Betrayal at the House on the Hill: A newcomer to the Leeds gaming group brought this and was keen to play and so a few of us happily agreed. I was slightly taken aback when after we had set up someone compared the game to the execrable Dead of Winter, but fortunately there didn't seem to be much similarity as far as I could see. In fact I quite enjoyed the first phase where one's character explores and collects things. I picked up a magic axe and the amulet of power and, when the second, inferior phase began I immediately proved my strength by killing the character of the chap whose game it was. That'll teach him.
Bohnanza: A classic game of trading and planting beans which never fails to provide an enjoyable thirty to forty five minutes. The twist is that one can't change the order of the cards in one's hand.
Captain Sonar: And this is it. OK, it's a deduction game masquerading as a wargame - indeed it's basically a team version of Battleships - and not all the team roles are as interesting as others, but never the less it's fun, suspenseful, makes hidden movement work without an umpire and doesn't last too long. The main downside is that it really works best with exactly eight people - the same problem that bedevils Quartermaster General. I've only played in turn-by-turn mode; the real-time version would be very different (especially louder) and may, for example, bring the chief mate and engineer more into things. Anyway, I strongly recommend giving it a go if you have the requisite seven friends; and you're wargamers so why wouldn't you have lots of friends?.
City of Spies: The city in question is, of all places, Estoril. I've been through it on a train en route to Sintra and am somewhat sceptical as to whether it's a city at all. Why not just use Lisbon? Who knows? What I do know is that, as you will have guessed from the digressions, is that it's not a terribly good game. It contains a number of mechanisms which I couldn't work out how one would ever put into practice.
Condottiere: I have rhapsodised about this enough. If you can track down a copy then try it.
Dark Moon: It's OK for a hidden role game.
Dead Last: Players are members of a tontine aiming in each round to eliminate the others and gain the capital and there is a bit of prisoner's dilemma stuff when you get down to two players. The mechanics are simple enough, but also pretty uninteresting; as is the game.
Deception: Murder in Hong Kong: I've lost the taste for this after a dozen or so plays.
Dixit: I'm not fond of this game and hadn't played it for a long time. It wasn't as bad as I remember, but my own preference is for something more, how shall we say, analytical.
Escape from the Aliens in Outer Space: Another, not as good, hidden movement deduction game.
Exoplanets: A mixed theme, partly about planetary exploration and development and partly about evolution, but obviously not very accurate when it comes to either. The best thing that could be said for it is that one can, if one wishes, do down the other players from time to time.
FUSE: Another example of that rarity: a cooperative game that I like. This one is a fast paced, real time dice rolling game one of whose main benefits is that it lasts ten minutes exactly. For the record we lost, but only just.
Mykerinos: This is a few years old, but is on the seemingly fashionable theme of archaeology. I didn't enjoy it much, but that may be because I chose what turned out to be a rubbish strategy of digging things up whereas the winners were those who gained control of the museum galleries.
The Networks: I enjoyed this somewhat more than the first time I had played it, although with no more success. At heart a card drafting, economic management and strategy game, it has an interesting theme which is amusingly executed.
No Thanks!: A fine push-your-luck filler.
Red7: a fine filler which I have played more than any other game.
Sail to India: A surprisingly meaty game in a small box for a low price, which always appeals to the accountant in me. The various mechanisms are well integrated and there are many potential winning strategies (cf Mykerinos above).
Skull: Always amusing.
Stockpile: The first time I played this I came away thinking that we had all failed to bid high enough in the auction phase each turn. I changed my strategy this time round and won handsomely. The insider dealing mechanisms in this game are well thought through and, sadly, are a pretty realistic reflection of the way the stock exchange really does work.
Sushi Go Party!: This is a bit like Sushi Go! except that...well actually it's exactly like the original. There is no party.
Via Nebula: I was advised that we had played this wrongly the first time, but I'm buggered if I could spot a difference this time around. It's a pleasant enough resource management game with a neat element of unavoidable cooperation, but I'm equally buggered if I know why others rate it so highly.
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