Just One Virgin

Six eager players sat around Joe's kitchen table this week. The host was joined by myself, Adam H, Ian, Martin and Katy with Adam T expected later. There was no Sam but he was still a part of tonight as we discussed the mystery of his three year old email that had suddenly dropped into all our inboxes. It was so old that it went to people who'd long since left the mailing list and a couple contacted Joe asking if it should have gone to him instead.

But talk about where this email had been for three years was put to one side and we played L.A.M.A. to fill the time until Adam T arrived. I went clear in the first two rounds but Joe, despite an apparent inability at remembering which number followed which ("I forgot there were sixes,") went clear in round three and got rid of a ten point token.

Joe 5
Andrew 9
Martin 15
Ian 25
Katy 28
Adam 45

When Adam T arrived we split into two. Joe, Martin, Adam T and Katy played Babylonia - the table-hogging area control game from Knizia. That meant Ian, Adam H and me adjourned to the card table for slightly smaller scale fun.

We started with Can't Stop, discovering that if you can stop, the game passes by pretty serenely. Ian and I were sensible while Adam pushed his luck and failed regularly. Even though he went for sevens. Out of the four rounds we played, he succeeded only once. I, on the other hand, got lucky and closed out the 2 and 12 columns quickly before wrapping up the 8 column for a swift victory.

Andrew 3
Ian 1
Adam H 0

Then we chose Hab and Gut, which just about fitted on the table. Ian manipulated Yellows to good effect in round one but then joined me on a doomed speculation that Brown would improve dramatically in round two. It didn't.

Adam was the wisest investor but, in the final count, we discovered he didn't have to be since Ian and I both donated exactly the same amount to charity ensuring that we were both disqualified as joint least generous.

Adam H 720
Andrew 695 but OUT
Ian 520 but OUT

Midway through this game Babylonia ended…

Martin 133
Adam T 127
Joe 120
Katy 106

And they embarked on a few missions of Die Crew. I was a bit miffed that I was going to miss this game again but Martin assured me that there'd be plenty of time to catch up.

They began where they left off, on mission 9 and continued until mission 14 . Martin would read the scenario and criteria before each mission. They pondered over their co operative trick taking (notwithstanding Katy's outburst of "I won" after one successful mission) and indulged in the kind of dialogue that more science fiction should have.

"I've done it again," said Adam, sighing.

"What do you mean 'Done it again'?" asked Martin.

"You'll see," replied Adam.

Now imagine that in a block-buster CG-laden sci-fi film and you can see the appeal of the game.

Anyway, after Hab and Gut, we on the card table played Take It Easy. Categories were: Things I taped off the TV onto VHS (me), Terry Pratchett books (Ian, revisiting an old favourite) and computer games I've played (Adam). Whoever called the categories scored worse for that round, interestingly enough.

Adam 439
Ian 385
Andrew 358

This was followed by a discussion prompted by my disbelief that Sim City ever came out on the ZX Spectrum.

Then Die Crew finished and we were all together again. We needed a rousing party game to finish off. I was keen on Stinker but Cybil the dog had pissed on the floor and it was difficult to reach the game without standing on damp yellowing tissues. So Just One was chosen instead.

We were amazed and delighted to discover that it was a brand new copy brought by Joe to entertain so visitors for the forthcoming weekend. Katy revelled in the feel of a virgin pack of cards and she marvelled at the new dry wipe pens.

"Looking forward to using my rubber. Look how firm it is!" she exclaimed happily.

"It doesn't stay firm for long," said Joe, dolefully.

But double entendres aside, we whipped through the first four rounds when Joe mentioned that they've never achieved a clean sweep. Katy was not impressed because he'd mentioned this right before her turn, putting the pressure on.

But she succeeded and the correct answers kept coming (although no one managed to guess a duplicated word) until it came back to Katy at which point Joe reminded her what was at stake, causing more despair as all hopes came to rest on her shoulders.

But she rose to the occasion, got it right and all that was left was for Adam T to correctly guess the last word "pool" which he did. And by the way, kudos to whoever (Ian, I think) wrote "swimming" because this most obvious of clues wasn't duplicated. A perfect run of Just One was completed.

With history made, Ian, Katy and the two Adams left. Martin, Joe and I took on the mighty challenge of The Mind Extreme. The rules are the same except there are two suits, red and white, of 1-50 and the white cards should go up in value while the red cards should go down. And sometimes one of the piles is placed face down.

We played twice and both times got finished off by round six, a devilish level that requires both piles to be placed face down. Evil. The second time we perhaps should have used more shurikens but instead lost both our remaining lives to mere single--digit mistakes. Very cruel.

But fun. Thanks all for a lovely evening. See you next Tuesday.