Monday, March 18, 2024

#83: Battle Beyond Space (Mark's Top 100 2024)


Battle Beyond Space

  • rank: 8,286
  • rating: 6.3
  • published: 2012
  • designer: Frank Branham
Print Status
  • in print
Why It's On The List
  • Have a massive multiple armada space battle... in 60 minutes. With almost no luck.
Tips & Tricks:
    • Important safety tip: I was a long-time playtester on this game... it's not my baby but it certainly feels like it.
    • I do wish the colors of two of squadrons in the blue fleet weren't so dang close. I need to use a Sharpie to mark one of them.
    • Like Catan, initial placement is important. You have to make wise choices based on your special power and your judgement about the relative aggressiveness of your closest foes.
    Extras
    • I wrote an ode to joy about the publication of Battle Beyond Space on my blog back in 2009.
    • The inscription on my "thank you for playtesting" copy of the game...


    Sunday, March 17, 2024

    #84: Anno 1701: Das Brettspiel (Mark's Top 100 2024)


    Anno 1701: Das Brettspiel

    • rank: 6,333
    • rating: 6.7
    • published: 2007
    • designer: Klaus Teuber
    Print Status
    • very out of print
    Why It's On The List
    • While I didn't like Klaus Teuber's attempt to make Anno 1503 deeper via an expansion - I thought it was bloated & made the game much too long - I think his 2nd attempt at a similar game was very, very successful. And that's Anno 1701, which feels like a cross between Catan & Anno 1503.
    Tips & Tricks:
      • There are lots of options to harvest victory points (which can win you the game) - but you can't try to do all of them.
      • The island tile sets are nearly identical - the brown ones are just farther from the starting point.
      Extras
      • Sadly, this game has never been published in English - there are some translation issues but they shouldn't be an insurmountable barrier.
      • Not liking Catan does not necessarily mean you'll dislike Anno 1701 - give it a try!.
      • My hot take: I think this design informed the design of Catan: Explorers and Pirates... they share a number of very good design ideas.
      • This is the second of five games on my top 100 list designed by Klaus Teuber.

      Saturday, March 16, 2024

      #85: Quantum (Mark's Top 100 2024)


      Quantum

      • rank: 664
      • rating: 7.2
      • published: 2013
      • designer: Eric Zimmerman
      Print Status
      • out of print
      Why It's On The List
      • A fast-moving game of space conquest with built-in variety and room for great tactical play. And I love the cover art.
      Tips & Tricks:
      • Thanks to the modular board format, the game works like a charm with 2, 3 or 4 players.
      • The combat system is pro-attacking... wise players will take advantage of this to slow down opponents, even if it doesn't directly benefit your plans for placing quantum cubes.
      • Learning how to use the "free" ship powers is the key to playing well. They are easy to overlook in your first play.
      • The technology cards may seem out of balance at first - but each card can be very helpful when paired with the right strategic and tactical play. I'm constantly finding new ways to combine card powers and ship powers.
      • When I say "fast", I'm not kidding. A long game of Quantum lasts an hour.
      Extras
      • I haven't written much about Quantum - which is really too bad. It's a great, great game.
      • The Void expansion - which was available through the BGG shop - is a nifty addition to the game.
      • Quantum is available to play on BGA!

      Friday, March 15, 2024

      #86: Suburbia (Mark's Top 100 2024)


      Suburbia

      • rank: 210
      • rating: 7.5
      • published: 2012
      • designer: Ted Alspach
      Print Status
      • in print (2nd edition)
      Why It's On The List
      • A city-building game that does three things really, really well: 1) it plays cleanly, 2) it uses the Age of Steam braking system in a way that doesn't make me want to throw myself out a window, and 3) every player ends up with a city/neighborhood with it's own personality.
      Tips & Tricks:
        • Over-obsessing about goals early can cause real problems in creating the proper engines to get income and population growth.
        • Hate-drafting is possible here - if for no other reason that you need another lake to generate some quick cash. 
        • The game is (except with five players) almost perfectly pitched for playing time - you have enough turns to do interesting things but not so many turns that the game wears out its welcome.
        • In some ways, the 2 player game is more swing-y than the 3 or 4 player game... because of the number of tiles you don't see in the game. (I still really like as a 2 player game.)
        Extras
        • There is are two expansions for Suburbia - I really like Inc. for adding borders and other interesting twists. Five Star is a little clunky but it's the only way to add a fifth player. 
        • The new edition is available now... along with a single box that contains both previously mentioned expansions plus Nightlife and two smaller sets of tiles.
        • There's also (as pictured) a very cool Suburbia Collector's Edition - which I own and cherish.
        • Important note: I was a playtester of the original edition of Suburbia.

        Thursday, March 14, 2024

        #87: Expedition (Mark's Top 100 2024)


        Expedition

        • rank: 3,065
        • rating: 6.8
        • published: 1996
        • designer: Wolfgang Kramer
        Print Status
        Why It's On The List
        • I love the expedition mechanic at the heart of the game. There's nothing quite like it... (well, this isn't altogether true - but look in the Extras for more on that.)
        Tips & Tricks:
          • Travel bucks are a relatively scarce currency that aids you in game play and must be managed VERY carefully.
          • Watch the number of arrows left in each expedition - other players can run them out to keep you from certain sections of the board.
          • There are a variety of options in how loops work - we like the "place anywhere on the loop" one - but you should give them all a try.
          • While the game will work with 2-6 players, it's best with 2-3.
          Extras
          • The designer (Wolfgang Kramer) actually revised his classic Ravensburger game (Wildlife Adventure) which became Expedition - and then he gave it a big tweak and turned it into a children's game (Schatzsucher). While I haven't played Schatzsucher, I've enjoyed my couple of plays of Wildlife Expedition (and still kick myself for not picking up a copy back when you could find them at zoo gift shops).
          • There were some rules changes for National Geographic Expedition edition - I only played once but I didn't like them. Frustratingly, I don't remember what I didn't like!
          • Here's what I wrote about Expedition for The One Hundred
          • This is the first of five games designed by Wolfgang Kramer on this countdown.

          Wednesday, March 13, 2024

          #88: Heat: Pedal to the Metal (Mark's Top 100 2024)


          Heat: Pedal to the Metal

          • rank: 44
          • rating: 8.1
          • published: 2022
          • designer: Asger Harding Granerud & Daniel Skjold Pedersen
          Print Status
          • in print 
          Why It's On The List
          • Riffing on the same basic system as Flamme Rouge (also a great game), the designers created an even more interesting and fluid early '60s racing game, complete with customizing your cars, multiple tracks, weather conditions, and even a coherent way to play a season of races.
          Tips & Tricks:
            • Management of your engine heat is crucial... I've seen more than one game won simply by one player having enough heat left to boost his final shot at the finish line.
            • The base race system is solid - but the game floors it when you add in the additional modules.
            • The Legends module allows you to run non-player cars - I recommend it highly to have full field.
            Extras
            • The first expansion (I'm guessing, since there's room in the original box insert for another expansion) has just been released - Heavy Rain. It includes new tracks, a new car, and new upgrade/championship/event cards.

            Tuesday, March 12, 2024

            #89: Nations: The Dice Game (Mark's Top 100 2024)


            Nations: The Dice Game

            • rank: 1,106
            • rating: 6.9
            • published: 2014
            • designer: Rustan HÃ¥kansson
            Print Status
            • in print? (easy to find the base game, expansion is difficult to find)
            Why It's On The List
            • While the original game Nations is enjoyable, the dice game does a lot of the same things in a much tighter time frame... and with a really clever dice manipulation mechanic.
            Tips & Tricks:
              • The base game is good - but this is one of those games that really shines once you add the expansion: asymmetric starting positions, unrest dice, more variety of tiles.
              • The shift from engine-building (getting more dice and tokens) to point-harvesting is key - and especially pronounced in the fourth & final round of the game.
              • You cannot do everything - colonies, wonders, leaders, etc. Let that impulse go.
              • Don't forget that you can convert a pair of dice into other resources - it feels wasteful, but sometimes it is your best choice.
              • The solo mode works - but there are better solo civilization games.
              Extras
              • I need to write a full review of Nations: The Dice Game (which is becoming a refrain as I create these posts - sheesh).