April 2014 Recap

Welcome to May. Hard to believe that 2014 is already 1/3 over.

April was a very good month of gaming for me, but not the best personal month, more on that later.   I logged 41 game plays and got to play 4 games I've never played before.




Just a quick list of what I actually played in April

10 Times

• Resistance: Avalon

7 Time

• Escape: Curse of the Temple

4 Times

• Incan Gold

2 Times

• Love Letter
• No Thanks

1 Time

• The aMAZEing Labyrinth
• BITS
• California
• Concept
• Cosmic Encounter
• Flash Point: Fire Rescue
• Hanabi
• King of Tokyo
• Phase 10
• Shadows Over Camelot
• Star Trek Attack Wing
• Suburbia
• Takenoko
• Ticket to Ride: Netherlands
• Tsuro
• Zombie Fluxx

Game Acquisitions

I bought Wave 4 Star Trek AW ships (USS Voyager, Borg Sphere, Species 8472 Bioship and Kazon Raider), as well as Ticket to Ride Netherlands. 

Personal Notes
I've been having some health issues over the last couple of weeks.  Things seem to be getting better, but they're not perfect.  As such, the blog is very low priority for me.  When I get feeling better and things under control, I'll be back, better than ever.  I have also started a new schooling program, so that's going to be a time sink as well.  Still, I love playing and talking about boardgames, so this isn't going to disappear.  Thank-you for sticking with me through these uncertain times.

March 2014 Recap

Welcome to April, and no, there's nothing April Fools about this post.

March was an excellent month of gaming for me.   I logged 35 game plays and got to play 2 games I've never played before.

I ended up pulling out a win in my Star Trek Attack Wing Month 6 which gave me the overall win.  I'm really looking forward to the future of the game.


Just a quick list of what I actually played in February

5 Times

• Resistance: Avalon
• Star Trek Attack Wing

4 Times

• Hanabi
• Love Letter

2 Times

• Betrayal at the House on the Hill
• Coloretto

1 Time

• Bang! The Bullet!
• Cosmic Encounter
• Dixit
• For Sale
• Kingdom Builder
• Marvel Legendary
• Qwirkle
• Screaming Eagles
• Shadows Over Camelot
• Suburbia
• Takenoko
• Ticket to Ride: Europe
• Tiki Topple

Game Acquisitions

I bought a couple of Star Trek AW ships, as well as Imperial Aces for X-Wing.  No new big games though.  I'm rather intrigued by Marvel Dice Masters, but we'll see what happens.

A reminder that Tabletop day is coming up on Saturday.  Find a place to play, or hang out at home. Either way, have fun playing games.

February 2014 Recap

Welcome to March!

February, while short, was a good month of gaming for me.   I logged 35 game plays and got to play 2 games I've never played before.  I came in 2nd (again) at STAW in Hilmar, and now I'm back in 2nd, by one point.

I started the Bits series, which I think is fun, so I'll be doing more of that.  I'll try to do some other articles, but I'm not sure what to talk about at the moment, so if you have any ideas, feel free to comment.


Just a quick list of what I actually played in February

12 Times

• Resistance: Avalon

4 Times

• King of Tokyo

3 Times

• Love Letter
• Star Trek Attack Wing

2 Times

• For Sale

1 Time

• Boss Monster
• Catacombs
• Cosmic Encounter
• Dixit
• Eldritch Horror
• Escape: Curse of the Temple
• Hanabi
• Incan Gold
• Munchkin
• Takenoko
• Tsuro

Game Acquisitions
I bought Suburbia and Suburbia Inc, as well as an expansion for Dixit, and some more STAW ships.  I'm trying not to buy too much, life expenses loom, but we'll see how things go.

January 2014 Recap

Welcome to February!

January was a good month of gaming for me.  I got sick, so I missed one of my Friday night game nights, but I still managed to play a bunch of games.  I logged 33 game plays and got to play 3 games I've never played before.  I finally won my first Star Trek Attack Wing tournament in Hilmar, and I'm in the lead with 2 months to go in the Dominion War OP.

I released my annual Top Games list, this year marking my first Top 50. If you haven't taken a look at that, please do.  My sister also published her Top 25 which should give you a different opinion on things.

Just a quick list of what I actually played in January

4 Times

• Resistance: Avalon

3 Times

• Escape: Curse of the Temple
• King of Tokyo
• Love Letter
• Star Trek Attack Wing
• Tricks & Treats

2 Times

• Article 27
• Cosmic Encounter
• Takenoko

1 Time

• Eight Minute Empire
• Eminent Domain
• Forbidden Desert
• Hanabi
• Relic Runners
• Spaceopoly
• TransAmerica
• Zooloretto

Game Acquisitions
I received a copy of Tricks & Treats from the publisher, NAZCA Games.  It was an unexpected added bonus from the Jack Vasel Memorial Fund Auction.  I bought the first expansion for Escape, mostly to get the 6th player, but also for some added variety.

Closing Thoughts
I'm not sure where this blog is going to go over the next few months.  I've never wanted writing for this to be a chore.  I write when I have things to say and time to say them.  I still love boardgames, I love playing them with awesome people.  I've met a lot of amazing people through gaming.  All of that being said, I want to enjoy this too, and lately I haven't.  That's why I haven't posted a lot.  You can see that I'm playing a lot of the same games these days, and I can't really review the same games again.  There are some games I haven't reviewed that I should, like Love Letter and Escape.  I'll get to those at some point.

This is by no means goodbye, but it is a potential start to the end.  

December 2013 and Year End Review

Happy 2014!

December was an amazing month for games.  I finally won a Star Trek Attack Wing OP event at Gateplay in Hilmar, which now puts me in the lead with 2 months to play.  I had a lot of great gaming times with friends and family, including some games with a couple of cousins that I thought would never play games.  It just goes to show you that there is a game out there for everyone. 

December was also a great month because Secret Santa arrived early for the second year in a row.  I received Takenoko and Escape: Curse of the Temple.  I've managed to play both, and I enjoy them.  Santa definitely did well this year.

What got playing in December?

11 Plays

• Resistance Avalon

4 Plays

• Love Letter
• Star Trek Attack Wing

3 Plays

• Escape: Curse of the Temple
• Takenoko
• Werewolf

2 Plays

• Bugs in the Kitchen
• Gem Dealer
• King of Tokyo
• Resistance

1 Play

• Alhambra
• Castle Panic
• Eminent Domain
• For Sale
• Hanabi
• Incan Gold
• Kingdom Builder
• Martian Dice
• Marvel Legendary
• No Thanks
• Order Up
• Settlers of Catan
• Shadows Over Camelot
• Ticket to Ride Nordic
• Tiki Topple
• TransAmerica
• Tsuro

Total:  53 plays

That brings the 2013 game play count to 500 which is far beyond my expectations.  

Time to get a bit reflective.  2013 was an amazing year of gaming for me.  I played games with so many different people, and played so many different games.  I had a blast! I didn't get to game with some people as much as I would have liked, but sometimes life happens.  We make the best of it.  This may not have been the best year of gaming for me, but I still loved every minute of it.  So many people made this whole year memorable, and all the thanks goes to them for playing games.

And now, a look back at what I wrote for my 2013 goals with updates on how they went.

• 365 game plays (Accomplished in October)
• Play 20+ games 5+ times, and play 10+ games 10+ times. (27 games were played 5+ times, 12 of those were played 10+ times.)
• Play 100 unique games. For instance, Ticket to Ride US and Europe do NOT count as different games for this purpose. Same goes for Wits and Wagers -Base/Family/Party - only one counts there. A game and then the card or dice version would count as 2 different things.  Basically the game has to have a different name.  (Complete, barely. I managed 101 different games.)
• Play a game with 50 different people. (Accomplished in July or August.  I stopped tracking, but I approached 100 different people)
• Finish Risk Legacy (Not quite, only played once, bringing it to 6/15. At least I managed to win that game.)
• Teach Cosmic Encounter to at least one new person (Accomplished with 3 different people.)
• Attend a gaming convention (Didn't make it to one.)
• Further the development of current game designs and think up new ones. (In various stages, but I consider it accomplished)
• Play every game I own, as of the start of 2013, that I haven't played. (Came close, I still have a few left. Hopefully getting around to those in 2014.)
• I'll also predict Incan Gold as my most played game of 2013. (Not even close.  Incan Gold finished as my 7th most played game. Resistance (Avalon and regular) took that title.)

And now for the Nickel and Dime wrap for 2012. Dimes are games that were played 10+ times, Nickels are games that were played 5-9 times.

Dimes

• Resistance - 57
• King of Tokyo - 56
• Hanabi - 21
• TransAmerica - 20
• For Sale -18
• Tsuro - 18
• Article 27 - 15
• Incan Gold - 15
• Star Trek Attack Wing -15
• Star Wars X-Wing - 15
• Eight Minute Empire - 14
• Love Letter - 14

Nickels

• Dominion - 9
• Smash Up - 9
• Alhambra - 8
• Bugs in the Kitchen - 7
• Cosmic Encounter - 7
• Get Bit - 7
• Marvel Legendary - 7
• No Thanks - 7
• Tiki Topple - 7
• Flash Point - 6
• Settlers of Catan - 6
• 7 Wonders - 5
• Pizza Theory - 5
• Skyline - 5
• Survive: Escape from Atlantis - 5

And now for a look ahead.  I don't want to say that these are resolutions or goals, but rather some hopes and thoughts on how I'd like 2014 to go for me as it relates to games.

• I'd like to try out at least 10 games I've never played before.
• I'd like to make it to a gaming convention, perhaps DiceTowerCon, or maybe Gencon.
• I want to continue being a good gaming ambassador by introducing people to games, having fun playing games, and being an example of a good sport win or lose.
• I want to delve deep into a game - maybe it's Star Trek Attack Wing and creating some missions or a campaign for that, maybe it's something else.
• I want to always remember that I play games to have fun. Sometimes I lose sight of that in the heat of trying to win.

A couple of things you can look forward to in 2014 from BoBG

• Top 50 games I've played so far list.  My sister will also be publishing her top 10 or 20 or however many she feels like list.
• More reviews.  I know I'm never going to be the first one reviewing a game, but I still think my opinions are helpful at least some of the time.
• Very soon I'll put together my best of 2013 article, with things such as best game new to me.
• A contest! I'm not going to say for what, or when, but it will be worth the effort.

If you have suggestions for games I should review, feel free to leave a comment, or head over to the BoBG Facebook page. 

Thank-you everyone for reading, commenting, tweeting, re-tweeting, etc. You all are the reason I keep writing articles. 

Have a blessed and safe 2014.

November 2013 Recap

Another 30 days and we reach December.  Time for family, friends, way too much food, and a lot of other good things.

I played 57 games in 30 days, bringing the total to 446, so my stretch goal is 500.  Possible that I'll play 54 games in December, but one never knows.

I played 5 games for the first time this year, which brings me up to 94/100.  The biggest challenge will be getting 6 new games played.

Just a quick list of what I actually played in November


7 Times

• Resistance: Avalon

6 Times

• King of Tokyo

5 Times

• Bugs in the Kitchen
• For Sale
• Love Letter
• Star Trek: Attack Wing

2 Times

• Article 27
• Coloretto
• Hanabi
• Resistance
• Tsuro
• X-Wing

1 Time

• 7 Wonders
• Acquire
• Castellan
• Eight Minute Empire
• Eight Minute Empire Legends
• Incan Gold
• Marvel Legendary
• Martian Dice
• Mystery of the Abbey
• Power Grid
• Risk Legacy
• TransAmerica

I acquired 3 new games this month.  I bought Bugs in the Kitchen, which is a really fun and light toy/game.  I was also given a copy of Kingdom Builder from my local game store - Kriers Cards and Comics in Modesto California.  Eight-Minute Empire Legends also showed up from Kickstarter

For December, I'm going to try to get a couple of older games reviewed, and I'll also do a review of Bugs in the Kitchen.


Also, please vote in the poll.  I want to know what you guys want to see for my top games list.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

October 2013 Recap

Another 31 days and a new month.  I hit 2000 life time game plays which I'll detail in another post.  #2000 was X-Wing for any curious people.

I played 50 games in 31 days, which hits the 365 game play total for the year! That total now stands at 389, so my stretch goal is 500.

I played 7 games for the first time this year, which brings me up to 89/100.

Just a quick list of what I actually played in October


9 Times

• Resistance: Avalon

4 Times

• For Sale
• Incan Gold

3 Times

• Love Letter
• Pizza Theory
• Resistance
• Star Trek: Attack Wing

2 Times

• Forbidden Desert
• King of Tokyo
• Nefarious
• Pandemic
• X-Wing

1 Time

• Dominion
• Get Bit
• Hanabi
• Mystery of the Abbey
• No Thanks
• Phase 10
• Rattus
• Small World
• Star Trek: Expeditions
• TransAmerica
• Word on the Street

I acquired 3 new games, and several expansions this month.  I picked up the 4 new Star Trek Attack Wing wave 1 ships, as well as a couple B-Wings for X-Wing.  I also bought Forbidden Desert which is a very fun and challenging co-op game.

For November, I have my Article 27 review done, just need to take pictures.  I will also get out a review on Star Trek Attack Wing.  Not sure what else I'll get to, but I'll try to write more than I have the last couple of months.

Also, please vote in the poll.  I want to know what you guys want to see for my top games list.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

September 2013 Recap

Another 30 days and a new month. Fall is in the air.  Pumpkin drinks are appearing at what seems like every store.  It's my sister's birthday.  Life is good.

The big happening for me was making an appearance on Dice Tower Showdown.  I made mention of that in a previous post, so you can find the link there.

I played 46 games in 30 days, which continues to put me ahead of my goal.  That brings the YTD total to 339/365.  Ideally I would be at 273, so 66 ahead and what I'm now going to call a very safe bet for 300 baring major surprises..  I played 6 games for the first time this year, which brings me up to 79/100.

Just a quick list of what I actually played in September
Avalon continues a strong showing from August.


10 Times

• Resistance: Avalon

5 Times

• TransAmerica

4 Times

• King of Tokyo

3 Times

• Get Bit
• Star Trek: Attack Wing

2 Times

• Article 27
• Love Letter

1 Time

• Adventurers
• Citadels
• Colossal Arena
• Crappy Birthday
• Eight-Minute Empire
• Formula D
• Hanabi
• High Society
• Legendary
• Lost Cities
• Munchkin
• Roll Through the Ages
• Shadows Over Camelot
• Survive
• Tiki Topple
• Tsuro
• X-Wing

I acquired 3 new games, and several expansions this month.  I picked up Star Trek Attack Wing core set, and then bought 1 of each of the 8 Wave 0 ships.  I also bought several Wave 3 X-Wing ships.  I won a game called Hex-A-Gon as a participation prize in a game tournament.  I also used Amazon support dollars from all of you clicking through and buying things to purchase Love Letter.

Looking ahead to October I'm going to try to get out the review of Article 27 that I said I'd get out in September.  I should also probably get a review of Avalon out since I've been playing it so much.  We'll see how the month goes.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

August 2013 Recap

Another 31 days and a new month.

The big happening in August was Gencon, even though I was not able to go.  In thinking about it, I'm not sure I ever want to go to something that big.  I can't deny the awesomeness that comes out of Gencon, but I'm not sure I want to fight with the masses.

I played 45 games in 31 days, which continues to put me ahead of my goal.  That brings the YTD total to 293/365.  Ideally I would be at 243, so 50 ahead and cushion for the September slowdown that always seems to happen.  I played 1 game for the first time this year, which brings me up to 73/100.  I'm pretty certain that this part is going to be the biggest struggle to finish.  It's going to be hard to find 27 new games to play.

Just a quick list of what I actually played in August

Finally, King of Tokyo is not at the top of the play list.

13 Times

• Hanabi

10 Times

• Resistance: Avalon

3 Times

• King of Tokyo
• Tsuro

2 Times

• Article 27
• Incan Gold
• Skyline
• TransAmerica

1 Time

• Eight-Minute Empire
• For Sale
• Legendary
• No Thanks
• Small World
• Survive
• Tiki Topple
• X-Wing

I acquired 0 new games, but several expansions this month.  I picked up the 3 mini expansions for Survive, Track Map 4 for Formula D, an extra Slave 1 and Tie Interceptor for X-Wing, and a whole bunch of dice for general use and prototyping.

Looking ahead to September I'm going to try to get out 2 bigger reviews: TransAmerica and Article 27, as well as a smaller review or 2, but that's going to be a surprise.  I'll do my best to come up with another Top 7 list or two, as well as another random musings.  I know my posts have been spotty, so I'm really trying to get on a more consistent posting basis.  I might experiment with something along the lines of

• Top 7 Mondays
• Review Wednesdays
• Random Musings Fridays

It may not last forever, but I'll do my best to stick with that for awhile and see what happens.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

July 2013 Recap

Another 31 days and a new month.


July saw a lot of gaming

I played 64 games in 31 days, gaining a whole lot.  That brings the YTD total to 248/365.  Ideally I would be at 212, so 36 ahead and cushion for the August/September slowdown that always seems to happen.  I played 6 games for the first time this year, which brings me up to 72/100.

Just a quick list of what I actually played in June

8 Times

• King of Tokyo

7 Times

• Dominion

6 Times

• Incan Gold

5 Times

• Article 27

4 Times

• TransAmerica
• Tsuro

3 Times

• Eight-Minute Empire
• Hanabi
• Resistance: Avalon

2 Times

• Flash Point
• For Sale
• Order Up
• Qwixx
• Tiki Topple

1 Time

• 23
• Colossal Arena
• Cosmic Encounter
• Eclipse
• Elfenland
• Las Vegas
• Race for the Galaxy
• Shadows Over Camelot (Yay for me being the traitor King and winning)
• Smash Up
• Survive
• Thurn and Taxis

I acquired 2 new games - Hanabi and Resistance: Avalon, and 1 new expansion - Dominion: Guilds  this month.
Speaking of Dominion, the reason I played it 7 times was due to a tournament where I played 6 games. I managed to come in 2nd, losing in the finals by 1 point.  I know there are things I could have done differently, but the guy who won deserved it.  

Looking ahead to August, who knows what's going to happen with my game plays.  Historically they have a drop-off with the new school year, but maybe this year will be different. (Yes that's what everyone likes to say.)

In July I reviewed  the Smash Up expansion.  I also got back on the whole Top 7 list, which I hope to be doing more of.  Yes, I'm shamelessly piggybacking on Dice Tower Top 10 lists, but I think it's worth throwing my thoughts out there.  I'm working on a couple ideas for reviews, trying to bring a little different flavor to cover a couple of games.  I also finished a major revision to SR, so we'll see how that goes.  More on that soon.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

June 2013 Recap

Another 30 days and a new month.  My birthday didn't quite hold as much gaming as I wanted due to an illness that went through my family.  Now it is July and everyone is healthy.

What June lacked in quantity of game days, it made up for in quality.  I played a lot of longer games, and had really good gaming sessions.

I played 37 games in 30 days, gaining just a little bit.  That brings the YTD total to 184/365.  Ideally I would be at 181, so 3 ahead finally.  I played 7 games for the first time this year, which brings me up to 66/100.  I also got to play with 8 new people, bringing that count to 57/50 so 1 goal accomplished, WOOHOO!

Just a quick list of what I actually played in June

9 Times

• King of Tokyo

3 Times

• Alhambra
• Article 27
• Eight-Minute Empire

2 Times

• Imperial
• TransAmerica
• X-Wing

1 Time

• Biblios
• Catan
• Elfenland
• For Sale
• Legendary
• Santiago
• Seasons
• Space Cadets
• That's Life
• Thurn and Taxis
• Tiki Topple
• Tsuro

I acquired 3 new games in June - Article 27, Space Cadets, TransAmerica, as well as the first expansion to Seasons.

Looking ahead to July, who knows what's going to happen with my game plays.  I have lots of gaming opportunities, it's a matter of what I'm willing to drive to and who else shows up to events.

In June I reviewed  Eight-Minute Empire and the expansion for King of Tokyo.  I didn't get to the Smash Up expansion, but I will soon.  Not sure what else I'll review, so I welcome any suggestions as a comment.

Since we're halfway through the year, I think it's an appropriate time to look at how all my game goals are going.

• 365 game plays (184 done)
• Play 20+ games 5+ times, and play 10+ games 10+ times.   (King of Tokyo is the only one over 10) (9 games are at 5+, so 9/20 and 1/10)
• Play 100 unique games. (64 done, as noted above)
• Play a game with 50 different people. (Done in June)
• Finish Risk Legacy (Haven't even played one additional game)
• Teach Cosmic Encounter to at least one new person (Haven't done it yet, but hopefully)
• Attend a gaming convention (Not planned, but I have one I'm considering)
• Further the development of current game designs and think up new ones. (Still working hard on SR, others have come and gone.)
• Play every game I own, as of the start of 2013, that I haven't played. (I only have a handful to go - Star Trek Expeditions, Scotland Yard, Risk 2210, Scrabble Slam, Fictionaire, Crappy Birthday, Angry Birds, Ground Floor)
• I'll also predict Incan Gold as my most played game of 2013. (Hahaha! I've played Incan Gold once, and King of Tokyo much much more)

Until next time, thanks for reading.

May 2013 Recap

Another 31 days and a new month, as well as my birthday, meaning lots of games being played today on June 1st.

May was a good month of gaming.  I had my first experience playing games with a group at church, primarily Catan, but also some other games.  I didn't have as many Mondays due to finals.  The good news is that it's summer, which always means lots of games.
I played 36 games in 31 days, gaining just a tad, but the summer tends to be a boost.  That brings the YTD total to 147/365.  Ideally I would be at 151, so just 4 behind.  I played 15 games for the first time this year, which brings me up to 59/100.  I also got to play with 21 new people, bringing that count to 49/50.

Just a quick list of what I actually played in May

6 Times

• King of Tokyo

5 Times

• Eight-Minute Empire

3 Times

• Catan
• Flash Point

2 Times

• Smash Up

1 Time

• 23
• Ace of Spies
• Alhambra
• Article 27
• Cinque Terre
• Dominion
• Imperial
• Kingdoms
• Martian Dice
• Nefarious
• Race to Adventure
• Scary Tales
• Screaming Eagles
• Star Trek Catan
• Talisman
• Ticket to Ride
• Tiki Topple

I acquired 2 new games in May - Eight-Minute Empire (Kickstarter arrival) and The Hunger Games District 12 game (B&N 75% off clearance).  I also caved and bought the expansions for Dominion online - goko.com - which I've been playing a lot.

Looking ahead to June, my game playing should see a bigger uptick.  My birthday leads to a lot of games, game groups tend to run later since there's less going on, and more people tend to show up.  I'm hoping to review Eight-Minute Empire so look for that soon, as well as a review for the King of Tokyo and Smash Up expansions.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

April 2013 Recap

Another 30 days and a new month.

April was a mixed bag of gaming.
I played 21 games in 30 days, hence falling behind, but I figured this would happen.    That brings the YTD total to 111/365.  I played 3 games for the first time this year, which brings me up to 44/100.  I also got to play with 2 new people, bringing that count to 28/50.  I'm confident that all of those numbers will be going up in May.

Just a quick list of what I actually played in April.

5 Times

• X-Wing

4 Times

• Cosmic Encounter
• King of Tokyo

1 Time

• Aton
• Eclipse
• Fleet
• For Sale
• Jaipur
• No Thanks
• Smash Up
• Star Trek: Fleet Captains
• Survive: Escape From Atlantis

I acquired no new games in April. I did pick up the wonder pack for 7 Wonders, but I haven't had a chance to play it yet.  There are some things on my radar, but I think I'm waiting for Gencon releases to get anything new.

Looking ahead to May, my gaming should see a slight uptick.  Game group on Mondays should be going stronger since summer is starting to hit.  I've been invited to a biweekly game night on Fridays, so that will be great to meet new people.  My sister is graduating college, so she'll be around for games more often, which is great for family time.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

March 2013 Recap

Another 31 days and a new month.

March - What a month of gaming.  I played 44 games in 31 days.  One of my highest monthly play totals in years.  The major help has been a regular game night with my cousin and some of his friends.  Also a big boost over Easter weekend with game days Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  That brings the YTD total to 90/365 which is now exactly on pace.  I played 12 games for the first time this year, which brings me up to 41/100.  I also got to play with 8 new people, bringing that count to 26/50.

Just a quick list of what I actually played in March.


12 Times

• King of Tokyo

5 Times

• Smash Up

3 Times

• Get Bit

2 Times

• Cosmic Encounter
• Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game
• No Thanks!
• Trans America
• Tsuro

1 Time

• Alhambra
• Battlestar Galactica
• Fleet
• For Sale
• Garden Dice
• Jaipur
• Martian Dice
• Munchkin
• Pizza Theory
• Skyline
• X-Wing
• Survive: Escape From Atlantis
• Ticket to Ride
• Zombie Fluxx

I acquired 7 new games in March - King of Tokyo, Smash Up, Get Bit, Ace of Spies (kickstarter), Jaipur (won a contest), Flapjacks and Sasquatches (door prize), and Order Up (door prize).

Looking ahead to April, I will certainly be getting a review of King of Tokyo out asap, look for it sometime before the 5th.  I'll be out of town late in the month, but that also means some gaming time, so that should be another good thing.  I'm still trying to strike a balance between work and writing, and I know I need to write more for this, so please hang with me, and good content will follow.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

February 2013 Recap

Another 4 weeks and a new month.

February was a good month of gaming for me, but not for the usual reasons.  My play count was down, one of my dear friends and faithful gamers is moving overseas for at least the next 2 years, an opportunity in the gaming world came and went just like that, and I only made one post. So that's a lot of bad things, but they're all part of life.  The good of February was two-fold.  One, I played Alhambra with my parents.  When we were done my mom said "The next time we play, I'll pay more attention to that."  It's huge for her to say that. She's not a gamer, well, not really.  She'll play Ticket to Ride, Shadows Over Camelot, maybe Carcassonne, Tiki Topple, For Sale, but nothing huge.  She's usually the person we have to talk into playing, so for her to talk about the next time is a minor miracle.  I also *finally* received Kings of Air and Steam from Kickstarter. I say finally because the project funded in November 2011 with an intended release of Summer 2012.  I've played it twice, and both games have been close with everyone enjoying it.  The most recent game was a "3 Player Cutthroat"with a final score of 157-154-153.

I logged 17 game plays not counting expansions, which is now 46/365. It's 13 plays behind the curve, but not a terrible start.  I played 8 games for the first time this year, which brings me up to 29/100.  I also got to play with 3 new people, bringing that count to 18/50.

Just a quick list of what I actually played in February


2 Times

• 7 Wonders
• Alhambra
• Kings of Air and Steam
• Skyline
• Tsuro

1 Time

• Fleet
• Las Vegas
• Pizza Theory
• Roll Through the Ages
• Saint Petersburg
• Shadows Over Camelot: The Card Game
• TransAmerica

I acquired four new games, three thanks to Kickstarter games showing up (finally).  Those games are Alhambra, Kings of Air and Steam, Ground Floor, and Skyline.  I've played all except Ground Floor, but that will happen at a game-night soon, after I read the rules.

Looking ahead to March, two exciting things of note.  On the 2nd, I'll be at a tournament of games, and hopefully will have a prize from that.  It's going to be a great opportunity to play with some new people and play a bunch of games.  I'm also taking place in an X-Wing Tournament the 2nd week of March to celebrate the launch of the Wave 2 ships.  I'll try to do a report of the tournaments, hopefully someone will find that interesting.

Reviews. I know I'm not getting content out there, but trust me, it's coming. I did get Flash Point out there, so hopefully you've had a chance to take a look at that.  I'm currently at a weird point with games to review right now.  I haven't been playing enough of anything to warrant a review, especially since I don't want to rush judgement on a game.  I may take some time to do a few lighter games like Fluxx and Munchkin just as a change of pace.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

January 2013 Recap

Welcome to February!

January was a great month of gaming for me.  I logged 29 game plays not counting expansions, so that's a great start towards 365. It's 2 plays behind the curve, but not a terrible start.  I've been able to play 21 different games, so there's been a lot of variety there and a fantastic start towards 100 different games.  I've also played with 15 different people, an excellent start towards 50 for the year.

Just a quick list of what I actually played in January

3 Times

• Monopoly Deal
• Sorry Express 

2 Times

• Fleet
• For Sale
• Tsuro
• Wits and Wagers Party

1 Time

• 7 Wonders
• Black Friday
• Bonkers
• Clue Express
• Fearsome Floors
• Flash Point: Fire Rescue
• Genoa
• Incan Gold
• Lost Cities
• Martian Dice
• Monopoly Express
• No Thanks!
• Suburbia
• TransAmerica
• X-Wing

I acquired no new games (finally), but that will change come February.  I'm planning on purchasing Smash Up, King of Tokyo, and perhaps Alien Frontiers.

January saw the 21,000th page view for this blog which is incredible in a little over a year. This time last year, I was celebrating 1,000 views, so wow, 20,000 in a year. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you so much for reading.

January held the annual Top 42 list. If you haven't taken a look at that, please do.

Reviews. I know I'm not getting content out there, but trust me, it's coming.  January has been a month of reflection and some game purging.  I've run my first auction on BGG, and I've sold nearly 20 games.  It's sad to see them go, but I need the shelf space, and the money to get new games in.
I will be reviewing Flash Point: Fire Rescue in February.  

December 2012 and Year End Wrap Up

Happy 2013!


Welcome to January, the month of gym time, futile attempts to shed holiday pounds, and a time of resolutions.  

December was an amazing month for games.  I was able to play in an X-Wing Kessel Run Tournament and take 2nd place, with my friend taking 3rd.  Since I was also the T.O. I got some extra ships, and ended up with Slave 1, a Tie-Interceptor and 2 A-Wings.  Life in the X-Wing realm is really good right now.  I also procured a play surface, just simple black felt 3'x3' but it works really well.  I was also able to attend a meetup at Fuddruckers. (A burger restaurant for those of you who might not know what it is.)  Of course there have been a lot of family get togethers, time with my gaming family and my friend and his siblings.  

December was also a great month because both Secret Santa packages arrived early! Something that's never happened for me, so I'm grateful for that.  Both my targets are reportedly enjoying their games, which is great.  Let's break down the haul.  BGG Santa sent the Romulan Expansion to Star Trek Fleet Captains as well as the Shadows over Camelot Card Game.  Haven't been able to play either, but they both look like good fun.  Dice Tower Santa sent Martian Dice, The Doctor Who Card Game, and Seasons.  I was able to play Martian Dice at gamenight and with some of my cousins and my sister, and it is a fun little game.  There are some interesting choices to be made, but more on that in a future review.  Seasons is also a lot of fun.  The drafting aspects make for an interesting game with a bevy of combos to explore. Doctor Who is a neat little card game.  We had an odd shuffle so our game felt weird, but there's good promise there.  My gaming family surprised me the day after Christmas with Star Trek Catan.  We don't play Catan much anymore, but I think this might breath some new life into it.  

What got playing in December?

• Tsuro x7
• Werewolf x7
• Incan Gold x6
• Seasons x4
• X-Wing x4
• Dixit x2
• Escape: Curse of the Temple x2
• Martian Dice x2
• No Thanks x2
• 7 Wonders x1
• Airlines Europe x1
• Archaeology: The Card Game x1
• Black Friday x1
• Doctor Who: Card Game x1
• Flash Point: Fire Rescue x1
• Formula D x1
• High Society x1
• Smash Up x1
• TransAmerica x1
• Village x1
• Word on the Street x1
• SR Test x1

Total 49 plays

That brings the YTD total to 324, which is mission accomplished!

December was a really slow month for posts, but January will pick up again.  Looking ahead to 2013, there are some good things ahead.  

The holidays tend to involve a lot of game playing for me, which is great, but it means that this takes a bit of a back seat.  But never fear, I'll be back on a regular posting schedule soon, hopefully in the next two weeks.

My current review queue is a bit up in the air. I've had a realization lately that people don't seem to really care about a review for a game that isn't the new hot thing, so I'm going to try something a little different.  I want to take a longer look at games and offer my insights into them.  Sometimes it takes 5-10 plays to see what a game has to offer.  So that's my new goal, to play a game 5-10 times (depending on length) before I review it.  Because of this I'll be altering the format of my reviews, and reviews will be a bit less frequent.

And now, a look back at what I wrote in 2011 with updates on how they went.

And without further delay, my 2012 gaming desires/resolutions which will probably not work but hey it's nice to dream big.

• Play every game I own that I've yet to play at least once (Big time FAIL. I've actually gained more games that need to be played.)

• Finish Risk Legacy (I've now finished 5 games, hopefully more soon. This could take a few years to finish)

• Log 300 game plays (Done. 300 was X-Wing which happened on December 22. My total for the year was 324)

• Trade/give away the games I won't ever play (Partially done. I have a few more games to trade, but I think this is an ongoing process)

• Introduce at least one new person to Cosmic Encounter (Done in April to 2 new people. Also taught 3 more through Monday Night Game Night.)

• Organize a micro tournament of Dominion with my friends, most likely online. (Accomplished. I ended up 3rd, lost in the semi-finals, won the consolation.)

• Finish design work on my own board game design and start playtesting by June. (Actually started playtesting in May, then revised heavily in June, and kept playing. I've sent out prototype copies to a few people to playtest and report back.)

• I will also predict that Eminent Domain will be my most played game of the year.  (Ha! So Wrong. I played it 4 times, which is T-14 for the year. Tsuro was my most played game, which would have been impossible to predict since I didn't own it until the summer.)

Overall, not bad. I managed to get in the game plays, expanding the love for Cosmic Encounter, a Dominion Tourney, and game design.  That counts as a major success.

I managed to play 78 unique games, which was an enjoyable time.  I didn't realize that number was so high until I started listing them out.

And now, without further delay, the 2013 BoBG gaming goals

• 365 game plays
• Play 20+ games 5+ times, and play 10+ games 10+ times. (Yes, overlap exists here)
• Play 100 unique games. For instance, Ticket to Ride US and Europe do NOT count as different games for this purpose. Same goes for Wits and Wagers -Base/Family/Party - only one counts there. A game and then the card or dice version would count as 2 different things.  Basically the game has to have a different name.
• Play a game with 50 different people. (Not all at once, that would be one epic game of Werewolf/Mafia. These don't have to be new people.)
• Finish Risk Legacy (Worth trying this again)
• Teach Cosmic Encounter to at least one new person (I think this is going to be a staple goal)
• Attend a gaming convention
• Further the development of current game designs and think up new ones.
• Play every game I own, as of the start of 2013, that I haven't played.
• I'll also predict Incan Gold as my most played game of 2013.

And now for the Nickel and Dime wrap for 2012. Dimes are games that were played 10+ times, Nickels are games that were played 5-9 times.

Dimes

• Cosmic Encounter
• Dominion
• Incan Gold
• No Thanks!
• Pizza Theory
• Scary Tales
• Tsuro
• X-Wing

Nickels

• Colossal Arena
• Flash Point: Fire Rescue
• For Sale
• Tiki Topple
• Werewolf

If you have suggestions for games I should review, feel free to leave a comment, or head over to the BoBG facebook page and vote there.  

Thank-you everyone(nearly 20,000 page views) for reading, commenting, tweeting, re-tweeting, etc. You all are the reason I keep writing articles. 

Have a blessed and safe 2013.

November 2012 Recap

Welcome to December, the month of holidays, family gatherings, far too many desserts, parties, and snow.  Also, Happy Birthday to the blog. It was one year ago today that BoBG came to exist.  Though the first article wasn't published until December 2nd, the first moments happened on the 1st.

November was a great month for games.  I was able to go to a meetup about an hour away, as well as continue the local meetup Monday nights.  Throw in some good weekend gaming, and a lot of games around Thanksgiving, and life is good.  

What got playing in November?

• Flash Point: Fire Rescue x6
• X-Wing x6
• Tsuro x5
• Incan Gold x4
• Archaeology: The Card Game x2
• For Sale x2
• No Thanks x2
• Scary Tales x2
• Solar Circuit Racing x2
• Black Friday x1
• Cosmic Encounter x1
• Dominion: Dark Ages x1
• Fauna x1
• Fleet x1
• Roll Through the Ages x1
• Small World x1
• Smash Up x1
• Ticket to Ride: Europe x1

Total 40 plays

That brings the YTD total to 275, which is right on pace for 300.  Knowing how December goes, I'm hopeful to surpass 300 right around Christmas, and let New Years Eve bring it over the top.

I acquired 1 new game in November, Black Friday.  It's a few years old, but I got a chance to play it at game night, and I just knew it was a game for me.  Helps that I was able to win it in a BGG auction for a pretty good price.  I've held back because secret santa is right around the corner, and I want to be able to enjoy those games/expansions.

November was a slower month for posts, but I think there was some good quality.

I got out 3 reviews, Incan Gold, Looting London, and X-Wing.  That accounts for the end of my review series of the bookshelf games, at least for now.  I was going to review Birds on a Wire, but I decided not to.

There were 2 additions to the Collection Building Series, Card Games and Animal Games.  

Finally, there was the Christmas Game Guide which was even referenced on Board Game Geek's guide under "Other Resources."  Seeing that made me really excited, and it's great to know that hard work does get rewarded.

Looking ahead to December, I'm not really sure what's going to happen on the blog.  I'll likely do something fun for our 1 year anniversary.  At some point I hope to report that the Secret Santa packages have arrived, though the contents will remain a mystery until Christmas.

Game wise, I am looking forward to my first X-Wing tournament.  The local shop is doing a Kessel Run Event (Yes, in 12 Parsecs) on the 15th, so we get to preview the new ships, and hopefully I'll be walking away with 2 (I get one for being a Tournament Organizer).

If you have suggestions for games I should review, feel free to leave a comment, or head over to the BoBG facebook page and vote there.  

Also, if you have any suggestions for 2013 goals, those would be great to hear.

Thank-you everyone for reading, commenting, tweeting, re-tweeting, etc. You all are the reason I keep writing articles. 

October 2012 Recap

Welcome to November, and a special Happy Birthday to my friend and loyal reader Rose.

October was perhaps the best month of gaming I've had all year.  No, it didn't have the most plays, or the most game days, but it did see the return of game days with the gaming family (first since end of May) as well as a friend asking to play Star Runner.  Game night has also picked up, we just had 9 people show up on Monday, which is up from an average of 4-5.  The other big milestone, I acquired my 100th game.

What got playing in October?

Incan Gold x3

Tsuro x3

7 Wonders x2

Elder Sign x2

Fleet x2

Scary Tales x2

Alhambra x1

Cambria x1

Lords of Waterdeep x1

No Thanks x1

Pizza Theory x1

Rattus x1

The Resistance x1

Roll Through the Ages x1

X-Wing x1

Star Runner x1

Total 24 plays

That brings the YTD total to 235, which is 15 behind pace for 300.  Hopefully with the weekly game night and Thanksgiving, November will allow me to catch-up and allow for December to be the big push to 300.

I acquired 1 new game in October, Star Wars X-Wing.  I've only had one chance to play it, but I like it and it will see more table time.  With the growth of the local game night, I've felt less of a need to buy new games, which is great on my wallet, and it gives me a chance to play a variety of games that I wouldn't otherwise.  Plus, Secret Santa and Christmas mean that new games will come in, so I don't want to buy much for myself.

October was a productive month in terms of posts with a total of 16.

October also accounted for 2,718 views to the blog which is a new monthly record.

I got out 5 reviews, Money, Roll Through the Ages, Gem Dealer, For Sale, and High Society

Also, there were 3 additions to the Collection Building Series, 2 Player, Next Level and Worker Placement.

Finally, there were 7 bonus articles including a 100th post tribute, an update on Star Runner, 2 random musings - Getting the Rules Wrong, and my thoughts/experiences with Secret Santas, as well as my Top 7 Game Publishers, Cosmic Encounter Powers, and Gaming Moments.

If you ever have an idea for a Top 7 list you'd like to see, feel free to let me know.

Looking at November, I should wrap up my review series on the Gryphon Bookshelf Series games I own.  That will be for Incan Gold, Looting London and Birds on a Wire.  

After that, I’ll likely revert to my old style of mixing new games and old, so you get a good mix of things.  On the more fun side of things, I've contacted a few other bloggers to work together to compile a Christmas games guide, so hopefully that's something you can use for ideas to get other people games, or direct your loved ones to for yourself.

If you have suggestions for games I should review, feel free to leave a comment, or head over to the BoBG facebook page and vote there.  

Thank-you everyone for reading, commenting, tweeting, re-tweeting, etc. You all are the reason I keep writing articles. 

September 2012 Update

Welcome to October, and a special Happy Birthday to my sister.

September was simultaneously the best and worst month of boardgames for me.  The bad news, I only had 2 game days which accounted for a total of 8 game plays.  That's the lowest all year and has me behind pace.  The good news, a weekly game night has started up at my local game store.  It's not big on boardgames yet, but we had some people stop by who were interested in playing the next time, so here's hoping.  Also really big news, I played my 1500th boardgame last week.  It was For Sale, for anyone who's interested.  Cosmic came in at 1501, but I couldn't swing it for 1500.

What got playing in September?

Tsuro x3
Dominion x2
For Sale x1
Lost Cities x1
Cosmic Encounter x1

That brings the YTD total to 210, which is 15 behind pace for 300.  Hopefully with the weekly game night, I'll make some ground up.

I acquired 4 new games this month.  I received Angry Birds: Knock on Wood and The Resistance in a trade for some LoTR chapter packs, and I received Fleet and Solar Circuit Racing from Kickstarter campaigns.  It's really nice to see games coming in from Kickstarter.

September was a productive month in terms of posts with a total of 10, though we'll call it 9 since the monthly updates don't really count.
I got out 3 reviews, Dominion:Dark Ages, Catacombs and Shadows Over Camelot.
Also, there were 3 additions to the Collection Building Series, Co-op, Team, and Dice.
Finally, there were 3 bonus articles, 2 random musings, Kickstarter, and the upcoming game Story Realms, as well as my Top 7 Places to Play Games.

Looking at October, there are some exciting things coming.  I should have an interview with the designers of Story Realms, that should be in the next few days.  Also look forward to new reviews of both new and older games.  If you have suggestions for games I should review, feel free to leave a comment, or head over to the BoBG facebook page and vote there.  I'm going to have a couple of guest reviewers come in to review Munchkin and Money.  I'm going to try to review games in the Gryphon Bookshelf Series, at least the ones I own, which is 1-8. I'm open to having guests come in the review the rest of the series. If you're interested in that, let me know and we can talk about that.

Thank-you everyone for reading, commenting, tweeting, re-tweeting, etc. You all are the reason I keep writing articles.  The next article will be #100, which I'll be using as something fun and frivolous.  Also, BoBG is nearly at 10,000 views since launch in December.  I know other blogs have gained a larger following, but 10,000 is something I never thought would happen this fast.  Once again, thank-you to all of you, the loyal readers, the one time readers, and everyone in between.