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Rick Baptist
United States
Redlands
California
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First of all, I don't think anyone's come up with an answer on what we're supposed to be calling the last decade we just lived in. The "Two Thousands" sounds very odd. The Noughties, the Aughts, the Zeroes, the Nils, the Singles, the 2Ks, or even "The Turn of the Century" have been suggested. I don't like any of them. So I left it as is in the title. Okay, that's over with!
So I've had a few ideas on the backburner for the blog. The Real-time mechanic, just featured recently in my last blog entry on Space Dealer, is one of my favorites. There's something about that frantic always-in-play feeling that I really enjoy. In writing that entry up, I checked out some of the other Real-time games in existence. Around this same time, I listened to The Dice Tower and what did they happen to be talking about? Real-time games. Listening to that show and looking up some Real-time games in the database, I realized one strange continuum.
Many of the top-ranked Real-time games have a sci-fi or space theme.
I found this quite interesting. Why does allowing players to take their turns (or part of their turns) simultaneously transcend into space? When I think of space I almost think of the opposite -- I think of a slow-moving vacuum, of a time-stripped atmosphere that is alive but moving ever so tediously. And then you think about the games associated with the mechanic: Space Dealer, Galaxy Trucker, Space Alert, Light Speed. I haven't played Light Speed, but I've played the others, and there's certainly no time to dawdle with those three! If anything, when I'm playing one of those I envision myself on a supersonic rocket, hanging on for dear life! So I have to wonder why these designers (Vlaada Chvátil in particular) associated the theme and their game. I'll have to get working on landing some of those interviews I've been wanting to do.
Theme aside, though, the games are really quite different. I talked at length about Space Dealer last blog, and how creative I think it is. Hoping to hear good things from those of you that picked it up. Space Alert uses an audio CD just like Space Dealer, but is another animal indeed. It uses that Simultaneous Action Selection thing like RoboRally, but the game is much more engaging to me than having robots move around. Assigning different tasks for a team to do was genius. I really want to play this again. Especially with my friend Oogie's paintjobs on the right.
Galaxy Trucker (and Schacht's new game, Mondo, from what I hear) has you trying your hardest to put parts together to form a complete something, while everyone else is trying to do the same thing. Galaxy Trucker has you building a ship that usually comes out looking like crap (well, if you're Rick, that is) and then having the "opportunity" to fly your ship out in space and watch it get smacked around. Again, another fabulous concept in itself. I happen to think this was influenced from the great Ubongo Series -- my wife and I are huge fans of all of the Ubongos. In the original Ubongo, each player has their own unique board each round but we all have the same pieces. The idea is to turn over a timer and try and finish your puzzle by fitting your Tetris-like shapes into the correct position. After that part is completed, it's a race to the main board to grab the jewels that you're after. In my estimation, Ubongo is one of the best Real-time board games ever, and it's also the best puzzle-type game I've played. Still waiting for that 5-6 player expansion and Ubongo 3D to come over to the US -- if it hasn't by the end of the year, I'll be forced to place my first Amazon.de order.
Anyway, you'll notice that all of the games mentioned above came out sometime in the 2000s. That would lead you to think that the Real-time mechanic is one of recent discovery, but to that I say not so! One of the older games to have this is Dutch Blitz, one of our families' favorite. There's all kinds of problems with it to be sure (it's not a two or three-player game, so play it with 4+) but for a 30-minute riotous good time, I can recommend it. That being said, it seems that Speed games naturally work themselves into the Real-time slot. I haven't played Jungle Speed yet (I want to!) but I recently received Ratuki as a gift. Ratuki gives players the opportunity to play cards into a central pool a la Dutch Blitz, but the catch is that you can capture the entire trick with the right cards. Tom Vasel's review was of a previous version of the game, so if you wrote the game off because of his review, give it a second look. I can't recommend it, but it's still been fun with the family.
I've gone off on quite a few tangents here, but from my estimation, it looks like Real-time games are just starting to be explored at their full potential. Very exciting! On that same Dice Tower episode, Eric Summerer mentioned that the Englestein father/son team responsible for the upcoming The Ares Project (can't wait for that one!) are working on a Real-time game as well. He played the prototype and had some great things to say about it. And guess what the theme was? Yep! The fast-moving, stressful, chaotic galaxy.
I guess they call it "hyper"space for a reason.
     
Played a few things in the last week, but the one that I wanted to highlight down here is a two-player game about the Spanish revolt against the French on May 2, 1808. 2 de Mayo is a fascinating experience that takes a very short time to play but really provides quite a punch. It uses the same hidden movement ideas as Scotland Yard, where you write where you're going in secret and then simultaneously reveal, but there's so much more to it. Going in, you wouldn't think the Spanish would have much of a chance, but after playing a few games I have to say that the balance between the two sides is great. I have to thank Ender and the amazing Ender's Reviews: Comprehensive Pictorial Overviews that caused me to get this game in the first place. If you're looking to find a creative two-player game and you enjoy games with hidden movement, 2 de Mayo is a really fun time.
I swear I'm going to start on my Top 10 Family Games soon. Next time you might see the first installment of that. Or a picture of my game closet.
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