Yesterday was my beautiful wife Kathy's birthday, and we celebrated by having our good friends Glenn, Jeff, and Rebecca over for dinner and boardgames. We customarily get together every few months or so to socialize, most recently in November when we played Tsuro and Settlers of Catan at Jeff's house.
Showing posts with label Tsuro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tsuro. Show all posts
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Boats, coffee, and gladiators: Gaming after work
Yesterday after work, a bunch of us gathered for games at our Friendly Local Game Store (FLGS) Game Parlor Chantilly.
Tsuro of the Seas
Not all of us had arrived before five of us (Keith Ferguson, Carson, Brian, Grant Greffey, and myself) got impatient enough to start a quick game of Tsuro of the Seas (designers Tom McMurchie and Jordan Weisman; artists Ilonka Sauciuc and Dawne Weisman; publisher Calliope Games). In our limited experience with this game, the dragons that were added to the original Tsuro only serve to prolong the game and randomize the outcome, so we elected to play with just the original rules and no dragons. I didn't realize until at least halfway into the game that the TotS board is actually larger than the original - I think seven-by-seven squares rather than six-by-six. Regardless, the game play is largely the same, and with five players, it unfolds much as you would expect. Four of us made something of a beeline for the center, while Grant meandered in looking for a good opening. Of course, once the wakes start to meet and players find themselves facing the same empty tile space, the real strategy comes in. Tom and Traci M. arrived just as things were getting frantic, and it wasn't five minutes before players started falling off the map one by one until I had the last boat left facing the last empty tile space on the board to win the game.
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| (c) Calliope Games Used by persmission |
Not all of us had arrived before five of us (Keith Ferguson, Carson, Brian, Grant Greffey, and myself) got impatient enough to start a quick game of Tsuro of the Seas (designers Tom McMurchie and Jordan Weisman; artists Ilonka Sauciuc and Dawne Weisman; publisher Calliope Games). In our limited experience with this game, the dragons that were added to the original Tsuro only serve to prolong the game and randomize the outcome, so we elected to play with just the original rules and no dragons. I didn't realize until at least halfway into the game that the TotS board is actually larger than the original - I think seven-by-seven squares rather than six-by-six. Regardless, the game play is largely the same, and with five players, it unfolds much as you would expect. Four of us made something of a beeline for the center, while Grant meandered in looking for a good opening. Of course, once the wakes start to meet and players find themselves facing the same empty tile space, the real strategy comes in. Tom and Traci M. arrived just as things were getting frantic, and it wasn't five minutes before players started falling off the map one by one until I had the last boat left facing the last empty tile space on the board to win the game.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Tsuro, Settlers, and Time Travellers
Tsuro
One of my posts last Thursday described my initial impression of Tsuro of the Seas, a recent variation on the Calliope Games gem Tsuro (designer Tom McMurchie; artists Shane Small, Cathy Brigg, and Sarah Phelps; publisher Calliope Games). Playing TotS made me want to revisit the original Tsuro, which my good friend Grant Greffey had given us for Christmas a couple of years ago. As it happened, we had in turn recently given a copy to our friend Jeff, so on the occasion of having a number of friends over for dinner and games, he was happy to break it out and give it a spin.
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| (c) Calliope Games. Used by permission |
Thursday, November 8, 2012
After-school special: East India and Tsuro of the Seas
My friends Frank Hodge, Keith Ferguson, and Mike R. and I got together this evening for a couple of games at Game Parlor in Chantilly, Virginia, after work today.
East India Company
The guys were gracious enough to agree to another playtest of "East India Company." It was Mike's first time with it, but Keith and Frank had each played at least once. As I mentioned in my previous post, I increased the ship speeds, allowed for ship upgrades as an alternative to building ships, and added a new game-end trigger condition. The first two measures were intended to improve the cost-effectiveness of investing in ships, and the third was intended to shorten overall game length.
The guys were gracious enough to agree to another playtest of "East India Company." It was Mike's first time with it, but Keith and Frank had each played at least once. As I mentioned in my previous post, I increased the ship speeds, allowed for ship upgrades as an alternative to building ships, and added a new game-end trigger condition. The first two measures were intended to improve the cost-effectiveness of investing in ships, and the third was intended to shorten overall game length.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Tsuro close-up
I've been trying my hand at some boardgame photography, so tonight I thought I'd post a shot I took at the end of our game of Tsuro (designer Tom McMurchie; artists* Shane Small, Cathy Brigg, and Sarah Phelps; publisher Calliope Games).
I have to say that this is one of the most aesthetically pleasing games we own, and I'm very fond of it. As a game, it is a very quick play with only a few decision options each turn, but it certainly requires some thought and planning ahead.
Tonight I gambled on having the right tile come up to extricate my piece from a bind into which I'd put myself, trying to corner my wife's piece and lock her out of the more open side of the board. My gamble didn't pan out, and she ended up beating me with just one open space left.
Since Tsuro ostensibly accommodates up to eight, I'd love to play this game with a bigger group, but seldom do we get more than three to the table for it.
*Boardgamegeek.com entry gives artist credits to Franz and Imelda Vohwinkel. I can't figure out why.
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| Kathy's winning position at the end of Tsuro. My just-eliminated black stone languishes on the board edge in the background. Had I been able to last one more turn, she would have been eliminated on her next tile play. |
I have to say that this is one of the most aesthetically pleasing games we own, and I'm very fond of it. As a game, it is a very quick play with only a few decision options each turn, but it certainly requires some thought and planning ahead.
Tonight I gambled on having the right tile come up to extricate my piece from a bind into which I'd put myself, trying to corner my wife's piece and lock her out of the more open side of the board. My gamble didn't pan out, and she ended up beating me with just one open space left.
Since Tsuro ostensibly accommodates up to eight, I'd love to play this game with a bigger group, but seldom do we get more than three to the table for it.
*Boardgamegeek.com entry gives artist credits to Franz and Imelda Vohwinkel. I can't figure out why.
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