Pirates of the Caribbean

We got a low turnout this week with just ten people. Surely this is the calm before the storm and next week we'll hit the mythical twenty one.

I started off with a couple of games of Biblios, winning the first and getting beaten by Alex in the second. We followed this with Eight Minute Empire. I went hard on carats. At least, as hard as I could. Dan seemed to be doing his best to keep them for himself. Alex earned himself his second win of the evening.

While we were playing these the others played Dixit and Get Bit! Both their first showing at IpBoG. They followed this up with Skull, a game that seems to be having a bit of a renaissance here recently.

Previously Alex brought Libertalia along for me to try but I ended up having to teach a game to some newcomers, so it was played without me. Only a few months later, Alex got round to bringing it again, finally making good on his promise. I started off well in the first couple of rounds, leading the game. My final round however was not so good, I played my highest value card, wanting to get first pick of the booty and not paying attention to the action I would have to take. I ended up coming last with Cath sailing into the lead for the win.

The others finished up the night with the classic co-op, Pandemic and saved the world once again, much to the jealousy of Cath, who is still yet to beat the game.

Anti Humanitarians

I think in total we had thirteen people this week. A sharp drop from the dizzy heights of the previous week but still respectable all the same.

I started off with Skull and did pretty badly. Player elimination is usually quite rare but I was the first to be taken out followed soon after by a couple more. After the first game James arrived having heard about IpBoG from Mike when attending the Colchester Board Game Club, and joined us for a second game. Again player elimination ensued but someone ended up winning. It was a few days ago now and I've forgotten who. Please accept my deepest apologies and a promise to try harder next time.

Philip had brought a newly purchased copy of Forbidden Desert (unless it turns out to be Forbidden Island, I've not played either so they both merge into the same game in my head) and Dan, owning the game himself, offered to show them how to play it. And by show them, I mean show them how to lose.

After Skull I played a couple of games of Biblios. After getting a stern telling off for getting the card distributions the wrong way around when I was explaining how to play, I won the first game. The second game was won by someone that wan't me. Yeah, I remember my own wins, what of it?

The usual group that had been turning up recently to play cards against humanity didn't show up this week. Still, it got some play this week by another group along with Fluxx. Zepplin Attack also got some table time.

I ended the night with Quantum. Last time I played this with Mike, I won with Mike barely being able to place a cube. This time the tables were turned with me not being able to score and Mike storming ahead to a quick victory. He'd built himself an almost unbeatable combination of command cards.

Twenty Fifteen

Although we started a week later than expected we've made it into 2015. When people arrived last week we found out that Cult was closed for a private function. Apologies to anyone that turned up, we only found out ourselves on the night. Although I hear a few renegades played games in Isaacs that evening. But the good news is that with the addition of Matt's wife, we finally managed to break the 20 attendee mark that has eluded us for so long.

I brought a couple of new games; Imperial Settlers and Biblios. I launched into Imperial Settlers with Muir, Dan and Danny. I'd played the game a few times before but only with two players. This was my first time playing with four people and will probably be my last, it ended up taking us over two hours. I like the game a lot but it's possible to get a lucky streak of cards and have a runaway victory. I'm not saying that's what happened with Dan but it's kinda what happened with Dan. He was able to build so many production faction cards early on there was no way to compete. Danny made a valiant attempt but Muir and I trailed behind. Afterwards I played a quick game of Biblios with Dan and he destroyed me again, with twelve points to my embarrassing four.

Johnny was the betrayer in Betrayal at House on the Hill. Some kind of invisible man haunt was triggered but he was beaten by the forces of good. Afterwards they played The Witches, based on the Terry Pratchett novels.

Alex played Eight Minute Empire followed by Domaine, a game with a name and a box cover very similar to that of Dominion. In its defense it did come out years before Dominion. And is also a totally different game. Alex won Domaine and went on to play Carcassonne which was won by Dan.

Andy had brought Pandemic with the On The Brink expansion. After the game defeated them they played again, winning the second time. Afterwards they played a couple of games of Coup and a couple of games of No Thanks!.

And as usual a group played Cards Against Humanity all night.