Saturday Morning Gamer

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24 May 2003

Simultaneous Movement Design Competition

The finalists in the 2003 Simultaneous Movement Board Game Design Competition have been announced. Our team of judges narrowed the 50-plus entries to 14 finalists for the 2003 Simultaneous Movement Board Game Design Competition. There are 12 designers represented, from five different countries and six different states.

The winner of the competition should be announced in about a week, and the complete rules for all 14 finalists will be posted to this site in the near future.

The competition is sponsored by About.com Board Games and Abstract Games Magazine.

Fresh Spiel - The Journeys of Paul

There are few strategy games with a Biblical theme, but one recent one is The Journeys of Paul. For 1 to 6 players, ages 10 and up, this game takes players back to the Roman Empire of 60 AD. Each player is a missionary who, like Paul, travels through the empire trying to start churches in key cities. The game simulates the difficulties and challenges comfronted by Paul and his companions. The historically accurate and attractive map is centered on the Mediterranean Sea. The Journeys of Paul isn't a "preachy" game -- one review at BoardGameGeek called it "strong on playability with the religious elements present but not blatant."

Fresh Spiel - Bin'Fa

In English, "Bin'Fa" means "the Tao, or way, of war." Bin'Fa is an abstract strategy game for 2 to 6 players, ages 12 and up. Each player controls an army; the goal is to surround (and thus eliminate) your opponents' armies. Luck mixes with strategy and tactics in Bin'Fa, which comes with six dozen painted wood disks (the armies), a roll-out mat for the board, a couple dozen plain wood disks, about a dozen wood triangles, six pawns, and two dice. In a review in The Games Journal, Mitchell Thomashow raves, "Bin'Fa gameplay is first rate." If you're at all interested in abstract games like Backgammon, Chess and Pente, take a look at Bin'Fa.

Fresh Spiel - Seven Deadly Sins

Seven Deadly Sins, published by Piranha Bros. in Australia, is an interesting-looking game for 2 to 7 players, ages 13 and up. 7DS challenges players to travel from Creation through seven "incarnations" to reach Nirvana. But to actually enter Nirvana, you must have 50 "mojo," which can be collected, bought, or stolen from other players. Spells can be cast to either help yourself or hinder your opponents. Although the basic mechanic is roll-and-move (a la Monopoly), there's more depth here. Luck certainly plays a big part in determining the winner, but it seems that the game was designed to be more light and fun in nature -- not a serious strategy game.

About Board Games Forum Post of the Week

From Erik Arneson:

Players use a combination of physics, geometry and physical skill to accumulate a high score while preventing their opponent from doing the same. Often, the best move involves direct confrontation -- forcefully removing your opponent's piece from the area you want to occupy. And occasionally, the best move involves as much raw strength as you can put into it.