ISSUE 430 -NOVEMBER 2011 ISSN 0257-361X Volume 35
THE GAMES JOURNAL www.gamesjournal.at
INTERNATIONAL EDITION: IN THIS ISSUE WE PRESENT 55 GAMES OUR REVIEW u DIE BRÜCKE AM RIO D‘ORO
to drag ourselves back to camp with the NO CHILD’S PLAY last dredges of our strength from where we set out again boldly in the next round. On top of this, all is handled politically very cor- DIE BRÜCKE AM RIO D‘ORO rectly, which does not mean that there is no 3D TREASURE HUNT WITH A RISK tension in the race for the most treasures.
At the start of the game four planks on the With „Die Brücke am Rio d’Oro“ Amigo en- The box inlay mutates into a deep canyon rope bridge are cracked and are placed ters into competition with games featuring with a roaring river at its bottom, crossed by with the cracked side showing accord- three-dimensional game set-ups, that usu- a three-dimensional plank made of sturdy ingly. Equipped with one man each it is ally are found with publishers like Kosmos cardboard, on the which the planks rest the challenge for all amateur Indys to cross and enchant especially children. Therefore only loosely – and some of them are already the bridge and carry up to three lovely glit- a first glance at the backside of the box, cracked deeply. One wrong step and you tering glass jewels back to camp in their where the set-up ready for play is shown, journey downwards accompanied by all backpacks. Governing movement are three suggests that Frederic Moyersoen’s latest your treasures. dice that show certain numbers of feet and game might also be a children’s game. But that’s far off the mark! Beamed back to Camp Stefan Olschewski As „Die Brücke am Rio d’Oro“ defines itself in An astonishingly tactical dice game with some aggravation Echoes of Indy the end as a family game, our man is not lost potential for children, families and friends, too! Challeng- ing, with attractive looks and nice hap tic sensation, and In the best manner of Indiana Jones we when tumbling into the canyon and his life not nearly as banal as the first impression might suggest! are tasked with crossing a wobbly plank not lost; only the treasures that we carry in bridge in competition with up to three our backpack – up to three are possible – fall more treasure hunters, to reach the mys- down into the canyon and are buried in the special symbols. While the green dice offers terious treasure cave and start on the way waters (at least in our mind!) We ourselves a somewhat slow but considerably safe trip back to camp, laden with gold and jewels. obviously always manage a courageous you can make same great leaps with the The set-up on the table is quite impressive. jump to reach the edge of the canyon and help of the red die, but you risk to provoke a
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 2 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at DIE BRÜCKE AM RIO D‘ORO / 40 LINES FOR MEEPLES t OUR REVIEW
dangerous situation and to tumble into the under one’s feet quite literally. Players ob- canyon together with your treasures. struct each other nicely and have nothing to spare for each other, especially no jewels! When we are not carrying jewels we are You win if you are first to bring a given num- free to use all three dice, we can roll all of ber of jewels into the camp, or to have most them and then decide if, and when so then jewels in camp when the treasure cave at which or how many we want to use. When the other side of the bridge has been emp- the rolled side of a die has been completely tied of its jewels. implemented, we do the same for the next one. But: All is possible, nothing is a must! Resume Despite the luck of the roll we are forced to The question posed at the start of the game, take decisions, which sometimes are not so whether this is a children’s game, can be an- easy to make as regards to the fact that we swered with a clear „no“! Because adults too, are racing each other for the most treasures. and especially adults catch the adventure That each transported treasure, which we bug quickly and bring out “Die Brücke am did place on our backpack card, reduces Rio D’Oro” as a warm-up game or end-of- the selection of dice by one is yet another evening game after taxing strategy games, factor enhancing the dilemma for our deci- even when their offspring is absent. The sions. The backpack is emptied only when game is solidly produced, nicely illustrated the man has reached camp, then all dice are by Michael Menzel, as is only to be expected available again and the jewels are safe from from him, and provides classy components loss. in the shape of glass nuggets, big wooden men and very sturdy cardboard parts, so 40 Lines for Meeples Steal and shove that users will enjoy the game for a long Dagmar de Cassan, Editor-in-Chief Especially with the full complement of play- time. The nice duration of sometimes not ers it is rather full on the bridge and so we even 20 minutes, the compact packaging The Adlung family did show it many years shove blocking men in best RoboRally tra- and the moderate price will, that is my pre- ago on TV, in „Wetten dass ..??“: If you shake dition one plank forward in direction of our diction, pave the way for„Die Brücke am Rio the christmassy gift-wrapped game box can movement. This can lead to chain reactions d’Oro“ onto many a games table. sound out the name of the game. that often cause an unintentional dive into Stefan Olschewski That might work for titles, but we do believe the river, because if you are shoved into that touching and shaking only of a new a gap you fall. And how do gaps happen game box does not suffice to determine the in the bridge? For this and for some other INFORMATION content and quality of a game. nasty little tricks, which Designer Moyer- PLAYERS: Every month we report on 55 or more new soen has dreamed up to enhance interac- Designer: Frederic Moyersoen 2-4 games, present them to you and feel obliged tion among players and the aggravation Artist: Michael Menzel AGE: to strictly adhere to our quality standards level, too, the already mentioned additional Price: ca. 20 Euro 8+ when reviewing and assessing the games. symbols on the dice are responsible. If you Publisher: Amigo Spiele 2011 TIME: Well, the overwhelming number of Essen decide to implement a dice result, you must www.amigo-spiele.de 30+ news and the Austrian Games Fair have not only use the footprints, but also the ad- played havoc with our timetable, so we are ditionally pictured actions. So you might late. be able to steal a jewel from another man EVALUATION But our decision was clear: Rather be a few you joined on a plank, before you shove Roll & Move with risk days late than reduce quality. him forward. Or you can repair a cracked For families So, our December issue will be published Version: de or missing plank, if necessary; the plank is Rules: de in January, but as February this year has 29 then placed on the bridge undamaged side In-game text: no days, we are confident that we will catch up! up. A lighting symbol means danger and Comments: Have fun when reading this issue and if you that you must roll the danger die to know Compact packaging * Dice results can need more information, please check our be tactically implemented * Interaction games data base LUDORIUM at which danger is looming. In half of the rolls is a bit player-dependant nothing happens, but you might lose one of http://www.ludorium.at Our data base your jewels or the plank on which you stand Compares to: now contains more than 28.000 text files and All roll & move games with a risk factor is damaged and cracks. If is was already more than 20.000 images of games. cracked before that, it is removed from the Other editions: WIN The Games Journal can now be read bridge, the treasures are lost in the water Currently none as an eBook and on Kindle (Both the Ger- and your man may try his luck again next man and the English edition) and is thus even round, setting out again from the camp. easier read on the different modern devices Those few but definitely not trite rules are than a PDF file. sufficient to provide an astonishingly tacti- If you like win we invite to subscribe to WIN. cal and rather turbulent family game for We have a PayPal account, so payment of € your table, with a very realistic flair of ad- 6 for a one-year subscription is safe and ease, venture. You keep counting other people’s see http://www.gamesjournal.at treasures, deliberate with yourself while carrying a full backpack whether to go back slowly and safely step by step or to take a full risk and have the rug pulled out from My rating:
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other hand they offer functions, pictured A MULTI-MILLION INHERITANCE by icons on the bottom border of the card, to support you during the action phase. Helper and expense cards are marked with DER LETZTE WILLE a black border on the front side. EXPENSES, EXPENSES AND MORE EXPENSES At the start of the game each player receives three property cards and three helper and From the diary of an expert gamer: A new cards come in four different varieties: expense cards, of which you can only keep game? Read the rules first! Usually some- any two of your choice. The rest of the game where in the rules you find the sentence: Properties cards enable a player to buy a is played in rounds, during which each play- “You win with most prestige points” or “If property. This property either drops in value er acquires card and uses cards with the use you own most money at the end of the when it is not properly taken care of or en- of actions on his cards. At the end of each game, you win” or maybe “If you are fur- ables you to spend money on the upkeep round each player must discard cards if nec- thest advanced on the scoring track you of the building. Properties are marked by essary to reduce his hand to two cards. have won”. How refreshingly different it is a symbol in of four colors: Mansions, Town to be confronted with a game with another Houses, Manor Houses and Farms. The color How do players acquire cards during the aim. Last Will is such an exception! Here of the symbols is important for buying and game? For this purpose two game boards you must be the first to have spent all your selling properties and for the use of helper are placed on the table, the planning board money! cards (see below). If you buy a Mansion, a and the card offering board. Both boards Town House or a Manor House you receive a have two different sides, one for use with 2 Jumping-off point for this goal is a sad property value marker to record the current or 3 players, and the other side for use with event: Our rich uncle has died and each of value of you property on the card. Farms 4 or 5 players. The card offering board is sup- us us is his heir presumptive. To choose the cannot depreciate and therefore do not most worthy heir uncle has come up with need a marker. Property cards are marked Bernhard Czermak something unusual in his will: Each heir pre- with a black border on the front side. Last Will is a very entertaining, mainly tactical game with a sumptive receives a neat sum in cash and Event cards represent unique events, which refreshingly new topic whose allure lies in the unrestricted spending of money and being rewarded for it. must try to spend this sum as fast as pos- can be used to spend money immediately. sible. The first one to go bankrupt will be The card is played and is discarded when the lucky heir to all of Uncle’s assets. you have paid the costs. Event cards are marked with a white border on the front plemented with an additional board in case So each player receives a certain amount side. of 3 or 5 players. Next to those game boards of cash at the start of the game – either 70 the normal cards, as described above, are Pounds flat or you draw one of the Last Will Companion Cards are meant to enable you stacked according to type as general stock. cards which determine the starting money, to raise your expenses. Companions can On the card offering board cards are laid which is also at least 70 Pounds. The higher be dogs, horses, chefs or guests. So, for in- out open faced at the start of each round your starting capital is the more difficult it stance, a dinner gets much more expensive in Phase 1 of the round, different types of is to end the game prematurely before the when you invite guests, or the upkeep of a cards in correlation with the current num- end of Round 7. When a player achieves building is also much more expensive when ber of the round. In addition to those cards the goal to go bankrupt before the end of dogs are in the house. For companions special cards are used, they show one or Round 7 the game ends in the round when that are played in combination with black- several crown symbols on their back side. he manages this. Otherwise the game ends bordered cards a player receives the corre- These special cards can either be events or automatically after Round 7. sponding companion marker, for instance helpers or expenses, but are considerably a brown marker if you played a dog. This more powerful than the normal cards. Fi- Players spend their cash with the help of marker is deposited on the black-bordered nally, you can acquire one or two compan- their cards in hand, these cards offer the card and stays there to the end of the game. ion joker cards via the card offering board, manifold possibilities to spend or squander The companion card itself is discarded. which can be used as any companion of money. Depending on the kind of card you Companion cards are marked with a grey your choice during a round. All those cards either display them openly on your own border on their front side. form the card offer of the current round and game board or play them and discard them can be acquired by players in a later phase or they offer you to spend extra money via The helper and expense cards have two dif- of the round. companions. What option you can use de- ferent abilities. On the one hand, they allow pends on the kind of card you play. Normal you to spend additional money and on the By the use of the planning board you ac- quire cards in phase 2 of the round, the plan- ning phase. The planning board features six or eight circles depicting a sand timer; each player in turn from the starting player on chooses one sand timer and places his plan- ning marker in his color on the timer. Each sand timer is connected to a space which lists three criteria in different combinations in each space. So each player, when choos- ing a sand timer, also chooses the criteria of the corresponding space. Furthermore, the sand timers are depicted in a row, as they
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 4 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at DER LETZTE WILLE / GABIS t OUR REVIEW
also set the playing order for the rest of the planning of other players, as there is one GAMES BUYER INFORMATION SYSTEM - GABIS round. The first criterion in a space defines space per player for the errand boy figure. the number of the errand boy figures that STRUCTURE a player can place in the next phase on the The next possibility is to acquire an expan- Each game review also features an evaluation which can boards. Each player holds two such errand sion for your player board, so that a player help you to find the game that best suits your tastes. The color accompanying each game title represents the USER boy figures in his color, shaped like a hat, or can place more cards on the table than the Group. The headline also contains icons for age and number more exactly, an opera hat. Depending on 5 spaces provided by the starting player of players. The BAR in the evaluation box displays color codes for up to the sand timer chosen you may place one board. This offer can only be used while 10 features of a game. or both of the errand boys in phase 3. there are still expansions for player boards available. USER GROUP We have defined 4 target groups (color accompanying the The value of the second criterion decides head line) the number of cards a player can take up as Another possibility offered is the selection soon as he has chosen a sand timer. He can of a visit to the theatre. If you place your er- Kinder: Games for children an educational games. Adults can play draw this number of cards in any combina- rand boy marker there you can immediately in a guiding function. tion from the four stacks of normal cards. spend 2 Pounds. Familien: Children and parents play together, all have the same The number of cards he can take lies be- chance to win and have fun. tween zero and seven cards, but, as already Finally, the most interesting option is the Freunde: mentioned, you must reduce your cards in option to switch modification markers for Young people and adults play together as equals Experten: hand to two at the end of the round. the property market. This enables you to Games with special demands on rules and playing time. raise or lower the prices for properties by Especially for game geeks The third criterion, finally, decides the num- up to 3 Pounds. Four markers are distrib- Please note for the user groups Children, Family and ber of actions that a player can implement uted randomly at the start of the game Friends: Children who love to play can be ahead of their in his turn in phase 4. This is the moment on the four kinds of properties, which are peers! Please note that our target group “families” does not imply the classical concept of „family games“! Furthermore, to praise the the exact, continuous use of identified / distinguished by color. If you our user groups can overlap. The choice of suitable games symbols throughout the game; actions are place your errand boy marker there you can always depends on your playing partners and your fun always acquired by collecting A’s in green change the distribution to your liking. This with games! Games that are especially eligible for Solo play or for 2 play- spaces; A’s in red spaces always denote that switch recommends itself especially before ers or Large groups of players are marked with an icon. you have to spend actions. buying a certain building to make this more expensive or before selling it in order to get FEATURES Each game targets preferences for different features in a When each player has placed his planning less money for it. The price of any property player, therefore each game is not suitable for each player. marker, the planning-phase is complete. All is always the sum of the current value of the We have listed 10 features players note when deciding on a game. Only if a player finds his preferred features in other phases are now implemented in the property as noted on the card plus modifi- a game he will enjoy the game. The color code marks the player order set by the planning markers on cation marker for this kind of property on dominant features. Educational games train the highlighted the planning board from left to right. the planning board and – maybe – addi- preference. tional helper cards. Empty boxes: This feature is neclectable or not present The ensuing phase 3, the errands, is used by One colored box: This feature is present, but not essential all players to acquire the offerings on both When the errand boy markers are placed Two colored boxes: This feature is present and important in the game (or three) boards. In playing order players this phase and and players can implement Three colored boxes: This feature is dominant and essential place one of their errand boy figures and their actions in the next phase. Chance: then a second turn follows for all players The game is influenced by dice, cards or any other form of who are allowed to place their second er- In Phase 4, Actions, a player uses all ac- random generator rand boy figure. The errand boys are placed tions currently at his disposition to spend Tactics: Take decision, short-term planning, planning based on next to the chosen offer on the space pro- as much money as possible. The number one move vided for this purpose and thus block this of actions results from the selection of the Strategy: offer for all other players. sand timer on the planning board, helper Think ahead, long-term planning, planning for several moves cards on the player’s board and hand cards Creativity: The card offering board and the additional played, which can bring additional actions. The player has to provide words, phrases, images and other creative efforts board, enable you, as you might have Each action that is marked with an “A” in a Knowledge: guessed from the name, to acquire one of red space costs one action. Cultural and educational knowledge, long-term memory the cards on display there. You place your er- Memory: Remember, learn by heart, short-time memory rand boy figure next to the card and take up To play a card from your hand onto your Communication: the card immediately. Usually there is one player’s board always costs on action. When Talk to each other, negotiate, inform placement spot for the errand boy figure, the card is marked with “A” on red, it costs an Interaction: Influencing each other, bluffing, auction in case of 2 to 3 players there are 2 place- additional action. All cards with a black bor- Dexterity ment spots for 3 cards, so that two players der must be placed onto the player’s board Motor skills Action: can choose from three cards. Depending on in order to be able to use their functions or Body movement, balance and reaction the number of players there is a selection of to spend money accordingly. Using a card 7 to 9 cards on offer in each round. can demand actions; this is again denoted ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Version: The edition of the game on which the review is by the “A” in a red space. Each card deployed based The planning board offers an additional on the board can be used once in a turn, Rules: This lists the languages in which rules are available or number of four offers. These offers include even if it was played just in this round. After are included in the game, often even more translations can be found on the web. the acquisition of a normal card, that is, the using the card it is moved downwards on In-game text: A YES marks a game with language- top card from one of the four stacks of gen- the board to that the green tick becomes dependent components that cannot be played without eral stock. This offer can be used by each visible, this is the equivalent of tapping a translation or knowledge of the language player, independent from the selection/ card. Each card that you want to deploy
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takes up a free space on your player’s board holding property. This means that you can- Nearly incredible, but true: it is fun to see or expansion for your player’s board. When not play actions that need more spending how your money dwindles! there is no free space left you need to dis- money than you have cash available. But card a card already displayed on the board; you can relinquish companions that might Like almost all games using cards Last Will you cannot discard a property for this pur- be there and lower costs to be able to imple- has a chance element. This can be con- pose, properties can only be sold. ment an action. trolled by the player as it is up to him which type of card and how many cards he wants When a player buys a property this costs When all players have completed their turns to draw in his turn or during the planning. an action too, as the card is placed onto the phase 4 ends. Should a player go bankrupt Last Will plays very well with all numbers of player’s board. You pay the price stated on in phase 4 of rounds 1 to 6 the round is fin- players listed by the rules. Due to the differ- the card and take into account the already ished all the same, but the game ends with ent boards the game is nicely balanced for mentioned modifications. The upkeep of this round, no additional round is played. each number of players; but you must ob- properties, too, always costs an action, un- serve and implement the additional rules less you own a corresponding helper. The In phase 5 you implement the end of a for a game of two players. costs for upkeep can be raised by com- round. Each player must reduce his cards panions. In order to do so you must play in hand to two cards unless he owns an ap- The flair of the game leaves nothing to be a companion card and then place the cor- propriate helper. Properties that have not desired, either. Cards and playing boards responding companion marker onto the been maintained (the card has not been are nicely and attractively designed, and property card. Playing of the companion shifted downwards on the player’s board) the content of cards is also very coherent: card also costs an action. Companions must are no depreciated, the property marker is That an old sea dog costs you more in case be played per property card in the order de- moved to the next lower value on the card, of a boat trip or if you invite for a drink is picted on the card. if there is still such a value available. All cards rather self-evident. And beautiful coach that were used are shifted back upwards to for a drive costs money, too! And that due Selling of properties also costs an action. cover the green tick, the remaining cards on to your investment consultant properties You remove the property card from your the card offering board and the additional get more expensive when you want to buy player’s board and receive the correspond- board are removed. Players take back their and cheaper when you want to sell, comes ing sum of money according to the current planning markers and their errand boy straight from real life! value of the property, modified by the re- markers into their personal stock. Finally, spective markers and helpers. As long as a the starting player marker is handed to the Last Will can be recommended wholeheart- player owns properties he cannot declare next player to the right which ends phase 5 edly and will be applauded when played himself bankrupt. and marks the start of a new round. with friends or by experts. [email protected] Activities that do not show the „A“ on red do After a maximum of 7 rounds the game not cost an action and can be implemented ends. The player with the highest debts or INFORMATION PLAYERS: during your turn anytime you want. These the lowest fortune wins Uncle’s inheritance. Designer: Vladimír Suchý 2-5 activities are usually connected with the use The fortune of a player is calculated from Artist: Tomáš Kucerovský AGE: of helper cards. The costs that are accrued his cash and his properties; properties are 13+ by those activities are noted in the right top evaluated at their current value + 5 Pounds Price: ca. 29 Euro corner of the card. for this final calculation of fortune. Publisher: CGE / Heidelberger 2011 TIME: www.hds-fantasy.de 75+ Event cards always cost at least one action, With Last Will Vladimír Suchý has created a depending on the notations on the card, very atmospheric game that provides a dif- EVALUATION and are discarded after being played. Some ferent game each time. The appeal of the event cards allow a player to choose the game is to find new and more costly ways to Economics game With friends number of actions he wants to use, which spend your money. Version: de in turn result in the costs of the card. Other Rules: de en event cards can be played together with Last Will has strategic components like the In-game text: no companion cards to raise their costs. The helpers who favor certain properties, but Comments: Unusual aim of the game * Witty companion cards are then discard and do despite of this the tactical part of the game illustrations * Entertaining, diversified not cost additional actions. dominates. Interaction among players is game flow also a deciding factor, in each round one Compares to: During the action phase you can also use must deliberate if one wants to make sure MAD for the topic the functions noted on the bottom border that one gets an important card from the Other editions: of your own helper cards displayed on your card offering board by placing the planning Last Will, CGE / Z-Man Games board. Those functions comprise raising ex- marker on the leftmost position or if one penditures, saving or winning back actions would rather have more actions or more and modifications of prices to buy and sell errand boy markers at one’s disposition. properties as well as receiving or keeping of Especially the choice of this combination hand cards. from playing order, additional hand cards, useable errand boy markers and available Each player uses all his available actions to actions makes the game so attractive and spend money; then it is the next player’s leads to new situations in the game again turn, in playing order according to the and again, not to talk of the exhilarant aim markers on the sand timers. But take care: of the game coupled with the feeling finally You cannot incur debts while you are still to be able to spend money hands down. My rating:
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 6 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at SID MEIER’S CIVILIZATION t OUR REVIEW
cense and iron) and Chance markers (three CULTURE, POLITICS, WAR kinds; huts, villages and great people) and, finally, Coin, Wound and Culture tiles. This leaves a few Combat Bonus Cards and one SID MEIER’S CIVILIZATION technology of Level 5, Space Flight. DAS BRETTSPIEL Whew, nearly there, but wait, each player has his own display – civilization needs a A mighty box, a plethora of counters, cards, shows the progression of rounds, the costs big table to play it: Directly in front of each plastic miniatures, boards, charts ... replen- for production and improvement for units player lies his Civi sheet, noting the starting ishments from the house of Fantasy Flight and buildings as well as capabilities of bonus for his culture, its type of govern- and Heidelberger Spieleverlag respectively scouts . With this chart you can enter the ment (only Russia and Rome do not start bring us a new version of Civilization. Easily game rather easily without haven read the with Despotism) and this sheet is also the more than 20 years have passed since I did complete rules, as long as at least one player starting place for the plastic miniatures, burn the midnight oil with the old Civiliza- is familiar with the game and can instruct tion by Francis Tresham from Avalon Hill at you (as already recommended). Christoph Proksch the de Cassan’s place in Leopoldsdorf dur- Civilization is a beautifully designed, powerful game for ing Games marathons – too long for really The impatient wish for a quick start will have specialist, offers never-ending fun and is time-consuming being able to compare the games – sorry to wait for a little longer, though, because to learn. for that! this game – as do most others from FFG – demands a somewhat long set-up phase. one army and one scout start in any square The rules book has only 28 pages – but I rec- The main board is made up from face-down of your choice on your home tile. The Civi ommend to each one ready to confront the landscape parts; each player adds his home sheet also lists the start technology of each game to first study the rules intensively to tile to the corners of this main board und people, which is displayed openly; the re- be then able to teach the other players. The places the capital marker on it. There are five maining tech cards (each player holds an rules are nearly complete, nicely structures types of landscapes – Forest, Mountains, identical set) are stacked by levels I-IV next and clear and explained with images and Grassland, Desert and Water; water can only to it. On the space marked on the sheet examples, but the devil is in the details. As in be crossed with the help of special technol- for this you place the card for the type of all other FF games one is continuously look- ogies. A lot of buildings can only be set up in government. Each player holds a 2nd city ing for small details and leaf through the a certain type of landscape. marker; the 3rd one comes into play with rules a lot, which slowed down game play the corresponding ability (irrigation). considerably in the first few games. Fortu- A smaller game board, the Market Board, is nately there is an index and a glossary of- added to one side of the main board. It is the Now on to the spinner wheel on the Civi fering help, but fluency came to game only place for: 1. The building markers; of these sheet. The small coin hand starts at 0 on a after some games played. But still, it is worth there is a limited number, if you buy one scale of 0-15, the bigger hand is marked every effort. What really is hindering the you place it into the suburb of one of your with the “Trade” symbol (looks like an eye search for details is the fact that „flavor text“ cities and thereby rise the trade income, the formed by a red and a blue arrow), which is is not marked, e.g. how do I use „great peo- production, resources and cultural potential also visible on many squares on the board. ple“; I need to read through some pompous of the city. 2. The face-down cards for mili- At the start of the game you count the sentences like „Certain people rise to promi- tary units; they are needed for conflicts, at number of those symbols pictured on the nence within their civilization. These great the start each player receives one infantry, 8 squares around your capital (the so called people steer the course of nations and can artillery and cavalry card, airplanes are only suburbs), the total is the starting level of the change history …” to at long last arrive at available later in the game with special tech- trade hand. The maximum is 26 and shows the core of the matter in the middle of the nology. 3. Level markers for military technol- the Roman numbers I to V next to the scale paragraph: „Great people markers are used ogy in player’s colors 4. Cards for so called values of 6, 11, 16, 21 and 26, marking the like buildings“. wonders including markers, these can also technology levels you can acquire when be bought; the cards are given to the player the hand reaches or passes this number. Civilization can be played by 2-4 people and yield powerful bonuses, the corre- Regardless of what ability you acquire, the (we did not yet try it with 2) and offers long sponding markers are placed on the board hand goes back to 0 afterwards (this chang- lasting fun. An expansion for a 5th player is as buildings. At the bottom of the Market es later), so normally you can only acquire available, Civilization: Fame and Fortune. Board runs the so called culture track, mark- one ability in each round. ers on it show the cultural progress of each At the start each player chooses or ran- civilization. Now the set-up is finished and the game domly draws one of 6 cultures and receives can start: It is played in rounds, so called the corresponding card (Civilization sheet), Between this bottom border and the main turns, each turn comprises 5 phases, in which shows a famous person, describes a board cultural event cards are placed in which each player in turn implement his ac- special ability, gives you a start technology three face-down stacks, these cards are giv- tions, then the next round begins. The start- and names the type of government. The en out for each cultural progress (when the ing player changes at the start of a round in sheet also holds a spinner wheel with two marker advances one step on the K-track), clockwise direction, sometimes it is impor- hands. Then each player receives figurines they also yield nice bonuses and sometimes tant when it will be your turn. for armies and scouts, one set each of tech- help you de fend off your fellow players. nology and type-of-government cards as Phase 1, Start of the Round: well as markers for cities, culture level and Lots of other cardboard tiles are stacked in The starting player marker goes to the next military technology, a home landscape tile loose order around the market board: So player. This player chooses actions from cul- and, finally, a good synopsis chart which called Market Resources (wheat, silk, in- tural event or wonder cards, can build cities,
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up to a total of 3 all in all, and can change trade with each other, using trade values, you can change trade points 3:1 into pro- the type of government. Where you can culture tokens, resources markers, culture duction. build a city is governed by strict rules, in any event cards and also promises (which are case you must have a scout on the desired not binding). We have never traded so far in Instead of producing each city can „har- spot; the scout is returned to the other buy- our games; we all are rather on a confronta- vest“ one resource that is pictured on one able pieces. The type of government can tional course. of the suburban squares, e.g. transfer 1 iron be changed, if the technology card placed marker from general stock onto the Civi at the end of the previous round does al- Phase 3, City management: sheet or the city devotes itself to culture; low this. Each type of government with the Each city has one (!!) action from a wide the owner receives one culture marker for exception of despotism yields certain bo- selection of possibilities: Production of a each culture symbol in the suburbs plus nuses; if you are in need of those you need figure (army or scout) or of a unit (these are one for the city itself. These markers can to choose this action and to lay out a special the conflict cards, three of those are given be collected and spent any time in the city tech-card beforehand, respectively. A direct to each player at the start of the game) or of management phase to advance the marker change of government based on cards that a building (must be bought from the mar- by one or more steps on the culture track. were laid out in earlier rounds than the last ket) or of a wonder – all this is paid for with Each of those advancement yields one one are not possible – in this case you need “production”, represented by hammer sym- culture event card or sometimes a Great to choose anarchy, which means that your bols on the hex squares of the board or on Person marker. The movement on the track capital cannot implement an action for one the building markers. Each city counts the gets more expensive in three stages; in the round; only in the following round you can number of these symbols in the suburbs, last stage you must also pay “trade value”: revert to a new, already acquired type of the total is the production value of the city Should a player reach the last spot of the government. – for instance 6 symbols allow me to buy a track, he has won Civilization with a “cul- building up to a maximum value of 6 or a tural” victory. Phase 2, Trade: scout (6) or a unit (e.g. artillery level 1 for 5). The trade value symbols of all cities are Suburb squares occupied by opposing fig- To summarize: You have one action for each counted and the big hand is set to the cor- ures cannot be included in the count. You of your cities, either 1) Production of build- responding value. In this phase players can cannot save up on production values, but ings and wonders (raises the number of city
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 8 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at SID MEIER’S CIVILIZATION t OUR REVIEW
symbols for trade, production, resources or is not the same for each one: I have ar- ting acquainted with until if runs smoothly, culture), of figures (army, scouts, especially ranged them in the order of how easy they but is great fun for all who have the neces- important at the start of the game) or of are to achieve. I was advised by a friend to sary patience and is always a pleasure due units (used in conflict) or 2) collecting of a leave out the choice of a military victory and to the plethora of options. Civilization has resource or 3) busy the city with culture (col- to raise the obstacles for economical suc- a high re-play value, you want to do better lecting of culture markers). cess to even out the chances. If you conquer next time and the different victory condi- an opposing capital has achieved a military tions offer innumerable versions. Of course Phase 4, Movement: victory. If your yellow hand on the Civi sheet it’s a freak’s game; it takes a lot of time (at In turn each player can move each of his reaches value 15, because you have collect- best, when all are familiar with it, a mini- figures, at the start 2 steps = travel speed ed enough coins on technology cards and mum of three hours) and is not a pure dry and only 2 figures are allowed on the same buildings, you achieve an economic victory economics game, because there is too square (stacking limit); acquisition of certain and if you climb to the top of the techno- much imponderability albeit having to abilities enhances both values as well as the logical development pyramid, you win with admit that the chance factor is rather low. Size of the Culture Hand (you can hold only technological advancement. That leaves the Many of the phases can be implemented si- 2 culture event cards) or the City limit (from cultural success; if you reach the finish spot multaneously by all players, provided there 2 to 3). With movement you can explore ad- of the culture track you have won, too. are no cheats at the table to take advantage ditional landscape tiles – they are turned of this. Interaction is happening, but players over at the cost of 2 movement) or initiate Especially at the start of the game I am of- who ponder too long can slow down the conflicts. ten in a quandary about what path to take, flow of the game considerably. Civilization is despite some peoples being better suited a brilliant game for fans of exacting games, A new landscape hex is equipped with face- for a certain target than others, for instance definitely not a family game and not suit- down tokens for huts or villages; only army the Germans for a military victory. The fact able at all for the casual gamer. Fans of the figures can enter these hexes and collect that you need technologies to achieve a PC game will appreciate it, and it of course the markers. The backside of those mark- certain goal that are rather affiliated to an- compares to the old Avalon Hill Civilization ers shows resources as mentioned above; other path is one of the main characteristics and also to Runewars, which puts more em- there are two more resources which can- that make Civilization so appealing (e.g. the phasis on conflict. not be bought on the market: “Spy” and economically oriented player needs military “Uranium”. A village marker is only acquired success, too, to acquire coins.) I look forward to the Civilization: Fame and when you fight barbarians, which can and Fortune expansion and will definitely play- badly at the start of the game. Especially at A short note on conflict (against villages or ing a number of Civilization games in future. the start therefore there is a race for those other players): Conflict is enacted with “unit resources which ends quickly when all have cards”, the number of army figures in a lo- [email protected] been taken. These resources often yield nice cation of conflict determines how many of bonuses when coupled with special tech- these cards you can take up; this number is INFORMATION PLAYERS: nology cards and sometimes help in case of raised by some technologies. Unfortunately Designer: Kevin Wilson 2-4 attacks due to culture event cards. you must first buy these units in the “City Artist: Henning Ludvigsen AGE: management” actions; they are available in Price: ca. 40 Euro 13+ Phase 5, Research: four level, the higher levels are more expen- Publisher: Heidelberger / FFG 2011 TIME: Now each player can learn one (!!) technol- sive and only accessible if you have acquired 180+ ogy which is paid for by putting the hand on certain technology cards), the military pow- www.hds-fantasy.de the trade wheel back to 0. The correspond- er is different within a level, too. Starting ing cards for new abilities / technologies are with the defender each player puts down EVALUATION laid out and so a progress pyramid evolves, one card each – strength = live points and Development game a higher level always demands two lower damage that you inflict, both adversaries For experts cards upon which it can be built. IF you want strike simultaneously. This is accompanied Version: de to win with a technology victory you must by a “Stone-Paper-Scissor”-mechanism of Rules: cz de en es fr it jp kr In-game text: yes have a minimum of 5 cards in the bottom arms (Artillery, Infantry, Cavalry), which al- row, 4 cards in the 2nd row, 3 cards in the lows one adversary to achieve a hit first. Comments: Complex set-up * Gaming experience 3rd row and 2 cards in the 4th row so that When the damage equals the number of life necessary * Beautiful, dense play with you can add Space flight, the only card of points of the unit, the unit is destroyed and lots of options technology level 5 and end the game. cannot fight back). Therefore you can lose Compares to: Technology cards have lots to offer: They unit cards in combat and new units must First edition of Sid Meier’s Civilization, help with setting up buildings, fast travel, be acquired at high cost. When all deployed Civilization by Francis Tresham enhanced combat abilities; they raise trade units have engaged in combat, the strength Other editions: values and production and earn you coins of surviving units is added, the winner re- English edition at Fantasy Flights, others and culture markers. Furthermore, they al- ceives a reward, e.g. resources. Conflicts are in French, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian … low you a change of government type. a bit drawn-out due to the somewhat dif- ficult to read symbols (especially when the How do I win Civilization: There are four light is not ideal) and their cumbersome ways to win: 1. Military, 2. Economics, 3. course and leave a feeling of being out of Technology and 4. Cultural advancement. place in this otherwise very carefully de- If a player meets one of those targets the vised game. game ends immediately and he has won. Therein lies one of the major snags of the This take me to the end of the review of this game: The difficulty to achieve those goals colossal game: It takes a long period of get- My rating:
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are doing to be always at the top. It is not a DESIGNS AND CONTRACTS game you can play alone and hope to win. Players run clothing companies and must design and produce the best collections PRÊT-À-PORTER possible by using contracts, buildings and PUBLIC RELATIONS AND FASHION SHOWS talented employees in order to compete in fashion shows.
Prêt-à-porter is the new game from Ignacy too much peoples. That’s a pity because it is The game lasts twelve months (rounds), Trzewiczek and Portal, released at the SPIEL a really great game: actually, for me, the best and each third month is one or more shows together with New Era, the new implemen- Portal release. (scoring round). During the preparation tation of 51st State. months, players acquire buildings, get em- The cover artwork is striking, and the rest ployees and contracts, prepare new designs Since Neuroshima Hex release, back in of the materials and artwork match the and buy the materials to complete the col- 2006, I’m always been interested in Portal Portal standards exhibited in prior releases. lection. games. Both Stronghold and 51st State are The game includes 100 small cards used outstanding games. for buildings, employees, contracts, loans, During the fashion show months, they dis- credits and fashion shows; 50 normal cards play collections and sell them to earn mon- Prêt-à-porter differs from the other games for designs; two sheets of cardboard coun- ey, and the player who has the most money for the theme: not a post-apocalyptic set- ters (Quality, Trend, Public Relation, Star); at the end of the game wins. ting but modern fashion. Despite the 72 wooden cubes (materials tokens in six theme, that could make you think you have colors); 12 action pawns, money and player To prepare a collection you need one or in hands a light family game, Prêt-à-porter aides. more finished designs that share a common is a deep strategic and economic gamers style: Sports, Boho, Vintage, Kids and Eve- game. The theme of the game is style and fashion. There is not real direct interaction in the Andrea Ligabue Prêt-à-porter was first released in Polish common sense, that means you can’t de- One of my favorite Essen games 2011, the best game so in 2010. It was actually part of a project to stroy other players companies, but of course far from Portal and for some time to come a permanent teach young high-school boys/girls how to you and other players compete for the same feature on my games table manage a company. The game got a really small amount of resources (like in most great success and so Ignacy made an Eng- worker placement games) and every 3 turns ning. So you can bring a sport collection or lish version. Actually it seems that most of there are fashion shows where you have to a kids collection in a show but not mix. The the gamers and publishers attentions are run to be the best in quality, trend, public re- collections are evaluated using 4 element: caught only by fantasy/historical theme lations and variety. You have to play against quality, trend, public relation and quantity. and Prêt-à-porter floated under the radar of other players and watch carefully what they The importance of each trait depends on the city where the show takes place. In the first scoring round there is just one city and all 4 traits are evaluated (the order of evalu- ation and the importance of each traits vary from city to city). In the second score round two cities are evaluated with 3 traits each, in the third round 3 cities with 2 traits each and finally, 4 cities in the final round. The shows in the 3 score rounds are randomly assigned in the beginning of the game; the final score is always the same. The most val- ued collections based on current trends in the market receive stars, which both pro- vide additional income when selling the collection that month and earn additional money at game’s end.
Each of the preparation months consists of an action planning phase, an action ex- ecution phase, a training and development phase, and finally a maintenance phase.
The main mechanic is a standard worker placement with available actions being oc- cupied. The game board features nine ac- tions available to players, and each action can be selected 2-3 times depending on the number of players in the game. A player can choose the same action twice, but as with all such games you always want to do
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 10 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at PRÊT-À-PORTER t OUR REVIEW
far more than the three actions per month the show arrives. the same 4 cities, with a single traits evalu- you are allowed. New contracts, buildings, ated in each city. The set of the fashion show employees and designs are available each You can purchase materials in three loca- is public since the beginning of the game so month, and the first player to select an ac- tions: the local manufacturer for cheap one- it is possible to have a long time strategy. tion naturally has first choice to what’s be- off materials of low quality, the warehouse Finally, you can visit the bank to be credited ing offered. In each action month a full new for medium-quality materials of all types, money or the preparation field which offers set of cards will be revealed and the cards and importers, which offer expensive mate- a sampling of quality, trend, PR or money. left are discarded. In the two final action rials of only the finest quality. Despite the “light” theme, Prêt-à-Porter is months (October and November) buildings, a deep strategic economics game, with a employees and contracts will be drawn Quality counters, along with public relation huge number of possible plays and combi- from a special set, usually offering special and trend counters, are all placed on the nations as well as big interaction between benefits you have to read in the manual. The company board that also displays the type players and companies. You need to plan icons on the cards are nice and quite simple of design in which the company specializes, your strategies and looks what other play- to read but there are many cards with ef- with your specialty allowing you to create ers are doing. You can build up your strate- fects you need to read on the manual in the trendy designs of that type. gies in many different ways according to the first games. This can slow a bit the flow of buildings and employees you have. the game but after 3-4 plays the game runs From a single finished design you can earn much more quickly. something between 3 and 12 money, de- I think it is a game with high re-playability pending where you bought the materials since the order of cards, fashions and col- There is no way to buy extra actions but and the design. Some designs are a bit less lections can really change the flow of the many buildings and employees offer you gainful but will provide extra Trend or Qual- game. It works with 2 players but I think 3 the possibility to buy materials and/or de- ity tokens that could be determinant to players is the perfect number. Also 4 players signs without using actions during the turn. win the shows. It is important to be able to is good but, at least for the first games, the Buildings, employees and contracts offer present more than a single design in fash- competition could be too strict. special benefits at a “cost”, with buildings ion months and to do that you have to plan and employees staying with you for the well your buys and start to prepare designs For me one of the best Essen hits and a rest of the year but requiring a fixed main- in advance. Remember that all the fashion game I’m sure I’ll play a lot in the next years. tenance cost each month. Buildings have shows are displayed right from the begin- construction costs, too, but you want them ning so you can plan well. Andrea Ligabue as you are allowed a maximum of three employees, plus one for each building you The materials are actually assigned to de- have. Contracts, on the other hand, cost sign just only in the fashion months so you only the action itself to purchase, but they can change your projects looking what your INFORMATION last for only one show, so you need to keep opponents are doing. You can accumulate PLAYERS: going back for more. materials but since the money is really tight Designer: Ignacy Trzewiczek, u.a. 2-4 you have to think carefully about your buys. Artist: Tomasz Jedruszek, u.a. AGE: There is not actually a killing strategy: some- You should not underestimate the impor- Price: ca. 40 Euro 10+ times having a lot of buildings with employ- tance of winning fashion shows, since the Publisher: Portal Publishing 2011 TIME: ees could be the road to win; at other times extra money earned could be a determining www.portalpublishing.eu 90+ the right contracts and few buildings/em- fact for the outcome of the game. You will ployees are much better. get one extra money for each stars earned for each design sold after the show: so win- EVALUATION The range of possible combinations and ning a first trait, that means something like Worker Placement Game abilities is huge, and buildings and employ- 4 stars, could be really relevant. Each stars For experts Version: en ees can be upgraded to provide even more gained will give you also extra money in the Rules: en pl options – but you need to keep mainte- end of game. In-game text: no nance costs under control or else you’ll have Comments: no money for anything else, and that’s not In the first fashion month (March) there Classy components and design * Un- good. will be only one show and all the 4 traits usual new topic * Game experience is advantageous * Best for three players will be evaluated in sequence: the first trait The first time you play the game you can in the list giving much more stars than the Compares to: First game with this topic, otherwise overestimate or underestimate the cards. last one. Only the first two collections will other worker placement game You need buildings, employees and con- get stars so is a race for the first (highly rev- tracts to win the game but you have to keep enue) and second (little revenue) position. Other editions: Polish Edition 2010 the cost under control. The amount of mon- The second fashion month (June) will have ey each company has is not too much! two distinct fashion shows in two different cities: in each city only the first 3 traits will Money is both the key to victory (since the be evaluated. The third fashion month (Sep- player with the most money wins) and es- tember) will have 3 different fashion shows: sential for buying buildings, paying employ- in each show only the first two traits will be ees and materials needed to make the col- evaluated. Which traits and which city in lections. Every design card shows the two this first 3 fashion month will be randomly colored cubes (always different) needed to determined from a deck o 6 city cards with complete that design, and unless a design is many possible combinations. The last fash- finished, you cannot display and sell it when ion month (December) will always display My rating:
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HOME MADE RULE that modify a little the OLD MANUSCRIPTS AND BOOKS standard game but that gives more impor- tance to those cards for a more exciting BIBLIOS match. TREASURES IN A MEDIEVAL MONASTERY The game may be played and enjoyed by 2 to 4 players but small adjustments to the deck should be done: with TWO players you This card game arrives packed in a very nice and seven cards with a “1” value. have to discard 6 gold (2 of each type) and little box (195x140x40 mm) very similar to another 21 randomly selected cards; with a small old book, with an “magnetic” folder It is absolutely necessary to remember this THREE players you have to discard 3 gold that sticks on the side keeping the box per- composition all along the game because and 12 randomly selected cards; with FOUR fectly closed. this is a “majority” game and the player with players you have to discard only 7 randomly most points in a category is the only one selected cards. With this system you cannot Inside the “book” we find a deck of 87 cards, who will score points with it. be mathematically certain of which cards 5 colored dice and a mini board (175x115 mm) that will be used to display the dice The deck also includes 33 GOLD cards Pietro Cremona and calculate de Victory Points. (eleven cards with value “3”, eleven “2” and A felicitous mixture of mechanisms, you need tactical eleven “1”) and 9 CHURCH cards. The latter abilities as well as a good memory for cards to succeed in Cards belong to three different types: BOOK are a sort of Bonus/Malus cards as they al- the auctions. cards, GOLD cards and special CHURCH low the player to increase or decrease the cards. value of one or two dice on the display (two are available in each game, thus it is impos- of the cards increase TWO dice 1 point; two sible to make a “perfect” strategy. This will BOOK cards are of five categories: Monks decrease 2 dice 1 point; two let you increase probably disappoint some of us that always (brown), Pigments (blue), Holy books ONE die 1 point; two decrease 1 die 1 point try to find the best strategy in each game, (green), Manuscripts (orange) and Forbid- and the last card let you decide if you prefer but with this trick BIBLIOS remain exiting to den tomes (red) and each type has a cor- to increase OR decrease ONE die 1 point). the last card of the deck. responding die of the same color. Dice are placed on the mini-board showing “3” pips, Those cards are VERY IMPORTANT if used The game is played in TWO different phas- that is the basic evaluation of each category. properly: of course if you get them early es: during the first the players, in turn, dis- in the game you will use them a little ran- tribute all the cards , while in the second a Not all the cards have the same values: domly, but if you get them when you have certain number of cards is auctioned and Brown and Blue have two cards with a “4” enough cards in your hand to judge which the winners are checked. value, plus three cards with a “3” value and are good and which are dangerous you may four cards with a “2” value. The other three increase the value of your colors or decrease Each player, on his turn, takes and allocate categories have two cards with a “2” value” that of your opponents. We will see later a ONE BY ONE a number of cards that de- pends of the number of players (3 cards with two players, 4 with three and 5 with four). The player take a card, look at it and decides to:
1- Keep the card on his hand (only one per turn) without showing it to the opponents 2- Put the card visible on the table, at dis- posal of the other players (max one card per player) 3- Discard the card on a face down deck (named “auction” deck: only one card per turn)
At the end of this allocation the others play- ers, in order, select and keep one of the cards available on the table: in this way in every turn each player adds a card to his hand (unless he picks-up a Church card, which must be played immediately) and one card is placed on a face down deck.
If you select 8or are obliged to pick-up) a special “Church card” you must use it imme- diately (and thus you will have a card less in your hand) to modify the value of one or two dice on the display (but see the VARI- ANT suggested at the end of this review).
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 12 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at BIBLIOS t OUR REVIEW
The aim of this first phase is to collect the the categories are assigned players total the VARIANT FOR CHURCH CARDS most valuable cards of a few colors (usually point showed by their dice and the highest not more than 2 if you wish to have a rea- total win the game. In case of a tie the player Playing BIBLIOS if ALL the available Church sonable chance to mark points) and a good with highest ranking card wins (each card in cards are in the auction deck should mean number of gold cards. Of course nobody each color is ranked from “A” to “I”) to increase the pleasure of the game as the can see the cards that you secretly selected “fight” for those cards will be much bitter during your turn, but everybody can see To really enjoy BIBLIOS you need a couple and the dice modifications more frequent. what you pick up from the table and thus of test games because is not easy to under- Thus the idea to put all those cards in the they may have an idea of the colors that stand immediately how to “act” during the auction deck. you are searching. For that reason it is sug- first phase (distribution) and players initially Unfortunately you never know how many gested to pick up also 1-2 cards of different tend to “hunt” for the highest value cards Church cards are available (as you remem- colors in this phase, if possible, in order to forgetting the money … or concentrate on ber at the beginning of each game a certain confuse your opponents and to have some the money leaving aside the less valuable number of cards is randomly discarded) so “change” later on the auction. cards. it not suggested to select them BEFORE the game. The only easy way to reach this goal Always remember that the Brown and Blue Both are mistakes: if you do not concentrate is to play normally Phase 1 without assign- cards have high values (4-3-2) and thus you in 2-3 colors (at most) you risk to lose all the ing the Church cards: if a players pick up one may have a majority with only 2-3 cards (if majorities at the end of the game. So as of them he simply put it (face down) on the two them have a “4” value, for example), soon as you understand that someone else auction deck and take another card from while it will takes 4-5 cards in the other three is interested in a color and that you cannot the deck. colors (values 2-1) to have a reasonable op- fight him … do not take those cards, even if This will also solve the problem of some portunity win. In the first 2-3 test we all tried they have a “4” or “3” value. It is better to take players having less card in hand (because to get the Brown and Blue cards, always dis- some extra Gold cards and/or concentrate they got one or more Church cards) and the carding the “1” cards without a thought, but on other colors. auction will be much bitter, at least judging victory usually went to the player that col- from our test: by consequence also the al- lected those less valuable cards (sometimes And if you are going for Gold do not forget location phase becomes harder, as players because they were the only ones available that having a lot of “3” cards may be as ex- now need some extra Gold cards for the fol- on the table), and very often he was able to pensive as having a good mixture of “1”, “2” lowing auctions. With this modification also win with only 3 of them. Starting with our and “3” (remember? no change is possible: expert players may come back to the game third game things changed, of course, and if you need to pay “1” and you only have for a quick and bitter game before the main we all looked carefully to each card that was “3” cards you must pay a “3”). A good hand dish of the evening. displayed and picked-up from the table. before the auction phase should have 2-3 Pietro Cremona cards in two colors, a couple of spare cards Once all the cards are allocated phase 2 (the to use to buy some extra gold and 5-6 gold INFORMATION PLAYERS: AUCTION) starts with the First player that cards of different values. Designer: Steve Finn 2-4 mix the face down deck and turn the top Artist: David Palumbo AGE: cart face up: the player on his left side must During the auction you have to try to rise 10+ make an offer or pass, and the other players the bidding in colors that you know that Price: ca. 20 Euro Publisher: iello 2011 TIME: may bid higher and higher until only one certainly interest a player (because he col- 30+ remain active and keep the auctioned card, lected some of them during the allocation www.iello.fr paying the amount offered. Note that if you phase) in order to oblige him to bid higher pass you cannot bid anymore on this card and thus expend more Gold than necessary. EVALUATION and you must wait for the following auction. When there are only 2-3 cards left to be auc- tioned remember that Gold does not give Auction game on majorities With friends If a BOOK CARD is auctioned the players Victory Points, so you may bet very high to Version: en must bet and pay gold , discarding these get an extra card or two. Rules: en fr cards face up (please note that if you can- In-game text: no not pay the exact amount offered you must If possible try to have in hand a couple of Comments: Random preparation of card mix use cards whose total exceed the amount cards of a third color: in some of our test a This allows no fixed optimum strategy offered: if, for example, you offered 2 gold player was able to win Victory Point with just Good mix of mechanisms and you only have “3” gold you must discard 2 cards of a color that the other players dis- Compares to: a 3); if a GOLD CARD is auctioned the players carded or used to bid for Gold. Abtei der Rätsel, Der Name der Rose must bet any number of cards (discarding for topic, all auction games on majorities for them face down) In summary BIBLIOS is a very fast and tense mechanisms game: easy to learn and to teach, hard to Other editions: Again if you win an auction for a CHURCH play well as you needs some tactical skills French edition card you must immediately take the related together with good memory (at least for action and modify the value of the colored the colors that you fighting for). Suggested dice. for families and for standard players. Expe- rienced players may try it a few times but When the last card is auctioned all the play- they will surely pas to more complex games. ers lay their cards down on the table, divided per color: the player with the highest total of points in a color wins and take the cor- responding die from the display. Once all My rating:
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If you discard you must discard INFORMATION one or more cards face up, the PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: 23 number on them must be equal 2-4 8+ 25+ LEFT OUT A NUMBER? to or higher than the number on TAKE PENALTY CHIP! the top card in the stack. Designer: Christoph Behre If you place a card of the same Artist: Oliver Freudenreich Price: ca. 8 Euro How many times can you vary mulate the fewest possible pen- number or higher by 1 you have Publisher: Amigo Spiele 2011 the mechanism of discarding alty chips when doing so. You made a correct turn and are www.amigo-spiele.de cards and being the first to do start with 15 cards on hand and done; if you placed a card with a so or to end up with the lowest return three of them to the box, number higher by two or more EVALUATION number of penalty points? but not a card with number 1. you take a penalty chip for each We will never really know, but If you hold the number 1 card, number you left out, e.g. 3 chips Card discarding game For families 23 is offering us a new variant you start the game and place it if you go to 9 from 5. Version: de of this mechanism, and a basi- in the middle. Then you can de- Three times in a game you can Rules: de cally very simple one: You want cide in each turn if you discard change the value of the top card In-game text: no to discard the numbers from 1 to one or more cards, pass or quit up to 5 steps by using a bonus Comments: 23 in ascending order and accu- the round. chip. Nice design* Simple rules * Good as filler * Nice family If you pass you take a penalty game chip. If you quit, you return your Compares to: cards and take a penalty chip All card discarding games per card. If you discard your last related to number sequences card, you can return three pen- Other editions: Currently none alty chips to the stock. After two such rounds you win if you have the fewest penalty chips. 23 is a fast little game, quickly explained and nicely done – the color of the chips corresponds to the colors used on the cards – and a good family game for a filler or when travelling.
ment cards, 8 character cards INFORMATION and a shadow renegade card PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: BANG! GOLD RUSH for the Shadow Gunslinger vari- 4-7 8+ 40+ A RICH EXPANSION ant. If you cause another player to lose a life point you receive a Designer: Emiliano Sciarra gold nugget from stock. If you Artist: eriadan Price: ca. 17 Euro The setting of the game is the ters within range. With “Bang” hit several players with one card, Publisher: dvGiochi 2011 Wild West as known from the so cards you shoot and you can you take a nugget per damage www.dvgiochi.com called “Spaghetti Western” films. deflect hits with “Missed” cards. inflicted. In Phase 2 there are Each player secretly chooses a If you are out of life points, you three new actions: You can use EVALUATION role (Sheriff, Deputy, Outlaw or are out of the game. You win if gold nuggets immediately to Renegade) and a character with you eliminate others: The Sheriff by equipment cards; cards with Card game With friends special abilities; only the player needs to eliminate Outlaws and a black border you keep open- Version: multi of the Sheriff is known to other Renegade, Outlaws the Sheriff faces. Or you can force another Rules: it en players. You draw two cards and and the Renegade needs to be player to discard equipment In-game text: yes use a card to either assist your- the last one on the game. cards by paying cost of the card Comments: self or you attack other charac- Gold Rush introduces 24 equip- +1, or you can play a beer card Nice expansion for the ba- sic game *Interesting new and take a gold nugget. In the characters and equipment Shadow Gunslinger version * Can be combined with you return from the dead to the other versions game for each turn but are not Compares to: All other versions and expansions present for all consequences in for Bang! between. The shadow renegade Other editions: always allies himself with the Currently none weakest team. This version, too, adds to the fun with a Wild West setting, it gets even more interesting and var- ied, and if gold enters the stage it gets really dangerous for every- body.
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 1214 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at BÄRENSPIEL / BOORAY! t PLAYED FOR YOU
forest. You roll three dice – for INFORMATION each paw you can roll the die PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: BÄRENSPIEL again. For a bear you may turn 2-5 4+ 20+ LEAVE THE FOREST TOGETHER over a tile; if it is a path tile you can turn up another tile until you Designer: Hajo Bücken encounter either an animal or Artist: Johannes Rüttinger Price: ca. 18 Euro Games that are good for the en- series Amigo has gone back to an obstacle. If your roll contains Publisher: Amigo Spiele 2011 vironment and good for children the range of Herder Games, who another bear you have another www.amigo-spiele.de – with this goal Amigo starts published cooperative games in such turn. Instead of turning up a new range of games in their the early Eighties. tiles you can use a path tile from EVALUATION program. Bärenspiel features a little bear the edge of the display to cover The series is calles Ökoo, the that has gotten lost in the for- an obstacle. Cooperative dice game For children games are produced from ma- est because it has been nibbling If you encounter a forest animal Version: de terial that can be 100% recycled, berries and running after butter- the path ends, you must not dis- Rules: de and promote the idea of coop- flies too long. turb it and must build the path In-game text: no erative play. Players help him, overcome around it. When the little bear Comments: For the first three games in the obstacles and lead it out of the has been found, you lead it out Revised new edition * First edition 1983 at Herder * of the forest by rolling the dice. Very attractive cooperative For a bear the little bear moves 5 game * Beautiful, realistic steps; for a paw 3 steps, and for drawings * Includes memo version and twin version the tree the bear moves 1 step. If Compares to: the little bear has left the forest Other cooperative dice game after four rolls, all players have Other editions: won together. Currently none Bärenspiel offers a very beautiful and felicitous mixture of mecha- nism, the topic is easily grasped and of interest to children and there is a nice learning effect in the joints decision about which tile should be turned up next.
Now all players decide in turn INFORMATION on the strength of their hand if PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: BOORAY! they want to play or if they pass. 3-6 13+ 45+ TAKE TRICKS AND AVOID BANKRUPTCY If you pass, you give back your cards, but your money stays in Designer: not stated the pot. Artist: not stated Price: ca. 10 Euro The card hit from Louisiana, that with 200 Booray $ for his seed If you play you can exchange any Publisher: Winning Moves 2011 is how the box cover advertises money. The dealer of the round number of cards with the stack. www.winning-moves.de Booray, a trick-taking card game shuffles the deck and lets it be Then a trick taking game with fol- with elements taken from poker, cut by his neighbor, then each lowing suit and trump is played. EVALUATION that has spread all over America player puts 1 $ on the table for If you take most tricks you get from its origins in Louisiana. the pot. the pot, in case of a tie the pot Trick-taking card game With friends You try to be the first to win 400 Then the dealer gives 5 card one remains on the table. Version: de Booray $ or be the last in play not by one to each player, the rest is If you played and could not take Rules: de bankrupt. face-down stack; the top card of a trick you are deemed to have In-game text: no You use a French deck of 52 cards the stack is turned up and de- gone “Booray” and must stake Comments: and each player starts the game termines trump for the round. the total of last pot for the the Simple standard rules * Interesting mechanism for next round. making up the pot * Some All others again stake 1 $. If you tactic possible due to pass cannot pay up for the next round option you are bankrupt, put your re- Compares to: Other trick-taking card games maining money into the pot and Other editions: are out of the game. Currently none Booray is a basically standard trick taking game where the fun is in the setting up of the pot and the possibility to pass; the rules list versions like additional rules in case you hold a hand that will definitely enable you to take 3 tricks.
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If you manage to form a row of INFORMATION six identical symbols you win the PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: CROSSWISE game immediately. If nobody 2-4 6+ 20+ TRIPLET IN THE ORANGE COLUMN manages this, plays go on until the last spot on the board is filled. Designer: Nicholas Cravotta Tiles remaining in your hand are Artist: Dennis Lohhausen Price: ca. 30 Euro 24 tiles with symbols should be player starts with four randomly not important and are set aside. Publisher: Schmidt Spiele 2011 placed to form combinations; drawn tiles; in a game of three Each team scores the columns www.schmidtspiele.de one team scores the orange col- the single player draws 6 tiles at of its color. Six different tiles in a umns, the other one the green the start. In your turn you either column score you 6 points; oth- EVALUATION ones. place a tile on any free spot or use erwise you score for groups of Regardless of the number of play- an action tile. symbols: Placement/set collecting For families ers always two teams play each There are four different action Pairs, triplets, quadruplets and Version: multi other, in case of three players one tiles, you can use them to re- quintuplets. It is important to re- Rules: de en fr it nl plays as a team against the other move a tile, relocate a tile, swap member when scoring that tiles In-game text: no two. Members of a team can- two tiles ore replace a tile on the for a combination need not be Comments: not confer on their moves. Each board with a tile from your hand. adjacent, it is sufficient for them Nice components Non-adjacent combina- to be in the same column. The tions need getting used to team that achieves the highest Very simple rules score wins the game. Good family game Crosswise offers simple, interest- Compares to: Rummy and other placement games ing fun in the tradition of Yahtzee on symbol combinations or Rummy; in you first games you Other editions: must pay special attention not to English edition at MindWare overlook possible combination due to the unusual rule that tiles for combinations must not be adjacent. Good fun from an attractive, ab- stract placement game, a good family game.
instance “descendant of a lost INFORMATION civilization”. Now each player in PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: CRYPTIDS TV turn turns up the drawing that 3-8 10+ 40+ LIVING ROCK AS GOD IN A TEMPLE was dealt to him and tells a cra- zy story in accordance with the Designer: Kai Fujiwara topic, the so called report; you Artist: Kai Fujiwara Price: ca. 24 Euro Players are members of a pro- cards and then the roles are as- should try to make your report Publisher: Pigphone/Japon 11 duction team for a TV Show; signed randomly. The director as memorable as possible. http://pigphone.web.fc2.com each player embodies a reporter, draws and reads out the top blue Each player has one minute three of them are director, assis- Cryptids card and each player for his report. Then each player EVALUATION tant and time keeper in addition draws an image, for instance “A chooses his favorite report by to their reporter role. creature not seen before”. pointing at the drawing. You may Drawing / storytelling With friends These three roles of director, After 1 minute the drawings are not choose the creature you re- Version: multi assistant and time keeper are collected, shuffled and dealt to ported on, but you may choose Rules: de en fr jp always in play. The necessary players face-down. Then the your own drawing if someone In-game text: yes number of reporter role cards director draws a red Show Card else reported on it. The report Comments: is shuffled with these three roll and reads out the topic, for of the round that is chosen most Cards in English and Japanese * Rules in German often is named candidate and is and French, too * Drawing set aside. abilities are not a deciding Then you play one more such element round in case of seven or more Compares to: Other games of drawing and explain- players and two more rounds in ing with scoring by fellow players case of three to six players you Other editions: choose the favorite from all the Currently none candidates. In case of ties the director casts the deciding vote. Cryptids TV offers a fun and witty addition to the genre of drawing games, the combination of draw- ing and presenting by storytell- ing is fun!
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 1416 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at CUMULO / DER HOBBIT t PLAYED FOR YOU
The other players now look for INFORMATION that shape among the wooden PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: CUMULO tiles. If you are the first to spot it 3-6 4+ 15+ WHO FINDS THE OPEN 8 FIRST? you receive the wooden tile. If you choose the wrong tile you Designer: Kirsten Hiese cannot guess again in the cur- Artist: Nadine Bougie Price: ca. 30 Euro Shapes formed by clouds in the wooden tiles and 8 cardboard rent round. The cardboard tile Publisher: Beleduc 2011 sky after a thunderstorm are the tiles with images. The wooden is shown for checking and then www.beleduc.de topic of the game; players should tiles are laid out open-faced, the discarded. recognize shapes and find them. cardboard tiles are shuffled and Depending on the version cho- EVALUATION The components of the game stacked face-down. sen you win either if you col- feature three symbols for differ- The active player draws a tile lected the most tiles or are the Placement/spotting game For children ent levels of difficulty; a sun for from the stack, places it in the first to own 3, 4 or 5 tiles or have Version: multi easy ones, a rainbow for medium holder and forms the shape collected one sun, one rainbow Rules: ch de en fr it es nl ones and thunderstorm symbols depicted on the tile with the and one thunderstorm symbol In-game text: no for the hard tasks. chain; there is no pre-set or nec- corresponding to the three lev- Comments: In each category there are 8 essary orientation of the shape. els. If you want to play a some- Very beautiful components Well-chosen shapes what more demanding version Many ways to play you can hand over the cardboard Compares to: tile for a correct guess and leave McChain and other games all wooden tiles in play, so that with imitating shapes the correct image is more diffi- Other editions: Currently none cult to find. Cumulo offers a wonderful game with many more ways to play it or use it, you can form any shapes in free play or draw the images on the back of your fellow players or … a fantastic training for recognizing shapes and motor skills as well as for imagination.
items or abilities according to the INFORMATION spot reached. Other event cards PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: DER HOBBIT can be ability cards for later use 2-5 9+ 60+ FROM BAG END or gift cards for immediate use. TO THE LONELY MOUNTAIN When Bilbo reaches one of the Designer: Reiner Knizia large adventure spots an ad- Artist: John Howe, Fine Tuning Price: ca. 32 Euro Players embody dwarves and players must master tasks and venture phase begins: Now the Publisher: Kosmos 2011 accompany Hobbit Bilbo from adventures. There are four stacks values on the character boards www.kosmos.de Bag End to the Lonely Mountain, made up from event cards and of each player come into play, where Smaug the Dragon has its adventure cards, one stack each the player with the highest EVALUATION lair. The heroes want to take back for the four stages of the journey. courage value turns up the first the treasure that was stolen from In the travel phase the current adventure card. If he wants to Fantasy adventure game For families them. top event card is revealed: Trav- master the adventure he rolls Version: de Travel phases alternate with elling cards move Bilbo; players his allowed number of dice and Rules: de en es fr pl pt adventure phases. In the travel move the Bilbo figurine in the must then show the values of In-game text: yes phases event cards are revealed order of dwarf cards played and courage, strength and provisions Comments: and in the adventure phases the respective player receives demanded by the card. If you Prequel to The Lord of the Rings * Beautiful graphics currently hold the One Ring you and design * Different can improve results with it. When levels of difficulty * Very an adventure is lost a dragon tile beautiful family game is turned up and implemented. Compares to: Topic - Der Kleine Hobbit, Klee Spiele When all adventures have been Other editions: mastered or when Smaug reach- The Hobbit, Fantasy Flight Games es Laketown the game ends. In und Sophisticated Games both cases the player with the most jewels wins. Again, Reiner Kniza has beauti- fully captured the flair of Tolk- ien’s story and transformed it into a game; you can cooperate, but there is a definite winner all the same.
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them to your stock. When more INFORMATION than three rays tumble off you DIE GEHEIMNISVOLLE PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: STERNSCHNUPPE need to take those three that 1-5 5+ 20+ STAR RAYS ON A CLOTHES LINE earn you the highest negative score. Designer: Christian Sovis The remaining rays that tumbled Artist: Rolf Vogt Price: ca. 30 Euro A little star has fallen from the sky In turn each player gives back off are taken out of the game. If Publisher: Drei Magier/Schmidt 11 and has lost its rays; players are one ray to the star; the first ray you are first to click all your rays www.dreimagier.de giving them back. attached to the star must be one to the star or place them on it The little star is sitting on the with a metal ring, because these you win the game; to determine EVALUATION clothes line; the rays are distrib- rays are clicked directly onto the the runners-up you count the uted by variety evenly among star; a star without a metal ring negative points: 1 long ray with Dexterity game For children the players. There are rays in two must be put on rays already a metal ring scores 1 negative Version: multi different lengths and the long clicked to the star or otherwise point, 1 long ray without a ring 2 Rules: de en fr it nl rays come in a variety with a placed. negative points and 1 short ray 3 In-game text: no metal ring and a variety without When up to three rays fall off negative points. Comments: rings. during your turn you must take If you are playing by yourself you Very nice topic version of Klickade * Good story for try of course to improve your a childrens game * Very previous score. simple mechanism * Good The principle of the game is well- training for hand-eye- coordination known and has been used first Compares to: in Klickado, very efficiently but in Klickado an abstract way without a topic. Other editions: This version turns it into a very Currently none beautiful game for children with a pretty story and indiscernible training of motor skills and hand- eye coordination. And also, the star looks very beautiful when it hangs from the clothes line with all its rays in place.
the card for tin tossing is turned INFORMATION up, you stack the three tins, rep- PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: DIE LIEBEN SIEBEN resented by three wooden cyl- 2-4 4+ 15+ AUF DEM JAHRMARKT inders, at the end of the board at the tin tossing stall; then you Designer: Inka + Markus Brand must manage to tumble all of Artist: Kerstin Völker Price: ca. 13 Euro All Friendly Seven are on the top card and then try to snip them off the board with one Publisher: Die Spiegelburg 2011 Fairground and want to try out the marble puck into the square throw. www.spiegelburg.de all rides and attractions. The Fair- showing the same symbol as the If you manage this you get a ground is represented by a game card. When the “throw” is valid complimentary ticket immedi- EVALUATION board showing 6 spaces of differ- because the puck only touches ately. If you fail, the next player ent colors; each space shows the the attraction space or the at- in turn must try to succeed, until Dexterity game For children symbol of one attraction, from a traction space and the meadow one player manages to tumble Version: multi chairoplane to cotton candy. you receive the cards. the tins correctly. When all cards Rules: de en es fr it nl The cards either show an attrac- If you manage to win two cards have been played, you can swap In-game text: no tions or the symbol for tin toss- of a kind you exchange them for three cards for a complimentary Comments: ing. In your turn you look at the a complimentary ticket. When ticket and then the player hold- Very attractive design and components * Offers a ing most complimentary tickets simple version for smaller wins. children * Nice topic for In a version for younger players children you play without complimentary Compares to: All snipping games with pre-set tickets, if you hit an attraction destination areas you receive the card and you win Other editions: with most cards when all cards Currently none have been allocated. A dexterity game pure and sim- ple, beautifully done and train- ing motor skills and hand-eye- coordination; the Fairground topic fits really nicely, carousel and balloons are familiar to all children.
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 18 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at DIE SCHLACHTEN VON WESTEROS / DKT ALPEN t PLAYED FOR YOU
Clankrieger der Berge / Tribes INFORMATION of the Vale is the fourth of those DIE SCHLACHTEN VON PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: WESTEROS enforcement sets with additional 2 13+ 120+ CLANKRIEGER DER BERGE troops and commanders. The various clansmen in this expan- Designer: Robert A. Kouba sion are not considered to be Artist: Dallas Mehlhoff + Team Price: ca. 25 Euro Based on „The Song of Ice and ing, command – which includes houses as regards to topic and Publisher: Heidelberger 2011 Fire“ and the game mechanisms placing command markers and theme, but as regards to game www.hds-fantasy.de of BattleLore you simulate mili- playing a command card -and mechanics they are treated like tary conflicts on Westeros, rep- regrouping. a single House. New landscape EVALUATION resenting either House Stark or Regrouping includes checking of features are crags and lakes – the House Lannister in the core game status, allocating victory points, lakes did come into play first in Conflict simulation With friends set. check victory condition, discard the Lords of the River expansion. Version: de A scenario features special vic- resources, boost morale and New rules for the components Rules: cn de en es fr it pl tory conditions and is played in move round marker. Additional are includes as well as new three In-game text: yes rounds. Those rounds comprise packs reinforce houses or intro- battle scenarios - 20. Futter für Comments: the phases reactivating, organiz- duce new houses. die Ziegen, 21. Haltet den Fluss, Viertes Verstärkungsset zum Grundspiel * Nur mit 22. Auf zum blutigen Tor - and a dem Grundspiel verwend- new skirmish. The initiative cards bar * Drei neue Szenarien called Clansmen Gambit Cards Compares to: can be optionally used instead of Die Schlachten von Westeros, Bat- tlelore the momentum token used in the Other editions: Battle of Westeros Core set. Both Battles of Westeros: Tribes of the Vale, players must agree at the start of Fantasy Flight Games the game to use those cards. As all other reinforcements the Tribes of the Vale box is an indis- pensable addition to the core set, this expansion intensifies and re- inforces events on Westeros and expands the tales of the Houses.
rent and construct chalets and INFORMATION hotels. Special squares like Hot PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: DKT ALPEN Springs and Alpine Chalet de- 3-5 8+ 60+ MOUNTAIN CHALETS AND TOURISTS mand immediate reaction and physical exertion, you must Designer: not stated wedel or moo; if you react too Artist: Arthur Wagner Price: ca. 28 Euro DKT, the Austrian equivalent to risk card that was discarded last slowly you pay a penalty. Cable Publisher: Piatnik 2011 Monopoly, now under the aegis determines the current season, Car Station, Real Estate Agent www.piatnik.com of Piatnik, has been given a new, at the start of the game it is sum- and Construction Company are typically Austrian Version with mer. additional special squares. You EVALUATION some changes as regards to rules Following the core rules play- can take out loans and when details. The game now features ers move through the Austrian you move across Start you can Dice game For families two tourists, who start the game alpine landscape as tourists and pay back a loan at its nominal Version: de on the squares for Alpine Chalet want to earn big money with value of 500 €; if you pay back a Rules: de and Hot Spring; each player their hotels in the mountains; loan while on other squares you In-game text: yes starts with 2.000 € seed money you roll the die, move your must pay 700 €. You can only pay Comments: and four promissory notes. The marker, buy building slots, pay back one loan / promissory note Version with new rules details * Core rules remain per turn. If you have paid off all valid * Funny reaction your promissory notes and are mechanisms due to the free of debt you immediately tourists win the game. Compares to: DKT with other special topics like With this version Piatnik contin- Vienna or dynamic, Monopoly ues the updating and modern- Other editions: izing of the DKT game mechan- Currently none ics that has been successfully started with DKT dynamic; DKT Alpen offers cute details in addi- tion to the standard rules and the familiar enticement; these details result in a self-contained, stand- alone game that is a must for all fans of DKT.
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Spare Tire to repair. The active INFORMATION player draws a mechanics card PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: DOKTOR BIBBER with the task and the income 1-4 6+ 20+ DISNEY PIXAR CARS 2 that you will receive if you com- plete the repair process success- Designer: not stated fully. Artist: not stated Price: ca. 30 Euro The second film featuring Light- ing from quite a lot of problems If you touch Hook during the re- Publisher: Hasbro 2011 ning McQueen and his friends and is in need of eleven different pair mission his lights blink due www.hasbro.de was a huge success, too, and a repairs like Broken Belt, Busted to shock and your turn ends. big favorite with children; there- Grill or Bad Gas; he is also suf- All other players can now check EVALUATION fore it comes as no surprise that fering from same strange mal- their master cards: If you own the there is an edition of the classic functions like Da Bomb, Rattlin‘ one that corresponds to the cur- Dexterity game For children dexterity game Doktor Bibber Gatling or Tow Jam, not to men- rent repair mission you can use Version: de / Operation with the topic and tion Bed Bugs. it, complete the task successfully Rules: de en graphics of Cars 2. Neither Missile Tow nor Oh and cash double the income. In-game text: yes Hook, who’s looking a bit bat- Chute is working properly and When all eleven faults have been Comments: tered in all the graphics, is suffer- then there are still Leaky Oil and repaired by removing parts the Attractive design * Stan- dard game mechanism * winner is the player with most Trains motor skills * Batter- money. If you want to play alone, ies needed you simply try to complete all Compares to: eleven repairs successfully, in any All other editions of Operation order you want. Other editions: US edition Operation Cars 2 The topic fits the mechanism exceedingly well, it is even logi- cal that the lights blink when the repairs are done incompetently – a felicitous and attractive of the topic with the well-known standard mechanism which even trains motor skills and con- centration.
ments and habitats where the INFORMATION animal on the visible cards lives PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: FAUNA KOMPAKT in the wild – you name the num- 2-8 8+ 45+ THE HABITATS OF THE AFGHAN FOX? ber of data that you believe you can state, but you need not raise Designer: Friedemann Friese the bid. Artist: Nishitani, Maas, Jung Price: ca. 16 Euro Fauna, the assessment game mals and play it with up to eight The card names the data you Publisher: Huch & Friends 2011 on animals, for three years now players. need to give: Number of habi- www.huchandfriends.de enthuses fans of animals as well If you play Fauna kompakt as a tats, weight of the animal, length, as all fans of dodgy quiz and as- stand-alone game you assem- length of tail or overall length. EVALUATION sessment games. After Fauna ble the board from 7 land and 7 The player naming the highest logic and Fauna junior we now ocean regions from board cards bid places assessment markers Quiz / assessment game For families get the expansion for the core and chart cards. The animal cards and scores the number of as- Version: de game. Fauna kompakt you can in the box show general informa- sessment markers placed plus Rules: de either play as a compact stand- tion. Players in turn bid for the three, but only if all his assess- In-game text: yes alone game or use it to expand number of correct statements ments are correct. All other play- Comments: the core game with 170 new ani- they can give on the measure- ers always score points equal to Can be uses as a stand- alone game or as an their bid. When all players have expansion for Fauna * Rules been starting player twice you changes and playable for win with the highest total score. eight when used as an expansion * Fantastic informative When you use the game as an family game expansion for Fauna playing with Compares to: seven or eight players, you can Fauna and other assessment games place assessment markers on on animals top of other markers, but score 2 Other editions: Currently none points less if you do so, and play goes on until one player reaches or tops a score of 80 points. In this compact edition, too, Fauna is a fantastic assessment game which ideally combines in- formation and fun in playing.
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 20 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at FLIEGENDE TEPPICHE / KABALEO t PLAYED FOR YOU
a showdown is played with INFORMATION Djinn cards. Each player in the PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: FLIEGENDE TEPPICHE showdown chooses a Djinn; the 2-4 8+ 45+ DJINN #8 FOR THE SPICE BAZAAR highest Djinn card played wins the destination and the player Designer: Lorenz Kutschke exchanges this Djinn card with Artist: Alexander Jung Price: ca. 8 Euro Adventurers on their flying ting carpets fly, collecting des- the card of the player with the Publisher: Adlung Spiele 2011 carpets want to salvage valu- tination cards and then either lowest Djinn. When four or more www.adlung-spiele.de able goods from palaces and a new round of flying or end of destination cards are left there is bazaars, but the winds from the the stage. a new round of flying carpets; EVALUATION desert don’t always carry them Each player throws his carpet otherwise the stage ends with where they want to go, the help onto one or more cards; then a palace scoring – the majority Dexterity game For families of a Magic Lamp can save the each player, whose carpet is of palaces scores you 5 points; Version: multi undertaking. alone on one or more destina- the player with fewest palaces Rules: de en es fr For each round 12 destination tions, takes those destination scores -5 points. After a number In-game text: no cards are arranged. Then the cards; when more than one of stages equal to the number of Comments: round comprises a round of let- carpet is lying on a destination, players there is a final scoring of Miniature box size * Lots fun to play * Nice mix of sets made up from destinations lots of dexterity and a bit collected: Deserts score nega- of tactics tive, positive scores are achieved Compares to: with 1-5 adventure cards, sets First game of this kind of 2 identical bazaars and each Other editions: Currently none single treasure. In all scorings you can use Magic Lamps for jokers. Fliegende Teppiche is another of these small brilliant jewels which Karsten Adlung regularly packs into his tiny boxes; witty with just enough challenge to be interesting and yet playable for everybody, with a surprising mechanism and clear rules.
located according to the rules. INFORMATION Then in your turn you place one PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: KABALEO of your pieces – differently allo- 2-4 8+ 20+ DON’T STAND OUT, BUT WIN! cated depending on the variety chosen – on either an area or a Designer: Jean Luc Renaud stack; a stack always has the color Artist: Design France Price: ca. 23 Euro Gigamic Games are noted for target color. The playing pieces of the top cone. Publisher: Gigamic 2011 their beautiful and classy de- come in two varieties: „Area“ You can place a figurine only on www.gigamic.com sign combined with interesting pieces with one color ring and areas of different color. If you mechanisms, and Kabaleo is no „Figurine“ pieces with two color place a figurine on a stack of EVALUATION exception: rings; different numbers of both another color the stack changes color; if you place it on a cone of Abstract stacking game The game features 60 cone- pieces are used in correlation For families shaped playing pieces in six col- to the number of players. Area the same color, both are taken Version: multi ors plus one cone per color serv- cones are distributed on the ta- out of play and the stack reverts Rules: 24 languages ing as target cone with a color ble to form a “board”; “Figurines” to the color of the new top cone. In-game text: no bottom. You draw one of those are either drawn at random or There is no restriction on the Comments: target cones for your own secret – in case of 2 or 3 players – al- height of a stack. When all pieces Absolutely beautiful components * Simple basic have been placed you count the rules * Plays fast and easily stacks in each color. Compares to: If the majority color is your secret All stacking games with target color you win the game. In the top piece defining the stack, e.g. Focus case of a tie you win with most Other editions: stacks. Currently none As mentioned before, this is a classy and beautiful game, looks impressive and is nice to play; depending on the number of players you have a maximum of 9, 10 or 12 moves so you must use the pieces of opposing colors cleverly and keep an eye on the area colors.
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same in descending order of INFORMATION their card values. In case of a tie PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: KALIMAMBO only the tourist among those in 3-7 8+ 20+ THE RHINO PUSHES THE LAST IN LINE the tie who is furthest behind in the caravan moves. If you step Designer: Antonio Scrittore into a heap of pooh you score Artist: Tobias Schweiger Price: ca. 20 Euro An unknown species, Kali, has in- and each player is given an iden- -3 points; when the tourist on Publisher: Zoch 2011 filtrated the caravan of explorers. tical deck of cards with numbers the spot directly before Mambo www.zoch-verlag.com Nobody knows where and when from 0 to 11. Then the caravan moves ahead, Mambo runs to Kali will appear. sets off: All players choose a card the tourist now last in line and EVALUATION All tourists, that is, the playing secretly and reveal it simultane- pushes him, that is, this tourist pieces of all players, start the ously and then a card from Kali’s scores as many negative points Placement game For families game in a random line with Kali stack is turned up. as the Rhino has passed squares. Version: multi at the head of the line; Rhino Who played the highest card When Kali steps into elephant Rules: de en fr it Mambo is last in line. The heaps goes first and places his tourist pooh or is pushed by Rhino, the In-game text: no of elephant pooh are randomly at the head of the caravan; all negative points are allocated to Comments: distributed on the circular track other players and Kali do the the player who played the lowest Funny topic * Nice beer & pretzel game for parties * card in the current round. After Good for large groups 12 such rounds you win with Compares to: the fewest number of negative Mitternachtsparty, Den points. Letzten beißen die Hunde and other race games featuring importance of Zoch is the only publisher who being last in line makes a game out of pooh, Other editions: again and again. And again and Currently none again it turns out to be a fun, well-working game like this one. Kalimambo is very much deter- mined by chance; the more are playing the less you can plan your moves, just a fun party game for a larger group.
turn the piece on the spot by 90 INFORMATION degrees, again in any direction. PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: KHET 2.0 You cannot enter a spot showing 2 8+ 20+ THE LASER GAME certain symbols and you cannot move and turn a piece in the Designer: not stated same move. Artist: not stated Price: ca. 40 Euro Modern technologies can offer The Sphinx sits on a corner spot, The Scarab can enter spots oc- Publisher: Productief 2011 unexpected and interesting vari- holds the laser and can only be cupied by opposing Anubis or www.khet.nl ations of well known standard turned on the spot by 90 de- Pyramid pieces and switch plac- mechanisms, as is the case here. grees. To hit the Pharaoh you es with them, when doing so you EVALUATION Aim of this game is, once again, must reflect the beam from the cannot turn a piece. to eliminate the opposing king Sphinx with the mirrors on other At the end of your move you Abstract placement game For families piece, in this case a Pharaoh, but pieces. must use the laser beam. When Version: multi by hitting it with the laser beam. For your move you can either the beam hits a non-mirrored Rules: de en fr nl The rules give three working set- turn the Sphinx or move an- side of a Pyramid this Pyramid In-game text: no ups for the pieces. All pieces but other piece by one spot in all is taken out of play. An Anubis Comments: the sphinx can be moved. directions, even diagonally, or piece is removed when it is hit Interesting 3D puzzle * Purely abstract game * from the side or the back. Trains spatial thinking When the beam hits the oppos- Compares to: ing Pharaoh you have won. Then Laser Battle, MGA the same configuration appears Other editions: for the third time in a game you Currently none can declare a draw. Khet is a three-dimensional geometry problem hidden in a fascinating game on the topic of spatial thinking which can be pre-calculated easily; if you place the pieces correctly, they always reflect the beam in a 90 degrees angle.
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 22 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at LET’S TAKE A HIKE / LIGRETTO TWIST t PLAYED FOR YOU
place a card into the pack or play INFORMATION a risk card. If you believe that you PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: LET’S TAKE A HIKE have enough items in the pack 2-5 6+ 30+ CAUTION! BEAR OR SKUNK! you announce a hike. Other players can join the hike. Then Designer: Aaron Lauster Artist: Troy Cummings cards are turned up one by one Price: ca. 12 Euro Players are hikers on a trek pack, right pocket and bottom from the stack; if the currently Publisher: Stratamax Games 11 through the forest and start with of the pack, plus a space for left revealed item is not in your pack www.stratamaxgames.com seven cards in hand. The cards hand and right hand. Each of you must discard cards from your show items that might be use- those places can only be used for hand showing the same number EVALUATION ful for a hike, and also the place one item and the footprints on of footprints as the item card re- where they fit into the backpack the cards show the total weight Card collecting game vealed. For families or your hand. of an item. You can decide to leave the hike Version: en Each player has an invisible back- When there are several possible at any time and pick up a card Rules: de en pack on the table, with five spots spots for an item the item can from those previously drawn In-game text: no arranged crosswise for top of the be in the pack more than once. for victory points. If a risk card is Comments: pack, left pocket, middle of the In your turn you draw a card or turned up, the hike ends and the Enchanting drawings * Unusual, attractive topic * risk card is implemented. The last Good mixture of luck and player in a hike takes all remain- tactics ing cards drawn for the hike for Compares to: victory points. When all cards All set-collecting games with cards have been used you win with Other editions: Currently none most prints on the cards taken for points. Let’s take a Hike is a nice card collecting game with an unusual topic, a simple mechanism and the right mixture of luck in draw- ing cards and a bit of tactics in joining the group and leaving the group at the right time.
player is dealt 38 or 40 cards, re- INFORMATION spectively, and stacks them on PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: LIGRETTO TWIST the table. On a starting signal all 2-4 6+ 10+ HANDS DOWN FOR THE GAME turn up a card from their stack and place it on the correspond- Designer: Opi And Me ing stack in the middle, but: The Artist: not stated Price: ca. 9 Euro Ligretto – who does not know red, yellow, green and blue; color stack just used must then be cov- Publisher: Schmidt Spiele 2011 the fast game on discarding stacks in the middle are started ered with the hand you used to www.schmidtspiele.de number cards in ascending order with cards in the middle. For two place the card, until you discard onto stacks in the middle of the players one card per color is laid another card on a stack with your EVALUATION table? Ligretto Twist is based on down with enough space in be- other hand. Cards which you the same mechanism, you place tween, for 3-4 players you use cannot immediately place are Card reaction game For families cards from your personal stack two cards of each color, placed stacked in a temporary personal Version: multi onto stacks in the middle, but into 2 rows of 4 cards each, again stack. This temporary stack be- Rules: de es fr it nl according to colors instead of with enough space and in a way comes your new stack when you In-game text: no numbers. that two cards of the same color are through your first stack. If you Comments: The game features the colors are not next to each other. Each block a stack that you need for Witty version * Trains simultaneous use of both yourself you can change hands. hands When you are out of cards you Compares to: win the round! The other play- All other editions of ers score the number of cards Ligretto left in their stack for negative Other editions: Currently none points. After five rounds you win the game with fewest negative points. A hectic, fun, fast game, knots and collisions are pre-pro- grammed! In any case a fun ver- sion of the classic game and a good training for ambidextrous actions.
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In turn all players name a clue for INFORMATION the word on their card including PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: LINQ the players holding a question 4-8 10+ 45+ ISLAND INDICATES VULCAN? mark, and a player as chronicler OR PONY? notes down all clues. Then all Designer: E. Nielsen, A. Meyer players secretly note down a first Artist: SenSit Price: ca. 20 Euro You are tasked to find your part- ing question marks according in guess which players could hold Publisher: Kosmos 2011 ner in the game with the help of relation to the number of play- identical words – you need not www.kosmos.de associations to terms. The game ers. These cards are shuffled and guess the word, but guess the holds 58 pairs of cards with 10 dealt to the players, so that some partners! Then a second round EVALUATION identical terms each; the cards players hold question mark, oth- is played and and again a guess are stacked in pairs. Aim of the ers a card with terms. The term is made, which can be different Word and bluff game For families game is to spot your partner for the round is determined by from the first one, and then the Version: de holding the same card with the roll of a die and you memo- game is scored. When both part- Rules: de the help of clues. You prepare rize the corresponding term on ners guessed each other correct- In-game text: yes the components by taking up your card, a player holding a ly they score 5 points each from Comments: pairs of cards and cards featur- question mark pretends to do so. stock; for each correctly guessed Good for larger groups * Rules for a game with four pair among the other players players * Therefore also they get one point each from good as a family game * both those players, if you bet on Very attractive selection of terms a question mark player you give Compares to: him a point. When you have 25 First game with this mechanism, basi- points or more after a scoring the cally all games with term explanation player with most points wins. mechanisms Other editions: Linq is an appealing game for Currently none which you need some intu- ition and creativity to find your partner while not giving away yourself too early. A good family game and also good for larger groups!
You use two meadows and both INFORMATION bushes; animals and suns are PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: MEINE ERSTEN SPIELE distributed around the mead- 1-4 2+ 10+ TIER AUF TIER ows. You roll the die; for clover or flower you place or stack an ani- Designer: Klaus Miltenberger mal on clover meadow or flower Artist: Kristin Mückel Price: ca. 25 Euro The concept of Animal upon on one or two stack. If no animal meadow. If you roll a sun you can Publisher: Haba 2011 Animal / Tier auf Tier has been tumbles off, you receive a sun. choose the meadow. www.haba.de a topic of Haba games since You win a game if you have col- Um die Wette mit dem Hasen 20005, and in this game it is used lected most suns at the end. is a bit more challenging; all ani- EVALUATION for the first time in a game for Schaf auf Huhn: You play with mals need to be stacked before toddlers, in the series of My first clover meadow, suns and ani- the hare reaches the end of the Collection of stacking games For children games – Meine ersten Spiele. mals. In your move you turn over path between the meadows. Version: multi The game features well-known a sun and place the pictured One meadow and one bush each Rules: de en es fr it nl animals: Cow, pig, chicken, animal on the meadow or – if an are laid out to form start and fin- In-game text: no sheep, dog and hare. In each animal is already there – stacks ish for the race, the suns are laid Comments: version you stack animals, either it on this animal. Kuh auf Schaf: to form a path between them. Three versions of the game * Very simple rules * You roll the die; for clover and Components well suited to flower rolled you place or stack toddlers an animal on the corresponding Compares to: meadow, for the sun the rabbit All other editions of Tier auf Tier, all stacking games takes one step towards the finish. Other editions: This is a nice and simple game, Currently none pretty and also easy to play on your won; it is also a beautiful training for motor skills and hand-eye-co- ordination; the animals are big, easy to stack and can also be used for free play or your own versions.
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 24 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at MONOPOLY / MYSTERY RUMMY t PLAYED FOR YOU
the spot where Lightning Mc- INFORMATION Queen ended up. If he touches PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: MONOPOLY two spots, you use the one 2-4 5+ 20+ DISNEY PIXAR CARS 2 where his front wheels are in. In this edition, too, the squares Designer: not stated featured on the board in the core Artist: not stated Price: ca. 35 Euro For every big license topic The events in this version are game have been adapted to the Publisher: Hasbro 2011 coming from Hollywood’s film taking place on a circular board, topic of the film; so there are car www.hasbro.de studios Hasbro is publishing a framed by racing track of squares squares and to mark ownership version of its classic Monopoly that show different numbers. of a square there are car tires EVALUATION game; the latest addition to the On this racetrack Lightning Mc- and Pitties. You receive a Pitty family is Monopoly Cars 2 fea- Queen is moving, he takes over when you have acquired both Roll & move game For families turing the Disney Pixar film. In the role of a die in this game. In car squares of a color. You buy Version: de the game for the whole family your move you push Lightning squares and pay rent as usual, Rules: de en already Five-year-olds can en- McQueen forward and then and there are event cards, too, In-game text: yes ter the world of racing cars and move your marker a number of that come into play on the cor- Comments: meet Lightning McQueen. squares equal to the number in responding squares. You do not Good adaption to the topic * Very simplified rules * build houses or hotels; you only Children who can count mark ownership of squares. The can play on their on * At- game ends when you are unable tractive components either to buy an empty square or Compares to: All other editions of Monopoly with a to pay the rent on a square. The license topic winner is the player with most Other editions: money. US edition in English In this license topic edition too, you find a felicitous example how classic games can be adapt- ed to current topics, especially attractive is the racing car used for a die; the simple rules allow for children to play the game alone.
element to the game. A move INFORMATION comprises drawing cards from PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: MYSTERY RUMMY case stack or underworld stack (a 2-4 8+ 40+ FALL 4: AL CAPONE must action), laying down sets of clues or evens (a can action) and Designer: M. Fitzgerald, N. Sauer discarding cards openly (a must Artist: C. van Duyn , C. Conrad Price: ca. 10 Euro Mystery Rummy offers a new Players are part of the law en- action). You score points from Publisher: Pegasus Spiele 2011 game concept in a book case forcement troops who want to the cards that are laid out on www.pegasus.de box, combining the fascination free Chicago from the vice of your own board. A round ends of a classic crime puzzle with a unscrupulous gangs. The game when one player has placed his EVALUATION strategic card game based on comprises cards for clues and last card into the underworld or Set collecting card game standard Rummy mechanisms. cards for events. Players col- when the case card stack has For families In the 4th case in the series the lect sets of at least three clues been used up. Version: de stories of Incorruptible Eliot Ness of the same color and lay them If you discard your last card and Rules: de en hunting Al Capone, the King of down as “information”. Events have a complete set of Al Capone In-game text: yes Chicago’s underworld, are en- are played on their own for their in your playing area (in a team Comments: acted. result; they bring a strategic game together with your part- Classy components * Well- known topic * Good family ner) you prevent your opponents game * Attractive version from scoring; otherwise all count of Rummy their score in their own playing Compares to: area. If you then reach 200 or Mystery Rummy Case 1 to 3 more points you win the game. Other editions: English edition at US Games Systems The 4th case again offers a good Inc. mix of collecting cards and the tactical use of event cards. Again mechanism and topic go well together and a special praise is due to the classy, elegant design of the game; all in all an attractive family game as an alternative for the standard Rummy.
WIN The Games Journal now also available as eBook! www.gamesjournal.at For all information on that check our website. ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 25 PLAYED FOR YOU u NICHT JA, NICHT NEIN / NIPPON RAIL
answering player into saying INFORMATION YES or NO. When this happens PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: NICHT JA, NICHT NEIN players, whose markers are sit- 2-6 7+ 20+ WHO WINS ting on a DING spot, may hit the THE TUG-OF-WAR FOR THE ANSWER? bell – the first one to do this and Designer: not stated is correct moves his marker one Artist: not stated Price: ca. 18 Euro A tug-of-war between question- sitting nearest to him whose spot forward. If nobody sits on a Publisher: Hutter Trade 2011 posing player and answering marker is sitting on a mono- DING spot, only the questioning www.hutter-trade.com player for yes or no for an an- chromatic spot is the answering player may hit the bell. swer! The game features two sets player. If nobody qualifies the If the answering player does EVALUATION with questions cards, one set for questioning player chooses his not make a mistake until after children and one set for adults, answering partner. the last question he moves his Reaction game For families both with 55 cards each. The question-posing player marker one spot forward. You Version: de The question-posing player reads out question after ques- may hit the bell, too, when the Rules: de fr chooses a card from the appro- tion from the card, he may not answering player nods or shakes In-game text: yes priate stack – for children or for add anything and may not leave his head or gives the same an- Comments: adults, as demanded. The player out anything and must lure the swer twice in a row. Good, witty choice of questions * Concentration And according to the rules you necessary * Rules for use are not even allowed to say as a travel game without “however”, which is definitely not a board Yes or No. The first one to reach Compares to: Other question games with allowed/ the middle of the board wins the forbidden element game. Other editions: A witty and fun game where you French edition: Ni Oui ni Non must hellish attention, especially if one of the questions is “did you say yes?”, because the previous question has been “yes or no?”. Definitively a good game; not a quiz game, but a game of con- centration and fast reactions for the whole family.
distance or to a load capacity of INFORMATION three loads. PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: NIPPON RAIL Track is paid for with building 2-4 10+ 120+ PEARLS TO OSAKA FOR 26 MIO. costs in relation to terrain char- acteristics, movement on your Designer: Loren Roznai & Team own track is free. Track of other Artist: Brian Blume u.a. Price: ca. 35 Euro Nippon Rail is part of the Empire new demands. Each demand players can be used for a fee of Publisher: Mayfair 2011 Builder series, all games of this card shows three different orders 4 units of money for each turn www.mayfairgames.com series are based on the same and you can fill one of them. In you use this track, payment is game mechanics: You start with your turn you first move your made to the owner. To win the EVALUATION a seed capital and three demand train the current number of game you must own 250 units cards and build track to transport movement points and can then of money and must have con- Railway / logistics game With friends goods from a source city to a extend your track, up to the nected a certain number of ma- Version: en target city, discard the demand maximum allowance of 20 units jor cities to your track network. Rules: en card thus filled and earn money of money for a turn. Instead of Event cards can destroy track or In-game text: yes for the delivery. building track you can upgrade block deliveries. All maps in the Comments: Then you build new track for your train to a larger operating game mirror real geographical New edition in a box * Revised rules * An ideal conditions. game for 2 Japan is an ideal game for two, Compares to: the map is especially suited for All other games in the this purpose, albeit the player Empire Builder Series who can build the tunnel be- Other editions: Nippon Rails Edition in a Tube, 1992 tween Honshu and Hokkaido having a huge advantage. You must connect all major cities, so you must build track all across Japan. A very good extension for the Empire Builder Series, for which there are even special rules for a game with five and six players.
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 26 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at PHASE 10 JUNIOR / PONDER t PLAYED FOR YOU
a card from the draw pile or the INFORMATION discard pile and can then – if you PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: PHASE 10 JUNIOR can make up a phase tile – lay 2-4 6+ 30+ FOUR CATS TO COMPLETE A PHASE out four cards on the table. At the end of your turn you discard Designer: Susanne Armbruster a card. To complete a phase and Artist: Michael Menzel Price: ca. 11 Euro Phase 10, be it the dice game or In this junior edition of the card make up the tile you must lay out Publisher: Ravensburger 2011 the card game, is a well-liked and game version of Phase 10 the four cards with the same symbol, www.ravensburger.de well-working game mechanism; number cards have been re- for instance four cards with a you must complete 10 different placed with animals, items and football, and then turn over your EVALUATION phases in turn, either by collect- colors. Each player is given 12 tile showing this symbol. The ing or rolling certain combina- phase tiles of the same back-side cards you used to complete the Set collecting game For children tions of numbers, cards or colors. color and lays them out open- phase are put underneath the Version: de You cannot leave out phases or faced and sorted into color, ani- discard pile; the 5th card is regu- Rules: de change the order; you must mal and item tiles. Each player larly discarded to the top of the In-game text: no complete them in order, one by starts the game with four cards tile. As you are now out of cards Comments: one. in hand. In your turn you draw you draw four new cards from Nice implementation of the core mechanism * Offers the draw pile. The star symbol some tactics in collecting is a joker and replaces any color, and discarding * Version for item or animal. True to the name very young children with fewer cards in hand of the game the winner is the Compares to: player who is first to turn over Phase 10 and other set collecting 10 of his 12 phase tiles. games Phase 10 junior offers an en- Other editions: chanting implementation of the Currently none Phase 10 mechanics for younger children; a little bit of tactics is in deciding what to discard to avoid assisting your neighbor by offering him a card he might need.
the card would allow. If you can- INFORMATION not make either a frog move or PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: PONDER a leaf move, your own frog must 2-4 7+ 30+ THE FASTEST FROG OF THE FAMILY paddle, that is, move one step into an adjacent spot together Designer: Isabel Holmberg with the leaf it is currently sitting Artist: Mindtwister Price: ca. 28 Euro My funny, colorful rather blasé ing a card. on. If you jump over a frog you Publisher: Piatnik 2011 frogs want to cross the pond to First you must relocate a water attack it. www.piatnik.com the other side, just as the frogs of lily leaf which is located imme- The attacked frog is rolled like a my fellow players. diately adjacent to one of your die: if ends up on its side or on its EVALUATION As no frog can jump that far frogs, even diagonally, onto any back, the attacker wins and the they must move over the water empty square. You must move a loser is relocated to an adjacent Movement game with cards For families lily leaves. Movement possibili- leaf in your turn. Then you must square. When the frog lands in an Version: de ties are governed by movement move a frog, in one of the direc- upright position, it wins and relo- Rules: de en se cards. A move comprises first tions allowed by your current cates the attacker. When the frog In-game text: no moving a water lily leaf, then open-faced movement card, lands on its belly or on its nose it Comments: moving a frog and, finally, draw- but you need not move as far as tumbles into the water and must Familiar topic, wittily varied * Nice mix of well-known go back to its starting bank. standard mechanisms * At the end of the move you draw Tactics due to open move- your movement card for the next ment cards * Very pretty components round. Compares to: If you are first to get all three Waterlily for the topic, Die lustigen frogs to the other side of the Frösche for the mechanism, Schwei- pond you win. nerei for rolling the frogs Other editions: Of course you try to hinder op- Ponder, Mindtwister AB posing frogs as you can see from the movement card where a frog of another player could/ will move in its next turn. Funny, witty, fun to play, a top top fam- ily game with dash of tactics!
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Who guesses correctly is given INFORMATION the card to place it next to fairy PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: PRINZESSIN ZAUBERFEE for her circle; help in guess- 2-4 4-10 15+ PICTURES IN CLOUDS AND A PIXY ing can be found on the magic boards in front of all players. Designer: Thilo Hutzler When nobody guesses correctly Artist: Anja Rieger Price: ca. 6 Euro Prinzessin Zauberfee and her If you found Kobold Kinkerlitz Kobold Kinkerlitz steals the pic- Publisher: Haba 2011 friends draw pictures in the air, the card is placed face-down ture and it is placed next to him. www.haba.de but Kobold Kinkerlitz steals the next to the disc showing Kinker- When the image is set on a yel- magic images. At the start of the litz as part of his circle. If you low background you choose EVALUATION game Kobold Kinkerlitz is set out turned up an image it depends another player and draw the im- ready for use and players choose on the background color of the age on his back. This time only Cooperative drawing game For children together one of the four fairies image what must be done next: the player on whose back the Version: multi and place the disc on the table, If the image is set on a blue back- image was drawn may guess; Rules: de en es fr it nl too. ground, you draw the image in he can consult his magic board, In-game text: no In your turn you take the magic the air and the other players try too. When all players together Comments: wand and turn up a magic card. to guess at the image drawn. complete the circle of facedown Simple but challenging mechanism * Good incor- magic cards around the fairy disc poration of the cooperative the players win together. When element * Simple, effective the circle around Kobold Kinker- components * Easy to take along litz is finished first, the players Compares to: have lost together and Kinkerlitz All guessing games on air drawings has won. Other editions: With his game Haba manages Currently none again to transport different edu- cational contents by the means of playing and having fun while playing; it is good fun to draw the images as exact as possible and to guess correctly so that the pixy cannot win.
the core game. INFORMATION The course of an adventure is PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: QUEST ZEIT DER HELDEN divided into sections which are 2-9 10+ 90+ DER DUNKLE KULT dealt with according to instruc- tions. With the new talent group Designer: Dotor, Eisenmann, Schott diplomacy the adventure ele- Artist: Hans-Georg Schneider Price: ca. 25 Euro Fantasy adventure at the game ment of the heroes can be con- ment dialogue comes into play; Publisher: Pegasus-Spiele 2011 table; one player personifies the tinued with expansions. Der texts are not read out, but all the www.pegasus.de QuestMaster, who puts all chal- Dunkle Kult is the first of those characters speak themselves as lenges into the way of the play- expansions; it introduces four in a movie scene; depending on EVALUATION ers who stand for the heroes in new heroes who now also use the flow of the dialogue this can the adventure. The individual ruses and negotiation skills as lead to the next stage when the Fantasy adventure With friends adventures build on each other, well as the new game element goal was achieved or a dialogue Version: de both heroes and QuestMaster dialogue for their fight against conflict ensues which is resolved Rules: de get stronger and thus the flair four new arch villains and the by a check. The rules for the new- In-game text: yes of the game gets stronger and gigantic dragon. If you care to do ly introduced monsters are the Comments: more intensive. The develop- so you can play your hero from same as for villains and a mon- Very classy strong com- ponents * New heroes, ster may enter all floor tiles that monsters and rules * Con- are big enough for its complete tains four new adventures monster foot. The adventures * Uses some elements of role playing in this expansion are: The Dead Compares to: City, Larissa’s Fate, Friend and Foe Quest Zeit der Helden Angriff der and Burning Rock. Orks and other Fantasy adventure This expansion for Quest: Zeit games der Helden offers pure fantasy Other editions: Currently none adventure, with the enticing fea- ture of developing your hero. The components are very solid and classy, the rulebook is very clear and you will enjoy the game very much!
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 28 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at ROLLING BONES / RUBIK’S CODE t PLAYED FOR YOU
the dice to achieve as complete INFORMATION a skeleton as possible and score PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: ROLLING BONES points for each skeleton that you 2+ 6+ var HIP BONE NEEDS BACK BONE buried. If you have a headstone in your Designer: Henning Poehl throw you can bury the se- Artist: Michael Holtschulte Price: auf Anfrage There are games which one likes presented; maybe there will be a quence for points or roll again Publisher: Sphinx Spieleverlag 11 at first sight and Rolling Bones new edition! for missing bones. If you want to www.sphinx-spieleverlag.de was one of those games for me, The game is made up from 18 use the headstone you must be and probably for many others, dice, 6 dice each for the left and able to bury a sequence of bones EVALUATION too because the limited edition right side of a body and the without a gap, regardless of the is already sold out, maybe be- middle of your body with hat actual length of the sequence. In Dice game For families cause of the promo picture, the and headstone. The numbers your move you roll all dice and Version: de skeleton running away from the on the dice denote the sequence set aside sequences of bones. If Rules: de en dice is cute. of bones, in analogy to the song you want to roll again you pay for In-game text: no Despite being sold out the witty, of “...your hip bone connected those additional throws: Comments: not at all bone-dry dice game is to your back bone …“. You roll For the first you must discard one Witty topic * Nicely imple- mented * Good for groups die, for the second one two dice and as filler * Currently and so on. If you cannot do this sold out and cannot use a headstone you Compares to: must forfeit the points for this Yahtzee, Settlers Dice Game and other dice game on combinations round. After such an additional Other editions: roll you must be able to add a Currently none bone to your skeleton, if not, you may add a wrong one. Complete sections of the skele- ton score 5 points, single correct bones 1 point and wrong ones -5 points. The hat – it cannot be placed wrongly – doubles your points. If you reach or top 100 points you win.
must keep the pattern secret. An INFORMATION arranging turn alternates with a PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: RUBIK’S CODE question/answer turn: The Code 2 7+ 15+ LOGIC IS IN DEMAND Cracker chooses three tiles in three different colors and hands Designer: not stated them to the Code Master asking Artist: not stated Price: ca. 16 Euro The colored squares from the supplemented by the dice cup for a specific row or column. The Publisher: Jumbo 2011 classic magic cube combined with nine dice; each die shows Code Master places tiles with www.jumbo.eu with the color codes from the one of the six colors on each of the correct color into the correct equally classic code guessing the sides. row or column next to the board EVALUATION game result in Rubik’s Code: A One player is the Code Master and notes a point for the Code game board with a solution sec- and shakes the dice cube with Cracker. If the questions results Logic game For families tion, a hold for the game pieces the 9 color dice. This results in in the correct spot for a tile there Version: multi and two display areas, one for a pattern which is the code that is no point. When the complete Rules: de fr nl each player, complete with score the other player now must guess code has been guessed the score In-game text: no markers and nine square tiles in in the lowest possible number of is noted and Code Master and Comments: each of different colors. This is turns. Of course the Code Master Code Cracker switch roles. Who Attractive version of Mas- terMind * Interesting scor- has the fewer points after that ing mechanism * Design wins the game; the one who similar to Rubik’s Cube wins three such games first is Compares to: the ultimate winner. Mastermind Rubik’s Code is a nice continu- Other editions: English language edition ation of a widely known brand name as well as of a well-work- ing game mechanism; an inter- esting feature is the scoring for questions that do not lead to the right placement for one of the nine dice. Logic and combina- tion skills are necessary and are trained.
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pass, the electronic unit in the INFORMATION game, guides players through PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: SCHNAPPT HUBI! the game. It knows the position 2-4 5+ 30+ MOUSE AND HARE CHASING A GHOST of all the playing pieces, gives information on the nature of Designer: Steffen Bogen walls and doors and also tips Artist: Rabbix Price: ca. 25 Euro Hubi, the hungry ghost, is help- passed by a mouse, some oth- on the location of a magic door Publisher: Ravensburger 2011 ing himself to the tidbits of the ers only by a hare and some of or of Hubi. In your turn you are www.ravensburger.de animals and needs to be caught them cannot be used at all. Fur- asked by the owl, the bat, the by players in the guise of a hare thermore, you only can catch centipede or the toad what you EVALUATION or a little mouse. To catch Hubi, Hubi when he is awake and he want to do: If you press a direc- two playing pieces must move is only woken by the creaking of tion button you learn if you can Cooperative deduction game For children into the room where Hubi cur- a magic door. pass the wall; then you set up the Version: de rently hides. And, as is only to be Therefore players scout the corresponding wall, move if pos- Rules: de expected from a haunted man- haunted mansion in the first sible and eventually place a wall. In-game text: yes sion, some walls have magic part of the game and search If you press the help button you Comments: doors, some doors can only be for the magic door. The com- stay where you are and get in- Cute topic * Electronic well integrated in the formation on magic doors and - game flow * Very attractive later in the game - on Hubi’s loca- components * Trains logical tion. Each animal only gives one thinking clue per game. When two play- Compares to: Wer war’s? and other games in ing pieces are standing on both the series Mein erstes Brettspiel + sides of a magic door, the door Elektronik opens and wakes up Hubi. Hubi Other editions: announces when he changes his Currently none location and also when a playing piece is in the room with him. The chase for Hubi offers a nice combination of deduction, co- operation and adventure, rather sophisticated and playable in dif- ferent levels of difficulty.
must touch each other along INFORMATION the edges, touching across cor- PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: SCHOKOLY ners is not correct and does not 2-4 8+ 20+ SWEET AND NASTY count for the scoring of the big- gest connected area. The third Designer: Steffen Mühlhäuser color is neutral; areas in this color Artist: Mühlhäuser, Kümmelmann Price: ca. 15 Euro Chocolate – white chocolate, draws a tile. The second player are assigned to the player who Publisher: Steffen Spiele 2011 dark chocolate and milk choco- chooses one o the remaining achieves the most connections www.steffen-spiele.de late – all 48 tiles show pieces of colors / chocolate varieties, adds between the neutral color and chocolate in three varieties and a tile to the display and draws a his own color in an area. EVALUATION players try to lay out the biggest tile. If you place a red Smarties piece bar in their own variety. The tiles must be places in a way on a tile you can place this tile on Abstract placement game For families The tiles are shuffled and stacked that continues one of the colors tiles already on display; these tile Version: de face down; you start with four and that at least two pieces must cover at least two different Rules: de tiles in hand. The starting player of chocolate on one or more tiles, must be completely on top In-game text: no chooses a variety of chocolate, of the already displayed tiles of other tiles and can never in Comments: places a tile in the middle and border the new tile. The pieces turn be covered by other tiles, Tasty topic * Attractive design * Abstract game * not even by tiles with Smart- Reworked and advanced ies. When the last tile has been edition of Scho K.o. placed the bar of chocolate is Compares to: scored. You win if you could form Scho K.o. and other placement games on formation of the biggest area the biggest area in your choco- Other editions: late variety, each piece scores 1 Currently none point. In a game of four players two teams are playing, in case of three players each player plays his own color. The game wets your appetite for more – more games and more chocolate, basically abstract, but rather graphic and very, very good.
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 30 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at SO EIN ZIRKUS / TANTE TRUDELS TRÖDEL t PLAYED FOR YOU
move the clown. You move the INFORMATION clown whose top marble shows PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: SO EIN ZIRKUS the color you rolled. When 2-4 6+ 15+ GET BALLS INTO THEIR PAILS you roll black or white you can choose the color of the marble Designer: Volker Schäfer Artist: C. Tisch, M. Hoenicke for entering a marble or moving Price: ca. 25 Euro Players are clowns and juggle rolls the color die and can then the clown. The distance a clown Publisher: Bambus Spieleverlag 11 balls! The game comprises three either introduce a marble of can move is determined by the www.bambusspiele.de clown figures, each of them can the color rolled into the game number of marbles that he car- carry a maximum of three balls or move a clown. If he enters ries; one step for one marble two EVALUATION = marbles, and you should drop a marble, he takes a marble of for two and three steps for three your own marbles with the help the color rolled and placed it Roll & move memo game marbles, ahead ore sideways, For children of the clowns into pails = holes into one of the clowns where but not diagonally or back on a Version: multi that score the highest possible there is still room, even if he did square that was already entered Rules: de en value. At the start of the game not roll his own color. When no in this turn. When the clown In-game text: no each player chooses marbles of marble in this color is left you moves over a hole he drops the Comments: one color. In your turn a player can only choose the option to bottom marble into it; this does New edition, first edition 1998 * Very pretty compo- not influence the number of nents * Very simple rules steps he can take, he moves the Compares to: number determined at the start Other movement games of the turn. When a marble falls with dice-determined moves and distance determined by the piece into the last hole of value 6 the moved game ends and each player adds Other editions: the points for marbles in his color So ein Zirkus, Spieleverlag Regen- in the holes. If your score is the bogen highest, you win. So ein Zirkus is an enchanting memo game with a color die; the choice of color in case of black and white introduces a mite of tactics.
the row of shelves is marked INFORMATION with scales you can trial weigh PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: TANTE TRUDELS TRÖDEL your items. A voucher can be 2-4 7+ 20+ CROWN AND CLOCK = STAR AND CAR? redeemed before or after your turn, either in the row reached Designer: Steffen Bogen or from the trolley of another Artist: Alexander Jung Price: ca. 30 Euro Tante Trudels little shop is full of of the row. These three pieces are player: Publisher: Zoch 2011 rummage, each of the 25 shelves “rummage of the day” and put You hand over the voucher and www.zoch-verlag.com holds a piece. Players move their next to Tante Trudel, the empty take a piece of rummage from trolleys through the shop and shelves are filled with a voucher. the shelf or the trolley. When EVALUATION choose their purchases accord- Then in turn you roll the die, you have circled the shelves ing to weight. At the start of the move the trolley and choose once your shopping tour ends. Assessment game For children game the shelves are filled ran- an item from the row of shelves You may move backwards if Version: multi domly with rummage pieces. reached or put back an item or you would be first to circle the Rules: de en fr it Then any player three times rolls swap items or use a voucher, all shelves to leave and and do not In-game text: no the dice, moves the trolley and in order to reach the weight of want to do so yet. Tante Trudel Comments: takes the piece in the first shelf the “rummage of the day”. When holds a beam balance. When all Enchanting components * Very nice topic * Very players have reached her, their simple mechanism * Good purchases are weighed against training for assessment and the „rummage of the day“ – you balancing win when your purchases weigh Compares to: First game of this kind; Hinkel-Stein, less. When several purchases Balance and others for balance as weigh less then you win if your game elements purchase is the heaviest of those. Other editions: Simply wonderful! The game has Currently none an attractive, simple mechanism, very effective and vivid, and a marvelous family game, too, adults also struggle to assess correctly what is heavier, crown or cup?
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words he wants with only one INFORMATION restriction: he cannot use parts PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: TIME’S UP FAMILY of the term. For each correctly 4-12 8+ 30+ DRILL = DENTIST? guessed term the team keeps the card. The active player can Designer: Peter Sarrett set aside a card; these cards earn Artist: not stated Price: ca. 19 Euro In this edition of Time’s Up play- cards and discards two of them. no negative score; if a mistake is Publisher: Repos Production 11 ers in teams need to guess ani- The remaining cards are col- made in explaining the card is www.rprod.com mals, professions or items. At the lected from the players, shuffled simple set aside, too. start of the game you decide if and are draw pile for the whole When all cards have been given EVALUATION you want to play with the blue game. out to the teams, each team or the orange definitions on the All teams play in turn: The active notes the number of cards won Communication game For families cards. player of the team has 40 sec- and all cards are shuffled again Version: de 30 cards are distributed among onds to describe the term in the for the next round. In this sec- Rules: de en the players following the exact first round, if he has time to spare ond round you may only use one In-game text: yes rules; then each player is given he can start on the next term, He word to define the term and in Comments: another two cards, looks at all his can talk freely using whatever the third round you can only use Well-known standard game mechanism * Nice version pantomime to define the term, due to re-using cards * accompanied by noises or hum- Available also as Time’s Up ming. After three rounds the with VIP topic team with most points wins. Compares to: Other games on describing defini- Time’s up is a witty, well-working tion, e.g. Tabu, Activity member of the guess-at-defini- Other editions: tions-family with the advantage English edition at r&r Games that you know at least the cate- gory where the terms can come from and that you have heard explanations for each term al- ready once for the second and third round, so that you have some clues as to what might be the word.
pare characteristics values on the INFORMATION cards following different rules TOURNAMENT PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: TOP TRUMPS for each mini game. The active 2-6 6+ 30+ STAR WARS player chooses a card first, the defeated cards are discarded. Designer: not stated Artist: not stated When a player has 9 pins in his Price: ca. 30 Euro In Top Trumps the active player pin bar and to win the finale. In bar the finale starts. The arrow Publisher: Winning Moves 2011 chooses a characteristic on his order to win a pin you must win determines the game that will www.winning-moves.de top card and names its value; if one of the mini games – Kopf be played. you have the the highest value an Kopf, Mein Spiel, Shoot Out, Each player is dealt the number EVALUATION for this characteristic on your Hi Lo, Klau den Pin and Hol zwei of cards equal to the number of card you win all cards of this Pins. Trump card game pins in his bar, should there be For children round. In all games you use one of 6 more than 30 pins all in all the Version: de In this version of the game the decks, chosen either by the spin- rules state how cards are distrib- Rules: de card game is turned into a duel ner or the active player – and a uted. If you hold most cards you In-game text: yes in an arena with the aim to be different amount of cards is dealt choose the first characteristics, Comments: the first to fill your Top Trumps to all the players. Then you com- again defeated cards are dis- Interesting version of the core Top Trumps carded, and the last one in play mechanism * You can has won the game. This edition create your own versions * holds the four previously pub- Can be played with any Top Trumps deck lished Top Trumps Games Star Compares to: Wars Episoden I-III, Episoden All Top Trumps games, this version IV-VI, Clone Wars and Star Wars is new Raumschiffe plus two games Other editions: that are exclusive to the Tourna- English edition, Winning Moves ment edition, Clone Wars Comics and Top 30 Filmszenen. Top Trumps Tournament offers an enticing and interesting varia- tion of the core game, especially as you can play it with any kind of Top Trumps decks.
Color codes, target groups, features, icons and GABIS are 32 ISSUE 430 / NOVEMBER 2011 explained on page 5 and at the bottom of pages 34 and 35 www.gamesjournal.at WAS IST DAS? / WER WEISS MEHR t PLAYED FOR YOU
The colorful chocolate lenses INFORMATION are transformed into enchant- PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: WAS IST DAS? ing beetles and buttons are the 2-6 4+ 15+ SOAP TO OWL snouts for little pig heads. You play Was ist das? according Designer: Antje Damm to the standard rules for memo Artist: Antje Damm Price: ca. 15 Euro Oh, yet another memo game! images. games. In your turn you turn up Publisher: MeterMorphosen 10 This somewhat blasé reaction is Items from daily life like clothes two of the face-down tiles. If you www.metermorphosen.de forgotten very quickly when you pegs or an ice cream bar or a sau- have you found a pair you may take a second look at the images sage are transformed on the sec- keep it and turn up another two EVALUATION in this memo by Antje Damm. ond card of the pair into an ani- cards. The find the special things in mal – a crocodile, a penguin or a If two cards that you turn up do Memo game For families day-to-day things and trans- dachshund. It is fascination and not form a pair you put them Version: multi form it with her creativity – Antje sometimes nearly incredible how back face-down and your turn Rules: de en es fr Damm has succeeded beautifully a gerbera flower is transformed ends. The most important thing In-game text: no with this aim in her memo game into a lion, or a sesame-studded is to take a really close look, be- Comments: featuring pairs with two different roll into a turtle. cause the item from daily life is Simple rules * Creative, wonderful drawings * not always easily identified. High learning curve due to Those 24 pairs create connec- recognition of connections tions and structural relationships and structures and are an enticement for taking Compares to: All memo games close looks, for creating and us- Other editions: ing your imagination. They are a Currently none fascination collection or marvel- ous ideas that provide wonderful answers to the title question. The funny, attractive images even make you want to try your hand on drawing yourself or tinker at those items. Simple wonderful and fantastic!
tion to the value of the bid. The INFORMATION team naming the highest bid PLAYERS: AGE: TIME: WER WEISS MEHR starts to call out terms. 4-15 10+ 45+ AND HAS THE COURAGE TO SAY SO? When the team manages to name the number of terms Designer: Carlo E. Lanzaveccia Artist: D. Lohausen, K. Gall equal to the bid, the marker of Price: ca. 20 Euro Wer weiß mehr? is a new quiz or Items in a Man’s Cosmetic Bag. the team moves forward one Publisher: W & L Spielspass 2011 game with a communicative The cards are stacked in the mid- step on the score track. www.spielspass-verlag.de element including a bidding dle of the board. When the team fails to name the variant. Players sort themselves The active team chooses a cat- necessary number of terms all EVALUATION into teams and bid on their abil- egory and marks it by placing other teams move their marker ity to name a certain number of a white marker. Then the team Communicative quiz game one step forward, then the next With friends terms for a category by naming names a number of terms, the team is the active team, the top Version: de this number. other teams must overbid or card is removed and the team Rules: de The game comprises cards fea- pass. chooses a category for the now In-game text: yes turing three categories on each The highest bid is marked on the revealed card; thus the choices Comments: side, for instance Internet Games scale and the timer is set in rela- are reduced for each following Good mix of questions * Questions on current topics team. * Well-known, well-mixed When all six categories are mechanism * Good for marked all markers are removed large groups and parties and the next team has again the Compares to: FortyTwo and other quiz games with choice between six categories. bids on number of answers The first team to reach a score of Other editions: 8 wins the game. Currently none Wer weiß mehr? offers a nice version of well-known standard mechanisms, the questions are more oriented towards enter- tainment, events and consumer information then to school knowledge.
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DER KLEINE RABE SOCKE QUARTETT DIE WEIHNACHTSGESCHICHTE JUNGLE Publisher: Amigo Spiele Publisher: Haba Publisher: Editions du Matagot Designer: Markus Nikisch
A game of Happy Families on the Licencse Topic of Der Rabe A puzzle is combined to form a board; behind the doors of Based on the Chinese Dou Shou Qi, the game of the fighting Socke aus dem Esslinger Verlag J.F. Schreiber. 32 cards feature the Advent calendar the characters of the Christmas tale are animals; tiger, panther and wolf are afraid of the lion, only images from the books, including all friends of the little ra- hidden. On 24th of December you can use board, characters the elephant is stronger but flees from the rat. You want to ven, so there are 8 quartets – you play according to standard and the other components to enact the story of Christmas conquer the opposite lair. You cannot move into your own rules. You ask another player for a card – if he holds it he gives Eve, depending on the symbol you roll with the die either lair; on the three traps around a lair an animal has strength it to you and you can ask for another card. If you do not get Mary and Joseph or the Three Magi or the shepherds and 0 and cannot defend itself. Lion and tiger jump over a lake, the card, you draw a card and your turn ends. If you have a their animals move towards the barn. the rat swim it. You move an animal one space orthogonally. complete set of 4 cards, you lay it down. When all quartets are Version: multi * Rules: de en es fr it nl * In-game text: no If the target square is occupied, you can only enter it with an laid out, you win, if you could lay down the most. animal of greater strength, if you do so you defeat the weaker Version: de * Rules: de * In-game text: no animal. Series Duo Collection. Version: multi * Rules: de en * In-game text: no
Set collecting game for 2-4 players, ages 4+ Narrative movement game for 1-8 players ages 4 and up Placement game for 2 players, ages 8+
LOGICUS FLEX PUZZLER MARTIN RÜTTER WER BELLT DENN DA? SPIEL MINI Publisher: Huch & friends Publisher: Kosmos Publisher: Abacusspiele Designer: Thomas Liesching Designer: Bernhard Lach, Uwe Rapp Designer: Reinhold Wittig
80 challenges are presented in different levels of difficulty, Three dog species cards are drawn and placed next to letter “Spiel” is a game with dice, on dice, about dice. It holds 120 this time they challenges must be mastered by turning and cards A, B and C. The top category card is turned up, e.g. dice in three colors; there are several ways to play listed in shifting the cubes. The colored cubes are connected by an weight, and you choose from your sequence card the one the rules and you are challenged to invent your own game elastic thread and have notches into which you can place the you think fits the facts, e.g. B-C-A if you think that species B for those dice. And if you do not want to play you set up the thread. This changes the relative position of the cubes and dogs weigh more than dogs of species C and A. Then cards beautiful dice pyramid for a classy deco object. Spiel mini allows you the forming of the constructions depicted in the are checked, you score if you are correct; in case of a tie both is an expansion or the basic game by a 4th color or a stand- challenges. cards are valid, e.g. C-B-A and B-C-A are correct when B and alone travel edition or a stand-alone solo game or, or, or … Version: multi * Rules: de fr nl * In-game text: no C dogs weight the same. If you place one of your prediction enjoy yourself with 20 dice in green or orange. cards, e.g. „all are correct“, you can score additional points. Version: de * Rules: de * In-game text: no man zusätzlich punkten. Version: de * Rules: de * In-game text: yes
Logic Puzzles in 2D and 3D for 1 player, ages 7+ Assessment game on dog species for 2-4 players, ages 8+ Game with dice for 1 player, ages 7+
TOP TRUMPS SPECIALS ZHU ZHU PETS WAS IST WAS JUNIOR FEUERWEHR WIESO? WESHALB? WARUM? MEMORY BERUFE Publisher: Winning Moves Publisher: Kosmos Publisher: Ravensburger Designer: Kai Haferkamp
Choosing your card’s best attribute, beating (trumping) your Firefighter items and time tiles are shuffled face down and This memo game on the topic of professions, in the series Wi- opponent’s card, and winning the cards played in the round – distributed on the table; the markers are placed on the box eso? Weshalb? Warum? offers lots of information: You do not already a Classic! Cards are dealt evenly to all players. The ac- border of their color. Operation cards are stacked face up. In search for identical pairs of pictures, but you must always find tive player chooses an attribute on his top card (no shuffling your turn you pick up a tile from the display; if it is an item a person representing the profession and a typical setting for of the deck!) and calls out the corresponding value – all other and if it fits the current operation you place it with your the profession. The The professions are explained and named players check their cards for the value of this attribute – the marker; if, you turn it down again. Time tiles remain face-up in the rules of the game. Game play follows the standard player with the highest value gets all cards of this round. In in the display . The 5th time tile ends the round; the backside rules: You turn up two cards from the random display on the case of a tie cards go on the table and the winner of the next of the operation card shows the necessary items; for each table. If you uncover a pair, you keep it and have another round receives those too. Theme Set: Specials Zhu Zhu Pets correct one next to you marker you move your marker one turn. If you uncover different images, both are turned over Version: de * Rules: de * In-game text: yes step forward. again. When all pairs have been found, the player with the Version: de * Rules: de * In-game text: de most pairs wins. Version: de * Rules: de * In-game text: no
Card/quiz game for 2 or more players from age 8 Educational memo game for 2-4 players, ages 5+ Memo game for 2-4 players, ages 4-7
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 34 For families For experts Tactic Creativity Memory Interaction Action HIGHLIGHTS AMONG GAMES t FROM THE MUSEUM
TIP #71 HUGO KASTNER RECOMMENDS PLAYERS: Designer: Andreas Seyfarth 3-5(2) Price: ca 25 Euro AGE: PUERTO RICO Year: 2002 12+ Publisher: Alea / Ravensburger JOURNEY TO NEW WORLDS IN GAMES www.aleaspiele.de ZEIT: 90+ Dear Reader! There are games that truly open game. If you actively choose a role you receive up new horizons, as did Sid Sackson’s „Acquire“, the benefit of a bonus action, a tactical fac- Richard Garfield’s „Magic The Gathering“ or tor that must not be underestimated. I spare Tactic Info+ Chance Klaus Teuber’s „The Settlers of Catan“. “Puerto you the description of the individual roles, Your goal is to husband Puerto Rico profitably Rico”, the easy-going heavyweight from the but would like to emphasize that especially with a succession of lots of small tactical ac- tions integrated into an overall strategic deci- think tank of Andreas Seyfarth is another this element of “Puerto Rico” is the icing on sion. This is not at all easy, as a wrong choice game that belongs into this category. Since its the cake and provokes a very individual re- of role can benefit an opponent. The small be- appearance at Spiel 2002 at Essen this game action in each player. Money in the guise of atific chance element is provided by the layout of the plantation and quarry tiles, coupled to of optimization from publisher ALEA has been Dublones are also present on Puerto Rico and the order of role selection. All in all an excellent praised to high heavens by nearly all reviewers. makes role tiles, that have not been chosen, “game for experts”! Hugos EXPERT TIP The reason for this: The search for the ultimate more attractive from each round to the next, Try out the 2-player version of the game that game strategy is a never-ending one; this strat- allows you to construct buildings and thus was developed by experts and is available on egy simply does not seem to exist. All roads lead governs the development of the plantations. the internet. (http://www.spielefreun.de/puer- torico/) Challenge and strategic decisions as to Rome, sorry, Puerto Rico, and all are paved If you cannot get enough of husbanding the well as choice of roles are very similar to the with opponents who implement their planned island you can make use of the „building gen- flair of the multi-player version. goals by clever choice of buildings, if to their own erator“ available on the Internet that lets you Hugos FLASHLIGHT Complex – but not complicated. This is the advantage or disadvantage will only become generate additional interesting production short formula for this unusually versatile, ump- clear during the course of events. Add to this the sites. If you love to play in pairs I recommend teen times award winning game from the think tank of Andreas Seyfarth. Beginner’s mistakes different roles that – very fitting for this game – the site listed under expert tip; or to buy „little are unavoidable, different strategies are ap- relate to all players at the same time. The journey brother“ San Juan, the game of husbanding plicable and at the end the games are decided into the new Caribbean games universe is never the island with cards only. One last remark: on a narrow margin – all indications for a well- balanced and mature game. Puerto Rico quite made alone, not even in the Austrian Games Puerto Rico was praised to high events by rightly occupies one of the top ranks in an all- Museum in Leopoldsdorf, where you will find all reviewers, received an incredible amount time list of „great“ games. congenial partners. of awards and was celebrated as one of the PREVIEW: Website: www.spielen.at groundbreaking games of the last decades. DOMINION This is a verdict I can agree with wholeheart- In the dark Middle Ages The light of my lamp first alights two nearly edly. Puerto Rico is a diamond of the first wa- empty game boards in front of each player; ter among games! they will be filled in the due course of time Comments to: [email protected] with buildings, production sites and planta- Homepage: www.hugo-kastner.at tions for Indigo, Coffee, Tobacco, Corn and Sugar Cane. The raw materials planted on plantations are processed in specialized pro- duction sites, then sold for a profit and finally shipped across the world’s oceans. Miscella- neous buildings, which are constructed by each player to his own liking on his available space, support production of wares and trad- ing them. In order to do so you need settlers (not slaves, that would not be politically cor- rect, H.K.) who you need to recruit on time. In addition to all this, all “Puerto Ricans” simul- taneously take up the roles of settler, mayor, builder, craftsman, trader, captain or pros- pector, which creates a lot of interaction for a game that basically is an individual building 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 35