There were five of us at Joe's house, all eager for gaming if our timing was anything to go by. Martin was last to arrive at 7.29 as we filled up Joe's kitchen. After some disposable chat, we set about disposable gaming, with Zoo Vadis first on the table.
I'd played this game of negotiation, votes and bribes before, but the special powers were new to me. My Marmosets could let someone choose any token on the board instead of the one they passed. Martin could move the Zookeeper. Adam could help someone spring further up the paths - from specific locations - and I confess I forget what Joe and Katy could do. Terrified of being locked out of the final enclosure, I sent one marmoset up the paths and let the others dwindle far behind, extracting the occasional coins from others for votes.
I missed the drama of Martin and Joe combining to move a peacock into said enclosure, as I was having a wee (in the toilet). But somehow they were both safely home with only two spaces left for myself, Adam and Katy. I got there as quick as I could, helped by Martin, who was keen to deprive Adam of a place as we were pretty sure he was the richest - money being the deciding factor, as long as you're in the final enclosure to qualify. Then Joe helped Katy home for similar reasons. Adam was the richest, but he was peacocked out of contention.
Sam 19
Martin 15
Katy 14
Joe 8
Adam DNQ
The jury was very much out on Zoo Vadis, with Joe and Katy finding it too mean and Martin arguing that it's not really mean because we're only being mean in the game. I guess I was more forgiving, having won, but it is an interesting game for sure. We all made friends again playing Misfits, which was equally dastardly in its own way, but in a less targeted fashion.
After Joe's repeat collapses and Martin's last-piece bête noir, Adam took a convincing win and we set up MLEM. Again, we included an expansion; the one were certain places on the rocket track trigger rewards. We were all impressed that Joe's magnetic dice tray fit into the MLEM box too, almost as if he planned it that way.
The extra stuff on the track is sometimes points, sometimes extra movement (mandatory) and sometimes extra dice. These boosters, along with some fabulous rolling, meant Adam as commander led us to deep space twice! And he and Joe both arrived with their deep-space loving cats!
But it wasn't enough to stop me with my collection of cats-on-planets. I unashamedly jumped off the last mission just before it blew up so sneak my way past Deep Space Hillmann:
Sam 38
Adam 35
Joe 32
Katy 27
Martin 22
Then we played Vegas. Once more, there was an expansion! What is happening GNN. Joe mixed in the Slot Machine, a seventh casino that pays out like the others but any number can go in there, as long as nobody's put that number there already.
Fun though it is, with five players Vegas can plod slightly so we shortened the official four rounds to two. It was enough for Adam to clean up, while poor Joe only got a single payout. At some point Martin told Rudiger Dorn to fuck off, but I don't recall why now.
Adam £220k
Katy and Martin £180k each
Sam £120k
Joe £40k
We reminisced about the auld days, beginning with memories of Gonz and realising Martin has been a GNNer for over a decade. Joe and I recalled Serenissima and nights of poker. Adam didn't, though I remember him being there. That's another thing time does. Before the tears could roll we quickly played Zero Down.
Martin zeroed down on the very first round, just a few turns in. But we rallied and hauled ourselves back. It was another abridged game with nobody keen to play multiple rounds, despite the absence of expansions. Maybe it's our ages. Joe announced he was getting a sore throat and Adam looked concerned.
Joe 24
Adam 30
Sam 32
Martin 46
Katy 58
It wasn't triumphant, but for a bunch of old farts it was decent, with 24/30 from our first attempt. I forgot to take photos but it was certainly a good score when compared to all the complaints we made about our words. Adam then rode off into the night and the four of us tried again, hitting three sixes in a row and leaving just Katy's clover to get. She cried Oh no! but we were feeling confident. However we struck out on Anakin for Dwarf Master, Katy's reasoning being that he's the young Jedi. "We're all young at the start, that doesn't make us dwarves!" Martin protested. But it was a good haul regardless, bringing home 22/24. And another classic GNN concluded.
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