Istanbul: A month or so ago I bought the newest expansion for Istanbul - Brief & Siegel. I still haven't played the expansion. Expansions have their place and purpose in the board game world and I typically find they are best brought in to a game you enjoy just as you start thinking you've mastered the mechanics, know the strategy, and possibly find a game you love becoming dull. Enter an expansion - a new twist on a familiar game and brand new mechanics / cards / strategies / rules etc to master. A good expansion can be a breath of fresh air and add some longevity. With Istanbul however, I'm not ready to to include any expansions as I have only just started to scratch the surface and am very much still enjoying my trip to the Bazaar.
Lords Of Waterdeep: I keep coming back to this. I will hopefully have a review up soon but here's a quick spoiler. I love it! The theme is a bit lacking, but it's just a lot of fun and a good time. Again as above, I have yet to add the expansion to this but am very much looking forward to when we add in Skullport.
Ticket To Ride: I missed the Ticket to Ride bandwagon when it was first released. By the time I had gotten around to purchasing TTR, Europe was already in stores and was cited as the better edition. Well after a few years of playing TTR and it's different editions, I finally had a chance to try the original. My thoughts.. well it's Ticket to Ride. There's a few less rules and things you can do in the first edition of this modern classic, but at the end of the day it plays the same and felt a bit fresh not knowing everyone's ticket locations and playing on a North American map. Is Europe better than the original? Hard to say as I only played it the once, but from first impressions I don't think you can go wrong with either edition - guess it depends if you'd rather be travelling across America or Europe.
Board Games Purchased This Week:
Crisis: My first Kickstarter game finally arrived in the mail! I've backed a few campaigns now but haven't been lucky enough to receive one of my backed games (most due next year), until now. It's actually pretty exciting getting a Kickstarter game as I was completely not expecting in. When a package arrived in the mail, curiosity took over as I kept thinking I haven't ordered anything.. Until I opened and saw it was Crisis! I got the deluxe edition with all the nice wooden pieces and hope to be able to sneak a game in before the end of the year.
