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Introduction Viticulture: Essential Edition is a worker placement board game where 1-6 players take on the role of aspiring winemakers . Throughout each round, players experience four seasons. In these seasons, players will offer tours, create structures, plant, harvest, and fulfill orders. The player to reach at least 20 victory points becomes the most renowned viticulturist. Components Well designed insert A detailed rule book, honestly one of the best to follow along The game board, serving as the focal point. It features a summary of each season on the right side, helping players stay on track and reminding them of the events needed at each season and at the end of each round Player boards to manage your vineyard and track your progress Unique colored meeples (yellow, purple, blue, orange, white, green) and structures for various locations on the board Translucent grape tokens representing harvest and wine values Summer and Winter visitor cards that provide special abilities Order fulfillment cards for selling your wine. Vine cards to plant and initiate wine production Field cards allowing you to uproot part of your vineyard Currency called Lira Starting cards: each player begins with a mama and papa card. These cards provide a bit of an asymmetric starting point Gameplay Each round of Viticulture comprises four phases: 1. Spring: Players choose when their workers wake up, determining turn order. Additionally, players may gain perks such as inviting visitors, receiving Lira, drawing vine or wine order cards, earning victory points, or gaining a temporary worker for the year. 2. Summer: Players send workers to various locations on the board to plant grapes, play visitor cards, build structures, or give tours. 3. Fall: Inviting visitors to play them in either summer or winter. 4. Winter: Players send workers to various locations on the board to harvest fields, gain Lira, train new workers, play a visitor card, make wine, and fulfill orders. At the end of each year, players age their grapes, return workers, collect residual payments based on filled orders, discard down to 7 cards, rotate the first-player token, and check if a player has reached at least 20 victory points. The game concludes with the player having the most victory points emerging as the winner. What I Like I absolutely love this game; it's one of my favorites. It was my first Instagram impulse buy . We played this game A LOT during the beginning of the pandemic at a two-player count. The instruction manual was daunting at first, but thanks to the Watch it Played video and the rule book, we were able to enjoy it right away. The game skillfully balances luck and strategy. Viticulture scales up really well, so regardless of it being a two-player or up to a six-player game, it remains enjoyable and leaves you wanting more.I also like: - The meeples - The well-crafted instruction manual - The board's user-friendly iconography and marked spaces - The high replayability - The delightful moments shared with loved ones over wine, cheese, and charcuterie boards during gameplay - The challenge of getting started, prompting forward-thinking to crush grapes and outsmart opponents - I love that the boards have a Spanish side, I wish the cards did too, so I could enjoy this with my family What I Don't Like My only ugh with Viticulture is my own persistent delusion that somehow, this one time we'll manage to finish the game within the suggested 45-90 minute timeframe. Conclusion Viticulture: Essential Edition is one of my favorite games . It skillfully blends strategy and an opportunity to enjoy wine and cheese boards with friends. The game strikes a perfect balance between luck and strategy If you haven't tried this game and you enjoy worker placement games, this is one you should definitely try. There are multiple expansions that add a lot to the game, but I wouldn't recommend them to start with as the base game provides ample replayability on its own. Happy gaming!

What a week! The holidays are over, work is back in full swing, and even the hockey season is charging ahead, go Amerks! But amidst the busy routines, one thing remained a joyful constant: board games! We managed to sneak in at least one game every single day! Some quick, some long, some familiar, some brand new. It was a week that left us grinning, strategizing, and yearning for more. 49 games in 7 days, that's the official count. But the numbers pale in comparison to the warmth, laughter, and friendly competition that filled our gaming time with the wife and friends. We journeyed across the Northeast in Ticket to Ride Legacy. Thursdays was our peak, a 13-game marathon that started with a light and breezy Codenames Duet breakfast and ended with the learning of the beautiful new card game, Romi Rami. Speaking of new card faces, along with Romi Rami, Knarr joined our table for the first time. Amidst the new, we rediscovered old favorites. Codenames Duet and The Fox in the Forest emerged from the shelf of shame! The Fox in the Forest brought back a flood of memories. This was our very first two-player card game. We played it daily for months. The spades-like feel is so addicting. This week's experience got me thinking: have you rediscovered a game you shelved or gotten rid off? Here's to another week of rolling dice, flipping cards, and forging memories, one roll, one trick, one game at a time! Happy gaming! The Games Played Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig (3-7 players, 60 mins): Build two castles at once. The hard part? Must construct them in a way that one doesn’t outperform the other because you score for the lowest of your castles. Played a game of five, my partner to the right won. UGH! Katie, she did so well Codenames Duet (2 players, ~20 mins): I love and hate this game. I am terrible at it; therefore, I don’t like playing it because I usually am the one that makes us lose. I love it because it’s so challenging and fun. We played it 8 times, and won twice. That’s an improvement, right? Copenhagen (1-4 players, ~60 mins): I love it when friends request a game that we’ve taught them a while back. This was the case with Copenhagen. Played it at 3 and barely lost. This game is a polyomino where you are trying to create the best front building. You get more points if you get more windows, it sounds easier than it is. Curios (2-5 players, ~15 mins): This game made a comeback. We played it three times, and I can’t wait to bring it to the table again. In this game you are a rogue archeologist, but you have to use bluff and deduction to ensure your gems provide you the most points at the end. This game was recently implemented by Wonder Woods. They play basically the same, but! Curios comes in a metal tin box. Farkle (2-6 players, ~15 mins): Push your luck with six dice to be the first one to exceed 10,000 points. Almost won! I broke the 10K and while we finished the round, my friend beat me by 300 points. What a game! This is our night cap. We even have sweatshirts. Flotsam Fight (2-6 players, ~30 mins): Pick a boat and get rid of your treasures. Make sure to not get caught with the highest treasure in hand! I did not do well in our 3 player game. Hens (2-5 players, ~30 mins): I love this game more and more each time we play it. Check out my review to learn more. Won 1 out of 3 on a two player clucking intense set of games. Knarr (2-4 players, ~30 mins): This one was new to us. You are trying to assemble your Viking crew to explore and take over the world of trade. Lost at a player of two. Can’t wait to try it again! Kluster (1-4 players, 10 mins): Abstract strategy game where players place magnets inside a delimited cord trying to not have the magnets collide. First to run out of stones, this week I once again won the game! Mists over Carcassonne (2-5 players, 30 mins): Expansion or standalone Carcassonne that adds fog tiles and hidden features, creating a more mysterious and tactical experience. Played at 5 players. We barely passed level three! My City (2-4 players, 20 mins): Card drafting and tableau building game where players design their own city districts. Played the last round and won 1 of 3. Even though I won 10 out of the 24 total chapters, I won the campaign. We played this game as the standalone version, and loved it equally as much! Next Station: London (1-4 players, 30 mins): Draw the best London Underground network, connecting stations, tourists traps and crossing the Thames. Played it once, and I lost by a few points Nmbr9 (1-4 players, 20 mins): Stack your numbers higher and higher to score more points. The catch? Can’t leave any gaps and cannot and a number must be touching at least two different numbers. I love this game and barely won at a 3-player game Number Drop (1-6 players, 20 mins): Picture Tetris and Soduku’s baby. This is a dice drafting game where players roll and manipulate dice to score points based on the shared tetromino. Played it at 3 and 4players. Lost all three times On Tour Europe (1-8 players, ~20 mins): Plan the best route for your band by rolling two dice and flipping three cards. I came so close to a game against my wife. This was our first time doing the Europe tour, and I loved it! Point City (1-4 players, 45-60 mins): City-building card game where players draft and play cards to construct buildings, score points, and fulfill contracts. Came in second place out of 4 players. Railroad Ink (1-4 players, ~30 mins): Roll-and-write game where players draw dice-inspired train and road routes to score points. Played at 4 and 3 players, lost both times. Sea Salt & Paper (2-4 players, ~30 mins): Origami marine looking cards. The game is beautiful, simple, yet super strategic. You are trying to assemble your cards by placing effects and deciding when to end the turn. We played two games. One at 2 and one at 4. I lost both times! Space Base (1-5 players, 45-60 mins): Dice drafting and engine-building game where players build space stations and roll dice to earn resources and activate abilities. Played at 5 lost by 1 point! The game was so intense. I loved it with five players. Spots (1-4 players, ~25 mins): roll and place dice to complete the most adorable dog cards. I won at a game of 3 and lost at a game of 4! The Fox in the Forest (2 players, ~30 mins): Spade like game where you are taking tricks. You must win more or less than your rival. Gotta be careful! If you get too greedy, you will not score points in the round. This is what happened to me: I thought I had it, but I got too greedy, and that cost me the game. It was a close one, though! I'm craving revenge. The Game (1-5 players, 10-20 mins): We squeezed in a few tense rounds of this cooperative card-playing challenge. With its ever-escalating difficulty and nail-biting decisions, The Game never fails to put our teamwork to the test. One minute we're celebrating bringing the piles up or down by ten, the next we're scrambling to recover from a devastating setback. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, and I wouldn't have it any other way. We played it with five players and were not successful. Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West (2-5 players, 60 mins): Our campaign through this Wild West-themed Ticket to Ride adventure continued. I came in third place in a game of four. We just finished the third year and will be expanding our horizons on our next play. I will reserve any spoilers until we finish the campaign!

Games Beyond the Classics: Literature Needs an Upgrade Gone are the days when Monopoly, Uno, and Scrabble were the only gaming choices gracing the pages of our favorite books. The board game hobby has exploded in recent years, with hundreds if not thousands of innovative and exciting titles hitting the shelves. Yet, when it comes to literary representations of game nights, authors often seem stuck in a time warp, referencing the same tired classics over and over again. Stuck in the Past: A Case of Literary Uno-vision It's not uncommon to pick up a contemporary novel and find characters gathered around a Monopoly board, meticulously buying and trading properties. Or perhaps they're engaged in a heated game of Clue, desperately searching for clues to expose the mansion's murderer. While these classics hold a special place in our hearts, their repeated appearances can feel stale and uninspired. Take, for example, "Uno, Hearts, and something called Quiddler" from Emily Henry's delightful romantic comedy People We Meet on Vacation. The book features two writers, Alex (an English teacher who writes short stories) and Poppy (a blogger). Surely, a game like Quiddler, a fast-paced wordplay game reminiscent of Scrabble, would be right up their alley. Yet this vague mention, a mere footnote in the narrative, could have been a chance to highlight the unique and more modern game. Imagine if the author had described them "battling wits in a Scrabble-like game called Quiddler," instantly piquing the reader's interest and showcasing the game's appeal. This isn't an attack on specific authors, but rather a call for broader awareness. Even mentioning a lesser-known game like Quiddler is a commendable step towards diversifying board game references. However, the prevalence of generic descriptions like "something called" reflects a missed opportunity to truly integrate board games into the story. While we can certainly appreciate the nostalgia evoked by classics, it's time for authors to venture beyond the well-trodden path and discover the vibrant world of modern board games. Crazy Stupid Love: A Call to Action Remember the iconic scene in Crazy Stupid Love where Ryan Gosling's character urges Cal (Steve Carell) to "be better than the Gap! Be better than the Gap, say it!" This impassioned plea for self-improvement can easily be applied to the realm of literary board game references. Authors, it's time to be better than the classics! Embrace the vast and ever-evolving landscape of board games. Think of the possibilities! Imagine a thrilling mystery novel where a group of amateur sleuths uses deduction skills honed on cooperative games like Blood in the Clocktower to crack a real-life case. Or picture a heartwarming family drama centered around a family rediscovering their connection through laughter and friendly competition over a game of Azul. The possibilities are endless, and the potential to enrich our stories with fresh, engaging elements is undeniable. Well, maybe not that far, but at least mentioning more than the classics, please! Beyond the Big Names: Introducing Hidden Gems Of course, acknowledging the classics isn't a bad thing. They're timeless for a reason! But let's not stop there. Let's introduce readers to the hidden gems of the board game world. Let's introduce them to the innovative titles that are pushing the boundaries of design and gameplay. Mentioning a lesser-known game in a novel can add a touch of holy shit! I know that game, let me bring it to the table today. At least, that's what happened to me while reading Role Model. The book mentions Catan and Ticket to Ride, and for the first time in a very long time, I played Catan. The Secret Sauce: Board Games as Catalysts for Connection For many of us, board games have become more than just a way to pass the time. They're a source of connection, laughter, and shared experiences. They bring families and friends together, so it's only natural that we want to see these beloved games reflected in the stories we read and the pop culture we consume. So, dear authors and creators, we implore you: Push the boundaries. Embrace the board game revolution. Let's fill our bookshelves and screens with references to the exciting, diverse, and ever-evolving world of board games. Let's cross our fingers and raise a glass (or a meeple) to a future where literary game nights are as fresh and innovative as the games themselves! Who knows, maybe one day . . . Do you have any book recommendations? Or have you read a book that mentions a modern game?

Intro Favor: Gods of Oethera is a tile-placement board game designed for 2-6 players. In this game, you select one of six unique characters, explore regions, collect relics, and race to be the first to earn ten points I'm writing this review during the Kickstarter campaign. Please note that the game is still in development, so the final product may differ from the prototype that was lent to me. Components In the prototype we played, Favor: Gods of Oethera featured high-quality components. The game includes beautifully illustrated tiles, cards, and tokens. There's one die with sides of 0, 0, 1-4, which was a pleasant surprise for me. The game also includes reference cards to aid players in understanding the various tiles and provide guidance during play. Gameplay Favor: Gods of Oethera is a board game that strikes a balance between accessibility and depth. Each round presents players with three key steps: drawing a god card from the central altar, taking one or multiple actions depending on your energy, and drawing an action card to get ready for the next turn. These actions allow you to explore uncharted territories, unearth relics hidden within ruins, or engage in combat with your rivals. Relics grant unique abilities, and ruins can be replenished with god cards or action cards. Each character possesses a distinctive boon that can be activated once per turn without expending energy. These boons can be rejuvenated by offering relics to the gods, and believe me, they come in handy! Action cards are divided into four categories: attack, spell, traps and hexes. Attack cards inflict damage on your adversaries, spell cards unleash a variety of effects, and hex cards prevent your opponents from taking certain actions. I must also mention that I love placing tiles, so having the ability to do so was a nice treat during the game. The inclusion of trap action cards introduces an element of surprise and luck to the game where you can potentially deal up to two damage. Pros: The game requires player interaction even when it's not your turn. It boasts an abundance of components. The game appears to offer extensive replayability.The artwork is not only appealing but also harmonizes seamlessly with the game's theme and mechanics. Cons: At first, the game might seem a bit hard for new players, but the reference cards make this manageable. The prototype was not suited for two players; however, the publisher announced that the game will include a 2-player version of the game that can be played in 30 minutes. I can’t wait to try it because my favorite player count is just my wife and me. The game can last up to two hours. So if you like shorter games, this might not be the best pick for your group. Conclusion In summary, Favor: Gods of Oethera delivers replayability and an engaging gaming experience. I am excited to see the finished product and try out the two player version. This game is a promising Kickstarter project with stunning illustrations and components. Did you back this project? I'm going to wait until it's available at my local store before I add it to my collection. I'm really curious about trying out the 2-player version first. Gather your friends and enjoy the game. May your favors be favorable!

Introduction: Beacon Patrol is a beautiful maritime cooperative tile-laying board game. You and up to three friends assume the roles of Coast Guard captains assigned to protect and explore the North Sea coast. Depending on the number of players, each turn you will explore up to three tiles, searching for buoys and lighthouses to earn the most points. Everyone wins in Beacon Patrol; however, your team's final title will be determined by the number of points you were able to accumulate. Components: The game's streamlined setup features a central Beacon Patrol HQ tile and players selecting one out of four ships and a corresponding reference card. Each player also gets movement tokens that allow you to move your ship to prepare for the next turn. The tiles are beautifully designed. Once the game is explained you can play this game with any gamer including those that are not native to your language. Each tile has an orientation rule on the corner that aids in planning ahead. The orientation rule can be frustrating at times because exploration would be much easier if rotation were possible. Beacon Patrol comes with two mini expansions that introduce additional tiles to the game and offer the opportunity to create new routes for the residents of the islands in piers and provide the residents with power in the windmill expansions. You are able to play with both expansions at once when you feel up to the extra challenge. Gameplay: Beacon Patrol is dynamic. Players take turns performing up to three actions (two in a four-player game) in a clockwise order: placing tiles, moving ships, and swapping up to one tile with another player. Scoring occurs at the end of the game which adds a little bit of anticipation in every game. All buoys and lighthouses that have tiles placed orthogonally around them are scored. A Seafarer's Perspective: The game is super cute. When I saw the box at my local store, I was sold. The game is a nice addition for a co-op game that is easy to teach and hard to master. I love the fact that it can be played with both new and experienced gamers. The game is not language-dependent, which is a nice bonus for my family and for my friends who loathe lengthy instructions. The instruction manual is really easy to understand, and it comes with very helpful infographics. It’s a nice palate cleanser between games or a pleasant way to end the night. Much like The Game, it's the type of game you may want to play again right away because you want to achieve a higher score. This has happened to me when we were just one point away from advancing from Sailor to Captain or a few points away from reaching Navigators. The game also challenges players to think strategically and be spatially aware, as even though a tile can be placed within your surroundings, it may corner you or prove disadvantageous in future turns. Balancing ship movements comes in handy for handling the game's obstacles. Navigating Potential Challenges: My only concern for this game is the potential for quarterbacking to occur. Other than that, player interactions are limited, but you can still collaborate, and your turn arrives faster than you might expect. There will be a lot of emotions when you have to pass a tile to a neighbor or when you believe you have something figured out, only to discover it's in the wrong orientation. Charting the Course: The Beacon Patrol Experience In summary, Beacon Patrol is a must-have cooperative board game for anyone looking for a good filler that can be enjoyed with experienced and new gamers alike. The nautical theme has a straightforward setup, and it’s easy to learn. Gather your friends and embark on this nautical adventure together. May the tides of Beacon Patrol be ever in your favor!

Intro: The Basics 🏕️ Tinderblox is a dexterity campfire-themed game appealing to both avid gamers and newcomers. It comes in a mint-sized tin box for easy transport and setup. ⌛The game plays in under fifteen minutes and accommodates up to six players. 🏕️ The premise is to grow the campfire 🔥 Flip a card, stack the required pieces, and strive to prevent the campfire from toppling. Failing results in game over. Gameplay: Unique Mechanics 🔥Build a campfire tower without it collapsing on your turn. For setup, open the tin box, take out the tweezers, shuffle the deck of cards, flip a card, stack the required pieces, and strive to prevent the campfire from toppling. The pieces are either brown logs or red and yellow ember square pieces. You're precariously stacking pieces, hoping they tumble when the next player places their stack. The tweezers component adds interest. It requires delicate transport of one to three pieces to the campfire without dropping them. The game ends when a player tumbles the tower, prompting immediate replay. What I Like: no instructions needed, guaranteed fun Tinderblox stands out due to simple mechanics. Draw a campfire card to strategically place logs, embers, or both using tweezers. This tactile addition adds skill and excitement. The game plays quickly and the tension grows after each turn. No instructions needed. Set up anywhere with a small flat surface. I've carried it in my backpack and purse, and even a gaming-hating coworker enjoyed it. Conclusion: An Exceptional Experience Don't let the size fool you. This game is an experience! Compact size suits social gatherings and traveling. No dings on the box since it's a tin. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or newbie in the board game world, Tinderblox offers memorable moments. 🥳 Are you ready for suspense? Want something easy to play with friends? Gather your pals and give this tin size a try.

INTRO "Splitter, where two halves make a whole," by Pandasaurus is a roll-and-write adventure that combines luck and strategy. Players roll two dice and symmetrically enter the numbers rolled to the center axis. Strategic decisions and objectives earn points in this quick game. Whether you are a seasoned gamer or new to board games, "Splitter" offers endless replayability. Test your skills in the art of symmetrical number placement! 🎲 What is a roll and write game? It's a quick, easy-to-learn tabletop genre where players roll dice and use the results to make decisions. These games are popular for their portability and appeal to players of all ages and gaming backgrounds. 🎲 GAMEPLAY 🧩 In "Splitter," you must fill your score sheet with numbers 1 to 6 across 22 rounds. In each round, all players write the same numbers in different positions, aiming for symmetric placement along the center axis. The strategic goal is to create specific groups for points. Numbers that are diagonally next to each other are not considered adjacent. You can create multiple, separate groups of the same number. Lonely 1's earn one point each, while adjacent 2's earn 2 points, three 3's grant 3 points, and so on. The game comes with two options, side A and side B. On both sides, Filling star spaces doubles your points. In side B, you can score five extra points if you write the same number in each of the three hearts. Be cautious; having more than the required number will not earn you points. For example, having two adjacent 1's or three twos orthogonally adjacent to each other will yield no points for those numbers. OBJECTIVE 🎯 Complete 22 rounds, filling your sheet with rolled numbers symmetrically to the axis in the center of your sheet. Score points by forming valid groups of adjacent numbers. The player with the highest final score wins, and in the unlikely case of ties, victories are shared. In my opinion, if you own the game, you win the tie. Thoughts? WHAT I LOVED 😍 "Splitter's" clever gameplay, simplicity, and easy to teach and understand the game, really got me! The challenge of placing mirrored numbers adds depth, keeping players engaged. The excitement and decision-making escalate with star spaces doubling points. CONCLUSION 🏆 🎲 "Splitter" is a fast and engaging roll-and-write game that cleverly balances simplicity and strategy. Its mirrored placement and scoring system offer a satisfying puzzle experience. Whether solo or with a group, "Splitter" provides endless replayability and entertainment. I've enjoyed playing it at various player counts including solo. The consistent playtime regardless of players is exciting and unique. 🌟 I've laminated the game, making it travel-friendly🏕️ Gather your friends and enjoy a game. May your rolls be critical and your strategies triumphant!

Introduction Curious Cargo is a 2-player board game by Ryan Courtney and published by Capstone Games. The game is set in a factory where you aim to quickly build pipelines for efficient goods delivery while handling trucks. It's a unique blend of logistics, spatial puzzles, and resource management. Components The game has high-quality, well-designed components, including double-sided player boards, shipping boards, a turn order board, truck cards, cargo tokens, a forklift player token, conveyor tiles, truck tokens, construction tokens, trucking tokens, and scaffold pieces. Gameplay In Curious Cargo, your goal is to score points by efficiently shipping cargo and managing resources. Each turn has two phases: construction and trucking. In the construction phase, you can take up to three actions to draw or place conveyor pieces. The trucking phase involves loading and unloading goods, playing truck cards, and trading tiles. The game ends when certain conditions are met, and players can only win if they have shipped at least 2 goods of each color. Pros: - Unique and challenging gameplay - High-quality components - Relatively short playtime Cons: - Can be complex - Reliant on luck for conveyor and truck cards - Slow start - May cause tension if you dislike competitive gameplay Not for Me While I prefer Ryan Courtney's other game, Trailblazers, I'll be keeping Curious Cargo because it's beautiful and maybe one day I'll enjoy it. However, I found Curious Cargo to be too complex and luck-based. It has numerous elements to track, and the influence of truck cards is significant with no way to mitigate luck. The rulebook is cumbersome and the game can be very slow at the beginning. Conclusion The game is not for me. The game is beautiful and if you have ever worked with logistics or manufacturing it may be worth the try. Beware of it's complexity and extreme luck base component.

Introduction Sure, I track stats – who won, what game, and when. But scorekeeping is just the tip of the iceberg. Starting this week, I'm going to blog about my game summaries. Forget dry stats - I'm writing down the whispers of strategy, the roars of laughter, and the quiet tension that fills our tables. This past week... Well, let's just say familiar favorites took center stage. This past week, the wife and I began with Skulk Hollow. I’m itching to play a few more rounds before crafting a review. My City, however, is nearing its epic finale. Tension crackles like static as we dive into the final chapter. Katie holds a comfortable lead, but a defiant spirit ignites within me. Can I snatch victory at the eleventh hour? After all, who cares if she’s won most games if I can lead My City into the campaign's victory? Tuesday Night Our Tuesday night group kicked things off with a raucous game of Raccoon Tycoon. We played until the cards and buildings ran dry. This basically happened simultaneously. It was a good reminder of why this game holds a special place in our hearts – the cutthroat competition, and the pure joy of seeing your furry empire rise or crumble. Oh it was such a great game! It was such a close game too. This led to a discussion about our shared favorites, and we decided to curate a list of "staples" – games we all know, are somewhat long, we all enjoy, and want to play at least once this year. The rules were simple. Everyone has to know the game, it must be a longer game meaning that it plays for at least 45 minutes, and it needs to be a game that we all have enjoyed together. I thought the list was going to be humongous. Surprisingly, the list only reached 37 titles! This may sound like a lot, but considering we've played over 200 unique games together in the past year, that felt strangely short. It is fascinating to me how games evolve with repeated plays. Strategy changes as you play a specific game more and more, and how some board games that you haven’t played in a while are familiar in the sense that you don’t have to read the rules and relearn them, but they feel new because you have to figure out how to beat your (sometimes new) opponents. After writing the board games on a piece of paper, we upped the ante by vowing to conquer 5 games at least 10 times in 2024. Our decided games for the challenge are: Stone Age, Search for Lost Species, Viticulture, and Dominion. Narrowing down the list was brutal. For that coveted fifth spot, the battle lies between Great Western Trail and Castles of Burgundy. We are going to have a showdown next week to determine which of those will go on our challenge board. I am very curious on how many times each of the other games on the list will make it to the table. This will be our first attempt at doing an h-index based on Tuesday game nights. What is an h-index? It is an author-level metric that measures both the productivity and citation impact of the publications. In board games, it is the maximum value of h (a game) that has been played h many times at least h times. Meaning that if you have 100 games in your collection, and you have played a few of them at least 3 times, your h-index is 3. We are giving our h-index a spin. We want to see how many games we play together on Tuesdays only this year and then compare that to the past few years and keep counting them in the years to come. Will some of these old favorites pass the test of time? Do you have any bets? Mine is that Viticulture, Castles of Burgundy, Great Western Trails, Stone Age, and Teotihuacan will always make it on the list. These gems will never be dethroned, at least not when it comes to playing with my wife on our date nights. The Rest of the Week We continued our journey with the second game of Ticket to Ride Legacy. We are doing this with four players. After dominating the first year, I found myself trailing behind in the second. But hey, who's complaining? Witnessing my wife, a self-proclaimed Ticket to Ride hater, actually enjoying the game is its own reward. Although I always wish I could play more games, this past week consisted of five nights of gaming. Here's to another week in plays, and to the countless stories, strategies, and moments of laughter that unfold on our tabletop battlefields. Cheers to familiar favorites and future discoveries! The Games Played Carcassonne (2-5 players, 30 mins): Tile-laying game where players build the landscape claiming features like cities and roads. The rules are simple, the game has endless replayability, and the game perfectly blends strategy and luck. Played the game at 2 players with the three tile variant. I lost. Delicious (2-X players, 30 mins): Simultaneous 12 round card game where you are trying to grow your plants and fruit garden. Played with two other players, and I lost. Illiterati (1-5 players, 30 mins): Fight the evil society that wants to take over the world. Form words and cooperatively save the world! Played at 4, we won! Kluster (1-4 players, 10 mins): Abstract strategy game where players place magnets inside a delimited cord trying to not have the magnets collide. First to run out of stones, in this case me, wins the game! Mists over Carcassonne (2-5 players, 30 mins): Expansion or standalone Carcassonne that adds fog tiles and hidden features, creating a more mysterious and tactical experience. Played at 2 and 4 players. Stuck at level four! Please send help and strategies my way. My City (2-4 players, 20 mins): Card drafting and tableau building game where players design their own city districts. Played the penultimate chapter won 1 of 3 Next Station: London (1-4 players, 30 mins): Draw the best London Underground network, connecting stations, tourists traps and crossing the Thames. Played it at two, and you guessed it! Katie won. Number Drop (1-6 players, 20 mins): Picture Tetris and Soduku’s baby. This is a dice drafting game where players roll and manipulate dice to score points based on the shared tetromino. Played it at 2 and 3 players. Won once. Point City (1-4 players, 45-60 mins): City-building card game where players draft and play cards to construct buildings, score points, and fulfill contracts. Came in last place out of 4 players. Raccoon Tycoon (2-4 players, 45-60 mins): Worker placement game where players gather resources, bet their income, build businesses, and earn money. Did not win and played with four players. Railroad Ink (1-4 players, ~30 minutes): Roll-and-write game where players draw dice-inspired train and road routes to score points. Came close but lost at 3 players Scattergories (2-4+ players, 30 mins): Word association party game where players race to write down words based on random letters and categories. Played four rounds at three players. Came in second place! Silver & Gold (2-4 players, ~30): Simultaneous flip and write set collection game where you flip cards and try to complete islands to score the most points. I won. Skulk Hollow (2 players, 20 mins): Battle the guardians against the clever Foxen clan! Played a few rounds and lost every single one! Space Base (1-5 players, 45-60 mins): Dice drafting and engine-building game where players build space stations and roll dice to earn resources and activate abilities. Played at 4, did not win. Ten (1-5 players, 15-20 mins): Card-counting game had us twisting our brains and racing to score sets of ten. I Love this game and came very close in our game of three, but I did not claim victory. The Game (1-5 players, 10-20 mins): We squeezed in a few tense rounds of this cooperative card-playing challenge. With its ever-escalating difficulty and nail-biting decisions, The Game never fails to put our teamwork to the test. One minute we're celebrating bringing the piles up or down by ten, the next we're scrambling to recover from a devastating setback. It's a rollercoaster of emotions, and I wouldn't have it any other way. We won against three players. We started out BAD, so this was a nice surprise. Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West (2-5 players, 60 mins): Our campaign through this Wild West-themed Ticket to Ride adventure continued. I was fourth place in a game of four. Twice As Clever (1-4 players, 30 mins): Roll-and-write masterpiece had us filling sheets with dice results, scoring cunning combos, and cursing our luck in equal measure. I thought I had it, but I did not. Played it at 3. Wingspan (1-5 players, 60 mins): We traded the cutthroat competition for this cutthroat beautiful competition of collecting beautiful and sometimes scary birds of prey. This engine-building game never fails to surprise me, even though I didn't win our three-player game.

WHAT IS BOARD GAME ARENA? BoardGameArena or BGA, is a virtual wonderland for board games. It has an ever-expanding library, and it allows the ability to connect with players worldwide. Whether you're eager to learn new games, enjoy solitary play, or crave the thrill of social competition, BGA offers it all. MY ODE TO BGA Oh, Board Game Arena, my virtual delight, Amidst every day grasp’s, you kept friendships alight, When distance stretched far and wide, we found our place, Bonded through games, in cyberspace's embrace. Lazy days with my partner, oh, what a treat, With games at our fingertips, life's a joyous feat, Chilling in comfort in BGA, we play, No need to move or set up, the perfect way. In awe, I stand, as you score and tally true, A wondrous feature, that sets you askew, From Azul to Zuuli, you offer a bounty rare, Each game, a treasure, for us to share. Board Game Arena, your magic unfolds, A sanctuary for friendships and tales untold, A testament to connections, pure and strong, In this digital realm, where we all belong. ❤️ WHY I LOVE BGA: BGA's ever-expanding collection of board games is a treasure trove for enthusiasts like me. With early access to new releases and the freedom to try before buying, Board Game Arena has become my go-to platform for learning, connecting with people worldwide, and indulging in endless gaming sessions. BoardGameArena does not replace the beauty of in-person gatherings or the thrill of playing board games with your loved ones. However, it offers the convenience of swift gameplay without the hassle of setup, which is a true delight. I can dive into captivating games like Castles of Burgundy or Lost Cities at a moment's notice without having to do the scoring math, refining my strategies for future in-person play. The platform's multilingual support also allows me to challenge opponents from diverse backgrounds, transcending language barriers. BGA ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: As a premium subscriber, I hope BGA addresses some concerns. Advertisements for free users can be a distraction, and the limitation on starting premium games may frustrate some players. Occasional cheaters or ghosting incidents can mar the experience. While turn-based games have their charm, I personally prefer more real-time options. The webcam and microphone features could benefit from refinement, but I remain optimistic about future updates. BGA WISHLIST? 🙏 I yearn for more customization options, like turning off profanity filters when playing with friends. Emojis can add a touch of fun to interactions , and an expanded emoji set would be a delightful addition. Flexibility in sizing, a dark mode, and improved game setup on mobile devices would enhance the overall gaming experience. Ultimately, BoardGameArena has brought immeasurable joy to board game aficionados like me, bridging distances and nurturing a global community of players. With continuous improvements, BGA promises to make our virtual board gaming escapades even more delightful and memorable. CONCLUSION BoardGameArena brings together enthusiasts from across the globe, fostering a virtual realm of camaraderie and friendly competition. While it does not replace the warmth of in-person gatherings, it offers unparalleled convenience and accessibility, becoming an essential addition to any board gamer's repertoire. Feel free to add me; 👋 my username is CotyCote. Gather your friends and enjoy a game!

INTRODUCTION Step into the barnyard and join the egg-citing farming adventure with "HENS" card game by Little Rocket Games! This 2-4 player game has an optional solo mode. The game is tiny and thinky. It plays in about ~5-10 minutes per player. The game features eight beautiful breeds of hens with unique colors, each card displaying numbers for placement during play, and eggs that determine scoring, as well as medals for additional points. GAMEPLAY Players start with a hand of four cards and take turns constructing their hen house in a 3x4 or 4x3 grid. Strategically pick up two cards each round, placing one and discarding one to maintain a hand of four. The challenge comes in placing cards using specific rules, such as choosing numbers that are one higher or lower than orthogonally placed cards, or using cards of the same suit to disregard the number placing rule. Unable to place a card? Flip it barnyard side up. OBJECTIVE The goal is to score points by creating the largest color suit group and accomplishing the bonus objective cards. Place your Rooster Token during your sixth round, betting on the group of hens you think will score the most points. Be cautious, as you'll only score points for that group if it's not the largest. At the end of the 12th round, you'll count eggs, medals, and deduct one point for each chicken coop. The challenge with this game is that you have to balance fulfilling goal cards while considering potential negative effects on your barnyard positioning. WHAT I LOVED Easy to learn and teach, HENS holds a special place in my heart due to its nostalgic charm. Growing up around my aunt’s chicken coop, counting eggs was my first job, and the game brings back fond memories. The fast-paced and compact gameplay makes it perfect for on-the-go fun. The game plays well at every player count. It can be a little predictable with two players, but this is balanced out by removing cards based on the player count. I really appreciate the limited downtime, and the inclusion of goal cards adds excellent replayability. For a simpler experience or first-time players, I'd recommend playing without the goal cards. The game is simple yet strategic, making it enjoyable for both experienced and new gamers. The board game is language-independent and doesn't have any text other than the breed of the bird and the number on the card. CONCLUSION HENS is a farm-tastic card game that will charm casual and avid board gamers of all ages. The game is relatively quick to play. Other players can draw cards from your discard pile, so the game is engaging in every turn. Gather your friends, roll up your sleeves, and enjoy this adorable chicken game!

INTRODUCTION Exploring the vast expanse of space has never been my thing, but The Search for Planet X by Foxtrot Games and Renegade Game Studios is a very enjoyable deduction game that requires no space knowledge. If you enjoyed Clue as a child, you will more than likely love this game. I thoroughly do. Planet X accommodates 1-4 players and takes about an hour to play. The game scales well. We mostly play it at 2-players, and it also plays well at three and four players. In The Search for Planet X, you embark on a quest to locate Planet X within our solar system. The best part is that even though you may be the person who finds Planet X, this does not guarantee you to win the game. I was initially hesitant to add this game to my collection because it involves using an app. However, despite our strict 'no phubbing' table rule, trust me, it is worth making a no phones at the table exception for this game. GAME COMPONENTS The game includes double-sided player sheets for expert and standard modes. The board is placed in the center with the earth board and sun disc. The earth board is dynamic and rotates, displaying the visible sky, time track, and spots for theories with matching tokens.In addition, the board is divided into four areas and you grab the corresponding sheet based on where you are sitting. Despite complexity, the design is clear. The tokens are cute, and each player marker is a telescope. Not included with the game is the need for each player to download the companion app on their phone, serving as the game instructor for clues and deductions. The game did not come with an organizer, so we 3D-printed one and laminated the sheets. This has been really helpful for erasing and making sure that we don’t run out of the provided game sheets. GAME PLAY The Search for Planet X unfolds in rounds, each representing a new observation period. During setup, players designate their area in the companion app and choose the difficulty level of clues to initiate the game. The app employs clear icons, ensuring simplicity in following along with the gameplay. Players have the option to scan sectors for celestial objects such as gas clouds and comets, conduct research to obtain a logical rule guiding the discovery of Planet X, attempt to pinpoint the location of Planet X, or unveil the contents of one of the 12 or 18 sectors—depending on whether playing in standard or expert mode. Additionally, players can engage in peer reviews and conferences to collaboratively determine the whereabouts of Planet X. The companion app serves as a resource, providing answers and unveiling crucial clues. Players meticulously record their observations, creating a web of interconnected information. Through the analysis of patterns, players eliminate potential locations for Planet X and discover which sectors are empty, containing asteroids, gas clouds, dwarf planets, and comets. The game concludes when a player confidently announces the location, with verification from the app. WHAT I LIKED - Space knowledge not required - Clear iconography and puzzle-like nature - Simple to teach with a user-friendly companion app (I thought I’d hate using an app) - Finding Planet X doesn't guarantee winning - Player shield provides clear instructions WHAT MAY BE A DRAWBACK - The game requires an app to be played - The game is complex and may lead to analysis paralysis CONCLUSION Despite finding space boring, The Search for Planet X is a replayable, easy-to-teach deduction game. Though I had strong reservations about incorporating the app, I was wrong. The app enhances the overall experience.The iconography in the game is super clear and the levels of difficulty allow each player to have a challenging game. Happy gaming!