by Bobby Warren
I played 81 games and expansions for the first time in 2013.I own many of these games and there are even a few that I suspect I will keep in my collection.
Here they are in the order which I first played them in 2013.
DC Comics Deck-Building Game
First Played: 01/17/2013
Times Played:20
My Rating: 7
Own: Yes
Note: This is my favorite deck-builder using the Ascension game engine.
Ascension: Immortal Heroes
First Played: 01/19/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 7
Own: No
Note: The Soul Gems are okay. The game may be reaching the end of its run because its becoming heavy under the weight of the different mechanisms added to the game.
Qin
First Played: 03/09/2013
Times Played:4
My Rating: 7
Own: Yes
Note: A good, though unremarkable game. I suspect the game works best with more players because of the competition for the areas.
Saint Malo
First Played: 03/23/2013
Times Played:9
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: I really thought this would be one of the nominees for the Spiel des Jahres, but I was wrong. It's not a deep game, but there is enough going on and a fair amount of push your luck dice rolling to make it a SdJ game.
K2
First Played: 05/23/2013
Times Played:2
My Rating: 7
Own: No
Note: Mike picked this up and we played a couple of times. I really did enjoy playing it and have thought about picking it up a couple of times when I have seen it at my FLGS.
Archipelago
First Played: 05/25/2013
Times Played:5
My Rating: 8
Own: No
Note: This really is a very good exploration and growth game. My rating started off at a 6 and has crept up to an 8. I probably won't get it, but will play it any time Mike or Alex pull out their copies.
Hanabi
First Played: 06/21/2013
Times Played:14
My Rating: 8
Own: No
Note: A lot of fun and I understand why it won the Spiel des Jahres.
Castle Dice
First Played: 06/27/2013
Times Played:3
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: I thought for sure I would have played this more than three times. The box size is a bit of a problem because it makes it hard to pack up to take along on a game day.
Guildhall&Guildhall: Job Faire
First Played: 06/27/2013
Times Played:13&8
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: I started off with Job Faire after playing the original game with Mike. Several of us ended up buying copies of both games and it saw regular play from June through the rest of the year. I stopped recording playings of Job Faire after we started mixing the sets.
The Duke
First Played: 07/06/2013
Times Played:4
My Rating: 7
Own: No
Note: I thought Mike and I would play this more than we did, but as is usual with our two-player games it gets played for a while and then passed over for newer games.
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
First Played: 07/06/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 6
Own: No
Note: A dice game which is okay. Mike liked it more than I did, but I will play it when he wants to play. It probably should have been in the Ugly list since there is no way I would consider owning this.
Belfort
First Played: 07/20/2013
Times Played:4
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: The art/graphic design was something which made the game unattractive to me. I heard it talked about on some podcasts and decided to get it, if someone would sticker it. Mike did, so we played it. And it was played several more times. The expansion should be out at any time.
Krosmaster: Arena
First Played: 08/01/2013
Times Played:4
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: A lot of fun! I was going to buy all the expansions, but just don't play it enough and don't have a way to transport everything easily. Now I am ready to sell off the game, promos, three expansions, and resin pieces. I just need to get it packed up and figure out how much I want for it and list it.
Völuspá
First Played: 08/01/2013
Times Played:8
My Rating: 7
Own: Yes
Note:Qwirkle with a theme and individual powers for the different-valued tiles. I plan on getting the expansion when it makes it out.
Suburbia
First Played: 08/03/2013
Times Played:12
My Rating: 9
Own: Yes
Note: My favorite new game of the year. It's simple in execution and fairly quick to play. The expansion is out and I will pick it up when I next make it to my FLGS.
Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar
First Played: 08/03/2013
Times Played:5
My Rating: 7
Own: Yes
Note: A lot of fun. I keep expecting the board to severely warp but it hasn't.
Drum Roll
First Played: 08/15/2013
Times Played:3
My Rating: 7
Own: Yes
Note: Fun, but not great game. Having all the different promos adds a variety to the game and I suspect I would like it a little less without them.
Trajan
First Played: 08/24/2013
Times Played:3
My Rating: 7
Own: Yes
Note: I'd wanted to play it for a while and Steve taught it. I played it a few more times and I really enjoyed it.
First Played: 08/31/2013
Times Played:15
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: Another surprise. It's Bingo. Really.
Trains
First Played: 08/31/2013
Times Played:13
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: It's a great game which takes the deck-building mechanism and uses it as the method to build train tracks and stations.
Bruges
First Played: 09/01/2013
Times Played:2
My Rating: 6
Own: No
Note: Not too bad. We played it with the wrong number of cards the first time. The second time was more fun and I while I don't want to get it right now I might want to get it after playing it some more.
Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Rise of the Runelords
First Played: 09/07/2013
Times Played:11
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: A lot more fun than I expected it could be. I bought it and plan on getting all the expansions.
Takenoko
First Played: 09/07/2013
Times Played:2
My Rating: 7
Own: No
Note: Another game which Mike taught picked up and I really enjoyed playing.
Rattus Cartus
First Played: 10/24/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 7
Own: No
Note: Like Cardcassonne, it is only related to its namesake by that name.
Bang! The Dice Game
First Played: 11/02/2013
Times Played:4
My Rating: 6
Own: Yes
Note: It makes Bang! a game which is more user-friendly because it removes the range issues that the card game has.
Eldritch Horror
First Played: 11/30/2013
Times Played:2
My Rating: 8
Own: No
Note: The replacement for Arkham Horror, at least in the short term.
First Played: 12/12/2013
Times Played:2
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: It was a Kickstarter game which I decided to jump in on because I like Indie Boards and Cards and the info on the first printing was positive.
BattleLore (Second Edition)
First Played: 12/19/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 8
Own: No
Note: A new version which is better than the original. The set-up using the decoy cards and scenario selection cards are terrific changes.
Deadzone
First Played: 12/26/2013
Times Played:2
My Rating: 7
Own: Yes
Note: Mike thinks I should rate it higher than it I have. I might end up moving it up as I go.
Canalis
First Played: 12/28/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 7
Own: No
Note: This was surprisingly fun, even though we played a couple of thigs wrong. The right rules would make it even more fun.
Good Expansions
Power Grid: Québec/Baden-Württemberg
First Played: 01/12/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: We played the Québec map, which was the first time I played it. I had played the Baden-Württemberg from its original limited release in Germany. We've stopped playing Power Grid lately, though I am sure we'll start up again at some point.
Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small - More Buildings Big and Small
First Played: 02/16/2013
Times Played:3
My Rating: 7
Own: No
Note: It's just more buildings for Agricola: All Creatures Big and Small, which add just a little more variety.
Super Dungeon Explore: Von Drakk Manor
First Played: 03/29/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 7
Own: No
Note: Really just more monsters and a few characters for Super Dungeon Explore. They are nice additions to the game and I really need to pick these up at some point.
First Played: 06/01/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: One play only, but I can't see my opinion of it changing all that much with further plays.
Elder Sign: Unseen Forces
First Played: 06/27/2013
Times Played:7
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: I really enjoy the changes made by the expansion. It's also nice having extra characters and GOOs.
Dominion: Guilds
First Played: 07/18/2013
Times Played:2
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: Fun, but like the rest of the recent expansions this one just hasn't seen a lot of play. It's probably a good thing that the expansions have ended.
Pandemic: In the Lab
First Played: 09/07/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 8
Own: No
Note: I only played with one of the modules from the expansion, the Mutation Challenge: Worldwide Panic.
Viticulture: Arboriculture Expansion
First Played: 09/14/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note:Viticulture may be on the "Ugly" list, but this expansion would move it to the "Good" list. It reduces strength of the visitor cards by removing the bonus space that allows a player to play two of them an action, adds the big worker, and the morale track. All which are awesome additions.
Trains: German/NorthEast USA Map
First Played: 10/26/2013
Times Played:2
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: Almost Ugly because the boards aren't mounted and do not fit in the AEG box. But they are fun to play and just different enough from the original maps to make them worth owning.
King of Tokyo: Halloween
First Played: 11/02/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: Nice expansion. Nothing earth-shaking, but a good addition to the game.
Trains: GenCon 2013 Map
First Played: 11/23/2013
Times Played:2
My Rating: 8
Own: Yes
Note: A nice additional map for the game.
Smash Up: Awesome Level 9000
First Played: 12/21/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 7
Own: Yes
Note: Just four more sets of cards with a few extra bases for the main game. The one time it was included in the mix we only saw the Steampunks which seemed like a fun group to play.
Smash Up: The Obligatory Cthulhu Set
First Played: 12/21/2013
Times Played:1
My Rating: 7
Own: Yes
Note: Another four sets of cards with a few extra bases plus Madness cards. The time we played this we saw two of the factions: the Elder Things and the Minions of Cthulhu. Both were fun to play.