Saturday, October 27, 2012

Games for Sale!

The time has come once again. Time to thin the herd. Here are some games I currently have up on eBay (for the next seven days, at least):

Hawaii - This is a really nice game with lots of great components and art. I enjoyed the first several plays. I really wanted to like this game, but something twisty happens with the strategy that I just rubs me the wrong way. I end up feeling like I'm moving little bits around to no purpose. No doubt, many people absolutely love this game--I'm just not one of them.

D-Day Dice - This one was the "big" Kickstarter blockbuster back in the day. They hit over $100K! I feel like Dr. Evil asking for "One MILLION Dollars." It arrived to my house in a giant box. And it was pretty fun (see my review) and clever, pushing dice games to the next level. I felt like part of something big. Then I just stopped wanting to play it. The final straw was when my Dad (a big D-Day buff) didn't care for it. I guess I don't either. Maybe it's right for you!

Surf's Up Dude - I got this one "free" at the Origins Board Room (only $20 to get in). The girls liked the playful surfing theme, but there's just not enough there to keep me coming back. If you're looking for a simple, light family game, this may be right up your alley. Fun fact: The publisher and artist for this game are the same people doing Family Vacation.

Kingsburg - This is probably an innovative game--nice use of dice for claiming resource locations. My girls (and even my wife) really enjoyed it (I've had this game for years). I just never quite figured out what the big fuss was all about. It's probably a little better with some of the expansions and add-ons now available. You should at least give it a shot if you haven't already.

Citadels - I was intrigued by this game, as several people said Revolution! reminded them of this game a little. It sounded like a nice friendly card game my family would enjoy. Turns out, it's got a lot of semi-random backstabbing (okay, I see the resemblance!), something my kids don't like without some serious mitigation. Your group might be different.

So there you have it. Click on any of the names above to see the eBay auction. Happy bidding!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Play Courtier Lite Free!


With Essen quickly approaching, AEG just released a sneak preview of my new game, Courtier, part of the Tempest series (actally #1 in that series . . .). Anyway, it's a lite version available for print-and-play. It contains something like just over half of the content of the full game, but it looks to be enough to help you get a feel for the game. Still on the fence? Well, try it out for yourself!


September was a crazy month. While I did manage to get some good design work in (I made an entire card game from scratch), I had no time of blogging about it. To make up for it, I'll offer you a quick look at some unfinished art from my upcoming Family Vacation. Progress is finally being made!



Finally, if you've read this far, you deserve to see one more little tidbit--more of a rumor really. Keep your fingers crossed for more news on this front . . .