#62: Goldland (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Goldland

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 62nd
• 2010: 68th
• 2005: 49th
• appeared on all three lists

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 774
• rating: 6.72

Print Status

• OOP

Why It's On The List

• An interesting mix of exploration game & puzzle game (how do I convert resources & moves into points?) with lovely old-school Goldsieber production.

Tips & Tricks:

• Do not play this with 5 players - ever. Many of the bad attitudes about this game exist courtesy of playing with 5. (It's best with 3... though 2 or 4 work just fine.)
• You can win without ever reaching the temple... but the more players there are in the game, the less well this works.

Extras

• Here's what I wrote about Goldland for The One Hundred.

#63: Claustrophobia (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Claustrophobia

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 63rd
• 2010: did not appear
• 2005: prior to publication

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 52
• rating: 7.86

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• Imagine taking the asymmetrical structure of the classic game Space Hulk (hordes of bad guys vs. a small band of heroes) and cross-pollinating it with some very clever dice mechanics (one even borrowed from the much-loved Euro game, Kingsburg)... and then packing the box as full of high-quality components as possible. And there you have it.

Tips & Tricks:

• Both players (the good guys AND the bad guys) have to carefully managed all of their resources - each of them has some pretty nifty "powers" but almost all of those are limited in their use.

Extras

• The playing time for Claustrophobia is almost always less than an hour... and, with a few exceptions, it's pretty easy to set up as the caverns will be explored and the game board laid out as you play.
• The De Profundis expansion has a lot more scenarios, some new monsters & heroes, and a bunch of new tiles & cards... and, as per the designer's wishes, does NOT make this a multi-player game. (Croc - yes, that's his moniker - was very clear that he'd designed a two-player game and that putting more folks around the table would mess up the design.)

#64: Light Speed (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Light Speed

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 64th
• 2010: 42nd
• 2005: did not appear

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 1220
• rating: 6.40

Print Status

• OOP

Why It's On The List

• A real-time card game that actually takes longer to score (5-10 minutes) than it does to play (1 minute).

Tips & Tricks:

• Just throwing stuff down works... sometimes. But the person who wins more games balances putting spaceships in place carefully with speed.

Extras

• This is the only Cheapa** game in my Top 100 - while I'm fond of Deadwood and really enjoy Fightball, Buttonmen & Brawl, this is the only that's worthy of the position. (And don't get me started on the waste of perfectly good raw materials & game table time - Kill Dr. Lucky. The only lucky person around is the one who decides not to play.)

Maundy Thursday

...also known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, Sheer Thursday and Thursday of Mysteries, is the Christian feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Maundy and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles as described in the Canonical gospels. (wikipedia)

The "Maundy", by the way, is from the Latin word Mandatum and refers to Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.

So, now that we've got the definitions out of the way... a simple question.

Why?

Why do we meet to remember the last meal Jesus had with his closest followers before he was put on trial, tortured & crucified?

Today, as I prepare for our Maundy Thursday service, I can think of two reasons:

1. Jesus told us to. "And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22: 19 NASB)
2. I need the reminder.

Seriously... in the busyness of a being a pastor & a husband & a dad, it's easy for me to gloss over the incredible sacrifice of Christ. Slowing down to taste the dry unleavened bread and feel the fruit of the vine as it rolls down my throat becomes a very tangible way to get off the proverbial merry-go-round of life & look into Jesus' eyes.

#65: The Downfall of Pompeii (Mark's 100 - 2012)

The Downfall of Pompeii

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 65th
• 2010: 45th
• 2005: did not appear

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 240
• rating: 7.15

Print Status

• OOP

Why It's On The List

• An odd and possibly disturbing theme (the volcanic destruction of the Roman city of Pompeii) turns to make a very nice tactical placement & movement game... along with a healthy helping of "throw your neighbor under the metaphorical bus".

Tips & Tricks:

• Do not neglect the power of family members - use your cards wisely to set yourself up to place extra "dudes" on the board.

Extras

• I was pleasantly surprised to find that this game not only worked as an "adult" version of Midnight Party - but also worked great with my then (gamer) 5 year old son as a 2 player game. (He's almost 11 now and still enjoys it.)

#66: Medici (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Medici

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 66th
• 2010: 33rd
• 2005: 79th
• appeared on all three lists

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 230
• rating: 7.18

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• Despite one bad graphic design scheme after another, this 17 year old auction game still manages to please - by creating an environment where players must not only appropriately value items for themselves but also figure out what they're worth to others.

Tips & Tricks:

• Groupthink is always an issue with games like this - just like the value of a Jester in The Princes of Florence, groups settle in on "accepted" values for the gold treasure card in Medici. Try playing with a new group of people & see how a different group changes the dynamics of the game.
• Though it has components for 6 players, I prefer it with 4 or 5.

Extras

• Here's what I wrote about Medici for The One Hundred.

In Memoriam: David Foster

One of my mentors in ministry, David Foster, passed away in his sleep yesterday at the age of 58.

Dave could be, well, hard to handle - he was the first to admit he didn't have the gifting or the patience for counseling. (I heard him say more than once that his first hire at BCC had to be someone who could do counseling because five minutes after someone came into his office he wanted to slap his hand down on the desk & tell them to "Quit whining! Here's what you should do!") I wasn't around for the end of his time at BCC/Hope Park - by that time, I was here in Fresno & out of touch with Dave - but it wasn't a complete surprise that he could get sideways with folks over vision & direction.

It also wasn't a surprise that he stayed in ministry - that he kept trying to reach people who had given up on the church. His heartbeat was people who'd been marginalized by religiosity - not surprising, considering that the local SBC association had shined him on for funding because he wouldn't do things "by the book" when he worked to plant BCC. (Note: the folks in leadership now at Nashville Baptist Association are NOT the same people - in fact, there were some amazing & godly movement on the part of the association leadership & Dave to reconcile and forgive while I was meeting with him.)

At the same time, here's a guy who was busy pastoring a big church (2000+ at the time he & I were meeting together) and yet took time to talk with & encourage a church planter (me) who was ecstatic if we had 50 folks on a Sunday morning. It meant the world to me (and to the many other church planters he championed) that his vision was bigger than than BCC.

I will never forget running into him at a Willow Creek conference in Chicago - not expecting to see him there, not expecting him to plop down with his box lunch at the table with Shari & I and talk with us when there were so many "big deal" pastors around. I distinctly remember him saying: "You look at all this [pointing out the huge facilities, the food court, the bookstore, etc.] and think: 'if my church was bigger, it would solve all the problems we're having.' And you're partially right - the problems you're struggling with will fade as you have more people... but you'll just get a new set of even more difficult problems. And that transition will keep happening over & over again as you grow."

Please pray for his wife & kids... for his church (The Gathering) and for the many people whose lives he touched as we all grieve his loss.

Thanks, Dave... part of the reason I'm the pastor that I am is you.

For more information about Dave, here's the link to the article about his death from The Tennessean.

#67: The City (Mark's 100 - 2012)

The City

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 67th
• 2010: prior to publication
• 2005: prior to publication

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 1362
• rating: 6.70

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• A stripped-down & family-friendly use of the Race for the Galaxy mechanic - this time for city-building. It's fast (15 minutes or so) and has that potato-chip ("can't play just one time") quality.

Tips & Tricks:

• Tom Lehman (the designer) suggests that The City is "a 5 minute bit of strategy planning followed by a horse race to the end of the game."
• It's a lot easier to play if you use poker chips to track points.

Extras

• This is the newest game on my Top 100 - and I've played it 18 times in 7 weeks.
• Be warned - there is not (yet) an English version of this game... and if German text frightens your fellow gamers, this will not be a comfortable fit for you.

#68: Can't Stop (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Can't Stop

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 68th
• 2010: 30th
• 2005: 93rd
• appeared on all three lists

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 387
• rating: 6.85

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• In my ever-so-humble opinion, this (and not Acquire) is Sid Sackson's masterpiece. It's so simple & yet so engaging.

Tips & Tricks:

• One of the niftier variants to try is "one piece per space" - in other words, you can't stop rolling if you would have to place a marker on an already occupied space.

Extras

• There are some enterprising folks who have scavenged copies of Advance to Boardwalk to add extra playing pieces to their copies of Can't Stop - I am not one of them. First, that's rude to a very nice game (Advance to Boardwalk). Second, Can't Stop isn't as much fun with 5+ players.
• Here's what I wrote about Can't Stop for The One Hundred.

#69: Bohnanza (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Bohnanza

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 69th
• 2010: 64th
• 2005: 18th
• appeared on all three lists

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 204
• rating: 7.13

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• An innovative use of cards (you can't rearrange your hand!), a clever theme (bean farming), and some nifty rules to create a barter economy combine to make a great, great game.

Tips & Tricks:

• Just because you can trade something doesn't mean you should trade something - pay attention!
• A third bean field is only a good idea if you do it EARLY..

Extras

• While the game will play with 3-7 players, I think that the sweet spot is 5-6.
• I'm a huge fan of the High Bohn expansion for the game (which adds Cosmic Encounter-ish powers & a Wild West theme)... but I never get to play it.
• The 2 player version - Al Cabohne - is actually a lot of fun... but kinda tough to locate.
• Here's what I wrote about Bohnanza for The One Hundred.
• Here's a page from my old website (Game Central Station) about rules mistakes & Bohnanza expansions.

#70: Lowenherz (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Lowenherz

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 70th
• 2010: 26th
• 2005: 10th
• appeared on all three lists

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 296
• rating: 7.17

Print Status

• OOP

Why It's On The List

• One of the nastier Euros out there - you are princes dividing up the kingdom by force & by guile. Negotiation is vital - as is reading your opponents' intentions.

Tips & Tricks:

• You can lose more points from having one of your kingdoms cut into pieces than you gained for claiming it in the first place - be very careful the shape of your expansion. Don't let a castle or a mine tempt you into building an unprotected finger of land.

Extras

• Sadly, I don't think this game works well with any number EXCEPT four... which explains why it's dropped from list to list.
• I have not played Klaus Teuber's redevelopment of this game, Domaine - based primarily on my irritation with his redevelopment of the original Entdecker.
• Here's what I wrote about Lowenherz for The One Hundred.

#72: Castle Panic (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Castle Panic

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 72nd
• 2010: did not appear
• 2005: prior to publication

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 560
• rating: 6.75

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• A cooperative fantasy of defending your castle from a variety of malicious monsters... with the added bonus of a very nice "one vs. all" mode (similar to LOTR: Sauron).

Tips & Tricks:

• You have to plan ahead - it's not enough to burn out your best cards w/out considering how those cards may be useful to other players.
• I can not recommend the expansion highly enough - it takes a very good game & makes it a great game.

Extras

• This is a probably the most family-friendly of the cooperative games (well, along with Forbidden Island).
• Here's my review of The Wizard's Tower expansion for Castle Panic.

#73: Route 66 (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Route 66

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 73rd
• 2010: did not appear
• 2005: did not appear

BoardGameGeek

• rank: not ranked
• rating: 5.45

Print Status

• really, really OOP

Why It's On The List

• It's a racing game where you want to travel the ol' Mother Road at blazing speeds from Chicago to L.A. - then want to "get your kicks" on the return trip and move as slowly as possible.

Tips & Tricks:

• Speed management is tricky - and even more so if you play with a full complement of 5 players.
• That said, the game is probably at it's best with 3-4 players.

Extras

• Wolfgang Riedesser designed the game after traveling the U.S. in a convertible.
• I know it's an extremely "fluffy" game - but I really enjoy the odd combination of races and the nicely done theme.
• There is a companion card game which shares the same art style but is closer to Milles Bornes design-wise.

#74: Nur Peanuts (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Nur Peanuts

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 74th
• 2010: 91st
• 2005: did not appear

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 3421
• rating: 6.04

Print Status

• OOP

Why It's On The List

• It's a 45 minute gambling game with some vague abstracted similarities to Monopoly... and it tends to produce very, very positive reactions from most folks who play it.

Tips & Tricks:

• The most expensive spaces are not necessarily the best ones to buy... buying low-cost spaces saves money on the purchase AND later when you park your piece there for free.
• Because of the neutral pawns, the game works really well for 4-6 players... and is even still playable with 3.

Extras

• The name of the game loosely translates as "Chump Change".
• Here's what I wrote about the game for my 2010 Top 100.

Crackpipe Remote: Spring 2012 Edition

I haven't written about TV in a while... doesn't mean I've stopped watching, though. But I've been working to get non-gaming-related content back to the blog - and this was first in line.

For those of you who will inevitably ask how I watch this much TV, I don't sleep as much as the average person...

Shows I Gave Up On This Year

• RINGER - Literally bailed on this one during the pilot when one of the most inept green screen FX in living memory totally took me out of the already questionable story.
• REVENGE - I could see where it could be enjoyable if I was in the right mood... but it was just too over-the-top for me.
• TERRA NOVA - Great premise. Bad show.

Shows I'm Still Watching But Don't Know Why

• HAWAII FIVE-O - Actually, I do know why... my wife likes this show. (I enjoyed the first season but a lot of the writing this season has been forced & over-the-top. Good guest stars, though.)
• UNFORGETTABLE - I seriously don't understand why I'm still watching this. But I am.

Shows I Like But Want Some Improvement

• BLUE BLOODS - The first season was really, really good... esp. the portrayal of a realistic family who had a real & meaningful faith connection with the Catholic Church. That's been shortchanged by the writing this season - but when you've got Tom Selleck & Len Cariou around to do the heavy-lifting, you can get away with that.
• ONCE UPON A TIME - The first of two LOST-inspired shows to premiere this year, it's a real mixed bag. The fairy-tale stuff has been very, very good... and the twists on the old tales are well-done. Sadly, the Mayor/Evil Queen is given very little to work with except mustache-twirling evil & scenery-chewing. (I'm 4-5 episodes behind on this one - but Tivo keeps them for me.)
• MISSING - Have just seen the pilot... am worried it will be "Nowhere Ashley Judd".
• AWAKE - Have just seen the pilot... curious as to where it will end up going - if anywhere. (It's not an easy show to watch casually.)

Shows I Look Forward To Each Week

• ALCATRAZ - The second of the LOST-inspired shows... and the better of the two. After a bit of early fumbling about, they've found a good tone, a sardonic X-FILES-ish sense of humor, and some genuine horror/tragedy in the premise. As well, they seem to be unspooling pieces of the mystery w/out giving the whole thing away. (I'm 3 episodes behind on this one - with the season finale showing tonight.)
• PERSON OF INTEREST - Combining the acting chops of Jim Cavaziel & Michael Emerson with some extremely tight writing (last week's "baby" episode managed to have humor w/out overwhelming the edgy nature of the show) makes for a winning combination.
• THE FINDER - Don't expect this to last... but I like the quirky, shaggy good humor of the show.
• THE FIRM - Thankfully, 22 episodes were purchased to start with (it's actually a Canadian show)... because the ratings on this one have exiled it to Saturday nights. Shari & I like it a lot, though - they've borrowed the "flash forward" technique from LOST and used it in a different (and interesting) way.

Reality TV

• SURVIVOR - the Coach/Ozzie season had some lovely moments... but I was so happy to see a season w/out a returning player this spring. OTOH, "One World" has given us (and thankfully taken away) one of the most obnoxious emotional bullies I've seen in a long time (Colton). I'm looking forward to seeing what happens now that his bad juju is gone from the show.
• AMAZING RACE - The boys have started watching with us... which means we get to explain why you shouldn't use "that kind of language" and also given us some excellent negative examples of how to treat your wife or girlfriend. At the same time, the race usually delivers some lovely moments (the Border Patrol guys giving Bopper some of their winnings, for example... or this week's Temple of Fire "hoedown") that are worth the junk.

And Finally, A Fond Farewell

• CHUCK - went out on a high note... there were some lovely moments and a willingness to mess with their own mythology in order to give the show a fitting & wonderful close.

#75: Ca$h'n'Gun$ (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Ca$h'n'Gun$

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 75th
• 2010: 94th
• 2005: prior to publication (barely)

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 451
• rating: 6.75

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• What other game can you think of where you get to point foam guns at each other & spout lines from bad heist movies while trying to get your share of the loot?

Tips & Tricks:

• The secret to the game: bluff well.
• OK, there's another secret: get lucky.
• The game NEEDS 5+ players to "work".

Extras

• The Yakuza expansion makes it playable with 7-9 players... but there's also an interesting variant using two base sets that will play up to twelve.
• There's also a LARP-ish version of the game called Ca$h'n'Gun$: Live that uses cards & a large (think BIG room) playing area that's primo with 12-20 folks.
• Here's what I wrote about the game for my 2010 Top 100.

#76: Harry's Grand Slam Baseball (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Harry's Grand Slam Baseball

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 76th
• 2010: 59th
• 2005: did not appear

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 2050
• rating: 6.32

Print Status

• recently OOP - you can still find copies, though

Why It's On The List

• It captures the feel of a baseball game - and does so in 15 minutes (or less). The Out of the Box production is very nice as well.

Tips & Tricks:

• Use Fly Out cards when there aren't any runners on base.

Extras

• This game lends itself to playoffs/tournaments at gaming weekends - games are short enough to be held between "real" games.
• The story behind Harry's Grand Slam Baseball is fascinating... listen to Mark Johnson's "Boardgames To Go" podcast on it for more information.

#77: Tales of the Arabian Nights (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Tales of the Arabian Nights

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 77th
• 2010: 89th
• 2005: did not appear (prior to republication)

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 209
• rating: 7.27

Print Status

• in print

Why It's On The List

• It's the old "Choose Your Own Adventure" books in board game form... and, with the right players, a completely engrossing & enjoyable two hour "experience game" romp.

Tips & Tricks:

• Play with 3 players - that way every one gets something to do on each turn & stays involved.

Extras

• This is the only game on my Top 100 that I don't own.
• Here's what I wrote about Tales of the Arabian Nights for my 2010 Top 100.

#78: Cafe International (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Cafe International

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 78th
• 2010: 43rd
• 2005: 42nd
• appeared on all three lists

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 1173
• rating: 6.34

Print Status

• OOP

Why It's On The List

• The not-so-PC artwork & bright colors can cause you to miss the very sneaky moves you can make in this open information tile placement game.

Tips & Tricks:

• Watch for "locked" nationalities - where you can no longer play a man or a woman - and ditch those tiles onto the bar to not only gain points but keep them from eating up space in your hand..
• Pay attention! Don't set people up for big plays!

Extras

• While a couple of the stereotypes in the art bother me (particularly the Chinese), I'm heartened that we Americans get the whole "Texan, big hair & sunglasses" treatment.
• There are two other spin-off games: a card game (which is much more random but still fun) and a card game for the younger set (which I have not played).
• Here's what I wrote about Cafe International for The One Hundred.

#79: Andromeda (Mark's 100 - 2012)

Andromeda

Mark's Ranking

• 2012: 79th
• 2010: did not appear
• 2005: did not appear

BoardGameGeek

• rank: 1214
• rating: 6.40

Print Status

• OOP

Why It's On The List

• The trading mechanic is tricky & interesting... and when you add the rummy-ish set collecting to pay for actions, it's even better. However, those who don't like taking chances should avoid this game & the fabled Cosmic Hockey Puck.

Tips & Tricks:

• Like many Euros, running contrary to the groupthink in this game can be profitable - if everyone is building their tech & ship levels, consider bombing planets for quick points. OTOH, if there's a rush to get planets, hang back & build up your ship and tech.
• You can't win everything - so stop trying At the same time, don't be in a rush to move pieces back to Earth - leave them there & let your opponent do it for you.

Extras

• I've grown in my appreciation of this game over time - freed from the expectations of being a think-y Eurogame, it's charms are readily apparent.