But She Don't Care (Ticket to Ride)

All aboard!  All aboard!  
Tickets, please!  Thank you, sir or madame, and welcome to the Moon, one of the most luxurious and prestigious inter-continental trains to exist.  It may not be the fastest, but it's one of the best, if I do say so myself.  Well, on to the next car, must check everyone has their Ticket to Ride.  Tickets, please!



BACKGROUND:  Ticket to Ride is a board game for 2-5 players, published by Days of Wonder and designed by Alan R. Moon.  Connect the cities of North America with the most modern and convenient way of traveling, the steam powered engine.

GAMEPLAY:  Each player starts with being dealt 3 Destination Tickets secretly, which determine what routes a player must take over the course of the game.  A player may keep either 2 or 3 tickets, with any not kept placed at the bottom of the Destination deck.  A player may take only one of three actions on their turn, Draw Train Car cards, Claim a Route, or Draw Destination Tickets.



DRAW TRAIN CAR:  Each player gets a hand of various colored Train Car cards.  Each turn, a player may either claim a combination of 2 solid colored cards from the 5 cards in the stockpile and/or draw blindly from the deck, or 1 rainbow colored Locomotive.  Players may not take a Locomotive if they claimed a Train Car card.  If 3 or more Locomotives are ever in the stockpile, shuffle the stockpile into the deck, and reveal 5 new cards, repeat as necessary

CLAIM A ROUTE:  Instead of drawing cards, players may instead claim a route on the board.  To do so, players must discard a number of matching colored train cards equal to the number of spaces between two connecting cities that hasn't been claimed, then place their trains onto that route.  Some are grey, and can be claimed with any trains, but some routes are colored, and can only be claimed with matching colors.  If there are any two wide, the player only claims one of those sides, so a 2 by 4 would only require 2 cards, and connect a straight line to the next city.  Locomotives count as any color.



DESTINATIONS:  Each Destination card has a set of two cities that players must make an unbroken line of trains from.  Any pathway may be used, but a set of trains must go from one city to the other in a continuous path with no breaks.  Each Destination has a number of points to score in the bottom right if a player makes that destination, or deduct if they fail that destination at the end of the game.  If a player chooses to Draw Destination Tickets, that player draws 3 Destination cards.  They must keep at least 1 card, but can keep 2 or all 3.  Any not kept go to the bottom of the Destination deck.

WINNING:  Each time a route is claimed, the player scores based on the length of the route, kept track of on the sides of the board.  Once a player is down to 2 or fewer trains, every player gets 1 more turn.  Then, points for the longest unbroken route and all successful and unsuccessful Destinations are scored after the last players turn. The player with the most points wins.

CONCLUSION:  Ticket to Ride is surprisingly easy to learn, and I've always had fun playing it.  It allows for strategy without being overly complicated.  It is no surprise, then, that this game has had the lasting power it has, with over 20 expansions and stand alone variations.  With all these versions, the base game can seem a little tame and bland by comparison, with many players I've seen preferring an alternate version or adding expansions.  It also is never a short game.  With each player getting 45 trains to place down, even an ideally quick game is still going to last a half hour or so.  Still, it never really outstays its welcome, even if things can seem to get a little tedious towards the end.  There is also the point that once you have an idea of where players are going, it's possible to slow down or even prevent players from succeeding on their tickets.  Overall, this is a strong game that deserves the recognition it has.  If you haven't tried this, find some friends and catch this train.

I'm Floating in a Most Peculiar Way (Jim Henson's Labyrinth: The Board Game)

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to this castle."  This was the line that started the character Sarah through a voyage that I would never forget.  Normally this part would be a funny little blurb, but allow me to indulge a little, as I tell you of two movies that helped shape my life and the path that led me here, both influenced by a man named Jim Henson.  The first was the Dark Crystal, a fantasy world that showed me the light and dark that must exist in everyone, and the Labyrinth, which helped me understand how stories flow, and find my love with the utter bizarre.  Today, I'll be looking at the game of the latter.  This...is Labyrinth.



BACKGROUND:  Labyrinth: The Board Game is a roll and push for 2-4 players, or 5 if one takes the role of Jareth.  It was designed by Alessio Cavatore and published by River Horse Ltd.  Players take the roles of the 4 main characters Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Diddymus, and of course Sarah, from the movie Labyrinth to get Sarah's baby back from the Goblin King.

GAMEPLAY:  Unlike most games, players move in a set pattern: 1st is Hoggle, then Sir Diddymus, Ludo, and then Sarah. After Sarah moves, the clock advances by 1.  Each turn, a player may either move, or rest.  To determine Speed, roll the die indicated on the card, and move either left or right.  Once a player or players land on an empty space, they draw a Labyrinth card.

LABYRINTH:  Once a Labyrinth card is drawn, follow the effect of the card.  Some will grant the player a 1 time use ability, in addition to their characters own 1 time use ability.  Others will be challenges.  Challenges can take the form of rolling a stat vs another die and beating or tying the number, or even fulfilling movie quotes.  Each challenge has a success and fail condition on the card.  Failure usually causes the characters Willpower to decrease.

GROUP:  If 2 or more characters share a space when a player starts their turn, the turn player may do a group movement, or group rest. When moving as a group, roll the die with the fewest number between the shared group.  Players may also lay down and rest.  A card is not drawn, and roll the 6 sided die.  If it lands on a 4, 5, or 6, any one player in the space gains a Willpower up to their maximum of 6.  However, if players move as a group, those players may all roll for any challenge, unless otherwise stated.  All players roll, and if any succeed, all players succeed.  If all players fail, every player takes the penalty.



UNDESIRABLE:  There are 2 Undesirable square spaces players may land on: the Oubliette, and the Bog of Eternal Stench.  The Oubliette causes a forced Rest on their turn, and any player whose Willpower hits 0 will start their turn there, but you do not roll to get a Willpower back, instead just gaining one when your turn starts.  The Bog forces the player to roll their speed die, with a 1 or a 2 causing the player to lose a Willpower and gain a Smells Bad token, which prevents you from working with a group unless you meet a specific roll.

GOBLIN CITY:  The players are trying to find the gate to the goblin city, which is going to be at least 20 cards down. Once drawn, characters may enter the city and challenge the Goblin Defense Obstacles. , then she goes to the Oubliette or rolls again. If she wins a roll then she recites the spell and the players win the game.

WINNING:  If the clock goes from 13 back to 1, the players lose.  Sarah is the only one that can enter the maze in the castle and test wits against Jared rolling her Wits vs Blue die.  Each time she fails, the clock advances, and she rolls again on her turn.  When she succeeds, the player recites the quote Sarah said to the Goblin King.  If successful, the players win.

CONCLUSION:  I'm going to start this with the games 2 biggest weaknesses.  First, this is obviously a movie tie-in product, but the game emphasizes that with both the win condition, and certain challenges.  If you want to know what the game's like, watch the movie before you play, and if you don't like the movie, you won't enjoy the game.  Second, this game is hard a lot of the time.  I get that it emphasizes the struggle between Sarah and Jareth in the movie, but that doesn't make the game less diffiicult and based on die rolls.  Now, with that out of the way, my final feelings is that if you enjoy the movie like I did, it won't matter as much.  It is a game that is still fairly fun, and really brings out its theme.  I won't say it's the best, but there are a lot worse games out there than something like this.  Just like the movie, it's a decent romp through an interesting world.  The long and the short, consider playing if you liked the movie.

Shaken, not Stirred (Shifty Eyed Spies)

Agent Stephens reporting:
I have successfully made my way to downtown Paris, where my contact is supposedly meeting me, if I deciphered the clues correctly.  We at S.E.S are known to hire the best spies of the business, but even the best of us get caught and intercepted, or misinterpret our contacts.  That seems to be my contact with the red umbrella.  Agent Stephens, out.



BACKGROUND:  Shifty Eyed Spies is a hidden role card game for 4-8 players designed by Prospero Hall and published by Big G Creative.  Players attempt to deliver intel to other players at various locations.

GAMEPLAY:  Each player has 2 cards at all times, a Deliver Intel card with a characters face on it who is in the game, and a Receive Intel location which is somewhere on the table.  Spies wink at other spies to indicate they have their characters Deliver card.  Once winked at, the spy winks at the location to indicate that they are meeting at that location

SCORING:  Each player may attempt their mission or pass with "I'm lying low".  To attempt a mission, the spy places the Deliver card face-up on the table, and announce where their meeting at.  If unsuccessful, they say that the location is wrong, but is not revealed.  The player discards their Deliver card, and play passes.  However, if successful, reveal both cards, and pass and score them.



INTERCEPT:  Each player starts with 3 Intercept binocular tokens.  If a player believes they know who or where the players are meeting, they may use an Intecept token and call out the player or location on the card.  If incorrect, the player who revealed the card scores the point.  If correct, the intercepter scores the card.

WINNING:  Each card scored is worth 1 point.  Points are indicated by placing the card under one of the 5 sides.  The game cannot be won by Interception.  Once two players have scored at least 5 points and filled each side of their card, they win.  If a player ever scores more than 5, the cards are stacked.

CONCLUSION:  Shifty Eyed Spies is a twist on the classic hidden roles game.  You have a player you have to find, but you don't know which player that is.  However, unlike some games that try this attempt, this is one that manages to both simultaneously hit the mark AND manages to utilize a smaller group, something that games like Secret Hitler and Werewolf struggle with.  The spotting mechanic allows for the smaller groups to work out well, without punishing the max 8 players available.  My biggest critique, however, is that once you know who your spy and location are, it makes the game feel slower, so I would, oddly enough, suggest playing with no more than 6 players, but 8 is still enjoyable.  If you want to try a really solid hidden role game, I solidly recommend Shifty Eyed Spies.

You Never Split the Party (Order of the Stick Adventure Game: The Dungeon of Dorukan)

A motley band of adventurers, with different philosophies, motivations, and competencies.  They do, however, all have one thing in common.  They are united to slay the evil lich Xykon.  Some do it for honor, some for greed, and some for the thrill of the fight, but they will all fight (with Xykon's minion and with each other) in the Dungeon of Dorukan!



BACKGROUND:  The Dungeon of Dorukan is a card based board game for 2-6 players published by APE Games and designed by Rich Burlew and Kevin Brusky.  Based on the web-comic Order of the Stick, players take the role of a member of the titular party and travel down to fight the lich Xykon, fighting both monsters and each other.

SET-UP:  Each player begins with a hand of 7 Battle Deck and specific Shticks from the players Shtick deck, indicated on the character card.  Each player starts in the Dungeon Entrance.

GAMEPLAY: On their turn, a player may move up to 3 rooms from their starting space.  If the player moves into an empty room, players draw a Dungeon Room card.  Then, starting with the next player, they place a monster down.  If the player is on a deeper floor, the players continue playing monsters in order equal to the level the player is on.



FIGHTING:  Whenever a player enters a room, they defend from the "closest" i.e., first monster played.  That player uses a Shtick to fight, and roll the blue die, and add the number on the shield to the number rolled.  If the number is higher than the number on the sword of that creature, apply the effect of the Shtick by the purple flag.  If the creatures Wounds become 0, they die and are removed from the room and added to your stash, they drop and Loot indicated on their card in that room, and now the player may continue to fight using any available Shtick, but may choose either attack or defense, and roll the red or blue die respectively.  If a player loses a fight, the fights are over, and they take a Wound.

SHTICK:  Shticks are bonuses to add to combat, and determine the effect of the battle.  Some cause a Draw, which nothing happens even if you win, while others cause Wounds.  You may discard Loot with a total of 3 faces, or 3 monsters to draw a Shtick card.

LOOT:  Once there are no monsters in a room, players may take up to 1 loot in that room, 2 if they defeated that monster or are resting.  During combat, Loot may be given to a player on the same floor to add 2 to that fight for each face of that character.  Loot may also be equipped by any player with their face on it, which allows them to enter Xykon's lair.



WOUNDS:  Each player is at max health, indicated on their character card.  Whenever players take a Wound, the marker goes down.  When a player gets to the bottom most Wound, the player unequips all Loot, and on each of their turns, drops a random Loot in their room, and must run back to the Dungeon Entrance.  Players may forgo their attacking or moving to Rest.  The player may still draw, trade, equip loot, or be fought by other players with a -4 penalty, and ask for assistance when defending.

STAIRS:  Each turn, a non resting player may roll to find stairs for the next floor, with a success hit on a 1, 2, or 3.  The number of floors is chosen at the beginning.  In order to enter the Xykon's Lair, players must have a minimum number of Shticks and Loot.  Then, players only fight in Xykon's Lair by drawing from Xykon's deck.  Eventually, players fight Xykon.



WINNING:  Once Xykon is discovered and defeated, the dungeon starts collapsing.  At the end of each turn, the player removes rooms from the dungeon, starting from the lowest level and the right or left most card and working in, with the room with the stairs collapsing last.  Players in a collapsing room are moved to the next available room.  Players then gain points, or Bragging Rights.  Each player gets 1 point for each their face on their Loot, each Schtick in play, 1 point for each player in the dungeon when you leave, and 2*number of floors if you defeated Xykon.  The player with the most Bragging Rights wins.

CONCLUSION:  This is an RPG in a box, and as such, this game is LOOONG!  The minimum amount of time I have managed to play this in was 2 hours.  Keep in mind that this was without the expansions, we all had played before, and this was the shortest session.  I have found that this game can be quite enjoyable, especially with a group that loves longer games, but let's be honest, that's usually a smaller group.  The humor is on point for Order of the Stick's early work, and if you don't take it too seriously, it can be a lot of fun.  As a note of caution, this game will eat up a lot of time, especially if you want to play for longer period of time.  The biggest strengths of this game are, unexpectedly, the rules and, more expectedly, the humor.  This is not a game you can pull out at every game night, but the few times you can are generally pretty fun if you give it a chance and know what you're getting into.

Tale of the Cowardly Knights (I Would Fight The Dragon)

The King of Dukesonberg has called his best and bravest knights together to go and fight the dragon that has been harassing the locals.  Unfortunately, the best and bravest were all eaten.  So, he called the last reserves.  The only way out?  Hide all the Armor, the Shields, the Horses, anything that would be required to go be a knight and fight that hideous, terrifying beast.  Any excuse to say: "I Would Fight the Dragon, buuuut..."



BACKGROUND:  I Would Fight the Dragon is a card game for 3 to 8 players, and was designed by Talon Coleman and published by Black Monk.  Players take the role of "brave" knights to go fight the dragon, but seemed to have misplaced their items.

GAMEPLAY:  Each round, all players start with 4 cards in hand.  Then, a player will start by putting an item in the pot, and claiming that they are missing something, like a weapon or helmet.  The next player continues by adding another card in and claiming something.  At any point, the next player may believe they are lying, and the claimed card is in the stack.

CHALLENGE:  At this point, it the accused believes that item isn't in the stack, they may call Stiff Upper Lip.

• NO STIFF LIP: If the item is in the stack, it is placed in front of them.  If it is not in the stack, the accused player takes an item from the pile and puts in front of the accusing player.  Players may never call items that are in front of them.
• STIFF LIP:  If the item is in the stack, the accusing player puts that item plus 1 other item from the pot or their hand in front of the accused player.  If the item isn't in the stack, the accused may either give them 2 items from either the stack or hand (in any combination), or give them an item from in front of themselves.  Any items given must be different.

LOSING:  Unlike most games, rather than a winner, there is 1 loser. The player that collects all 5 separate types of cards must go and die...I mean, fight the dragon.

CONCLUSION:  Half bluffing game, half luck, there's a certain charm and fun to be had with a group that is willing to be silly and take this game to its extreme.  This might be a decent cleanser game in between your session of Gloomhaven and Betrayal at the House on the Hill, but only if the people you're playing with are willing to be silly with it.  Mechanically, there's some neat ideas, but they are, like all card games, bogged down with luck and card counting, especially for this game.  I Would Go Fight the Dragon, but there are a lot of games to play, and this one is just alright.