-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
If you're just tuning in, I've been writing about the games I have owned, but decided to remove from my collection. This time, a few of the D's and E's:
Dampfross- I do own Railway Rivals, but Dampfross was the first to visit my shelf. And I suspect Railway Rivals might eventually be disposed of too. This is a variation on the crayon-rails genre of games. (That may inaccurate, I don't know which was first.) I think this is a creative game, which I admire. But it isn't anything but a fun change of pace for me. I'd recommend giving this system a try, you may like it.
Dark Cults - This is a blast from my past. This is not a structured game, per se. But a themed set of cards intended to help with macabre story telling. Totally not my thing anymore. But cool nonetheless. Probably hard to find, but it might be just the thing for folks who like role-playing derived games.
Das Zepter von Zavandor - Back in the old days I used to play a lot of Outpost. Cool game for its time. So when I heard Zepter was based on Outpost it was an automatic buy for me. But it is now years later, and I'm not the same gamer that I was. This game system works rather well, and Zepter is miles ahead of Outpost in graphic design. The game design also has tried to reign in the leader-advantage present in Outpost. But after a few plays, I realized that this game didn't hit the sweet spot anymore. I had developed tastes for more modern eurogames, or if I wanted a longer game I didn't want an Outpost-type game any longer.
Diplomacy - I recognize that Diplomacy is one of the major games of the 20th century. But, blech. Lying, misleading and stabbing my friends in the back does not a good time make.
Doge- Back in 2000 Doge and San Marco both came out. Call me quirky, but I didn't really love San Marco. But I did bond with Doge, and it saw many plays. I enjoyed how tightly fought the elections were, and how the tension mounted as we came ever closer to the winning conditions. But after many plays, I felt I had seen everything this game had to offer.
Domaine - I learned a basic lesson with this game. Don't buy a remake of a game that you don't play much. I had owned Lowenherz for a while, when Domaine came out. Lowenherz didn't get much play, and then Domaine didn't get much play. They are both mild war-ish games. I mildly liked Lowenherz more than Domaine, but either one would be fine for an occasional play. But I ended up not needing to own either, and haven't missed them.
Domino Knobelspass - This was kind of cool. A set of puzzles using common Double-6 dominoes designed by Reiner Knizia. I never played this as a 2-player game, but enjoyed playing it solitaire. Once I finished all of the puzzles, I traded it away.
Don Pepe - This is a very amusing game. I don't think it works quite right. But the theme of gangsters attending a dinner where they knock each other off is sublime. I gave my copy to a friend who adores this game. I still get to play it once in a while, and that's good enough for me.
Durch die Wuste - I guess most Americans now know this as Through the Desert. But I owned the original German edition. Regardless, I never bonded with this game. I've played it occasionally since, and have never really warmed up to it. But it is a well built medium-weight Knizia, and probably worth investigating if you have never played it.
EastFront- I was so sure I was going to like this. I have had fun with other Columbia block games. I even bought the VolgaFront expansion for this. But after a few tries, I found this game to be plodding and static. I'll stick with Crusader Knight and Napoleon.
Edison & Co. - This is a quirky game. If you play, I urge you to play the partnership game, where you have a chance at more control of what will happen. The other thing about this game... it is NOT a race game. Sure looks like one though, which turns a lot of people away.
Elchfest - This was cute. I kept a copy in my office at work for a while. I happened to hear about a giant version of this played with croquet mallets on a gymnasium floor. I mentioned this to a friend who is a carpenter, and she mentioned she might be willing to make me a giant set! That never worked out, but who knows, maybe some day!
Die Erbraffer - This is a hoot! Players are angling to inherit the family fortune, and the play of the game is to eliminate heirs in the correct order so that you get the most fortune. As is so often the case, this sort of game doesn't really work too well. But I recommend giving it a try if you get the chance.
Escape from Colditz - This is a neat game because it was designed by a WWII prisoner of this castle. And it works rather well, often generating excitement once the actual break for freedom is begun. I traded this game to a good friend, and I may need to make him play it with me again - its about time!
Thanks for reading!
|
|
