Monday, December 31, 2012

2012

So the end of 2012 is nearly upon us and its been a very good year of gaming. Yet again I have bought too many games and felt like i needed to play them more often but juggling work, family and the xbox is a fine balancing act.

Games of the year for me have been

Eclipse
A fantasy 4x space game, great components and a rules set that works very well make for a great game. Nothing is overly complicated and there are more than enough strategies and options available that keep you entertained and wanting more.
An expansion has been released which takes it up to 9 players, that would be an epic game but maybe not for the faint hearted.

Castles of Burgundy
Probably my favorite euro game of the year. Lots of action choices but all depending of the dice you roll. Another game with variable player boards means that there are lots of choices and options available to the players.

Hanabi
My favorite filler game, its a co-op game delivered by a deck of cards. Players are trying to get the perfect firework display by playing cards in the correct order. The twist being you can't see your own hand, only the other players. Such a simple game has brought many evening to an end.

Disappointment of the year for me has been the King of Tokyo Power up expansion . I love King of Tokyo, its a simple game to explain but the expansion doesn't add much to it. Some super powers for each monster and a new giant Panda. I am not sure what I was expecting, but this one fell a little flat for me.

What does 2013 bring, hopefully more gaming but along with it I think I need to cull my collection a little. Space is a premium and I have several unplayed games that just seem to gather dust.

Project wise, I am painting the pieces for my copy of Mice and Mystics. The idea being that I can play it with the kids as a precursor to Descent. But so far the rules are unread as I am enjoying painting the figures. I will probably ass dome pics when they are finished.

I have a couple of game ideas that need fleshing out and prototypes built. I think most gamers have a dream of getting a game published, but it seems like a long road. I am sure if I put some time into them they will turn out ok.

So Happy New Year everyone, enjoy the fireworks!