2007 - Games Played
By the end of 2007, I played a total of 342 games, from 126 different games. (see Boardgamegeek for a breakdown) That's just shy of a board game a day. Which is something to aim for this year.
Of those I played 16 games more than 5 times:
Liar's Dice 17
Also known as Bluff, a quick filler game often rolled out at the end of the night. Plenty of interaction and outrageous luck as it's dice driven, but with some skill on how much and when to bluff.
Arkham Horror 13
A classic now, a big game with lots of depths and massive replayability. Hunt down and stop the Mythos taking over Arkham. Or die trying. Or go insane, which is worse than death. Not quite what Mr Lovecraft had in mind by brooding horrors, but still full of tension, and co-operation is vital.
For Sale 11
Another quick filler game, with two parts. A nifty auction mechanic which sets your had for a quick fire trumplike card game.
Caylus 10
Possibly my favourite Eurogame, with lots of cubes. Everyone love Cubes. Strategy is needed, but also tactics and fluidity required to win. The card game version Caylus Magna Carter distills down this game into a shorter faster paced game, but loses some of the variety of options.
No Thanks! 10
Another filler, with rules that take about 2 minutes to explain. Perfect game to decide who buys the next round.
Race for the Galaxy 10
My game of the year. Played this ten times in about 15 days. Fast paced game of empire building, with vague similarities to Puerto Rico. Multiple valid strategies (settle planets, trade, conquer or build infrastructure), which are partly but not overly dependent on the luck of drawing the right cards.
Notre Dame 9
Game of improving Paris during a plague. Has a nice drafting mechanism for choosing your actions each turn, as well as balancing the need for money, people, killing of rats and trying to win the game as well.
Imperial 7
It looks like a war game, plays like a stocks games, with some teeth. Has a couple of flaws in the standard game that made me a little tired of it after seven plays this year (and a couple last year, I think), but would like to try it under the variant rules.
Puerto Rico 7
Still going strong for me after several 10's of games in real life and online. Always feels a little mechanical, but with interesting choices to decide on what to do that helps your opponents the least.
TransAmerica 7
Quick, but interesting game of building rail routes across America. The rail routes theme is pretty basic, and relies of just joining point with little wooden sticks, so don't fear the rails.
Zooloretto 7
Seems to have fallen back a little with other games to play, but a very nice set collection game with plenty of interaction to screw your neighbour. Was the Spiele Des Jahres, and you can happily play this with family as well.
High Society 6
Simple bidding game, fills in time rather than being great.
Power Grid 6
Many of my friends in Vancouver love this as a deep game of bidding, building and screwing thy neighbour. Serious players can fall to Analysis Paralysis, but it's an interesting game of pushing the smallest edges as far as possible.
Mall of Horror 5
Zombies! Brainz! Screw your neighbour so they face the Zombies alone! Not a game to play if you want to make friends and have a thin skin.
Thurn and Taxis 5
Simple set collecting game where you try to expand a postal network across Germany. Quick and interesting, but not one for the longer term.
Werewolves of Miller's Hollow 5
This game is less a board/card game and more role playing... try to discover who the werewolf (or wolves are) or avoid discovery and being lynched. Simple free form format role playing, with a structured cycle and voting to decide who dies each day. Great fun in a largish crowd with a few beers.
Of those I played 16 games more than 5 times:
Liar's Dice 17
Also known as Bluff, a quick filler game often rolled out at the end of the night. Plenty of interaction and outrageous luck as it's dice driven, but with some skill on how much and when to bluff.
Arkham Horror 13
A classic now, a big game with lots of depths and massive replayability. Hunt down and stop the Mythos taking over Arkham. Or die trying. Or go insane, which is worse than death. Not quite what Mr Lovecraft had in mind by brooding horrors, but still full of tension, and co-operation is vital.
For Sale 11
Another quick filler game, with two parts. A nifty auction mechanic which sets your had for a quick fire trumplike card game.
Caylus 10
Possibly my favourite Eurogame, with lots of cubes. Everyone love Cubes. Strategy is needed, but also tactics and fluidity required to win. The card game version Caylus Magna Carter distills down this game into a shorter faster paced game, but loses some of the variety of options.
No Thanks! 10
Another filler, with rules that take about 2 minutes to explain. Perfect game to decide who buys the next round.
Race for the Galaxy 10
My game of the year. Played this ten times in about 15 days. Fast paced game of empire building, with vague similarities to Puerto Rico. Multiple valid strategies (settle planets, trade, conquer or build infrastructure), which are partly but not overly dependent on the luck of drawing the right cards.
Notre Dame 9
Game of improving Paris during a plague. Has a nice drafting mechanism for choosing your actions each turn, as well as balancing the need for money, people, killing of rats and trying to win the game as well.
Imperial 7
It looks like a war game, plays like a stocks games, with some teeth. Has a couple of flaws in the standard game that made me a little tired of it after seven plays this year (and a couple last year, I think), but would like to try it under the variant rules.
Puerto Rico 7
Still going strong for me after several 10's of games in real life and online. Always feels a little mechanical, but with interesting choices to decide on what to do that helps your opponents the least.
TransAmerica 7
Quick, but interesting game of building rail routes across America. The rail routes theme is pretty basic, and relies of just joining point with little wooden sticks, so don't fear the rails.
Zooloretto 7
Seems to have fallen back a little with other games to play, but a very nice set collection game with plenty of interaction to screw your neighbour. Was the Spiele Des Jahres, and you can happily play this with family as well.
High Society 6
Simple bidding game, fills in time rather than being great.
Power Grid 6
Many of my friends in Vancouver love this as a deep game of bidding, building and screwing thy neighbour. Serious players can fall to Analysis Paralysis, but it's an interesting game of pushing the smallest edges as far as possible.
Mall of Horror 5
Zombies! Brainz! Screw your neighbour so they face the Zombies alone! Not a game to play if you want to make friends and have a thin skin.
Thurn and Taxis 5
Simple set collecting game where you try to expand a postal network across Germany. Quick and interesting, but not one for the longer term.
Werewolves of Miller's Hollow 5
This game is less a board/card game and more role playing... try to discover who the werewolf (or wolves are) or avoid discovery and being lynched. Simple free form format role playing, with a structured cycle and voting to decide who dies each day. Great fun in a largish crowd with a few beers.