Isle of Games

 Isle of games? We all love games!

Sam picked me up at 7.30 on a clear Friday morning. We set off to distant shores for a couple of day’s board gaming with the old London crew. We picked up Chris along the way, noting with disappointment that he wasn't waiting for us at the window like an expectant puppy, and we sped off across the south of England to Portsmouth and, from there: the Isle of Wight!

Paul had moved there a couple of years ago and now we had the rare chance of taking eight bags of board games across the seas to a whole new island! GNN’s plan of world dominance is working perfectly!

We took the opportunity at Portsmouth to peruse the souvenir stand in the coffee shop and decided to buy Paul and Isle of Wight pencil. A shocking pink one. After all, we couldn’t come empty-handed.

Once over the Solent, which was so calm that you could’ve played Bandu on it, we weaved our way through some country roads to Paul’s home in Shanklin. The only downside of living here is that the name suggested the Smiths song “Frankly Mr Shankly” which, in turn, led Sam to periodically sing “and I’ll meet you at the cemetery gates” throughout the weekend.

As for games, our first (at 2.20pm) was a historical one. Not just because 7 Wonders is set in the Ancient world, but because we were using the last page of the book of scoresheets. Chris said that you couldn’t buy replacements any more since the iconography had changed, so he’d buy a new one and leave this copy on a high shelf somewhere to see out it’s old age in peace. We used our new pencil to mark down the final scores and Sam’s sciences (34 pts) won.

Sam 59

Paul 54

Chris 50

Andrew 47

Paul then tried to choose a game at random by giving Chris directions (“Light green bag, third game from the back”) but that didn’t really work. Instead, I suggested Railways of the World and so we got out the old eastern US map and got to work. Paul chose his baron based solely on the man’s beard. Sam leapt into an early lead as he picked up bonuses and kept his bond count low. I went the other way, being bond-heavy and even having to pay money back once at the end of a round instead of taking income like everyone else. It kind of kept me in the game, as Chris and I fought over second until my seven bonds dragged me back. Chris ended on two bonds and $74,000. 

Sam 64

Chris 56

Andrew 50

Paul 34

Then we played a quick couple of rounds of Cross Clues (20 points and then 24) before I went for a half hour nap and the other three played Planet Unknown. I came in for the final third of the game and became fascinated at how people moved their cubes up the bonus tracks. Sam and Chris rolled them upwards, Sam with his index finger and Chris sometimes using his thumb, while Paul picked his cubes up and moved them square by square. In the end, Sam was one square tile away from completing the planet, hence his comprehensive win.

Sam 75

Chris 58

Paul 50

Then Sam cooked our first lovely meal of the weekend while us three played Cascadia. According to my notes, we indulged in a lot of bad animal puns while playing but thankfully I didn’t write any down.

Chris 98

Paul 89

Andrew 77

Then we ate Sam’s chicken fajitas which were delicious but Sam berated himself over the lack of chilli.

For the evening’s main event, we chose Keyflower. As is usual, Sam and I were taken by the artwork on the little cottages with individual interiors that allowed you to almost make up a story about the occupants.

After a rules refresher from Chris, we got playing. The only setback was caused by the meeple bag and tiles bag both being black such that when Chris went to draw some tiles mid game, he found it half-full of meeples. Paul won, despite having the smallest village. Or maybe because of. I’m not sure.

Paul 48

Andrew 44

Sam 38

Chris 34

Then we played Push It to clear the eurogaming fog in the air. We played twice as teams and Chris and Sam beat Paul and I twice, 11-2 and 12-3.

Paul got the nickname “the hammer” as his forceful play would usually send either the jack or his puck whizzing down the end of the table, occasionally bouncing off my tin of beer with a comedy “boinggg.”

Sam started to make moves for bed until he heard that we were going to play So Clover and he quickly retook his seat at the table.

We did well, 22/24, but were stymied by a cruel decoy on Chris’ clover that had words that would fit perfectly with three possible clues.

Then, with Sam definitely going to bed, we played King Domino. In fact, we played it so quietly that Sam popped back in to make sure we were actually playing.

I got a mine-monopoly for a win.

Andrew 56

Chris 52

Paul 30

And so to sleep.

Saturday morning was clear and limpid. We were all up by 9am and Chris made a fried breakfast before we went for a walk towards the sea, popping into a few shops as we did. 

Finally, at about noon, we played our first game. After a little discussion I said I was leaning towards Imhotep and so it was brought to the table. Paul played a cagey game, relying on the Burial Chamber and picking up cards such that he didn’t score at all until round 5. Chris won the obelisk, I tried to boss the pyramid and Sam relied on end-of-game scoring cards.

Chris 42

Paul 41

Andrew 35

Sam 34

Chris was delighted at his win at this game - his bette noir of board games. A then, after that, they went for a quick walk while I made pizza. On their return, Paul suggested playing Push It, but this time using an old magnetic football pitch that once belonged to Sam but Paul found it while moving house. The fact that it had borders seemed to dissuade Paul from his hammerish ways and he played a more measured game, posting a last minute comeback that was just a little too late.

Sam 12

Chris 9

Paul 8

Then, while the pizza was cooking, we played Cross Clues but did really badly: monkey and cow were both in play, as were plate, tomato and orange.

After pizza the table was slowly moved away from the wall to allow us enough space for a game of Xia: Legends of a Drift System. Sam set up the table and side table, requesting that no one ask him any questions while he did, so Paul and Chris did the washing up.

Paul (and I) got a rules explanation. Then, in the game Sam went exploration crazy while I just traded. I played a very chilled game, so that when I got a mission to kill an outlaw I rejected it for being out of character.

Chris was an early leader and the first to get a tier 2 ship. But Sam was close behind him, especially after he rolled a 20 and got another fame point. 

Paul turned rogue, after he was caught trying to transport prisoners across a planet border. Sam was out exploring when he was caught in a gravitational anomaly that dragged him into a star. 

While Paul chased after a non-player ship, Chris became an archaeologist, rolled a 20 and then reached 12 points, our target for this game. Sam needed to get two fame points to match Chris so he went on a crowd pleasing journey across as many borders as possible hoping to roll a 20. Which he did! But he picked up so much damage that the next scratch on his ship killed him. 

Paul went crazy with his last turn. Attacking me (but my shield, useless until then, repelled him) and then attacked Sam too. Finally he also tried a border crossing technique in search of the elusive 20, which he got but only slightly before his ship disintegrated.

Chris 12

Sam 10

Paul 8

Andrew 5

We ended at 5.15, a little under 3 hours of play. It's always a satisfying feeling after finishing a big game even if, as in this case, we lowered the winning score from 20 down to 15 and then 12. Still, a lot of fun.

Paul started prepping his chicken for the evening meal so Sam, Chris and I played Bandu. I thought I was being mean with my choices for Chris but clearly not being mean enough.

Chris

Sam and Andrew out in the same round

Then while Paul's curry was cooking, we played Fun Facts. We learned that we all have similar ideas about how grown up we feel (between 60-75) and that Sam and Chris hardly ever carry cash.

As Paul cooked, I took a shower and after a quick chat about politics, we sat down to eat. It was lovely although Chris bit on the only chilli in the mix and needed a moment to recover.

Next up was another epic: Northgard. Chris insisted on using the miniatures, not the cubes. "It needs the plastic vikings," he asserted. Paul quickly made three enclosed spaces and ran off into an early lead. It actually started very peacefully until Sam got his third big building and I was able to defeat him with the last card in my hand.

After that it was a ding-dong battle between me and Sam with Chris lurking nearby, hoping we'd weaken ourselves enough that he could pounce.

We made it all the way to round seven. REM on the stereo sang "The time to rise has been engaged," which seemed appropriate. Paul passed first, clearly the points leader. 

I get my third building off Chris but in the end only Sam has cards left in his hand. He attacks Chris first, but fails. Then me, but again fails. Finally, in an audacious tactic that even Napoleon would have loved, he took one solitary viking and sent it against my least defended building (only two vikings) needing some luck with the dice.

He didn't get it and I hung on for a win. Phew, another epic.

But, for the record the points were

Paul 84

Chris 64

Andrew 47

Sam 37

Finally we thought we'd wind down with Decrypto. Surely after two epics, this would last a more manageable length of time.

How wrong we were as it went all the way into round eight. Chris and I definitely got one of their words and were good at selecting another, but two of theirs eluded us. They, too, struggled to pin down our words. 

At one point Chris scared me by reading the wrong numbers when he announced his guess but he quickly corrected himself.

Finally in round eight, Sam and Paul had their second miscommunication and Chris and I were weary winners.

Chris and Andrew, tapping your phone line

Sam and Paul, tapping their feet

Another post midnight finish for the four of us.

Sunday began for most at about 9am although Chris had been up with a stomach ache for some time. Too much rich food and port, he said.

With an eye on our 11.30 departure time, we played only a couple of games. First was Alhambra. Among the money dealt to Paul at the start of the game were several '1's, giving him flexibility when buying tiles. Chris seemed to poo-pooh flexibility as he quickly built a wall around his small Alhambra, giving him a lot of early points for a long wall but few options for expansion.

Paul 120

Andrew 101

Sam 95

Chris 83

We packed up the car and had 40 minutes left so we ended with a game of So Clover. And what an amazing experience it was. All I can say is that So Clover is not a morning game. We all did badly, and we even managed to get every single guess wrong on Paul's clover and then only one right on our second guess. 

Everything is wrong

9/24

Shocking. We could blame the looming deadline but I don't think we'd have done much better with more time.

And with that we set off into the storm and back to home. Thanks for the weekend, Paul, and thanks to everyone for the memories. It was special.

Plain or assaulted

 I went to Sam’s this Sunday to try out Plains Indian Wars. This game is based around a period when settlers and the US cavalry were trying to build an infrastructure across some land held by Native Americians. The board has a (non-accurate) map of the mid west, and it is across this theatre that the dice-based battles will take place. The basics are pretty easy. Play a card, do what it says, resolve any battle. There are often moments where we weren’t sure of the official rules (such as where to retreat to) but we never let ourselves get bogged down with unnecessary details.

I was the invading settlers and, from the start, I concentrated on building the railroad. The wagons seemed to look after themselves and I didn’t need to pay them a great deal of mind. Sam got some tough rolls during combat and I was able to wipe out the North Plains Indian tribe by the end of the game, except for a couple in the far north-west who’d been diligently beating up enemy Indians for points.

And, in fact, I almost didn’t win because I went for a thematic victory (ie, complete the railroad) and paid scant attention to the actual business of gaining points. I didn't note the exact results but it was something like 25-21, with the wagons helping to push me into the winning position.

A very nice game, very fast moving. A little bit of brain burn as ideal strategies are formed on the fly, but not too much to slow things down. Those wagons seem a bit overpowered, though.

After this, I requested Bandu. Rare to see it as a two player game, but I was just in the mood. It was much the same as the last time we played. I went unconventional early on, and it almost worked too. But I was too ambitious with my plans of a new flat platform held up by a rickety x-shaped block and the peak of a cone. It gave way beneath the second piece I put on it.

Sam, meanwhile, played an excellent game. I thought my choices for him were pretty mean with one curved surface after another, but he piled them up with aplomb. Additionally, once he'd won, he started stacking up extra pieces with gay abandon, as they used to say. This lap of honour lasted four or five pieces before his edifice finally collapsed.

And with that, I was done. Thanks Sam, nice to get some gaming done before the heatwave hit the following day.

Sumatra enchanted evening

 I arrived at Sam's just as Sam, Joe and Ian were in the final stages of a game of Llama Land. I watched them voice their regrets at previous decisions and lack of future opportunities. Joe even said he thought the game was designed specifically so he couldn't do anything. But despite all this, once they'd finished, they all said and they liked it and would happily play it again.

Sam 62

Ian 57

Joe 56

Next, to fill the time before Katy arrived, we played Schnipp & Weg. This game of flicking dexterity is simpler than its brethren, Flick Fleet, Cube Quest etc. Despite the simplicity, we still overcomplicated matters by missing simple shots at crucial moments.

We paired up, Joe and Ian against Sam and I. I started brilliantly, taking out most of the opposing counters and for the rest of the game I sent my shots skimming harmlessly off the board. Joe, despite his reputation for the yips, did well, clearing one round single handedly.

Ian and Joe won

Then Katy arrived, back at games night for the first time in a month. She found herself recruited into a new game: Sumatra. It's from Reiner Knizia and we were keen to play it before Martin did, hoping a head start would improve our chances when we finally play against him.

The devilish detail here is knowing when to abandon a particular area and move onto the next. This means you leave stuff behind but you also get first choice of whatever tiles are drawn for the new area.

It was fun. Joe confused backpacks and volcanoes (understandable considering our earlier conversation about how bad our eyesight was getting), Katy went big on crafts while I ignored people almost completely. I did, however, score in every other category. It was very close.

Katy 45

Andrew 44

Sam 43

Ian 43

Joe 42

Then we broke out an old favourite: Bandu - the dexterity game whose name you have to say in an Australian accent. It had been at Sam's brother's house for two years so it at least deserved a welcome home.

I went unconventional right from the start, laying down curved surfaces because I'd noticed they were all the same height and could work as a potential surface.

Everyone else built upwards, trying to keep as much of the base as free as possible. All except Ian whose sculpture was even shorter than mine. But too many curves, it seems and he was out first. Katy fell next and then Joe. He nudged the table while picking up a piece off the floor, sending mine and Sam's structures toppling. We quickly rebuilt them and continued, though. 

Sam ran out as the eventual winner. Once my building fell down he then started showboating, adding new pieces to his creation at breakneck speed until, after four, it finally crumbled to his foundations.

Sam

Andrew

Katy

Joe

Ian

And with that, Ian and I left. According to Sam's texts, Joe Katy and Sam played Ninety Nine, which Katy won. Then they played Cross Clues and scored an astonishing 6 (six) points. I asked Sam what the words were, unable to imagine what they could be. 

He texted back...

Costume trailer chocolate spider fast 

And...

Shark mushroom goat tall blue

I can see their problem. Combinations like "fast mushroom" and "blue chocolate" don't suggest any obvious solutions to me either. Suggestions in the comments please.

But anyway, thanks for the evening. See you all soon.

Pyramid Schemes

"Sam's at seven thirty" was the call heeded by six over-excitable board gamers this week. Apart from Sam, there were Joe, Martin, Ian, Andy M, and me. Andy hadn't arrived when we were all around the table, so we avoided any awkward silences (or even more awkward conversations) with one round of Texas Showdown. It couldn't have been closer.

Sam 2
Andrew 2
Joe 2
Ian 3
Martin 3

With Andy's arrival, we split into two groups of three. Joe, Sam and Ian chose a new game, Welcome To Centerville. It is by GMT, the same company that gave us Time Of Crisis but, Joe assured everybody, not nearly as complicated.

Martin, Andy and I chose Azul. It was new to Andy but he'd seen it being played before and was intrigued. And so the kitchen hummed to the sound of two simultaneous rules explanations. One was somewhat shorter than the other and before to long, we'd made a start on Azul.

I got off to a flier because, being the starting player, I picked up a set of four with my first turn. A nice way to begin and one that Andy referenced whenever he played a spoiling move against me, saying he couldn't really forgive me for it.

We ploughed on amiably, and reached round three just as the other half of the table were beginning their game. I found Welcome To Centerville impenetrable, and couldn't follow their talk of benches and rivers. I was, however, very appreciative of the pitta crisps that Ian had brought.

Azul ended in the fifth round, and you can imagine my delight at the final scores.

Andrew 62
Martin 61
Andy 54

And well done to Andy on his debut. Last, but a decent haul of points.

When asked about their progress, Joe stated that they were about a third of the way through. In that case we chose a medium game, with Ra being the preferred option.

Another new game for Andy and he admitted little experience with auction games. In round one, Andy went big on monuments, I went for rivers and Martin had a little bit of everything thanks to a very lucky final auction when he was the only one left.

If that weren't enough, he began round two with tiles of 2-11-12-13. A fortunate situation. I broke out the wasabi crisps that Sam kept eating, just for the experience. There was also a moment of discomfort when Ian's and my hands touched as we both reached for crisps. We reacted like grown ups, though: swiftly retracting and saying "urgh!"

Ra ended with a bit of a trouncing. Much as I want to put it all down to luck, it probably isn't.

Martin 68
Andrew 40
Andy 31

Since Welcome To Centerville was only just entering the end-game (or "just-screw-me-over time," according to Ian) , we filled the time with a game of The Mind. We reached round five and my only notes about the game read "a very fraught experience."

Centerville finished...

Sam 105
Joe 57
Ian 55

What was Sam's secret? Hopefully he'll tell all in the comments.

Next, as a six, we went for Decrypto. Martin, Joe and Sam (team name: Prasynki (approx)) versus Ian, Andy and I (Up Yer Bum). Sam failed to tell an anecdote about his son since it involved a complicated four way conversation that he couldn't remember properly.

Round one, all clear. In round two our guesses were of an entirely speculative nature. 'Just throwing maggots in the river, " I said.

But then we made a mistake. Ian and I thought Andy's clue of "BMX" referred to "joy" when in fact it was "Extra Terrestrial" the film. You see.

But then they made a mistake! But then they got an interception. It was very close and required some deep thinking. Clue-giver Martin assured Joe that he had enough time to poo before the clues would be ready.

In round six, Up Yer Bum were finally discovered thanks to another interception and so our trans Europe network of spies was ruined. To make things worse Prasynki pretty much got each of our words while we were largely clueless about theirs. A sound beating.

Joe, Ian and Martin left but I was persuaded to stay for one more: Bandu. A typically tense affair with lots of "Bandu Breathing" (turning your head up and away to exhale after placing a particularly difficult piece).

I was just out first and then it was a ding-dong battle between Sam and Andy, involving extensive use of coins. Finally, Andy's edifice was the first to crumble.

1. Sam
2. Andy
3. Andrew

Finally, at 11.45pm, I left, but Sam and Andy had one more game in them. It was Avenue. I got a text the next day from Sam with the scores and the news that it ended at half past midnight. Amazing scenes.

Andy 52
Sam 33

Thanks all for another night of adventure.

Played in Wales

A week in Wales with Mark, Katie, and the four sprogs meant that as well as the beach, chips and ice cream, we got plenty of gaming time as well. I took a couple of bags worth and all but three got played at some stage. Daytimes were often taken up with surfing...

Joe gets a push from Mark

...whereas the night - or the odd patch of rain - was about gaming. The hit of the week with Stanley and Peppa was Ninjato. I touched on this previously, but have since delved further into its depths with another four plays this week. I remain utterly terrible at it, whilst Stan won every time, to mine and Peppa's growing despair. It's fun calling Banzai, though the more I play the less 'lucky' the game feels - it's a tactical battle to keep control of Envoys and start rumours, which are as pertinent here as the cards in Stone Age.

Four skills, but I got nowhere

The early evenings were dominated by Insider, which everyone could and did get involved with. We played too many of these to count, but I was the Insider only once and every other player accused me! The successful Insiders, I noticed, didn't get too vociferous about accusing anyone. Sally was a terrible Insider too, but that was only because as soon as anyone accused her she hid her face in her hands. Mark, Katie and Peppa had the most success, whilst I offset my serial defeats with the joy to be found in the natural world outside:

that black thing is a bottle-nosed dolphin!

The other game that all the kids played was In a Bind - this was the Junior version, where there is marginally less physical challenge but the addition of making animal noises/waving/talking in a deep voice etc when you pick up a card. This is more fun than it might sound after a couple of glasses of the good stuff, but obviously the kids played it sober and seemed to like it too.

Peppa and Joe drew

Peppa, Stan and I also had a few goes at Cobras, which is another one I enjoy without ever getting close to winning. The closest I got was second place with game abandoned due to the late hour and surfing fatigue. I have never been so reluctant to bail on a game!

We managed one game of Near and Far, which my win at made some amends for continual thrashings on the Ninjato board. Mine and Stan's campaign game continues with me holding a slender lead overall...

Peppa and Stanley, both Near

...often the evenings had some kind of dance focus though, with Just Dance 2017 on the Nintendo galvanising all ages - with the exception of Joe - onto the floor. I have promised not to add any photos or videos of this, though, and considering some of them involve a balding tubster with no sense of rhythm, I'm happy to stick to that.

After kids had been scrambled to bed, we struck upon a pattern of Barenpark and Bandu. I had far more success in these arenas than I did Ninja-ing, Cobra-ing or Dancing, although Mark picked up a couple of wins in Barenpark. Tessellating bear houses was Katie's game of the week; in fact, although we also bashed out Wibbell and Honshu as well, Barenpark and Bandu were the nightly staples. Bandu got typically tense, and everyone had to perfect their 'Bandu Breath' - breathing off to one side so as not to disturb the fragile structures on the table...

Katie, breathing east

Late in the week though I thought it was worth introducing Mark to Flamme Rouge, which he fell in love with. It was a drunken Thursday night with everyone else in bed when we played three games in a row, Mark winning 2-1 with a deathly finish on the final race to clinch it!

This tablecloth did my nut in all week

We tried to introduce Katie to this cycling classic on our last night, but she felt she had done enough rule-learning for one week. So we stuck with Barenpark and Bandu, and when the ladies retired to bed Mark and I set up Flamme Rouge for one last race/game of the week; which Mark won, again on the final stretch!

We returned - heavy legged from the beach and heavy headed from margaritas, but sated. A lot of fun - Can't wait for Novocon now!

Anything You Bandu I Bandu better

A cold Thursday night, and Katy was baby sitting Arthur at Adam and Hannah’s. Possibly without their knowing, Katy invited the GNN crowd around to keep her company but only I, Ian, could make it.

Being just the two of us it was a fairly quiet affair, but it made choosing games relatively easy as there was only a limited number of games that either of us felt we knew well enough. After my attempts to get Katy to play Railways of the World were met with reluctance, we instead chose Castles of Mad King Ludwig.

Whilst we both enjoy COMKL (as all the cool kids are calling it), we agreed that this particular game felt like it ended rather quickly; a bit anticlimactic. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we’d missed some rules, but as far as we could tell we played it all correctly.

I fell into the trap of chasing my bonus cards (bonus points for circular and downstair rooms), when instead I should have been looking elsewhere. Katy completed far more rooms than I, which gave her almost double the number of points I had. The results came in:

Katy 50

Ian 28

After that I suggested Hive, and after a quick read up of the rules we were away. I still think Hive (a game whose title can’t be contracted any further. “HV”, maybe?) is a rather clever game, with a tension that builds in an almost chess like manner.

This time, my own defenses were a bit slow to react to Katy’s attack, and I realized a little to late what she had planned. My own bugs were too far away to stop her circling my Queen.

Katy wins

Ian does not

Next, Deep Sea Adventure was mooted. Katy couldn’t recall if it worked well with two people, so we thought we’d find out. Turns out it works rather well, although it was a death-light game, with only Katy running out of air once in the three rounds.

I played fairly conservatively whilst Katy was a little more daring, being the only player to dive deep enough into the abyss to collect a three-dot tile. If the tiles had been shuffled differently she could have easily have won, but she did not.

Ian 38

Katy 34

It should be mentioned that Arthur had been sleeping quietly throughout the evening, to the point where we wondered if he’d somehow wandered off somewhere. But we felt confident enough that we’d notice a small child roaming around, and played on.

Push It was next. We used four pucks each, and rather arbitrarily decided to play to sixteen. We also played a possibly-not-official rule that if you had all four pucks closest to the jack, you would score four points. We also decided that knocking the jack off the table would result in minus two points.

The table surface proved challenging, having a high friction, so many of our shots came up short, whilst others went flying well past their mark. So, a usual game of Push It.

At one point I did manage to get all four pucks closest to the jack and in another round Katy knocked the jack off the table once, both of which helped give me the win.

Ian 16

Katy 10

There seemed to be time for one more game, so I suggested Bandu.

This game of Bandu is the main reason why we felt it was worth recording the night. My tower featured some rather impressive balancing, even if I do say so myself. Katy agreed, and at one point seemed more interested in seeing my tower succeed than winning herself!

But I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. Behold.

The photos make it seem less impressive

Whoooaaaarra!

Somehow Katy’s tower (which I didn’t take any pictures of, though a fine construction it was) toppled before my unlikely creation succumbed to physics.

Ian wins

Katy does not

Around this point Arthur stirred, possibly awoken, though hopefully not, by the sound of wooden blocks clattering onto a table.