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Nick
United Kingdom
Unspecified
Unspecified
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So here I am again with the second instalment of my holiday gaming blog. When I signed off last time we had just cracked open the wrapping on Race For The Galaxy and were waiting to attack San Juan before maybe considering some new games for the collection. As you'll read, if you stay with me, things have moved on apace since then...
We stayed with Race for a couple more plays, both really enjoying the cut and thrust of the game, and the way that tactics can really evolve and change throughout, with a marked increase in tempo and tension towards the end. After 5 plays, in the end we ended up roughly even on wins, me just edging it out. Our last two were as follows:
Me 43 – She 35
She 44 – Me 42 (ooh!)
So, having got Race under our belts we moved on to San Juan for its first play. Upon reading the instructions the mechanic looked similar to that of Race For The Galaxy, but it was much easier to get into and understand straight away. As somebody pointed out in response to my first blog, it would have made more sense to begin with San Juan, but there we go. After a few plays of this I feel that it is a little less involved than Race, and is more subject to the cards one draws, whereas Race allows you to achieve victory through several different routes. This is very much my first impression, however, and Katie took to this game straight away, enjoying the theme and the playing very much. After six plays honours are even, and the gaps tended to be larger than in Race For The Galaxy:
She 36 – Me 20
Me 34 – She 26
She 45 – Me 36 (getting the hang of it!)
Me 44 – She 27
She 40 – Me 29
Me 45 – She 33
We also played a single game of Basilica, one which I enjoy and have reviewed, Katie fighting her way back from a mistake in the first round to win 54 points to my 46. Then, however, we discovered that there was a game shop only 45 minutes away...
...and returned with four new games, hurrah! I am now the very proud and similarly poor owner of the following – 7 Wonders, Small World, Dominion and Fresco. The first three of these were all games which were on my radar, and, after consulting BGG in a nearby cafe we saw that Fresco lies only a whisker outside the top 100. It seemed worth a punt, and it was the first one we opened last night, and, I have to say, it was a punt well made. We have only played it three times, but my first impression is that this is a game well worthy of sitting inside the top 100. We found the balance of gameplay to be superb, every decision having some knock on effect on something else you were trying to achieve, and the theme and components are simply wonderful. I found playing Fresco to be a revelatory experience, akin to realising what a truly involving board game should be. When, post-holiday, I get round to ranking these new games, I am already convinced that Fresco will be only the second game in my collection to earn a 9, the other being Agricola, bringer of another revelatory experience.
We played the 2-player variant all three times, but at least we beat the 'ghost' player every time! Katie scored 83 to my 67 (and Leonardo's 59), first time around, and then I struck back 88 to Katie's 77 (Leonardo on 54). For our third foray we introduced the Portrait expansion and felt that it really added to the game. Here I won again, 98 to Katie's 86 (Leonardo on 69). If you like involved and thought-provoking gaming, then I really do recommend that you spare a thought for Fresco. Had it not been for BGG I would never have bought it, and now I can't wait to play it still more.
For now we are back at home and there is work to be done, but we hope to launch ourselves upon 7 Wonders, Small World and Dominion soon. Any pointers as to which to play first?
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