The Panama Pub Crawl

Last week some games might have happened. With around 20 people. There might have been a game of Agricola where Punk Rich subjected a newbie to scoring less than zero points at final tally. And Chaos in the Old World had a play along with Francis Drake. I wasn't there. If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a noise ? No. The answer is no it doesn't. So last week no games were played - anything you might have experienced last week was a figment of your imagination.

This week however was very much real. A grand total of 29 ( or possibly 30 ) people decided to turn up, a few dusty vets joined in to be bewildered by the numbers ( ... in my day all this was fields, and we were lucky to get 10 people ... ) and we quickly busted out some gaming fun.

Cosmic Encounter, Super Dungeon Explore, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Lords of Vegas, Takenoko and Eldritch Horror were first up with a busy Wherry room holding three packed tables.

Cosmic Encounter the hoary classic ( originally released in 1977... probably older than the majority of

Cosmic Encounter. Punk Rich checks the rules
- pretending there are actual rules in Cosmic Encounter

NoBoGers ) did its usual thing with a busy table, wandering through a couple of hours of randomness with the game finally decided by some shenanigans between Mr Bond and Geoff, who came to an amicable agreement to joint win.

Betrayal at house on the hill had a couple of play throughs the eerie abode, Luke becoming a crazed bomber in the first session, trying to blow everyone up with his crafted packs of boom. Unfortunately for his plans his bombs were quickly disarmed, insultingly his dynamite was also stolen and finally was subjected to a thorough beating. Oh dear.

The second game featured a snake. With multiple heads. That was also defeated by the derring doers. The House on the Hill. Not so scary after all.

Super Dungeon Explore - Von Drakk critters abound

A full six for Super Dungeon Explore on the table over saw Von Drakk  (expansion) take on the might of five heroes and in something of a blow to naysayers noting that the game is a foregone win for the Bad Guys, Von Drakk was defeated with time to spare to fit in some Avalon Resistancing afterwards.

Chris seemed to really enjoy the game, and it seems a fun session was had beating up the dungeon critters.


Upstairs four of us took on the responsibility of defeating Azathoth in the Cthulu based Eldritch Horror. Eldritch Horror has a lot of similarities to Arkham Horror, but manages to do it with a little less fiddle and a bit more of a streamlined process. A co-operative game, players move their investigators around the world, picking up clues, fighting unspeakable horrors and closing portals that spring up with whack-a-mole regularity. In my experience the game can run very long - a lot longer than the box would tell you, but in theory with quick turns, the game should move at a brisk pace.

Nicky playing some ex cultist lately turned good investigator had a cracking start to the game, going on an epic pub crawl in panama and getting drunk. Saving the world can wait. First. A round of drinks ! Or three. After what we can presume was a monstrous night of boozing, her character swore she had an insect in her head, "honeshtly offisher theresh a big... big... inshect... in here... my head... hic. I think... think.. ha ha... itsh

Eldritch Horror

effecting... my... hic... speesch.". Gaining the Amnesia condition, Nicky like so many other drinkers after a heavy session couldn't remember what had happened the night before. But whatever it was, it was enough for the police to pick her up - gaining the detained condition - but somewhat sobered up and able to talk her way out of it, she was let out of the cell with nothing more than a warning. A truly memorable Panamian Bender. It's a good night when you can't remember what happened and wake up in jail.

At this point Nicky was playing less of a Cthulu game, and more of her own booze filled mini roleplaying game.

Wandering around South America she kept going on about insects in peoples heads ( I think she was suffering from the DTs by this point and seeing pink elephants ) and even managed to get an operation performed on some poor unsuspecting soul, cracking their skull open to look for the hallucination inducing beasties.

Nicky probably to the relief and safety of the entire American continent, finally succumbed to madness and died mumbling about yet more insects.

We didn't get to finish the game - it ran long - and we gave up when the third investigator keeled over.

I like Eldritch Horror - I also like Arkham Horror - they are both games in the same ballpark and I find the mythos and over the top stilted language very soothing (!). If you like one, you will probably like the other. For those that dislike Arkham Horror, you might have a better time with Eldritch Horror, but I wouldn't bank on it.

Lords of Vegas

Elsewhere Lewis was very pleased about stealing a last minute Takenoko win - his winning excited face was something to behold according to Lauren. They had a go of Smash Up afterwards.

Hamsterrolle. Place all your pieces to win.

James hosted Lords of Vegas, Ewan securing the win there, and afterwards they played the wonderfully unique hamsterrolle which is always a great spectacle of a filler. A dexterity game, players have a number of wooden pieces to place in the hamster wheel. The first to use all their pieces wins the game - but any pieces that fall out as you place you get to take back into your 'hand'.

As ever a smattering of fillers did what they are best at, and filled in the gaps, Get Bit, One Night Werewolf, Resistance and others. The Resistancers managed to pull of a win for the good guys, Punk Rich as Merlin distracting Assassin Bondy with his quiet unassuming demeanour into missing his target.

Bondy declared Punk Rich to be filth on his reveal of Merlin. Suckered.