121209 - Best of 2009!

THINK: The best games of 2009


2009/12/11

EDWIN WONG

From cards to strategy, here are EDWIN WONG’s pick of the best designer games of the year.

WITH more than 600 new designer games released this year alone, how does one tell what’s good from the rest? Here’s a quick guide and our take on what we think were the best of 2009! Four steps to spotting a good game


● It’s been designed and released recently.
For a start, a game that has been designed in the last one to two years is sure to be better than all the traditional games we grew up on (such as Monopoly, Risk, Clue, Game of Life, etc). They were, after all, designed more than 40 years ago. This is due primarily to the use of new and innovative game mechanics, among others.

● Look for the designer’s name.
It’s easy to separate mass market merchandise games from quality designer games. The designer’s name is always featured prominently on the box cover of designer games while mass-market merchandise disguised as games never feature the name of the designer anywhere.

● Look for the publisher.
Although there are a number of successful independent game publishers, you cannot go wrong with the following since they have a track record of popular and award wining games: RioGrande, Fantasy Flight, Days of Wonder, Z-Man, Asmodee, Atlas, GMT, Da Vinci, Splotter, Zoch, Amigo Spiele, Abacus Spiele, Kosmos, Rackham, Games Workshop, Battlefront Miniatures.

● Look up www.boardgamegeek.com.
 This is the ultimate site for designer game enthusiasts. Almost every game ever published can be found here. Why is this resource so valuable? Well, millions of enthusiasts go there to check out and read about what others think of the games.




Below is the best of 2009... 


Family Strategy — Ice Flow (Available from York House, Bangsar Shopping Centre)
The Spiel des Jahres (SdJ) is the industry’s most coveted award for Family Strategy games with “Small World” by Days of Wonder taking the honours this year.

However, our pick is Ice Flow, as it’s a fascinating game.

Each player tries to be the first to get his/her three explorers across the Bering Straits from Alaska to Siberia while avoiding the polar bears using only rope, fish and wits!


Advanced Strategy — Le Havre (Available from Toybox, Jalan 20/16, Paramount Garden, Petaling Jaya) 
Although “Dominion” won this year’s prestigious Deutscher Spiele Preis (a.k.a. gamer’s game of the year), its appeal is less universal than the runner-up, “Le Havre”. Dominion is a “card drafting” game similar to Trading Card Games (TCGs) such as “Magic: The Gathering” only that it’s non-collectible. 

In the harbour of Le Havre, you take goods such as fish and wood from the wharves and use them to either feed your community, construct buildings and ship, or process them into finished goods.

The winner is the player with the greatest net wealth at the end of the game.

The real joy in Le Havre is that it allows many different paths to victory. Like all advanced strategy games, they have a steeper learning curve, but the more you play, the better you get at mastering the game.


Co-operative — Pandemic & Battlestar Galactica (Available from www.boardgamecafe.net)
Very rarely do you get two games that are worthy to be considered best picks, let alone in the co-operative category where so few games are actually produced! But this year, quite remarkably, Pandemic swept 14 awards between 2008 and 2009.

It is a brilliant co-operative game and truly represents the speed at which various diseases can break out throughout the world.

As specialists at the CDC/Atlanta Centre, Pandemic is tense, requires quick but incisive decision-making and good teamwork.

Battlestar, on the other hand, is about uncovering the deception and treachery of the Cylons as they attempt to sabotage your mission to get back to Earth safely! Like all family strategy games, both are fairly easy to learn. You’ll play it again and again especially in the case of Pandemic.

More often than not, the outbreaks will probably overwhelm your team.

As for Battlestar, the mistrust and intrigue with Cylons and the struggle for survival will keep you coming back!


Great For Kids — Haselwurz & Barenklau (Available from Borders Bookstore, The Curve & Gardens) The official game of the Zurich Geo-Botanical Institute, H&B is a charming game about discovering rare species.

Players are cute little pixies that travel via their friends — the badger, dragonfly, bird and grasshopper — as they race to discover habitats where they can find rare plants and animals.
Got a great travel photo? Can it win this photo contest?

Adults, teens and children from seven years old will learn of the many rare/endangered species out there and the types of habitats where they can be found.


Party — Wits & Wagers (Available from Mage Café, Jalan SS22/21, Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya)
If you’re planning a party this year-end, then you must get Wits & Wagers.

Each round, a question’s asked and each player secretly writes his answer, which is always a number, on his player card. And unlike Trivia games that makes you feel stupid if you don’t know the answer, no one’s expected to know the answer to questions in Wits & Wagers.

You just have to get the closest estimation to the correct answer.

Wargame — Pacific Typhoon (Available from www.squarkgames.com)
Although there’s a steady supply of new “hex & tile” wargames being released, and “Unhappy King Charles” grabbed the IGA Historical Games Award (International Gamers Association), the one that we fancied most turns out rather surprisingly to be a card game! Pacific Typhoon depicts all the major conflicts of WW2 in the Pacific theatre and is a game where every round, a historical battle is chosen together with the terms of engagement.

Would it be a land, air, sea or combined battle? Would it be a day or night battle? Broken promises, failed alliances, conspiracies and the occasional stab-in-the-back are what makes this actually a fun wargame! 


Miniatures — Flames of War (Available from Toybox, Petaling Jaya)
Join the fastest growing hobby in the country!

The world’s No.1 15mm WW2 historical miniatures game’s now in Malaysia. And it’s attracting everyone from historians to captains of industry to students as they step into the shoes of their favourite generals to match wits with others!

More than just a game of tactics and strategy, Flames of War encourages research, analysis as well as the creative arts as enthusiasts assemble, construct and paint metal miniature models and terrain.

NST 281109 - 'Tis the time for giving!

Think: ‘Tis the time for giving!

2009/11/28

EDWIN WONG recommends designer board games that’ll appeal to children and the young-at-heart this Christmas.

MOST people have heard of the popular sayings “It’s better to give than to receive” and “It’s the thought that counts”. But do you feel better after giving compared with receiving? Is it the thought, and not the gift, that counts? Either way, it really depends on what you give or receive.

So this holiday season, before you choose your gift, think about the person who will receive it. Recipients can always tell when someone has put no thought into their gift. What better than to give something such as designer board games which someone will enjoy for years to come?

FOR ADULTS

While some adults constantly seek challenges to sharpen their thinking, others swear they don’t want to do anything outside of work that remotely involves exercising their brains!

Puerto Rico This one’s available at Toybox, Paramount Garden — www.toybox.com.my/blog and perfect for those who constantly likes challenges. Many find this as a step-up from the introductory designer games such as Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne — but not to the extent that they’re complex to learn. Here, players try to run the most successful business growing cocoa, coffee, etc, processing and storing them, and then exporting them for profit. You also have to wear different hats during the game (as you juggle with the various tasks on hand) and the winner’s usually the one who uses the right hat at the right time.

Beyond Puerto Rico, there are a wealth of games that’ll test your strategic ability to the limit. From elections (Die Marcher) and big business (Wealth of Nations) to building your ancient civilisation (Tigris & Euphrates), designer games come in so many themes that, with a little thought, you’ll find something for everyone!

FOR YOUNG ADULTS

They say that it gets harder to find a thoughtful gift the older one gets. Not true! You can’t go wrong with my best pick for young adults!

World of Warcraft Adventure Game This one’s available at York House, Bangsar Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur. With more than 10 million people (mostly young adults and teenagers) playing World of Warcraft online, someone you’re buying a gift for is likely to be a fan! The board game offers an exciting and fast-paced journey through the world of Azeroth — where you can choose your favourite hero and embark on an epic journey from humble beginnings to immense power, battling vicious monsters and powerful overlords. And your treacherous fellow players as you strive to be the mightiest hero of the land! In that sense, it successfully offers the same “adventuring” experience without duplicating the online experience.

FOR TEENS

Fear not, for designer games have been successfully engaging many a teenager in this “lost age” group! As electronic games, online social sites, dating and other growing up pains dominate a teenager’s world, nothing less than a spectacular designer game will do. Both games are available at Borders @ Curve and Tropicana City in Petaling Jaya and the Gardens and Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur.

Tide of Iron Here’s one for the boys. Believe me, they all love Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan and lately, Valkyrie and Inglourious Basterds. They all love WW2 action. Tide of Iron should be the choice for every teenage boy! It allows players to recreate the exciting but tense squad level action seen in all these movies, where you control a squad of soldiers trying to achieve your mission objectives. These can be anything from holding the line to clearing a village to a reconnaissance mission.

Settlers of Catan Not forgetting the girls, Settlers of Catan concentrates on exploration theme, trading and negotiation element and social interaction. The recipient can also try his/her luck at the 2010 Catan World Championship Malaysia Qualifiers to win an all-expense paid trip to represent Malaysia in the World finals in a lovely castle in Germany! What a gift this would be!

FOR THE CHILDREN

Since kids are usually the biggest recipients of festive gifts, take a look at some winners guaranteed to please. Warning! Adults and older siblings will find these games lots of fun and challenging, so they may attempt to pry them away from the recipient! Both are available at Available at THINKToys @ Bangsar Village 1, Gardens and Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur and the Curve, Petaling Jaya.

Techno Witches Any child into Harry Potter will love you for giving him this game! Kids and adults play the role of apprentice wizards equipped with the latest high-tech broomsticks and challenge each other in a variety of scenarios where reward awaits the apprentice who can best manoeuvre his broomstick! This is rather challenging since “feel” and “intuition” are replaced by “programming” and “sequencing” in this high tech age, and apprentices have to programme their flight paths in advance before they can take off. And once they’ve taken off, only time will tell if they will successfully reach their destination in one piece, or not!

Hamsterolle A beautifully crafted game where players test the limits of gravity at every turn! Players start with a set of blocks that come in a variety of shapes, sizes and weights. Each turn, they try to place a piece on any part of the “Hamsterolle”, a large round wheel resembling a pet hamsters’ exercise wheel. Every piece placed will cause the wheel to move somewhat, but if it moves a little too much thereby causing other pieces (previously placed by other players) to fall off, then the player has to keep all the fallen pieces as penalty. In the end, the first player to finish placing all his/her pieces on the wheel wins! Hamsterolle is tense but fun, challenging players to defy gravity and rewarding players with a good sense of balance.

NST 141109 - Update Your Board Games!

THINK: Update your board games

2009/11/13

EDWIN WONG

Many of us have fond memories playing traditional board games but isn’t it time we moved on?

IN today’s fast-paced world, keeping up with the latest “version” of everything, from mobile phones to computer software, has become second nature to most people.

Just take a look around you. How many people are still using ATUR (Automatic Telephone Using Radio) 450 mobile phones introduced in 1985? How about those with computers using the MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) released in 1982? Or even playing Pong, the iconic tennis video arcade game that swept the world in 1972? In fact, such is the pace of today’s world that Windows Vista and the first generation iPod Touch are already passe! And they are less than three years old! So it’s rather odd that while almost every other retail store stack their shelves with the latest versions of products, stores that sell board games in Malaysia can only think of stacking their shelves for the forthcoming holiday season with a range of games that are older than old.

Let’s stop for a moment and take a deep breath as we find out how old these games that department stores and toy superstores are trying to sell to Malaysians.

● Monopoly — 1935.

● Battleship — 1943.

● Clue (Cluedo) — 1949.

● Scrabble — 1949.

● Risk — 1957.

● The Game of Life — 1960 (but can be traced back to “The Checkered Game of Life”, originally created 100 years earlier!).

Don’t get me wrong. Many of us still have fond memories of Pong, PlayStation 1 and even our first mobile phone.

In the same way, many of us have fond memories playing these traditional board games as we grew up. But folks, isn’t it time we moved on? Board games evolve too. Not just in the quality of design and components but, in game mechanics, player interaction, strategy, depth and special interest themes as well, leading ultimately to greater enjoyment and satisfaction.

Thus, designer games are the new generation of board games. Designer games are today’s Windows 7 and iPhone 3GS.

So kudos to Borders Bookstores and Starbucks Coffee (@ Borders Bookstores) for taking the lead in introducing the latest designer games to Malaysians during their new Sunday Games Meetups.

■ Email imagine.games@mac.com to find out more, or log on to gamesmeetup.blogspot.com to join the Borders/Starbucks Sunday Games Meetup!

Money making games 

Traditional = Monopoly; Update = Railroad Tycoon

In Monopoly, you buy properties, build houses and hotels and collect rent from fellow players. You roll a dice, move and repeat until everyone else is bankrupt.

In Railroad Tycoon, you run a railroad company in the age of steam, building tracks between cities as you try to be the first pick up and deliver goods to cities that need them.

Decide how you want to build your company and achieve your “vision” (each player starts the game with a different “vision” which pays extra money if you achieve it at the end of the game).

While both games provide you the thrill of making money, there are significant improvements in the two: ● There’s no dice in RT. Thus, there’s no element of luck involved, only planning, strategy, tactics and good decision-making.

Monopoly on the other hand, is a game substantially of luck as players are victims of their die roll.

● There’s no downtime during other players’ turns! You’re constantly involved during other players’ turns since their actions affect your next move.

In Monopoly, you can take a toilet break during the other players’ turns since there’s nothing you can do.

● There are many different ways to win in RT since you’re totally in control of your actions.

In Monopoly, there’s only one way to win — get lucky and land on the right squares.

Some other great designer games that allow you a money making experience include Acquire (start and merge hotel chains, and invest in the shares of these chains), Container (produce goods, buy from/sell to others and export them for a profit), and I’m The Boss! (negotiate and persuade your way as you close big money deals).

Logic and deduction games 

Traditional = Clue; Update = The Name of the Rose

In Clue, players move from room to room (yes, with a die roll!) in a mansion to solve a mystery of “who done it”, “with what” and “where”.

By making accusations at characters, you make other players show the cards on their hands, and through deductive reasoning, you must guess which character, weapon and location cards are hidden in the secret file.

Though not as luck-driven as Monopoly, rolling the dice to move is nevertheless very outdated, and the game doesn’t allow any room for deception.

Also, it’s more about being systematic than having fun, making it a rather bland exercise rather than a fun game.

The Name of the Rose, on the other hand, is not only dripping in the theme of Umberto Eco’s whodunit novel set in an Italian monastery in 1327, it is actually really fun to play.

The Rose is not a game of precise note-taking and elimination (read: boring!), but a very clever game of guise and deception as you constantly plot to lead the other players to believe you’re someone else.

However, at the end of the game, each player gets to guess which characters belong to the other players.

For each correct guess against them, more suspicion points are added, effectively preventing players from making it too obvious that they are trying to benefit their own character.

The character with the least suspicion points wins the game!

World conquest, war games

Traditional = Risk; Update = Antike

Risk’s a dice-rolling fiesta where players attack others to gain territory and eventually win the game.

Nothing sophisticated here, just plan to attack with superior numbers and hope for a good roll of the die.

Compared to Risk, Antike oozes class and sophistication.

First off, it has no dice.

Next, it offers you a variety of ways to grow your civilization (a.k.a. conquer the world) and win the game, with war being just one of them (and usually not the best option).

However, it’s not technically a war game, so those inclined may turn to the many other designer war games such as Memoir 44 (which now has everything from the D-Day landings to the Eastern Front, to the Mediterranean and even the Pacific) or the Combat Commander series.

For those who prefer their conquests intergalactic-style, then the mother of all space operas is Twilight Imperium 3, where you have to use the full array of diplomacy, military force, technology and special skills of your alien race to rule the galaxy.

And if it’s just a sci-fi showdown you seek, then Starcraft (from the legendary computer game) is your designer game as you face-off against the other races for control of the universe.

Despite the mega-showdowns between warring factions, no dice are used, giving you an idea of the level of control and depth of strategy and tactics offered.

The same goes for Neuroshima Hex!, another no-dice strategy game set in the post-apocalyptic world of Neuroshima where up to four players face-off and try to take out each other’s HQ.

Victory point games

Update = Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne

Simply put, a VP game means that either the first player to achieve a pre-set number of VPs, or the player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Because you can collect points in a variety of ways, VP games allow you different paths to victory (and consequently, opportunities to try different strategies and tactics).

VP games are short (1-2 hours) and allow players much more control (hence, fun!) over what they do.

In Settlers of Catan, arguably the most popular of all VP games, you decide each turn what actions you want to take as you race to be the first to achieve.

You can build roads, trade resources with other players, build settlements, upgrade them into cities or even buy development cards - all of which eventually help you to win points.

Carcassonne is another popular VP game where players take turns to lay a tile as they build the city of Carcassonne.

Each player has eight followers (called Meeples). Throughout the game, they must deploy them cleverly as knights (in castles), highway robbers (on roads), clerics (on cloisters) or farmers (on farms) to win points.

The entire concept of designer games like Settlers only surfaced around 1995 (Carcassonne, 2000), so you would find no equivalent of it in any traditional game, most of which are more than 30 years old.

Even Uno, despite being the newer of traditional games, is almost 40 years old!

NST311009 - SPIEL'09, Designer Game Heaven!

THINK: Designer game heaven

2009/10/30

EDWIN WONG

Last week saw the 27th edition of SPIEL, the world’s largest and most popular designer games convention held in Essen, Germany. EDWIN WONG tells us more.

ONCE again, the latest edition succeeded in breaking records: 763 publishers presented their games at the show, 20 publishers on the waiting list could not get a stall, some 44 per cent of exhibitors were foreign publishers, over 600 new games were presented to visitors and more than 200,000 visited the convention over four days.

It’s all well and good if you have the spare cash to actually fly to Essen to try those games for yourself, but what about the rest of us poorer enthusiasts? Are we destined to only read about these games and how the rest of the world enjoys them? Well, fret not, for that’s what the recently launched Games Meetup is for! Playing every Sunday from 2-6pm at a Borders/Starbucks near you, it’s a great way to try the hottest games with your family and friends, and meet other enthusiasts.

FEATURED GAMES

Hurry Cup! (Hurrican)

 

Hurry Cup! is a popular leisure activity among those in high society, where the rich and famous hop into their beloved classic cars and race through the many picturesque towns in Europe. Speed, cunning and guile are needed to stay ahead of your fellow racers. Rapid decision-making, dexterity and risk-taking are also required.

Each round, a number of dices (equal to the number of players) is placed in a dice cup by one player, shaken and the cup placed upside down on the table. The cup is then removed, and every player grabs a pawn (located in the centre of the table) corresponding to the colour of the die he/she wants.

The number on the dice (which represents your fuel tank) has two effects. Firstly, it represents the maximum number of spaces your car can move. So the higher the number, the better (eg. “6”).

However, it also determines the speed (in km/h) at which your car is travelling, as players must multiply it with the roll of another die (which represents the accelerator). In this case, the lower the number, the better (eg. “1”).

Café International (Amigo Spiele)

 

In Café International, the 1989 Spiel des Jahres winner, you play the role of a waiter trying to earn tips by seating customers according to their likes and dislikes. The trouble is, most customers have more dislikes than likes! Such is the life of a waiter.



There are 48 customers to be seated (represented by tiles), two males and two females for each of 12 nations. In addition, there are two male and two female “jokers” (customers who don’t mind sitting with any nationality!).

Players start with five tiles faced-up so that others can see your customers. Seating your multi-national group of clients will always be a challenge given their dislikes and limited number of tables, not forgetting too that your other fellow waiters are also fighting to do the same.

In the end, the one who best satisfies his fussy customers will earn the most tips!

Baker’s Dozen (Playrooom)

 

Designed by Reiner Knizia, Baker’s Dozen is the kids’ cover version of Poison (sorry, no pun intended!).

I say “cover” because the game-play is still the same challenging strategy version as the original, and only the theme and graphics have been made over to appeal to kids and doughnut lovers (we’re all really still kids when it come to doughnuts).

If you can count until 13, you can play Baker’s Dozen! The game begins with each player given an equal share of cards that comes in three different “doughnut types” and are valued “1-7”. Beware for some may draw “bad” doughnuts (numbered “4”)! Each round, players choose one doughnut from their hand to bake in any of the three ovens (note that each oven bakes only one type of doughnut). “Bad” doughnuts can be tossed into any oven. Of course, the master doughnut maker is the one who is the sifu of one/more types of doughnuts and makes no “bad” ones — i.e. the player with the least penalties!

Wits & Wagers (Northstar Games)

 

The game that swept all the party game awards between 2007-2008 is now here!


Billed as the trivia game for people who don’t know much, Wits & Wagers is in essence a betting game disguised as a trivia game, since the questions are designed in a such a way that no one is really expected to know the answer, and all answers are in the form of a number.

So, what happens when the following question is read out, “In what year did the bikini swimsuit make its first appearance?” Well, first, everyone writes their guess on an erasable card. Then all the guesses are revealed and arranged from lowest to highest sequence on a betting mat.

Remember, the answer to every question is always a number.

Next, players have one minute (using a sand timer) to place their bets. Players may bet as little or as many chips as they have, but can never bet on more than two different guesses at any one time. Finally, the correct answer is revealed. The winning guess is the one where the number is equal or closest to, but not exceeding, the correct answer. Winnings are then paid out. As a bonus, the player(s) whose wrote the winning guess earns three chips.

The entire game lasts seven rounds, but trust me, everyone will find it too short!

NST031009 - Time to Meetup!

THINK: Time to meet up

2009/10/02

EDWIN WONG

A Game Meetup, where people gather over designer games, snacks and drinks, is the most happening form of social meet-up since high-tea and Facebook. EDWIN WONG writes.

In this high-tech age where people are becoming increasingly dependent on the Internet and mobile technology to stay connected, a new wave of good old-fashioned social gathering is sweeping through the world, bringing people together again, face to face, with those who mean most to them.

Starting in Germany in the ’70s as part of the post-war reconstruction (where emphasis was given to activities that allowed families to spend quality time together), it then quickly spread to all the German-speaking countries in Europe, establishing itself as a dominant family activity in the ’80s.

By the ’90s, it had evolved into a social activity not just among family members, but also among friends and colleagues. More importantly, it was discovered by the English-speaking world.

Today, almost a decade later, it has become the most happening form of social meet-up since the high-tea, jug of beer and movies.

What are we talking about?  A Designer Game Meetup.

Families play them to spend quality time together. Friends play them as a form of social gathering. Senior citizens play them to keep their imaginations alive and minds active. Schools use them to develop students’ critical thinking and other skills. Corporations use them as training tools.

But most importantly, Designer Game Meetups bring people together. A throwback to the great social gatherings that are in grave danger of being extinct in today’s world of Facebook and online chats.

So what exactly is a Game Meetup? 

Well, in simple terms, it is just a gathering of people over a few designer games, snacks and drinks. While the primary purpose of a Meetup is to enjoy playing designer games for a few hours, the real purpose is to catch up with family, friends or colleagues.

It’s a social gathering that has proven around the world, and in different cultures, to be more rewarding than meeting over high-tea, a couple of beers or even a movie.

Is it because everyone is involved and participating? Perhaps it’s because there is an element of competition? Or perhaps it’s simply because Meetups deliver good, old fashioned fun? Whatever the reason, Meetups have become the latest “cool” thing to do. You can either organise your own Meetup, or join one in town.

Organizing a Meetup is simple 
Just fix a day and time (like Friday night, 7pm), and invite a few people over to play designer games. If you don’t have the space, you can meet at community halls, cafes, etc. 

Remember that most games play four to six players since you don’t want anyone to be left out.

Entry-level games usually take less than an hour to play, while more advanced games take between one and two hours, so on a Friday night, you can easily get in three to four games before midnight. 

This allows for variety (of themes) and depth (of challenge), virtually guaranteeing that everyone will enjoy the Meetup.

Where it all started
If you don’t have anyone to invite, but you wish to meet new friends, the next best thing is to join a Meetup.

Public Meetups first started in Singapore five years ago, when a German engineer (who would have guessed?) by the name of Andreas took it upon himself to introduce designer games in a social setting where people could spend a wonderful evening with their family, catch up with friends and colleagues, or meet new friends.

The setting was always casual and relaxed, and there was always someone around (hosts) to set you up with others and teach you how to play. There was never any sense of elitism or exclusion, making it very welcoming for first-timers.

Today, there are more than half a dozen public Meetups every month in Singapore. They have Meetups just for people who are new to designer games, Meetups for those with very specific interest (war games, train games,), and even Meetups for those who love the thrill of competitive play.

All take place at either resident community halls or cafes, with some Meetups charging a token S$5 (RM12) but offer snacks and drinks.

Meetups in Malaysia - Something for everyone 

The time has now come for Game Meetups to announce its arrival in Malaysia.

Recognizing the role that designer games can play in bringing people together, Borders Bookstore and Starbucks Coffee have graciously offered to host this new wave of social gathering.

Beginning this month, each Borders Bookstore and Starbucks Coffee (in Borders) store will take turns to host a Games Meetup as follows:

• Every first Sunday, 2-6pm Borders Bookstore and Starbucks Coffee, Borders Store, The Curve.
• Every second Sunday, 2-6pm Borders Bookstore and Starbucks Coffee Store, Tropicana City Mall.
• Every third Sunday, 2-6pm Borders Bookstore and Starbucks Coffee Borders Store, The Gardens.
• Every fourth Sunday, 2-6pm Borders Bookstore and Starbucks Coffee Borders Store, Berjaya Times Square.
• Every fourth Sunday, 2-6pm Borders Bookstore and Starbucks Coffee Borders Store, Queensbay Mall, Penang.

Every month, Imagine Games, Squark Games and Toybox will introduce the latest releases, classic games, party games, games for kids (which adults will also enjoy) and miniature games covering a variety of themes, at both “family strategy” and “advanced strategy” levels — an unbeatable combination that will ensure that you will definitely find something you will like!

Best of all, you can join for free! All you have to do is register online (gamesmeetup.blogspot.com), via email (imagine.games@mac.com), at Borders Bookstore information counter, or at the registration desk during the Meetup. 

Monthly prizes also await new and “frequent playing” members.




FEATURED GAMES

This week, we look at one game from each category. EDWIN WONG lists down the games featured in this week’s Game Meetup.

Zooloretto (Amigo Spiele)


2007 Spiel des Jahres winner (Family strategy game of the year) where you try to bring in the right combination and number of exotic animals to attract visitors to your zoo. Bring in too many and you will be penalised for not having proper enclosures to keep them safely. Bring in too few and visitors won’t find your zoo interesting. Of course, you can always expand your zoo and add some vending stalls to attract visitors.

Killer Bunnies & the Quest for the Magic Carrot (Playroom)


In this funny and satirical card game, you try to collect as many “carrots” as possible, hoping that one of them is the randomly pre-determined “Magic Carrot”!  In doing so, you must keep your bunnies alive for as long as possible, while eliminating all the other players’ bunnies, since you need to have a living bunny to win. This is easier said than done since your opponents will be armed with outrageous weapons such as “Kitchen Whisks” to “Nuclear Warheads”. Of course, you will have equally outrageous defences such as “Magic Spatulas”, or make your opponents “Feed the Bunny” forcing them to buy cabbage and water! Ninety minutes of plain fun as everyone does everything to stop their opponents from winning!

GiftTRAP (GiftTRAP)


If you are coming to the Meetup to meet new friends, then this is the game you must play! Apart from being a great ice-breaker, GiftTRAP is a game of social intelligence where you learn more about total strangers as the game progresses. Players are given a set of gifts (which can be anything from the predictable to the outrageous!) and each round, someone is chosen as the receiver. Every player then selects a gift (from among those given earlier) and gives it to the receiver. The receiver then chooses the gift he/she likes best, earning points for the giver. Through observation, you will gradually learn more about what others like and appreciate!

Sherlock Deluxe (Playroom)


The card game where memory and deduction are “elementary”, my dear Watson! As Sherlock moves around and searches for clues, players try to remember each of the eight objects hidden in a facedown circle of cards. Sherlock travels from one card to another and each time he stops at a facedown card, the player has to remember which object is on that card. Sherlock continues to move so long as the player guesses correctly. When Sherlock lands on a face-up card, the player gets to keep that card. The first player to collect six cards wins. Fifteen minutes of pure detective fun that kids and their parents will be playing over and over again!

Monsterpocalypse (Privateer Press)


MonPoc brings the kaiju genre (giant monster in Japanese) — a pop culture favourite — to the tabletop in the form of a fast paced, action pack, monster showdown! With giant monsters, tall buildings and smaller support units, MonPoc excites by recreating the Ultraman vs Godzilla showdowns many of us grew up with on television! Experience the action as giant monsters trample on tall buildings, destroy tiny support units and try to outwit each other in a tactical skirmish where the town is only big enough for one big fella! In the end, careful planning will be rewarded!