I'm bringing out the dice/card drafting/worker placement game Artifacts Inc. to play on Tuesday. It's from designer Ryan Laukat (City of Iron, Ancient World, Above & Below). Players are archaeologists trying to find various artifacts and earn reputation by selling them to museums or completing other tasks. Your adventurers are represented by dice that you manipulate to win (buying cards and using their powers as you go).

It's a fun game and pretty straightforward so everyone's welcome to play. It takes about an hour but with teaching I'd put it at 70min.

GAME TITLE: Artifacts Inc.
TEACHER: silent_rob
START TIME: 6:30
DURATION: 70min with teaching
# OF PLAYERS: 4
URL: https://boardgamegeek.com/board game/168609/artifacts-inc

Thanks for posting those, Lori!

So many games in one night - I can't wait! 

I'm going to bring out the new deduction/party game Codenames to play on Tuesday. I've heard it described as Password meets Battleship and I'd say that's pretty accurate. Each team is lead by a 'Spymaster' who's trying to get their team to guess which code words on the board represent their team's spies. They do this by giving one-word clues along with a number to indicate how many of the code words relate to the clue. The more clues relate the faster your team can win. But if you're not careful your team might accidentally guess words that are simply innocent bystanders, the other team's code words or 'The Assassin' (if that happens, your team immediately loses).

It sounds a little complicated but it's surprisingly straight-forward, easy-to-learn and lots of fun so everyone's welcome to give it a try. It plays up to 8 (or more, actually) and I'm good going with a full-compliment of players. Games take around 15 minutes so I figure we'll play 3 or 4 games in an hour. That way different people can get the chance to be the 'Spymasters.'

GAME TITLE: Codenames
TEACHER: silent_rob
START TIME: 8:30
DURATION: 60min
# OF PLAYERS: 8
URL: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/178900/codenames

Please sign me up for Dead of Winter.

Dang, I've been so good lately...but I couldn't pass up the Scoville expansion.

I'm going to bring out the new (to North America) game La Granja to play on Tuesday. Players try and make the best country estate (which happens to be determined by victory points) over 6 rounds. You play cards to your farm either adding fields (producing crops), extensions (getting your more stables, money or crops), market barrows (that you can fill and take to market) or helpers (that give you powers). The neat thing is that every card has all four options (a la Glory to Rome) and you have to decide how best to use it. There's also some dice drafting each round, area control through the market place and bonus tiles that you can get by delivering goods to local businesses. It has a lot of mechanisms going on and they come together in a really great, fun way.

The game plays up to 4 and I'm fine going with the full amount. It has quite a bit to it so it might not be for everyone. But if you like medium or medium-heavy weight euros then you'll probably dig this. A game takes around 120 minutes but with teaching it will likely add about 15 minutes on top of that.

GAME TITLE: La Granja
TEACHER: silent_rob
START TIME: 8:30
DURATION: 135min with teaching
# OF PLAYERS: 4
URL: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/146886/la-granja

Please sign me up for Ashes!

I'm going to bring out the new, western, dexterity game Flick 'em Up on Tuesday. It's a little like Crokinole but only in the "flicking wooden discs" sense. Players are on opposing teams of either lawmen or outlaws and they have wooden cowboy meeples that they move around an old west town by flicking a movement disc. There are wooden & cardboard buildings they can flick in and out of as well as wooden bales of hay, cacti, barrels and such that they can dodge around and hide behind. They also have smaller, wooden "bullets" that they shoot (meaning "flick") at their opponents' meeples (along with a stick of dynamite and a Winchester to aid in making long shots). If two opposing meeples end up in the same building they'll end up having a duel. But this is also all scenario-based so there are various end-game goals like winning the gunfight, robbing the bank or saving the kidnapped daughter of a local rich proprietor.

It's really fun and very easy so everyone's welcome to play. It plays up to 10 but I think I'll stick to 6 players so it doesn't get too crazy. It ranges between 30-45 minutes but we'll say 60min+ just in case we can squeeze in two scenarios.

GAME TITLE: Flick 'em Up!
TEACHER: silent_rob
START TIME: 8:30
DURATION: 60min+
# OF PLAYERS: 6
URL: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/169124/flick-em

I had a request for Manhattan Project so I'm bringing it out on Tuesday. It's a worker placement game where players race to build the biggest atomic weapons. To do so you've got to utilize your scientists and engineers to develop your infrastructure (universities, mines, factories, etc.), build and test bombs, commit a little espionage and maybe, just maybe, air strike your opponents' facilities back to the stone age.

Please add omegadirective.

It takes around 120 minutes to play and there's still room for another 3 more players. It's not too bad to learn so everyone's welcome to play. Plus we'll throw in the Nations & Nations 2 Expansions, this time.

GAME TITLE: Manhattan Project + Nations & Nations 2 Expansions
TEACHER: silent_rob
START TIME: 6:30
DURATION:  120min
# OF PLAYERS: 5
URL: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/63628/manhattan-project

Quote from: NeikeDjour on July 20, 2015, 11:12:00 AM

Quote from: Lori on July 20, 2015, 10:09:04 AM

Quote from: silent_rob on July 20, 2015, 10:00:38 AM
I ended up backing Deception. Now to avoid Kickstarter for a while!

Deception reminds me a bit of Mysterium and I think it will be a great group game.  I almost went for it but decided to keep the funds for GenCon (and fall) releases that I know I'll end up getting.

I was tempted on getting it but I don't know if it's a game I need in my collection or if I'll just be good with playing someone else's copy. Usually when I'm unsure now I hold off. (I'm getting better at this whole kickstarter thing! I can finally look but not buy. Hahaha) If it's the kind of game I want in my collection, I can get it later. Looks great though and I'm really looking forward to seeing it come out to game night!

I was waffling on Deception because I already have Mysterium. But I dug the differences/added elements and how it added roles (almost like Bang!). Plus I've been looking forward to getting this game ever since I saw a review of the original Chinese version, last year. So in the end I just couldn't pass it up.