Now, onto the rest of the convention. We usually play a balance of old and new games. There are some favorites we hardly get to play at all during the rest of the year, so we really look forward to playing them. One of them is Automobile by Mayfair Games. This great game takes you back to the dawn of the Automobile Age, when such men as Chrysler, Ford, Sloan, Howard and Kettering competed among each other to manufacture and sell large quantities of automobiles. You must balance quality versus quantity, mass production versus well-made brands and distribution versus aggressive sales of cars. This is a well balanced, nail biting game that will have you racing to the end with a smile on your face.
Spyfall- This wild little game from Cryptozoic Entertainment is actually a well thought out spin on the “Guess What I Am” school of games. All players are dealt a card from an envelope. The envelopes all have a single location on it, such as a beach, movie studio, space station or military base. The key is that one of the cards simply says “Spy.” it is up to the spy to discover where everyone else is by asking questions. Each person asks one of the others something about the location most of them are in. There is a time limit, so there’s only so much time for the spy to uncover the truth. There are similarities to Werewolf, in that no one else knows who anyone else is. A great, fun time is sure to be had.
7 Wonders-by Asmodee Games is a true classic in the field. The game is played in three Ages. During each Age, a player will receive a set of 7 cards. Each player gets a Wonder board, based upon the 7 ancient Wonders of the World. They are all unique, and you must buy and build the requisite things that each board requires in order to garner Victory Points. You choose one card and pass the others either to the right or the left. The card you choose is used to enhance and build up your board, whether it’s military, science, commercial areas, building materials, guilds or civic structures. This card play occurs once for each of the 3 Ages. The main objective is to build the bottom portions of your Wonder board, which can provide victory points, money or other things that will help you get victory points.
Thurn and Taxis by Rio Grande Games is a game in which you seek to build postal networks and post offices in Southern Germany in the 16th century. Sound weird, or boring? Not on your life. This game has a limited area of play, limited resources and dwindling victory points. You are trying to cover the same area that the other players are also coveting, but each of you only have 20 offices to use. You must make longer and longer routes to get to the final postal cart, which triggers the end of the game. An intricate and random card system will keep you guessing as you try desperately to get rid of your offices. I loved this game, as it plays like a more in depth version of Ticket To Ride.
DEXCON 18 was an exhausting, exhilarating and very satisfying weekend of games and friends. Here’s a list of the other games we played, far too many to write about unless some of you would like me to do so.
Paperback. Picture Scrabble paired with Dominion. Very Cool. http://www.paperbackgame.com/
Hogger Logger. A manic card game of guessing, escalating tension and those lumberjack Pigs. www.hoggerlogger.com
Smallworld. 2-5 players fight to occupy and control a board that is too small for them to inhabit peacefully. http://www.daysofwonder.com/smallworld/en/
Kingsburg. Buy buildings, gather resources and hire soldiers for the enemies who arrive in the Winter. Lots of planning needed and lots of fun to be had. https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/kingsburg/
Flashpoint. You and your crew of fire fighters must rescue the people and cats trapped in a burning building, while also trying to put out a fire that spreads easier than pancake syrup on a hot pancake. Tons of fun, and like, Pandemic, sometimes the board wins. Make that more often than not, the board wins. Oh, well, it’s a great game no matter who or what wins.
Before I go, I must give kudos and full points to the staff of Double Exposure. Without Vinnie, Avonelle, Tiny, Daniel, Linda, Jessica, Mark, Kelly, Ruth, Felicia and Kevin, the guy who wears a dragon on his shoulder all weekend and has 2 of the coolest daughters any Dad could ever want, DEXCON could never happen. My thanks go to you, and my gratitude.
To Your Future,
Tom, the High Traffic Wizard
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