Collection Building: Worker Placement Games

Some of the most popular Euro style games utilize Worker Placement as a fundamental mechanic.  First, we should look at what worker placement actually is.  Using BGG's description, "Worker placement requires players to draft individual actions from a set that is available to all players. Drafting is done one-at-a-time and in turn order.  There may be a limit on the number of times a single acton space may be used each round.  Usually, each player has a limited number of pieces with which to participate in the process. In other words, they "place workers" to show which actions have been drafted by which players."  That's all well and good, but what does it actually mean?  Well essentially, you take turns choosing actions to do, and typically you block everyone else from being able to do exactly the same thing.

Worker placement is probably the most highly ranked mechanic on BGG.  There are currently 5 games in the top 20, 9 games in the top 50, 13 in the top 100, and 23 in the top 200.  I personally haven't played many worker placement games, but I am a fan of the mechanic.  The detractor for me is that they often take awhile to play, and they are thinky games.

I'm only going to talk specifically about games I've played, since that's the only way to be honest about things.  I will mention that I've heard a lot of good things about Stone Age and Alien Frontiers, and I want to play both of those, but since I haven't, I can't recommend them.

Agricola
I had heard a lot of things about Agricola before I got a chance to play it.  The biggest thing I knew going in was to make sure we played the family game before playing the full thing.  The family game serves as an introduction and leaves a few of the variable cards out of the game.  Agricola is all about running a farm.  You need wood, brick, stone, etc. to build improvements, you need to gather animals and farm your land, and you always need to feed your family.  All of these things take actions to gather the resources, and since everyone needs all of the same things, you have a lot of tension.  I think Agricola is a well designed game, but it never really struck a chord with me.  I can win my fair share of games, but there's just something lacking for me.

Lords of Waterdeep
I had a chance to play this at game night a few weeks ago, and I really enjoyed it.  It's set in the Dungeons and Dragons universe, which I know basically nothing about, yet I still enjoyed the theme.  You recruit agents: Clerics, Wizards, Thieves, etc. to help you accomplish quests.  These quests earn you victory points and other rewards.  Workers are used to recruit agents, build buildings (which gives everyone an additional spot to place their workers), gain new quests, and play Intrigue cards (which affect other player(s) in some way).  The best part of this game was that it took a little more than an hour, and that was to teach 3 new players how to play and then play the game.  It gave me a similar feel to Agricola while being more engaging and faster.

Kingsburg
I talked a bit about Kingsburg in the Dice game article, but it warrants mention here as well.  In Kingsburg, players use dice to influence advisors.  The higher the advisor number, typically, the better things they give you.  There are times when splitting up your dice is actually more beneficial, or even taking a lower valued advisor.  What I appreciate about Kingsburg is that you almost always have options.  You may not get exactly what you want, but the odds are that you'll be able to get something that helps you.  Once you get the resources you need, you use them to buy a building.  Each building gives you a different bonus.  What really makes Kingsburg a game is the end of year combat.  That forces players to spend time investing in their military instead of just playing a resource game.

Price Wars

Like I said in the open, these are heavy games, and with heavy games comes a heavy price tag.  If you're really on a budget, this is a category to skip.  If you're looking for a lighter game in the genre, go for Stone Age.  Based on price and my enjoyment level, I'd choose Lords of Waterdeep.  I think it has great replayability and has a good enjoyment/time ratio.

Art, High Tea, and Scrooge McDuck: A High Society Review

High Society

• Designed by Reiner Knizia
• Published by Gryphon Games (Bookshelf #5)
• Players with 3-5 players
• Playtime is 20-30 minutes

Overview

High Society is all about using your wealth to acquire great works of art.  These works of art have values associated with them, and whoever has the most value at the end of the game wins.  Players have to avoid the thief, the scandal, and the dreaded fire.  The trick to the game, if you spend the most money, you automatically lose. 

Components

Inside the box

There are only two components to the game, a hand of bidding cards for each player, and 16 tiles to bid on.  While the components are a bit sparse, they are functional.  The tiles are really nice quality with excellent artwork.  The bidding cards are a bit thin, but nothing horrible.

Mechanics

Flip a tile, bid on it until everyone has passed, rinse, repeat.  Ok, maybe not that simple, but that's the core of the game.  There are 3 "bad" tiles, which have slightly different rules.  When one of those comes up, bidding goes until someone passes, at which point they keep their money, but suffer the consequences, while everyone else pays what they bid.  The game continues this way until the 4th red boarder tile shows up, at which point the game is over.  It's an auction game, but the idea that the person who spends the most automatically loses keeps the game interesting.  

The 10 different works of art to bid on

Interaction

Like many auction games, High Society offers a good amount of back and forth between players.  The "most spent = loss" mechanic keeps players on their toes.  It isn't just a matter of bidding what you have, you have to have an idea of how much money other players have left.  While you're not able to attack or do anything to directly mess with others, how you bid does have an impact.  I would say the interaction is a bit subtle, but it's definitely there.

Theme

Special tiles. 2x, 1/2, -5, Thief

Though the theme is not strongly tied to the game, the theme does come through.  High Society won't really make you feel rich, but bidding $25 million instead of $25 does start you down that path.  I see it more as a collection game while trying not to spend the most money, but there's a theme there if you want it to be.

Learning Curve

I'd call this a short learning curve.  The game takes less than 5 minutes to explain, so it gets people in quickly.  Bidding games make sense to a lot of people, though how much things are actually worth takes awhile to figure out.  Hint, typically twice what the number on the art is.  The special tiles are up to you.

Why I like High Society

This is one of the very few auction games I own.  High Society captures the tension of auction games and keeps it short.  The thing that brings me back is the twist that I've talked about over and over.  It's so easy to overspend and not realize what you've done until it's too late.

Why I don't like High Society

All the different money you have to use.

I would have liked some more variety in the tiles that can be purchased.  Not that I want more tiles in a given game, but having a larger set of tiles that could be in the game would be nice.  

Replayability

The game has a limited shelf life, meaning that there's only so many times you can play before it starts to feel the same.  I've played this a fair amount through the iOS implementation, which is well done, but it kinda feels the same every time.  New people do change the dynamics of bidding, which is good, but if you play with the same group, this will get old fast.

Overall

High Society is a well designed game.  The mechanics are sound, and the game offers something different from other bidding/auction games.  I kinda feel neutral about the game.  It's not a bad game, but it's not great.  I'll play it whenever someone asks for it, I may even suggest playing it, but it really depends on the people and the situation.

Want to buy High Society and support BoBG?

Ho-Ho-Ho 2012 Style

Yes, that's right, it's Secret Santa time.  Now, I've been involved with two Secret Santas, Boardgamegeek (3 years) and Dice Tower (2 years).  I've had a blast with both, especially last year.  See, last year, I was at home, so I had some more time to personalize things and get creative.  I went so far as to have an SS e-mail account to go back and forth with my target.  The thing I enjoyed most of all, was being able to send some almonds.  My Dicetower target was a lot of fun, he really got into the guessing game and going back and forth with things.  My BGG target wasn't in the same holiday mood, but to each their own.

Giving games to others is really the part of the process that excites me the most.  Sure, I love getting new games, especially when I don't know what they are, but being able to provide a gaming gift to a fellow gamer is truly a joy.  To that end, I've also signed up for the BGG Christmas Card Exchange, which is another fun way to spread the holiday cheer.

On the receiving end, I've had some mixed experiences, and no, this has nothing to do with the games I received.
The first year(2009) I got Dominion: Seaside and Acquire.  Both are games/expansion I enjoy and still play today, but Santa didn't really do anything above and beyond.  There was no taunting, no communication beyond.  Now, I know some Santas like to be secretive, and that's all well and good, I just appreciate something a little more fun.
The next year (2010) was really a mix.  I was in 2, DT and BGG.  I got an e-mail from my DT Santa in mid-November saying that packages were on the way.  I got them at Thanksgiving, along with a very nice Christmas card.  I was able to correspond with my Santa a couple of times, and had a great time doing that.  He went above and beyond in customizing Roll Through the Ages for me, and with additions of Incan Gold and No Thanks, he's definitely been the Santa who's provided the highest ranked games for me.  That was the awesome part one.  BGG was a lesson in patience.  My first Santa had something come up and he wasn't able to follow through, same with my 2nd Santa.  Well, the 3rd one made up for everything, and even though I was the last person to get games, I know that I was blessed by it, and that my Santa was blessed for being so very generous.
2011 was better.  BGG still arrived late (Valentines day this time) but DT was early, so it balanced out, plus extended Christmas.

I've learned many lessons is patience and delayed gratification from Secret Santa.  It would be easy to focus on the negative aspects, but when I've read the words of joy that come from my targets, it makes everything worth it.  If I think about the smiles I've gotten from reading my targets posts, and the smiles I've gotten from getting my own games, they come out pretty even.  But when I factor in the smiles my Santas have gotten from my posts, I know without a doubt that it is better to give than to receive.

With that, consider joining a secret santa. You can find the info for BGG at this link.  For info on the Dicetower Secret Santa, you'll need to listen to episode 276.

You don't have much time, I think both are closing in early November, so sign-up now and make a fellow geek happy in the holiday season.

Also, a promise from me, games are staying wrapped until Christmas Eve this year.

Collection Building: Next Level Games

Many gamers ponder where to go after the into/gateway games.  They like the ideas put forth in those types of games, but they want something a little deeper, a little longer, maybe a little bit more complicated.  Many factors come in to play here, but the key question is what have they played.  Here are some of the games I've had success with when it comes to furthering someone's interest/love in games.

Acquire
Acquire is a classic from noted designer Sid Sackson.  Players place tiles on the board to increase the size of hotels.  They then buy stock in hotel chains on the board.  The goal is to merge hotels, have your hotel taken over so you get paid out on stock, and then to invest in large hotels for the end of the game.  It's not the most intuitive game at first, but it is a familiar concept for many adults due to the stock nature of the game.  It takes about 90 minutes to play, and it makes you think, but I enjoy it from time to time.

Cosmic Encounter
Cosmic is the second designer game that I ever played, so it has a soft spot in my heart.  Getting into the game can take time due to a variety of card effects, but this is less for all new players.  Cosmic focuses on hand management and negotiation.  It is a confrontational game, but rarely is it a "beat-up on one person" game.  Cosmic has a great deal of variety, with 50 unique player powers in the base game, and 20 in each expansion.  Cosmic is a great game, but it is not for everyone.  There are moments of backstabbing and cunning plans, there are times where you pull a rabbit out of your hat that annoys everyone else.  There are ways to be nice, ways to be mean, and ways to be everything in-between.  If you take Cosmic too seriously, you won't have fun with it.  But if you're willing to laugh things off and not let a loss ruin your day, it's hard to say no.

Mystery Express
Fan of Clue? Here's a fun deduction game that adds a lot of variety and options to that experience.  Mystery Express simulates a murder on the Orient Express, except for the ending.  Players spend time to investigate 4 categories - suspect, location, motive and modus operendi.  Unlike Clue, there are two copies of each card, so players have to figure out which card only has one copy in circulation.  There are various means to see cards, as well as trade cards, which makes the whole investigation more complicated.  The game takes around an hour, and it's great for people who really like Clue or deductive games.

Power Grid
Power Grid is probably the heaviest game for next level, and because of that, it probably appeals to the smallest group, but in the right group, it's a great game.  Power Grid is all about getting power plants to fuel cities, buying the resources to run the power plants, and expanding into cities.  You have to balance all three aspects so you're not wasting power, or buying resources at a high price, and certainly so you don't get blocked out of cities.  If this all sounds like a big spreadsheet, it kinda is.  The thing is, that other players influence things, and change what you want to do throughout the game.  I see it as a big economic puzzle, with some key choices on when to do certain things.  It is long, roughly 2 hours, but most games are close until the very end.

Rattus
What's more fun than the Black Death?  Well, many things, and that's true of games.  There are games that are funnier than Rattus, but Rattus is still a fun game.  It loosely falls under the "Area Control" umbrella, meaning that you're trying to have cubes on the board and survive.  Through the game, you will use different roles to do different things.  Each role lets you do something special, like add extra cubes, make a cube safe forever, etc. but each power you have makes you more likely to lose cubes when the plague hits.  For more info on Rattus, read my review.

Price Wars




As you can see, most of these games are fairly pricy.  The good thing is, they're fairly hefty games, and you're getting a lot out of them.  It all really depends on what you're looking for in a gaming experience.  I'd say that Power Grid is probably the best bang for your buck, Mystery Express will probably appeal to the most people, and Cosmic Encounter offers the most variety.

If I have to pick one and only one, I'm taking Cosmic for the replayability.

Flip Men - A For Sale Review

For Sale

• Designed by Stefan Dorra
• Published by Uberplay in 1997, more recently by Gryphon Games which is the version I have.
• For 3-6 players, I recommend 4+. 3 works, but lacks some of the dynamics in bidding.
• Plays in 15-20 minutes.

Overview

For Sale is the 4th game in the Gryphon Bookshelf line, and a relatively fast filler game.  The point of the game is to bid on properties, and then use those properties to cash in on checks later in the game.  It's a game of buy low, sell high, and a neat game for a 15-20 minute play time.

Components

Inside the box - baggie not included

For Sale isn't going to wow anyone with its components.  There are 60 cards and a slew of money tokens in the game.  That's it.  Now, the artwork on the cards is rather amusing.  The "1" value property is a cardboard box, or as my group likes to call it, "The Philosophy/English major's home."  The "30" is a space station.  Other cards include a lighthouse, a doghouse, a teepee, a tree house, and an outhouse.  

Mechanics

For Sale is played through 2 distinct phases.  In the first phase, players bid on properties.  One property per player is flipped up, and the start player makes a bid.  The next player can outbid them or pass.  When someone passes, they pay half their bid and then take the lowest valued property.  When it's down to the last person, they pay their full bid and get the highest property.  After all the properties have been auctioned off, players then sell properties for cash.  Once again, one check is turned up for each player in the game, but this time, players secretly select a property from their hand.  Players then take the check corresponding to their place in the property numbers, high number gets the high check and so on.  After all the checks are gone, the player with the most money wins.

Money tokens used for bidding

Interaction

Anytime bidding occurs in a game, there is player interaction.  It's the old game of figuring out your top price, someone else's top price, and balancing that against what something is worth.  There is the question of when to outbid someone, and when to pass, but it isn't the most interactive of choices.  There's really nothing you can do to another player, besides outbid them, that messes with their plan.

Theme

Some of the housing options

Buying and selling houses isn't exactly the most engaging theme in the world, but it works really well for this game.  Sure, you're really just focused on the numbers, but the variety of houses is great.  That part really appeals to non-gamers.  They understand buying and selling houses.  Kids also get a kick out of it, though they may make odd choices just so they get certain properties rather than the numbers.  I do like the theme, I think it fits the game well.

Learning Curve

Checks

Short, very short.  Teach the game in 2 phases.  Seriously.  Just explain the bidding phase, and when that's done, explain the checks.  I can teach For Sale in under 2 minutes, probably under 1 if I had to.  It's really accessible, the game makes sense right away.  There is some strategy in the check phase, but that's not as important in a short game.

Why I like For Sale

This is one of those few games that I can truly play with anyone.  It's not overly complex, so it doesn't turn people off.  The artwork is great, the gameplay is solid.  The player range is also great, not many fillers go up to 6 players.

Why I don't like For Sale

Properties matched with checks

I've really had a hard time coming up with something I don't like about For Sale.  There is luck in the game, sometimes to frustrating levels, but some of that is self inflicted.  You can sell the "1" for $5,000, and the "15" for 0, it just depends on the round and what other players decide to bid.  Sometimes the game feels too short.  Most of the time, I don't have a good idea about who's winning.  Still, I'm nitpicking.  

Replayability

Amazing replayability here.  Because cards come up in different groups, there's always something new to figure out.  Sure, you're always using the same 30 houses and the same 30 checks, but it's the combinations that make it different.  I've played 19 times so far, and I'm up to play it basically any time someone else wants to.

Overall

For Sale gets a big two thumbs up from me.  I can play it with anyone, I can play it at anytime.  It's short, it's simple.  Essentially, it's everything I look for in a filler game.  I highly recommend For Sale for anyone who's looking for a filler game or a quick family game.

Want to buy For Sale and support and BoBG?

Getting the Rules Wrong

As someone who plays a fair number of games, and ends up explaining the rules half the time, I'm occasionally faced with the conundrum of what to do when I forget a rule or explain a rule the wrong way.  I am human, and as a human, I make mistakes.  Games have a lot of rules, and a lot can go wrong.  Here's my 5 step program towards righting the ship after a botched rule.

Step 1: Getting a rule wrong is not the end of the world.
If players are having a good time, let it go.  As long as the game doesn't take too long to play, this probably won't hurt anything.  Plus, you might discover an interesting variant.

Step 2: Don't take advantage.
If you find that you could take advantage of a rule omission/mistake, don't do it.  Point it out, and then fix it in the following round of scoring, or the next game.

Step 3: Reach consensus.
Most players are forgiving by nature.  Still, they have thoughts on how games should go.  Try to find a solution that benefits everyone.  Maybe this means starting over, which isn't a bad thing if you find the rule early on.  Maybe this means sucking it up, losing the game, but playing the right way next time.

Step 4: Try to laugh it off.
Don't come across as someone who doesn't care that they made a mistake, but try to be self deprecating.    It's the old stand-up comedian trick, if a joke bombs, make a joke about how bad the last joke was.  If you're having fun, that's the most important part of the game.

Step 5: Learn from the error.
Take this as an opportunity to learn from a mistake and do better the next time.  As a game explainer, you're going to get things wrong from time to time.  Do your best to improve your teaching skills, keep players engaged in the learning process, and don't worry about the last mistake.  The mark of a great teacher isn't by how few errors they make, it's by the way they deal with the errors they make.

Here's my rule of thumb for what to do based on when I find an error:
In the first 10-20 minutes (depending on game length) try to start over.
After that, insert the rule at the start of a round.
In the last 10-20 minutes of a game, just play the way you've been playing the whole game.

This does vary based on the timing of a rule.  If it's something that some players were able to do but not others, then it's best to just play the "wrong" way for the entire game.

The crucial thing that I've learned the first time I play any game is that we're going to do something wrong.  First games are learning games.  Sure, I'm playing to win, but if rules were forgotten/explained wrong, I won't get worked up over that.

A Star Runner Update

It's been 2 months since I've talked about Star Runner, and I've mostly let it sit.  I think all good games go through a waiting period.  For the most part I'm happy with where the game is, but I like having some time to randomly think it over, and try to play the same game without making tweaks.  I was able to play a 4 player game last weekend with 2 new players, and one person who had only played once.  This game took longer than I'd like, and it got me thinking about having a "starter" ruleset, or having some other options to speed up the early part of the game.  I've also realized that the game is hard to explain.  Once you start playing, it makes sense, but until you see what's going on, players don't have a strong notion for what they're trying to do.  I'm planning on creating a video which shows how to play the game, so this will help the visual learners out there.

I think I've reached the point where the game is solid, but there are tweaks to be made in terms of card distribution, starting resources, and the ever important tech-tree.  One thing that a lot of people have noticed is that the game has a definite narrative arc.  For those of you who don't know what that means in gaming terms, it's essentially that the end of the game feels different than the start, that through the game, players have made choices that shape what they're doing at the end.  This may have a negative effect on new players, but I feel that it makes the game more rewarding after you've played it once.

The best part about getting Star Runner played was that my friend actually asked me to bring it over without any mention of it from me.  She also commented that it's a game she wants to play more often to try out new strategies and attempt to do better than the last time.  This is music to my ears, and I think it's what every designer should be striving to achieve.

All that being said, if you're interested in reading rules, and maybe even playtesting, let me know and we'll get in touch.  Rules can go out basically as soon as you get ahold of me, playtesting kits will take a bit, but I hope to have some ready to go around Thanksgiving.