#100: Columbus (Mark's Top 100 2022)

Columbus

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 18,093
• rating: 5.5
• published: 1991

Print Status

• very out of print

Why It's On The List

• Historical accuracy is not the primary focus here - unless the Atlantic Ocean is full of reefs & rocky outcroppings, sailors can control the weather for malevolent purposes, and the worst thing that can happen to a ship is that it loses a single mast. Instead, the game is a delightful romp - a game that uses luck management (via the position you leave yourself in & the judicious use of provisions for re-rolls) and "take that" elements to fashion a fast-moving & truly "fluffy" game.

Tips & Tricks:

• The game is not, by any stretch of the imagination, rocket science. A few simple tactical hints:
• Make sure you have provisions.
• Try not to stop where it's easy to run aground.
• Try to stay away from the storms.

Extras

• It's not a think-y game... but what it does have, by the barrel full, is fun. It moves fast enough that being targeted as a leader isn't terribly discouraging - you'd do the same thing if you were behind. The wild swings of luck (esp. when a hurricane blows every boat in the game into a reef!) make for big laughs - while a short playing time (20-40 minutes, depending on the number of players) keeps those laughs from turning into yawns of irritation. And there's the spectacular bits.
  
• Morgan Dontanville (game designer & friend) commented that "Columbus is so close to being a good game that I'm surprised that the developers didn't just spend the time to figure it out. It isn't all that tough. My recommendation for fun is that if you lose your main sail or if you are stuck in a lull you must (as according to the rules) roll a sail to repair or sail out, but regardless of what you roll you may use the other faces (with the exception of the compass). If you do roll a sail, then you may repair and use the other die faces." I'm looking forward to trying this house rule the next time I play!