New Games (or new to me, at least): Part Four

Yet more about the games that are new to me this year... you can also read Part One (A-B), Part Two (C-D), & Part Three (E-I).

New Games (to me): K-M

• Kachina - Overly busy & very abstract game of tile placement - like some weird blend of Kingdoms (which I don't like) and Qwirkle (which I do like) on peyote. (The game is Indian-themed.) Not a game I would seek out to play again.
• Kleine Magier - The prime feature here is the gimmick... multiple cloth magician hats that spin about on three gears & are picked up by a magnet in a magic wand. The game itself is pretty standard memory fare - but this has been well-received by my younger (5 year old) son. (review copy provide)
• Klopf, Klopf - A real-time reaction game that just didn't quite work... the components are nice (though the art isn't up to Haba's usual standards) but the gameplay was kind of clunky. (review copy provided)
• Level X - Multi-player dice game with some interesting decisions about what combinations to use... I need to try this one again.
• Make 'n' Break Extreme - There are a number of Make'n'Break games from Ravensburger... all involve a timer & players attempting to build "sculptures" from the provided bricks to match the cards. I actually found this version easier (with the Tetris-like brick shapes) than the standard games where the bricks only vary in color.
• Maori - I like the ideas here (the tile grabbing mechanic reminds me of Drôles de Zèbres & Kupferkessel Co.) but my only play was on yucata.de... I need to try this one face-to-face.
• Masons - This is one of those "place pieces to get points" Euros that has a number of fans & probably as many detractors. (The theme is almost non-existent.) I didn't mind the game but I probably would find something else to play.
• Memoir '44: Breakthrough - I've reviewed this elsewhere but I'll just remind everyone that I'm a huge fan of Memoir '44 and the Breakthrough expansion (which gives you deeper maps) just increases my enjoyment of the game. (review copy provided)
• Mystery Express - Days of Wonder already had a beautifully produced deduction game, Mystery of the Abbey. However, it also contained some chaotic elements & an odd questioning system that drove some gamers batty. Mystery Express is a much better system - there doesn't seem to be any way for a player to "break" the game with a wrong answer - and the presentation is very nice... but it's really long for what it is: Gamer Clue.