Niagara Falls, attendance plummets

The world outside might have been churning up a froth over the US Election, a new lockdown in the UK and Wimbledon AFC returning to Plough Lane after 29 years, but GNN ploughs on regardless like a short sighted old aged pensioner driving the wrong way down a main road.

Tonight there were just three gamers crammed into that car: Ian, Andy and myself. Elsewhere, Katy, Sam and Joe were grabbing a few minutes of quality time together before social mixing is outlawed again and Martin was taking a break from screens before launching himself into some early-morning news coverage.

The first game of the evening was Kingdom Builder. This was played in almost complete silence and it was only Ian's sighs of disappointment that reassured me that I was still connected. Andy, meanwhile, hoovered up the tiles and quickly ended the game.

Andy 76
Andrew 53
Ian 46

After this, I was in the mood for something a little more conversational, so I suggested Niagara. Andy had mentioned several times recently and I had vague memories of it being slightly combative and silly, so Andy ran through the rules for us, and away we went.  

It was fun, trying to judge what the likely lowest card might be (and therefore how quickly the river will move). I'm pleased to say that no one went over the falls. I'm even more pleased to say that just as Andy got back to shore with his fourth identical gem, I arrived back too, carrying the final gem for a last minute game winning set of five different gems.

Andrew wins on tie breaker
Andy a close second
Ian, one gem short

Next was Piraten Kapern, a luck-pushing dice game. Roll eight dice as often as you please to collect sets or coins and diamonds, but skulls are frozen and once you get three skulls, you go bust. On the plus side, if you roll four skulls on your first roll, you go to the Island of Skulls (figuratively speaking) and now have to roll as many skulls as possible, which will take points off your opponents.

So it went as you’d expect luck-pushing dice games to go, until Andy hit the game-winning 5000 points. Then I rolled four dice and I was off to the Island of Skulls! In the end I did 1200 points of damage to my two opponents and the game didn’t end after all. And then I sailed to 5400 points and the game ended with my victory. Andy seemed puzzled as to why they hadn’t had a chance to roll some negative points against me, but put it down to the game still being in Beta.

Andrew 5400
Andy 4400
Ian 1600

Next was 7 Wonders, just to finish off. Ian said he’d screwed himself over in round two and then spent round three burning science cards for money just so I couldn’t build them. It worked.

Ian 52

Andy 50
Andrew 44

Thanks all. See some of you next week, I expect.