Alright, let’s talk about the board games I played in August. I had a total of 18 gaming sessions, split across three locations: my home, my vacation spot, and our regular game group meet-up. Here’s how it all broke down:
- Playing Solo (50%): Half of my game time was just me, diving into the board games on my own.
- Two-Player Games (33%): I spent a good chunk of time playing with my husband, especially during our vacation.
- Games with Four or More Players (16%): Due to the holiday, I didn’t make it to the game group much this month, but when I did, it was with a larger crowd.
Now, let’s get into the details of the games I physically played:
Children of Wyrmwoods:
Played: two-player
Number of plays: 6 (whole evenings)
This is an escape tale game with 60+ possible endings based on your choices and stats. Part of the game consists of cards with maps, characters and puzzles and part of it happens in the app. It’s not overly complicated, just your classic escape game with puzzles and a story. We played through the whole thing on vacation. Our ending wasn’t great, so we almost wanted to go for a do-over. Although, with all the riddles solved, it might not have the same thrill. It’s going in my “for sale” pile for someone else to enjoy.
Turing Machine:
Played: solo
Number of plays: 5
I picked this up on a whim after seeing it in our local gaming store. Turns out, it’s been a real hit. I’ve been playing it day after day since I got it. There’s a daily challenge in the app, loads of things to discover, and each time, it’s a different puzzle. Plus, setup takes no time at all. It’s become my favourite game of the month. It’s a thinker, right in my wheelhouse. I’d highly recommend Turing Machine.
Oak:
Played: solo
Number of plays: 1
I only managed to play it once this month (so take my words with a grain of salt), and honestly, it didn’t quite click for me. By the third round, I was considering calling it quits, which is usually a sign a game might not be my thing. I usually enjoy worker placement and engine-building games, which this is, but something just didn’t gel. It was too hard to get anything going and I have a hard time seeing how I could improve my circumstances in another play. It felt like resources are unnecessarily sparse and the solo AI gets them much faster than you can. I’ll give it another shot, but with Spiel coming up it might go to the back of my shelf for a while.
Red Rising:
Played: solo
Number of plays: 2
I decided to give this game a try after hearing mixed reviews. It has a solo mode, and it was on sale, so I thought, why not? I decided to read the books first to get the full experience. I ended up enjoying it! It’s not a super heavy game, but it has a good pace. It plays quickly, and all the icons and symbols are really clear. The AI is simple to run but offers a good challenge and often hampers you the way a real opponent would. So, it’s a great option when you want a solid gaming experience but don’t have a lot of time.
Wayfarers of the South Tigris:
Played: solo
Number of plays: 1
My favourite games of all time are Hadrian’s Wall and Paladins of the West Kingdom. So as a fan of Garphill games, I was excited to add this to my collection, even though I missed the Kickstarter (don’t ask me how, I think I just had a baby at that time 😉). It’s good, though it won’t surpass my all-time favourites. It’s a looker, and the solo mode is definitely solid. No major complaints but more plays will probably make it more enjoyable.
Books of Time:
Played: four players
Number of plays: 1
I played this with the game group. It’s interesting, with the whole book-building concept. Planning out each page for maximum optimization was cool, though strategy was a bit elusive on the first go. It was fun overall. I definitely want to give it another shot, especially in solo mode.
For Sale:
Played: four players
Number of plays: 1
It’s a simple bidding game, but it hits the spot after a longer session with the group. Nothing too special, but with the right crew, it’s a good time.
Wingspan:
Played: four players
Number of plays: 1
Always a winner, especially for introducing newcomers to the hobby. The art alone is a showstopper. This group was fairly new to games so it was a bit harder to get into the game but they enjoyed looking at the text on the cards and matching that to the abilities. Which is why I think Wingspan can be good for new players, it makes a lot of sense mechanically in relation to the actual world and the birds and that helps people to make sense of the game mechanics.
The rest of my board game plays
Aside from physical plays, I also got into some board games on BoardGame Arena. I don’t log those in my board game stats app, just a personal preference. But I did play some games of Turing Machine (now in beta), Obsession, Lost Ruins of Arnak, Earth, and Canvas. They had their quirks, especially Canvas in beta, but still a good time. Definitely want to get my hands on Canvas (will be better physically I think) and Earth (love it as a multiplayer game and would like to try the solo mode physically).
August might not have been a gaming extravaganza, but with a two-week holiday, it’s all good. Now that things are getting back to routine, I’ll be hitting the game group every Friday. Looking forward to diving into my unplayed board games and making some tough decisions before Spiel. It’s an exciting gaming season ahead!