SEVEN HOURS. We played for SEVEN HOURS yesterday. Jake almost bailed early, but we convinced him to stay for the last half hour. SEVEN HOURS.Good game day.Here's some highlights!
Apples to Apples
Players: Jake, Chris, Eugene, Erick, Manny, Selena, Sean, and TJ.
I wanted to present a game that we could play with a whole mess of people. Apples to Apples is a great little party game. It is somehow one of the "Mensa Select" games, though it really requires no brain usage, it's just for fun. There's no strategic rules...
Each player is dealt seven cards with nouns on them. Each player takes a turn being "The Judge". As the judge, you draw a card which has an adjective on it. You read the adjective to the rest of the players, and they each choose a noun that he/she thinks the judge will choose as best matching the adjective.
That's it.
No rules for the judge, except to pick the card that the judge likes best.
So, it's important to 'play to the judge' -- even more important than trying to actually match the noun to the adjective, you're really trying to match the noun to the judge.
We decided to play until someone had been chosen 6 times.
Players: Sean, Angie, Cathy, Chris, Danielle, Jake
| Sean | Angie | Cathy | Chris | Danielle | Jake | |
| Adjectives | Quiet | Boring | Delightful | Disturbing | Frightening | |
| Cool | Cheesy | Rare | Annoying | |||
| Squeaky Clean | Graceful | Timeless | Woebegone | |||
| Casual | Harmful | Calm | ||||
| Shy | ||||||
| Scary |
Apparently the adjectives you receive describe the kind of person you are. Maybe not so much: I think Angie has a vivacious personality, but then again... the description of Cathy is pretty on-target. Just kidding!
Sean wins!
We played a few more games of Apples to Apples. However, to our utter dismay, we did not record the results.
The Big Idea
The players: Sean, Chris, and Erick played the whole game. Rebecca and Selena played 2 rounds. TJ played one, and Manny filled in and played another in his stead.
This is a game by the Cheapass Games company, which makes wonderful, affordable games. It takes a different kind of quick thinking than most games. It's always good for a laugh.
You each play as an entrepreneur, coming up with brand new products that will soon have an initial public offering. You need to pitch your new product to try to get other to invest in it.
Each player gets three card with descriptors (ex's: Low-fat, Compact, Disposable) and three cards with products (ex's: Candy bar, Bottle, Fireplace). Each player assembles those cards to invent a product which is useful, wacky, outlandish or mind-blowing.
Once each player secretly invents a product using as many or as few cards as desired, the four stages of each round proceeds...
Part 1: Pitch the product! Each player spends a minute or five explaining why the product will be in demand once it makes it to market. This is just fun... most fun when you really get into character -- you get to run your own mini-infomercial! If you can't think of a good sales pitch, the instructions suggest you begin with "How many times has this happened to you?!" The cards also have little one-liners to assist, as well. You may then invest in your own product.
Part 2: Super-secret free investment! Once the pitches have been made, each player takes a moment to secretly invest in any other player's new product. You can't invest in your own, or any old products which remain (that happens, you'll see!). We usually count to three, and everyone chucks an investment symbol at the product desired.
Part 3: Pay to play! During this round, each player can get a share in any product on the table. In order to get in on a product at this point, you'll need to pay a dollar per share to each shareholder already invested in the product.
Part 4: Check the IPO! Now, whoever started the round picks each product on the table, one at a time, in any order, and sees if it is a successful investment. Here's how that goes: the player names a product, and rolls a 6-sided die. If the value of the die is equal to or less than the number of shares, it pays off! Each share receives a dollar amount equal to the value of the die roll. (EX: A product has 2 Red investment shares, 1 Yellow, and 1 Blue. A "3" is rolled (less than 4!)... Yellow and Blue get $3, Red gets $6.)
If the die roll is greater than the number of shares, it doesn't pay off. Another share is added to the product, which represents a foreign investor. The product stays on the table... it may be further invested in a later turn, and will be checked for pay off in later turns. Each foreign investor makes it more likely for it to pay off later.
This game is rare for the strategic gaming club in that the payoff depends on a die roll. We usually shy away from something of that ilk. But this game depends on so many other elements that it's OK. And the excitement and disappointment associated with the die roll is worth it.
Here's the strategic pieces: You need to come up with a sales pitch for an innovative (if not insane) product in seconds, or minutes. You have to think on your feet. The Debate Club has used this as an exercise! An it's a worthwhile one...
Also, you need to decide which ones in which to invest. You can get into many of your own lonely products cheaply, but they will likely not pay off as well. Example: Consider that you are one of the shareholders in a product which has 3 single investors. The average payout will be $2 (it can be either $1, $2, or $3 per share -- average payout is $2 per share). If you have 3 shares in a product that has 5 shares invested all together, your average payout will be $9 (the possible payouts are $1, $2, $3, $4, or $5. Average payout $3 per share. 3 of those shares would give you $9).
The game actually creates its own little economy. It's rather impressive. You need verbal, mathematical, humor, and strategic skills to succeed. Also, a little luck helps a bit.
Here's a list of the inventions we all came up with...
| Sean | Chris | Erick | Rebecca | Selena | TJ first, Manny second |
| Deadly Toupee | Empathetic Auto Milkshake Treats | Training Smokes | Personal Kitchen Magazine | Quiet Bicycle Game | Groovy Miniature Luminous Fruit Dentures |
| Bourgeois Encrypted Computer | Pine-fresh Erotic Phone Book | Mysterious Virus Cereal | Limited Edition Angel Machine | Flying Gigantic Airline Encyclopedia | Cute Edible Aspirin Non-stick Memo Machine |
| Invisible Vegetables | Holy Raft Paint | Disposable Jet | |||
| Zen Hammer | Exotic Fortune Coffee | Desktop Battle Copier | |||
| Reflective Cast-Iron Bikini | Waterproof Doll Vacuum | Vibrating Flowers | |||
| Obedient Chocolate Pontiff | Frost-Free Cheese Chainsaw | Extreme Origami | |||
| Total money made by those who finished the game | |||||
| $50 | $43 | $50 | |||
We each started with $10! We all made money!! It's not easy to lose money in this game, so everyone ends with a sense of satisfaction. OK, my (Chris') satisfaction is less than the 'tied-for-the-win twins': Sean and Erick!
Beer Money
The players: Erick, Sean, Chris.
TJ had to run, but he left behind a fun little slugfest called Beer Money. Erick was itching to play, and I had played the precursor, "Lunch Money" a couple years back, so I was quite willing to dive in. And Sean was all for any game involving pummelling -- even if it was just virtual, card-based pummelling.
Each player starts with 15 health points, and the other players throw cards out which attempt to smack down opponents. Beer bottles, sucker punches, and love taps all wear down your opponents' health. Players can dodge those attacks, and even use some cards to build health back up.
After game 1, Erick was left with 11 points of health after Chris and Sean lay bleeding on the floor.
After game 2, Chris was the last to stand, with 9 points of health.
After game 3, Chris, once again remained after a long battle with Erick. Sean was eliminated quickly, and a long brawl between Erik and Chris left Erick unconscious on the floor, and Chris with 3 points of health.
Guillotine
The players: Chris and Erick.
Heads will roll!
Sean had to go, so Chris and Erick sat there staring foolishly at each other. Chris rummaged through the games which made it to the game table, and found Guillotine, which hasn't been played at game day yet!
Chris brought Erick up to speed after a minute or two, and we started executing nobles from France!
Each player is a rival executioner, and points are given for each head lopped off. The more important the person, the higher the value. "Marie Antoinette" is worth 5 points, while the "Piss Boy" (seriously!) is only worth 1.
There is a line of people waiting to be executed. Each player has some 'action cards', which, among other things, can rearrange the order of the line.
A turn consists of a player optionally playing an action card, collecting the next nobleperson on line, and drawing an action card (whether one was played or not). Through clever use of action cards, you can send the best heads to the chopper on your turn.
Each 'day' of the game starts with 12 people on line to get lopped. Once three days have elapsed, the players compare head collections. Higher value wins.
Chris collected heads which had a total of 42 points. Erick's head collection totaled 43 points.
Even though it was only by a point, Erick wins!
Bohnanza
The players: Jake, Erick, Chris, and Igor (replaced by Danielle).
Farming gone wild!
Jake, Igor and Danielle returned... Danielle had to go chat with a professor. Also, Igor had a class in 12 minutes. So here's what we did -- we decided to start a game of Bohnanza with Jake, Igor, Erick, and Chris. We knew Igor would have to leave, but his wife Danielle would be an adequate replacement when she got back.
Bohnanza has a wild blend of luck, strategy, and savvy bartering. Each player is a bean farmer, with limited space, and limited cards.
The most difficult part of the game is that your hand can not be rearranged... you play cards in the order that they're dealt.
Each turn has a 3 stages....
Stage 1: Plant the first bean in your hand of cards. If it doesn't match a field you've already planted, you'll need to harvest one bean field to make room. You can, optionally, plant a second bean from your hand.
Stage 2: Take the next 2 cards from the draw pile, and show them to all players. If you want them, plant them (You HAVE to plant them if you take them). If you don't want them, put them up for sale. Any other player may offer to buy them with cards from his/her hand, or take them as a donation. There is a whole lot of bartering here, and is the heart and most fun and clever part of the game. It can get heated here, or die out, leaving the current player with possibly unwanted cards. All cards involved with the trading get planted.
Stage 3: The current player picks two cards, which are added to the back of his/her hand of cards.
Each bean type has a different amount of total cards available in the deck, with differing payoff values... you have to think about the possibilities there. Sometimes it's better to collect small bean fields to get lots of little bits of payoff, OR save up your beans for a few large payoffs.
This game ended with Jake and Erick TIED for the win with 11 gold earned. Danielle and Chris tied for losing -- both having 8 gold.
Beat the Buzzard
Strategy + Psychology - any kind of luck = a nearly perfect game!
This was played by Jake, Danielle, TJ, Erick, and Chris. We played through twice.
We've played this before. This is the game we play when we want to mess with our own, and each other's, brains.
Everyone starts with the same set of 15 cards - numbered 1 through 15 - with which to bid. The bidding is done on some positive and some negative cards... you need to outwit your opponents in a secret bidding war to obtain the best cards, and avoid taking the cards which take away points.
Here's how the two hands went down....
| Jake | Danielle | TJ | Erick | Chris |
| -5 | 12 | -2 | 21 | 14 |
| 9 | 15 | 3 | 16 | -3 |
| Totals... | ||||
| 4 | 27 | 1 | 35 | 11 |
Erick wins! Erick wins each hand easily. Which means Erick wins the entire game, even easily-er.
I'm pretty sure 'easily-er' is not a word. But it works. I think. And I am the author of this entry, so what I say goes! At least right here. And this is the easily-est thing I've ever done.
Villa Paletti
The players: Jake Erick, TJ, and Chris.
The day ended with a few rounds of building. Jake, Erick, TJ, and Chris played three rounds.
Each player assumes a color, represented by a set of pillars, and, using his/her own pillars, attempts to build a tower of columns and platforms... points are earned, balances are shifted.... it's a strategic and tactile tour de force!
This is a Jake-owned game. But not for long -- I really need a copy of this puppy...
Here's the rundown and highlights of each game...
In Game 1: TJ proposed the 2nd floor. He then proposed the 3rd floor, as well. Jake grabbed the master seal first. Chris got it next. TJ got it next. Jake succeeded in destroying the tower... TJ WINS!
In Game 2: TJ proposed the 2nd floor. By the time we got to floor 3, Chris had gotten the seal, and Erick wrecked the building -- Chris WINS!
In Game 3: Erick proposed the 2nd floor. He then proposed floor 3. TJ got the great seal... And then Erick, through a poor use of his wheeled chair, demolished the tower! I don't even think it was his turn, but we all blamed it on him. TJ WINS!
TJ won 2. Chris won 1.
At this point, it was past 8:00 pm, and most of us had been playing since before 1:00 pm... Game day has become a full-time job worth of day!!
It's a new record... over 7 hours of games at a time.
You know... it would be cool to have a game-a-thon as a fund raiser. They have walk-a-thons, swim-a-thons, bowl-a-thons... We should have a game-a-thon!!!
This could be a new trend in altruism and philanthropy... Game-O-Thons!
No comments:
Post a Comment