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2005 Nickels & Dimes
Jan. 2nd, 2006 10:38 amIn 2005 I played around 400 games. That was down from 500 in 2004, despite the fact that I attended EndGame all year, whereas I was just getting into the habit in 2004. The difference was made up in Kim not being interested in playing games most of the year, while in 2004 we played somewhere in excess of 50 games of Ticket to Ride alone.
This is a listing of 2005's nickels & dimes--the games that I played 5 or more times. It's down a lot from last year too, and that's because 2004's nickels and dimes were mainly two-player games, which didn't hit the table too much this time around.
Dimes
Memoir '44 (x21) - The exception to the rule. DoW came out with two new expansions for M44 late this year, and they got pretty thoroughly played through. At this point we've got 12 plays left in the main game, 1 in the terrain pack,and 8 or 10 in the Western Front before we finish up with all the published scenarios (at 2 plays each). We could easily run through those in 2006, so it's a good thing that a fourth M44 expansion has already been announced for the Pacific, and hopefully there will be more scenarios this time around.
For Sale (x12) - This game became the filler game for Q2 and Q3 of the year, but slowly faded out afterward. It continues to be enjoyable, but 12 games later it's a little repetitive.
Geschenkt (x11) - And this was the filler for Q1. It's even lighter than For Sale, but it plays faster too, so that's fair enough. I'm happy that Z-Man is going to be distributing a US edition of this.
Nickels
Ticket to Ride Europe (x8) - I generally like this more than the original TtR, so I'm a bit disappointed that it got less than 20% of the plays (though to be fair, Kim and I put together a second board for the original to keep it fresh late in 2004). Part of this is because Kim wasn't playing games this year, and the other part is that she found it more stressful than the original TtR because of the tight connections in the middle of the continent. I never really understood that because I find in the original TtR stressful because you can get so totally cut out of areas if you're not careful, while in TtRE you always have stations to fall back on, but I suppose that just means we're playing slightly different games.
Alhambra (x7) - This game was slightly reinvigorated by my purchase of the first two German expansions in my one foreign games order of the year, but it also continues to be a game that Kim frequently asks for in 2-player play (all the more reason to have gotten those expansions, half of which are still awaiting play). I had the misfortune to play one or two 4+ player games over the course of the year, at EndGame, and every time I do I swear off them, because the game's sweet spot is 2 or 3, and at 4+ it gets too chaotic and too slow.
Rumis (x7) - A game that continues to be a great filler (with its only deficit being its size, since that's a lot of gamebag space to take up with a filler) and a great 2-player game. I hear there may be a quote from one of my reviews on the newest printing, since I waxed enthusiastically about it when I reviewed the game. I believe this was also my first nickel of the year, which means it got played a lot less toward the end of the year.
China (x6) - Another great reprint for Uberplay, this one regularly goes into my gamebag, often next to Hansa, thanks to its compact size. And it's fun to play too. I would have rated it my top majority-control game of the year until I finally got to try out Kreta late in the year, which eclipsed China, but at the cost of a slightly longer game.
(Plus one game of Web of Power proper, bringing the total up to x7.)
Tigris & Euphrates (x5) - After I finally secured a copy of T&E, in exchange for Goldbrau, which had way too many calculations and rough edges for me, this started regularly going to EndGame, and it's regularly a game that people are willing to play. This one also got played a time or two with my roleplaying group, who also enjoyed it.
Spare Change
Beowulf: The Legend (x4) - A fine late-year Knizia release that easily would have been a nickel if it'd been put out earlier in the year. Probably Knizia's best of the year, though not as good as his greats.
Bohnanza (x4) - Briefly revitalized at the start of the year due to RGG finally putting up some supplements, but it remains too long to be a good filler and too light to be a main game. That's to my tastes; for a lighter, more family atmosphere, it remains a top-rate game.
Buy Low, Sell High (x4) - A Knizia rerelease that got a lot of play right after it came out, then faded away. Interesting enough to remain on my shelf, but dry & light enough to get pretty infrequent play.
Der Untergang von Pompeji (x4) - A great, light game, and I hope that Mayfair will be able to get out their American edition. Missed being a nickel by pure chance; it didn't get played a number of times that it was put in my gamebag.
Hanza (x4) - One of the games from 2004 that's held up the best for me. It continues to be a fun, tactical game, and it's small size makes it that much more likely to go traveling with me.
Loco! (x4) - Four plays, didn't like it. Finally gave up.
Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation (x4) - Apparent (though I think, not real) imbalances ruined this for everyone I tried to play it with. At this point I think I've never seen light lose. It'll get revitalized next year when FFG puts out their new edition.
Lost Cities (x4) - Most other years this would have been a nickel or dime. A fine game that stands up to replays.
Magic: The Gathering (x4) - One of my regular gamers likes M:tG and so this comes out occasionally. I still have decks from an inreasingly old era.
Shadows Over Camelot (x4) - This never got played after the initial rush, but I still think it's a fine game. The combined length and lightness just don't put it into the usual category of play for me.
Ticket to Ride (x4) - This got played a lot more online, but the face-to-face version suffered for the release of TtRE.
A bunch more games at 3x: Australia, Carcassonne, Carcassonne: The City, Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers (for a total of 11x f-t-f Carcassonne games, including one each of The Castle and Ark of the Covenent), Clans, Condotierre, Dungeon Twister, Fredericus (another "before I gave up"), Go West, HeroQuest, In the Shadow of the Emperor, Louis XIV, Oltre Mare, Pueblo, Puerto Rico, Quo Vadis?, Ra, Saboteur, San Juan, Santiago, Through the Desert, Tower of Babel, Tutankhamen, Vinci.
This is a listing of 2005's nickels & dimes--the games that I played 5 or more times. It's down a lot from last year too, and that's because 2004's nickels and dimes were mainly two-player games, which didn't hit the table too much this time around.
Dimes
Memoir '44 (x21) - The exception to the rule. DoW came out with two new expansions for M44 late this year, and they got pretty thoroughly played through. At this point we've got 12 plays left in the main game, 1 in the terrain pack,and 8 or 10 in the Western Front before we finish up with all the published scenarios (at 2 plays each). We could easily run through those in 2006, so it's a good thing that a fourth M44 expansion has already been announced for the Pacific, and hopefully there will be more scenarios this time around.
For Sale (x12) - This game became the filler game for Q2 and Q3 of the year, but slowly faded out afterward. It continues to be enjoyable, but 12 games later it's a little repetitive.
Geschenkt (x11) - And this was the filler for Q1. It's even lighter than For Sale, but it plays faster too, so that's fair enough. I'm happy that Z-Man is going to be distributing a US edition of this.
Nickels
Ticket to Ride Europe (x8) - I generally like this more than the original TtR, so I'm a bit disappointed that it got less than 20% of the plays (though to be fair, Kim and I put together a second board for the original to keep it fresh late in 2004). Part of this is because Kim wasn't playing games this year, and the other part is that she found it more stressful than the original TtR because of the tight connections in the middle of the continent. I never really understood that because I find in the original TtR stressful because you can get so totally cut out of areas if you're not careful, while in TtRE you always have stations to fall back on, but I suppose that just means we're playing slightly different games.
Alhambra (x7) - This game was slightly reinvigorated by my purchase of the first two German expansions in my one foreign games order of the year, but it also continues to be a game that Kim frequently asks for in 2-player play (all the more reason to have gotten those expansions, half of which are still awaiting play). I had the misfortune to play one or two 4+ player games over the course of the year, at EndGame, and every time I do I swear off them, because the game's sweet spot is 2 or 3, and at 4+ it gets too chaotic and too slow.
Rumis (x7) - A game that continues to be a great filler (with its only deficit being its size, since that's a lot of gamebag space to take up with a filler) and a great 2-player game. I hear there may be a quote from one of my reviews on the newest printing, since I waxed enthusiastically about it when I reviewed the game. I believe this was also my first nickel of the year, which means it got played a lot less toward the end of the year.
China (x6) - Another great reprint for Uberplay, this one regularly goes into my gamebag, often next to Hansa, thanks to its compact size. And it's fun to play too. I would have rated it my top majority-control game of the year until I finally got to try out Kreta late in the year, which eclipsed China, but at the cost of a slightly longer game.
(Plus one game of Web of Power proper, bringing the total up to x7.)
Tigris & Euphrates (x5) - After I finally secured a copy of T&E, in exchange for Goldbrau, which had way too many calculations and rough edges for me, this started regularly going to EndGame, and it's regularly a game that people are willing to play. This one also got played a time or two with my roleplaying group, who also enjoyed it.
Spare Change
Beowulf: The Legend (x4) - A fine late-year Knizia release that easily would have been a nickel if it'd been put out earlier in the year. Probably Knizia's best of the year, though not as good as his greats.
Bohnanza (x4) - Briefly revitalized at the start of the year due to RGG finally putting up some supplements, but it remains too long to be a good filler and too light to be a main game. That's to my tastes; for a lighter, more family atmosphere, it remains a top-rate game.
Buy Low, Sell High (x4) - A Knizia rerelease that got a lot of play right after it came out, then faded away. Interesting enough to remain on my shelf, but dry & light enough to get pretty infrequent play.
Der Untergang von Pompeji (x4) - A great, light game, and I hope that Mayfair will be able to get out their American edition. Missed being a nickel by pure chance; it didn't get played a number of times that it was put in my gamebag.
Hanza (x4) - One of the games from 2004 that's held up the best for me. It continues to be a fun, tactical game, and it's small size makes it that much more likely to go traveling with me.
Loco! (x4) - Four plays, didn't like it. Finally gave up.
Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation (x4) - Apparent (though I think, not real) imbalances ruined this for everyone I tried to play it with. At this point I think I've never seen light lose. It'll get revitalized next year when FFG puts out their new edition.
Lost Cities (x4) - Most other years this would have been a nickel or dime. A fine game that stands up to replays.
Magic: The Gathering (x4) - One of my regular gamers likes M:tG and so this comes out occasionally. I still have decks from an inreasingly old era.
Shadows Over Camelot (x4) - This never got played after the initial rush, but I still think it's a fine game. The combined length and lightness just don't put it into the usual category of play for me.
Ticket to Ride (x4) - This got played a lot more online, but the face-to-face version suffered for the release of TtRE.
A bunch more games at 3x: Australia, Carcassonne, Carcassonne: The City, Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers (for a total of 11x f-t-f Carcassonne games, including one each of The Castle and Ark of the Covenent), Clans, Condotierre, Dungeon Twister, Fredericus (another "before I gave up"), Go West, HeroQuest, In the Shadow of the Emperor, Louis XIV, Oltre Mare, Pueblo, Puerto Rico, Quo Vadis?, Ra, Saboteur, San Juan, Santiago, Through the Desert, Tower of Babel, Tutankhamen, Vinci.