Games Played: Hoax, Renfield, Carcassonne (H+G), Bang (2x)
Gamers: Jos, Mike, Rob, Chris, Sara, Mark, Chip
HOAX (0:23)
Josh: won
Mike, Rob, Chris, Sara, Mark, Chip: lost
Josh was the only one who had quick games for 7 players, so we let him pick the first two games. In Hoax, each player can claim to be one of 6 roles and take the action associated with that role. Players can challenge such a claim as a group or as individuals.
In an individual challenge, whichever player is incorrect is removed from the game. As a group challenge, if the challenged player is telling the truth, then that player wins. Otherwise, that player is banned from claiming that role for the rest of the game.
A group challenge risks ending the game (the challengee would win) for banning a player from claiming the same role again for the rest of the game. This seems like a large risk for very little gain. The individual challenge seems more balanced.
However, from the perspective of any challenging player, the risk involved in a group challenge or an individual challenge is the same (either way, you're out of the game). If you don't want to wait around bored for the game to finish, you'd be better off initiating a group challenge. It's more catastrophic if you are wrong, but at least you drag down almost everyone else with you.
Deconstructing the risk/benefit payout of each option is an interesting exercise with the result that the choice that is better for the group (individual challenges) is worse for the individual. It's sort of Prisoner's Dilema-ish in that respect.
Overall, however, this game didn't strike me as something I can't wait to play again. The wizard character seems too powerful, and most of the actions in the game seem pointless. No one ever declared an action illegal as a king without someone else claiming to be the judge, and then someone else the vicar, who was the only one who ever gained from it.
RENFIELD (0:40)
Sara: 226 dollars (won)
Josh, Mike, Rob, Chris, Mark: somewhere in the middle
Chip: ~ 42 cents
We played 2 or 3 rounds of Renfield before we decided to move on to something else. Despite doing terribly poorly, I enjoyed the game. My first two hands had at least one card of each suit, so I was forced to take more tricks then I would have liked. I had some difficulty keeping track of the number of bugs and the cost of each round, so in the few instances where I had a choice, I don't think I made the right one.
I feel it's a game that I could improve on (I almost certainly can't do any worse), and I'd be willing to try it again. After, of course, the $1 on the 12 cards is replaced with the correct doubler symbol.
CARCASSONNE (Hunters + Gatherers) (1:00)
Mike: 131
Josh: 113
Chip: 101
Sara: 59
I brought out this game for four of us, while Rob and Mark played HeroClix. Mike and Josh bandied for the lead for most of the game while Sara and I tried to keep up. Sara misunderstood some of the scoring criteria which prevented her from taking part in most of the field scoring at the end of the game. I mismanged my fields, essentially wasting a hunter in a field in which I already had a hunter at Stonehenge. I realized the last time I played this game that this is a very powerful tile, and I mis-used it horribly.
I'd like to keep playing this game, and hopefully improving at it.
BANG (0:30)
Outlaws (Rob + Mark): won
Sheriff (Chip): killed
Deputy (Mike)
Renegade (Josh)
Despite Mark taking pot shots at his fellow outlaw Rob, and despite Mark being thrown in jail a number of times, the outlaws managed to kill the sheriff before I could finish them off. With a vulcanic in front of me and a handful of bang cards, I attempted to finish Mark off in a single turn, but I misplayed the duel card and ended up taking a bullet myself.
BANG (0:43)
Outlaws (Rob, Chris, Chip): won
Sheriff (Josh): killed
Deputy (Mark)
Renegade (Mike): killed
Mike was eliminated about half-way through this round. No one initially believed Mark was the deputy (especially Josh), but eventually they started working together. Unfortunately, the outlaws simply outnumbered the good guys, and lawlessness prevailed, yet again.
The elimination aspect of this game is a definate drawback. The theme is clearly the best part of the game. For a quick-ish game with 6+ people, I would rather play 6 Nimmt!
PLUG: LAN gaming at my house on Friday, June 27th. Email me offlist for details.
posted by FlyingSheep @ 2:41 PM
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