Issue 2 of Itstime4games.com
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Apologies if i rambled in this podcast I had a high fever and felt pretty grotty. Also England had just won the Ashes (hooray) so who can blame me. Finally as its pretty likely that i'm only talking to myself adnd just doing the podcast thing for fun rather than fame who cares!
Firstly i mentioned a club who we have links with -the Stourbridge club are having an open day on 23rd October 2005. Here is a link to their website www.stourbridgewargamers.co.uk
Settlers of Catan
Mayfair Games
Settlers of Catan is a great German strategy game - now published in English by Mayfair games. Originally for 2-4 players its now expandable to 6. The players are settlers on an island of Catan. The island is represented by hexangonal tiles. Each tile is a different terrain and produce a different resource-brick, wheat, wood, wood and ore. Those resources are used to build and buy things in the game. Players start with two villages and two road sections. The point of the game is to buld more settlemnts and convert them into cities. Settlements are worth 1 point and cities 2. Having the longest road is worth 2 points and having the largest army 2 points. However there is no direct combat between players. You complete for land and try and build your roads and settements before others do. What gives the game tension and fun is the mechanism of decideing when hexes prduce resources . They each have a number between 2 and 12. Each turn players roll 2d6 and that tells you which hexes produce. So placement of settlements is critical. Players may then trade resources. "I'll give 2 wood for 2 brick " etc.
Expansion games add variation "Seafarers of catan" adding ports, islands and ships so a race to cross a sea gap and coloise another island can be a scenario. "Cities and Knights" adds a whole new dimension. Now players can in effect develop the technology and culture of their civilisation. The rewards is access to certain cards which give you power and options in the game. This complicates the game but in my view adds great flavour and depth. But be prepared for a LONG game espcially with 5-6 players.
The game is colourful and attractive with nice colour wooden pieces and hard card hexes.Very nice components.It is a game which with effort and patient non gamers might take onto. Try the basic version with 3-4 players. ONce they get the idea the fun trading and chance to ruin someone elses plans by building a road across their route usually will get them going. But its not one for a quick game after a few pints when you have to explain the rules!
My rating
Players 1 N/A 2 5/10 3 7/10 4-6 9/10
Basic game costs £25.00 Expansion sets £15 to 25
Zombies
Twighlight Creations
Zombies is based on American horror movies in which zombies seem to emerge from all around town and the living inhabitants have to fight them off or try to escape.And basically thats the idea. You win by escaping town on a helicopter with space for 1 that will land in an unknown location eventually or by killing 25 zombies. The game is produced with attractice map tiles and a number of plastic zombies. Each player starts together on a single map tile which is the town sqaure. On a players turn you place a tile first to connect with the existing town. Thus over the players turns the town layout becomes clear and off course will vary each game. You then move yourself a distance dependant on adice throww, fight zombies along the way and try and pick up health boosters, ammunition, extra equipment and is possible transport. Meanwhile you also are trying to shove the zombies in the way of other players. You have cards to play which can wreck other players plans by sending them the wrong way or attacking them with multiple zombies. In the end when the helicopter tile is playes there is a mad dash for it. But always you need to keep an eye on the numbers of zombies those other players have killed in case one might win by killing 25.
Its light hearted, full of stabbing mates in the back and VERY easy to play and pick up. The more players the better.
There are a number of expansion packs. These include a secret military base which is where super zombies are being made but also add military hardware to the game, a shopping mall for some improvised weaponry and ultimately a sort of conclusion game in which you discover the dark magics behind making the zombies and have to find all the pages of a spell to kill them off. And now i find there is a 5th game in the series which is about moving back in time (presumably as a result off all that dark magic you messed with in the 4th game) to the medieval era and having skeletons to deal with. IN my view the basic game plus ONE of the expansions can be used together but unless you are willing to play for a long time not more.But if you fancy a mega game check out the links above.
My rating
Basic game costs £25.00 Expansion sets £15 to 25
Players 1 N/A 2 5/10 3 7/10 4-6 8/10
Ticket to Ride
Days of Wonder
IN my view this company make some really great and attractive games. You want to own some now. Go out and buy some. Buy your children some. They look beautiful. Drool over them. WEll ok they dont look so good now you did that. But you get the point.
Ticket to ride is about building train lines and routes across the USA and Canada. There is now a European version also available. Players (upto 5) compete to build routes. YOu get given certain routes to try and build. The map board itself is represented with brightly coloured train routes. You collect wagon cards in those colours and when you have enough you lay them down and them build the route by laying your own little wagons down on the map. YOu score for the individual lengths of track between cities and then bonus points for completing the specific routes on your route cards. Other players are trying often to build smiliar routes or at leas partially overlapping and so that is where the game comes to life.
Simple in basic design for kids, family and even granny but something there for gamers to. A good gameand off course a winner of awards in the industry.
My rating
Players 1 N/A 2 5/10 3 7/10 4-5 8/10
£30.00