10 Question For Everyone

This is what passes for a meme on BGG... so, for you non-gamer types who read the blog, we'll call this one "10 Questions for Gaming Nerds". (And I are one, so here's my answers as well.)

Question 1: Name your favorite theme(s).

• That's game themes... and I'd have to say I'm quite partial to anything exploration-ish. This explains my enjoyment of Entdecker, Goldland, Lost Valley & Thebes.
• With that said, there are very few themes that kill a game for me - except when they are total mismatch for the game.

Question 2: Name your favorite game mechanic(s).

• A "game mechanic" is a particular way of accomplishing things in game terms... for example, "trading" and "set collecting" are both mechanics in Monopoly.
• There's no real common thread in the mechanics I like... but I'm a huge fan of the Command & Colors system (Battle Cry, Memoir '44, Battlelore, etc.), so I'll go with that.

Question 3: Name your least favorite game mechanic(s) excluding roll-and-move.

• That would be negotiation - particularly when it's used to "balance" the game by having players gang up on the leader. (This would be why The Traders of Genoa only lasted one play in my collection... that, and it's [a] too long, and [b] too repetitive. It is the poster child for "lather, rinse, repeat.")

Question 4: Name the most unique or novel game you own

• There are a number of contenders for that title... it's my collection, right?!
• Based on the ownership numbers on BGG, I'm the only person who has the following games: Bis bald im Wald (diabolically tough memory game), Find the Chicks (magnetic game - blech), Kangi Cup (weird racing kangaroo game w/puzzle cut board), Rettet die Dinos (dinosaur egg stacking game), Salvation! The Game of Saints & Sinners (theologically messed-up game that's a lousy game as well), Sure Shot Hockey (simplified stick hockey), Topsy Turtle (mechanical dexterity game), and Turbulento (Selecta dexterity/memory game that's quick & fun).
• Based on sheer weirdness, I'd have to go with two different Zoch games: Froschkonig (Frog King) and Konig der Maulwurfel (King of the Dice Mouths). In Froschkonig, players attempt to stick out their frog's tongues to kiss the princess (huh?!) using a bag of wooden sticks. In Konig der Maulwurfel, players race around the table rolling dice off of sloped wooden platforms.

Question 5: Name a game in print or scheduled for release that you're most eager to own.

• Already in print: Descent - Journeys in the Dark, that I've expressed my love for previously in my blog post Stay Out Of Range Of The Giant.
• In the pipeline: probably the English reprint of Tales of the Arabian Nights, due sometime next year.

Question 6: Name a game not in print or scheduled for release that you are most eager to own.

• Still in prototype form: Frank Branham's magnum opus, the wonderous space battle game, Battle Beyond Space. (Note: I am a playtester.)

Question 7: Name a game you own that you believe is underrated by BGG.

• I don't even have to sweat to answer this one: Monopoly. It's "cool" to bash the game because it's popular & played with unwise house rules... instead of wondering why the same people win the game over & over.
• Interestingly, Fast Food Franchise runs a close second. (And it's one of my personal "top ten" games.)

Question 8: Name your favorite gaming accessory.

• I do like having lots of glass beads & chips around to act as extra tokens.
• Of course, if someone wants to give me a dice tower from Vixentor Games, I'd be happy to take it.

Question 9: Describe Puerto Rico in 5 words or less.

• Intriguing.
• Excellent.
• Over-analyzed.

Question 10: Name your favorite game with fewer than 30 ratings.

• I give three games with less than 30 ratings on BGG an "8": Diceball! (imagine a baseball version of Pizza Box Football), Dschungelrennen (roll'n'move race that feels like a conga line) & Hallo Dachs (best memory game... ever). All are worthy additions to anyone's collection.