Holiday Games

(This is from Dec 2014, but apparently reverted to draft at some point? Grr…)

One of the best things about having a little extra time away from work or school is the opportunity to play somewhat more involved board games. Getting a quick round of Blokus or Tsuro in is no great challenge, and can be done after supper during the week, but the opportunity to do something a little grander should not be squandered.

 

The girls and I got in a game of the Aliens movie game one afternoon, which let me dust off some older miniatures and put on the soundtrack. If you've never played, it is a neat little cooperative game, full of tension and surprises, and there is a great web version of it here. We played using the beginner rules since it was the first time out for the girls, and managed to escape with 8 marines! Poor Wierzbowski...

 

We enjoyed playing Anomia with the cousins, and were happy to get the party edition with six new decks for Christmas from Tara. Still a game that brings frustration and entertainment in equal measure, but is easy to teach and rounds go very quickly.

 

Today we got to break out Risk 2210, which is still my favourite iteration of the 4 different versions I own. The game still ran for hours, despite having a five turn limit, but the various cards and the addition of lunar and undersea colonies to the classic map makes for a much more unpredictable game. And Glory's new pyjamas make for much more unpredictable pictures, too.

 

I am really looking forward to trying Space Cadets: Dice Duel, a real time, team-based, head-to-head spaceship matchup. Players frantically roll custom dice for each station like shields, helm and weapons, only pausing play when the Captain shouts "Fire!" In order to resolve the effects. I have the first Space Cadets game, a cooperative game based on a similar principle but without as many dice. Dice Duel allows 8 people to play against each other in teams of 4, with games taking about a half hour apiece, allegedly.

Hopefully 2014 will have many more opportunities to roll dice, throw cards, curse and laugh, regardless of whether we win or lose.

 

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