Bueller...Bueller...Anyone...

I laughed when I saw this image from the forthcoming Small World Underground Game from Days of Wonder.

"Ferrous" refers to the presence of iron in a substance. (Hence the reference to the "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" on the Iron Dwarves card above.)

And like the versatile Ferris himself, the mechanics behind Small World have proven themselves to be versatile as well.

Small World (Phileppe Keyaertes, 2009) is simply a remodeling of Keyaertes' 1999 game Vinci, And now Underground is another reincarnation. The games play similarly, although the aesthetics are different.

The rules to Vinci exhibit some differences to Small World, but the main difference is the change of theme and the change of artwork. Underground on the other hand, is unlikely to have any major rule changes to its predecessor, but will have a completely new game board and set of player powers.

So I pose the question: What is the distinction between an existing game and a new model?

I don't think anybody would claim that Dogopoly, for instance, is really a different game than Monopoly the original (good ole Uncle Money Bags milking the brand for all its worth!), but is Vinci really something different than Small World? Is Lost Cities (Knizia, 1999) something different than the Spiel Des Jahres winning Keltis (Knizia, 2008)? It seems at least that the Spiel Des Jahres jury thought so...

What do you think? When is a new game really a new game, and when is it just being a versatile little Bueller?

Games For Your Child's Math Brain

Clearly I'm not the only one who thinks games are great educational tools.

A September article by Melanie Mulrooney highlights several great games for teaching the children to learn math skills. A great thing about this article is that Mulrooney lists a variety of simple games, not just the obvious first picks.

Included on the list, besides the classic Yahtzee and Uno, are light strategy games Phase 10 Dice game, and Gamewright's "Zeus on the Loose".

What makes a great educational math game? The article suggests that simplicity, and thorough use of math functions are two keys. I would suggest that a good educational math game should also teach good decision making.

Check out Rummikub, Muggins, or Days of Wonder's colorful fantasy game with plenty of addition and subtraction, "Small World", if you want a game that teaches decision making skills along with the fundamental mathematics.

Board Games for Couples

While this post has nothing to do with applying board game mechanics, it does have a lot to do with real life, and real life is often a lot more interesting than theory.

I googled "Board games for couples" just to see what I could find, but I was very disappointed by the results. Of the top ten results five were geared toward "adult" board games, ie, games to spice up your love life. Sex games seem a bit silly to me. Instead of trying to make things happen with cheap ploy's and other's opinions of what makes good romance, why not improve your relationship?

My wife and I enjoy playing board games together as a fun way to spend quality time together. We are both very competitive game players, so sometimes we get upset when we don't win, but overall, playing games together has been a very positive experience, and something that we can have in common. Here then, is a list of top five games that we prefer to play together:

1. Carcassone (Rio Grande Games): Tile laying game. The hardest thing to learn is the scoring. We love it because every game is different, its simple to set-up, and the strategy is not too heavy.
2. Small World (Days of Wonder): Beautiful game with a fanciful theme. Easy to learn and play. Hardest thing is the set-up.
3. St. Petersburg (Hans Im Gluck): Germany's version of Monopoly, only six-times shorter and a whole lot friendlier. Great to play over a mug of hot cocoa and a TV movie.
4. Thurn and Taxis (Rio Grande Games): Non-aggressive game about the first international postal service. A bit counterintuitive to learn, but very easy and fun once you get going.
5. Ticket to Ride (Days of Wonder): Simple game with light strategy. Not a lot of down-time between turns. We like it because you have to plan ahead!

Thats our list for now. Hope you look one of these up and give them a try someday with your significant other, and may your relationships be blessed.