Game Night

Game Night – July 1st, 2018

On Jul 04, 2018 1:19 pm, by Kyle Delgado

Summary

 

It’s the beginning of July and it has been warm summer so far.  Some of the days have gotten into the upper 90’s in temperature along with 70% humidity.  We saw a thunder storm hit while playing games which ended with a rainbow due to this crazy humidity.  It has been nice to take a break from it all and play some games to cool off.

This Game Night review will feature the now traditional statistics that will be included first of the month reviews.  I’m also including a section on my thoughts that I wanted to reflect upon.  Specifically, I wanted to write about new players and some best practices in welcoming them to the table.  This is all in the hopes that you may have some insight if this happens to you on your Games Night or if you’re able to come to ours.

I hope there is something for everyone in this review and that you have fun reading them.  I really enjoy putting them together.  Reflecting on it all has really added so much more to my enjoyment of Game Night.  Thank you very much to all of you that make this possible.  Let’s get into the review.   Continue reading

Game Night

Game Night – June 24th, 2018

On Jul 01, 2018 11:20 am, by Kyle Delgado

Summary

 

This week’s Game Night Review will be short but sweet with a guest review from Eric Benac.  I, unfortunately, had a medical issue that kept me from writing something that I was happy with on time so I will save my analysis for next week’s review.

We were able to get into quite a few games last Sunday with a brand new member that was new to games.  She had played a few of the classics before but hasn’t had any experience beyond this.  We were able to facilitate a successful Game Night experience for her and I hope that she is able to attend again.  This has been an ongoing trend for our game group that I would love to dive deeper into with future reviews.

Without further ado, here is your review of Game Night last week.

 

Games Played

 

Carcassonne

 

Ticket to Ride

 

Imhotep

 

Takenoko

 

Dominion

 

Terraforming Mars

 

Artifacts Inc.

 

Santorini

 

 

Analysis

 

Total Plays at Game Night –  10

Last Played at Game Night –  June 17th, 2018

Top Ranked Player –  Amanda S. (3 Wins, 60% Win Percentage)

Top Score –  47 (Kenzie R. on February 25, 2016)

Most Total Plays –  Kyle D. (7 Plays)

 

Here is a review from TCBG member Eric Benac.

If you are looking for a cute family that the whole family will love, “Takenoko” is a great choice. Even if you have young children who might not be ready for the difficulties of this game, they will love the panda-centric artwork. The adorable cartoonish style drew me in right away and will likely get just about everybody in the family into it.

However, even the cynical older brother who thinks the whole thing is way too cutesy will find himself surprisingly pulled in by the gameplay. The play mechanics are very simple. You choose tiles to build a bamboo farm on which you and up to three other people can grow bamboo. Each turn, you can take two actions, including moving the gardener, moving the panda, irrigating a tile, laying a tile, or taking a new goal card.

These goal cards are split into three categories: gardener, tile, and panda. The first requires you to grow bamboo shoots to a specific height. The second typically requires a specific tile-color pattern be present on the board. And the panda type (often the most fun and rewarding) requires a certain combination of bamboo shoots in your panda’s belly.

However, things are complicated by the use of a die. This die adds a randomized element to the game and gives you a different reward each turn, such as using three moves, moving the panda wherever you want, or obtaining a special item tile. Another complication is the fact that everyone controls the same panda and gardener, both of whom can only move in straight lines. As a result, you have to take into account their moves and your own needs.

The first player to finish seven goals gets a bonus two points and bragging rights. Point calculation is very simple. Just add up the count on your goal cards and you’re done. Expansion packs bring in a cute female panda. She can mate with the male panda to make adorable two-point babies who also give you a one-time bonus.

It should be obvious by now that this game’s adorable aesthetic masks a surprisingly deep game. However, the basic mechanics are simple enough to understand within a few turns, making this one you can burst out with the kids or on your hardcore gaming nights.

 

Learn how Takenoko is played by watching this YouTube video from Watch it Played.

 

 

Game Night

Game Night – June 17th, 2018

On Jun 24, 2018 12:58 pm, by Kyle Delgado

Summary

 

This night carried with it a different feel than normal Game Nights.  Many of the older generation TCBG members stopped in to play some games which made for a very in-depth Game Night.  We did see one new face to the table that is always refreshing but I do like to see the friendly faces from our humble beginnings.  Future Game Nights will more than likely see an influx of games that have more depth as this was a very fun evening for me and the group seemed to adapt nicely.

I’m also planning on implementing a sign-up sheet that will allow players to post a game and a time for play.  This way players can control the player count they would like and if they desire, control the players that will play.  The group is very much a melting pot of sorts and it is something that I would like to continue with in the future.  It almost feels like a weekly convention setting with many different players from several walks of life coming together to enjoy the hobby.  What I don’t want to do is to force players to play with the players that they would rather not play with or play games with a player count that drags the game out too much.  My wish is that every player can come to Game Night, visit with friends, play some games, and enjoy all the benefits that board gaming has to offer.   Continue reading

Game Night

Game Night – June 10th, 2018

On Jun 13, 2018 11:12 am, by Kyle Delgado

Summary

 

This week’s Game Night had one new face with many of the old cast of veteran gamers to the tables.  The new and old classics were played and enjoyed once again with some new arrivals getting some love as well.  One in particular that I recently received from Kickstarter.  It was a very fun and successful night but I do have some ideas for changes I would like to make in the future.  the crew of gamers seems to stray toward the lighter fare and the heavier stuff that I tend to enjoy more seems to hang back. It is usually due to a massive player count that these games can’t handle or I don’t want it to.  In the future, I may start implementing a weekly sign up sheet that will have games on it that players can sign up for a week in advance.  This may help get players coming back to game night and also get some more control over the decision paralysis people feel when asked what do they want to play.  Enough about that and let’s get to the games from last week.

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Game Night

Game Night – June 3rd, 2018

On Jun 09, 2018 5:22 pm, by Kyle Delgado

Summary

 

This game night review will be a little different than usual.  Due to our heavy volume of players that came to game night, I was unable to log all the plays of the games that were played.  4 to 5 games were being played at one time which made things difficult to manage.  I did happen to lose my phone which made pictures difficult to document the event as well.  I will not be posting pictures of the event for those facts.  Overall, I would say it was the most successful disaster we have had at game night in quite some time.

I do have some analysis on some of the games that were played at game night.  A couple of these are newcomers to game night and some are old favorites that I would like to further elaborate on.  Also, we have a new voice to the game night review that would like to share some words as well.  I’m very excited about that.

This review will also include some statistics from the month of May that I know many of you enjoy.  I hope you find them as interesting as I do.  Let’s get into it. Continue reading

Game Night

Game Night – May 20, 2018

On May 29, 2018 3:44 pm, by Kyle Delgado

Summary

 

I’ve been noticing a trend toward the simpler games in the last few game nights.  That isn’t to say that these games are too simple to enjoy but rather that they are rules light and quicker to play.  The heavier games that are brought seem to hang out on the shelf for the night and really don’t get played.  I cannot say exactly why this happens but I think it has something to do with the open nature of our game nights.  Our group has many different players with various levels of board game experience.  Some that stop by are simply looking for a social experience.  Others that stop by are really into board games and are interested in playing some new games.  This mixture of gamers tends to put the game selection to a grinding halt at times.  Everyone wants to play something but everyone wants a different experience.  The obvious answer would be that when more gamers come then it is not an issue anymore but most nights we have maybe 3 or 4 games going at one time.  This demands a mixture of gamers.  This has turned into the same few games coming to the table more often because everyone knows them and it’s easier to get started.  These titles lately have been Sagrada, Seikatsu, Santorini, and Splendor (alliteration is mere coincidence).  All of these carry the same qualities of being around under 60 minutes playtime, fast to teach, simple to grasp, and difficult to master.  I almost want to call this the birth of an era.  The era of the abstract game.  It will be interesting to revisit this theory in the coming weeks to see if this is still the case.

I din’t get a chance to play any of those games this week but I did play some games that I was really excited to see get some play that I would like to share some thoughts about so let’s dive right in.   Continue reading

Game Night

Game Night – May 13th, 2018

On May 17, 2018 11:24 pm, by Kyle Delgado

Summary

 

We have seen some players come and go over the years.  Some left due to moving and others just can’t make it anymore due to time restrictions.  I’m sure there are several reasons to peoples absence from Game Night but it is something that I’ve noticed recently.  The original consistent game group that started game night looks a bit different than the new gamer regulars at game night.  I think calling it a shift would be appropriate.  It’s not like the original members don’t come anymore but they don’t come as often as they did in the past.   This observation doesn’t have a malicious intent but rather a reason to look at the groups gaming habits.  As we have introduced new members to the group, we have moved on from the older games that were enjoyed by the original gamers.  We will call them the OGs.  I just made that up all by myself.  These games have been sitting on the shelf for at least a year or two without play and I hadn’t noticed.  This is what I want to address in the next couple week and also with this post.  I’ll be talking about a couple of them.  Let’s dive right in with the games we played this week at Game Night! Continue reading

Game Night 2

Game Night – May 6th 2018

On May 13, 2018 12:30 am, by Kyle Delgado

Summary

The first Sunday of May turned out to be a very busy one with lots of groups playing lots of different games.  It was challenging to set up and run the show as many different experience levels were at the tables.  Everything seemed to work out quite well though as the games flowed without much-needed teaching on my part.  I recently decided to always have a collection of games that everyone knows one hand in situations like these where I cannot be apart of each game.

The first Sunday of the month I want to add something a little special for those of you who attend a game night with us.  Statistics have always been popular with the group and I want to share with you what I logged for the previous month.  In the past, we have done something like this but I want to make things a bit more streamlined so it isn’t overwhelming.  Hopefully, everyone enjoys the numbers and gets something out of them.  Let’s dive in!

Continue reading

Game Night

Game Night – April 29th 2018

On May 04, 2018 6:03 pm, by Kyle Delgado

Summary

 

The sun is starting to warm up northern Michigan.  Soon this town of ours will be swamped with tourists looking to take in our amazing beaches and maybe a board game or two.  This week, unfortunately, was still a bit chilled but the sun was out and a lot warmer than it has been in a while so the traffic in the brewery was slower.  This usually this means that game night attendance is down as well but nothing that would stop a good gamer from their games.  Here is what we played and some of my thoughts on this.   Continue reading

Game Night 2

Game Night – April 22nd 2018

On Apr 23, 2018 8:37 pm, by Kyle Delgado

Summary

 

This Sunday was Earth Day which prompted a game selection that was focused on such.  Games like Photosynthesis were brought in hopes to teach some new titles to the game night regulars and newcomers.  Only a couple of these titles saw play this Sunday but I like the idea of having themes to the evening.  I’m considering having this be something we continue with in the future. Continue reading