This past Saturday, we had 6 players. Jeanette had snagged a copy of
Modern Art from the out of business Mayfair games and we were keen to play
it. Jen offered to sit out since once again a game was invented to include
a divorced couple (5 players). Modern Art is a game of brokering and
planning. You are an art dealer working in an art gallery/auction house.
You are purchasing art from new artists and then selling it to the general
public for hopefully a tidy profit (beware the yoko!).

Prices of the purchased painting is shear capitalism: When will the other
art galleries stop bidding and let you have it? Each turn, you place one of
your commissioned gallery paintings up for sale to the art galleries
(including you). There are 5 different types of auctions, depending on the
work of art. Bidding continues until the deal is satisfied and if any one
other that the original house purchases the painting, they pay the gallery
selling it. So, you can accumulate money this way. Also, at the end of
each round, painting value on the public market is determined by
popularity. Popularity is determined by quantity of paintings on the
market. So, what paintings you sell are just as important as what you buy.
Cool game, simple rules (5 minutes to learn).

The humor started to flow freely when we actually tried "selling" our
paintings. I would actually spin a "story" for the painting and try to
convince the others it was in their best interest to bid high. Later,
strategy was discarded and we simply tried to get the other players to
laugh. The funniest was a fixed price auction of a painting, where after a
introduction, I set the price at (use the Dr. Evil swoosh noise) One -
Hundred - Thousand - Dollars (use finger gesture). I was laughing so hard,
I couldn't even get the quote out with a straight face. And it sold!!

In the end, I thought I was WAY out in front with close to half a million
in profits. The other players had about half this, but as we were counting
up the money, Pete had secretly been squirreling away profits not so much
from the general public, but from the other art galleries!!!! He won by a
few thousand dollars, much to my shock and dismay. I was truly impressed
that he lived up to the name, "Sneaky Pete".

After that, people wanted a mindless game and we went with PIT rather that
yet another Bean game. Lots of fun, with the "bear" being replaced by the
"Red Assed Baboon". I actually won my first game of pit. I now firmly
believe that the best hand to start with in Pit is all pairs. You never
get "stuck". We broke up at about 1:15 (early, eh?)

Pete and I started reading the rules to "Chinatown" and it looks simple so
far. Maybe we'll get to try that next week. I'll bring some games to Pete
and Michelle's 4th of July party, just in case anyone gets the "urge".

See you next week...



Game Night: Saturday 7-10-1999

Well, what a full house. We ended up playing a game of Chinatown. This
is a variation on a theme where you have to bargain to come up with
business to start on the board. The game was deemed to have not enough of
the Fun factor regardless of mechanics. It looks like in difference to its
game of the year nomination, it's just not our cup of tea.

We then spent a half hour playing game night for Camp Lucky. That's
right, Camp Lucky will feature a game night... but probably not what you
expect. It will be a round robin game of Operation(tm) by Hasbro I
believe. I don't have to tell you that Pat likes to do things for Lucky
(July 24th) larger than life...

After that planning session, we returned to Klunker for two games that Saw
the "Alias Johnny" pound us into submission. In the end, we were all
wearing his cheap, gaudy, but highly profitable jewelry.

In a side note, John, Russ, and I got together earlier in the day to play
a multiplayer computer game of "alien vs Predator". The game is
anticlimactic in the box and single player, but the multiplayer kept us
riveted for over 3 hours. We will defiantly do that again.

I an additional computer note, Ed, John, myself, and maybe some guys I
work with (see cc: above) are going to do an online "Kingdoms" game
Wednesday night at about 9ish. Email me if your interested.

Well, there were 4 of us. It started with Ed and Johnny and I trying a new
card game called "Mag-Blast". A cute card game of space ship combat. Flag
ship in the middle with a special power (like cosmic). Four combat ships,
one on each side. If the ship can fire, it fires at the same ship position
on another players diamond. (the power of the diamond!) Get past the
outer ships and you can kill the flagship. Some action cards for offense
and defense and your on your way. Easy to play, easy to knock players
out... until you get down to 2 players. Then the game drags on... and
on... and on... Not a bad game, fun too. But wow that last ship just will
not die. We played 3 games. It was advertised that 3 games would be 45
minutes. Ha. Even with playing 2 of the games in PARALLEL, it took 2 hours.

We then broke out Tikal at my request. I liked this a lot the first time I
played it and now wished I had bought it instead of the anti-climactic
"Chinatown". Anyway, Midway through the game I mercilessly was mocking Ed
for handing out advice whilst firmly in last place. And I mean firmly.
Well, guess who ended up winning? Treasure Boy Ed. As a matter of fact,
that is Ed's new nickname. "Treasure Boy".

Although Jen was not present, she invented a card game the night before
called "pearly gates". John helped me tweak some of the rules. A simple
little card game where you try to live a little then go to heaven. You have
to accumulate 10 "day to day" points that represent you living at least
some of your otherwise simple life. Careful though, as you live your life,
other players will play temptations on you. Succumb and you accumulate a
sin. Clear your sin cards through either moral defense or penance and try
for the pearly gates! But watch out for meddlesome players with "3rd party
action cards". We'll test in on you in the future. Man, how "geeky".

So, I am bringing all my 6+ player card game to lucky, but nothing else.
Ed and I haven't heard form Pat, so Operation is still a mystery. See you
at camp!!!!

Well, been a while, eh?

Two Saturday's ago was camp lucky. Although, not game night related, we
did play Modern Art and Mega-blast on Friday. Count me out of mega-blast
in the future. The game drags on and on and on. The game play seems kinda
neat, but after you play it a few times, the repetitiveness gets to you.
As for Modern Art, I like this game. I won again, mostly by screwing Tom
on a "yoko", but a good time was had by all.
On Saturday, a dream came true and we actually followed up on a crazy idea
for once. Top points to Pat for actually getting the ball rolling before
it hit the floor with a thud. By the way Pat, were is my damn parking
sticker? Anyways, we spent the afternoon working in the hot shade and
built a life size version of the game "Operation". Fully "operational"
too. (hehe) Pictures will be posted on the camp lucky web site later this
year.

As for this past Saturday, Ed brought two new games. The first was "Hare
and Hedgehog". This was a strategic planning children's game (huh?) were
if you plan well and try not to run to fast, you cross the finish line
first. Was a neat concept but has three problems. 1) Too long for the
type of game it was. 2) Even if you plan perfectly (as I did), the last
turn quickly disintegrates into a "luck fest'. 3) The replay ability isn't
that great because there just aren't that many interesting permutations.
Nevertheless, thanks to Ed for giving it a go. I would like to hear other
opinions.
The second game, also courtesy of Ed, was "Ever Green", consisting of
moving record platters around a table while drunk, then having concerts to
celebrate your acquisitions. Hmmm, weird game. Not bad, tricky though.
You manipulate the board by playing cards (up to 3) and if you end up with
the highest number in a color, that band is currently playing your venue.
The you can hold a concert and reap the benefits. You can increase your own
numbers or play a crap card on someone elses good card, thus making a new
player the "highest" in that color. I would not mind trying it again, but
the girls found it too confusing. They had a point.
We had a blast, drinking fruity watermelony rum (yum) drinks and
constantly remembering a Monty Python sketch "5!-4!-3!-2!-1!" (the job
interview sketch with Cleese interviewing Chapman for a job already
filled). Truly a lot of laughs. We ended the evening with another round of
the bean game. Despite a genuine concern that since everyone enjoys
screwing me, I would never even get a coin, I won. Now no one will ever
even TALK to me during the bean game, much less trade with me. -Unless
your "Pat the giver". Ed's nickname seems to be mutating into "Treasure
bath" (History of the World) from "Treasure Boy". So be it.
Just to round off the evening, we played a game of "move the hot tub".
This is where all your friends help you move your hot tub to the other side
of the patio. Despite being empty, it took all six of several (and I do
mean several) attempts to even move it at all! Nevertheless, we managed.
Jen was the winner here. The patio looks great. Thanks!!

Hope to see you all next Saturday!!! (Adam will be in town)