chloe. Is there a better way to spend a Saturday?
Boardgame Top Picks List of the Week
I have a feeling that this list will change with all the games he has coming out this year, but here are my picks for the best games designed by Alan R. Moon.
From Andrew Smith:
Board Games Survivor Island Update
The game is over, but we're already making plans for the next one. Help us set the ground rules.
Boardgames Poll of the Week
Which of these upcoming games by Alan R. Moon are you most looking forward to?
Last Week's Poll Results
How many players do you most often play games with (including yourself)?
It's never too late to add your vote!
About Something Else Site of the Week
One of the things I've never done that I really want to do is play a game of paintball. Maybe I'll get one in this summer. If I do, I'll be referring to About.com's Paintball Guide John Amodea's Ten Tips for the First Timer.
Green Bay Packers Notes of the Week
Not much Packers new this week, what with that football game in San Diego going on without them. I was rooting for the Eagles and the Titans last week, so I'll be spending most of my time during the Super Bowl rooting for great commercials. That said, there's no way I can pull for the Buccaneers, at least as long as they employ Warren Sapp. So I'm rooting for the Raiders by default, and predicting a win for the silver and black.
Prediction: Raiders, 24; Buccaneers 20
Other Off-Topic Thoughts of the Week
My pick: Frederique is the Mole... Approximately three-quarters of the contestants on American Idol have no business singing in public... Airing Alias after the Super Bowl is a great choice... I'm looking forward to the new Dragnet because Dick Wolf is involved with it, but watching Al Bundy play Joe Friday will take some time to get used to...
What's That You Say?
Talk back to SMG in the About Board Games Forum.
--Erik Arneson
25 January 2003
About Board Games Forum Post of the Week
What do you think is the best two-player board game?
It's a simple question. Post your response in the About Board Games Forum.
Vote now!
