Woeful Wonders

I have little idea what went on this week. I can tell you there were eleven people and that Endeavor, Tzolk'in and Kingdom Builder were played. But I couldn't really tell you who won. Or how the games progressed. Well apart from Kingdom Builder which I was playing. And lost. Twice.

I quite like Kingdom Builder in a fuzzy kind of way, but there's something almost foregone conclusion about it to me. It's like throwing a snowball down a mountain - you can choose where to throw it, but after it's left your hand, whether it ends up growing to 100 feet across and crushing the village below, or meandering out to nothing half way down is pretty much up to the gods. Or in this case what card you pull. And what card everyone else pulls. And what the victory point cards are.

Nevertheless, I like it. I suspect it should probably be played at awesome tile slapping Mah Jongg speeds  (complete with Mandarin jeering ) for the utmost enjoyability.

Seven Wonders was also played on our table. Fletch had never played it, which pretty much demanded this classic should be played. Pete leered over our table from his own and threw out some insults regarding 7 wonders dubious delights and dodgy heritage. At one point he accused the game of being too dry, no board, and no sense of doing anything ( amongst other faults ). Stu pointed out this was rather rich coming from someone who would happily play Race for the Galaxy every week - a game which could pretty much have the same arguments hurled at it.

Bondy, Tom and Rich at the far end of the room stayed out of it. And were mostly lost in quiet thought working their way through Endeavor. I tried asking if it was a fun game at one point. Bondy mumbled something. Then said yeah in an utterly unconvincing, distracted way. Rich noted the game was the classic Euro game of pain and suffering, trying to optimise what you were doing, and that no one enjoyed such things. Tom agreed. But saying that, they played the game twice. So, maybe they're masochists ?

No Sam this week. No Ground Floor. I think the game is going to turn into one of those Marmite games. You either hate it or you love it. That is of course if Sam ever returns. Come back Sam. We promise not to mock your Storage Closet again.