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News Bits: 7/28/2014

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This week’s NEWS:

Gil Hova (Prolix, Battle Merchants) provides a simple taxonomy for recreational games [LinkHis divisions are contests, puzzles, and worlds. Each type of game offers different experiences and thus has different goals in mind. This seems like a useful tool of thought to me, although as he admits, there are many games that blur these coarse divisions.

A GeekBay auction aggregator [LinkThis isn’t really “news” as one might usually consider the term, but I discovered this aggregator this week and love it. I’ve come to really like Board Game Geek’s GeekList auctions (and have run many myself), and I’ve scored some sweet deals. This aggregator pulls data from every auction submitted to the Geek Auction Metalist and compiles them alphabetically by game. If you don’t have enough time to sift the list alphabetically, you can filter the games present by your BGG ID’s wishlist (!). Basically, this is the tool I’ve wanted for a long time. It’s simple but well done.

Fantasy Flight Games hosts CosmicCon this fall [LinkFile this under *yawn*…unless, of course, you’re Futurewolfie, in which case you are already trying to book passage to the first ever convention of Cosmic Encounter enthusiasts. Taking place September 19-21, if you are one such enthusiast.

Ed Marriott (Scoville) discusses coarse and fine editing your game [LinkThis is a good article on the design process, specifically looking at what comes when and likening it to making sculptures.

Last week on iSlaytheDragon [News Bits, Scavengers review, Under the Table episode 8, Sentinels of the Multiverse: Shattered Timelines review, Gaming and camping] Keep slaying!

Kickstarters of Note

  • Flash Point: Honor and Duty: The newest expansion to Flash Point is on Kickstarter. I’ve not played the game, but Futurewolfie likes it. $15.
  • Aquasphere: The newest Stefan Feld brain burner point salad is on Kickstarter from Tasty Minstrel Games. This is a copublishing venture with Pegasus Spiele. Looks a little busy for my tastes, but Feld isn’t my favorite. $40.
  • Casual Game Insider: This campaign is to Kickstart the next year of Casual Game Insider magazine, a magazine for enthusiasts of, well, casual games. The magazine targets the Spiel des Jahres-loving crowd and in general is getting exposure for the hobby. Various pledge levels.
  • Core Worlds digital: Stronghold Games’s Core Worlds is being ported to iOS and Android. I played Core Worlds recently and really enjoyed it. It’s a deck-building game that’s really more of a resource management game. Feels Euroy but has a great space theme. Various pledge levels.
  • The Resistance: Hostile Intent & Hidden Agenda: The first expansions for The Resistance! Of course, many of these modules were available in The Resistance: Avalon, but now they’ve been rethemed and imported back into the original game (whose setting I prefer), along with some new material. $20 for both expansions.

What We’ve Been Playing

  • China: This week was busy at work and at home, so I only got in one game this week, China. This was my first play of Michael Schacht’s area control game, and I have to say I was very impressed. The rulebook for China is a mere four pages, and the rules, while having some quirks and exceptions, are very simple to understand and explain. I was afraid the game would be too easy, but it’s all about manipulating the pieces on the board and using them to their greatest effect. In this game I tried to focus on taking second in high-scoring and uncontested regions, which was working for me until one of my opponents ruined my plans in the turn before last. All three of us were within six points of each other, and the game was tense and fun. I’m definitely looking forward to playing more of this one. (FarmerLenny)

I'll try anything once, but my favorite games are generally middleweight Euros.

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