Last update: August 10h
I'm always interested in good games... hearing reviews about games or
seeing a
set of games that someone enjoys, when I know I like some of them, is
useful in
helping me to find other games I might be interested in.
So, here are most of the games we own and possibly some detailed
information on
them... how much we like them, how they play, etc. If
you disagree (or agree) with anything here and want to tell me about
it, go to
the clanperez home page and
send us
mail.
Here's my list of good 2 player games: Carcassonne
- The Castle, Very Clever
Pipe Game, Chez Geek, Dungeoneer:
Tomb
of the Lich Lord, Dungeoneer: Vault of the Fiends, Munchkin, Space Munchkin, The Hobbit, Carcassonne
-
Hunters and Gatherers, Settler's of Catan
Card
Game, Starship Catan.
Here's my list of good 4/5 player games: Lord of the Fries, Lunch Money, Citadels, Fossil, Poleconomy,
Starfarers of Catan,
Settlers of Catan,
Seafarers of Catan,
Roborally,
Talisman.
Another good source of game ideas is the Game
Manufacturer's Association (GAMA) Origin Awards for the best
games
of the year. Here's another site for game ideas: BoardGameGeek.
Here is our complete inventory
of games.
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Ratings: 0=None, 1=Low/Poor/Short, 3= Average, 5=High/Exceptional/Long
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Name |
Candamir |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
None |
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Date Acquired |
October 2005 |
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Complexity |
Haven't played this game enough to rate it. |
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Humor |
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Strategy |
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Learning Time |
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Uniqueness |
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Enjoyment |
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The Idea |
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Key Points |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
2-4 |
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Play Time |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
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Manufacturer |
Rio Grande Games Game description |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
March 2005 |
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Complexity |
3 |
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Humor |
0 |
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Strategy |
4 |
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Learning Time |
3 |
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Uniqueness |
2 |
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Enjoyment |
4 |
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The Idea |
Place tiles in order to build the contents of the castle courtyard. |
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Key Points |
Similar to other |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
2 |
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Play Time |
60 mins |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Bean Trader |
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Manufacturer |
Rio Grande Games Game description |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
March 2005 |
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Complexity |
Haven't played this game enough to rate it. |
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Humor |
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Strategy |
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Learning Time |
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Uniqueness |
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Enjoyment |
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The Idea |
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Key Points |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
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Play Time |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Very Clever Pipe Game |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
Feb. 2005 |
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Complexity |
2 |
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Humor |
0 |
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Strategy |
4 |
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Learning Time |
1 |
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Uniqueness |
4 |
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Enjoyment |
4 |
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The Idea |
Lay pipe cards to seal pipe sections and gain points. |
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Key Points |
Lots of opportunity for offensive and defensive play. Lots of strategy involved (on many levels). Great "take along" game as it's a small deck of cards 1" x 2" plus a 4"x6" rule sheet. Different games (difficulty levels) allow for even more variety and strategy requirements. |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
2-4 |
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Play Time |
20 |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Diceland
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
Deep White Sea, Cyburg |
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Date Acquired |
Feb. 2005 |
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Complexity |
2 |
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Humor |
0 |
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Strategy |
3 |
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Learning Time |
1 |
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Uniqueness |
5 |
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Enjoyment |
4 |
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The Idea |
2 armies battle with 5 "men" where each man is an 8 sided dice with various abilities. |
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Key Points |
Lots of variety due to dice combos. Very unique play style. You throw your dice onto playing field. Easy to learn rules. |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
2 |
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Play Time |
30-60 mins. |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Unexploded Cow |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
Feb. 2005 |
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Complexity |
2 |
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Humor |
3 |
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Strategy |
2 |
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Learning Time |
1 |
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Uniqueness |
4 |
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Enjoyment |
3 |
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The Idea |
Use cows to blow up bombs. Get paid for doing it. |
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Key Points |
Money is limited to 2000 per person. Pot to pay out from is limited. Graphics are amusing. |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
3-6 |
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Play Time |
60 |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Gloom |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
Feb. 2005 |
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Complexity |
Haven't played this game enough to rate it. |
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Humor |
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Strategy |
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Learning Time |
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Uniqueness |
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Enjoyment |
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The Idea |
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Key Points |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
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Play Time |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Hera
& Zeus |
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Manufacturer |
Rio Grande Games Game description |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
Dec 2004 |
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Complexity |
Haven't played this game enough to rate it. |
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Humor |
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Strategy |
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Learning Time |
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Uniqueness |
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Enjoyment |
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The Idea |
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Key Points |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
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Play Time |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Titanic |
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Manufacturer |
Universal Games Game description |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
Dec 2004 |
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Complexity |
Haven't played this game enough to rate it. |
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Humor |
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Strategy |
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Learning Time |
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Uniqueness |
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Enjoyment |
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The Idea |
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Key Points |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
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Play Time |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Merchant of Venus |
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Manufacturer |
Avalon Hill Game description |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
Oct. 2004 |
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Complexity |
Haven't played this game enough to rate it. |
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Humor |
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Strategy |
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Learning Time |
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Uniqueness |
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Enjoyment |
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The Idea |
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Key Points |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
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Play Time |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Quoridor |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
August 2004 |
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Complexity |
1 |
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Humor |
0 |
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Strategy |
3 |
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Learning Time |
1 |
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Uniqueness |
3 |
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Enjoyment |
4 |
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The Idea |
Move across a 9x9 grid while placing walls to prevent your opponent from doing the same. |
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Key Points |
Simple to learn, fun to play, surprisingly deep. My 5 year old plays this well. |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
2 or 4 |
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Play Time |
10-20 mins |
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Known Awards |
1997 - Mensa Select, 1998 - Games Magazine Game of the Year |
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Name |
Lord of the Fries |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
July 2004 |
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Complexity |
2 |
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Humor |
3 |
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Strategy |
3 |
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Learning Time |
1 |
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Uniqueness |
3 |
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Enjoyment |
4 |
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The Idea |
Build meals out of assortment of basic food items. |
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Key Points |
Cute idea, variety of menus, good turn mechanics. Found that when you do well in a turn, you really do well. |
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House Rules |
We tally points over numerous hands and play to 100. |
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# Players |
3-8 |
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Play Time |
45 mins |
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Known Awards |
nominated for the Origins Award for Best Traditional Card Game of 1997 |
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Name |
Timeline |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
July 2004 |
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Complexity |
Haven't played this game enough to rate it. |
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Humor |
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Strategy |
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Learning Time |
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Uniqueness |
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Enjoyment |
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The Idea |
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Key Points |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
2-5 |
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Play Time |
10 mins |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Chez Geek |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
Chez Geek 2: Slack Attack |
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Date Acquired |
July 2004 |
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Complexity |
2 |
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Humor |
4 |
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Strategy |
3 |
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Learning Time |
1 |
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Uniqueness |
3 |
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Enjoyment |
4 |
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The Idea |
Earn slack points up to a certain amount (determined by your profession) by playing good cards in your area and bad cards in your opponent's. |
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Key Points |
Cute idea, nice graphics, quick game play. |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
2-5+3 with expansion |
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Play Time |
45 mins |
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Known Awards |
Origins Award for Best Traditional Card Game of 1999 |
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Name |
Medina |
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Manufacturer |
Rio Grande Games Game description |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
July 2004 |
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Complexity |
Haven't played this game enough to rate it. |
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Humor |
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Strategy |
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Learning Time |
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Uniqueness |
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Enjoyment |
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The Idea |
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Key Points |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
3-4 |
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Play Time |
90 mins |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Kill Dr. Lucky |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
July 2004 |
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Complexity |
2 |
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Humor |
2 |
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Strategy |
3 |
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Learning Time |
1 |
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Uniqueness |
3 |
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Enjoyment |
4 |
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The Idea |
Kill Dr. Lucky in his mansion. |
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Key Points |
Card & move based strategies must be used simultaneously. Was easy to prevent people from having a turn. 5 players playing "Kill often" strategy got the game finished in 45 mins. |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
3-7 |
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Play Time |
1 Hour |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Cannibal Pygmies and
Grave Robbers II: Skippy's Revenge |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
June 2004 |
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Complexity |
Haven't played this game enough to rate it. |
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Humor |
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Strategy |
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Learning Time |
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Uniqueness |
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Enjoyment |
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The Idea |
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Key Points |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
2+ |
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Play Time |
1 Hour |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Lunch Money |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
Sticks and Stones |
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Date Acquired |
May 2004 |
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Complexity |
2 |
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Humor |
4 |
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Strategy |
2 |
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Learning Time |
4 - There are a lot of card interactions that you have to know. |
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Uniqueness |
5 |
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Enjoyment |
5 |
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The Idea |
Card based lunch time brawl. |
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Key Points |
Describing the cards you play (as is suggested by the rules) is very amusing - especially when all the players really get into it. Not colorblind friendly. |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
2-4 +2 with expansion |
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Play Time |
15-30 mins |
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Known Awards |
Origins: Best Card Game of 1996 |
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Name |
Dungeoneer: Tomb of the Lich Lord, Dungeoneer: Vault of the Fiends and Dungeoneer: Dragons of the Forsaken Desert |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
May 2004, May 2004 and June 2005 |
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Complexity |
3 |
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Humor |
0 |
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Strategy |
3 |
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Learning Time |
2 |
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Uniqueness |
4 |
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Enjoyment |
5 |
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The Idea |
Card based dungeon exploring game. |
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Key Points |
Receive quests, kill monsters, gain treasure, play monsters against opponents. Can be very cutthroat. Different every time. Unique point system used to play cards onto your character and against opponents. |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
2-6 |
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Play Time |
1-2 hours |
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Known Awards |
None known |
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Name |
Munchkin and Space Munchkin |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
Unnatural Axe (Munchkin) |
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Date Acquired |
May 2004 |
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Complexity |
2 |
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Humor |
3 |
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Strategy |
2 |
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Learning Time |
2 |
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Uniqueness |
4 |
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Enjoyment |
4 |
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The Idea |
Card based Fantasy (Munchkin) and Sci-Fi (Space Munchkin) adventure game. |
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Key Points |
Go down in the dungeon. Kill everything you meet. Backstab your friends and steal their stuff. Grab the treasure and run (SJ tag line). Can be very cutthroat. Humor is spot on. |
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House Rules |
None |
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# Players |
2-6 |
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Play Time |
1/2 - 1 hour |
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Known Awards |
Origins: Best Traditional Card Game of 2001 (Munchkin) |
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Name |
Citadels |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
Dec 2003 |
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Complexity |
2 |
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Humor |
1 |
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Strategy |
3 |
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Learning Time |
1 |
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Uniqueness |
4 |
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Enjoyment |
4 |
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The Idea |
Card based city building game. |
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Key Points |
Card drawing and turn mechanics makes the game much more interesting as more players are added. Trying to figure out who has picked which card in the drawing phase is challenging. Not colorblind friendly. |
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House Rules |
None |
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# Players |
2-7 |
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Play Time |
1-2 hours |
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Known Awards |
Nominated for the German Game of the Year in 2000. |
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Name |
The Hobbit |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
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Date Acquired |
June 2003 |
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Complexity |
2 |
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Humor |
0 |
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Strategy |
1 |
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Learning Time |
1 |
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Uniqueness |
4 |
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Enjoyment |
4 |
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The Idea |
Travel around middle earth gathering "stuff" which allows you to finally steal all of Smaugs treasure. |
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Key Points |
Good graphics, amusing adventure cards. Simple game play makes for an enjoyable "light" game. |
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House Rules |
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# Players |
2-6 |
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Play Time |
45 Minutes |
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Known Awards |
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Name |
Carcassonne - Hunters and Gatherers |
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Manufacturer |
Rio Grande Games Game description |
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Expansions Owned |
None |
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Date Acquired |
Aug. 2003 |
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Complexity |
3 |
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Humor |
0 |
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Strategy |
3 |
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Learning Time |
1 |
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Uniqueness |
4 |
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Enjoyment |
4 |
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The Idea |
Tile & piece laying strategy game. |
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Key Points |
Score points as laying tiles and pieces as well as at end of game. Score keeping mechanism is a bit annoying. |
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House Rules |
None |
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# Players |
2-5 |
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Play Time |
45-60 mins |
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Known Awards |
None |
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Name |
Fossil |
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Manufacturer |
Rio Grande Games Game description |
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Expansions Owned |
N/A |
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Date Acquired |
Aug. 2003 |
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Complexity |
3 |
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Humor |
0 |
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Strategy |
4 |
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Learning Time |
1 |
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Uniqueness |
4 |
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Enjoyment |
5 |
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The Idea |
Tile gathering sets of fossils. |
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Key Points |
Pay points to move pieces. All players Gain/lose points when a fossil set is completed. Interesting turn mechanics. Nice graphics on game pieces and board. |
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House Rules |
None |
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# Players |
2-6 |
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Play Time |
45 mins |
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Known Awards |
Games Magazine's 1999 Game of the Year |
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Name |
Settlers of Catan |
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Manufacturer |
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Expansions Owned |
5/6 player expansion, Seafarers of Catan + 5/6 player expansion |
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Date Acquired |
July 2003 |
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Complexity |
3 |
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Humor |
0 |
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Strategy |
3 |
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Learning Time |
2 |
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Uniqueness |
4 |
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Enjoyment |
5 |
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The Idea |
Gather resources to buy enough infrastructure and population centers to win. |
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Key Points |
Initial grid placement dictates toughness of game. Early strategic errors can do you in in the late game. Moderately cutthroat. Not colorblind friendly. |
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House Rules |
None |
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# Players |
2-6 |
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Play Time |
45-60 mins |
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Known Awards |
1995 German Game of the Year |
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Name |
Roborally |
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Manufacturer |
Wizard of the Coast Game description |
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Expansions Owned |
Crash & Burn, Armed & Dangerous, Grand Prix, Radioactive |
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Date Acquired |
2000 |
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Complexity |
4 |
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Humor |
2 |
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Strategy |
4 |
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Learning Time |
2 |
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Uniqueness |
5 |
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Enjoyment |
5 |
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The Idea |
Program your robot to move through a maze while killing others and avoiding being killed. |
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Key Points |
A lot of turn planning required. Can be cutthroat. Able to really mess up other players. |
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House Rules |
None |
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# Players |
2-8 |
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Play Time |
1+ Hours |
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Known Awards |
ORIGINS award winner for 1994 as "Best Fantasy/Science Fiction Board Game" plus "Best Graphic Presentation of a Board Game". Also it was one of GAMES magazine's "Top 100 games for 1995". |