Games for Travelers

GAMES FOR TRAVELERS (IN TIME AND SPACE)

So you have travelled to a far off country, or maybe just to next province, and you have some time to kill while waiting for your connecting flight. Maybe you are on a business trip with some colleagues, and need something fun, and light to do in the middle of conference meetings. Or maybe that darned weather man said it would be beautiful tropical sun, but instead you got two days of utter downpour. Well traditionally you would go to a local bar, or read a book (or five), that you packed along for just such an occasion, but those tried and true methods can sometimes get redundant. Well they are other geeky ways you can spend your time with some nice light travel games.

The biggest thing about travelling, and bringing your own entertainment is packing light. You don’t want to be lugging around a bulky box, nor do you necessarily want a game that takes so long to set up you are just done unpacking it when the announcement for your flight boarding comes over the loudspeaker. Well don’t worry, there are quite a few games that travel well; from light hearted and speedy, to thematic, and slightly deeper strategy.

DICE GAMES

Dice Games are the most portable; there is no worry of pieces blowing in the wind. The other great thing about dice games is most of them play for two people, upwards to as many as you can fit in a room. The most well know would be Zombie Dice. You are a zombie trying to eat the most brains before being blown away by the humans escaping your clutches. Martian Dice is another where you are a Martian abducting various creatures: human, livestock, etc. and you are trying to beat other Martians (your opponents) to get the most points from your abductions. Chupacabra is another, sensing a theme here anyone? In this one you are the goat sucker, trying to suck the blood out of local livestock, and be the most successful chupacabra by stealing other chupies livestock.

CARD GAMES

Card games have come a long way from the traditional Euchre, and 500. Those are still good fun games but if you are looking for something new, there is certainly lots to choose from. Gloom plays two people but gets a lot more interesting with more and can play up to four, more with expansions. You are in control of a family and you are trying to give them the worst life possible, and kill them off when they are down as far as they could be. Keeping in mind you opponents are trying to do the same with their family and thus may play cards on your guys to make them have a happy, and fulfilling life.  Hanabi is a cooperative game that plays up to four people. You are trying to put on the most fantastic fireworks display. The trick is, you don’t get to see your cards but everyone else does; so you are trying to give the best information to your team mates before they play a card. Being careful not to set your display off too early and losing the game. Munchkin, plays 3-6; although I have played it just two people and works pretty good. There are more cards in this game but it travels light in its own skinny box. A very tongue in cheek game where you are all dungeon crawlers, trying to get to level ten by defeating monsters, all the while pilfering rooms, and amassing treasure you can use. Additionally this game has many expansions in almost every geeky theme, so you are sure to find something that you like.

BOARD-ISH GAMES 

What is a board-ish game? Well something that doesn’t fit in the above categories exactly but isn’t weighed down by a big… well, board and tons of pieces. Starting us off is Six. Solely a two person game where you are trying to create one of the three distinct winning patterns by placing an individual hexagonal tile each turn against your opponent; a simple mechanic with loads of strategic fun. Dungeon Roll, comes in a box shaped like a small treasure chest. You are a character trying to get the most victory points after three rounds. You are dice rolling to defeat monster dice, with the number of monsters depending equaling to the level of the dungeon you are exploring. You can stop at any level to guarantee you don’t lose all your possible points but there are only three rounds to accumulate the most and win so sometimes you may have to press your luck. Love Letter comes in a small velvet bag so travels well. You are a member of the royal court trying to get your love letter to the princess before the other suitors. A game of deduction, and luck meant for two to four players that fits in your pocket. The Resistance, a bluffing game that is best suited for more and plays up to ten players. There is an Arthurian themed version, Avalon as well. You are the good guys, maybe. There are one or more traitors amongst your group, and you need to complete missions all the while finding the traitors in your midst; who are hell bent on foiling your missions and winning by making you lose. Last but not least, King of Tokyo is a fun game of monster on monster destruction, for two to six players. A dice game, but with a tiny board of Tokyo. Monster(s) in Tokyo attack monsters outside and vice versa. Be the last monster standing, or the first to twenty victory points wins.

So when you are packing for that weekend conference, or looking at an extended stay in the Caribbean make sure to grab a game or two for a change of pace on your regular down time activities. Game on!

Married, with four fur babies, Tracy has recently rediscovered her love of board games, and has acquired a wonderful collection. Being new to writing, it is just one more newly discovered world she is exploring. At the age of 37, Tracy now proudly shows off her geekiness, through her love of crafting and creating; well, at least until she defeats Ganon with the master sword, she finds the blue crystal staff, or the TARDIS shows up on her front doorstep.

Games For Two

GAMES FOR TWO

By Tracy Thillmann

Many people think that board games are for parties, or big groups, so often stay away from them when there are just two of you. Not so, in fact many games nowadays play well with two people, and some even have a single person option. So if you are a pair of roommates, a young duo, or a couple of empty nesters looking for something new and social to do together, well look no further than today’s modern board games.

Most games can play two people, but often they have a variant, or are ‘more optimal’ with 3-4 people. Rulebooks can sometimes be short novels so learning a new game, and then learning a variant as well is a bit daunting. So where do you begin, you ask? Look no further than right here; a compiled list of some of the games that work great for two players as well as when you have more company, and also how they work.

TICKET TO RIDE

Who doesn’t love trains? Well okay, maybe not to the point of Sheldon-esque proportions but most everyone understands the concept of trains. And admit it; you love trains just a little. Ticket to Ride is a beautiful game with easy to pick up rules.

The goal: To lay out your train tokens, and complete destination tickets. By collecting cards of certain colours, you play the cards to complete routes that help you finish your tickets. The game ends when a person gets down to two trains, then there is one last round for everyone to complete tickets. You can always collect more destination tickets to earn more points at the end of the game, but beware, any tickets you don’t complete count against your score.

The great thing about this game is the different maps you can buy, some are base games, and some are expansion maps that need the trains/cards from the base set, but play on their own. They all play well with two and some can play up to 5 so great when you do have company.

CARCASSONNE

A tile based, worker placement game that has a nice, simple base set with many expansions to change up the strategy. You draw individual tiles and place them to build roads, towns, monasteries, and farms. 

The Goal: You place tiles to fit the existing placed tiles on your turn, and then you can choose to place your Meeples (wooden workers) on that new tile to take control of one the four choices that may be on it. With exception of the farms, your Meeples return to you once the project is finished. You score points for the length of road, the size of the town, the monastery being surrounded by tiles. The farmers stay on the farms until the end of game scoring so the trick is to make sure you don’t place too many farmers down or you won’t have Meeples to place to score points throughout the game. The game ends when the last tile is placed, and final scoring begins.

This is a fantastic, gateway game that is often one of the ones that people first play when getting into modern board games. It plays quite well with two, and can play up to five people.

VIVA JAVA: THE DICE GAME

A dice game about coffee; Yes coffee! A simpler, more compact version of the original board game, you roll dice to make blends with the various coffee beans on the dice.

The Goal: You can strategize to pool your dice and make blends of different types of beans. Some allow for quicker points, some are an investment which gives you points over a few rounds. Your blends will degrade but with the right combination you can maximize greater points. The game ends when someone is the first to get to twenty-one points.

It is nice and compact, so travels well. It can even play one person but plays better with two or more. The dice game can play up to five players; if you are feeling like a more involved game, the board game can play up to eight people, but isn’t as good for just two because there is some collaborating that goes on, and thus works best with four or more.

RIVALS FOR CATAN

This game only plays two players but it is a fantastic game but has lots of playability. It is a territory

building game that uses cards to create your own villages; which have resources, trades, and people.

The Goal: Starting with one village, two roads leading horizontally out of the village, and starting with six resources spaced above and below, you gather points through the various trades, buildings, and people that you purchase with the resources gathered. More villages being built, and upgrading villages to towns also get you points. The game ends with the first person to reach a certain fixed amount of points, the base game is to seven victory points, with expansions increasing the difficulty and the total points to end the game.

This isn’t a game for more than two people, but it adds a different feel to the traditional Settlers game, and the base game has two expansions, plus there are two more than you can get to add on.

Other games that can play well with two players: Helios, Pillars of the Earth, Agricola, Blueprints, Gloom Smash Up.

With the massive amount of games out there nowadays, there is so many that can play just two people. In some cases there are variants to allow for the lower number of players. This may make some shy away from trying them, but once you have the basics down of certain styles of games you can pick up the basic rules, and add the modifications in quite easily. So when you are at home with just two of you, two words: board games!

Married, with four fur babies, Tracy has recently rediscovered her love of board games, and has acquired a wonderful collection. Being new to writing, it is just one more newly discovered world she is exploring. At the age of 37, Tracy now proudly shows off her geekiness, through her love of crafting and creating; well, at least until she defeats Ganon with the master sword, she finds the blue crystal staff, or the TARDIS shows up on her front doorstep.

Resource Management Games: An Introduction

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT GAMES: AN INTRODUCTION
By Tracy Thillmann

When you think back to your childhood, remembering all those fond moments of dice rattling in a cup, arguing with siblings over who wins because they have the most money, or puzzling out what your dad is drawing when all it looks like is a demented duck in a tutu.

So Many!

Fast forward a decade or two; you have decided to try out board games again. So you walk into the local game store, and are dumbstruck by the sheer volume of choice. Dice, deck building, cooperative, zombies, dungeon crawls, and then most daunting of all… the worker placement/resource management (WP/RM) strategy games.

The WP/RM games are by far my favourite games, despite the fact that learning them sometimes make me feel like I have had a two hour brain freeze. Yet don’t let that stop you. From Settlers of Catan to The Village, or Lords of Waterdeep to Noblemen, there is a game for any level of play experience.

*hands of the audience snap up into the air*

“What is a WP/RM game?”

“There are so many, where do I begin?”

“How many…?”

“What about…?”

Don’t worry; by the end of this article, you should be ready to tackle the, often daunting, WP/RM strategy genre.

So where to begin… 

DEFINITION 

A WP/RM game is a strategic, competitive style game. They often involve Meeples (little wooden people, or even little wooden animals, food shapes, ships, and so many more), as well as cubes representing gems/elements/minerals/etc. And who doesn’t love Meeples.

MEEPLES!

Traditionally they are played over a defined number of rounds, or until a goal is met. In Noblemen the game plays over three decades, Lords of Waterdeep is over eight rounds, Hermagor is when you have no more action tiles, and the list goes on.

PLAYERS

So what if you are a couple who often have to play just the two of you, or you are a big family trying to find a game for everyone? Strategy WP/RM games are great for groups of most sizes.  Most are traditionally designed for 2-5, where some play, with expansions, up to 6 players; and some even have solo options. Traditional age range is usually 12+ but some allow for younger players to catch on quickly.

With so many fantastic games coming out every year, the hardest decision is where to begin. Even an experienced gamer can open up a new game that was thought to be a nice, easy strategy game and sees that the rule book is a small novella. The size of the box, the art, the description can all be deceiving. A hard game looks easy or vice versa. I have yet to find an easy way to tell one from another until I start to play; now to be fair I thrive on the heavy brain hurt games. As a teacher of games at a local lounge I have begun to compile a list of beginner, intermediate and advanced list; which I will post at the end of the article. When in doubt, just ask a friend who plays them, or an online group/page; and if by chance you pick a heavier than expected game, there are so many great walkthrough videos that I have used many times to help figure out those sometimes-not-so-clear rulebooks.

STRATEGY

The biggest strategy to a strategy game; don’t take on too much. Often there are more action/play options than there are action turns. You often want to try to do everything to try to gain more points. You usually spread yourself too thin, and actually make a lot less points than focusing on one or two parts in the game. This gives the games lots of playability, because next time around you can try a different strategy, and then a third, and so on. Mix it up; get out of your comfort zone.

The WP/RM style of game has a sea of choices, and so many play mechanics that one article can’t do them justice. All I would say is don’t be daunted by them. Read the rule book, take your time to learn, and have snacks at hand.

The artwork for these games is always so beautiful and unique to the theme.

AS PROMISED: THE LIST

Beginner Games: Settlers of Catan (a great gateway game; and most gamers have played it so you can probably find someone who has a copy), Stone Age, Lords of Waterdeep (D&D based), Pillars of the Earth.

Intermediate: Belfort (made in Canada), Helios, Agricola (many would argue it is an advanced game but the base play is quite quick to catch onto), Valdora.

Advanced: Noblemen, Archipelago, T’Zolkin, Hermagor, Dungeon Lords (you get to be evil dungeon lord fighting off the dungeon crawling adventurers), Glass Road.

Hurt your Brain Hard: Keyflower, Troyes, De. Vulgari Eloquentia, Terra Mystica, Caverna.

.. And my favourite you ask? Hands down, it is The Village. You use time as payment to kill off your people to gain more victory points. It is a strange mechanic, so technically makes it an advanced game, but the strategy itself is more intermediate in level.

No matter your likes, the WP/RM strategy game genre is so varied you will probably find something in a style/genre you enjoy. So go ahead, grab some Meeples and just have fun

Married, with four fur babies, Tracy has recently rediscovered her love of board games, and has acquired a wonderful collection. Being new to writing, it is just one more newly discovered world she is exploring. At the age of 37, Tracy now proudly shows off her geekiness, through her love of crafting and creating; well, at least until she defeats Ganon with the master sword, she finds the blue crystal staff, or the TARDIS shows up on her front doorstep.

Ottawa Geek Hangouts: The Loft Lounge Promises Big Fun

by Jordan Danger

OTTAWA GEEK HANGOUTS: THE LOFT LOUNGE

Last week I had the sincere pleasure of meeting Mike Hopkins, co-owner of the new gaming lounge, The Loft. When I walked into the Loft (nestled on the top floor of an old stone house on Waller, just behind that blue-and-white, lighthouse-looking youth centre on the corner), I was really impressed by what I saw. Growing up geek, I’m used to the usual dungeon-like game rooms provided by some comic book and geek shops, and I expected the same; but this beautiful space is nothing like the dark smelly basements I was used to.

THE LOOK AND FEEL

The space is warm and inviting, with the natural beauty of the old building shining through. Along one long wall runs a huge length of bookshelves, housing the 784+ boardgames available for you to play while you chat, drink, and eat. It’s a cozy space while still being plenty large, and it struck me that this place doesn’t feel like your typical ‘geeky’ space—I could see bringing a ‘virgin geek’ here for an evening and being confident they’d feel just as welcome as any of us hardcore people.

HOW IT WORKS

The Loft charges a flat $5.00 fee for all guests, which provides you access to the boardgames for as long as you like. Guests are dissuaded from bringing their own games; why bring in your own and risk getting ketchup on them? Their website has an extensive library of all the games, so feel free to check in advance that they have the one you’re looking for. I’ll tell you right now, it’s pretty impressive: I even found Hungry Hungry Hippos on there. Clique-y games like Magic: the Gathering aren’t found here; there are lots of places around town, says Mike, for these types of games. The Loft is meant as a more social space, with games that anyone can quickly pick up and learn.

GEEK GIRL FRIENDLY? YES.

Owner Mike Hopkins is a really interesting fellow, and a natural supporter of the geek girl movement. He began collecting boardgames about three years ago after a life-altering surgery made it painful to sit and play computer-based games, which was his original pastime. Mike decided to make his new hobby into a full-time enterprise and credits the Toronto-based Snakes & Lattes for the inspiration. Mike and his partner knew they wanted a fair representation of women on their staff team, and actually ended up with 80% of their staff being female. You can read their bios on the Loft’s blog to learn more.

I was also really impressed to hear that all staff sign off on a non-discrimination agreement: while other staffing issues may be dealt with using the typical ‘three strikes’ approach, staff agree that any act of discrimination by a staff member against someone else based on their colour, creed, or orientation will be cause for immediate dismissal. Recognizing that Mike and Alessandro are both male, they also opted to provide all staff with the phone numbers for workplace harassment support—just in case any of their staff ever felt harassed but didn’t feel comfortable approaching their male bosses.

OVERALL: FOOD, GAMES, AND VIBE

Ambiance, games, staff, and food combined, the Loft is a definite feather in Ottawa’s geek cap. With their specialty personal pizzas and bite-size grilled cheese (so you don’t have to worry about greasy fingers while you play), this promises to be a great place to relax and enjoy the evening. They even have some vegan and gluten-free offerings, for those of us with food sensitivities.

Head on down to the loft and enjoy the ambiance, the games, and the time spent with friends. And hey, if you don’t have anyone to bring, visit the Loft on a Wednesday evening for Open Gaming night. Whether you’re a novice Scrabble kid or a hardcore settler of Katan, the Loft is your new home away from home. 

The Loft Lounge

14 Waller Street, Ottawa

theloftlounge.ca

Jordan Danger is a veteran blogger, writer, and marketing consultant based in Ottawa, Ontario. She is also President and Editor in Chief of CapitalGeekGirls.com. Jordan blogs at GirlCrafted.com, a lifestyle blog about crafting life both literally and figuratively. She loves DIY projects, her dog, and Oxford commas.

How I Met Board Games: A Love Story

HOW I MET BOARDGAMES: A LOVE STORY
By Angela Hartwick

It was a beautiful summer day in the summer of 2009. I had just started dating the man I’d later marry and we’d been invited by a few of his friends to play boardgames. I had no idea what to expect. 

The group decided on the game Shadows Over Camelot. I listened to long hyper-detailed instructions on how to play and nodded a lot hoping to project confidence. As an English major who took an entire course on Arthurian Legend the game intrigued me. It’s a (mostly) cooperative game in which we are Knights of the Round Table tackling various quests for Camelot, such as searching for the Holy Grail. The catch is there are forces of evil, including a potential traitor in your midst, working to bring down Camelot. A few hours later everyone had laughed, strategized, accused fellow knights of betrayal, and the good guys had saved the day (to the chagrin of my new boyfriend who had secretly been plotting our demise).

In the last five years gaming has become a primary hobby. Our main floor closet contains more games than it does shoes and coats combined- and there are five of us. Boardgames are fun to play but here are a few specific reasons why they are oh-so-loveable.

INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION 

I have a myriad of hobbies. Fitness, Scouts, art, and raising the minions - but playing boardgames is the one I find most intellectually stimulating. My gaming friends are mostly older. We finished University a decade ago, which for the most part means lectures and assignments meant to exercise our minds are no longer part of our every day. Strategy games keep us nimble the same way crossword puzzles and Sudoku do. 

VARIETY

Tabletop games are so versatile. Game mechanics can require managing resources, making optimal decisions, and building allegiances. Often times there is a luck factor thrown in as a fun variable. There are “transition” games, great for introducing to friends who seem nervous about tabletop games, such as Dominion, Colosseum, and the Resistance, and there are more elaborate and time-consuming games such as Arkham Horror and Eclipse. The possibilities are endless regarding game themes, play time, difficulty level, and mechanics.

CROSS GENDER AND AGE

For the Capital Geek Girls Ottawa Comiccon workshop Jordan and Courtney sought feedback from us writers on a myriad of topics related to being a geek girl. One of the questions they asked was which aspects of geekdom we think are particularly girl-friendly, and boardgames was at the top of my list. I think this may be because our perception of board gamers was developed when watching cheesy 80s Parker Brothers commercials which I think without fault included a mom, dad, boy, and girl. There are games that are sexist and I’m sure there are sexist players but to my knowledge it isn’t an identified issue in the board gaming culture community as it is in, say, Magic: the Gathering or comic book culture. As for age, I’ve made friends with retired folk, college-aged kids, and even bonded with my two oldest kiddos from tabletop gaming.

SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS SLAYER
A magical thing happens when you break out a game: social awkwardness diminishes. It’s like kryptonite to anxiety that can occur when meeting new people. Generally no one is the centre of attention while playing a game and, in my experience, having something to focus on doesn’t allow for neurotic over analysis. I’ve played games with complete strangers and have met some of my closest friends though a shared love for boardgames. 

In sum, tabletop games offer the chance to socialize, strategize, and immerse oneself in various thematic situations all from the comfort of most tables ever made...but if given the chance, this is the table dreams are made of:

Found on Geek Chic

Angela is a 30-something year old mom of three kids - a baby, a school-aged kid and a teenager – and a furbaby, living in Orleans with her geek soul mate husband. She studied English Literature and Social Work but took an unexpected turn somewhere and ended up working as a policy analyst for the feds. Hobbies include reading, playing boardgames and Magic: the Gathering, cooking healthy foods, blogging, and discussing favourite tv shows and movies. She is the proud organizer of the Ottawa Geek Social Club, which strives to provide meetup opportunities that reflect the many facets of geekdom and beyond! www.ogsc.ca.

Board Game Etiquette: From Candy Land to Catan

BOARD GAME ETIQUETTE
by Sandi Moser

In this day and age of the electronic gadget, playing board games is a great way to get together and reconnect with friends. 

Since our first gaming experiences with Candy Land and Snakes and Ladders, we have ,hopefully, been learning the basic rules of etiquette. Play with grace, don’t be a sore loser or winner. and play fair. Winning by cheating is not really winning. However, if you’re new to board games, or haven’t had the opportunity to play very often, you may not be aware of some other unspoken etiquette rules. 

Next time your hostess pulls out a cool new game she’d like to try, here are a few additional considerations to keep in mind as you play:

NO FOOD OR DRINK NEAR THE GAME 

Credit: Evan-Amos

If you’re new to gaming, you may not yet know just how expensive some of these games are, or how much effort the host has spent to assemble the various expansions. Sticky fingers can gum up pieces and spilled drinks can warp the playing board or cards. Wait for the host’s cue for food or drink on the table or politely ask. And if you know you’ll be playing a game, perhaps avoid bringing the bag of cheeses.

Credit: Júlio Reis

NO BENDING CARDS, CHEWING PENS ETC.

We all have things we do while we’re thinking of our next move or waiting for our turn. Try not damage the game components while you’re thinking by bending cards or tapping game pieces on your lips (I’ve seen it done). Remember that others will be playing the game after you and would prefer to use undamaged, clean pieces. 

NO OVERTHINKING

It’s not quite the right term, but I can’t think of another way to word it. Take your cue from others for the appropriate amount of time to plan your next move. If it’s a new game, you might understandably take longer at the beginning while you understand the rules and gameplay. But, if everyone is taking an average 30 second turn, no one wants to consistently wait while you make your 5 minute plan to dominate each turn (although it does provide others with a bathroom break). 

Credit: Matěj Baťha

HAVE FUN

Don’t take yourself too seriously – Enjoy the game for what it is – a chance to socialize and have fun. If the game isn’t to your liking, play through and suggest something else that you rock at (Charades? Wii Sports? Euchre? Drinking wine?). And remember you’re not really building your own rail line, you don’t really own Boardwalk and you’re not really a magician (but if you are, we should talk!). 

There’s no official etiquette play book that I know of and I’m sure there are some rules that I haven’t thought of. You may have additional rules based on your own board game experiences – feel free to add them in the comment box below. Happy gaming!

Sandi is a 30-something environmental engineer and mother of two from the metropolis of Stittsville, Ontario. Writing for Capital Geek Girls is a new adventure for her, with previous writing experience limited to technical documents, briefing notes and Facebook updates. In her spare time, Sandi enjoys playing board games and video games, reading books, watching movies, and crocheting. She looks forward to sharing her geeky endeavours with you, as well as reporting on the next generation’s response to those endeavours.

Complicated Boardgames: Top Three Best Bets

By Ashley and Ka of The Meeple’s Republic

WORTH THE WORK: BEST COMPLICATED BOARD GAMES!

8 hours of a day is generally reserved for work or a cross-continental flight. Could it also be spent playing a SINGLE GAME?! Oh yes friends, a far cry from Settlers of Catan, there are big, component-filled, burly, complicated semblances of board games out there, complete with text books and cheat sheets. Not all big games take 14% of a week to play, but there’s generally a high level of commitment necessary from you, dear player, if you’re going to hunker down and open one up. To save you wasted hours learning something that doesn’t even know how to spell fun, we’re giving you our top picks for complicated games that are well worth the effort to learn and play. Be warned: some of these may scare off your casual gaming group, and all are best learned from someone who already knows how to play!

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA – The show has a cult following, and so does this board game. While the members of the both BSG cults tend to be one in the same, this semi-cooperative race-to-find Earth-and-avoid-destruction-by-Cylons is fun even if you haven’t seen the show. While you’re trying desperately not to lose food, population, fuel or morale, you’ve also got to deal with saving civilian ships, making repairs to Galactica (your ship) and trying to fend off Raiders. There is a ton going on in the game itself, on top of trying to figure out who among you might be an evil robot! Is it worth all the bits and pieces just to play a hidden roles game? Yes, most certainly. The feeling of success and camaraderie when you manage to stop yet another horrible thing from happening is incredible. Plus the opportunity for each player’s role to change as the game goes on makes the accusations and betrayal aspect especially interesting. We commend any gaming group who tries to learn this out of the box, but highly recommend learning this from someone who already knows how to play.

SPACE CADETS – This uber-complicated “party game” doesn’t have 800 pieces or 15 action points to spend per turn, and that’s what makes it great. First off, it’s not reeeeeally a party game but feels like one, with lots of shouting, laughing, and racing against the clock. In Space Cadets each player is a member of the crew flying a space ship on a mission. It’s particularly complicated because people are all doing something COMPLETELY different. Each position has its own mini-game to play, all of which are played simultaneously during a timed round. The results of each game are pooled together to redistribute energy, gather crystals, evade energy ships, amp up the shields, and other typical space ship type actions. Many of the mini-games are based on luck, making the things mighty tricky. Things get even trickier when roles change, or if there’s a core breach, and you need to frantically pass cards around the table to complete a second game in the same amount of time you were just barely getting through the first! AHHH! It will certainly induce laughs, and cheers of victory if you manage to beat the clock. If you’re patient Space Cadets can be learned fairly easily using the rule book and these training videos (assign roles, and then have everyone watch their own video). Good luck on your mission!

MAGE WARS – And now for something completely different: Mage Wars. It’s a 2 person battle of rival wizards on a simple board proving the best complicated games don’t need a metric tonne of people, components or time. Both parties get a customizable book of 50 different spells from which to summon magical creatures, harvest mana, create curses, adorn yourself in armor…the list goes on, and the spells build up on one another. Much like chess,

and you know how complicated chess really is, you’ll both move within the board casting spells, trying to anticipate what the other is doing. Except you not only have to choose the right spell, but also watch that you can afford the mana for your overall grandmaster wizard plan. Oh, and once you’ve cast a spell it’s gone forever, so you’ll have to figure out if now is really when you want to use that spell anyway. The plethora of spells means not only are you heavily strategizing, but you are almost always frantically changing that strategy given your opponent’s last move, and your dwindling spell options mean the game doesn’t drag. Knowing complicated games aren’t always fun the first time around, there’s even an “apprentice game” with half the rules so you can easily learn this one right off the shelf.

Ka & Ashley are the Most Honourable Chairwomen of The Meeple’s Republic, a social events company in Ottawa, ON. They love good food, good beer and good people. Oh, and of course bringing people together with board games! You can find their serious opinions and silly faces on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

FUNSTRAVAGANZA A HIT AT THE COMIC BOOK SHOPPE

by Emily Plunket

For a few special hours this February long weekend, board game enthusiasts took in some free play at the Comic Book Shoppe on Bank St.

The Table Top Gaming Super 2-Day Funstravaganza, held at the Capital Geek Girls Headquarters, attracted folks of all stripes for two days of open board and card game.  Games featured included King of Tokyo, Elder Sign and Munchkin.  New games were presented to new and interested players by store employees and a team of volunteers. 

Volunteer Derick Bragg showed willing participants how to play Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. Based on the popular roleplaying game of the same name, Pathfinder takes players through adventures using cards.

“I really enjoy the volunteering probably because I enjoy games and board games – games of all kinds, whether it’s computer games or board games.  I love games,” said Bragg.  Bragg, an IT consultant, says he frequents several board game events held across the city, including the weekly Monday night meet up at the Royal Oak on the corner of Bank St. and Gloucester St.

Store manager, Ange Kuehl, explains that says the event over the February long weekend was aimed at all ages as a fun activity for the long weekend, but says similar events are held roughly every six weeks.  She says the events promote new games and into games the store offers.

Kuehl says the popularity of board games is tied to Wil Wheaton-hosted TableTop series, where various celebrities demonstrate new and hot games, but says events such as the Funstravaganza and the Royal Oak meet-ups have made more people aware of the activity.

When asked where the appeal of board games lies, Kuehl says “I just think it brings people together.  It’s like more of an interaction with each other.”

“Some [games] could be really crass and funny; and then other ones can just be more team building.  Other ones can pit you against one another. There’s just such an array of different choices out there that you can pretty much fine something for everybody.”

Emily Plunkett is a recent graduate of the journalism diploma program at Algonquin College. As a freelancer, she’s written for the Ottawa Star and the Sarnia Observer. Notorious for being a Beatlemaniac, a record collector and something nobody can really put a finger on, she enjoys a good Sunday afternoon with CBC Radio chatting away, her knitting in hand and her cat, Levon, snoozing at the end of the bed.

The Quiet Players: Board Games for Introverts

INTRO BOARD GAMES:  BOARD GAMES FOR INTROVERTS!

 

Source: the incredible Hyperbole & A Half

When thinking of games for introverts, some people automatically think of video games; what activity could be more conducive to staying solitary? But we’re here to tell you about another option: board games! Board games run the gamut from restrained to rambunctious, subdued to sonorous, clever to corny, and all-sorts of alliterations we’ve yet to come up with. Plus introverts are the same way! Some are quiet, while others talk passionately about their hobbies. Some prefer to be alone all the time, while others really enjoy being social with the right people. So what makes someone an introvert? They tend to think and then speak, favor one-on-one interaction, and most importantly, need solitude to recharge which is the exact opposite of their extroverted friends. If you’re an introvert you probably already know what makes you tick, so on to the games we think you might like!

 

THE SOCIAL: RIALTO 

In Rialto you watch gondolas float past the beautiful waterways of Venice, as you wheedle for ULTIMATE POLITCAL DOMINATION! Okay, so theme-wise this area control game isn’t particularly exciting, but the game play is fabulous. The system for gaining points relies mostly on area control, with an interesting card-drafting mechanic. Those cards are then played in an auction/bidding style that allows for high levels of player interaction WITHOUT having to negotiate or plead your case. This allows our introvert friends to show off their thinking and planning prowess instead of manipulative speaking skills.

THE ONE-ON-ONE: ANDROID: NETRUNNER 

For the introverts who like strategize during their alone time, Android: Netrunner provides that in spades with the option to build your decks before the game has even started. A living card game with a multitude of expansions, where you can win without having spent the most money, Android: Netrunner is fantastic whether you choose to build your own decks or play with the base collections.  Set in a super cool cyberpunk future, you play corporation versus runner. The former advancing secret agendas secured with “ice” while the latter hacks, runs, and hopes their efforts are doing something, anything, to take the corporation down. Beautiful art and careful detail with the theme will suck you right into the dystopian future. Since this fantastic game can only be played one-on-one, it’s also perfect for the introvert who prefers just a little socializing with their strategy.

THE LONE WOLF: PATHFINDER ADVENTURE CARD GAME 

Just because you’re an introvert that may not always want to meet up with other gamers on a regular basis doesn’t mean you have to be excluded from the crazy world of RPGs. The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game packs in all the excitement of embarking on a campaign and fighting monsters and magic alongside your fellow wizards and rogues, but allows you to do all that just playing solo. No need to go in search of a good moderator or mass email a list of strangers in the hopes to find other like-minded adventurers, you’ve got all the makings of a great RPG in one box. And for the times you DO want to share your fighting skills with a select party of friendly gamers, this adventure plays up to 4; that’s you and 3 very lucky people.

Ka & Ashley are the Most Honourable Chairwomen of The Meeple’s Republic, a social events company in Ottawa, ON. They love good food, good beer and good people. Oh, and of course bringing people together with board games! You can find their serious opinions and silly faces on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.