BoardGamer

Just wanted to let you all know that my game bits arrived from Rio Grande Games.  I just want to say a quick thanks to Jay.  I'll be doing a larger post this weekend.

 Canadian Gamer (Jason)

I recently picked up a copy of the newly re-released game Cash n Guns by Asmodee Editions.  This game can be played in less than half an hour and is for 4-6 players (ages 10+).  I recently broke it out with a group of players who I usually don't play with and it was a great success.  So for your consideration......

Game Bits

When you crack open this box you will find a number of great components.  The first thing you will want to have a look at is the wonderful rulebook that comes with game.  Although it's not much to look at the rules do a wonderful job explaining game play.  After only a couple minutes you will find yourself ready to play the game.  The best components in the game are sets of very well illustrated cards that are used to drive the game play.  The images are designed in a cartoonish fashion that really contributes to keeping the atmosphere of the game fun and light. 

Of course, I'm sure you are waiting for me to get to the real point!  What do the Cash and Guns look like?  The truth is that they are quite good.  The bills are printed on very solid cardboard that is very durable and should hold up for the long haul.  The guns are made of a solid foam stock that feels pretty good in your hand.  Some people have replaced these guns with hard plastic toys but I think I prefer the foam.  Part of the fun of the game is being able to jam your gun into another players temple when you're in the mood!  The biggest problem with the guns (and for some people it is a big one) is that they are a bright orange.  In the original printing the guns were black but today's politically correct climate the publisher thought it wise to make guns that clearly resemble toys. 

Game Play

As usual I won't go into a detailed explanation of turn by turn play (for that see BGG).  I am more interested in imparting the feel of the game play.  If I had to compare this to any other game it would be poker.   It is a game of bluffing and calling with a little bit of calculating built in. 

Each turn everyone decides whether to load their gun with a bullet or a blank (their is a little more to it but that is the basic idea).  Everyone then chooses who to target and then each player is given an opportunity to lay down their gun if they think they are being aimed at by a live bullet.  It is at this point that everyone shows their cards (literally) and you see who is alive and who is dead.  After this each player who is still standing divides the loot.  This is done 8 times in total.  At the end of the game the player who has the most money (and is still alive) wins the game.

The game play is actually very good and leads to an energetic atmosphere.  It is obviously faster and lighter than poker and has the advantage of being very inclusive. 

Final Thoughts 

This game is a lot of fun but it has a very different feel depending on what optional rules you decide to use.

Basic Game: This is the game that you can play 5 minutes after opening the box.  It is the best way to teach people the game and will leave you wanting to play a more advanced version.  It is a great game for breaking the ice with a gaming group.

Basic game + power cards: This is probably the best version of the game.  In this version each player gets one card that gives them a special ability.  It is just enough variety to keep the game interesting and you will find that it only improves the atmosphere created by the game.

Basic game + power cards + cop and robbers: The truth is that I thought this was the worst version of the game.  When I played it with my group I found that it just resulted in everyone holding on to their bullets until the last two rounds of the game.  The other issue is that arose was that on one occasion the police officer was unable to call for re-inforcements which ends up leading to a bit of a let down.  It seems to me that this version of the game builds in more tension but at the cost of some of the fun.

Overall I give this game a 8/10 for what it is.  It's a great ice breaking game that can be played in half an hour or less and it can really bring people together.

Canadian Gamer (Jason)

Just wanted to let you know that I am planning to write a review of the newly released Cash and Guns (Ca$h'n Gun$) this Saturday.  I was able to get my hands on a copy the other day and am looking forward to telling you about it.  Sadly, I probably won't get a chance until the weekend.

Canadian Gamer (Jason)

P.S. I just finished a math trade....I got Hoity Toity and Winner's Circle for Bottleggers and Carcassone.  For those of you who don't know what a math trade is I will write up a post to fill you in early next week. 

I wanted to write a brief review of a game I recently discovered via one of Scott Nicholson's Vlogs.  The game is Lifeboats and it is an English reprint of the German game 'Rette Sich Wer Kann' (Each Man for Himself) by Z-Man Games.  For those people who aren't familiar with Z-Man I suggest you look into the company.  They produce high quality games at very fair prices.  In fact, I just picked up the game Ubongo by Z-Man the other day, and I will certainly be writing a review of that game in the near future.

The Details

Lifeboats is a game for 3-6 players that can be played in 90 minutes.  It will not play well with children as the negotiation aspect of the game can lead to specific players being ganged up on (this is ok for adults but you can probably see where it could be a problem for children).  Also, the game doesn't lend itself to being played with adults and children as an adults ability to manipulate children would certainly become evident.

Game Bits

When you open up your Lifeboat box you are in for a big treat.  I consider these to be among the best components that I've found in a game.   The full colour game board is wonderful to look at and is complimented by seven very solid wood boats and numerous wood leak markers.  Each player also gets a set of wood pawns to represent his sailors and a set of voting cards that have been produced on high quality stock.   If I have one criticism of the game bits (and I do) it has to do with the pawns.  Each players has two types of pawns available to him that represent either standard sailors or a captain...the problem is that it is very difficult to tell the two types of pieces apart.  To be fair this is more an annoyance than a big problem in the game.

Game Play

I'm not going to get into the specifics of how each turn works (I would suggest watching the boardgameswithscott episode if that is what your after) but I will give you a general idea of what the game play entails.  Very simply put Lifeboats is a negotiation game and everything that happens in the game occurs as a result of your ability to manipulate the players around you.  Each turn players vote on things such as which boats will move, leak and which sailors will be thrown overboard.  All the negotiation is done publicly and then votes are cast using cards. The goal of the game then becomes to have your own sailors make it on a boat to the islands which await you at the end of the board.  Victory points are scored and a winner is declared.

Variant: One variant that you will probably want to use can be found in the German version of the game and is called the stick rule.  This rule calls for a stick to be passed around the game board and gives the holding player the right to end all negotiation at any moment.  This is of course a powerful tool as it allows each player to end any conversation that may result in them being placed in a bad position.  This rule is a must as it tends to keep the flow of the game moving and builds in a little bit of strategy that is a nice addition to the overall experience.

Final Thoughts     

I really enjoy this game and would recommend it to any group that wants an activity that will encourage social interaction.  That being said I feel that I should also include a warning: The problem with a game that is so dependent on negotiation is that it does require a good group for it to be fun.  If Lifeboats doesn't work for you it is probably just that the personality of your group doesn't lend itself to the game.  The truth is that this a game where you can gang up on people and if you are playing with someone who might take that personally then you may want to stay away from this.

Overall I give Lifeboats 9 out of 10.  It is among my favorite group games.

Canadian Gamer (Jason)

I'd like to talk about a recent experience I've had with the customer service guy at Rio Grande Games (Jay).  This past week I happened to find myself looking over the company website that can be found here: riograndegames.com.  Although the look of the current website is less than impressive (apparently a new site is in the process of be built) what you can get is excellent support and some hard to find game bits. 

The most exciting thing I found was instructions for acquiring the Diamond Joe expansion for Niagara.  This small expansion was designed to be given out at various conventions.  For most gamers these expansions can be very costly to pick up as the prices tend to be extremely inflated when you are forced to buy them on ebay or the BGG marketplace.  It turns out that if you aren't able to make it to one of the conventions that Rio Grande is scheduled to attend this year you can simply send the company $5 via paypal and your Diamond Joe expansion will find itself in the mail and on route to your house.  For those of us who have already had hours of fun with Niagara and its expansion Spirits of Niagara this is about as good as it gets.

I also want to mention another way that Jay at Rio Grande games has gone beyond the call of duty.  I fired him off an e-mail explaining the problem I have had (many of us have had) with the game Manila which is of course that the well produced coins that come with the game aren't plentiful enough to meet the needs of all the players.  It's a real pain to play a game and find that the resource you are are fighting for is in short supply.  I asked if it would be possible to order an extra set of coins and he was more than happy to oblige.  Again, my game bits are in the mail.

I have to say that I have never been treated better by a game company and so I just wanted to give Rio Grande a big 2 thumbs up!!!

Canadian Gamer (Jason)

 P.S.  I'm going to be throwing up another post later tonight about the great game Lifeboats.

I don't really have any great excuse other than to say that at one point I had some major internet problems at my place and I could do any posting for quite some time.  After that I pretty much just lost my mojo and hadn't gotten back to the site since.  However, in the time since I have been away I have discovered lots of great games and played some old favorites as well.  So I going to get back into this blog and will certainly try to be more consistent.  On that front I promise atleast two new posts by the end of the weekend.

 thanks, Jason