With current events as they are we would have been forgiven for cancelling this months meet up.
However it still went ahead. Although our hosts were not exactly rushed off their feet and feeling the impact of said events.
Our little get together was in fact for us rather well intended with seven brave souls turning up.
Jonathan, Nathan, Gavin and I decide to dabble in the stock market while waiting for others to turn up, by playing Oink Games Startups.
Startups has been sitting in my collection for nearly a couple of years now. I bought it at UKGE 2018 if my failing memory recalls correctly. It’s been one I’ve been meaning to play during that time. Often making it into the game bag for a session but never selected. Always the bridesmaid never the bride. Until last night.
Earlier in the day I had attempted to read the rule sheet that’s included in the box. However I found the print too small for my aging eyes. So I turned to the saviour of many the Internet and Google. Which took me to the official Oink Games website and their official how to play video.
The video I thought was rather well produced. Explained the game well. And somehow puzzling lasted just short of twelve minutes. I say puzzling because the rules are not that complicated.
Startups became the second Oink game I’ve played (I have two more in the collection to get to the table).
At it’s heart Startups is a set collection and majority control game.
Each player starts with a starting hand of three cards, and ten coins (worth one point). On a players turn they either draw a card from the deck and putting a coin on each of the cards in the market. Or take a card from the market. The player then has to either place a card in front of them as part of their portfolio or put one in the market.
If a player after playing a card in front of them becomes the player with the majority of that card type they get a matching anti-monopoly token. This token stops the player from taking any cards in the market that match with it. However it also means when taking a card from the deck that the player doesn’t have to put a coin on any cards that match it either.
There is a nice bluffing element to the game with the three cards that a player has in their hand. This is hidden information and the cards count towards final totals at the end of the game. Add in the fact that five cards are removed from the deck at the start of the game. You have this unknown element of not truly knowing how many of each card type there truly is out there on the table, and if you have a majority or not.
With the anti-monopoly tokens and the market place you have a nice tactical bit going on. Knowing that certain cards can’t be taken by certain players. There is a skill of staying on the right side of staying level with whoever has the token so they keep it, and allowing yourself free range of the market place.
I won. However the scores were surprisingly close. This is a nice little filler game. I’ll definitely try and get this back to the table.
By the time we had finished playing Startups, except for one player who messaged saying they would be late, everyone had turned up.
So unsure how long we would have to wait for the final player to arrive, we played New York Slice.
This game has been on my wish list for a while. Luckily Jonathan picked up a second hand copy recently. I’d say he pipped me to it. But in reality my economic circumstances would have hindered my chances of getting it. So I was pretty happy that Jonathan got it.
The packaging (a pizza box!) fits the theme perfectly.
This is a I split you choose game, with a majority control mechanic. A simple game that works so. The splitting of the pizza is such a tough decision to make. Being the splitter you will get the last piece. So it’s trying to split the pizza so that you have something left you can use.
It’s a nice game. I knew I’d like it because I enjoyed playing Piece ‘o Cake that this is a remake of with a pizza theme.
With everyone present we split into two groups.
The group I was in we played a four player game of Spirits of the Forest. My previous play of this was as a two player game with Jonathan. As a two player game it worked really well. But wow it was fun as four players two.
I think next time this hits the table I’ll add in one or two of the mini expansions that came with it.
Our groups final game of the evening was Azul. I still really enjoy this game. I still warn new players I will end the game as quick as possible. It’d be unfair if I didn’t. The two follow up games in the series haven’t tempted me. I don’t get Azul to the table often enough as it is. Maybe if I didn’t have Azul then choosing one of the other two might be an option.
As I write this post it’s hit me that all four of these games are pretty quick to teach. Five minutes at most I’d guess. Games that are easy to pick up, but hide a some hard decision making. Not that difficult to give analysis paralysis or put new players off. But enough to keep more experienced gamers interested.
As usual this was another great evening of gaming and great hosts.
Games Played: Startups, New York Slice, Spirits of the Forest, Azul
