Alan R. Moon
Beverly, Massachusetts, USA
Freelance Game Designer

Liar's Dice

You'll never have more fun with a bunch of dice than with this game. I've played several hundred games over the last seven years and I'm always ready to play more. Sometimes I feel like I can do nothing wrong and I have the game completely mastered. Other times, I'm out of dice so fast I wonder how I ever played well.

Last year I played eight straight games in a tournament, and I could have easily played another eight. While you are playing, you never think about about the basic mechanism just being an enhancement of the rock-paper-scissors system, but it is. I love that there are basic strategies to follow and any one of them can lead to victory. I also love it that the game as well as your opponents often force you to try and change your natural style of play. Although in the end, changing from a conservative style of play to an aggressive style or visa versa is tough because while people can change, that change is never easy. Psychology in action. The ultimate victory is to reach the first space in the dining room with no cards. I've never done it but I have seen it done once.

This game is the least respected of Klaus Teuber's four Spiel Des Jahres winners by most people, but it is a great game. Equally good for 2, 3, or 4 people. The basic mechanic of the game is simply lay one tile each turn, but the strategy and tactics of the game are totally intriguing. I get that knot of good tension in my stomach every time I play. I always tell people playing for the first time to forget about trying to save their 5-point Building. But despite my own advice, I often stupidly try to save mine. The best game ever had the winner with 2 points!

Easily still Wolfgang Kramer's best game. Don't let people tell you it's nothing but luck. There are certainly luck elements, but the strategies are numerous and subtle. Great with 2, 3, or 4.

Another game that forces you to play against the system as well as the other players. If everyone is paying a lot, you have to pay a lot. If everyone is being conservative, you have to be conservative. Choosing the right card to play, which seems easy, is often the key to winning. Best with 3 or 4.

Desert Island Board Games Index