Episode 49: Great Wall of Dice

I hadn't thought about the endgame in power grid like that, but I can see how the last draw can really help or hose you, especially in a tight game.

I'm not Mr. Perfect Information, though I certainly enjoy high strategy/low luck games. I know you like Go, so you certainly don't shy away from those types of games, either. There's plenty of room on the table for some chaos, too.

It also doesn't help that the US dollar is very weak right now amd since so many of these games are imports, that can't help.

Add in the rising cost of fuel and it's easy to see how prices are going up. Then again, with fuel costs, I would think you'd see an increase (albeit smaller) as well.

I'll admit Nexus Ops is dicey, but I still think there are enough tactics and strategy to lure a PI gamer in. I was surprised Dave didn't give me a harder time on that one!:)

The one euro that comes immediately to mind is one I haven't played but have read up on a little: Antiquity . Here's the blurb from the BGG description:

Players choose their own victory conditions: they can focus on population growth, trade, conquest, or city building by choosing their patron saint. Each strategy requires a completely different style of play. Or you can choose Santa Maria, the most powerful saint of all, but you

I'm glad Mr Gameshow didn't induce a fall, though I would have liked to have heard your explanation for the fall. "No, really, there was this robotic game show host... Really! I saw him!"

I remember playing around with the victory conditions to Careers thinking there must be some magic formula that would always guarantee a win for me. Somehow it never worked out.

As for the ad, I was fairly certain it would provoke a hot and cold response since it is so quirky, so no offense taken at all. :) Chris Handy, the man behind Gateplay, recorded the commercial himself and he thought the ad would generate a mixed group of lovers and haters. Good or bad, I'm sure he'd love some feedback (info@gateplay.com). And either despite or because of their ad, I'd still encourage you to check out their site. They've got some good deals on a great variety of titles.

Glad to know you enjoyed the old school Back Shelf selection of Careers. There are definitely more great old ones to be dusted off in coming shows, for sure.

I looked at Square Mile on BGG and wow the goober is amazing! I'm sure we'd be up for a game if our paths are fortunate enough to cross.

My sister and I played many of the ones you mentioned, too. I'd add Sorry, Mousetrap, The American Dream Game (very cheesy Monopoly-like stock market game), Phase 10, Uno (of course), and Masterpiece to the list of regulars.

If that's heresy, I guess Im probably a lesser heretic myself. I enjoy Monopoly under the right conditions. Yep, that's Mr. Game Sommelier speaking. It's all about the right game with the right crowd.

Monopoly suffers from being the high nail - the one that gets pounded in first. As a game, it gets credit and blame far beyond its merits or faults mostly because of the cultural phenomenon that surrounds it as you put it so nicely.

I have fond memories of playing speed games of Monopoly with my pal Allen in high school but I can also remember several other games with family and friends that ended with hard feelings. I think Monopoly tends to be a polarizing issue for this reason among gamers and non-gamers alike because the game has reached into so many homes. For non-gamers, so many people have played it and had bad experiences that it has put them off playing any other sort of board game altogether (too boring, too long, too mean, take your pick). For gamers, whether consciously or subconsciously, I think Monopoly has become one of the de facto measuring sticks by which many of us rank a game's mechanics, replayability, in no small way, the fun you have with a game.

I also think Monopoly is a touchstone that is often used to demonstrate the disconnect between gamers and non-gamers. When trying to describe The Spiel, I can't tell you how many times people ask me "so you play Monopoly and talk about it on your show?" It doesn't anger me, it just shows how Monopoly enjoys a position in the pantheon of games that far oustrips its current impact on the world of games. I'm not saying anyone can (or even should) change this. With the show we certainly hope to open people's minds to the much much wider world of games out there, but Monopoly is more often a barrier than a gate to entry into this world. For this reason, the game can certainly be a whipping boy for anyone trying to show people that games don't begin and end with it and other "kid's stuff." I'll admit I'm guilty of bashing Monopoly in this manner, but because it represents a kind of mental short hand for the negative experiences or staid and stale board game experience - the kind of experience that keeps people from playing or trying new games.

The question is, at this point can we separate the phenomenon from the game?

I agree, there are things to enjoy and like about Monopoly if taken on its own terms. And I think it's good to remind ourselves of this fact every once in a while. But the game has its day in the sun every day because, for good or ill, it can't be separated from the phenomenon. I'm not really certain it needs any Champions to rally to its cause. It stamps out a gigantic commercial footprint which allows it to dominate shelves and pull attention from other equally worthy titles, classic or new.

Yeah, I caught my mistake on the shape of the Ubongo Extreme pieces in the errata. With Extreme in the title, shouldn't we have to wear helmets while playing? Or at least elbow pads?

Fair complaint about Ra, but I think there's plenty of strategy left in the game even with how the tiles come out randomly, especially if you let Mr. Perfect Information know the distribution of the tiles before the game.

That said, El Grande was my next choice. Really, I'm not making this up! I think either one has a enough randomness to give the game a really interesting dynamic without being frustrating.