The chief editor criticises the Spiel des Jahres jury for this year’s selection of light-weight nominees and for muddling things up with yet another special award, ‘Spiel des Jahres plus’, instead of separate family and hobby games awards.

I think that Macao received an unfair review, complaining about the complexity of cards and the tendency for paralysis and loosing the overview of other players’ strategy. The same could be said of many other well-received games…

Last but not least, there is a Dominion-campaign design competition: readers are invited to submit rules for a campaign of 4-8 games that must be thematically bound through some background narrative. The rules must specify which cards are used in each game and how the ownership of some cards or the points obtained in one game influence the succeeding games. The campaign may use any existing Dominion cards, but also other material (dice, meeples, etc.).

The remaining issue’s contents is as follows, with underlined games receiving great reviews:

• News:
  • 3 page add-on to last issue’s Nuremberg Fair report: party, dice and card games
  • the German Game Archive moves to Nuremberg but faces uncertain future
  • the main character of a new thriller novel is inspired on Alex Randolph, who was a code cracker during the war
  • the nominees of the Spiel des Jahres award
  • Ravensburger opens a museum  of the company’s history at its head quarters
• Long reviews: Knizia’s Jäger und Sammler, Feld’s Die Speichersatdt and Macao, Fresco, Assyria, Power Games, Friese’s Factory Manager, Cable Car, Maria, Giants, The BoardGameGeek Game
  
• Short reviews: Dominion Seaside, Klimapoker, R-Öko, Welt der Türme, African Park, Galaktico
• Children’s games: Schollenhüpfen, Schatz-Alarm, Hexenduell, Diego Drachenzahn, Kraken-Alarm
• Reports: Cashflow, the game and the economics seminars based on it
• Edition spielbox: Spuk um Spuk, a cooperative ghostbusting game for 1-4 players by Matthias Prinz
• Profiles:
  • Donald Vaccarino, the former computer programmer who invented Dominion (and expansions) in one weekend
  • Doumen, Wiersinga and their game publishing company, Splotter Spellen, best known for Roads & Boats and Indonesia
• History:
  • Spider & Fly, the 1977 MB game that inspired Kranen-Alarm
  • the roots of: Egizia, i.e. games that have the Nile as theme
  • for collectors: games based on arithmetic
• Variants: for Cable Car

• News:
  • 13 page report of the Nuremberg Fair: more remakes, more expansions, more square boxes
  • the 22nd Hippodice game author contest
  • a new online publisher of crowd-sourced games
• Long reviews: Egizia, Seeland (the new Kramer game), Ad Astra, Raumpiraten, Gonzaga, Greenrock Village Tatort: Hotel, Colonia, Schinderhannes, Havanna, Dungeon Lords, Warhammer: Invasion,
• Short reviews: Frauenpower & Verflucht (two Small World expansions), Chigago Gansters, Square on sale, Jaipur, Chronicle
• Children’s games: Shaun das Schaf: Kuchen-Chaos, Die kleine Raupe Nimmersatt (the game to Eric Carle’s book), Das magische Labyrinth Kartenspiel
• Reports: Tom Felber returns home to Switzerland after playing around the world for 2 years
• Edition spielbox: El RazuL, expansion to Finca
• Profiles:
  • Günter Burkhardt, co-author of Seeland
  • Wolfgang Discherl, recipient of the 2001 game author stipend and has since then author of over 30 children’s games for HABA
• History:
  • Orient Express, the 25-year old detective game that inspired Greenrock Village – Tatort: Hotel
  • the roots of: Vasco da Gama
  • for collectors: the publisher Schmidt-Spiele and its first and most famous game, a variant of Pachisi still selling after 100 years
• Variants: for Gonzaga

The issue comes with a mildly useful Dominion add-on: a cardboard to put your draw and discard piles on and not confuse both. The issue’s contents is as follows, with underlined games receiving great reviews:

• News:
  • Zoch (known for its Heckmeck line of games) was bought by major toy group
  • Derek Carver (game author and contributor to Counter magazine) became 80
  • The Settlers of Catan and expansions sold 10 Million copies in Germany alone
  • Geocaching is the theme of a card game, First to Find!
    
  • the German Post issues a stamp featuring Parcheesi
  • In Canton, China, council tenants who play Mah-jong in public get 5 penalty points, the same as for throwing garbage out of the window! They risk being evicted when reaching 20 points.
    
• Long reviews: Vasco da Gama, A la carte, Endeavor, Darwinci, Alcazar, El Paso, Atlantis, Carson City, Day&Night, Last Train to Wensleydale, Greed, 2 de Mayo
• Short reviews:  Die Chinesische Mauer & Die Super-Ereignisse (In the Year of the Dragon expansions), Auf Messers Schneide (Pandemic expansion), Winkelzüge, Wazabi, Mausgeflippt, Abriss, Ubongo 3D, alea iacta est
• Children’s games: Busy Bee, Nelly, Muh&Mäh! (cows and sheep, as you may guess), Määh! (only sheep), Die lieben Sieben – ab auf die Wippe! (children game titles use lots of exclamation marks!), Schatz der Mumie
• Reports:
  • brief impressions from the Nuremberg Toy Fair: more of the same
  • Tom Felber plays around the world: this time he attempts to play games in buses
• Edition spielbox 88: Schwere Schritte, a race game for 2-6 players by Tobias Thulke
• Profiles:
  • 30 years of publisher Amigo
  • Haim Shafir (author of Galli Galli, published by Amigo) and Ariel Laden (author of children’s and abstract games), two game designers and publishers in Israel
• History:
  • Nim-inspired abstract games like Nimbi, Quarto!, Isola, Blokus, etc.
  • the roots of: Monopoly City
  • for collectors: the games of International Team, an Italian publisher in the 80s
• Variants:
  • Endeavor for 3 players
  • Suleika without dice

• News:
  • Tom Werneck leaves the Spiel des Jahres jury, which he co-founded
  • travel agencies organize game-themed trips to India and China
    
• Long reviews: Hansa Teutonica, World without End, Peloponnes,  Sherwood Forest, Masters of Venice, Waterloo
• Short reviews:  Cir*Kis, VerTIPPT – nochmal!, Greedy Kingdoms, 13, Mosaix
• Children’s games: Wo war’s?
• Reports:
  • 28 pages presenting the new games at Spiel 2009 in Essen
  • Tom Felber plays around the world: this time he attempts to learn the Argentinian national card game (Truco) and plays in Buenos Aires’ only boardgame club
  • Moritz Eggert describes his misfortunes in being consultant to a TV show about boardgames
• Books: after the first two editions in 1989 and 1999, the third edition of Glonnegger’s classic games book appears
• Edition spielbox: promotion pack of Ultimate Werwolf, with cards to play basic 5-player game and one variant
• Profiles:
  • games designer and publisher Phil Orbanes (author of Cir*Kis, co-founder of Winning Moves)
  • award-winning games designer Jens-Peter Schliemann and his ‘game inventor studio’ in Cologne
• History:
  • group games: from Mafia to Werevolves of Miller’s Hollow et al.
  • the roots of: Shaun das Schaf – Köttel-Alarm and other games based on animal excrements
  • for collectors: games based on fantasy, myths and fables, exhibited during Spiel 2009

The magazine comes with a small expansion for Carcassonne, by one of the magazine’s regular reviewers. Moreover, thinking of the future generation of gamers, the children’s section looks at games for 2-year olds. The issue’s contents is as follows, with underlined games receiving great reviews:

• News: Count Ludo, the German award for game graphics, was awarded to the graphic designers of Nicht zu fassen (children’s game) and Bonnie and Clyde
• Long reviews: Donna Leon: Gefährliches Spiel, Tobago, Opera, Montego Bay, Die 3 Gebote, Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear! – Russia 1941-1942, Sylla, One more barrel
• Short reviews: Cuba: El presidente, St. Petersburg expansion, Keltis: Neue Wege, neue Ziele, Zooloretto: XXL, Tribun: Die Brutier Erweiterung, Galaxy Trucker: The Big Expansion, Kingsburg: Die Erweiterung des Königreichs, Zooloretto: exotic, Sia Sola, Uruk, Ra: The Dice Game
• Children’s games: Bauernhof memory, Stoff-Memo Baustelle, Tier-MixMax, Erster Obstgarten, König Kasimir und seine Tiere
• Reports:
  • Tom Felber plays around the world: this time, very funny musings from crossing the USA with a car boot loaded with games
  • interview with the Vohwinkels, a graphic designer couple living in Seattle
  • portrait: the graphic artist, book author and game designer Dominique Erhard, author of Sylla, Serenissima, Condottiere, etc.
• Edition spielbox: The Tunnel expansion for Carcassonne, by Christwart Conrad
• History:
  • oldie: Dragonmaster
  • the publisher Edition Perlhuhn and its founder Reinhold Wittig (part 2)
  • the roots of: Dixit
  • for collectors: some of the 600 games published within 10 years by ink-maker Pelikan
  • abstract games: games where pieces must be kept in contact, incl.Wabanti, LOA, Hive, The Game of Kingdoms, Uisge, Watubi, Arktia, Karo, Blox, Bango, Six, etc.
• Variants: Automobile, Steel Driver, One more Barrel

Moving on to the issue’s contents, it is as follows, with underlined games receiving great reviews:

• News:
  • the top 10 games voted for the German Game Award: Dominion wins, with Diamonds Club getting the Essen Feather for best rulebook and Burg der 1000 Spiegel getting the children game award
  • “Count Ludo”, the German award for game graphics, will be awarded for the first time at the Leipzig modell-hobby-spiel Fair
• Long reviews: Via Romana, Small World, Dice Town, Islas Canarias, Duell der Baumeister, Spartacus, Professor Pünschge, Automobile, Powerboats, Duck Dealer
• Short reviews: Strozzi, Viamala, Monuments
• Children’s games: Einfach klasse in Deutsch, Tintenklecks, Rechtschreiben, 6 nimmt! Junior, Schaun das Schaf – Köttel-Alarm!
• Reports:
  • Tom Felber plays around the world: the game café and publishing landscape in South Korea, with lots of plastic hammers and a visit to Tom Vasel
  • a concert where music pieces were inspired by games
  • interview with GameHeads, the authors and publishers of Bushido
• Edition spielbox 88: Space Drifters, a game for 2-6 players by Christof Tisch
• History:
  • oldie: Automania
  • the publisher Edition Perlhuhn and its founder Reinhold Wittig (part 1)
  • the roots of: …aber bitte mit Sahne
  • for collectors: the games of the metallurgic company Meto
  • abstract games: games where pieces are pushed, incl. Abalone, Akiba, Over Board, Oshi, Siam

Interestingly, almost all games reviewed in this issue, even those by experienced designers, have rather average scores. I guess it’s just a sign that far too many games are published, which decreases the quality: there is a limit on truly good games that designers can come up with. Sadly, there is a lack of reports and interviews in this issue, two of my favourite rubrics. So, the contents is as follows, with games in italics receiving great reviews:

• News:
  • Spiel des Jahres ceremony: the winners are Dominion and Das magische Labyrinth
  • Friedemann Friese is the new chair of the Spiele-Autoren-Zunft
  • Ulrich Blum gets from the Spiel des Jahres jury the 2009 stipend for young authors (3000 Euros)
  • 23rd Hexacon of the GHS eV, a society for historic simulations
  • 28th game authors meeting in Göttingen, with over 160 participants
  • 20th anniversary of the Heidelberger Spielverlag, celebrated with a game convention in the Stahleck castle
• Long reviews: Dominion: Intrigue, Eine Frage der Ähre, Cartagena – Die Meuterei, Dixit (As d’Or winner), Maori, Die Goldene Statdt, Einauge sei wachsam!, Fast Flowing Forest Fellers, Cities, Heads of State, Cavum, History of the Roman Empire
• Short reviews: Tiku, Ice Flow, Fruit Fair, Händler auf dem Forum Romanum, Schweine Bammel
• Children’s games: Die Burg der 1000 Spiegel, Land in Sicht, Buteo (three innovative games that fascinate adults more than children), Kofferdetektive, Das magische Labyrinth (Kinderspiel des Jahres 2009)
• Reports:
  • Tom Felber plays around the world: a week in the Bay Area, including a visit to Endgame, one of the best game shops he’s ever seen, and Kublakon
• Edition spielbox
  • Golden Eagle, a special card for Planet Steam
  • Joker piece for Aber bitte mit Sahne
    
• History:
  • oldie: Tactics, the first cosim (conflict simulation game)
  • the roots of: Finca (nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2009)
  • for collectors: the games of Diana Spiele-Verlag, a Frankfurt publisher in the 1940s and 50s
  • mechanics: price setting in financial and economic games (part 3)
  • abstract games: connection games (Hex and others)
• Variants: Dixit for teams, Zack & Pack for 2 players, errata and extensions for Livingstone

• News:
  • third game in the Cartagena-Series
  • first impressions of the Nuremberg game fair
  • founder of Days of Wonder moves to Asmodée
  • the As d’Or award
• Long reviews: Agricola, In the Year of the Dragon, Anno 1701, Linq, Oregon, Hamburgum, Kingsburg, Gipsy King, Brass, Wabash Cannonball
• Short reviews: Kakerlaken-Salat, Uptown, Ramses, Handelsfürsten
• Children’s games: Lauras Erste Übernachtung, Pippi Langstrumpf, Capt’n Sharky
• Profiles:
  • the game authors Knut Happel and Christian Fiore
  • a sales supporter of the Zoch Verlag
• Reports:
  • workshop of the Fachgruppe Spiel: how to write rules well
  • Stonehenge: a game anthology
• Edition spielbox 83: Time-Roulette, a betting game for 2+ players by Jürgen P.K. Grunau
  • Spielbox-Café, a rum-producing building for Cuba
• History:
  • oldie: Schoko & Co
  • the roots of: Tzaar
  • evergreen: 20 years of Bausack
  • for collectors: the 19th century games publisher of the Züllchower Anstalten
• Variants: 5-player variant for Before the Wind
• Books: So spielt die Welt, a book about the games played around the world; two books about Bohnanza

• News:
  • third Spiel der Spiele award for Knizia
  • the results of the Deutscher Spiele Preis
  • the bankruptcy of Eagle games
• Long reviews: The Pillars of the Earth, Maestro Leonardo, Mykerinos, Bison, Emira, John Silver, Tempus, Augsburg 1520, Railroad Tycoon, Canal Mania, Vegas Showdown, Take it to the Limit!
• Short reviews: Nottingham; Ja, Herr und Meister!; NoNo; Schnelldenker; Kreuz und Quer; Skybridge; Das grosse Frankenquiz
• Children’s games: Bengali, Alpen-Express, Fabulantis
• Profiles:
  • interview with Dominique Metzler, the lady who organises the Essen game fair
  • a portrait of Zoch Verlag, a publisher of well-known games involving chicken
  • a portrait of the Perlhuhn publishing house (part 2)
• Reports:
  • the various editions of the Spiel des Jahres winners
  • the 25th game author contest of Boulogne-Billancourt
• Edition spielbox: The Messenger of the Princess, an expansion for Thurn and Taxis
• History:
  • oldie: the games of publisher Blatz, the current owners of the Schmidt brand
  • the roots of: Schatz in Sicht
  • for collectors: the long path of game authors towards recognition
• Variants: Celtica

This 32-page publication includes:

• portraits of the company’s founders Bernd Brunnhofer (author of Saint Petersburg) and Karl-Heinz Schmiel (author of Die Macher), and the rest of the staff;
• a backstage look at how games are published and illustrated;
• a complete ludography;
• detailed summaries of some of the published games: Dodge City, Die Macher, Modern Art, El Grande, Carcassonne,Thurn and Taxis, and their expansions;
• two expansions: The New Huts (for Stone Age) and The Cult (for Carcassonne).

The best of all is that you don’t have to know German: the spielbox team took the trouble to translate the magazine and the expansion rules into English.