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Where Do You Get All These Games?
An Introduction to Contemporary Board and Card Games
by Mike Petty
Part II: Starting With The Essential Titles
Are you interested in discovering this fascinating new style
of games so many have never heard of? Are you looking for a
unique gift for someone who likes games? Well, one of the biggest
problems with stumbling upon all these great games is that it's
hard to know where to start! In my previous article I attempted to describe
these games in general. For those more interested in knowing the
best titles to start with, though, the following lists will be
much more helpful. While the list leaves out many excellent
games, it will provide a more than sufficient starting point for
anyone who wants to sample the new trends in gaming that I'm
highlighting in these articles.
I'm giving just a brief overview of each game along with an
explanation of why I've chosen it here. Be sure to click the link
to the game page at Fair Play to find out complete information
about any of the games.
Family Games and Light Strategy Games
Settlers of Catan  - I might as well start
with this one, since it's the game so many of us discovered first.
The game was released in 1995. It was selected for the Spiel des
Jarhes award in Germany that year, which is the prestigious
"Game of the Year" award in that country. Along with
it's many expansions, it has sold over 6 million copies
worldwide, which is phenomenal for these types of games.
In the game, players gather and trade resources. They use
these resources to found settlements and cities. It has enough
strategy, luck and negotiation to keep just about anyone
interested. The original game is for three or four players, but
expansions allow for up to six players to take part. Other
expansions provide many other variations on the basic system. I
can say with complete certainty that if you were going to buy
only one game to get a feel for German games, Settlers of Catan
is the place to start. It's been our top seller at Fair Play all
along and nothing else comes close!
Carcassonne  - Carcassonne is a tile-laying
game where players form a growing arrangement of cities, roads
and farms. Like Settlers, it won the Spiel des Jarhes the year it
was released and has spawned many expansions. The goal is to
score the most points through wise placement of tiles and small
wooden "followers". While there's room for strategy,
there's also enough luck of the draw present to keep younger
players and casual gamers in the game. Another big plus is that
it's for two to five players. Last but not least, you can get the
basic game for less than $20.
Party Games
Apples to Apples  - This is our best-selling
party game. If you're looking for strategy, keep reading down the
list! If you want fun and laughs, though, Apples to Apples will
do the trick. It's a silly game of comparisons where everyone
plays noun cards that are described by the adjective card for the
round. The unexpected pairings of cards makes for the hilarious
surprises.  It comes in basic sets for adults or children. It also
has many expansion decks as well as  collections of several of
these expansions in one package.
Time's Up  - Many have claimed this is the
best party game available. Players compete as teams to guess
celebrity names from cards. If that doesn't sound too original,
don't worry. Each round players use the same cards, but the
cluegivers are limited each time in what sort of clues they can
give. In the last round you can't say anything! Again, this game
comes in a basic set and expansion cards are available.
Two-Player Games
Lost Cities - I alluded to this card game in
my first article as an excellent example of a good game with a
"tacked on" theme. Ok, there's not a lot going on here
that has to do with digging up lost civilizations, but it's
always good for a tense, two-player battle. After you read the
simple rules, you'll most likely scratch your head wondering what
fun it will be. One play will reveal, though, it has that classic
"German game" quality offering tough choices on each
turn. It's worth mentioning that Lost Cities is one of many two-player
card games from a series published here in the US by Rio Grande
Games. If you like this one, there are plenty more to discover!
The Gipf Series - If you enjoy abstract
strategy board games like chess, you'll want to check out each of
the five games in this series-Gipf , Zertz , Tamsk , Dvonn and Yinsh . Each one is highly original and stands
on it's own as an eye-catching, deep strategy game. By using
expansion sets, though, the games can actually be "linked"
together in various ways, so that a session of one game may bring
one or more of the others into play. If you're not interested in
buying all five right away, you could start with my personal
favorites from the series, Zertz and Yinsh.
Light, Social Games
Bohnanza - Here's an interesting concoction-a
negotiation game about farming beans! Trading abounds throughout
this game, making for little time where players have nothing to
do. There are a few odd rules, like the one where cards have to
stay in the order they were dealt in the players' hands. Once
everyone gets the hang of it, though, this novel game will keep
them hooked. It's an excellent example of how cards can be used
in new ways to force interesting and sometimes tricky choices.
Category 5 - This is a new version of the
German classic 6 Nimmt. It uses a "blind bidding"
mechanic where players play their cards facedown, then reveal
them simultaneously. Like the classic card game Hearts, the goal
is to avoid taking cards, but this is not a trick-taking game.
Instead, the rules to this game are surprisingly simple, yet the
tension involved makes for lots of surprises and great fun. This
one is perfect for a group that's wary of trying a new game. It's
light and fast, yet entertaining enough that you may just hook
them for life!
Strategy Games
Puerto Rico - Released in 2002, Puerto Rico
has rocketed up near the top of Fair Play's all time best sellers.
Many would argue this is the best game in this category. It's
highly strategic and it has a fair number of rules to keep
straight, so it isn't for the casual gamer! With so many original
and involved mechanics, it's hard to summarize gameplay here.
Suffice it to say it presents players with many possible
strategies as they strive to develop cities. From resource
production, to construction of useful buildings, timing is
everything. If you're looking for something that's highly
original and competitive, Puerto Rico is a sure bet.
El Grande - This winner of the Spiel des
Jarhes in 1996 has players battling for control of regions
of Spain. With its many wooden bits and engaging play it's
sometimes deemed the perfect example of the German game. Several
great resource management mechanics are combined with random card
offerings, making each game a unique challenge. This title may be
going on ten years old, but it will still seem revolutionary to
anyone who calls Axis and Allies or Risk a multi-player strategy
game!
Other notable games
The Mystery Rummy Series - Mike Fitzgerald
has brought us a great treat with his growing series of rummy
variants. Offering plenty of strategy and familiar themes, they
make a great transition game for fans of traditional card games.
The current games in the series are Jack the Ripper, Murders in the Rue Morgue, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Al Capone and the Chicago Underworld.
Citadels - This is a very entertaining card
game of bluffing, strategy and betrayal. There is very little to
compare this highly original game with, so you may have to play
it to fully understand it's charm.
The Lord of the Rings Boardgame - Fans of the
movie trilogy will be glad to know a quality boardgame has been
developed by one renowned German game designer. Players, taking
on the role of hobbits, work together as a group against the
random game system to destroy the One Ring. Expansions are
available that add twists, including one that lets a player
control the dark forces of Sauron working against the band of
hobbits.
Ticket To Ride - This great family game about
linking train routes across the US just won the Spiel des
Jarhes in 2004. It looks great and works very well for young
and old alike.
If that list seems overwhelming, just wait! There are actually
hundreds of other great titles awaiting anyone who wants more. If
you're wondering where all these games come from, that's what
I'll focus on in the next article in
this series. I'll feature the some of the best known designers
and a few of the best publishers who are creating these great
games for us to enjoy.
Other articles in the series "Where Do You Get All These
Games?"
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