Seven (part two)

This time around, a listing of games I've played EVERY year since 1998:

• Liar's Dice (you can even play this with more players by adding more cups & dice)
• The Settlers of Catan (I own all of the expansions... but not all of the spin-off games)
• Attacke (I'm still miffed they ruined this game by rereleasing it as the bloated Ivanhoe)
• Carabande (I have two basic sets & one action set, which makes for very nice layouts)
• Canasta (Shari & I are partial to the Canasta Caliente set available - it's a great way to learn the game if you've never played before)
• Medici (the best pure auction game available - and word has it that it's going to be republished next year with artwork that makes the game easier to play - about time!)
• Entdecker (the original, not the re-do... one of the prettiest games I own to play, as the map of islands grows as the game proceeds)
• Showmanager (amazingly, I've won nearly 78% of the games I've played of this - which is a stunning record... no wonder I enjoy it so much!)
• Take 6 (just bought the new anniversary edition and am enjoying it all over again...)
• Land Unter/Zum Kuckuck (a game that has grown on me - and become a personal favorite)
• Bohnanza (man, I need to play "the bean game" more... sigh)
• El Grande (I don't get to play it much, but I make sure I get to play - probably my favorite "deep" game)

And the games I've played every year since 1999:

• Lost Cities (Shari's good at this, but she's small potatoes compared to Carla Triplett)
• Fill or Bust (we played last night and I won in near-record time)
• Loopin Louie (just a little brag: I paid $2 for my copy... he he he)
• Ra (which is much easier to learn with the player mats available on the 'Geek)
• Zirkus Flohcati (I'll get at least one game of this in this week, as we're having Family Game Night at church)
• Time's Up (until Smarty Party was released, my favorite party game)
• Take It Easy (someone else coined the phrase, but it fits: Bingo for German gamers)
• Big City (beautifully produced, fun to play - a wonderful game of city-building with amazing pieces)
• For Sale (a poker-like game of Chicken that plays like a dream.... the new edition is welcome but makes some major rules & component changes)
• Dschungelrennen (a jungle race dice game that is just plain fun to play)
• Klunker (I stunk at this for my first few games, but experience has made a better player AND appreciate the tight design of this jewelry sales card game)
• Union Pacific (takes the good stuff from the classic Acquire and goes it one better... a great stock investment game)
• High Society (another great auction game... thank goodness it's short, because it's vicious :-) - the new edition from Uberplay is primo)
• Ausgebremst (Ave Caesar may be prettier, but this is the better game... fast-paced racing fun with some serious chances of hosage)
• Basari (I still like the original better than the "new & improved" Edel, Stein & Reich... the game is essentially themeless, but still a ton of fun)
• Galopp Royale (this game of sedan chair racing is more about the auctions than the races)
• Viva Pamplona (run the bulls - well, bull - in this silly but enjoyable game)

Finally, the games I've played every year since 2000:

• Carcassonne (and, yes, I'm a Carcassonne expansion junkie - the only thing I don't have the one that was in a German gaming magazine)
• Web of Power (an area-majority game that moves along at a blistering pace... and it's about monastic orders vying for power in medieval Europe - what's not to like?)
• Arriba (pattern recognition meets Spoons)
• Espresso (my nieces & nephew love this game)
• Split (I hated this the first time I played it, but my wife & sister fell in love with it... and, over time, I've grown to enjoy it a bit)
• Fast Food Franchise (Monopoly for gamers - this needs a new version to go in print with the production values of Big City!)
• Exxtra (goofy dice game made even goofier by the folks at Gulf Games)
• Frank's Zoo (The Great Dalmuti with some interesting tactical/card-counting tricks)
• Stimmt So! (it cheeses me off that the inferior adaption, Alhambra, won a German Game of the Year award...)
• Zoff in Buffalo (30 minutes of groupthink with cute cows & tricky decisions)
• Durch die Wuste (I don't really like the game... but I don't hate it, so I end up playing it about once a year)

This isn't a perfect way to assess the value of a game (there's a couple in the list that I play mainly because of others rather than my own interest), but any game that's been played year after year is certainly worth a bit of your time to try!

To be continued...