There are a bunch of strategy games in the 90 minute plus-or-minus range, with varying degrees of complexity. You can farm in the 1600s in Agricola, colonize Puerto Rico, build the German postal service in Thurn and Taxis, or try to dominate the electric market in Power Grid. But when my parents stopped by to say hello last weekend, this was what was on the table:
It's a game called Eclipse, wherein you explore strange new worlds, plant colonies and have space battles. Explore star systems, research technologies, outfit your space fleet, fight aliens (not to mention the other players) and try to dominate the galaxy. And if you're me, knit a sock while waiting for the other players to decide on their strategy. Kind of hard core.
The look on my parents' face was a bit non-plussed- I think there's a difference between hearing about our penchant for 'board games' and seeing for yourself the depths of your child's geekitude.
(Thanks to our friend Bill for the game photo. If you're curious, I was soundly drubbed in this game, after our friend Vi cruelly and maliciously blew up my whole space fleet *and* my starbases, nuked my colonies and then stole my planets for her own star empire. Not that I'm bitter. :) But I got my revenge later in a different game.)
Dave and I love board games - though he refuses to play scrabble with me.
ReplyDeleteHa! Ha! Dominating the galaxy! Our kind of game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHave you ever played Pandemic? You play as a team against the board. We live within walking distance to a game store here, and I bought it because they recommended it--and they were totally right.
Pandemic is awesome! One of our friends has it- and the expansion set!- and we've played it many times. It kills us about 2 times out of 3 with six epidemics...
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