Category Archives: News

Boardgames in the News: Another Five Great Family Games to Play at Christmas

Four years ago, we posted a list of ten great games that are ideal to play with the family at Christmas. That list is still valid of course, but there are so many great games out there now that we decided to put together another list of ten – and these are just as good! As before, they are all readily available online and/or in dedicated boardgame shops.

1. ICECOOL & ICECOOL2 – This is a fantastic little chase game guaranteed to get kids of all ages involved. Players take it in turn to try to catch the others who are flicking their “Weeble-like” penguins around the three dimensional board collecting fish. The two versions can also be combined to give different layouts and play twice as many people for twice as much fun.
  Target Audience: Families; ages 6+
  Game Time: From half an hour up.
  Price: Approximately £30 from amazon.co.uk.
  
  – Image used with permission of BGG contributor punkin312
2. Boom Boom Balloon – This is a very silly, simple game, that is a huge amount of fun for kids and adults alike. Essentially, everyone takes it in turns to push sticks into a balloon with stress levels rising until it inevitably bursts. The balloons are slightly toughened so they take a huge amount of punishment, ramping up the tension…
  Target Audience: Friends & Families with ages 2+
  Game Time: 5 mins though it takes a little time and puff to set up the balloon in the frame.
  Price: £10-20 from amazon.co.uk.
  
  – Image by boardGOATS
3. Ca$h ‘n Guns – Nothing says Christmas quite like waving a foam gun at Grandma! This is a fun bluffing party game where players are gangsters and anyone left in at the end of the round shares the loot. The player with the most loot after eight rounds is the winner. Hilarious fun, but nowadays, the involvement of guns (even foam ones) means its not really suitable for children under ten.
  Target Audience: Older children and adults; ages 10+
  Game Time: 45-60 mins
  Price: Readily available for around £25-30.
  
  – Image by boardGOATS
4. Azul – This is one that is likely to appeal to those who like Scrabble, but lose because they can’t be bothered to learn a dictionary off by heart.
  Target Audience: 10 and up
  Game Time: 30-45 minutes
  Price: £30-40 from amazon.co.uk.
  
  – Image by boardgamephotos
5. Just One – This is a clever party game where everyone plays together to do the best they can as a team. A sort of “word charades”, in each round one person guesses which of five words is the right one, while everyone else offers clues. With everyone working together, this is a lot of fun with a family group and ideal for families at Christmas.
  Target Audience: age 8+ though they need good literacy skills
  Game Time: 20 mins per game plus a few minutes setting up
  Price: approximately £20 from amazon.co.uk.
  
  – Adapted from image by BGG contributor kalchio

Boardgames in the News: Bugs on the Brain

Over the last few years there have been a few boardgame-related publications in scientific journals. More recently, work by Wasserman & Koban¹ using Hive to study the development of player skill was reported in the Journal of Expertise. Unsurprisingly, they showed that the more Hive is played, the better the understanding and the better the player becomes at playing. There is conflicting evidence in the literature about whether skill acquisition generally increases at a continuous rate (linear) or increases with diminishing returns (more curvilinear). This study suggests that player skill increases with diminishing returns, however, understanding increases linearly, at a continuous rate. Thus, the implication is that if the best players wish to improve their game play, they need to increase their understanding more than less advanced players.

– Image used with permission of BGG contributor zombiegod

¹ Wasserman, J. A. & Koban, K., J. Expertise (2019), 2(2), 121.

Golden GOAT Award Winners – 2019

The second Golden GOAT Award was announced at the boardGOATS 2019 “Un-Christmas Dinner” on Tuesday. As last year, we also gave an award acknowledging our least favourite game of the year, known as the “GOAT Poo” prize. Only games played at a GOATS games night since the 2018 Un-Christmas Dinner could be nominated, and, in a slight change to the rules from last year, everyone had three points to hand out for the Golden GOAT Award (plus a bonus if wearing Festive Attire), and everyone could nominate up to two individual games for the GOAT Poo Prize.

– Image by boardGOATS

This year there were a number of popular nominees, including Gingerbread House, Lords of Vegas, Villagers and Tokaido, with Boom Boom Balloon getting several honourable mentions for being very silly, but a lot of fun. There was some surprise that Terraforming Mars, Keyflower and last year’s Golden GOAT winner, Altiplano, had all not been played (we must make sure we rectify that next year). This was perhaps a measure of how strong the field was, and many people commented that there wasn’t a stand-out “bad game” for them. Tapestry was a strong candidate for the unofficial “GOAT Marmite-factor” Award receiving nominations for both prizes and added controversy, with a suspicion that its nomination for the GOAT Poo Prize was based purely on the appearance of complexity rather than any actual experience.

– Image by boardGOATS

The winner of the “GOAT Poo” award was 7 Wonders, with nearly a third of the group nominating it; it is clearly another Marmite game though as there were plenty of people keen to jump to its defense. The clear winner of the Golden GOAT 2019, however, was Wingspan, with Key Flow an equally clear second (the Silver GOAT perhaps?). Both are excellent games and very deserving choices; we look forward to playing them more next year.

– Image by boardGOATS

Christmas GOATS 2019

– Image from vectorstock.com

The Calendar has been updated, but here is a quick summary of the key dates for GOATS and Didcot Gamers:

Christmas 2019
Tuesday 10^th December 2019 (Last normal meeting of the year)	“Un-Christmas Dinner” meeting at 7pm; Festive and Wintery games from 8.00pm(ish) at the Horse and Jockey pub in Stanford-in-the-Vale.
Friday 20^th December 2019 (Didcot Gamers)	Games at The Loop in Didcot (as normal).
Tuesday 24^th December 2019 (Unofficial boardGOATS?)	As it is games night and there is no quiz this year, some people might meet up from 7.00pm for food and a game or two.
Thursday 26^th December 2019 (GOATS do the Quiz – CANCELLED)	No Quiz Night at the Horse and Jockey pub this year as the pub is closed on Boxing Day.
Sunday 29^th December 2019 (Monster Games)	Something longer in the afternoon at Barney’s House.
Tuesday 31^st December 2019 (New Year Party)	Games and food from 7pm until the early hours at Barney’s House.
Friday 3^rd January 2020 (Didcot Gamers)	Games at The Loop in Didcot (back to normal).
Tuesday 7^th January 2020 (boardGOATS)	Games from 7.30pm at the Horse and Jockey pub in Stanford-in-the-Vale (back to normal).

Essen 2019 – Update

Sunday was the last day of this year’s Internationale Spieltage, the largest games fair in Europe (and arguably the world), known to gamers worldwide simply as “Essen”. Although there was a lot of buzz about some of the hot games like Maracaibo and Cooper Island, it is the smaller, less well-known games that really make the fair what it is. For example, Firefly Dance, is a fun little memory game with gorgeous little light-up fireflies activated with a wooden magic wand.

– Image by boardGOATS

Some games sold out within minutes: the last copy of Tapestry went in less than half an hour, and other early sell-outs included Alubari: A Nice Cup of Tea, A Fistful of Meeples and Point Salad. There were lots of good deals to be had, including Passing Through Petra, one of the hot games from last year which was reduced from €60 to just €15. Part of this might have been to attract attention to the Renegade Games stand because according to staff their entire supply of this year’s releases were “stuck in customs”. This included their copies of Paladins of the West Kingdom (the sequel to last year’s smash hit, Architects of the West Kingdom).

Ticket to Ride Map Collection: Volume 7 – Japan & Italy

– Image by boardGOATS

There were also a number of other unusual games available, for example, Wsiąść do Pociągu: Polska, the new Poland map for Ticket to Ride, as well as the more widely available new Japan/Italy Map Collection. There were other expansions as well, including the European Birds expansion to Wingspan, Sagrada: The Great Facades – Passion and Terraforming Mars: Turmoil. In addition to expansions, there were several stand-alone re-implementations of old favourites, including the new 6 Nimmt! Brettspiel (boardgame), Glen More II: Chronicles and Azul: Summer Pavilion.

– Image by boardGOATS

Games fairs are also about demonstrations of games that have not yet been released. There were many of these, but one of the highlights was perhaps Namiji which is the sequel to Tokaido and will be the subject of a crowd-funding campaign in a month’s time. So there is much to look forward to from the Essen haul, old games as well as new, which will make the coming months very exciting indeed.

– Image by boardGOATS

Essen 2019

This week, the Internationale Spieltage, the largest games fair in Europe (and arguably the world), is being held in Germany. Known to Gamers worldwide simply as “Essen”, the fair runs Thursday to Sunday in late-October every year with many new releases timed to coincide with the event. It is one of the biggest and most significant of all the boardgame conventions; according to convention organizer Friedhelm Merz Verlag, this year there will be more than one thousand two hundred exhibitors offering more than one thousand five-hundred new games, from fifty-three countries.

– Image from spiel-messe.com

A couple of people from the group are going this year and will no doubt come back with a selection of the latest new and exciting games, as well as some older games that are new to the group and expansions for other well-loved games. This year, the new releases include Cooper Island, Maracaibo, ECOS: First Continent, Alubari: A Nice Cup of Tea, Tapestry, Deep Blue, Paladins of the West Kingdom, Glen More II: Chronicles, the Japan and Italy map pack for Ticket to Ride, and the new European birds expansion for one of the Kennerspiel Des Jahres winner, Wingspan.

– Image by boardGOATS

Seven is Heaven – Happy Birthday to Us!

Seven Today

BoardGOATS is Seven Years Old Today!

Remarkably, after seven years boardGOATS is still meeting at the Horse and Jockey in Stanford-in-the-Vale. Five of those who were at the first meeting are still coming along and, we now have a nice solid eight to ten, lovely people every time. While we have two or three people from the village, we still have a lot of people who travel some miles to join us. Without you, boardGOATS wouldn’t be the success it is, so we really appreciate it. We’d also like to thank the folks at the Jockey who have always been so supportive and let us do pretty much what we want in their back room. Here’s to the next year!

Deutscher Spiele Preis – 2019

With “Essen” approaching, last week the Deutscher Spiele Preis list was announced. This is the result of an open vote by games clubs, gamers and people in the industry. It typically rewards a slightly heavier game than the the Spiel des Jahres awards, but as the top ten are published, a range of tastes and complexities usually feature. Last year number one on the list was Azul, the first game to win both the Deutscher Spiele Preis and the Spiel des Jahres since Dominion in 2009. This year, the winner of the Deutscher Spiele Preis is the same as the winner of the Kennerspiel des Jahres i.e. Wingspan (Flügelschlag in Germany). This is a great card game with fantastic production values which is well deserving of the prize.

– Image by boardGOATS

Other games in the top ten list include third placed Teotihuacan: City of Gods which is emotionally the sequel to the well received Tzolk’in: They Mayan Calendar and the hugely popular fifth placed Architects of the West Kingdom, both very solid “Euro Games”. The Taverns of Tiefenthal, Underwater Cities and Newton also medium-heavy weight Euro games made the top ten too, as did the Spiel des Jahres winner, the light family game, Just One. Some slightly more unusual games were also recognised, including Spirit Island, a complex cooperative game, and in particular, Detective, which is a real-time puzzle game with an internet component. The Deutscher Spiele Preis for Best Children’s game went to Concept Kids: Tiere (Animals). The prizes will be awarded at the Internationale Spieltage, Essen.

– Image by boardGOATS

Playing with Money at The British Museum: Currency and Games

Following on from their visit to see the “Game Plan: Board Games Rediscovered” exhibition at the V & A Museum of Childhood, under beautiful blue skies, Blue and Pink set out to Oxford Parkway once more, to visit The British Museum to see their “Playing with Money: Currency and Games” exhibition. Entry to The British Museum is free, which is excellent value given the number of truly remarkable, internationally significant exhibits that are there, including the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles.

– Image by boardGOATS

Of more interest to gamers are a large number of pieces from the Lewis Chess Set, one of which was recently discovered in a drawer in a family home in Edinburgh. These are actually a number of pieces from at least four sets and maybe more, but are iconic and were used as the basis of the design for the Chess set in the film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In addition to the Lewis Chessmen, The British Museum also has a permanent display entitled, “Games: People and Pastimes”, which includes a Nigerian Chess Set, a Syrian Mancala board, and a selection of Iranian playing cards.

– Image by boardGOATS

There is also currently a specific exhibition entitled “Playing with Money: Currency and Games”, which is available until the end of the month. This is in a small, side-gallery and and really focussed on the development of money in board games, from it’s use in The Landlord’s Game and Monopoly, to more recent games like Speculation, Dominion and Black Friday. The Noble Game of Swan, Ratrace, and Magic: The Gathering also featured, though the gallery was quite small so there were not as many exhibits as there were at the Museum of Childhood, nor were they as varied. One of the most interesting displays was perhaps some of the money cards from Alhambra with the actual coins that inspired the artwork on the cards.

The British Museum, "Playing with Money: Currency and Games"

– Image by boardGOATS

Given the other exhibits, The British Museum is well worth a visit although the “Playing with Money: Currency and Games” exhibition is only open till 29^th September 2019.

– Image by boardGOATS

It didn’t Win, but there’s No Cause for A-LAMA…!

“The llama is a quadruped which lives in the big rivers like the Amazon.
It has two ears, a heart, a forehead, and a beak for eating honey.
But it is provided with fins for swimming.
Llamas are larger than frogs.
Llamas are dangerous.
So if you see one where people are swimming, you shout…

Look out, there are llamas!”

– Adapted from footage
on spiel-des-jahres.com