Fettnapf

Another Ed & Susan game day was today. And we started off with Fettnapf. Which is a simple memory game where you try and avoid numbers that other players own. You play a card to increase the running total. If the new total is owned by a player (they have that card), then you get a splat card. When you have 4, the game ends. Once the total moves past 30, then a new card is given to the player to the right and new cards will decrease the total. And once the total goes below 10, the total starts to increase. Each new card reduces the safe numbers by one since someone now owns that card. Susan was doing a good acting job during the game by saying “I think this number is safe…”

This game does not give you much choices when it is your turn. You can only play one of three cards that will increase your total. And one obvious strategy is to try and force the player on your left to be the one that moves the total above 30 or below 10 which will give you a new safe number (and dangerous for others). This game basically boils down to how well you can remember which numbers are safe. So even if you are able to keep track of that information, you may not have any choice in the matter and must take a splat card. I would not recommend this game.

Die Macher

Jon’s game of Die Macher finally arrived and Mike and I were really looking forward to playing it. Mike considers it a rating of 10 and I think Jon would as well. Fortunately for me, we played this game rather quickly in less than four hours. My initial impression of this game was certinally not a 10. However, it is probably too early to make a more final decision in ranking this game. I will definately play it again.

Three-Dragon Ante

For our next game, Mary brought this poker like game to the table. You are given some cards that have values to them. And the first thing that everyone does is to discard one. Out of the discarded cards, the highest number will determine the ante. After that, players play one card at a time until three cards are down. Usually the highest total will win the pot (one card will change that to the lowest table — to the surprise of others). The other thing about the cards is they have special powers like take cards or chips from the ante/pot or from other players. If the card that you play is numbered less than or equal to the card that was played previously for this round then the powers activate. And that is that. Not much to this game and one I would not recommend buying.

Tichu

For the last game of the night, Jon and I introduced Tichu to Mary and Tim who had not played much before. Mary was a little confused in who her partner was at first. Thankfully, Jon noticed that Mary had passed him an Ace and gave it to me. But after that, she was good. My first Tichu call was luckly made. Mary had played a King on singles and I had to pass. But singles were led again and I was able to play my Queen which allowed me to be able to go out eventually. My brain was a little fried from playing Die Macher apparently, as my for last Tichu hand I did not notice that I had a long straight. I instead played a Queen-high straight and a pair of Aces (Ace + Phoenix). Ed was a little confused by my actions ;0. But it didn’t matter really, the other team could not go over the smaller straight.

Poison

This was my first playing of Knizia’s trick-avoidance game called Poison. The package is extremely over produced. All that you really need is a deck of cards. However there are three large cardboard cauldrens and one big game box. You try and avoid taking cards. However, if you take the most cards in a suit then it doesn’t count. Doug seemed to rule in this game. He came late so we gave him an average score and then took no cards for the next two rounds.

Louis XIV

And this is my first playing of Louis XIV. What really soured me for this game was the amount of Analysis Paralysis that was going on. The other group played La Citta before we finished this game! There are four rounds where you try to fulfil victory conditions that you draw randomly. For each round, you play all but one of your action cards that you draw. There are wildcards and cards numbered from one to twelve. You can place up to three tokens and may move orthagonnaly while you drop them. Majority of tokens will win you tokens that you need for the victory cards. So, another problem is that you might draw cards that do not suit where you need to go.

But perhaps the biggest problem with this game is the rules for determining area control and what actions your may receive for this game. John printed out a player aid that contained a table with five columns and five rows!! Thats twenty five possible combinations of things that you do for each of the twelve areas! Ugggh…

Tichu

Still trying to get Doug to become one with this game. He has no choice really since everyone else loves this game. And tonight was his night to stretch his legs so to speak. He kept getting all of the good cards but did not call Tichu. Finally, after deciding for a long while, he called and made it. On my Tichu call, both my partner and Adam had one card left. I called Tichu and played trip fives. Fortunately Dog could not go over it. After that I was good, for I had two Aces, the Dragon, the Phoenix, and a long King-high straight.

Doug did make one mistake though at the end. He did not realize that he had to stop a one-two. He should of split his pair of Kings in order to stop me from going out second.

Sticheln

While we waited for Rehana to come, we played a hand of Sticheln. And during the play I was in a position that reminded one of the reasons why I don’t like this game. Jon had already taken negative points. So I am fighting with Adam for first place. A trick comes around and it is my turn to play (I will be the last one playing). Jon is currently winning another negative points trick for him. I have the option to “duck it” and give him more negative points (besides what is currently there). Or I can take it and get three positive points for myself. So, back to what I hate, in this game it is too easy to keep punishing people who are out of contention. You need to balance taking points with your only competition. Unfortunately, I chose the punish Jon approach…