From thirty to forty

I promised myself that I would list boardgames played more frequently than once a month, so here, a mere forty days or so after the last such post, is the list for September:

7 Wonders: Leaders: I like 7 Wonders despite being really bad at it. The leaders aspect is clever, but from my perspective just gives yet more attributes to under-exploit.

Ad Astra: An OK, space-themed game with an interesting mechanism that's a cross between Race for the Galaxy and any number of worker placement games where one bids for turn order. There's an alien technology part to it that for some reason never got triggered in our game.

Codenames: A team word definition game that has nothing whatever to do with its ostensible theme - spy networks - but which is really good fun. It requires skills that the majority of gamers simply don't have, but is nevertheless very entertaining.

Condottiere: Great game and a way of sneaking in some almost wargaming to an evening of not wargaming.

Discoveries: A nice dice based game around the Lewis & Clark expedition. I played the boardgame on the same theme a while ago and enjoyed it. I think that this is better. The theme may or may not be of more interest to those from North America, but the fact that I know next to nothing about it (and have no desire to learn any more) hasn't stopped me enjoying the games.

Harbour: An interesting little game that outstays its welcome. We played with the auction house rule that arose originally out of a misunderstanding. To make the game shorter the target should be expressed in points (20 or 25 say) rather than in buildings built.

Mottainai: I had previously played a print at home version of this and didn't understand it. This time we played two shop-bought sets mashed together, and I didn't understand it.


Polterfass: This is a German bluffing and guessing game about ordering beer which I've owned for years without ever playing. I suspect I shall own for many more years before I play it again.

Quartermaster General: Air Marshall: An expansion that seems to improve an already excellent game.

Qwirkle Cubes: I like this although everyone who has played both says that the tile version is better.

Splendor: Good game, dodgy title spelling. I have trouble because not only are black, blue and green too similar in colour, but their shapes are also much the same.

Spyfall: I think I've done this one before. What sort of spy doesn't know where they are? Another game that requires players to extemporise under time pressure, but which on this occasion doesn't give much in return.

The Voyages of Marco Polo: A combination of the old Waddingtons travel game Go and Ticket to Ride with worker placement mechanisms; and lots of camels. I rather liked it.

To celebrate the new, improved, longer wait for a boardgaming report firstly here's a photograph of Brigitte Bardot:

And secondly here's Ronnie Hawkins' version of Chuck Berry's 'Thirty Days' which, presciently, he decided to record as 'Forty Days':