56. Othello - (avg score - 6.5) - One of those 'old games from humanities beginning' again... While not nearly as great as chess (what is, really?), this is still a very strategic...feeling game. But, I think that once it gets to a certain point, if you haven't played well, then it becomes....pretty much determined what your fate is going to be. If the edges get to be all controlled, there ain't no coming back from that.
That was pretty much what happened with our game. I thought I was going to win, but got sloppy, and then Steph pretty much kicked my ass.
Anyway, fun enough game, but not something I feel the need to play repeatedly, I don't think.
57. Pandemic (avg score 6.75) - First, we won!!! That's the first time in the history of us owning and playing this cooperative game that we actually succeeded!!
So, yeah. Cooperative game where various 'diseases' (represented by tiny cute, delicious looking cubes) break out and spread throughout the globe and you and your team have to travel around the world trying to prevent outbreaks and pandemics. As evidenced by my excitement on our win, this is a lot harder than it should be. A LOT of this is luck based, but there's a whole degree of strategizing and communicating with your team about the best course of action, which is really the only way to win.
58. Photosynthesis (avg score - 8) - I liked this one a lot more the other times we played. This time the pacing felt off, and the idea of there only being one way to truly win - claim the middle first - was annoying to me. Like 3/4ths of the way through, I started to think there might be another strategy - of growing and recycling your trees on the outer edges rapidly - but there wasn't enough time in the game to really put that to the test. Maybe next time.
Anyway, in this, you all grow various sized trees, which cast shadows that can block sunlight from other nearby trees. Collecting sunlight gives you points to buy other trees and seeds... and the cycle just continues for 3 or 4 'years' - once the sun has gone around the board each time. I do really like the board pieces in this. Although the sun marker is way too big. But the trees themselves are pretty cool.
59. Pictionary (avg score 5) - Probably a lot more fun with more people involved, but it was just me and Steph, so we took turns drawing and guessing for each other. My complete lack of artistic ability may have played a role in me losing, but I had fun nonetheless.
(millionaire)
60. Pictureka! (avg score 6.5) - Silas LOVED this game as a kid, and was super good at it, because he'd pretty much memorized all of the locations of the weird pictures. He won this time around too, but it was pretty close, and it was cheesy fun. The board is made of 9 tiles with wacky drawings covering them. There are cards that have either a picture that is on the board, or a description of things that you have to find (wheels, head coverings, numbers, fruit... that sort of stuff) before time runs out. Simple, but entertaining.
 |
| Final score - 206 to 217. Close match! |
62. Munchkin Deluxe - (avg score 2.66) - We've played this several times before, but not for a while. I don't recall what we thought of it then, but THIS time around was not enjoyable. This is basically a mock/spoof game of D&D, with a board to keep track of your progress (you make your way up "levels" of the dungeon, first to 10 wins) and everything else being done with cards. The problem this time around was that if you start off with bad hands, it feels absolutely impossible to make any real progress. Add in the fact that there's an element to the game of backstabbing other players to sabotage them, which happened with Silas doing that to me, and it just amplified the un-fun factor. I think it really all does come down to getting dealt decent hands that allow you to get your groove on; if that happens, the game can proceed at a normal pace, and it (might) be an enjoyable (although far from perfect) game. This time around, we just lucked out to where we got to experience all of its flaws magnified.
63. Ransom Notes - avg score 5.5 - Essentially a sort of "Cards Against Humanity" type game, but with magnetic poetry as your word base. You're supposed to play with 3 or more players, and that probably makes it more enjoyable. Steph and I just played with the two of us, and, it was ...okay.
64. Race Across the USA - avg score 3.5 - Very simple 'educational' game designed for children to help them learn geography and facts about the United States. You roll, move your airplane across the map to various states, and answer trivia questions. It's fine for what it is, but it absolutely is something we don't need in our family's collection any more.
(all that being said, I probably would have won. I already had all of Africa when we quit, and with my next turn I would have turned in my first set to get extra armies....so, yeah. It probably would have just been me slowly slaughtering her)
66. Rat a Tat Cat (avg score 6.5) - pretty simple card game - designed for kids, but still fun enough to be enjoyed by adults - that I don't think I've played enough. Each player gets dealt four cards face down. You can look at the outer two. Then take turns revealing cards from the draw deck and replacing them in your hand, until you think you've got the lowest total. When you do, you knock on the table saying "rat a tat cat" giving every other player one more turn, and then everyone reveals what they have. Like I said, simple. Largely luck based, but still seemed to hit that sweet spot of enjoyment for me. (Maybe it was just washing the bad taste of Risk out of my mouth.)
