ISSUE 423 -MAY 2011 ISSN 0257-361X Volume 35

THE GAMES JOURNAL www.gamesjournal.at

INTERNATIONAL EDITION: IN THIS ISSUE WE PRESENT 58 GAMES OUR REPORT u INDUSTRY

TYCOON IN 5 EPOCHS INDUSTRY From Bricks to Computers

In 2003 a game called Industria by Michael and build factories, acquire route and ship- In Phase 1 – Income – you simply receive 1 Schacht was published at Queen Games, a ping lane contracts for bonus points. At the Taler. mixture of auction and efficient use of mon- same time you need to auction off factories ey and resources, factories, technologies or and technologies as profitable as possible to In Phase 2 new area markers a drawn, 1 per bonus tiles. earn good money – money is scarce in this player, and displayed, for a marker with a Ta- game – or secure the most lucrative items for ler symbol you receive 1 Taler from the bank. 2010 the game was picked up by Ystari, ed- yourself. Phase 3 takes to the core mechanism of the ited and published again under the name of game, the auctions: The starting player of the Industry. A round in the game comprises 5 Phases, round is the auctioneer, he chooses an eli- which are always completed by all players gible = available field and names it. A field is Again, you guide an industrial empire before a new phase begins. After each 3rd eligible when it is situated at the intersection through five epochs, from the gravel pit to or 4th round in case of four or three players of the epoch marker line and the area marker the robot factory, you represent a dynasty a change of epoch takes place. column. Starting with his left neighbor each

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 2 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at INDUSTRY / 40 LINES FOR MEEPLES t OUR REPORT

player makes exactly one bid, each bid must auctioneer got the item for free if you chose surpass the previous one or you must pass. to take it himself, in a variant he only paid half When all have bid or passed the auctioneer of the highest bid. decides if he wants to buy himself or leave the bid to the highest bidder. If he takes the And this takes out that what I liked least in money he remains auctioneer and auctions Industria – the free access to good opportu- the next field. If he takes the field, he pays 1 nities for the auctioneer. Now the auction is Taler in turn to each player until the sum of challenging and must be considered careful- the highest bid is paid, and remains starting ly, because the auctioneer chooses last and player. If nobody makes a bid, the auctioneer know what the cost will be for acquisition gets the field for free, but must take it. In both and whether- especially in case of a technol- cases the next player is the new auctioneer. ogy he will be able to develop – especially The new owner of the just auctioned field when others raise the bid for an interesting field. Dagmar de Cassan For once, an auction game that I do like! The mechanism Unfortunately this plus is accompanied by an of the auction has been vastly improved as compared to acute minus, which is the – let’s keep polite predecessor Industria! – rather difficult game board. It is beautiful but very confusing and to find out, how the places one of his markers there, showing technologies and factories connect to yield the clock. bonus points very nearly is a game within the game. When all available fields have been auc- 40 Lines for Meeples tioned, Phase 4, development, starts. In turn But that is not essential in contrast to the Dagmar de Cassan, Editor-in-Chief you can develop two undeveloped fields by improvement due to the change in the auc- paying the construction costs. Technologies tion mechanism, the game for me is better The choice to give your own opinion in your are free, some fields demand discarding of and more interesting – Industria was a good own name is often lost in the world-wide resources. Those you can get from a joker, game, Industry is an excellent game! web. The contributors in WIN state their opin- from your own already developed factories ions and review games independently and or from buying from the bank for 1 Taler, [email protected] fair. Each monthly issue is put together with the bank only offers resources from previ- the help of more international reviewers: An- ous epochs. For a field that has been devel- drea Ligabue and Pietro Cremona from Italy, oped you turn the owner marker over and INDUSTRY Greg J. Schloesser from the United States, – maybe – receive victory points; for factories Stefan Olschweski from Germany or Monika only if you develop them in the same epoch Designer: Michael Schacht Dillingerova from Slovakia, to mention just a in which you acquired them. Technologies Artist: Stéphane Poinsot few. We want to be the international platform must be developed in the same epoch and Title de: ident for opinions on games. Therefore we have bonus fields yield victory points at the end Price: ca. 32 Euro amended our evaluation system and have of the game. If you developed bank or stock Publisher: Ystari 2010 added new definitions: exchange costs are lowered by 1 more Taler. www.ystari.com VERSION: This is the copy of the game that was the basis for the review In Phase 5 the marker for the starting player RULES: Here we list the languages of rules goes to the next player. When all spots of included in the game or easily available for an epoch have been auctioned, there is a EVALUATION PLAYERS: the game, very often you can find additional change of epoch and new resources become Auction game 3-4 translations on the net. available from the bank. Once in the game With friends IN-GAME TEXT: Most games feature lan- you can take out a subsidy of 3 Talers, but Version: de AGE: guage-independent components, rules are Rules: de en fr 10+ this costs you 5 victory points at the end of In-game use of language: no sufficient. A “yes” in this category marks a the game. game with language-dependent compo- Comments: TIME: Revised new edition of Industria 90+ nents, they can be multi-lingual or not; the When all epochs have been played, you re- Very confusing graphics of the game cannot be played without knowledge board of the language or assistance in translation. ceive victory points for certain combinations Rules much more interesting of factories and technologies, money, un- In case you like our WIN: Please take out a used joker cards and bonus tiles. The player Compares to: subscription, we have established a PayPal Industria and other development with most victory points wins the game. games with auction mechanisms account, so payment of € 6 for a one-year subscription is easy and safe. An edition The most interesting question is, what is dif- Alternate publisher: is made available free for all only after two none ferent as regards to Industria? First of all, the months, please check tiles representing opportunities to be auc- http://www.gamesjournal.at tioned have been changed into fields on the This also goes for the German PDF edition of board that are marked with ownership mark- WIN, a subscription is valid for both editions, ers, and you may only develop two fields per please check http://www.spielejournal.at My rating: turn instead one from each category, in any In May there is a WINXXL too, please check order. And foremost of course, the mecha- page 7 and our website for more informa- nism of the auction itself: In Industria the tion.

WIN The Games Journal now also available as WINXXL with a goodie. www.gamesjournal.at For all information on that check page 7 and our website. ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 3 OUR REPORT u OFFERINGS

HELP FROM THE GODS OFFERINGS Cows for Zeus

Athens against Sparta, the war is raging on and Guardsman – and then you move your tive one wins the bid, the active player again sea and on land and on top of this a horrible marker forward one step for three persons of chooses 2 persons and bids. The winner of plague is pestering people. They need help your choice, these are the ones with which the previous bid must pass. When 3 pairs of from the heavens and hope to receive help you start the game. persons have been auctioned in this way or by offering sacrifices to the gods. Animals when the active player wins his auction, the must be acquired from the Peasant, must be Game play comprises rounds of 4 phases, next player becomes active player for his auc- cleaned and decorated with the help of the auction, bribes, sacrifices and revenue. tion turn. The active player can relinquish his Water Carrier and the Flower Carrier and led Auction: Each player has one auction turn. auction turn and pass. to the alter by the Temple Guardian. For this you choose two person tiles and bid At the start of the game you place your a least 1 Drachma, the others can raise the The top position in a person scale can only marker at the bottom of the scale of all seven bid or pass. If you win the bid you move your be occupied by one player, if you go to the characters – Peasant, Water Carrier, Flower markers one step forward in the scales of top, you move down a marker already there Carrier, Temple Guardian. Priestess, Briber those persons. If another player then the ac- by one position.

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 4 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at OFFERINGS / GABIS t OUR REPORT

Bribes: If you have a marker in an active posi- no reason for three boards in the flow of the tion with the briber you can, beginning with game. But this brings me to the big positive GAMES BUYER INFORMATION SYSTEM - GABIS the player whose marker is highest in this aspect of the game: Each player as the active STRUCTURE scale, bribe an opponent’s person, if you have auctioneer has the means to raise the price more Bribers than the opponent has Guards- for persons and choose the sequence in Each game review also features an evaluation which men. You move your marker forward by one which he auctions them. And as you cannot can help you to find the game that best suites your tastes. The color accompanying each game title position in the scale of this person and move afford to totally ignore one of the characters, represents the Target Group. The headline also contains your opponent’s marker one position back- you must use your money carefully and plan information on age and number of players. wards. One player can only be bribed once in well in which order you bid for persons, espe- The BAR in the evaluation box displays color codes for cially as regards to the one-marker-only rule up to 10 features of a game. Dagmar de Cassan at the top of the character scales and at the TARGET GROUPS Offrandes by all means is a game that is worth a try! If you alters. This takes me to a feature that is not to like auction games, you will love Offrandes. every player’s taste – the order of play, which We have defined 4 target groups (color accompanying the head line) strongly influences my plans. It is important a round. Persons of a player in top position if I am last in being the active player and the Children: there can only be bribed by a Briber in top others have spent most of their money or Games for children an educational games. Adults can play in guiding function position. if I am the first to consider what I want to Families: do! And the priestess is another feature on Children and parents play together, all have the same Sacrifice: All players now offer sacrifices to which opinions differ. At the start, the points chance to win and have fun Friends: the gods. You determine the kind of animal she has to offer in the Sacrifice Phase with- Young people and adults play together as equals depending on your position with the farmer, out one having to make a sacrifice seem very Experts: take a number of animals according to the enticing, but concentrating on her can cost Games with special demands on rules and playing time. position with Water Carrier and Flower Car- valuable points elsewhere, so one should not Especially for game geeks rier, chose an Alter according to the Temple spend too much money on her. But do not Games that are especially eligible for Solo play or for 2 Guardian scale and place your marker on this underestimate the power of the Briber, he players or Large groups of players are marked with an alter, another marker there is replaced and can massively influence your score. All in all icon. Please note for the target groups Children, Family and Friends: Children who love to play can be ahead of given back to the player. To be able to offer the game offers challenging interaction in a their peers! Please note that our target group “families” a sacrifice at an altar already taken you must very alluring setting. does not imply the classical concept of „family games“! sacrifice the same number or more of the Furthermore, our target groups can overlap. The choice of the suitable games always depends on your playing same or more valuable animals. In this way [email protected] partners and your fun with games! you can also use an altar taken by yourself for a second time. For each sacrifice you imme- FEATURES diately score points, number x value of the OFFERINGS Each game targets preferences for different features in sacrificed animals plus points according to a player, therefore each game is not suitable for each the location of your marker on the Priestess Designer: Cédric Lefebvre player. We have listed 10 features players note when Artist: Pierô deciding on a game. Only if a player finds his preferred scale. Those Priestess points are scored even features in a game he will enjoy the game. The color if you do not make a sacrifice. Title de: Offrandes code marks the dominant features. Educational games Price: ca. 35 Euro train the highlighted preference. Revenue: At the end of the round you receive Publisher: Ludonaute 2010 Chance: 10 Drachmae and can keep eventual rests www.ludonaute.fr The game is influenced by dice, cards or any other form from previous rounds, but you cannot own of random generator more than 25 Drachmae. Tactic: Take decision, short-term planning, planning based on one move When a sacrifice has been mate at least once EVALUATION PLAYERS: Strategy: at each altar or a player tops the score of 100 3-5 Think ahead, long-term planning, planning for several Auction game moves points the altars are scored and the player With friends Creativity: AGE: with the highest total score wins the game. Version: en The player has to provide words, phrases, images and Rules: de en es fr nl 13+ other creative efforts. In-game use of language: no Offerings is a beautiful game, a well-made Knowledge: Comments: TIME: Cultural and educational knowledge, long-term game, an interesting game. No but? No not Another unusual auction 90+ memory really, with the exception of a few small re- mechanism Memory: marks. One is the handling of the marker Auction is the dominant Remember, learn by heart, short-time memory game mechanism Communication: discs on the scales of the different persons. Game order heavily Talk to each other, negotiate, inform You must take exceptional card not to relo- influences the game Interaction: Very attractive game design cate or shift markers, any other way to mark Influencing each other, bluffing, auction Dexterity: the positions would have been better, be- Compares to: Motor skills cause most of the action happens on those Basically all auction games, auction Action: mechanism is new scales. A feasible solution would be that in Body movement, balance and reaction Alternate edition: addition to marker you note your positions Colors in the Bar on a piece of paper, 7 columns where you Offrandes, Ludonaute note down the number of your position. Empty boxes: This feature is not present or minimal Another question, but really a question only: One colored box: This feature of the game is present, My rating: but not essential Why three game boards? The only reason I Two colored boxes: This feature is present and impor- can fathom is that you can adapt the game tant in the game more easily to different table sizes, there is Three colored boxes: This feature dominates

WIN The Games Journal now also available as WINXXL with a goodie. www.gamesjournal.at For all information on that check page 7 and our website. ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 5 OUR REPORT u VINHOS

PORTUGUESE WINE GAME VINHOS Export, Sales or Wine Tasting Fairs?

2010 was the Year of Wine, at least when Vinhos is played in 6 rounds = Years. Each must pay 1000 Bagos to each owner. looking at new releases at Spiel in Essen. round comprises several phases. At the end The actions you can execute are acquiring For me, the most interesting of all those wine of rounds three, five and six Wine Tasting of vineyards or cellars. Wineries or Enolo- games is called Vinhos, meaning wine in Por- Fairs are held, where players need to pres- gist, all of these in one way or another either tuguese, and was published by a small Italian ent one kind of wine each. improve the quality of your wine or allow its company by the name of What’s Your Game? production. Furthermore there is the Banco This publisher first got my attention a year Each round starts with a weather forecast do Vinho enabling you to shift money be- before with their game of Vasco da Gama. I for the coming year, made by turning up a tween your account, investments and cash did not expect that an Italian publisher, after randomly chosen tile. This weather forecast – a more detailed description of those pos- releasing a game on a Portuguese seafarer, influences the quality of the wine you will sibilities would go beyond the scope of this will publish a game on Portuguese wines, harvest at the end of the year. Furthermore, review! Then there are Sales - enhancing the but maybe someone at the company has the tile shows the currents preferences of the balance of your account depending on the a soft spot for this country in southwestern managers, more on the consequences of this quality of the wines sold, Export - function- Europe, and the game definitely does not later, and it also causes the markers on the ing similar to Sales, but earning you victory suffer from it. scale to be moved for some characteristics. points instead of money, Hiring Wine Experts This is followed by two action phases in – bringing you small advantages during the That the topic is Portuguese and not Italian which each player has one action each. There game or being useful in Wine Tasting Fairs, wines is probably due to the designer of the are nine different actions arranged in a grid and finally Passing. When you pass you can game, Vital Lacerda, who is Portuguese. His of 3x3 squares. Each player has an action choose a new position in the sequence of name was totally unknown to me before, marker moving in this grid enabling him to play, which is valid from the next round on, but that’s quite understandable as his only execute the action of the square reached by and – if you want to do so – you can present other published game so far has been a Map the marker. Moves into an adjacent square a wine for the next Wine Tasting Fair. of Portugal for the game Age of Steam. are free, diagonally adjacent square are also Players are taking on the roles of wine makers considered to be adjacent. Movements ex- You can only present one wine at a Wine Tast- and try to market their brand in the country ceeding this distance cost 1000 Bagos. You ing Fair. itself and abroad. cannot pass to move. For each action marker For a Wine Tasting Fair you choose a wine and that has already reached the target spot you determine its value, which depends on the number of wine experts you can put up in the next Fair for this wine. Then you choose a free Fair square. Each Fair square determines two of four characteristics. Depending on how far the characteristics have advanced on the characteristics scale you score Fair points. Furthermore, in the next Wine Tast- ing Fair you can only put up wine experts of the corresponding characteristics (there are four different wine experts corresponding to the four different characteristics). Each Fair square also earns you a bonus, which can be either money or Fair points or a wine expert. Finally, you need to check the current de- mands of the managers depicted on the weather tile and compare them to the wine presented at the Fair. If a manager is happy with your wine you can place a barrel there. Each manager allows 5 different advan- tages. Before, during or after one of your actions you can discard any wine to use an advantage of a manager, provided you have marked him with a barrel that you can move. The manager advantages can give you ad- ditional actions or victory points for several items you own, but when you have moved your barrel onto a spot for victory points you cannot move it anymore. After the action phases it is time for upkeep. Each enologist costs you 1000 Bagos, Fur-

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 6 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at VINHOS t OUR REPORT

thermore, you are paid money for invest- four player game it can happen that compo- ment made, or you need to pay debts that nents become scarce and you must pay your you incurred. fellow players regularly for actions. The game Then the wine ages. Each wine you own is for three players is situated somewhere in be- moved one step to the right. When there is tween those two extremes, which does not no room to the right, the wine has turned mean that the game for two or three does sour and must be discarded. This is the point not function well. There is nothing whatsoever to criticize in NEW IN MAY 2011 Markus Wawra the components or the graphic design of I like complex development games offering lots of choices the game. Highlight among the components For many years the Games Museum has and I do not care of a game takes up to four hours, so I like are the wooden wine barrels, the majority of been publishing not only journals and Vinhos, too, because in that league it is one of the best. components is made up by pretty and func- other publications, but also Goodies for tional card board tiles, more than 200 of popular games, which we hand out for them all in all. Ziploc bags in sufficient num- free in Essen and Vienna. The most popu- where a Cellar can help. It allows longer stor- bers, to my delight, have been included in lar of these goodies so far has been the age time and enhances the value of aged the game. Terry Pratchett Disc World Scenario for wines. If you want to gripe or grouse, then you could „The Settlers of Catan“. At the end of the round – when applicable criticize the colors chosen for the regions, Each week we still receive inquiries from – the Wine Tasting Fair is implemented. All which are somewhat similar and sometimes all over the world for these goodies. Up players simultaneously can put up wine too similar. During play itself this does not to now we have asked for a stamped self- experts within the limits mentioned earlier. matter at all, you just have to pay attention in addressed envelope, because the Goody Each wine expert earns the number of points the preparation phase of the game. itself is a gift of the Games Museum. corresponding to his characteristics position The extensive rules, too, have been made up After lots of inquiries and suggestions on the scale. Then you check who has most in model fashion, well structured, clear and from friends we now want to make it eas- Wine Tasting Fair points and victory points leaving no questions unanswered. ier for all interested gamers to be able to are awarded according to the ranking. All in all, in a nutshell, Vinhos is an excellent acquire those goodies easily and world- At the end of the game you can use wines game for fans of complex game that can eas- wide: We offer a combination of one is- remaining in your possession for manager ily keep up with the landmarks of the genre, sue of WIN The Games Journal and one action. Then you score victory points for Agricola or Le Havre. Goodie for the price of 5 Euros for post- managers, money in your bank account and age and packing. WINXXL wines exported, according to a majorities Markus Wawra Therefore, starting with March 2011, scheme which I need not go into in more each month there will be such a WINXXL detail here. If you then have most victory VINHOS edition, which comprises the password points, you have – not really surprisingly – for this month and a given goodie from won the game. Designer: Vital Lacerda stock. Check www.gamesjournal.at Artist: Mariano Ianelli WINXXL 423 comes with the expan- You will easily have come to the conclusion, Title de: ident sion for GRAND CRU from Eggert Spiele after this short summary, that Vinhos is not Price: ca. 35 Euro „Heuriger“ und „Gemischter Satz“! really a game that is easy to learn. You should Publisher: What‘s Your Game? 2010 (only available in German language) Who plan 45 minutes for explanations for your first www.whatsyourgame.it does not have it yet? game, if you have someone at the table who WIN The Games Journal is available as can explain at, if you need to read the rules PDF edition for 6 Euros for 12 months. yourself, you should plan more time. If you have mastered that initial barrier, you are re- EVALUATION PLAYERS: warded with a very good, well-designed and Development game 2-4 well-planned game. Its biggest advantage is For experts its biggest disadvantage, too. Vinhos offers a Version: de AGE: Rules: de en fr it 12+ plethora of possibilities to score points and In-game use of language: no thus several strategies one can try and in con- Comments: TIME: sequence offering a high enticement to play Many rules, many possibilities 90+ again. But, these many options also make op- Lots of strategies to try Beautiful components timizers take ages to figure out their moves, Well-structured rules resulting in long down times and playing Long playing-time time. Especially the last round and the end Compares to: game issue an invitation to start calculating, Agricola, Le Havre especially as results are usually rather close. Thus, the overall playing time depends very Alternate publisher: none much on the players, but rises in dependence of the number of players anyway. Two to four can play; my impression has been that the game has been optimized for four players. Even for two players there are no rule chang- My rating: es or limitations on the available compo- nents. In consequence, in a two player game you rarely encounter any limitations, but in a

WIN The Games Journal now also available as WINXXL with a goodie. www.gamesjournal.at For all information on that check page 7 and our website. ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 7 OUR REPORT u DOMINANT SPECIES

FROM INSECTS TO MAMMALS DOMINANT SPECIES Who survives the food chain?

Introduction from the rule book: As GMT Games is mostly known in Europe mal“ display): Meat for mammals, sun for rep- 90,000 B.C. — A great ice age is fast approach- for its Conflict Simulations Games Twilight tiles, seeds for birds, water for amphibians, ing. Another titanic struggle for global suprem- Struggle, Paths of Glory and Commands & larvae for arachnids and grass for insects. acy has unwittingly commenced between the Colors, I should mention that the company Members of your own species can only sur- varying animal species. already did produce some Euro-style games vive on hex tiles (see survival in the reset Dominant Species is a game that abstractly before publishing Dominant Species; one phase), which are bordered by at least one recreates a tiny portion of ancient history: the of them is Manifest Destiny, which is barely element of their own animal display. ponderous encroachment of an ice age and known in Germany in Austria. All those what that entails for the games are connected by a common ele- What is dominance? living creatures trying to adapt to the slowly- ment: The use of “strategy cards” keeps the Finally we reach the point where we can ask, changing earth. game interesting and diversified, so also in what is a dominant species? Each player will assume the role of one of six Dominant Species, where the cards are used Dominance is resolved separately for each major animal classes—mammal, reptile, bird, for a completely different but again very es- single hex tile, you only take the directly ad- amphibian, arachnid or insect. Each begins the sential aspect of the game … but more on jacent elements into account. Each type of game more or less that later. element which corresponds to an element in a state of natural balance in relation to one of your own animal display, is added in the another. But that won’t last: It is indeed “sur- Game play: following way to calculate the dominance vival of the fittest”. Through wily action pawn Players are representing a class of species value: placement, players will and try to adapt them to their environment strive to become dominant on as many dif- in the course of the game, at the same time The number of elements of one type on the ferent terrain tiles as possible in order to claim trying to adapt the environment to the sur- hex tile is multiplied by the number of ele- powerful card effects. Players will also want to vival needs of their species. Players discover ments on your own animal display. The domi- propagate their individual species in order to new territory in the shape of hex tiles and nance on a hex tile chances immediately and earn victory points for their particular animal. must cope with the ongoing encroaching of directly through the effects of a correspond- Players will be aided in these endeavors via ice, represented by Tundra tiles. ing action- speciation, migration and adaptation actions, As is typical in the animal kingdom species among others. are arranged by a Food Chain, which remains When there is a tie in the dominance values All of this eventually leads to the end game unchanged throughout the whole game. there is in fact no dominance. Which also – the final ascent of the ice age – where the Mammals before reptiles, birds, amphib- is the case for a dominance value of Zero, player having accumulated the most victory ians, arachnids (spiders) and insects, always for instance in the case of mammals which points will have his animal crowned the Domi- resulting during the game in advantages for can support one of their own without cor- nant Species. the species higher up in the chain when tiles responding resources. But somebody better become dominant quick- are scored. ly, because it’s getting mighty cold…. The board is separated into two distinct re- But, how are the animals fed? The game gions: As the game was only available in English designers found a very reasonable imple- The Action Display language at the time of this review I stick mentation for the assignment of six differ- The Map / Earth to the English keywords used on the board, ent element types (food or resources) to the which should make things a bit easier. individual species, at least at the start of the 1. The Action Display game (pre-set starting elements on the „ani- On this you play, direct, win and lose.

Planning phase: First you determine in the right part of the board, the action display, what you want to do and when you want to do it. This area has been initialized before the first round of the game by drawing element chips randomly from a bag and placing them on each of the squares showing a leaf. In sequence of the playing initiative the ac- tion markers are placed one by one onto free „eye“ spots, with each action area offering only a limited number of places, so the motto is “First come first served” ! When all action pawns (in short AP) have been placed by all players, the actions are executed in turn, that is from top to bottom and from left to right

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 8 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at DOMINANT SPECIES t OUR REPORT

within the separate regions. 6. Depletion chooses a “dominant card” and executes it You can only mark an action for execution (see also reset phase, is not done in the first immediately. when you really can implement it, with one and second round) 13. Reset phase exception: Blocking of initiative to become You must remove an element from the map Animals that cannot survive become extinct, the starting player of the next round. that corresponds to an element in this area. they are not put back into the gene pool. Here, too, the dominance in squares adjacent For the survival scoring majorities are deter- Execution phase: to elements that just have been removed mined for animals on Tundra tiles. The num- To execute an action you must have one of could change. ber of Tundra tiles on which those animals your own APs on an “eye” spot in the respec- 7. Glaciation (see reset phase) are located is the basis for the victory points tive area. Here comes a short description If your AP is left-most in this section, you de- according to the scale in the left bottom area. of the action areas in the sequence of their cide in which direction the glaciation = cov- The mammals can keep one of their own ani- execution. A player removes his AP and ex- ering of a hex by a tundra hex is continuing. mals alive without the necessary resources. ecutes the action immediately: Glaciation can only happen in non-tundra Reset means that the elements from the ar- tiles that are adjacent to at least one tundra eas of regression, depletion and Wanderlust tile. All animals are temporarily set aside, a are removed, the others are moved down Roman Heinzinger tundra tile is placed. Then one animal of each one action area according to the arrows and A very beautiful game on Earth’s development, a real-life kind that was present is put back on the tile, the now empty spots marked with leaves are simulation of conditions long gone-by! Darwin would have the others go back to the “gene pool”. Then filled again with elements randomly drawn loved this game. you score victory points in relation to the ad- from the bag. jacent tundra tiles. Should an element be sur- rounded by three tundra tiles it is removed The sequence of the action areas is very well 1. Initiative immediately from the map. This again could chosen and logical, as a plan for the round The Planning Phase is done in reverse order change dominance in neighboring tundra only begins to emerge during the planning of the food chain; the insects begin, mam- tiles. phase. To determine the move in advance is mals are last. You swap the position of your 8. Speciation absolutely impossible, as in Agricola, as ac- species’ initiative marker with that of the ani- In relation to the element shown next to the tions are available in a limited amount and mal immediately to the left and thus mov- action area you must choose one element thus are maybe not available next time. ing one step ahead in initiative. This could be on the map and may place animals from the 2. The Map / Earth one last desperate action to be able to react. gene pool on the three adjacent hex tiles up Somewhat abstractly depicted, earth is in- 2. Adaption to the maximum number of animals possible An element still present in this area is placed for that type of hex, regardless if there are Continued on page 11 on your own action display and thus your already animals of your own or other spe- species adapts to the environment. You may cies on this tile. Spiders have the advantage DOMINANT SPECIES not place an AP if your own action display is to place another animal in any hex tile after full. This can change the dominance on sev- speciation is finished. Designer: Chad Jensen eral spots on the map. 9. Wanderlust Artist: C. Jensen, R. MacGowan, E. Williams 3. Regression You choose one of the three open hex tiles Title de: ident (see also reset phase, is not done in the first and an element and place together on the Price: ca. 59 Euro round) map next to an already existing hex tile. The Publisher: GMT Games 2010 If present, you would have to remove ele- number of adjacent hex tiles is the basis for www.gmtgames.com ments in place here, several if necessary, scoring victory points according to the scale. from your action display. By placing of an AP Then animals wander into the directly adja- you can fend off such a regression, two iden- cent tiles in order of the food chain. tical elements in this area can be deflected This again could change dominance in EVALUATION PLAYERS: only by placing two APs. neighboring tundra tiles. Development game 2-6 The advantage for snakes here is a free AP. 10. Migration For experts At this point, too, the dominance on several For each AP you move an animal one step up Version: en AGE: Rules: en 12+ spots on the map could change. to the value printed next to the spot. Advan- In-game use of language: yes 4. Abundance tage for birds is to move two steps. Comments: TIME: An element that is still present in this area 11. Competition Well-working mechanisms 240+ is relocated on a free corner spot between Depending on the location of the AP you Lots of Interaction Varied game play three hex tiles on the board to adapt the can remove an opposing animal from up to Very well structured rules environment. two tiles, but you must have one of your own Long duration Now dominance on spots adjacent to the animals in the tile which „kills“ the opposing Felicitous abstraction newly placed element could change. animal. These killed animals are not put back Compares to: 5. Wasteland into the gene pool. First game of its kind (see also reset phase, is not done in the first The arachnids are allowed one free kill in any Alternate publisher: round) tile before actual competition. none One of the elements present in this area is 12. Domination removed. Elements that have a counterpart Choose a spot for scoring. The allocation of to a Tundra square on the map are removed victory points is done in relations for the tile, from the map. This happens automatically. see scale in the left area; sequence is deter- My rating: Here, too, the dominance in squares adjacent mined by the number of animals, in case of to elements that just have been removed a tie by the food chain order. Then the “domi- could change. nant” player, marked by the cone of his color,

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I’M AN OLD COWTHIEF AND I LOVES MY BEEF! CADWALLON - CITY OF THIEVES Ki Yi Yippee Yippee Yaa!

Dear children, do NOT break into other peo- with the guild of fences) –, there are some ad- There are eight different sheets. No addi- ple’s houses, do NOT crack open jewel boxes, ditions to the basic game mechanism. Each tional scenarios have been released to date, and do NOT burgle whatever you can get – gang starts out with seven action points to not even on the internet, although there are that is against the rules! Except, of course, in spend in each round, disposable as you wish some new advancement rules as well as a “Cadwallon – City of Thieves” – it IS the rules (or rather see tactically appropriate). Every handful of new action cards. In addition, the there. In this game, you lead a gang of four character may move once and perform one gangs may or have to fulfil scenario specific thieving characters, in most cases – very po- single action (steal, fight) each turn. In addi- tasks – steal the duke’s treasure, prevent an litically correct – equally composed of males tion, if possible, they may enact their special Undead invasion in the Night of the King of and females. skill or ability. Some of these have to be paid Ashes (probably similar to the Alpine tradi- Playing pieces – finely detailed, unfortunate- for (with action point markers) – there is such tion of the Perchtenlauf, only less creepy and ly all in plain grey plastics, although it is easy a point expensive character in every gang. less alcohol involved), or maybe rescue the to distinguish your gang by their coloured Each gang have at their disposal a hand of duke’s daughter from her captors. stands – are moved on the equally nice action cards (so called Arcana-Cards), one “Cadwallon – City of Thieves” is set in the ad- looking game board representing a shabby drawn at the start of each of your turns. You venturous fantasy world of Rackham’s role town’s quarter. They may enter buildings may almost always, even during another playing games, a big and prosperous city, through doors or windows to do their job: player’s turn, play some or even all of these not (not yet) involved in the war of Rag’narok, looting! Whoever gains the biggest loot (toy cards (exception: during combat only one ravaging the land. All the looting parties coins, called “Ducats”, because there is a Duke card per player taking part in that fight). haunt the same, rather shabby quarter of in Cadwallon) in the end (usually after round These Arcana-Cards may have an effect in that city. The game components of “City of seven) and carries the money out of town combat or allow characters to walk through Thieves” are for the most part excellent, the into safety, wins. walls or yield some similar actions. games rules are short, precise, feature lots In order to increase the complexity of the Before each game you choose a scenario to of fine pictures and sufficiently explanatory game – since all characters have equal sta- play. The matching cardboard sheet states examples of game play and are quite easy tistics (four movement points, two six sided the most important basic rules for that set- to learn (although there is, as has been said dice in combat, four intelligence points to up – e. g., will the city militia be involved, many times before with many other games, help opening padlocks) and one special abil- molesting the gang members? How many a pitiable lack of structure and indexing). ity or attribute of their own (for example, one rounds does this particular scenario last? Will The balance between strategic planning thief is more skilful while stealing, another all the exits be open at the end, or will there possibilities and random effects is rather one better when haggling over their share be some barriers to prevent the way out? good, maybe with an oh so slight tip to the

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 10 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at CADWALLON – CITY OF THIEVES / DOMINANT SPECIES t OUR REPORT

DOMINANT SPECIES Continued from page 9 random effects due to card drawing. Actu- fluenced either by actions on the Action gets somewhat predictable as it makes do ally, this game could work well, some of the Display or directly by Dominance cards. without any use of dice and thus can be put scenarios sound interesting, even intriguing. The game develops slowly – new land areas on the same level as the tactical games such Unfortunately the basic situation and task are explored and the Tundra is expanding, as Le Havre and Agricola on the same level. stay the same for all set-ups: stealing trea- resources evolve and wane, generations of sure from buildings (almost in every scenario species roam the earth, fight each other and The only drawback is the disproportionally you know what is inside from the beginning), are slowly doomed due to the expansion of long duration of the game, which should not and in the end the gang having secured most the glaciers. The game board is getting rather be an issue for hard-core chess-players, but Ducats win, even if they lost a gang mem- confusing, as for instance birds due to migra- the six-player-game will turn into torment tion can change their habitat rather fast. even for the hardened ones. You are not tak- Martina, Martin und Marcus ing part in the game anymore, most of the Exquisite game components and intriguing scenarios fail to The end of the game comes with the use of time you will wait and do not have too much combine into exciting game play, even though most of the the Ice Age Card. The remaining dominance direct impact on the game, which means, necessary requirements are present. actions are implemented. In addition to that the game depends on the confused de- scoring the Ice Age Card for victory points cisions of the players ... but could it be that ber or two. This puts a limit to any ambition according to the left bottom scale in relation I have not yet understood the game prop- to play “Cadwallon” over and over again. At to the number of dominated squares each erly? That is why I prefer playing Dominant the latest when one has played all eight sce- square is scored one last time. species only as a two-player-game. One can narios once (that is, if one remains interested make the game more difficult by agreeing that long), it will not be very tempting to take All that doesn’t sound too dramatically, but beforehand on the number of players, and the game from the shelf once more. In fact, it is; the devil is in the details. Dominant Spe- for example only choose one race per player; even now there is no ambition left to think cies is definitely not a fun family game, and the game will still be playable comfortably about bringing forth our own set of house to capture the entire scope of options might in a time span of 120 minutes. To keep the rules to enhance game play. The main reason not be possible before you‘ve played your two-player game somewhat fair, we have to go for this game at the moment is to get tenth game. also agreed to use a chess clock, which has the hands on the beautiful miniature models contributed significantly to the game play inside. Hopefully the game’s designers Ber- It‘s not only made up of some EuroGames- and the maintenance of fairness. nard (Affenparty, Jumbo 2003) and Pouchain typical elements such as Worker Placement (Okko, Asmodée 2008) will launch some rea- but also of a die-hard COSIM factor. A big plus should be awarded to the game sonable adjustment rules in the near future. for the well-structured set of rules. No com- Martina & Martin Lhotzky On the map the heat is on! The coveted ar- parison to Paths of Glory or Twilight Struggle, Marcus Steinwender eas „Sea, Wetland and Savanna“ are always which still adhere more to the complicated contested, and to dominate or at least to be structure of old COSIM games. No more of CADWALLON – CITY OF THIEVES represented on these areas is of „long term this here. The game is described by the flow importance“ in any case, as you would not of the game, clear graphics make it easy to Designer: Pascal Bernard, Laurent Pouchain want your opponent to acquire a „Domi- understand. Artist: Miguel Coimbra, Nicolas Fructus et al. nance Card“ for free or to let him have valu- Title de: Cadwallon City of Thives able victory points? A beautiful game through the development Price: ca. 45 Euro of the earth, it creates a life-like atmosphere Publisher: Truant Spiele 2010 Here, then, you can see the advantage of be- of the prevailing conditions; Darwin would www.truantspiele.de ing in front of the foot chain, those species certainly have had fun with this game! Domi- usually participate in scoring without lots nant Species is, for the time being, my favor- of effort, which in turn leaves them some ite game because it impresses by its wonder- resources for their own further development. ful abstraction of the subject and provides EVALUATION PLAYERS: Nor should one never be sure of one’ domi- – for me as a chess player – enough power nance, even if the areas are as well protected and complexity, which can be continuously A game of position and acquisi- 2-4 ton as possible, the next disaster usually doesn’t explored. For families AGE: take long to arrive. You should always keep Version: de 12+ Rules: de en es fr it an eye on the cards, for example the evil Roman Heinzinger In-game use of language: yes TIME: „Blight“ cleans out all resources on a hex Comments: 60+ tile. There really is a constant up and down Beautiful components in who is currently grabbing the bad end of Similar game flow despite differ- the stick. And yet, you should not forget to ent scenarios Playable already at ages 10+ aim for victory points!

Compares to: Schätze des Dunklen Turmes Time and again elements arrive ill-timed in the areas of „adaptation“ and „Abundance“. Alternate edition: Should an opponent be before you and grab Cadwallon Stadt der Diebe, Truant Spiele the advantage, you will have your hands full with the containment of a possible disaster in subsequent rounds. To have a realistic chance to react to those imponderabilities is only possible in two-player games, and this is My rating: the version were Dominant Species really has a lot to offer. For two players, the game really

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HAMBURG IN THE THIRTY YEARS’ WAR MERKATOR Merchandise for wartime enemies

What connects Hamburg and the Thirty Game Board Game Turn Years‘ War? I was not aware of the fact that The game board shows eight main destina- A game turn comprises four different parts, Hamburg was experiencing an economic tions with eight containers of goods markers which are executed in given order: Invest- boost in those times. Hamburg was the and four minor destinations. Each main des- ments, travel, fulfill contracts and co-travel. source that supplied the warring parties tination is connected to two or three other In a nutshell, that means, that a player goes with goods. Okay, there is a harbor and a main destinations – simple lines – and shows to a destination of his choice, takes goods merchant can travel by ship to other coun- a colored goods marker and two time sym- their and uses them to fulfill contracts and/ tries to close deals and buy goods. Therefore bols, which you either receive when you are or set up buildings. Other players can join I ask myself if the designer wanted to hint at travelling there, and must pay for when you him and travel together with him and fulfill the start of the era of trade wars? are co-travelling to this destination. contracts, too. The chief traveller is paid by (picture 1: The Map) co-travellers with time marker. Co-travellers Travel and acquisition of goods reap the same benefits as the chief traveller, Not the sale of weapons, but travelling is the Game Set-up the active player. This probably is the most central topic of this game. Travel destinations Each of the goods boxes holds about 40 interesting feature of the game which keeps are countries in Europe, offering a different goods markers. One goods marker each is it challenging. range of goods. The countries are connected placed in the eight main destinations. The Distribution of Goods to each other. Starting from a destination you time board next to the game board is set up After each trip new goods markers are set use one move to reach any other country and with the time markers, depending on the out in the main destinations of the board. acquire the goods available there. All in all number of players up to 28 markers are laid The main destinations only receive markers 16 kinds of goods are on offer, two in each out. Each player receives a personal “Office” of their own color. When the destination of a country. Goods are represented by 8 differ- board to store his goods and a summary tile trip is a main destination, afterwards all desti- ent kinds of goods markers, each marker can showing scores as well as a supply tile. The nations connected to this destination receive be used twofold. The goods you acquire re- supply tile lists the main destinations with a goods marker of the main destinations. sult in delivery contracts. Each contract has the two goods available in each destination. When the destination of the trip has been a definite value, ranging from 1 to 14. If you At start you are dealt a contract of values 2 a minor destination each main destination fulfill a contract, you receive another contract to 5. There is no money for players at the be- receives one goods marker if the main des- with a value higher by 1 than the previous ginning, instead of money you receive time tination already holds the number of goods contract. markers; the amount depends on the num- marker stated on the minor destination. ber of players. And, finally, you are dealt two Fulfilling of Contracts Buildings bonus cards giving you additional goods if If a player holds the goods which are listed on In addition to the contracts players can set you travel to these locations. one of his contracts he takes those goods out up buildings, which are paid for by the con- (picture 2: The Set-up) of his office, discards them to the appropriate tracts. Money itself is only used to supply box and receives a new contract. He cannot change and in reality is not really necessary. Contracts choose a new contract, but receives the top There is a building card in the game which is Contracts are sorted by values 1 to 14 and are one from the appropriate stack. – due to a printing error – too powerful: The stacked open-faced in several stacks. Investment “Alsterhaus” earns you one point per goods (picture 3: Contracts) If you own more than five contracts and re- marker, but should read “ each kind of goods” Bonus cards and buildings ceive a sixth one, you must invest in build- instead of “each goods marker”, which makes Four cards each, featuring bonuses and ings or bonus cards in the next round. In- this card less powerful. buildings, are laid out, the rest is stacked. vestments are voluntary while you own five contracts or less. Surplus money is returned in the shape of coins. Money only enters the game in this way. As already mentioned, I think money is not needed in the game at all, the game needs now brush-up, and fur- thermore money has no importance in the outcome of the game and does not score you victory points at the end of the game. Time Marker The time markers, on the other hand, have a certain importance for the outcome of the game and are necessary if you want to join a traveler to co-travel. Furthermore, some destinations can only be reached if you pay the necessary time markers. With the excep- tion of a trip to Spain and to minor destina- tions each trip earns you one or two time picture 1: The Map

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 12 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at MERKATOR t OUR REPORT

markers. Every time when a player starts a you automatically place two more goods on building cards well in relation to the goods trip the marker is taken off the board and is all other destinations. This would somewhat in your office or the on the bonus cards, and now owned by the main traveler. Co-travelers even out distribution of goods to main des- try to achieve a somewhat broad selection in no not receive time-markers, but pay time- tinations and the board would be even more acquiring the goods. markers to the main traveler for travelling clearly arranged than now. with him. Each time, when the last marker is Erwin Kocsan taken from a row; this results in loss of goods Evaluation from a depot or storage location which influ- The rules are short and precise. This enables ences all players. Players who have goods in you to grasp the game quickly. The design, too, follows the necessities for clear presenta- Erwin Kocsan tion and usefully complements the text. The Merkator for me is one of the „99“ games, which have a number of components is manifold and the fixed place on the shelves in my games collection. arrangement of components on the board is clearly structured and attractive. A note those storage locations or depots must dis- of praise is due to the storing of the goods card one goods marker. markers in the boxes. The topic of „Supplying the warring parties End Phase in the Thirty Years‘ War“, embedded in a his- As soon as a player fulfills a contract with a torical context, seems to me to be a bit far- value of 10 and receives the card „Peace of fetched as regards to the flow of the game. Westfalia“ or when the last time marker is The main mechanism of „exchanging goods taken off the time board the end phase of for contracts“ seems a bit worn-out and co- the game begins, each player has one more py-cat at first glance. But due to the mecha- turn. In this round you need not invest and nism of Main Traveler, Co-Traveler and bonus the time markers are taken from the general contracts the game remains challenging supply. and varied. The game offers active choices This end phase is followed by the scoring. of what to do for all players in each phase of First, the five most valuable contract cards are the game, so I have to rank it as “well-done placed on your office, the rest next to the -of and felicitous”. fice board. You receive one victory point each The buildings are nondescript and at first for the value of the contracts on the office glance are not considered to be as important picture 3: Contracts board, and ½ victory point for all contracts as they turn out to be and as their value influ- next to the office board (no rounding up or ences the outcome of the game. Very often MERKATOR down!). Furthermore, all players score victory the buildings are providing the difference points from their building and add them to between winning and losing the game! Designer: Uwe Rosenberg the contract score. If you then have achieved Players who like a solitaire game will find Artist: Klemens Franz the highest score you win the game. In case that the game provides an interesting way Title de: ident of a tie the higher number of time markers to spend time to find strategies to achieve Price: ca. 40 Euro decides the winner. 60 points. Publisher: Lookout Games 2010 The tips for a smooth flow of the game and www.lookout-games.de One more question the variants provide challenges and variation Besides the note, that money is not really even after a few games. necessary to keep up the interest in the game I must ask the question „Why the dif- For me Merkator is a game to be played with EVALUATION PLAYERS: ferentiation between main and minor desti- friends, maybe even in a family with some A game of trade and logistics 1-4 nations?“ The varying distribution of goods gaming experience; my 77 years old mother With friends to the locations could also be done following likes to play it, with an emphasis on those Version: de AGE: Rules: de en 12+ another point of view or suggestion: As soon strategic possibilities: Focus on the bonus In-game use of language: some as a destination holds three or more goods, cards at the start of the game, choose your Comments: TIME: Good rules 120+ Practical components Very well-working solo version

Compares to: Basically all games on goods acqui- sition and exchange, the co-travel mechanism is new Alternate publisher: none

My rating: picture 2: The Set-up

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COMMERCE AND ARTISANS NORENBERC In the medieval town of Nurnberg

Andreas Steding is a well known game de- Each player get a small deck of 6 cards (one They are divided into three categories: tiles signer and he usually produces games for for each Guild), 8 agents (colored wood fig- to use immediately (with a white star on red expert players so it was with high expecta- ures), a two faces disc (that shows a Agent disc), tiles to use at the end of the turn (with tions that I opened the box of Norenberc, on the front and the “moon” on the back), 25 a moon symbol) and tiles to use at the end finding it filled with a lot of materials, but … Talers (coins with value of 1, 3, 5 and 10) and of the game (with a sun symbol). no game board! a coffer (a small carton board used to hide You mix the 26 citizens together with the Instead we find 6 small heavy cardboard tab- the player’s money and to count the Victory unused artisans (thus the utility of the bag) lets reproducing artisan houses of the medi- points at the end of the game). and randomly pick up THREE tiles for each eval town of Nurnberg (known also by the The game starts sorting randomly 5 artisan Guild, placing them on three of the first floor original name of Norenberc). Each “house” tiles for each Guild and putting them on the rooms, starting from right and proceeding to belongs to a Guild and shows, on the ground ground floor shops: one on the first shop left. Each room has a pictogram that explains floor, four artisan shops, one storehouse for on the right (this will be the Guild Master of how to invite this citizen to join you during the produced goods and one insignia. On the the first turn), one on the second shop, one the game (more on this later). The unused first floor we find also four rooms for the- fu on the third and two on the fourth shop. tiles are placed aside (or on the bag) for later ture guests of the Guild. In each game we will Then all the goods are placed on the Guild’s use. Finally you place one of the four “pres- use a number of Guilds based on the number storehouse and each player receive one tige Coat of Arms” in the Guild that has the of players: with five players, for example, we good from each Guild. Finally four “coat of Master with the higher value. will use all 6 Guilds; with three players only arms” tiles (showing the Guild’s insignia) are Guild 1 to 4, and so on. placed on the house. The unused artisan tiles There are different possibilities to win the are placed on side for future use (but I sug- game, but in general you should try to have Each Guild has a small deck of 11 artisan tiles gest to use a small cloth bag to keep all the a majority in more than one Guild, if possible, and a reserve of 12 goods (made with pretty available tiles as they will randomly selected and a good collection of coats of arms. Extra shaped colored wood): each “tile” shows a during the game). points are assigned to the richest players, or picture of the artisan, a VALUE (ranging from We also find in the box 26 “citizen” tiles and to the players that own at least one artisan 2 to 7) and the Guild Insignia (a yellow BEER four “prestige” coat of arms: the citizens are a per guild, or from bonuses granted by some for the brewery, a pink PASTRY for the bakery, sort of bonus that will help the players dur- citizens. a brown BOOT for the shoemaker, a white PA- ing the game (i.e. giving you an extra Agent Randomly decide the “play order” of the first PER for the printing house, violet SCISSORS or some extra money, or allow you to take turn and mark this with colored wooden for the tailors and an orange HAT for the hat- goods from other players, swap artisans, etc.) cubes (one for each player) placed on a ter’s shop). or will grant extra points at the game end. special rack printed on the first Guild board (the brewery). All the players initially get four Artisans while the remaining four are placed aside to be assigned (possibly) later in the game. They also keep one card for each Guild from their initial deck (the unused cards are putted back in the box). Now all the player make their “planning” for the first round of the first turn (the game last four turns, divided in a variable number of rounds). In practice they select one or more cards and they place them (covered) on the table. When all the players have placed their cards Guild 1 (brewery) is checked: all the brewery cards are revealed and, in play or- der, the players place one agent on the card and make one of the following four actions: - You may select the SALE action and thus sell any number of goods to the Guild: you multiply the number of goods by the Mas- ter’s value and you get the total in Talers. The goods must be of the type produced by that Guild. – You may BUY up to THREE gods from the selected Guild: you multiply the number of goods by the Master’s value, you pay this amount in Talers and you take the goods in front of you so that the other players can see

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 14 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at NORENBERC t OUR REPORT

them. The amount of money that you have is quite and use it to mark their points. Look first at – You may also invite one of the guest citizens limited and you have to carefully decide the citizens bonus (some of them just assign of the selected Guild: you pay the number where to invest; remember that you always 2-3 VP extra, other add VP if you arrive sec- of goods shown on the pictograms under see who will be the next master in each Guild ond or third in a Guild, etc.) then total value the selected room and you take the citizen. and this should guide your decisions. Let’s of artisan points for each Guild (just add the Then you may move your turn order cube suppose that the actual Brewery Master has value of all the artisans of this Guild that you and place it on top of the rack, pushing down a value of “2” while the following one has a own) and assign 5 VP to the higher value, 3 the other cubes. Finally you get a number of value of “6”: if you buy three goods now you to the second and 1 to the third. Talers that is equal to the number of agents spend only 6 Talers and you are already on If you get 30 value points or more in a Guild already placed on this Guild. This action is a the way of getting a majority on this Guild. you get extra VP. very important move as you may “invite” a In the next turn you may sell the same three If you have at least one artisan of each Guild citizen in one Guild just for the purpose of be- goods for 18 Talers (as the new Master has you get 5 VP the value of 6) and then invest this money in If you are the riches players (total number of Pietro Cremona another Guild. Usually all the players try to Talers) you get 5 VP buy the cheapest goods and thus the same Finally you look at how many different coats A pretty, well-working game that allows several strategies for winning, also suitable for families. Guild is selected immediately, so sometimes of arms you collected and you get extra VP it is necessary to diversify your purchases accordingly (i.e: 0 VP if you have only 1 or 2 in order to target the majorities, also if this coats of arms, 9 VP if you have 5, 20 VP if you ing the first to act in a following Guild. Some- means to spend most of your money. have 7 or more, etc.) The player with most VP times it happens that if you arrive too late Another possibility to get a majority is to buy wins the game you cannot find any good to purchase and a certain kind of good from another Guild. We enjoyed this game and we went back thus you risk to lose a move (and an agent) This is possible because when you invite a a few times to it to try different strategies: – You may also pass and do nothing guest you may pay the fee with different so we may frankly suggest NORENBERC to Whatever is the action that you decided goods and these are placed in the store- clubs, newbies or even in family because it is you must place your agent on the selected house: the cost of all the goods of each Guild not so difficult to explain and to play it, but Guild (even if you pass). Then you take back is determined by the actual Master so it hap- even if it is a very good game that we will play your card and you place it with the other in pens very often that you may find a cheaper again in the future, after the excellent HANSA your hand. All the Guilds are “checked” in this good in a different Guild. TEUTONICA we expected a little more from way and all the players use their Agents to Some citizens and/or artisans grant you a Norenberc. perform one of the above actions. Then the new Agent: if you can gain this tile (either in- round is closed and all the players that still viting it from a Guild or winning the majority Pietro Cremona own one or more agents may start a new in that Guild) you receive an extra agent that round (again with a planning phase, followed you may immediately use. So always keep an NORENBERC by the agents’ placement, etc.). eye on all the rooms in search of those guests and be prepared to pay the requested fee: Designer: Andreas Steding When the agents of all the players have been plan in advance how to be the first to play in Artist: Joshua Cappel used the turn is over and the game stops for that Guild and remember to verify that you Title de: Nürnberg a few minutes for a sort of “administration” have the right number of goods to invite Price: ca. 45 Euro phase. You check again all the Guilds (starting the guest. Most of the fun in this game is to Publisher: White Goblin 2010 from number 1: brewery) and you assign the bypass an opponent arriving first in a Guild www.whitegoblingames.com Master artisan, together with a coat of arm, to and deprive him of the selected target (either the player who owns the majority of goods inviting an interesting guest or buying all the of this Guild. If a Guild has also a special coat remaining goods). of arms the winner of this Guild takes it, too. EVALUATION PLAYERS: Then all the agents are taken back and the In one of our games a player was able to Resources Management 2-5 players receive 3 Talers of taxes. The artisans get all the extra Agents at the end of turn 2 With friends on the ground floor are moved one place to while the others players had only 5 or 6. On Version: en AGE: Rules: de en fr nl 12+ the right and thus you determine the new turns 3-4 he had a certain number of goods In-game use of language: no Masters of each Guild. Finally you move to in stock and was able to win the game play- Comments: TIME: the left all the “guests” in the rooms and you ing one card only per round and “passing” Good Components 90+ fill the empty rooms with new guests (citi- each time (in order not to spend money): Topic and mechanisms go well together zens or artisans) taken from the common then, when all the others players finished the Easy to learn and explain reserve (the famous … bag). agents he planned carefully the last rounds Also good for families It is very important to decide on a strategy selling goods to get as much money as pos- Compares to: from the beginning because it is very difficult sible and winning majorities with only 1 or All resources management games to change it after first turns: so if you were 2 goods. In effect he simply looked at the able to get the majority in a couple of Guilds opponent’s stock and played on the Guilds Alternate publisher: Nürnberg, Huch & friends you may decide to insist on those Guilds in where it was possible to achieve a majority order to be certain to add new artisan tiles at the minimum cost. In the following games to your reserve and thus win the final con- everybody hunted the special tiles with the frontation or to change your target in order extra Agents so this kingmaker strategy was to collect extra coats of arms and try to get no longer possible. My rating: at least an artisan per type to qualify for the At the end of turn 4 a final Victory Point (VP) special bonus at the end of the game. phase is done. Players turn over their coffer (showing a VP track), take the turn order cube

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CATAN HISTORIES: SETTLERS OF AMERICA Trails to Rails

The Settlers of Catan juggernaut continues many of its offspring. There are production player to an area, which allows him to steal to roll. Designer Klaus Teuber has continued rolls to begin each player’s turn that may – a resource from an opponent and blocks to utilize and adapt mechanisms present in or may not – produce resources. Players can further resource production from that area the ground-breaking Settlers of Catan, pro- trade these resources with each other in ef- until the robber is subsequently moved. In ducing new games wherein elements of the forts to build various items and found towns. addition, all players in possession of more parent game are recognizable, but mixing in The infamous “robber baron” stands ready to than seven cards must discard half, which enough new ideas and concepts to give the block production and steal resources. Yes, the prevents hoarding. games a fresh feel. Many of these ideas were game has a familiar feel. born in early spin-offs and continue to be One of the frustrations expressed by some modified in subsequent creations. However, there are significant differences. Settlers players is the luck factor involved Players now build settlers, trains and rail lines. with the production rolls. It is possible to go One of Teuber’s innovations in the series is Resources are required to send these settlers numerous turns without receiving a resource. the “Catan Histories” series, which utilizes Set- forth, who then settle new towns. Resources Teuber has integrated a popular variant by tlers mechanisms in historical settings. The in the east are gradually depleted, forcing awarding a gold coin to players who do not latest in the series is Settlers of America, players to move westward. Rail lines con- receive a resource when the production dice which is set in the United States during the nect a player’s town to those of opponents, are rolled. Coins can be used to purchase re- 19th century. The massive migration west- where goods are delivered. Victory points sources and pay rail line fees. This works well ward has begun, and the push is on the verge aren’t earned. Rather, victory goes to the first and reduces some of the pain when luck isn’t of exploding with the expansion of the rail player to deliver all of his goods. going your way. system. Players are challenged to send forth their settlers, establish new towns, and link Let’s look at the phases of the game in a bit Action Phase. their rail networks to opponents’ cities so more detail. Players may trade resources, buy develop- their goods can be delivered. The first player ment cards and build. This phase operates to deliver all eight of their goods (ten in a Production Phase. similar to the original Settlers, but players three-player game) becomes an American This is identical to that found in most Settlers may perform these actions multiple times dynasty and wins the game. games. Dice are rolled, and all areas depicting and in any order they wish. What is built, that number produce resources for players however, is different. As can be expected, Settlers of America has who have a town adjacent to that area. If a much in common with Settlers of Catan and “7” is rolled, the robber is moved by the active a) Settlers are required to construct new

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 16 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at SETTLERS OF AMERICA t OUR REPORT

towns. Resources must be extended to towns, resource numbers are removed from less. I am impressed, as we have not been construct and move them. When a settler their locations in the east and moved west. able to come near that time frame. I’ve reaches a town site, it is removed from the While this doesn’t completely deplete east- played with thousands of folks from around board and a town constructed. Each town is ern areas of potential resources, it does pro- the world, and I don’t find our group particu- paired with a good, which becomes available vide an incentive to continue the westward larly slow. I can’t blame it on our group. As to be moved when the town is constructed. push. This mechanism is somewhat similar structured, Settlers of America is simply too to that found in Settlers of the Stone Age. long. The next time we play I plan on remov- b) Trains are required to transport goods to ing one or two towns and goods from each opponents’ towns. First, however, a player At the conclusion of each player’s turn, ev- player. This should knock off some time, but must construct rail to connect his cities to ery player gets the opportunity to build. They likely at the expense of not fully developing the cities of his opponents. These are con- may not move settlers or trains – just build. the board. We’ll have to see. If this change This is a mechanism found in the five-to-six does not significantly reduce the time it Greg J. Schloesser player Settlers expansion. This does help takes to play the game, I fear that in spite of Trails to Rails is an excellent mixture of elements based on speed-up the game, as player construct its interesting mechanisms and fresh feel, Settlers of Catan and elements taken from railway games, items quicker and are less susceptible to los- Settlers of America will fade into obscurity. needing a good balance of all possibilities and good timing. ing cards if the dreaded “seven” is rolled. That would be a shame. (Also on www.boardgamegeek.com) As mentioned, the ultimate goal is to be the Greg J. Schloesser first to deliver all of your goods. This is accom- structed in a fashion similar to roads in Set- plished by constructing rail lines to link your tlers. Players pay resources (coal) to move a town to opponents’ towns and then moving train. When a train reaches an opponent’s your train to those towns to deliver goods. Of town that doesn’t already contain a good, he course, in order to make these goods avail- may place one of his goods there. Remem- able, you must first construct towns, which ber, players must construct their own towns requires the construction and movement of in order to make goods available, so players settlers to available town sites. So, there are must pay attention to both tasks. a lot of factors to keep in balance.

Borrowing from other train games, when a While it has many similarities and familiar player moves his train across another player’s mechanisms to its ancestors, Settlers of rail lines, he must pay that player a gold coin America has enough new twists and con- to utilize the route. cepts to give it a fresh feel. Players must be adept at balancing all of the different SETTLERS OF AMERICA c) Development cards convey benefits to a aspects, and there are important timing player, including free resources, extra move- considerations. The ability to bounce back Designer: Klaus Teuber ment, etc. Since the game is won by deliv- and forth between the different actions – Artist: D. Cochard, P. Fenlon, H. Lieske, M. Zug ering all of one’s goods, there are no victory building, trading, moving – allows players Title de: ident point cards present in the deck. wide creative latitude and provides ample Price: ca. 40 Euro opportunity for clever play. All of these are Publisher: Mayfair Games 2010 Note that resources must also be spent to big plusses and would appear to make this www.mayfairgames.com move settlers (grain) and trains (coal). Early new version one of the best in the series. in the game, grain is important to construct and move settlers. As the game progresses, There is one significant drawback, howev- however, other resources – particularly coal er: time. Every game I’ve played has lasted EVALUATION PLAYERS: – become more vital. Ideally, as in the original three or more hours. That’s simply too long. Resources management game 2-4 Settlers, players should construct their towns The game tends to drag as players wait to With friends in a fashion that maximizes their chances to amass the needed resources. Plus, there are Version: en AGE: Rules: en de nl 10+ receive all types of resources. This, of course, so many steps required to ultimately deliver In-game use of language: yes creates some keen competition for favorable a good, and players must deliver eight to Comments: TIME: town sites. win the game. That takes time – too much Familiar elements combined with 90+ time. Mind you, I play and enjoy many games a new twist Middle game takes too long Players each have two settlers and two trains that have a duration of three hours or more. Good mix of mechanisms available. Players begin with one of each on However, what I seek in longer games is the board, as well as three towns. Since a continuing excitement and progressive de- Compares to: Settlers of Catan, Settlers of the settler is removed when it reaches a town velopment. The excitement should continue Stone Age and also logistics and site, these must be rebuilt regularly. When throughout the game, without a déjà vu feel track building games built, a train or settler can be placed at any from turn-to-turn. With Settlers of America, Alternate publisher: of a player’s towns. When placing settlers, it is that feeling begins creeping in as the second none important to keep an eye on lucrative expan- hour is approached. As is, it is about an hour sion routes and potential resource produc- to long. There is an abundance of excitement tion. Trains should be placed in areas where and tension in the early and latter stages, but they can reach opponents’ towns quickly in the middle stage tends to drag. My rating: order to deliver goods. I am sure there are other groups that can As players migrate west and found new manage to play the game in two hours or

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BIRIBI t THE GAME IN WIN

The Game in WIN by designer and artist Harald Havas (www.havas.at) BIRIBI Produced in cooperation with the Austrian Games Museum

A tactical game for 2 carpet makers, ages 12+

Game components: 5 identical coins per player and 1 game board (components sheet enclosed). Game idea: Aim of the game is to get as many coins as possible to the last opposite square. Game preparations: 5 coins for each players are placed on the starting positions. Game play: Players alternate in taking turns. Each player moves one of his coins per turn, only straight or diagonally forward. You must move a coin. If you cannot move (a very rare event!) you must pass a turn or your turns until you can move again. Biri and Biribi: - opposing coins are conquered and are placed under your own (=Biri) - the coin that has conquered cannot conquer another opposing coin, but can be conquered by an opposing single coin , This conquering coin is placed on top (=Biribi). – A Biribi can neither conquer nor can it be conquered. What changes?: - The formation Biribi moves two steps per turn. - Biribi moves three steps per turn, straight or diagonally ahead, it can jump over other coins. Game end: - A formation reaching the opposing end is separated into conquered and your own coins. Your own score one point each – when all coins have reached their target you count. If you got through the most coins, you win. In case of a tie you play again.

For more information on the artist Harald Havas see http://www.havas.at

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are played simultaneously and INFORMATION face then and are then revealed PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: 1655 HABEMUS PAPAM simultaneously and implement- 3-4 10+ 45+ BUY VOTES WITH GOLD ed, starting with the Camerlen- go. The bids are valid for the top Designer: Christoph Bauer card of each stack and the Cam- Artist: Katharina Kubisch The Pope is dead! Players are vor; action cards help with bids erlengo Card. In case of a tie in Title de: ident cardinals and want to be elected and earn you gold from your the number of gems in a bid the Price: ca. 15 Euro pope and also receive 2 tasks at fellow players. The Camerlengo more valuable gem decides the Publisher: DDD Verlag 2010 the start of the game. To reach is a non-eligible cardinal and bid, in case of an identical bid www.ddd-verlag.de their goal they bid in each round responsible for electing a pope, the seating order in relation to for the most valuable cards in the supplies gems and decides ties the Camerlengo. Players choose display, using gems. Those cards in bids. Each round of a maxi- a card in sequence of their bids. EVALUATION offer the different advantages: mum of 18 rounds comprises re- The card „Black Smoke“ assigns Auction game Cardinal cards earn you one vote vealing cards, the option to play additional money to each Cardi- With friends each; Political powers offer addi- an action card, bidding 0-3 gems nal with the corresponding sym- Version: multi tional votes and money with Fa- and taking a card. Action cards bol und you discard one of your Rules: de en In-game use of language: yes cards face down. The card “White Smoke” signals the end of the Comments: Very nice auction mechanism game. At the end of the round Short playing time - Lots of gold is given out one more time depth - Works best when you know values and inter- and then votes are counted from actions of the cards cards and gold. An elegant fast card game that Compares to: Toledo 1085 and other can be absolutely recommend- games bidding for cards ed, it gets more and more inter- esting the better you know the values and effects of the cards, a game with lots of depth and short duration.

that are affected by the card, Alli- INFORMATION ances are strengthened or weak- SWEDISH PARLIAMENT PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: 2010 ened and each group of voters 1-10 10+ 120+ ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN SCANDINAVIA enhanced the approbation for the parties. An event results in Designer: Harald Enoksson a change of public opinion and Artist: Harald Enoksson Again, in 2010 Harald Enoksson In your turn you can play any all parties are moved within this Title de: ident has brought a game with a non- number of cards, but only draw scale in the direction denoted Price: on demand mainstream topic to Essen, this one. A program/event card can on the card, even the parties in Publisher: Mondainai Games 10 time on the topic of an election be played either as program or the neutral zone. Two cards as a www.mondainai.eu campaign for the Swedish Parlia- as and event, two such cards political posturing allow you to ment. can be used to for Political Pos- move your own party marker on Each player chooses a party, turing or to raise an issue or to any of the 10 scales. Two cards as EVALUATION draws one card and all players strengthen an alliance; or you a topic are implemented in the Card game on positions sit down around the table in or- play a Voter card. A program same way as a program card. If For experts der of the size of the party. The card results in the re-position- you play a Voter card, some vot- Version: en smallest party begins the game. ing on the scale of those parties ers form an opinion and 5 parties Rules: en In-game use of language: yes from the card can earn votes. When all cards have been used, Comments: Handmade copy - Limited remaining voter cards are scored edition - Only available from and the party with most votes is the designer - For experienced the winner. players only Idiosyncratic as usual in his Compares to: games, interesting as usual and 1960 The Making of the President and also only available in a very lim- other election games, ited number of games at Essen basically all games and now on demand, a game using cards to change positions of markers deliberately targeting specialist, experts and fans of fringe games.

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 1220 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at 51ST STATE / ABETTO t PLAYED FOR YOU

tions. INFORMATION In total, a round of the game ST PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: 51 STATE comprises the phases Lookout, 2-4 12+ 60+ ONE NEW STATE INSTEAD OF 50 Production, Actions, count Vic- tory Points and clean-up. In the Designer: Ignacy Trzewiczek production phase you acquire Artist: P. Cieslinski, D. Crayon A card game set in the Neuro- In each round you receive new resources, workers, contact Title de: ident shima universe; 30 years after cards in the „Lookout“ phase. markers, cards and victory points Price: ca. 25 Euro the United States have been de- Locations you can conquer and either through production in a Publisher: Portal Publishing stroyed a 51st state is in the mak- thereby acquire loot, but only base or through acquired con- www.portalpublishing.eu ing to mark revival and rebuild- once per location. Or you can tracts and connected or build ing. Four Factions - New York, The cooperate with a location and locations or by swapping loot Appalachian Federation as Feu- thereby acquire steady albeit for resources. In the action phase EVALUATION dalistic Mining Union, The Mer- smaller profit in each round, or players in turn have one action Resources management chants’ Guild and the Mutants’ you incorporate the location into until all have passed – possible With friends Union - fight for dominance over your own faction and thereby actions are Conquer a Location, Version: de the new state. win resources and possible ac- Establish Negotiation, Incor- Rules: de en pl In-game use of language: yes porate a Location, Redevelop a Location, Play a new leader or ex- Comments: Set in the Neuroshima Universe change current Leader, Discard Dark topic and draw cards, place workers or Good components Emphasis on optimizing implement leader action. If you resources, not conflict reach or top 30 points, you end the game and win. Compares to: Race for the Galaxy, San Despite the end-time conflict Juan topic 51st State is pure resourc- es management coupled with worker placement and multiple uses of cards for the optimum balance of fast profit, aggression and cooperation, resulting in an excellent enjoyable game.

support yourself or to hinder INFORMATION your opponents. PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: ABETTO Confrontations and attempts at 2-4 12+ 90+ SHOOTOUT OVER THE ROULETTE WHEEL burglary are decided by the rou- lette wheel: players bid on color Designer: Rzadek, Włodarczyk, Kołos and parity of the result and win Artist: Bednarczyk, Chołostiakow Players are gentlemen gangsters it sets conditions valid through- or lose loots of the burglaries or a Title de: ident on nightly forays on the roofs of out the turn for all players. Then duel. After seven rounds the win- Price: ca.35 Euro the town and collect trophies each player in his turn chooses ner is the player with the most Publisher: Admondo 2010 in the categories Valuables, Ro- three actions from, Moving, Bur- trophies in his worst category. www.admondo.pl mance and Bravery. The game glary, Shot or Rest; Shot can be Abetto is the first game from a board is laid out with cards rep- chosen only once, the others re- new Polish publisher, all in all a resenting one- and two-storey peatedly. Moving is paid for with very creditable first work. The EVALUATION houses around a central board one Fatigue point and additional first thing you note is the unusu- A game of acquisition that is used for placing bets on fatigue points for crossing a road al coloring that harmonizes very With friends the roulette wheel. At the start of or changing floor levels. Gadgets well with the topic of the game, Version: multi a turn a Task Card is turned up, that you acquire can be used to and of course the roulette wheel Rules: de en fr pl In-game use of language: no standing in for a die roll. That’s a good idea, and lots of fun, too, Comments: Elegant and beautiful design and also goes well with gentle- Roulette as randomizer is a men gangsters. The German funny and well-working detail Not-so-good German rules are a bit difficult due to rules - Well-working random translation, but with us- English rules ing English rules and the German Compares to: Help Card you can play without Nizza for topic, Roulette much difficulty. A solid game, if used as a stand-in for you want all the fun it has to offer dice is new use the options stated with the individual paragraphs.

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Then a new round is started, Ele- INFORMATION fun is „submerged“ again and PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: AFFEN ACTION all take their monkeys and start 2-4 4+ 15+ THE ELEFUNTASTIC snipping. So you go on playing MONKEY SNIPPING GAME until all bananas are given out. If Designer: not stated then you have most bananas you Artist: not stated Elefun and the monkeys are play- ing down their tails. You go on win the game. Title de: ident ing at the beach and the mon- snipping until either all monkeys When all players are trained Price: ca. 18 Euro keys need to be snipped into the are in the water holes or Elefun monkey snippers, you can block Publisher: Hasbro / MB 2011 water holes to earn lots of ba- surfaces in the lagoon. In doing one of the water holes and place www.hasbro.de nanas. The Lagoon is set up, each so he lets some monkeys jump the water lily blocker into one of player has four monkeys and Ele- into the air again. Now all players the holes to block. Monkeys that fun is placed in one of the water who have a monkey in a water are snipped into that hole do not EVALUATION holes. At the start of the game he hole receive a banana chip for earn their owner a banana. A game of dexterity is activated, that is pressed down each monkey, even when the Affen Action – Action with mon- For children to be diving, then all players try monkey sits in the same hole keys, basically a totally simple Version: de to snip their monkeys by press- with Elefun. game, and once again an ex- Rules: de In-game use of language: no ample for careful, painstak- ing fostering of a brand and a Comments: Games theme world Elefun & theme-world of games. Elefun, Friends - Very simple rules and the butterfly-blowing elephant, mechanism and his friends have been the Children can play alone backbone of the children games Compares to: range for some years and a guar- Other snipping games and dexterity games antee for pretty topics and quick with hit-a-target simple mechanisms. Letting the monkeys jump is fun, the 3D components are attractive and functional, and a good training for hand-eye-coordination and target snipping is included!

tioned here: INFORMATION I-Sheng Yang, Ellen Yeh, Michael GAMERS‘ DECK PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: AGRICOLA Wake, Dan Schwab, Justin Josh- 1-5 12+ 150+ ASTRONOMER, BARD AND BEEHIVE OVEN ua Schleifer, Matt Ludbrook, Nicu Zavada, Ira Fay, Bryann Turner, Designer: Uwe Rosenberg + friends Chris Deotte, Andrw Wolfson & Artist: Klemens Franz Agricola was and is one of the the family. Devin Block, Brian Hartwig, Chi Title de: ident most successful games of the The Gamers‘ Deck is a set of Yam Wan, Marc Thompson, Trey Price: ca. 13 Euro last few years. You improve and cards for Agricola, created and Alsup, Kevin Richardson, Hunter Publisher: Lookout Games 2010 expand your farm, build and play-tested by Fans of the game Stenzel, Michael Korn, Abe Lew- www.lookout-games.de renovate huts, till the soil, have on the play-agricola.com plat- is, Fred Bush, Tedd Mullally, Tim a family and look after your live- form on the internet, where all Condit, Dylan Block, Viktor Luke- stock. The first big expansion is fans of the game can design and nics, Keith Gell, Devin Block, Nor- EVALUATION Agricola Farmers of the Moore. play-test new cards. As the cover bert Szongott. Expansion for Agricola It introduces peat and forest explicitly names Uwe Rosenberg The set comprises 59 Minor Im- For experts and thereby wood and fuel. This and Friends as developers of this provements and 60 Occupations, Version: de in turn influences the health of deck, the designers are men- it can be used as a stand-alone Rules: de en In-game use of language: yes set or can be shuffled into the other decks. The deck is targeted Comments: Only for use with the basic game at experienced Agricola players, Developed and tested on the net who already know the game. For experienced Agricola players All fans of Agricola, always on the only look for new expansions and ver- Compares to: sions for their favorite game, will Agricola have fun with this deck. It offers interesting details and possibili- ties for the basic game, you must know the interactions and de- mands of the game well for op- timum use of the Gamers’ Deck.

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 1422 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at ANTWERPEN / AUF DIE BIRNE t PLAYED FOR YOU

differ from manufactured arti- INFORMATION cles. Those have a value between PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: ANTWERPEN 1 and 4 points, orders can earn 2-4 8+ 45+ PORTS OF EUROPE you up to 10 points. The joker ship card is missing and there Designer: Hans van Tol are new ship cards in Antwerp. Artist: W. Euverman, Y.-C. Scholten Following Rotterdam now comes The order of moves in your turn This is amended by special ac- Title de: ident Antwerp in the series Ports of Eu- is now up to your choice. Sluices tion cards and ships now deliver Price: ca. 30 Euro rope. Players direct a fleet, trans- are a barrier between the inner the goods directly upon arrival Publisher: The Game Master 10 port resources and process them and outer harbor, you can reach in the harbor. In your turn you www.thegamemaster.nl in the harbor into manufactured the docks only if you own the can put a ship with a resource of articles, all in order to dominate necessary cards to operate the your choice on a starting posi- Antwerp Harbor with the major- sluices. The river Schelde and the tion, name a color and move all EVALUATION ity of victory Points. The game new harbor introduce double ships on channels of that color, or Transport and logistics game works in analogy to its predeces- shipping channels, the sluices you can swap an order or swap For families sor Rotterdam, with some new already mentioned and a transit products with other players, or Version: multi details and some amendments. harbor. Furthermore, resources fill and order or play ship cards Rules: de en fr nl In-game use of language: no or play sluice cards. When you have filled three orders all players Comments: Attractive rule amendments have one final turn and then you Good mechanism for movement score points for filled orders and Rule changes result in a simpler and more straightfor- manufactured article cards, the ward game than Rot- winner is the player with most terdam - now a good points. family game Antwerpen is a very well- Compares to: working game with attractive Rotterdam mechanisms, works well with any number of players and the rule changes result in a fantastic game for the whole family.

you may give a guess on the INFORMATION number as demanded by the PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: AUF DIE BIRNE harvest cards, apples, pears and 2-5 7+ 20+ COUNT THE APPLES, PEARS maggots on the harvest card do AND MAGGOTS not count! If you name the cor- Designer: Manfred Reindl rect number or are nearest to it Artist: Gabriela Silveira Harvest time in the fruit orchard, the game: you receive the harvest card. Title de: ident but unfortunately there are mag- Off the Top of Your Head: All You are supposed to be 11 Price: ca. 13 Euro gots in some of the beautiful cards are shuffled and dealt Friends: Only the windfall cards Publisher: Zoch 2011 pears or apples, so check care- evenly to all players. Then in are dealt to the players, each www.zoch-verlag.com fully! Players count in their mind turn you turn up a card from player receives two harvest the number of apples, pears your stack and place it in the cards, the rest is stacked. Then and maggots on cards that are middle, all add up apples, pears in turn a card is played into the EVALUATION played and name the correct and maggots. When a harvest middle. If you believe that there Counting game with cards number at the right moment, card appears, you try to grab a are 11 pieces of a kind in the For families correct answers earn you harvest number chip as fast as you can stack, hits the stack. If you are Version: multi cards. There are two versions of and then in order of the chips the quickest you name the kind Rules: de en fr it In-game use of language: no with 11 pieces in the stack. If you are correct you receive a harvest Comments: Nice topic - Simple rules card from the stack. If you are Good for families as well as for wrong, you lose a harvest card. children playing alone Adding-up training for In both versions you win with first-year pupils the most harvest cards when all windfall cards have been distrib- Compares to: All counting and reac- uted. tion games This is a fast simple counting and memo game, the challenge is in remembering the numbers and naming them at the right time. A good adding-up-training for first-year-pupils! Good fun for the whole family!

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anymore the round is scored. INFORMATION Depending on the task card PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: BITS you must reproduce form and/ 1-4 8+ 45+ GETS COLORS INTO SHAPE or color exactly, for the shape no additional area can be bordering Designer: Reiner Knizia along the edges. In each round a Artist: W. Pepperle, Schwarzschild Bits is a placement game based responding starting tile for his task card is added from the cor- Title de: ident on the placement game Fits, area. Then one building card responding stack and you try to Price: ca. 28 Euro this time it features 20 tiles for after the other is turned up and execute all task cards. After three Publisher: Ravensburger 2011 each player, made up from two each player places this tile on his rounds for a standard game and www.ravensburger.de squares in all possible combina- area. The tile must be slid down four rounds for an advanced tions of five colors. A task card the ramp and touch either the game the winner is the player is turned up and all players try ramp end or other tiles, and you with the highest score. EVALUATION to form the shape depicted on can fill only gaps that can be Bits at first glance looks simple, Placement game the card, exactly and as often filled by sliding the tile, not those but isn’t simple at all in its de- For families as possible. Each player draws a that need lifting and replacing mands. Because you need to Version: de starting card and takes the cor- the tile. If no-one can place a tile check for formation of exact Rules: de In-game use of language: no shapes and must avoid forma- tion of bigger areas, because Comments: Abstract placement game you do not score with those even Cumulative implementation of when the shape from the task tasks - All play on their own card is part of the area! And fur- Solo version listed thermore, there are the multiple Compares to: tasks from the cards, so often you Fits and other place- ment game with forma- have to choose which what you tion of shapes want to score! Bits offers a chal- lenging placement game with simple rules for fans of abstract topics.

you must take up the replaced INFORMATION tile and you can only replace a PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: BLOCKERS! tile if – when you take it from a 2-5 8+ 30+ PLAN! BLOCK! WIN! group of 3 or more – you do not split the group. A joker replaces Designer: Korey Heath any tile. You cannot pass your Artist: Rick Soued, Pixel Prod. Three steps to win – plan, block and at the end of your turn you turn. Title de: ident und win! For this you place one draw one tile. So you only know When only 4 tiles are left on Price: ca. 20 Euro tile in each of your turns and try five of your tiles at a time, the your rack you score 1 point for Publisher: Amigo 2011 to position your own tiles in the others are face-down. each group of your color on the www.amigo-spiele.de least possible number of groups A letter and a number tile can board and one point for each tile on the board. only be placed into the respec- in the biggest color group from A group consists of tiles of the tive columns or rows, a symbol which you did have to take up EVALUATION same color that touch each other tile must be placed on the same tiles, each single tile is a group. Placement game orthogonally along the edges. At symbol on the board itself. You In case of a tie you only score the For families the start of the game you draw 5 can replace a tile of another color points once. Version: de tiles from your stock for your rack with one of your own tiles, but The player with the fewest points Rules: de In-game use of language: no wins. In the expert version for 2 players each player plays with 2 Comments: Abstract game - Special rule for colors on separate racks. 2 players - Picking up of replaced Blockers! is a nice version of the tiles is an interesting detail Good balance between mechanism of group forming on planning and chance pre-set spots. Interesting in this version is the scoring and the Compares to: Other placement games picking up of replaced tiles. with group formation Some planning is definitely pos- and using pre-set spots, sible and very necessary, as there e.g. Sequence are only 81 places for 140 tiles if you play a game of 5.

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 24 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at CRABS / CROWS t PLAYED FOR YOU

sides of the tiles. Only groups of INFORMATION 3 or more crabs score positive PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: CRABS points, a single crab is worth -1, 2-4 7+ 30+ STASH THE RIGHT COLOR! 2 crabs are worth 0, 3 crabs score 1 point, 4 crabs earn you 3 points Designer: Adam Kałuża and 5 or more crabs in a group Artist: Piotr Socha Players are out to fish for crabs put into the storage hold of your are worth 5 points. Title de: Kraby with their ships. The crab tiles ship in front of your screen. In the storage hold there is only Price: ca. 20 Euro placed are in the bag, each play- To place a crab tile you slide it room for one crab of a color and Publisher: Granna / Red Glove 10 er chooses a color and the num- into the board from any direc- no crab of a given color can be www.granna.pl ber of crab figurines necessary tion, in a straight line until it placed on the same multiplier as for the number of players is set meets an obstacle, that is, an- with another player. If you are the out. You draw 6 crab tiles from other crab or an island. Empty first one to place a pink crab on EVALUATION the bag and place them behind spots must remain reachable in x3, you block x3 for pink in other Placement game your screen. a straight line. You try to create players’ holds. The crab color on For families In your turn you must place one groups of crabs in your color, a multiplier scores you the points Version: en crab tile and can take a crab and which are connected along the for crabs in that color. When all Rules: pl en it In-game use of language: no tiles are placed, the scores for groups of crabs in each color are Comments: Granna games at Red Glove determined and marked on the since 2010 - Simple rules scale. Then each player scores Attractive design, good compo- nents - Indirect scoring points according to the color of by choosing crabs is a the crabs in his hold. clever detail Crabs is basically a simple group Compares to: formation game, but the detail Ingenious and games of the storage hold is crafty, you on scoring color groups need a good balance between greed and too early revelation of your choices!

a tree without crow you receive INFORMATION a special token that you can use PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: CROWS later for special effects, e.g. „no 2-4 10+ 45+ THEY LOVE ALL THAT GLITTERS! cemetery“. For the crows flocking you move crows in straight line to Designer: Tyler Sigman the next shiny object in the same Artist: Patrick LaMontagne Players want to attract lots of murder = flock of crows scatters row or column, with exact rules Title de: ident crows with their shiny objects and the round ends. for gaps, trash and trinket tiles. Price: ca. 30 Euro and thus score points. To do so In your turn you place a tile from Then each crow with your own Publisher: Valley Games 2010 you place tree tiles showing 0 to 3 the stock or your own trash tile Shiny Object scores you 1 point, www.valleygames.ca crows or trash or trinkets or cem- on a free spot in the display, ac- or 2 points if on a cemetery. When eteries in a given starting display. cording to exact placement rules, there are more than 6 crows on You begin the game with 1 trash and then place the necessary a tile after flocking, the murder EVALUATION tile and 1 Shiny Object. crows on the new tile. Then you scatters: 2 crows mate and go out Placement and amassing game Each round comprises one turn place your Shiny Object on a free of the game, the others are redis- With friends per player, then crows flock and tile without crow pieces, but not tributed. Then you discard special Version: multi players score points, then the on a trash tile. If you place it on tokens that you did use and take Rules: en de fr In-game use of language: no back your Shiny Object. When all tiles have been placed you score Comments: Unusual, attractive topic - Rules for unused special tokens and variants for a simpler family then the player with most points game - Special tokens and tile in- teraction allow enough wins. tactics Crows is a very tactical place- ment game with an unusual but Compares to: Placement games scor- very coherently executed topic, ing points for positions you must plan well for placing in relation to other your Shiny Object. With the rule positions variations provided it turns into an excellent family game.

WIN The Games Journal now also available as WINXXL with a goodie. www.gamesjournal.at For all information on that check page 7 and our website. ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 25 PLAYED FOR YOU u DIGGER / DISCOVER INDIA

result in your roll you can steal INFORMATION gems from your fellow players PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: DIGGER in colors that are present once 3-5 8+ 15+ MINE GEMS WITH DICE in your roll. If you dislocate gems while stealing your turn ends Designer: Roberto Fraga immediately and you must put Artist: not stated Players are mining for gold and treasure chest board, white side back all gems taken in this move Title de: ident gems in the jungle and try to up in the basic game. In your to the stock. If you want to stop Price: ca. 12 Euro collect as many gems as possible turn you roll the dice, sort the rolling you must stack the gems, Publisher: Jeux Descartes 2010 and to stow them away in their gems you did win by color, and sorted by color, on your chest www.asmodee.de treasure chest before sundown. stash them in your chest before board. Blue water stones go out When there is no water left, the sundown, symbolized by a timer of the game. When the gems are player with the most valuable of 30 seconds. You can only mine stacked you call stop! When the EVALUATION gems in his treasure chest wins gems in colors that are visible timer has not yet run out at that Dice and accumulation game the game. once on all your dice after a roll. point in your turn you keep all For families All gems are laid out in the mid- You can re-roll, but must re-roll gems. The player who is current Version: de dle of the table; each player has a all 5 dice. If there is one black “Master of Time” keeps the timer Rules: de In-game use of language: no hidden from you, turns it over when you start tolling and must Comments: 2. Game in the round tin packag- call stop when the time runs out ing - Two versions - Variant of the before you call stop. In this case Can’t Stop mechanism - Simple rules - Good family you lose all gems that are not yet game stacked. Digger is a very pretty family Compares to: Can’t Stop, Six and other game, nicely packed in a sturdy stop-your-turn-on-time round tin, the well-known stan- games dard stop-your-turn-on-time mechanism has been attractively varied by using the hidden time factor.

your 2nd tile on you can place a INFORMATION new tile either directly on your PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: DISCOVER INDIA Kolam or swap it with the tile 2-5 8+ 45+ KOLAMS WITH GROUPS OF SYMBOLS in your barter spot or place it in another player’s barter stop Designer: G. Cornett, P. Sylvester and take his tile there and place Artist: C. Stephan, M. Hoffmann Player are travel through India as either into a free city adjacent to it in your Kolam for the cost of Title de: ident a group. The country is divided the target city of the previous one victory point. In cities with Price: ca. 30 Euro into regions, roads connect the player or to another airport. If a a festival marker you receive a Publisher: Queen Games 2010 cities and each player has his player has flown the next one card, too, and relocate the festi- www.queen-games.de own individual game board, a cannot do so. Cities are adjacent val marker. When all Kolams are Kolam. At the start of the game when connected by a road. Then filled, you score groups of identi- a symbol tile is placed into each you take the tile of the city you cal symbols on your Kolam and EVALUATION city, a stack of 5 tiles go into the reached and draw another tile city cards you own, the player Movement /acquisition game airport cities. The starting player for the city if necessary. The first with the highest score wins. For families begins in an airport city. Then the tile you take always goes to the In a version you can place the Version: multi active player moves his marker, barter spot of your Kolam, from tiles acquired in cities with a fes- Rules: de en In-game use of language: no tival markers face down on your Kolam, this connects identical Comments: Nice components symbols that are not adjacent. Attractive version of standard The cards picked up there also mechanisms Challenge-version al- count for symbols. lows more tactical play Discover India is a nice game movement and acquisition, Compares to: All other travel games which is upgraded by the Kolam with collecting objects mechanism, the Challenge ver- sion offers quite a lot of tactics for the collection of identical symbols.

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 26 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at DITO / DOMORY t PLAYED FOR YOU

on the die result – each player INFORMATION notes down an answer or makes PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: DITO a drawing or you choose your 3-6 8+ 25+ DO YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK? partner and agree on an answer or drawing, all others play by Designer: not stated themselves. Then all answers Artist: Nuyens Kristine Aim of the game in this game cards, giving a characteristic, for or drawings are revealed, if you Title de: ident of communication is to give instance old or anything or seri- are among those who gave the Price: ca. 22 Euro answers that are the same as ous. most frequent answer you can Publisher: University Games 09 the answers of other players, If you are the active player you cross out a spot in your column www.universitygames.de the more the better. Each player roll the die and depending on on the board. If there are no dou- receives his equipment of draw- the result all players play by ble or multiple answers nobody ing board, pen and sponge. And themselves or all draw a re- scores. When different answers EVALUATION then there are the “Was” cards sponse or you can choose a part- occur with the same frequency, Game on correlations featuring nouns which are cat- ner and answer together. Then all players giving one of those With friends egories, for instance animal or you turn up one what-card and answers score a point. The first Version: de magazine or film, and the “how” one how-card and – depending player to score 8 points wins the Rules: de nl In-game use of language: yes game. As is the case in all those games Comments: Standard mechanisms on answer correlations, it is im- Nice choice of definition portant not to be too narrow in Games plays very fast your interpretation, especially Compares to: when the group is heteroge- All communication neous as regards to age. Two games scoring correla- tions pony tails for “funny” and “hair- do” may be easy to identify, but “funny” would be debatable. And as in all such games, the fun comes from the group and how they handle it when a combina- tion of „serious“ and „beverage“ turns up.

the player with most pairs. INFORMATION DO is the Domino variant for the PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: DOMORY Domory pieces, depending on 2-4 4+ 20+ RED ARCHS IN RED GROVES the number of players you take 10, 14 or 20 pieces from the grid. Designer: Silke Kegeler Two pieces are placed – slanted Artist: Silke Kegeler You play a memo- and place- are placed color base down into sides together – for starting piec- Title de: ident ment game with 60 unusual and the grid of the box bottom. Then es in the middle of the table. In Price: auf Anfrage very pretty pieces. The pieces are in turn you draw any 2 pieces turn you place one of your pieces Publisher: Einfach gut 2011 gray cuboids cut on the bias with out of the grid. When the bases with a corresponding pattern at www.einfachgut-online.de a colored base, in five different correspond in ridge and grove one of the ends and then any colors. The colored base shows pattern and also in color you other one with the slanted side a pattern, either convex or con- keep both pieces and draw two to give the next player two pat- EVALUATION cave. Convex and concave identi- new ones. When the pieces do tern ends. If you cannot place a Memory and placement game cal patters fit together. not fit, you put them back and pattern side you draw a piece. For families The Version ORY is the memory the move ends. When all pieces The level of difficulty can be var- Version: de version of the game. All pieces have been taken, the winner is ied by leaving out colors or not Rules: de In-game use of language: no taking colors into account at all. If you take out pieces you must Comments: Unusual, beautiful components take care to remove correspond- Simple, standard rules ing ridge and grove patterns. Good for persons with special Domory is a fantastic, unusually needs attractive and challenging ver- Compares to: sion of standard game mecha- All games of memory, placement and touch- nisms, also very nicely playable ing for blind or visually handicapped players; and a good training for observation and pattern recogni- tion which is fun, too.

WIN The Games Journal now also available as WINXXL with a goodie. www.gamesjournal.at For all information on that check page 7 and our website. ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 27 PLAYED FOR YOU u ESELSBRÜCKE / EVAS WELT

of you make a mistake. When all INFORMATION elements have been named or PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: ESELSBRÜCKE everybody made a mistake the 3-12 8+ 45+ HAVE FUN WITH MNEMONIC TRICKS game goes on with the story of the next player and subsequent Designer: R. zur Linde, S. Dorra distribution of his story tiles. If Artist: Michael Menzel In the first two rounds of the clockwise, to the next players. you made a mistake you must Title de: ident game players or teams tell stories Now in turn you use the tile to re- discard story tiles already re- Price: ca. 25 Euro with the help of randomly drawn member another element of the ceived. When all elements have Publisher: Schmidt Spiele 2011 picture tiles, stories should be as story and name it. If you remem- been remembered correctly, www.schmidtspiele.de interesting and original as pos- ber correctly you receive the tile the narrator gets a stop-tile for sible to make them memorable. with this element from the player his victory-points stack. If a stop The number of tiles you must currently holding it, for a victory tile is turned up when discarding EVALUATION use is given for each round. point. If you make a mistake you penalty tiles for a mistake it stops Memory and story telling game From round 3 on you first tell a stop guessing for the round. If the discarding. When all stories For families new story and then distribute you did not get a tile you can have been told and their tiles dis- Version: de the tiles of a story already told, only guess when players ahead tributed and remembered, the Rules: de In-game use of language: yes player with the most tiles wins. A colloquial term has been Comments: Very attractive and fun mecha- turned into a game very at- nism - Good drawings tractively, the game offers lots Works best with short, very of fun and demands a talent individual stories for short, concise story that are Compares to: easily remembered. The better Other story-telling games with memoriz- you story is told the better it ing certain words will be remembered and earn you a stop-tile! Creative fun for the whole family and for larger groups, because you can play in teams!

the item pictured on this square INFORMATION would look if you would see it PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: EVAS WELT standing on the ground. Then 2-4 6+ 20+ OUTSIDE-THE-BOX THINKING! you search the display of discov- ery cards for the correspond- Designer: Daan Kreek ing picture for each of the four Artist: Christian Fiore In Evas World there are build- from an airplane. squares and take the pictures. Title de: ident ings, a car, a tractor & trailer, a At the start of the game the play- Your neighbor to your left con- Price: ca. 20 Euro swimming pool, trees, a pasture ers randomly place their markers trols the picture by turning it Publisher: Noris Spiele 2011 and much, much more. All those anywhere on the board. Then in over. If there are not enough www.noris-spiele.de things are pictured on 48 discov- turn you roll the die and move pictures left take those still avail- ery cards, items are presented as your marker accordingly in able. When all cards have been seen from all possible directions. any direction over the 12 inner given out, the player with most EVALUATION On the game board with 12 in- squares, but not diagonally. Then cards wins. Game on spatial thinking ner squares all those things are you look at the four squares ad- Evas World offers a very unusual For families pictured when being looked on jacent to the square with your mechanism for a children or easy Version: multi from above, as you would do marker and try to image how family game, the rethinking of a Rules: de fr it In-game use of language: no top view into a side view is not easy for some adults, either. For Comments: Unusual mechanism children it is a wonderful train- Good learning game ing for spatial thinking and spa- Different pictures for each item depending on viewing tial imagination. The game also point trains the ability to go from ab- stract to concrete, for instance Compares to: First game of this kind to identify a blue-and-white pattern with a red circle in one corner and a yellow rectangle at one side as a swimming pool before thinking how this might look when standing before it.

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 28 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at EXPEDITION SUMATRA / FLINKE FLIEGEN t PLAYED FOR YOU

the ship – load an animal onto INFORMATION the lorry – steal an animal from PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: EXPEDITION SUMATRA an opposing lorry, this costs 2 2-4 8+ 45+ GET ANIMALS OUT OF THE JUNGLE actions – move your own ship one step forward or backward. Designer: B. Stöckmann, J. Jahnke Then you move your ship, in Artist: Gandzel, Włodarska, Rorot Players are big game hunters current situation. Possible ac- relation to the location of your Title de: ident contracted by zoos to roam the tions to choose are: Changing lorry with the big storage space, Price: ca. 35 Euro jungles of Sumatra to find speci- paths, you turn a tile or tilt a tile 1 to 4 squares. Path tiles that Publisher: Igramoon 2010 mens of threatened species, without a lorry on an adjacent have been cleared are replaced www.igramoon.de catch them and load them onto free square. If an animal appears by new ones from stock. When a lorries and ships. you place a corresponding mark- player has filled all storage space In your turn you have four ac- er, effects like Muntjak, Trap, Na- or there are no more path tiles in EVALUATION tions, which you choose from a tive, Field Glasses or Storm are stock or the first ship has circled Placement and acquisition game range of five possible action and executed – move your own lor- the island you score points for For families at the same time implement tile ry, if it reaches the ship animals animals onboard your ship and Version: de functions that can change the are loaded from the lorry onto bonuses for filled storage spaces, Rules: de In-game use of language: no executed orders and circling the island. Comments: Very attractive design - Unusual Expedition Sumatra offers an ac- mix of chance and logistics quisition game with nice graph- Very nice family game ics and coherent topic. You must Compares to: always try to use the actual situ- Auf Achse and other ation for optimum results, the games of logistics, oth- erwise all roll & move load restrictions for the lorries games with events and ship movement in relation to lorry locations demand pure logistics which are influenced by the changing paths and events.

or incorrectly withdrawn flies INFORMATION the catcher takes a piece of cake PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: FLINKE FLIEGEN from the fly owner. For an incor- 2-5 6+ 20+ CATCH A FLY TO GET SOME CAKE rectly caught fly the flycatcher gives a piece of cake to the own- Designer: Christoph Behre er of the fly. Then the flycatcher Artist: Klemens Franz, Bluguy Flies want to eat cake, but the flies shows such a garment, you has a second turn to catch flies. Title de: ident flycatcher is on the watch. Play- quickly draw the fly away from When this second attempt has Price: ca. 15 Euro ers alternate in being flies or fly- the cake before the flycatcher been scored, the next player in Publisher: Kosmos 2011 catchers, all want to collect most can slap it with his swatter. The turn becomes flycatcher, the www.kosmos.de of the cake with most cherries on patterns on the die are valid for former catcher takes over his them. If you currently play a fly, all colors and colors are valid for flies. When each player has been you hold the strings of two adja- all patterns. If no fly shows the flycatcher at least once and one EVALUATION cent flies. If you are the catcher of pattern from the die the catcher player is out of cake pieces, the A game of dexterity and reaction the round you roll the die and try my try to get any fly and so all winner is the player with most For families to catch a fly wearing clothes of players are allowed to pull their cherries on his pieces of cake. Version: de the pattern rolled. If one of your flies away. For correctly caught The combination with the cake Rules: de In-game use of language: no topic and the garments turns a well-known standard mecha- Comments: Standard basic mechanism nism into a nice family game that Very nicely varied - Topic fits the makes you look really closely to mechanism well - Trains observa- make sure that you do not pull tion and reaction away the wrong fly. Especially Compares to: nice is the marking for the align- Spitz pass auf! and other reaction games ment of the flies. This avoids er- with a catch/pull away rors and can also be changed for the 2nd attempt for a more chal- lenging game.

WIN The Games Journal now also available as WINXXL with a goodie. www.gamesjournal.at For all information on that check page 7 and our website. ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 29 PLAYED FOR YOU u FROG RUSH / GEIZEN

home all your frogs that have not INFORMATION been eaten, you end the game PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: FROG RUSH and the winner is the player with 2-4 7+ 20+ HOME AND SAFE FROM THE STORK! the highest score from frogs on the beach (1), on the rocks (2) Designer: not stated and on the bench (3). Artist: not stated All frog families are rushing an adjacent frog onto a free spot, True to the principle governing Title de: ident home across the pond and are chain jumps are possible, but all Lego games this one, too, Price: ca. 13 Euro hindering and jostling each you can never ever jump over is made so that you can easily Publisher: Lego 2011 other, besides being in constant the stork. If you roll orange you change or extend the game ac- www.lego.com danger from the hungry stork. In move the stork on any frog of cording to your own ideas, some your turn you roll the die: When your choice, this frog is eaten by ideas are already given in the the result is a number you move the stork and removed from the rules: For a die result of 2 or 3 you EVALUATION one of your frogs accordingly, game. Frogs that have reached can split the steps between your Roll & Move game you need not use the full num- their home ground, that are the frogs or you can waive your turn For families ber of steps and can move diago- 9 spaces at the other side of the to toll the die and instead bring Version: multi nally, too. Or you can jump over pond, are safe. If you did bring one of your frogs that had been Rules: de en fr it nl In-game use of language: no eaten back into the game or – in a game for of three – you can Comments: Nice topic - Attractive compo- all start on the same side of the nents - Changeable die - Home- board and all bring home your made rules can be published frogs to the opposite side. Compares to: As all Lego games this one too All other Lego games is very attractive, with beautiful components and a nice story, the rules are simple and easily adaptable, in short, Frog Rush is a pretty family game that is also good for children playing on their own.

own stock, chips to be placed on INFORMATION yellow spots you take from gen- PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: GEIZEN eral stock. For a 6 you need not 2-4 7+ 20+ COLLECT MANY CHIPS, GIVE AWAY A FEW place a die. If you place a chip on a red spot you can take all chips Designer: Leo Colovini from that row, then all other play- Artist: Dennis Lohausen Geizen is game Nr. 4 in the new one die in each roll - you can set ers must relinquish chips into the Title de: ident series of dice games, by the aside more than one, if you want general stock according to the Price: ca. 13 Euro name of Roll & Play. All players - until all dice are set aside. Then number next to red spot. If you Publisher: Schmidt Spiele 2011 try to acquire as many chips as you place chips onto the board empty a row and dice with the www.schmidtspiele.de possible and to have to relin- according to result on the dice, row number are still left over, you quish as few as possible. De- always into the first free spot place again chips into that row. pending on the number of play- of the row indicated by the die Chips in rows that you did not EVALUATION ers you start with 18 to 25 chips value. On the 1st spot of rows 1 empty remain there. In your turn Dice game and take turns to roll the dice. and 2 you must always place two you can, if necessary, borrow up For families You throw all dice into the tower chips. Chips you need to place to 5 chips from general stock, Version: multi and must then set aside at least on green spots come from your but must give them back at the Rules: de fr it In-game use of language: no end of your turn. If you are out of chips at the end of your turn, the Comments: Series: Roll & Play Nr. 4 - Simple game ends and the player with rules - Box doubles as dice cup - most chips wins the game. Well-known mechanisms nicely recombined - Good for Geizen very attractively and travelling cunningly varies well-known standard mechanisms and in Compares to: Engel & Bengel, Gam- addition to this captivates with bler, Sharpshooter and the stable and sturdy box, which other dice game doubles as dice cup – an ideal game for travelling or for play- ing out of doors.

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 30 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at GLENN’S GALLERY / GRIMOIRE t PLAYED FOR YOU

of your prediction marker – to- INFORMATION gether with the bonus marker in PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: GLENN’S GALLERY the first round only – and hope 3-5 10+ 45+ SECURE YOUR JOB WITH PREDICTIONS that by the end of the month ex- actly that number of customers Designer: Reiner Knizia will be present in the gallery. At Artist: Chris McGloughlin The owner of Glenn’s Gallery is The customers are represented the end of the round you have Title de: ident not an amiable boss, you need by cards. In each round = month one more opportunity to play Price: ca. 40 Euro to keep informed on trends in you receive cards for customers a card and discard cards. Then Publisher: Mayfair Games 2010 the world of the arts and pre- and/or art students, which drive the customers in each gallery www.mayfairgames.com dict which styles will attract off paying customers. If you are counted you you score the most customers. Five galleries play a customer into a gallery basic points and bonuses. If you with differing layouts of rooms he is simply added. If you play predicted incorrectly you must EVALUATION = spots for predictions are on an art student, you take away a discard the marker. As soon as Card placement game display, each room shows the customer from the gallery and Glenn has acquired an expert in With friends basic points Glenn is awarding discard him together with the each style of art, that is there is at Version: en for correct customer predictions. student. Then you can place on least one player in each category Rules: en In-game use of language: no showing a value of 5 or more all values of 5 or more are added for Comments: Re-edition of Members Only each player and you win with the Topic and mechanism go well highest score. together - Beautiful design Glenn’s Gallery is a simple el- Compares to: egant game demanding lots of All games with result observation and reasoning, in prediction each round a bit over half of the cards are in play and you must observe closely what other play- ers predict and where they place cards. It is better to predict less and later but exactly!

be used by this player in this INFORMATION round: Attack, Defense, a Time PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: GRIMOIRE Spell to turn around the order of 2-4 10+ 30+ SPELLBOOK FOR TIME SPELLS play or “Creation” for item cards. The spells in the book get stron- Designer: Hayato Kisaragi ger with ascending order, but Artist: Keita Komiyama Grimoire is the French word for or companions, or item cards you choose the cards in order – Title de: ident a spell book and each player which you can acquire by using that means a weaker spell gives Price: ca. 14 Euro holds one such book, complete special effects. you earlier choice from quest Publisher: One Draw 2010 with a book mark. Why? Well, In each round a display of num- cards with treasures and com- http://one-draw.jp each player is an adventurer on ber of players + 1 task cards is panions. If you own 10 quest the hunt for treasures and uses prepared. Each player first de- cards showing coins or 10 quest his grimoire to find those trea- termines a page using his spell cards showing companions, the EVALUATION sures and also companions. Two book and his book mark. This game ends at the end of the Fantasy card game kinds of treasures are available, page selection determines the round and each player counts With friends either tasks cards that must be order of play and also deter- his victory points, if you have the Version: multi executed, that is, find treasures mines the kind of spell that will most you win. Rules: jp en In-game use of language: yes Grimoire is an interesting little card game with a few unusual Comments: Bilingual material details, the spell book, the Gri- Good English rules moire itself, is a pretty detail and Not easy to acquire Announced for publica- the coupling of the spell strength tion from Z-Man with the order of play makes sense. Fortunately, the game is Compares to: Other fantasy card completely bilingual, featuring games good English rules and bilingual spell books. Friends of unusual games will find it a nice tidbit, which has been announced for publication by Z-Man Games.

WIN The Games Journal now also available as WINXXL with a goodie. www.gamesjournal.at For all information on that check page 7 and our website. ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 31 PLAYED FOR YOU u INTERSTELLAR MAYHEM / PETER PICKLOCK

die result. Before and after each INFORMATION move you can turn your ship and PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: INTERSTELLAR MAYHEM shoot, in any order. In case of a 2-6 12+ 60+ SPACESHIP VS SPACESHIP collision with spaceship or aster- oid, all objects involved are dam- Designer: A. Ommer, D. Pullem aged. With enough points left Artist: P. Soeder, A. Ommer Players are fighter pilots in space The value for speed determines and available turns you also can Title de: ident and want to destroy enemy the order of play. Then starting evade a collision. For shooting Price: ca. 40 Euro spaceships. All players decide to- spots and direction of flight for you use not yet used firepower Publisher: Soylent Games 2010 gether on the layout of the board all spaceships that need to be dice, hits is determined by white www.soylent-games.de with asteroids and starting spots. placed are rolled for. A player fighter dice, you need to roll the At the start of a round all players turn comprises removal of over- value for the distance to the without a ship on the board roll heat = remove 3rd die, recharg- enemy; the firepower dice de- EVALUATION their 6 dice, distribute them to ing 2 dice, recalibrating one die termine the damage. Damage is SciFi Shootout game the areas for speed, shields and = relocate it on a free place at deducted from shield, speed and With friends firepower and draw the bottom speed, shield or firepower, move firepower in this order, with all Version: multi technology card from the stack. = one move per speed die for the those values at 0 the spaceship Rules: de en In-game use of language: some is destroyed and the victorious fighter pilot receives a marker. If Comments: Shoot and hit as aim of the game you have three markers you win Some tactics in distributing, us- the game. ing and combining dice values Shoot out in space, the ran- Compares to: dom factor of rolling the dice Kingsburg and others for equipping the space ship is for placing dice values to result in actions or a little bit mitigated by placing, functions upgrading and relocating dice and the way you use the dice. Shooting itself is still governed by chance.

up is placed under the vault. If INFORMATION you guessed wrong, you also PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: PETER PICKLOCK place the turned-up card under 2-5 7+ 20+ … A RISKY GUESSING GAME the vault, on top of other cards there. And you are doubly un- Designer: Heinz Meister lucky if in case of a wrong guess Artist: Thies Schwarz Players are on a foray with Peter If you roll a money bag you can you have unsecured booty cards, Title de: Siggi Safeknacker Picklock and try to bring home choose the vault. Then you give because these are lost and must Price: ca. 6 Euro the most and best booty. But a guess if a card that you will turn be placed underneath the draw Publisher: Haba 2011 to do so you must open the se- up from the draw pile will show pile. To safeguard your booty you www.haba.de cure vaults and safeguard your a higher or a lower number than must choose to do so in your booty in time before it is lost to the top card under your target turn, if you do so you cannot roll the police. Booty cards of differ- vault. Cards are numbered from and guess and place your booty EVALUATION ent values are placed under the 1 to 52. cards underneath your money Guessing game with cards vault cards. In your turn you roll For a correct guess you receive bag. Now they are safe. When all For children the die to determine the color of all booty cards underneath your booty cards have been given out Version: de the vault that you want to open. target vault, the card you turned the player with most cards wins, Rules: de en es fr it nl In-game use of language: no in case of the tie the player with the highest card number. Comments: Simple rules - Good training for Peter Picklock offers a nice ver- estimating probabilities sion of a standard topic, with Also good as a famiyl game simple rules and few compo- Compares to: nents. For children the game Gold Connection, on higher or lower numbers is Codeknacker, games on the topic of breaking challenging and is a good train- into safes ing for estimating probabilities. The dilemma between break- ing open a safe or safeguarding booty makes for a good family game, too.

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 32 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at PiFroG / PLAY-DOH t PLAYED FOR YOU

tions, but another one as before, INFORMATION or move a piece one square in PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: PiFroG the direction the piece is facing 2 8+ 20+ WIN WITH FROGS OR PIGS or conquer an opposing piece. The pieces have faces, therefore Designer: Angelo Porazzi the direction they are facing is Artist: Angelo Porazzi In PiFrog a team of frogs is facing color. Players move one of their easy to determine. Frogs and Title de: ident a team of pigs, both strive for vic- pieces alternately until one of pigs conquer their opponents in Price: ca. 18 Euro tory over their opponents. Frogs the victory conditions has been different ways: A Frog jumps over Publisher: Nestorgames 2010 are agile and can jump over op- achieved: Either a player has an opposing piece onto a free www.nestorgames.com ponents, pigs are strong and can conquered five opposing pieces square to conquer a pig, double crush their opponents. or a player has places three of his jumps are allowed. Pigs conquer On a board of 7x7 squares, fea- pieces on three of the opposing frogs my crushing them, crush- EVALUATION turing a chess-board pattern, the starting squares. In your turn you ing means a pig conquers a frog Placement game for 2 pigs and frogs are placed on the have one of three possible ac- that sits on an adjacent square For families two opposite end rows of the tions: Turn a piece so that it faces in the direction the pig is facing. Version: en board on the squares of their one of the eight possible direc- PiFroG is a nice game for two Rules: en In-game use of language: no with standard basic mechanisms in a nice combination, and also Comments: Standard basic mechanisms remarkable for its publisher – featured in classic games for 2 nestorgames has received lots Very nice new mixture of those mechanisms of attention for its immense Funny design range of publications, partly clas- Interesting also because sic standard games, partly new of price and packaging games, all packed into cloth bags Compares to: and with flexible boards, mini- Checkers and other ab- malistic and inexpensive, a very stract placement game featuring conquering interesting concept all in all. pieces or reaching op- posing base line.

potato pieces that are sitting on INFORMATION spots of the Mash Machine. PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: PLAY-DOH If no potato figure is sitting on 2-4 4+ 20+ SMASHED POTATO GAME the Mash Machine you may choose a piece of any player Designer: not stated and mash up this one. You can Artist: not stated Out of the potato sack, past the a Mrs. Potato, you make yourself relinquish this possibility to Title de: ident scissor slicer, the crinkle chipper, the character of your choice in mash a potato outside the Mash Price: ca. 20 Euro the french fryer and the chip the color you like, yellow, orange, Machine. Any player who lost a Publisher: Hasbro 2010 chopper along the way to the red or purple. In your turn you potato figure due to mashing www.hasbro.de finish, the potato field, this is turn the spinner and either move molds himself a new one and the aim of the game. You mold your potato piece the number of starts again at the Starting posi- your potatoes out of Play-Doh, spots indicated by the spinner or tion, the potato bag. EVALUATION shaped like the famous Mr. Po- place it in front of the figure that The finish need not be reached Roll and move play-doh figures tato Head, and move them from is currently furthest ahead – if with the exact number of steps. For children plate to plate. The game pro- this is your own figure you move If you are the first to arrive at that Version: en vides to molds, a Mr. Potato and it one spot – or you smash up all spot, you win the game. Rules: de en es In-game use of language: no This is again a new and very fe- licitous version of a well-known, Comments: Standard Mechanism well-loved and often used game Nicely varied mechanism. This time the topic Parental assistance necessary for also encompasses a license char- assembling acter by the name of Mr. Potato Compares to: Head, mashing and molding fig- Bravo Traube and other games with mashing of ures is an all-time favorite of pieces all children. The assembling of the Mash Machine parental as- sistance is recommended and probably necessary for smaller children.

WIN The Games Journal now also available as WINXXL with a goodie. www.gamesjournal.at For all information on that check page 7 and our website. ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 33 PLAYED FOR YOU u R-ECO RECYCLE / RALLYMAN

“unprocessed” side; in this case INFORMATION you play the number of cards at PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: R-ECO RECYCLE the “processed” side plus 1. Then 2-4 6+ 30+ CORRECT RECYCLING FOR OIL OR ELECTRONICS you take the corresponding contract, if necessary also from Designer: Susumu Kawasaki another player. You must play a Artist: Susumu Kawasaki R-Eco Recycle is a sequel to the In each round you are dealt a card and cannot pass. If one play- Title de: ident designer’s game R-Eco, pub- hand of 5 garbage cards and 7 er is out of cards the dump sites Price: ca. 12 Euro lished by Amigo in German lan- more garbage cards are your are scored one by one. Each cor- Publisher: Kawasaki Factory guage as R-Öko. Again players personal draw pile. 4 garbage rectly dumped garbage scores www.japonbrand.gamers-jp.com are garbage recyclers rivalling for cards are laid out next to the +1. Each incorrectly dumped one profitable contracts to remove “processed” side of the dumps scores -2. When the total is 0, you and recycle garbage. and 4 next to the “unprocessed” receive a score card if you own EVALUATION Dump side cards are laid out, re- side. You always play either the contract. When the value Card placement game ward cards stacked on them and one open-faced card from your is negative, the penalty side of With friends contract cards are set out next to hand to the “processed” side of a the score card counts. In round Version: jp the dump sites. dump or face-down cards to the 3 the contract owner receives Rules: jp en de In-game use of language: yes the dump site card in case of a positive result. The Environmen- Comments: Sequel to R-Eco tal Manager Card holder scores Currently only Japanese Edition according to dump sites results. Rules download available in After 3 rounds you win with the English and German highest score. Compares to: R-Eco Recycled is an attractive R-Eco card placement game with an up-to-date topic, yet somewhat abstract. You must think carefully how to use your cards, because you can only have one reward card of each color; if you win 5 and hold a 3 you must give back the 3.

gears up or down. While doing INFORMATION so you also incorporate avail- PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: RALLYMAN able information on the track 1-4 9+ 90+ FIVE GEARS IN THE MRC and ! rolled, ! indicate danger. If you collect three of those sym- Designer: Jean-Christophe Bouvier bols in a turn you lose control of Artist: Bouvier, Clovis, Paquet Players are Rally drivers in Mi- and then decide on a route your car. At the end of the turn Title de: ident cro Rally Cars and want to win from start to finish for each of you take a card showing your Price: ca. 40 Euro the rally. So of course they try the laps, there is no circuit track current gear level. Publisher: Rallyman to complete each lap as fast as in the game. The movement of Information on the track relate www.rallyman.fr possible with the help of their the car is determined by rolling to bends with sliding, bumps, co-driver and without losing 5 dice representing gear levels loss of control and damage. Of control of their car. If you are the of; the two white dice repre- course, there are rules for over- EVALUATION fastest over three laps you win sent acceleration. You either roll taking, spare tires and arrival at Car race game the rally. for a higher or lower than your the finish. When a car reaches the With friends At the start of the game play- current gear or for acceleration, finish you add the time values on Version: multi ers choose track parts together also in a chain action, to change the gear cards you collected, the Rules: de en fr it es nl In-game use of language: no fastest player wins the lap. Ad- vanced players can roll for time Comments: Many painstaking details markers, which are deducted Well-illustrated, detailed rules at the end, or can be spent for Some game experience is an advantage - Tactics movement without dice roll or despite dice is possible take weather and tires into ac- count. Compares to: All car race games with Rallyman is fun! It is a well- dice for movement working and very attractive implementation of a standard topic, with painstaking details that – despite use of dice – allow for tactics and strategy as well to complete a lap fast and suc- cessfully.

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 34 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at SHADOWRUN / SILENZIO t PLAYED FOR YOU

naries entering the fray and INFORMATION blood offerings are supposed to PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: SHADOWRUN enhance magic, but runners are 2-8 14+ var WAR no also involved in the war. This Source Book offers all the neces- Designer: Tobias Hamelmann u. a. sary background information as Artist: Ralph Berszuck u. a. Shadowrun is a role playing rich in satirical undertones! well as equipment and new rules Title de: ident system in a not-very-far-away- Shadowrun Fronteinsatz is the in order to survive sabotage be- Price: ca. 30 Euro future setting, telling the story newest supplement for all trav- hind enemy lines, intelligence Publisher: Pegasus Spiele 2011 of humans meeting machines elers among the Mega Corpora- missions and operation of small www.pegasus.de and magic. Dragons are COEs of tions, in a bitter and dark time units. Further assistance is given mega corporations and motor- when diplomacy has lost all im- by a colored Ares equipment ized trolls patrol the highways. pact and conflicts spiral out of catalogue and a supplement, EVALUATION Shadow runners operate outside control, no-one wants to stand exclusive to the German Edi- Source Book / Role Playing System the law and take care of the dirty down and war begins at the tion on MET 2000, ARGUS and With friends work. A bleak story in a cheerless borders between Aztlan and Bundeswehr. Version: de world, incredibly detailed and Amazonia. Not only are merce- As all other Source Books and Rules: de In-game use of language: yes scenarios Shadowrun is not meant for gentle souls, but is Comments: For Game Masters and Players - dark, brutal with an emphasis on Only for use together with other frontline missions and combat, Shadowrun material dominated by combat technol- Compares to: ogy, for instance an armor-plated Source books for other Ferrari Spy Vehicle or vehicle la- systems sers. To experienced Shadowrun players the volume offers a win- dow into Bogotá at war and lots of new details and facets on the world in 2073.

variant that is played – either INFORMATION you must react with sound and PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: SILENZIO gesture when blue or green 2-6 5+ 15+ TAKE CARE! NOISY! cards are turned up and remain silent and motionless in case of Designer: not stated red or orange cards appearing, Artist: not stated On the heels of Zockato, Silenzio card. The cards are dealt evenly or you must remember to react Title de: ident has arrived, in the same elegant to all players and are stacked only with gestures or only with Price: ca. 9 Euro design and elegant tin. Silenzio face-down by each player. Then sounds to cards of all colors. Publisher: Zockato 2010 is a reaction and action game in turn each player turns up a You can use the 36 cards also www.zockato.de featuring round cards that – as is card and all must implement for a game of memory, which stated explicitly in the rules – can the correct action as fast as they is played according to the well- also be used as beer coasters. can, the slowest player or the known standard rules; if you own EVALUATION Each of those round cards deter- first one to react wrongly is given most of the pairs, when all pairs Action and memo game For mines a sound and/or a move or the card. The first player without have been found, wins the game. families gesture which must be imitated cards wins the game. A game with standard mecha- Version: de by players on turning up the A spinner determines the game nisms, which are implemented Rules: de In-game use of language: no following standard rules, funny and different are only details – Comments: Well-known mechanisms this starts with the name of the Well-known rules game, a game called „silence“ Beautiful packaging when you have to be noise in Funny graphics two of three versions! The draw- Compares to: ings, too, are nice, the packaging Kakadoo and other reaction games is a beautiful tin, as already men- tioned, and the rules are short and concise. An attractive gift or small present for a childrens‘ birthday party or any party.

WIN The Games Journal now also available as WINXXL with a goodie. www.gamesjournal.at For all information on that check page 7 and our website. ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 35 PLAYED FOR YOU u SKULL & ROSES / SMELLY MOLLY

this bid or pass. The last player INFORMATION to raise the bid must now turn PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: SKULL & ROSES up the corresponding number 3-6 10+ 15+ THE BIKER GAME of cards, starting with his own stack, from top to bottom, all Designer: Hervé Marly cards. He need not turn up all Artist: Rose Kipik Why biker game? No idea! Be- win two challenges. In turn, play- cards in other players’ stacks. If Title de: ident cause of the skulls, maybe? Any- ers choose one of their cards and you win the challenge you turn Price: ca. 16 Euro way, it is a simple bluff game that place them face-down on their your playing mat to the rose side Publisher: Éditions lui-même 11 asks you for a lot of nerves and mat. When all have placed a card and begin the next round, if you www.asmodee.de no less bluff! they can in turn again place a win a second challenge you win Each player has four coasters card or challenge the others. If the game. If you lose, you must (Biker?!), no, cards, front side you challenge you name a num- discard one of your cards face EVALUATION with a gang motive, backside ber of cards that you will turn up down and the owner of the skull Bluff game with cards three times a rose, one time a from all cards on the table with- you turned up starts the next With friends skull, and a playing mat, skull out turning up a skull. The other round. If you are out of cards you Version: multi side up. Aim of the game is to players in turn must either raise drop out of the game. Rules: de fr In-game use of language: no Skull & Roses is a simple game, very tactical for three players, Comments: As d’Or Cannes 2011 and a pure bluff and guessing Unusual box graphics - Very game for six players, if you use simple rules - Fantastic game, needs good assessment two games more than six can of fellow players play and bluff. Nail-bitingly chal- lenging, psychologically interest- Compares to: All bid/bluff games with ing and very dangerous if you a mechanism of correct raise the bid for to strengthen choices your bluff! You could end up with the highest bid and have to turn up the skull you placed for bluffing!

correct answer wins the picture. INFORMATION if you made a mistake you lose a PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: SMELLY MOLLY picture. If you are first to collect 2-6 6+ 15+ .. A TURBULENT LOOK-CLOSELY-GAME 6 pictures, you win. Very rarely it can happen in a 6-player game Designer: Manfred Reindl that each of the players has col- Artist: Oliver Freudenreich Smelly Molly is approaching often it is hiding in the picture. lected five pictures. In this case Title de: Molly Mief and all animals go into hiding to If you have a result you quickly all players win together. Price: ca. 12 Euro avoid Molly’s very special scent. place your hand on the correct Basically Smelly Molly is a very Publisher: Haba 2011 Who is the fastest to show Molly buzzer. If no animal of this kind simple game using well-known www.haba.de where all the animals are hiding? is visible you grab Smelly Molly. standard mechanisms. The fun of The buzzers are set out with the If you do not manage to grab the game this time is provided by paws side upwards. In your turn a buzzer or Molly, you cannot the attractive graphics and the EVALUATION you roll the die, name the animal guess in this round and must animals – there is a chameleon, Scanning game and turn up the top picture. Now simply pass. Then all players a snake and a spider among For children all players look for the animal se- together count the wanted ani- them. The pictures show three Version: de lected by the die and count how mal and the player who gave the different scenes, in the house, in Rules: de en es fr it nl In-game use of language: no the woods, and a playground/ farmyard, the animals are always Comments: Funny topic hiding in different places. So you Very attractive graphics need to look closely to identify Well hidden, unusual animals the tip of the snake’s tail or a half Compares to: of a spider between a wooden All games with a reac- beam and shovel handle. Why tion component the duck carries a fan on its head remains a mystery, but it is not easier found because of it. All the same, a challenging and fun game!

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 36 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at SPEED DATING / THE BOSS t PLAYED FOR YOU

other players. The other players INFORMATION guess on his selection and pick PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: SPEED DATING up the corresponding marker. 3-6 12+ 45+ DENTIST VS GAME DESIGNER Then the choices are revealed and each correct guess scores Designer: M.-A. Casasola Merkle one point. Artist: Agnes Lison Each player looks for the most hobby tiles and one tile each for When the active player and the Title de: ident suitable partner among his fel- name, age and profession, thus partner of his choice can tell the Price: ca. 23 Euro low players, the one with similar determining his personality for name, age and profession of the Publisher: Kosmos 2011 interests in the categories Travel, the round. other correctly, they can score www.kosmos.de Sports, Culture, Leisure, Esoteri- In each round one player is look- additional points when they can cism and Nerd stuff. All players ing for a partner and has a 45 name one or more hobbies of start with a storage rack and one sec talk with each other player, the other player correctly. After EVALUATION tip marker each in the colors of controlled by the timer. Then he three wrong tries this is scored, if Communicative Memory game all players. The hobby tiles are decides on a player and takes both could name a hobby in the With friends placed in the bag. At the start of this marker in his closed hand, same category they score a point Version: de the game each player draws 5 his choice must not be visible for each. When name, age and pro- Rules: de In-game use of language: yes fession are not named correctly, the round ends immediately. Comments: Basically pure memory game When each player has been ac- Ability for witty for phrasing and tive player once, the game ends a good memory are very useful Good selection of and the player with the highest characteristics score wins. Speed Dating is a pure memory Compares to: All games on correla- game, where it is important that tions you can make yourself unfor- gettable for the active player by witty communication. If you like that mechanism, you will fun with the hilarious combinations of characteristics.

the majority in Chicago, you INFORMATION share with Al Capone half of the PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: THE BOSS cards placed in the cities left of 2-4 10+ 60+ SURE HALF OF THE LOOT IN CHICAGO! Chicago, the penalty cards are ignored. For the next hand Chi- Designer: Alain Ollier cago moves one position to the Artist: Tony Rochon A display – in relation to the then place one city card, face up. right, all players collect their profi Title de: ident number of players - is prepared You can only place gangsters on gangsters that are not wounded Price: ca. 18 Euro from character cards with Chi- Chicago if you placed gangsters or dead and mark their winnings. Publisher: Blackrock Editions 10 cago in position 2 and a city elsewhere earlier. Gangsters you When the 3rd , police card of www.blackrockeditions.com card under each character card placed you cannot take back or the same color is turned over, but Chicago, the remaining relocate. After the 3rd card a the game ends at the end of this city cards are dealt to the play- police card is turned over. When hand. The winner of the game is EVALUATION ers. Then you play 3 to 5 hands all 5 cards of a hand are played, the player with most money. Card game / bluff and deduction of 5 cards each. In each round you win the face-down card of The Boss offers a lovely mixture With friends you can first place one or more a city if you have the majority of bluff and deduction, which Version: multi gangsters into a city and must of gangsters there. If you have each open-faced card placed Rules: de en fr In-game use of language: no next to a city you have more in- formation what the face-down Comments: Very tactical bluff game - Good card might be and you can place mixture with deduction ele- your gangsters accordingly; the ments - Sequence of the played occasional gangsters are a very cards is important good tactical instrument. But! Compares to: You do not know everything All games with stacked release of information and must take care when you release what information for your opponents! The sequence in which you play cards into a city can decide the hand for you!

WIN The Games Journal now also available as WINXXL with a goodie. www.gamesjournal.at For all information on that check page 7 and our website. ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 37 PLAYED FOR YOU u THUNDERSTONE / TIMMY DAS SCHÄFCHEN

the game. In the village you can INFORMATION acquire cards. In the dungeon PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: THUNDERSTONE you must use all cards in your 1-5 12+ var WRATH OF THE ELEMENTS hand, when you rest you can change cards or destroy cards. Designer: Mike Elliott At the end you win with most Artist: Jason Engle Thunderstone is a game within Guardian of Dreadwatch Keep! victory points in your deck. Title de: ident the genre of the so called deck Each player accumulates his own New are traps, guardians, hordes Price: ca. 25 Euro building games. deck, with abilities and equip- and the new Thunderstone. Publisher: Pegasus Spiele 2011 The players are adventures on ment for his team of adventur- Traps come in two varieties, Dire www.pegasus.de the search for a thunderstone, in ers. A display of cards is prepared and Death. A trap is effective as the basic game they are search- according to specific rules. Then, soon as it is turned up from the ing in the Grimhold Dungeon. in your move, you must visit the Dungeon deck, before Breach Ef- EVALUATION In this first expansion this Thun- village, enter the dungeon or fects during the dungeon turn. Deck-building card game derstone, has been found and rest. Cards that were used go to Guardians behave like monsters With friends players must look for the second your personal discard pile, cards when revealed and have a per- Version: de stone, The Stone of Agony in the that were destroyed go out of manent Breach Effects, which Rules: de In-game use of language: yes they use to leave the dungeon. They can only be removed from Comments: Expansion for the deck-building position 0 by a successful attack. game - Similar to Dominion, but Hordes are special monsters and more complex - Easier for experi- enced players - English gain strength when fought, but edition at Alderac at the end they score up to 5 points for each Hordes Card in Compares to: Dominion your deck. If you own Thunderstone you will acquire many new and very at- tractive possibilities for play with Wrath of the Elements, you can use the cards together with the basic game or separately.

onto the color dot of the color INFORMATION you believe will be correct. Of PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: TIMMY DAS SCHÄFCHEN course more than one player can 2-4 4+ 20+ SCHÄFCHEN KARUSSELL choose the same color. Then the carousel is turned. If you guess Designer: Gunter Baars correctly, you win a toy chip. If Artist: Ideenfabrik, Britta Hurter Timmy the little lamb meets all the nursery school building is set you roll Timmy you win a toy Title de: ident his friends in the nursery school into the board, now 4 lambs are chip immediately and you hand Price: ca. 18 Euro and they play together, this time hiding in the nursery school. the die to the next player in turn. Publisher: Ravensburger 2011 with colors. Timmy is dressing up In your turn you roll the die to IF you roll the flower, all players www.ravensburger.de in different colors and his friends determine the number of lambs determine together how many and you should guess what color coming out of the nursery steps the carousel will be moved: Timmy will show when com- school. Each player gives a guess Each player holds up 0, 1 or 2 fin- EVALUATION ing out of nursery school. Each what color the lamb will show gers and the carousel is turned Memory game on colors player chooses an animal chip that will be sitting next to the red for the total number of fingers For children for his tips. The lambs are placed arrow at the end of the carousel held up. If you collect 5 toy chips, Version: multi randomly into the carousel, then turn. You place your animal chip you win. For smaller children you Rules: de fr it In-game use of language: no can leave out the die and always move the carousel three steps Comments: Pretty 3D components forward. Good training for colors and first Timmy offers an enchanting counting - Elder children can memory game with a pretty play alone story, players train counting, es- Compares to: pecially when the flower is rolled, All memory games on colors color recognition and of course their memory. Elder children who can count up to three eas- ily can play on their own.

Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 38 ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 40 and 41 www.gamesjournal.at UUUPS / YES & NO t PLAYED FOR YOU

ends the round. When the last INFORMATION oops card has been given out PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: UUUPS or when there are not enough 2-5 8+ 20+ T IN THERMOMETER WIHOUT UUUPS! word cards for a new round you win with the fewest oops cards. Designer: Thorsten Löpmann By using only 24 word cards and Artist: Klemens Franz 30 out of 60 word cards and 30 letters that appear just once on 24 oops cards or by restricting the Title de: ident Oops cards stacked face down. the cards must be replaced with number of letters on the card(s) Price: ca. 8 Euro Then you turn up 2 or 3 word oops. If you make a mistake you you can change the level of dif- Publisher: Amigo Spiele 2011 cards to reach a total of 10 or receive an oops card, place if face ficulty, as well as by decreeing www.amigo-spiele.de more letters on the cards. All look up on the table and all players at a letter appearing on a card is at the words and then the start- must now take into account the always replaced by oops, regard- ing player beats out the rhythm letter on this card, too. The start- less of how often it appears. If you EVALUATION and players join the beat and ing player changes and the list- want a more difficult game you A game of letters and reaction call out the letters of the alpha- ing of letters starts again at A. The can play the Schwupps variant, For families bet in consecutive order, each 3rd oops card given out or reach- where you have to replace letters Version: de player one letter. When doing so ing the letter Z without a mistake that appear on the cards more Rules: de In-game use of language: some than once by Schwupps, and for an even more difficult game you Comments: Funny idea - Versions listed can change the direction of play Reading and knowledge of al- for a Schwupps. phabet are necessary - Not really Schwupps and oops, or oops language-dependant only, challenging and funny de- Compares to: spite giving the impression that All other reaction games the alphabet must be very diffi- cult! But still, “A B oops D oops oh not oops after all” in case of Chile on a card and you should have said F, is fun, isn’t it?

bers can give guesses anytime, INFORMATION but the word only scores if it is PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: YES & NO guessed correctly and all com- 4-12 14+ 45+ ENVELOPE AND IPHONE pulsory words already have been used. A member of the opposite Designer: Michael Rüttinger time supervises the correct de- Artist: Michael Rüttinger A game for larger group of a list of compulsory words that scription. Of course, the team Title de: ident players, in two teams, featuring you must use. And this results in of the active player should wait Price: ca. 20 Euro words and definitions. At first a completely different game. 110 a bit before guessing to avoid Publisher: Noris Spiele 2011 glance the game offers a well- double-sided cards feature 220 guessing correctly too early. To www.noris-spiele.de known standard mechanism, terms with a list of 5 forbidden integrate Sun, Bright and Awake you must describe something and five compulsory words for into a description of Evening is to the members of your team, each term, in your turn you draw possible, to use Candles, Safe EVALUATION avoiding given taboo words, the bottom card. Furthermore, and Curiosity for an Actor is a bit A game of words and definitions the team must guess the item or the active player must try to use more difficult, but Trigger Line With friends term. A new feature introduced the compulsory words as early and Envelope for iPhone is get- Version: de in Yes & No is that you also have as possible, because team mem- ting really hard. Copy, Applause, Rules: de In-game use of language: yes Steam, Page and Karate for a Squid, within a minute, poses a Comments: Standard basic mechanism nearly impossible task! First game to use compulsury Yes & No is an attractive and fe- words - Good for changing licitous variation of a well-known groups of players principle, especially good for Compares to: large and changing groups. The Tabu and other games on definitions compulsory words more or less eliminate the chance for per- sonal hints among a team, as you cannot just list the words, but must use them in proper sentences.

WIN The Games Journal now also available as WINXXL with a goodie. www.gamesjournal.at For all information on that check page 7 and our website. ISSUE 423 / MAY 2011 39 NEW ARRIVALS u A QUICK GLIMPSE ON NEWCOMERS

CATAN DICE GAME FILLY UNICORN MEMO LAURAS STERN SPIELEKOFFER Designer: Klaus Teuber Publisher: Noris Spiele Publisher: Schmidt Spiele Publisher: Mayfair

To settle Catan one needs roads, settlements and cities, which 42 Filly Fairies canter about on heart-shaped cards, two Lauras Stern, a license well-beloved by children, and a won- are built by rolling dice. Each player has a sheet with the identical ones form a pair. Game play follows the standard derful story, too. Now all fans of little Laura and her star can island, the raw materials are rolled. One may roll up to three rules for “memory”: You turn up two cards from the random play with Laura and can choose from seven different games: times, dice can be laid aside and rerolled later. Units built are display on the table. If you uncover a pair, you keep it and There is a Junior Kniffel, a Memory game, a Schnipp-Schnapp marked on the sheet and the score is noted. If a player cannot have another turn. If you uncover different images, both are and, in addition to those classics, a dice game Verstecken, a build anything, he scores -2 for this round. Settlements and turned over again. The rules can be found at the bottom of roll&move game Weltraum-Fangen, a funny card game by the cities can only be built next to roads already built and in se- the vividly pink heart-shaped box. name of Schwarzer Drache Nian, a Version of Old Maid, and quence of their value, a knight is a joker for one raw material. Version: de, Rules: de, In-game use of language: no finally Würfelsterne, a dice game on series of pictures. With 2 gold one can replace a raw material. After 15 rounds Version: multi, Rules: de fr it, In-game use of language: no the player with the highest score wins. Version: en, Rules: en, In-game use of language: no

Dice game for 1-4 players, ages 7+ Memo game for 2-4 players, ages 3+ A games collection for 2-4 players, ages 4+

LOGICUS PUZZLER XXL MONOPOLY LITTLEST PET SHOP NINO DELFINO Publisher: Huch Publisher: Hasbro Parker Publisher: Ravensburger

Lonpos Colorful Cabin, adapted for the Huch range: A logical Monopoly Littlest Pet Shop uses motives, images and charac- Nino the Dolphin wants to go on playing at the beach, the placement game with 12 colored pieces made up from 3, 4 or ters from the world of the tiny fantasy animals. The features seals want to grab the balls. In this Bring-me-along version 5 marbles, which can be fit exactly into 55 dents in the board of this edition were adapted to the topic. Train stations have you roll the die and move your seal with the ball accordingly and must be arranged according to the tasks. 2 packs of task been replaced with skateboard, sleigh, wheel barrows and along the track. If you roll dots + dolphin you first move your cards are included; the cards are tasks for either the board in hand carts. Event cards have turned into surprise cards and dolphin and then turn the spinner with Nino – depending on the box with 55 dents or for the board with 25 dents in the community cards into gift cards. Houses and hotels have been where the white arrows point your seal is safe in a safety belt lid of the box. The pieces must always be placed according to exchanged for travel cages and kennels, and services have or must be moved backwards to the nearest safety belt spot. the task and then the remaining pieces must be placed to fill turned into foam bath and hamster wheel. Six of the big-eyed If you reach the boat with a ball you deposit the ball and start the area or result in the shape given by the task. little animals are used for playing pieces. Standard monopoly again with the second one. You win, if you are the first one to Version: de, Rules: de, In-game use of language: no rules apply and despite the topic the game is meant for fami- have two balls in the boat. lies. Version: de, Rules: de, In-game use of language: yes Version: de, Rules: de, In-game use of language: no

Logical thinking game for 1 player, ages 6+ Monopoly variant for 2-6 players, ages 8 and up A game of moves and actions for 2-4 players, ages 4 and up

OLD TOWN SOLO PERUDO TOP TRUMPS SPECIALS CHUGGINGTON Designer: Stephan Riedel Designer: Cosmo Fry, Alfredo Fernandini Publisher: Winning Moves Publisher: Clicker Spiele Publisher: Asmodee

The Goldrush is over, the diggers have gone, only graves and All players roll their dice at the same time with their dice cups Choosing your card’s best attribute, beating (trumping) your ruins tell of times long gone. You are an archaeologist and try and secretly look at them. The starting player names a bid on opponent’s card, and winning the cards played in the round – to reconstruct the old derelict ghost town. You chose cards how many dice of one kind will be under all cups. The next already a Classic! Cards are dealt evenly to all players. The ac- according to a table for the solitaire game chosen; those info player must raise the bid, either in number or value of the tive player chooses an attribute on his top card (no shuffling cards give you information on the locations of buildings. Pos- dice, and he can reroll some of his dice. If the doubt was justi- of the deck!) and calls out the corresponding value – all other sible locations are marked, when there is only one possible fied, the bidder loses a die. If the number was correct or there players check their cards for the value of this attribute – the location the building is placed. There is always an unambigu- are more dice than the bid required, the doubter loses a die. player with the highest value gets all cards of this round. In ous solution to the problem. Based on Old Town, Clicker The joker die depicting Tucan Pace enhances the possibilities. case of a tie cards go on the table and the winner of the next 2004. New edition in a tin, first edition 2007. If you are out of dice you drop out of the game. The last one round receives those too. Theme set: Chuggington Version: multi, Rules: de en, In-game use of language: yes in play wins. Version: de, Rules: de, In-game use of language: some Version: multi, Rules: de es fr nl, In-game use of language: no

A game of deduction for 1 player, ages 10+ Bluff and dice game for 2-6 players, ages 8 and up A card/quiz game for 2 or more players from age 8

Color codes for target groups (Headline Color) Color codes for features (Bar in Evalution box) For children + learn With friends Chance Strategy Knowledge Communication Dexterity 40 For families For experts Tactics Creativity Memory Interaction Action HIGHLIGHTS AMONG GAMES t FROM THE MUSEUM

TIP #64 HUGO KASTNER RECOMMENDS PLAYERS: Designer: unknown 2-4 Price: ca. 15 Euro (and more) AGE: TAROCK Jahr: unknown 10+ Publisher: Piatnik and others Austrian Joie the vivre! www.piatnik.at TIME: 30+ Dear reader! For many Alpine dwellers Tarock is as it was played with a reduced deck of cards) the one and only card game, a kind of ideology probably was especially well liked in Ferrara, ˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜˜ of life, and this is not exaggerated. They look Bologna, Florence and Milan, the game of Tactics Infos+ Chance down their noses at non-tarock players and Piemonteser Tarock, which was played with deem them to be dilettantes who do not really 78 cards, was especially favored in the perim- The mixture of tactics and chance in a game of course depends hugely on the version of the play cards at all. Well, I will forego any com- eters of the town of this name. Both games Tarock game you did choose. In Königrufen“ mentary here, but it is absolutely true that it already feature the “suits” of today’s Tarock, for instance the balance would move one step towards tactical. But in all versions the lack of takes a few years to become an excellent Tarock albeit with the Italian card symbols of Sword, information on the hand of other players is player, especially when playing the noble game Chalice, Coin and Stave. And very probably essential. version of Königrufen. It is interesting that until this game at first was reserved for the no- Hugos EXPERTTIP If you are not yet fully familiar with the cards you today no official rules for Tarock have estab- bility, as the hand-painted cards must have should start to play the simple Zwanzigerrufen. lished themselves. In reality, no group of Tarock been unattainable for the normal citizen. The Königrufen or Point-Tarock as the highlight of players is similar to another, at least as regards important noble houses, on the other hand, your games of Tarock can easily wait a while till you are ready. to the rules details. Indeed, throughout the have again and again commissioned most Hugos FLASHLIGHT centuries clever minds have come up with for- creative picture cards from important artists. I need to post a warning You will be forced to learn a nearly completely new card language ever new versions which turned Tarock into an Subsequently, independent, differentiated to really become familiar with the secrets of enormously demanding game. Whether you rule books have been developing in each of Tarock. From Ultimo to Ouvert, Pagat to Sküs, play Königrufen, Strohmandeln, Point-Tarock, those courts. The name of Tarock is proved Piccolo, Dreier, Trischaken or Valat, Absolut oder Ein-Blatt, Tarock has a thousand names. But you Tappen, Dreiertarock or Zwanzigerrufen, you to be mentioned first in Ferrara in 1516 in will not regret your pains for one minute. As I must be prepared for a warm-up period. The the shape of “tarocchi” (Registro di Guarda- said. Tarock is joie de vivre or a way of life. same goes for the very attractive game of Hus- roba) and was mentioned a bit later in 1534 PREVIEW: zas, also known by the name of Ungarisches in a French volume, François Rabelais‘ „Gar- MAESTRO Tarock. Of course, the basic knowledge alone gantua, as „tarau“. The Die originally high From one music agent to the other! gets you along nicely on the way to a good number of 78 cards triggered the following player ( see: Die große Humboldt Enzyklopädie comment in the Encyclopädie der Spiele der Kartenspiele von Folkvord/Kastner). In the (published 1879): „That the game of Tarock Tarock is intensely played … The wonderful Austrian Games Musem in Leopoldsdorf you is not more widely spread is definitely due books Das große Tarockbuch by Wolfgang can delve head-on into those intense and to the fact that it is hard to master, and es- Mayr and Robert Sedlaczek and Tarock – eventful ways to play. Website: www.spielen.at pecially that the game featuring such a high mein einziges Vergnügen, published by The light of my lamp illuminating the volume number (78) cards demands constant and Hans-Joachim Alscher, are standard tomes written by me and my partner, Die große intense attention.” The final shape of today’s and offer an excellent insight into the game Humboldt Enzyklopädie der Kartenspiele, regular Tarock cards has happened in France, of Tarock as a formative facet of culture. will provide you with a coherent glimpse probably around the year 1500. The modern Comments to: [email protected] into the copious family of these card games: popular versions of Tarock did not develop Homepage: www.hugo-kastner.at The many, many different editions of Tarock much earlier that the 18th century, especially cards are probably among the most beau- in different parts of the Austrian-Hungarian tiful playing cards ever published and are Empire. Thusm, the oldest Austrian book on traded among collectors for enormous sums. Tarock was published in Vienna in 1756, the Based on relatively confirmed information first book on Tarock in German came out the Game of Tarock can be traced back to barely two years earlier in Leipzig. With the the 15th century. Its origins lie near Bologna emigrants from Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, in Italy. The earliest pointer to the game Transylvania, the Ukraine and other crown dates back to the year 1419, the first posi- lands this typical and very Austrian card tive proof to the year 1442 and the Court of game found its way overseas. And still, in Ferrara. The current way to play of that time, the countries of its origin, Italy and France, Tarocchino (dt. Kleines Tarock, Small Tarock, or in Scandinavia, one version or another of IMPRESSUM Offenlegung nach dem Mediengesetz: Medieninhaber, Eigentümer, Verleger und Hersteller: Verein „Österreichisches Spiele Museum“, vertre- ten durch Obfrau Dipl.Ing. Dagmar de Cassan, Raasdorferstrasse 28, 2285 Leopoldsdorf im Marchfelde, Telefon 02216-7000, Fax 02216-7000-3, mail-to: [email protected], Internet: www.spielejournal.at - www.gamesjournal.at - Chefredakteur: Dipl.Ing. Dagmar de Cassan Blattlinie: Die Blattlinie ist die Meinung aller Redakteure, freien Mitarbeitern und Gastautoren. Die Spiele zur Erstellung der Rezensionen stellt das Österr. Spiele Museum für die Dauer der Arbeit kostenlos zur Verfügung. Niemand erhält Sach-,Service-, Geldleistungen von den Verlagen. (Alle nicht namentlich gekennzeichneten Rezensionen zu den Spielen sind von Dagmar de Cassan) English Edition Version 1.0 Copyright (c) 2011 by Spielen in Österreich - Die Spiele Collection, Spiele Kreis Wien, Österreichisches Spielefest, Spielefest, Wiener Spiele Akademie, Spiel der Spiele und zwei Spiele-Symbole sind eingetragene Warenzeichen. Ihre Email-Adresse: Wir versenden oft an unsere Mitglieder, Abonnenten und Interessenten eine Erinnerung für Termine und sonstige Infos. Wenn Sie noch nie eine Email von uns erhalten haben, fehlt uns Ihre Email!

Icon explanation GABIS explanation on page 5 Solo Play Two Players Large Groups Recommended Minimum Age 41