Be Excellent To Each Other

Played Stationfall for the first time last night with Zeppo and some of his buddies. It was everyone's first time playing. Took ages to set up, but it's actually a really straightforward and quick game to get to grips with, but it'll take a long time to master because there's a lot that goes on in each game.

I can barely remember all of the rules and stuff so I won't try and summarise them, but it's a pretty unique game (at least, as far as games I've played go!) and I'd recommend it. Our game ended a very funny way, the possibilities for back-stabbing, emergent behaviour and Fucking GazChap Up (tm) are immense.

Sounds like my kind of thing.

Looot : Vikings on tour!



In Loooot, everyone plays vikings doing what vikings do best: pillage!

There's a central map of some unsuspecting island, full of rich pickings, and each player has a board representing their own fjord. A game of Looooot involves grabbing resources and buildings to place on your fjord for points.

You start with 13 vikings, and on your turn you land a viking, either from a longship or adjacent to another one. Over time, long hordes of vikings fan out across the map, and skilful placement can block opponents or help. Capturing houses just needs one viking next to it, towers require a chain from one tower to another, and to storm a castle you need a mob of four. You then have the option to take a longship.

You place these ill-gotten goods on your fjord in particular patterns to score points and earn bonuses. There are three set spaces requiring certain items around them to score, but the meat of the game is taking longships and meeting their criteria. Of course, once you've placed something on the board it's fixed for the rest of the game so it's very easy to trap yourself early on if you don't pay attention.

It's really easy to explain and understand, and very satisfying when you get just the right combination of items on your board to score big combos. It's also visually delightful to see the long lines of vikings encroach across the board.

I first started playing Loooooot on BGA and was impressed by the mechanics. The online version suffers due to the limitations of a screen - you want to be watching the main board and also checking your own, something that's much easier in the real world. Also, online you don't get that look of anguish as you place a viking in that sweet spot your opponent was coveting.

Looooooot is quite possibly my favourite game since Heat, and one I'm always eager to get to a table.

Watch out Stenson, the vikings are coming!