I try to add a couple of games to my collection every year. I find I play them more frequently in the winter months as they are ideally suited to cold evenings accompanied by a glass of port or red wine. Much as I do with books I’m interested in reading, I scour board game reviews and look at the Spiel des Jahres winners with particular interest.

The two games I’m interested in getting in 2010 are World Without End and The Forbidden Island. Both can be played as of two players, which is an important consideration for me.

World Without End won the Spiel des Jahres Plus prize in 2010, which is the category reserved for complex games.

Description: England in the early and middle 14th Century! Journey to Kingsbridge, England, where 200 years ago Prior Phillip oversaw the building of the cathedral renowned as ‘The Pillars of the Earth.’ Now farmers, wool dealers, and builders seek wealth and prestige amidst a rivalry between the priory and merchants. As the plague reaches town, nothing remains as it once was. World Without End is based on Ken Follett’s best-selling novel. Strive to navigate turbulent events, ensuring and balancing your food supply, income, and prestige. Piety and loyalty remain vital, for you must cater to the upper classes. And precious medical knowledge is your greatest weapon against the Black Death. So, gather your power and spirit and rise above your rivals into legend! World Without End contains: 1 game board, 30 gold markers, 100 cards (4 summary, 4 event, 48 action, 4 chapter), 57 markers (20 medical, 11 plague, 12 piety, 14 loyalty, 1 favor), 10 die-cut tiles (7 building project, 3 covering), 41 wooden resource cubes (25 wood, 15 stone, 1 metal), 37 wooden commodity pieces (10 grain, 15 wool, 12 cloth), 16 wooden house pieces, 1 wooden start player piece, 4 wooden scoring tokens, 4 player screens, 1 tax die, game rules, bag.

The Forbidden Island is newly released and won’t be out in its German edition until October. It’s a cooperative game by the makers of Pandemic, and is getting positive advance reviews.

Description: It’s a great honor to introduce the latest creation by cooperative game master, Matt Leacock. There are so many things we love about this unique game: from the rich illustrations, to the collaborative nature of play, to the innovative set of rules, to the infinite possibilities generated by the tiles and cards. Don’t be surprised if your pulse starts pounding faster soon after you start playing – it’s a game that instantly generates an electrifying atmosphere of tension and excitement. Dare to discover Forbidden Island. Join a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to capture four sacred treasures from the ruins of this perilous paradise. Your team will have to work together and make some pulse-pounding maneuvers, as the island will sink beneath every step. Race to collect the treasures and make a triumphant escape before you are swallowed into the watery abyss.

It was my first blogoversary on Saturday and I forgot all about it! My first year of blogging has been great fun for the most part and I can see myself continuing for at least another year or so.

One advantage to blogging has been discovering so many fabulous new-to-me blogs and getting excellent book recommendations. My TBR pile has never been higher, and the quality of the books I read has never been better. As I don’t have access to a library with a large collection of books in English, I buy almost all the books I read, which makes me particularly fussy about the ones I choose. Therefore, I’m very grateful to the readers who take the time to write reviews, and to all the others who chime in on comment threads.

One disadvantage to blogging has been negative interaction with a couple of my fellow bloggers, one of whom I had previously had a lot of respect for. I guess the blogosphere is a microcosm of real life. I don’t like everyone and not everyone is going to like me. C’est la vie. Plus I’ve reached the conclusion that the vast majority of the online kerfuffles are a load of crap, and I couldn’t be arsed involving myself in most of them.

When I started Monkey Bear Reviews, I initially concentrated on romance novels and the romance reading experience. I’ve since broadened my scope and I’ve reviewed more mysteries and thrillers, as well as a few YA and fantasy novels. I’ve also written a few posts on board games, another hobby of mine, and I will continue to write about them from time to time.

I’m convinced that what truly makes a blog is its visitors, particularly those who comment regularly. Thank you to all of you for the book recommendations and the interesting discussions.

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After reading Magdalen’s post on Nora Robert’s new Bride Quartet, I was intrigued. Despite not being a huge fan of Nora Robert’s books in general, I’ve enjoyed a few of her romantic suspenses, especially Northern Lights and Angel’s Falls. It’s hard to find contemporary romances these days which don’t include some paranormal or suspense element. Therefore, The Bride Quartet sounded like the sort of mindless fluff I’m in the mood for at the moment.

When my copies of Vision in White and Bed of Roses arrived, I had to conclude that I’m shallow. I just love the covers for the US editions! They have French flap covers and deckle edges. They are fussy and elaborate, and remind me of formal wedding invitations. They fit the premise of the series perfectly, and made me not care about forking out extra for trade paperbacks.

The Bride Quartet centres around four friends who run a wedding business together. Mac is the photographer; Emma is the florist; Laurel is the cake maker; and Parker is the wedding planner extraordinaire. Mac and Emma’s books were released in 2009, and Laurel and Parker’s stories will be out this year.

I’m only a few chapters into Vision in White, so I’ll have to reserve my verdict for my review. So far, though, I’m really enjoying it. It’s delivering exactly what the beautiful cover promises: a sweet romance, and a nice story of lifelong friendship. I find the details about American weddings both fascinating and horrifying. An elaborate, choreographed wedding is my idea of hell.

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We have yet another board game to rave about. We’ve only played Agricola a few times – and at the most basic level – but I’m already ranking it as my favourite game.

As the Latin title suggests, it’s a game about farming in the 17th Century. Each player starts out living in a basic wooden dwelling with a small supply of food. The aim of the game is to expand the farmhouse by adding more rooms, replacing wood with clay, and, later on, stone. Fields have to be planted; animals acquired and looked after. The winner is the player who has the wealthiest farm at the end of the game.

I’ve given an extremely basic explanation for what is quite a complex game. Agricola is not suited for casual gamers as the rules are complicated and take some time to learn. It’s far more strategy-based than many games on the market, and was the recipient of a special prize for “Complex Game” from the jury of the prestigious Spiel des Jahres awards in 2008. However, it’s worth the effort in my opinion as it’s a game which both requires you to think and which is a lot of fun to play.

Once I’ve played it a few more times, also at the regular level, I’ll write up a more in-depth analysis.

What are you reading at the moment? Have you read any of Nora Roberts’ Bride Quartet books? Has anyone played Agricola?

]]> http://www.monkeybearreviews.com/2010/04/13/random-musings-on-blogoversaries-nora-roberts-and-agricola/feed/ 17 http://www.monkeybearreviews.com/2010/03/22/board-game-pandemic/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed http://www.monkeybearreviews.com/2010/03/22/board-game-pandemic/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:00:29 +0000 Sarah http://www.monkeybearreviews.com/?p=3508

Pandemic by Z-Man Games/Pegasus Spiele is an excellent co-operative board game. It was a 2009 nominee for the prestigious Spiel des Jahres, but lost out to Dominion. Pandemic is suitable for 2 to 4 players. It’s recommended for players as of the age of 10.

The premise of the game: four deadly diseases have broken out in the world. A team of specialists are responsible for the eradication of the diseases before they wipe out mankind.

The contents of the game box are as follows: 96 wooden cubes (in four different colours to denote each disease); 5 pawns; 6 wooden research stations; 6 markers (1 outbreak marker, 1 infection rate marker, and 4 cure markers); 115 Cards (48 infection cards, 59 player cards, 4 role cards, and 4 quick reference cards).

Each player receives a role card with a description of their job title. They also receive a list of permissible actions which they can perform when it is their turn. Each turn allows a player to perform 4 actions. In addition to the actions which every player is allowed to do, their specific role gives each player a couple of unique abilities. For example, the Medic can cure cities of diseases faster than other players. The Scientist only needs 4 cards of a particular disease in order to develop a cure for it instead of the normal 5.

Pandemic can be played at three different levels of difficulty. Beginners start off with 4 epidemic cards shuffled into the stack of playing cards. More experienced players use 5 epidemic cards, and very good players use all six.

To win the game, the players must work together and use their individual strengths to find cures for all 4 diseases before it is too late. The game is lost if all playing cards are used up; if all disease cubes of a particular colour are already on the board; or if an 8th outbreak of disease occurs.

My Verdict: Pandemic is fast-paced game with plenty of potential for variety. The co-operative aspect makes interaction with fellow players essential, and it’s a fun variation on board games which traditionally pit players against each other. The basic rules are easy to learn. Most of the work before the initial game lies in setting up the board and shuffling the cards. While the basics are easy to grasp, it quickly becomes clear why beginners only start with 4 epidemic cards. Understanding the potential uses  and consequences of the various role cards and permissible actions takes a few games. If you like board games which are a little more complex than the average, I can highly recommend Pandemic.

I received an email informing me of the upcoming release of Mystery Express by Days of Wonder. Other Days of Wonder games include Ticket to Ride and its various extensions.

Mystery Express looks really cool. Here’s the description:

Seeking a well-deserved break from your latest misadventures, you decide to splurge, treating yourself to the extravagant luxury of the most talked about train of our time – the legendary Orient Express. Most unexpectedly, and rather unfortunately, the holiday turns out to be short-lived. The train has barely left Paris when word spreads that someone has just been murdered, and in the most hideous manner…

Mystery Express is a whodunit deduction game from Days of Wonder. The murder that takes place on the Orient Express incorporates 5 different elements represented by a set of Crime cards. Players take on the role of one of 5 traveling characters, each who has their own special powers of deduction. The player who figures out the who, what, when, where and why of the murder before the end of the journey wins.

Unfortunately for me, the game is designed to be played as of three players, and I try to buy games which can be played as of two. Still, I’m sorely tempted by it.

For anyone interested in Mystery Express, there’s more detailed information available at the Days of Wonder website. The game will be released in April 2010.

In addition to reading and writing, one of my geekier interests is board games. I’m particularly fond of games of strategy, particularly those which are referred to as “German-style” games.

I’ve enjoyed board games since I was a child. My mother was not as keen on them as I was, and I often spent many a happy hour playing against myself! The great advantage to this was that I always won. However, it’s much more fun to play against a real person rather than my alter ego.

Here a few of my favourites. Most of those listed can be played as of two players, which is an important consideration for me when purchasing as I usually play against my husband. The few games we own which require a minimum of three players tend to gather dust unless we can persuade a hapless guest to play with us.

DOMINION (2-4 players)

This is my latest obsession. It’s not actually a board game, but a card game. The basic premise is that each player is a poor landowner during the Middle Ages. Everyone starts the game with a little money and a bit of land. The aim of the game is to build up your territory by virtue of acquiring land and enriching it with various institutions.

Dominion has three sorts of cards. There are money cards, action cards, and land cards. The money and the land cards are always the same. Each Dominion set comes equipped with 24 types of action cards, and each game requires the use of 10. By using different combinations of of action cards, it’s possible to vary the game each time it’s played.

The cards are beautifully illustrated and the instructions on the various action cards make for an enjoyable and varied game. For more possible action card combinations, the two add-on Dominion games can be used. They are Dominion: Intrigue and Dominion: Seaside. Here’s a picture of some of the cards. I couldn’t find a photo of the English version, so these are in German. From left to right: Village (Action); Moneylender (Action); Province (Land); Thief (Action); Gold (Money – yeah, real surprise!).

Here’s a photo of the card layout for a game. The 10 action cards are of varying value and they are grouped accordingly. This particular set of 10 action cards also calls for the use of curse cards which are worth minus 1 point at the end of the game, plus a trash can.

CARCASSONNE (2-5 players)

Carcassonne is another game set in the Middle Ages. The game consists of a score board, wooden playing figures and a selection of cardboard tiles. Each player in turn takes a tile from the pile and connects it to the existing collection of tiles on the table. The tiles build cities, roads, monasteries and farmland. Players who claim and complete cities, roads and monasteries are awarded points. Players also claim sections of farmland which are worth points at the end of the game. The winner is the person who amasses the most points.

To be successful at the original version of the game relies on a mixture of luck and strategy. There are several interesting expansions available for Carcassonne. These make the game more complex and more reliant on strategic planning than on luck.

THURN UND TAXIS (2-4 players)

This is yet another historical game. Anyone noticing a theme here? It’s set either in the mid-18^th Century or the beginning of the 19^th Century. (The box mentions the mid-18^th Century but the clothes worn by the people on the playing cards remind me more of early 19^th Century fashion).

At any rate, the game is based on the evolution of the postal network in Europe. The original postal service was pioneered by the wealthy German family of Thurn und Taxis. The game’s board shows a network of postal routes combining various cities in the countries we now refer to as Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Poland. The aim of the game is for each player to establish a maximum of five postal routes of varying length. Upon completing the individual routes, the players can claim points by placing their figures in cities and receiving point tokens for having, say, a presence in every city in Bavaria, or a piece in every country represented on the map.

Thurn und Taxis relies more on strategy than on luck, but it is not a terribly complex game. It is, however, a lot of fun to play, particularly when you’re not in the mood for a complicated game which requires a lot of concentration.

TICKET TO RIDE (2-5 players)

This game has a similar concept to Thurn und Taxis but it is set in the USA and Canada around 1900. There are various editions of the game in which the action takes place in other locations such as Europe, Scandanavia and Germany. There’s apparently also an edition which takes place in Switzerland, but our version is the original North American one, albeit in German.

The aim of the game is to visit as many cities as possible by train. Each player receives 45 train carriages and 2-3 route cards. A player may choose to complete all 3 routes, or return 1 and complete 2. This decision is based on the length of the respective routes and whether or not a player can realistically hope to complete them using their allotted 45 carriages.

The cities on the map are linked by coloured stretches of railroad. Some stretches allow up to two players to occupy them in a game with more than three players. Otherwise, each stretch of railroad can only be claimed by a single player. This makes it difficult for their opponents as they are frequently obliged to travel a circuitous route in order to reach their destination.

Here’s a photo of the board at the start of a game:

And at the end:

Ticket to Ride is extremely easy to learn and a lot of fun to play. While it is a mix of luck and strategy, it doesn’t require a lot of concentration and is ideal for an evening when you’re tired.

THE SETTLERS OF CATAN (3-5 players)

This is one of my favourite games, particularly when played with the Cities and Knights expansion. Unfortunately, it requires a minimum of three players, so I rarely get a chance to play it.

It is another historical game based on settlers in a new land. They fight for survival and enrich their land with a variety of raw materials such as iron, corn, and wood.

PUERTO RICO (3-5 players)

Like The Settlers of Catan, Puerto Rico requires a minimum of three players. It is has similar premise to Settlers but it is more complex and requires more strategic planning.

SCRABBLE (2+ players)

I don’t think this game requires any introduction! I like crosswords and I’m a fan of Scrabble.

Do you like board games/card games? Which ones are your favourites?