Here's What I've Been Playing This Week:
Hollywood - Finally got to introduce this to the person I thought would like it the first time I played it. I wasn't let down either as not only did they enjoy it but they came away with a pretty decisive win - speaking of which I actually haven't managed to win Hollywood yet and not only that but I typically come dead last. Regardless its a bit of fun, but now that I've introduced it to everyone I wanted to I don't imagine it'll be back to the table too quickly. There's nothing wrong with the game, of course you play games to have fun and it certainly does that - but aside from a couple of neat ideas, its basically a simple version of 7 Wonders with a movie theme. If you couldn't afford both, 7 Wonders is by far the better game with a lot more potential in its expansions, but I'm happy to have Hollywood in the library for a stress free drafting fix. I really like the double blind auction mechanic here, where you secretly not only select a card but also have to determine how much your willing to pay for it (spending from your earnings no less, highest earnings = winner). If someone else happens to bid on the same card as you, there's potential for you to spend your box office dollars and come away empty handed. It works great and creates some interesting decisions so I'm surprised I've never come across this way of bidding before. Oh and the movie of the year awards are pretty cool too. Worth checking out if you can find it somewhere.
Ticket To Ride Europe - I haven't played this since giving it away to my sister a good year ago so it was nice to settle back in to this classic game of trains and trek across Europe. Inviting a player to join us, who tried it about two years ago and didn't like it was always going to be a bit of a risk - but it was one that paid off in the end. Sometimes you just need a second game before properly making up your mind and that's exactly what happened here when he tried it again. I managed to win overall by 1 point and a close game is always a good game regardless of whether you win or not. However, playing Ticket To Ride again has actually cost me some money.. You see I decided after playing that if I bought the 1912 expansion it'd rekindle the magic and maybe we'd start playing it more. Well read on below to see how that went.
Board Games Purchased This Week:
Nothing New.. Yet - If you just read above before reading this then you'll know I broke my self imposed hiatus. I just figured a small $30-$40 expansion wouldn't hurt. The trouble is, I didn't even buy 1912, the game I was looking for. I had been eyeing off Karuba for a while as it seems to meet a niche that I don't currently satisfy with the library I have. I tried Carcassonne once a few years ago and forever reason I decided it wasn't for me. Since that one bad experience I've gone off any Tile Laying games which as a result means I don't actually own one. Why Karuba? Well mostly its had a lot of positive reviews about being an accessible game for anyone that while filled with luck also has a bit of strategy. It just sounds fun and sounds like something that'll get played which is always most important, and I didn't mention its actually the first time I've come across Karuba for sale in Australia. The worst part and biggest problem is I didn't even stop there. Once you start, there's always another game you need! Ah well.. Just a few little things which I'm sure you'll see here over the next couple of weeks. Happy Days :)
