Wednesday, July 06, 2005

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...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Continuing my comments (since your post seemed lonely without any, you see...)

Games played every year 1996-present: Bridge, Die Siedler von Catan, The Great Dalmuti, Hase und Igel. (I haven't played Can't Stop or Marracash yet this year; assuming I do, they will join the list.)

Games played every year 1997-present: Bohnanza, Res Publica, For Sale, Was Sticht?, Mississippi Queen, Zum Kuckuck.

Games played every year 1998-present: Schnaeppchen Jagd, Fresh Fish, Foppen, Der Flaschenteufel, Durch die Wueste, Schuetzenfest, Flinke Pinke, Take It Easy.

Games played every year 1999-present: Big City, Extrablatt (also played in 1997), Klunker, Loopin' Louie, Lost Cities, Quacksalbe, Ricochet Robot, Spacebeans.

Games played every year 2000-present: 500, Carcassonne, High Society (only missed 1999 or it would date to 1996), Kardinal und Koenig, Musketiere (also played in 1997 & 1998), Santa Fe (only missed 1999 or it would date to 1995), Showmanager (also played 1998), Tally Ho!, Ursuppe (also played in 1997 and 1998; my younger son was born in 1999, you see...), and Warhamster Rally.

Games played in 8 years not mentioned above: Acquire, Entdecker, Fast Food Franchise, Freight Train, Mue, Outpost, Phantoms of the Ice, Take 6, Viva Pamplona, Wildlife Adventure.

Games played in 7 years not mentioned above: 2038, 6 Tage Rennen, Air Baron, Banana Republic, Big Boss, Euphrat & Tigris, Get the Goods, Guillotine, Hearts, Igel Aergern, Imperium, Iron Horse (a.k.a. Metro), It's Mine!, Sternenhimmel, Stimmt So!, Tante Tarantel, Texas (a.k.a. Rosenkoenig), Timbuktu, Um Reigenbreite, and Wer Hat Mehr? (a.k.a. Where's Bob's Hat?)