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

Yesterday I had to miss the games club night due to work-related travel to Lancaster. It was nice to see familiar names on the way there, like Stockport, Manchester, Wigan, Bolton, and Preston, and remembering laying tracks between those cities when playing Brass (click on the image to enlarge). My hosts were intrigued when I told them about the game and asked me to bring it next time I go there. The trip was too short to do any sight-seeing, so I definitely must go up Lancashire some other time.

Coincidentally, a Brass tournament game took place yesterday, won by Steve. He played only 3 tournament games so far, winning also Princes of Florence and coming second in Age of Steam. Impressive! No wonder he’s currently second in the ranking, behind David, who has 9 points (and 2 games) more. My Brass tournament game is due in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed…

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

The game is about building rail tracks between cities and transporting goods between them. At the start of each round, players can get income by selling shares of their company for $5 each. Each player chooses how many shares they wish to sell. Next, players bid for the turn order and thereby spend part of their money. Then, in turn order, each player chooses one privilege, like being the first to build track or transport goods, independently of turn order. Following that, players take turns to build track between cities and pay according to the terrain and other factors. Finally, players take turns to do 2 actions, which can be to increase the reach of our locomotive or to transport one good (a coloured cube) to a like-coloured city. Each segment of track between two cities used to transport the good brings in 1 VP (or 1 share, at their choice) for the owner of that segment. The reach of the locomotive imposes the limit of segments used, i.e. the maximum of VPs/shares earned by transporting the good. The round ends with each player paying $1 for each reach level of their locomotive, and $1 per share they don’t own (i.e. if it is held by investors). If they played well and own shares, they get $1 per share.

All players start with no money, no shares, and their locomotive only traverses one segment. A typical first round will hence go like this: sell two shares to investors for $10, spend $4 or less in the bidding round to get in a reasonable turn position, get the privilege to build or ship first, spend $4 to build a 2-track segment, ship two goods between the two cities to get back the two shares you sold. This means you’re back to zero shares owned, you only pay $1 for the loco, and keep $1 after the first round.

If you don’t have enough cash to pay for the loco and to the investors, you have to sell extra shares for just $2 each, meaning you will owe even more money in the next round. You will basically have to always pass when bidding for turn order to keep the money for buying track and making further connections. This in turn means you always have last choice of privileges, go last in building track and hence don’t get the cheapest routes, etc. etc. Recovering from debt will take many rounds, as in real life

Now guess what? Everyone picked up the gist of the game, as I explained above, except me. Although Keith had warned that money was tight, I was stupid enough to just raise $10 in shares and pay $6 for going first! Did I pick up the best privilege? No, I picked the one that allowed me to build in first place! Did I then built the track segment in such a way that blocked others from connecting the same cities? No, I allowed Graham to build track parallel to mine!  With such stupid mistakes, I finished the round lacking cash and having to sell extra shares. Most of the rest of the game was just making ends meet in order to never have to sell extra shares again. I succeeded and in the last rounds I managed to make some VPs, but by then it was too late for any recovery. Another mistake was to upgrade the loco too late and too little: by the end of the game, I could only earn at most 3 VPs/shares per turn, while the others were raking in 4+ VPs/shares per turn during most of the game.

Damen won the game by smartly taking the urbanization privilege often, which allows one to put a new city and 3 cubes on the map. There are several city ‘placeholders’ within short distance in the east of the map, and Damen quickly connected them, thereby getting several end-of-game VPs (1 per segment) in a cheap way. Not to mention he got to pick the cubes that could be best transported between the cities. Keith came second by expanding alone in the northwest corner, setting up a circular line  between cities of different colours, so that he could always send any good the longest way. Sam struggled a bit during the first half of the game, but picked up nicely in the second half. Graham did well in the first half, but in the second one it became apparent that him and I occupying the same south/south-western corner was damaging both, as we were transporting between the same cities and hence depleting the goods supply doubly fast. Final score: Damen had 36VP, Keith 35, Graham 25, Sam 21 and I had a pathetic 10VP. It goes largely without saying that Damen provided lost of generous unsolicited advice during the game, although not always quite in our best interest.

Final impressions: a great game, but definitely with a snowball effect, both ways. If you do a mistake, you get into even more trouble and you’re just fighting for survival most of the game. If you do well early, you’re on a roll. For example, Keith was impressed Damen got so early into owning more than zero shares. I must play this again and show I’ve learned something (the hard way), like studying well the map and placement of cubes before the first bid, taking $15 in the first round, and upgrading the loco in sync with the length of the built path in order to maximize the VPs/shares per turn. The game should become more balanced if all players are experienced.

If you wish to know more details about the game’s strategy, I recommend Graham’s detailed and largely accurate report. He only forgot that he (not me) was the first copy-cat, by putting his track next to mine between the same cities in the first round. Playing 2nd and with $11 to spend, he had plenty of other choices.

At the other tables, loads of games were played. Nigel needed the whole evening to beat David, Steve and Big Nick at a game of Brass. It took much less time for Paul B. to win the Tigris & Euphrates tournament game against Chris and André. They next played Coloretto and Sequence, and Paul won both! Chris left, Paul and André played Lost Cities… and Paul won! Paul was definitely on a roll. I can’t remember any of us winning 4 games in a single night. Well done, Paul! At another table, Paul H., John, Dan, Manuela and Michael played Citadels and Heckmeck am Bratwurmeck, while Ester, Julian, Matt and Ben played Reef Encounter followed by Stone Age.

The important thing is I enjoyed the course. It covers a wide range of topics, from the economic impact of the game industry and the social perception of videogames culture, to how modern games are produced and getting a small taste of it by designing and implementing our own little maze or platform game with GameMaker. Topics like serious games and games with a purpose were also included. The assessment’s questions were as wide-ranging as the course, but I can’t give any further details without getting into serious trouble. I can safely recommend this short course, but then, being an OU employee, I’m obviously biased.