10/3 Featured Games and 9/22 Recap

Hello FNDers!

Two Fridays ago we had our most recent session and had a strong crowd out.  We had fifteen people come out - which has been right around our average over the late summer and early fall meetings.  We're hoping to see that increase as we push forward!

At our last session we played several games with the focus being on some new releases.  To start, a large group of people played Fluxx, which was won by a newcomer named Rich.  During this, I taught Splendor to Brian and Annmarie (Beth also played) and ended up winning.  Later in the evening we played Splendor twice more with Laura and Dana and Laura won both games.  I take that to mean I taught it well ;-)

Finally, a game of Ca$h and Gun$ was played which was won by Beth - largely due to the entire table teaming up on me the first three rounds!  Lords of Waterdeep was also played and was won by Amy.

We had a great time and we expect the next session to be just as fun.

The featured games for next week will be Dice Games!

Everyone likes getting to chuck some dice so let's see what we'll be playing:

King of Tokyo:

I don't think we could have a 'dice' day and not mention King of Tokyo.  It's basically Yahtzee with mega monsters.  The game's easy - you roll dice, you beat up your friends, you yell 'rahr,' and you call it a day.  It's pretty much all you need in a 30 minute dice game.

Castles of Burgundy

On the exact opposite end of the spectrum is Castles of Burgundy, by designer Stephan Feld.  Where King of Tokyo is based around pure amusement, Castles of Burgundy is based around very fluid mechanics.  It is the definition of a Euro game - string together efficient actions and come out on top with the most points.  Each turn you roll dice to determine what actions are available to you and then you utilize them in the best way possible.

Despite sounding a bit dry, this game is superb.  It's currently #11 on BGG for good reason.  Also, fun fact, it is my wife's #1 favorite game.  (We have the English version, I just think the name of the German version is fun to say).



Alien Frontiers

Alien Frontiers has been featured before and we're gonna add it on here simply because of how well it fits the theme.  Like Castles, you roll dice to determine what actions are actually available to you and then try to make the most of it.  In this case the game is set in space involves an area of control mechanism on a galactic colony.  It actually is a pretty tense game as you battle for control of the different areas of land and is quite fun.

Kingsburg

Kingsburg is actually pretty similar to Castles of Burgundy or Alien Frontiers in the sense that, again, you are rolling dice to determine what actions are available to you.  Despite the seemingly identical mechanic, all three actually play quite differently - it's just hard to describe them more uniquely without being too long winded.  In this one you are using the dice to influence various advisers, gaining resources and using them to build buildings in your medieval fantasy town.  At the end of each year the town will be attacked by some sort of fantasy creature and so you need to be sure to have enough defenses to survive the onslaught.  This is a splendid game and has been enjoyed every time it's hit the table.

Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game

And finally the game I am personally most excited about - Dead of Winter.  This game just came out - as in I preordered it and it just arrived yesterday.  In it each player takes on the roll of a survivor in a colony during the zombie Apocalypse.  Sounds pretty typical, right?  Trust me - I'm not a big fan of games that just revolve around zombies.  This one's different.  There are zombies in the game but that's the the whole point.  The game itself is a semi-cooperative survival game.  There is a objective decided upon at the beginning of the game and everybody has a certain number of rounds to complete the objective.  Additionally, everybody is given a secret personal objective they they must complete.  If the main objective is completed but your personal is not, you lose.  The catch?  It's possible (but not guaranteed) that a player's personal objective is actually to sabotage the rest of the group.

Players can be exiled at which point they receive a new objective - which could be anything from 'reconciliation' to 'retribution.'  The game is very much driven by the deception and tenseness of a possible traitor, but along with this is constant dice rolling.  Every turn you roll dice to determine your actions and, to go along with most of the things you do, you roll the ever dreaded exposure dice, which can instantly kill off some of your characters.  This is quite possibly going to be the most popular game of the year and this will be a great chance for you to try it out!

So come on out to Friday Night Dice this upcoming Friday and play these and many more games with us!  Bring some friends!\

We hope to see you there!

9/19 Featured Games!

Greetings friends of Friday Night Dice!

This upcoming Friday yet again we will be hosting a game night.

We've had pretty solid streams of attendance over the past few weeks, averaging right around 15 people.  What's really exciting is how many total people we've had walk through our doors.  Without actually adding it up I believe it is somewhere in the ballpark of 50 different people come through our doors!  We're thrilled about that and would love to see that number continue to increase.

Before we get to the featured games, I want to take a moment tell ya'll that we will be hosting a special Halloween Friday Night Dice on Halloween night.  The 31st of October happens to be the 5th Friday of the month, a scheduled meeting time anyway, so that night we'll be playing scary games (well, games with 'scary' themes - Zombicide, Dead of Winter, Betrayal at House on the Hill, etc.) AND we'll be doing it in costume.  I mean, technically you can show up not wearing a costume, but preferably you will be!  We'll be giving out a prize to the best dressed attendee!  Mark your calendars now!!

So the theme for this upcoming FND is a bit unusual but I'm going to roll with it.  We'll be featuring a whole bunch of games that just came in the mail for us!   Not a very specific theme, but a lot of them are either a) recent releases, b) recent re-releases, or c) fresh from Kickstarter so I think people will be excited to try them if they haven't.

So without further adieu, here are the games we'll be playing!

Splendor

Splendor is a game that just came out in 2014 and was nominated for the Spiel de Jahres award (game of the year in Germany - it's pretty much the biggest gaming award).  It didn't win but many thought it should have.  It is a very fun and easy (super easy - like, one page rule book easy).  In the game everyone is some type of Renaissance era trader of gems.  Honestly the theme is so light it's almost an abstract game, but that's okay because the gameplay is very smooth.

CV

CV is most easily compared to King of Tokyo simply because it features the exact same mechanics - roll dice ala Yahtzee.  However, the theme is nothing similar.  In CV you are essentially living out a person's life.  Each turn your roll dice, the symbols of which include Good Luck, Bad Luck, Relationships, Money, Knowledge, and Health.  You keep the ones you want, reroll the rest, then do it again (just like in Yahtzee).  Afterward you get to buy one or two cards based on what you roll and what your other cards provide you.

It's all very thematic.  For instance, in the 'young adult' deck you can buy a Pension Plan for 2 money symbols.  This gives you an event called "Pension" that you can play later, but only once you get to the Old Age deck, and it gives you twice as much money as you put in for a one time use - very thematic.  This game is particularly exciting as it is not yet released in the United States.  I was lucky enough to find somebody selling on Ebay that picked it up from the Essen game fair in Germany.  This is a great time to check out a new hard to find game.

Among the Stars

This game was originally released in 2012 but it only just got printed again by Z-Man games.  However, at the same time Z-Man was reprinting it they were also releasing a campaign on Kickstarter.  It would get shipped to the States a bit later than Z-Man's publication would, but you could pay a similar price and get all of the promos and stretch rewards.  I chose that option and it just came in the mail!

Among the Stars is a drafting game VERY similar to 7 Wonders in play style.  However, the theme is quite different.  You use your cards to build a space station and, unlike 7 Wonders, the physical layout of your cards is very important for further turns and final scoring.  The artwork on the cards is gorgeous and between the base game, the expansion, and the ridiculous amount of promos there are so many cards you'll never have the same station twice.

Ca$h and Guns

Cash and Guns is a fun and light party game where everybody gets to shoot their friends with fake guns.  Not even joking.  Each round the 'boss' (I.E. The Godfather) counts down.  Everyone is holding foam guns.  When he says '3' everybody simultaneously points their gun at a different person, possibly inflicting damage depending on whether or not they just to play a 'click' or a 'bang' card before hand.  All players still in the round at the end of it get a share in the loot.  The player with the most money at the end of the game wins.  This game takes the ending scene in Reservoir Dogs and makes an entire game of it.  It's pretty light but it's also quite fun.  I have the new second edition of the game which looks great.

We may end up featuring one more game as I'm still waiting on Dead of Winter to arrive, but we'll see.  Either way, hopefully you'll join us as we play these and many more!

9/5 Featured Games

Greetings Gamers!

After last Friday's FND session we have a very fast turn around for the next one!  We had about 15 people show up for our bonus '5th Friday of the month' session that coincided with Labor Day and we had a great time.  We played Lords of Waterdeep, Letters From Whitechapel, and Werewolf, amongst other things. 

Our next session is going to be on this upcoming Friday, September 5th, at 6:30 PM.  As always we look forward to having our regulars back to game with us as well as any number of newcomers.

In particular we think this will be an exciting Friday Night Dice as the theme of the games is Humor!

Now, an important distinction should be made.  I was contemplating making it "Party Game" week but that would limit us.  Blessedly there are a number of games by modern designers that are more contemplative than simply "Party Games" but still involve a good deal of lightness and humor!  Some of these will certainly be party games, but there will be a few strategy games with extra amusing themes or deliberate attempts at humor.

So, to the featured games.....

Say Anything!

Say Anything is a lot like Apples to Apples, but instead of having a hand of cards from which to choose, you have a small whiteboard and are given the ability to 'say anything.'  One person chooses a question  ("What would my dream job be? What am I most afraid of?") and everyone writes down the answer they think will most likely please the player choosing the question.  After everyone has submitted their answers players 'bet' on which answer they think will be chosen.  The player reveals his secretly chosen answer and points are distributed.  It's a lot of fun!

Telestrations

Telestrations is a very popular game and has hit the table a fair amount at Friday Night Dice - laregely in part because it is the hardest I have ever laughed playing board games, and I've played a lot of them!  This game combines the telphone game and pictionary in a hysterical way.  Each player gets a word and writes it down on their flipbook, passing it clockwise.  The next player draws that original word, and again passes the flipbook.  The subsequent player writes what they think has been drawn.  The next player draws that, then the next player guesses that... It results in the complete annihilation of whatever the original word was.  At the end all of the players 'show and tell' their flipbook to the ensuing laughter.  We have the Party Edition and so this can play up to 12 people.  I expect us to get a full 12-player game going.

Faces

This is an old game that friends of ours from college will be bringing.  It is out of print and so this is a nice chance to play it.  The game is a lot like Apples to Apples in that players are playing cards that they think most appropriately match a description, however this time they are playing amusing pictures of old timey people and animals.  It is quite amusing and is a very light and easy party game.


Smash Up!

This is a good gateway game built around deck-building.  Each player has two decks they mash together, each representing a different fantasy race.  You might be Ninja Dinosaurs, or Cthulu Pirates, or Zombie Bears.  Either way it is pretty zaney and results in a lot of amusing situations.  It is definitely more of a strategy game than a party game, but is very light-hearted.

Tales of the Arabian Nights

This game is almost more of an activity than a game, but it is still great fun and possibly the most unique game I own.  In it, players take control of different figures from the classic book from which the game gets its name - Sinbad, Aladin, etc..   The game itself is essentially a choose-your-own-adventure game in which players receive a small scenario and decide how to respond.  Perhaps an angry beggar approaches you - do you punch him or give him money?  Perhaps you give him money and he turns out to be an enchantress who ropes you into a devilish plot where punhing him would have spared your life.  It's pretty zaney and a fun time.

Bang!

Bang is a deception/card game in which players get various roles.  One is the sheriff (which is public).  Some are deputies whose job is to protect the sheriff. Some are bandits whose job is to kill the sheriff.  One is a renegade whose goal is to be the last person alive.  The theme is that of a Spaghetti Western and throughout the game you play cards that fit this theme well.

Dungeon Petz

This is the most complicated game on this list.  This is a pretty meaty euro-game despite the seemingly cute theme.  Each player is the owner of a pet store - however these aren't ordinary pet stores, they sell monsters for dungeon lords and raise them for curious exhibitions.  Each monster is unique and as you raise them and train them for various purposes you grow quite attached.  It is a very fun game, albeit thinky, and has a quirky and amusing theme.

Ultimate Werewolf

Okay so we've featured Werewolf three sessions in a row now but each time we've had people leave giving us a group of only 8 people.  This isn't terrible as that's still a fun number, but the gang at FND wants to play a bigger game of Werewolf.  Given that most of these games are shorter we are going to play them until 8:00 PM, at which point we are going to do a massive group game of Werewolf - hopefully with 15-20 people.  So be prepared for a delightful time!

That is all of the games!  Bring friends, bring families!  This is a great one for newbies to game as we're featuring a lot of lighter ones.

Many blessings and hopefully we'll see you Friday!!