6Nimmt!

The Basics
There are 104 cards numbered from 1 to 104. Every card has at least 1 small flag on it, which will score against you. The deck is shuffled and players are dealt 10 cards each. 4 more are dealt up on the table to form the start of 4 rows.
When each player has chosen a card from their hand, these are revealed and put on the ends of the rows according to simple rules.

As the rows get longer, a row with 5 cards in it is full. If your card is to be the 6th, you pick up the 5 cards in the row, and your 6th card goes to the front to restart the row. The cards you pick up do not go into your hand, but sit in front of you to score against you at the end of the round. Play rounds until someone hits 74 (the minimum speed of a hurricane) and the lowest score wins.

The game plays from 2 to 10 players and the dynamics change the more you have. Whilst luck of the draw has effect, there are some tactics you can apply and timing your choice makes a difference.

As a slight rule difference between 6 Nimmt! and Category 5, 6 Nimmt! ends when one player has a score greater than 66, and Category 5 ends when one player has a score greater than 74.

The new version is called Slide 5.


How to Play

• Word http://www.boardgamegeek.com/file/download/3558/6_NIMMT!.doc
• PDF http://www.amigo-spiele.de/upload/6nimmt_Int_1140.pdf

Where to Play Online

• Onlinebrettspiele (Against three computer opponents) http://www.onlinebrettspiele.de/old/6nimmt! or http://www.onlinebrettspiele.de/6nimmt/Default.asp?l=en
• BrettspielWelt (real-time) http://www.brettspielwelt.de/

Cheat Sheets (from the Geek)

• Not needed

Game Hints

• Good Thread on the Geek: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/5666
• My Recommended Tips: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/143022

Views

• Opinion: I enjoyed this game as a filler.
• Online: Works fine online, and a great way to learn the game.
• Work: Real quick play time, could be played multiple times after lunch.
• Home: A good family game, probably a good math game for little kids.

Other Info

• Plays best with: Works fine with 2-10 players, best with 4-8 (others say 4-10).
• Gateway Suitability: Very easy to learn.
• Spouse Suitability: Chrissy has played this, and thinks its very easy (and random).
• Re-playability: It doesn't see table action, except as a filler.
• Real Life Setup: A few minutes, just shuffle the cards and deal
• Real Life Time/Length: 30 minutes (less if you play online, or with fewer rounds).
• Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/432

Pico 2

The Basics
Description: The game is composed of 11 cards. These are numbered 4 through 13 plus 16 and each also bears a number of "pips". (From one on the 4 card to four on the 16 card.) A round is played as follows: each player is dealt 5 cards with the eleventh card discarded face-up. (Note that this means that you know exactly what cards your opponent holds.) Each turn both you and your opponent secretly select one of their respective cards and reveal them simultaneously. The higher card wins and that player sets that card aside scoring the number of pips on it. The loser retains his/her played card. However, if the higher card is more than twice the lower card then it's the lower card that is placed aside and scored. So the 13 will beat the 10 but lose to the 6. Play continues until one player is left with but a single card. Points are then scored and, here's the clever bit, players swap hands and do it again. This ensures that each game is exactly fair as both players will have equal opportunity to play a strong/weak hand. After these two rounds the points are totaled and a winner declared. There are, at most, fourteen card plays in a game and so the game is usually over in two or three minutes.

How to Play

• http://doris-frank.de/PlayPico.html
• http://www.boardgamegeek.com/file/info/26844 (Word file)
  

Where to Play Online

• http://www.jijbent.nl
  
• http://doris-frank.de/PlayPico.html (in English)
  

Cheat Sheets (from the Geek)

• Not Needed

Game Hints

• Not Needed: Plays like your a mind reader

Views

• Opinion: I enjoyed this game.
• Online: Works fine online.
• Work: Very quick filler for lunch time.
  
• Home: Could be a good family game.

Other Info

Plays best with: Its a two player game, but works fine online against AI.
Gateway Suitability: Very easy to learn.
Spouse Suitability: Chrissy liked it as a filler.
Re-playability: It doesn't see table action, but does see online action.
Real Life Setup: A few seconds of card shuffling.
Real Life Time/Length: 5 minutes.
Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/606

Red November

The Basics
Description: Red November is a cooperative game in a gnomish attack submarine where everything is going wrong. The sub is descending and the water pressure increasing, the nuclear reactor is overheating, the nuclear missile launchers are pre-igniting, fires and water leaks are everywhere, there's a giant Kraken looming nearby and there’s very little oxygen and vodka left. While the storyline feels more and more like a disaster movie, the players must get organized to solve the problems, divide the tasks among themselves to minimize the risks, and sometimes accept to sacrifice themselves for the common cause.

The game is played on the map of the submarine. The conditions in the submarine are represented by three disaster tracks: Asphyxiation, Heat and Pressure. During the game, these conditions get worse, and if anyone of them reaches its maximum value, the submarine is lost. In addition, various emergencies can occur which have to be dealt with swiftly, or they'll also lead to the loss of the submarine.

Each turn, a player can move to a new location, and perform some action there. Such an action can be repairs (which will improve conditions on the sub and/or fix emergencies), removing obstacles (unblocking hatches, removing flooding or extinguishing fires) or stocking up on equipment (which will help with later actions). Each action is paid for with time. The more time a player spends on an action, the greater the chance of success. After each player's turn, a number of events will happen; the more time was spent, the more events will occur. Such events will be the worsening of conditions in the submarine, or the triggering of emergencies.

If the Gnomes can keep alive long enough, rescue will arrive and the game is won.

How to Play

• Video: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/362466
• Web Page: http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=201
  
• Official Rulebook: http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite_sec.asp?eidm=36&esem=4
  

Where to Play

• Board Game Geek: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/38887 (download a java version, with a doc on how to play)
  

Cheat Sheets (from the Geek)

• Teaching Aide: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/37539
• One Pager: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/41311
• FAQ: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/37553
• Player Aid: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/36967

Game Hints

• Basic Strategy: Have not played it enough to give you any.
  
• My Tips: Have not played it enough to give you any.

Views

• Opinion: I enjoyed this game the first time I played it at Unity Games. It is an easy game to learn (either through Mark or via the YouTube videos). It is a cooperative game, so I would recommend playing this with folks you like. I can teach it and go over it at lunch time or at the house.
  
• Online: Works fine on the PC, more of a teaching tool (IMHO).
  
• Work: Will be long for lunch.
• Home: Great game for the family.

Other Info

• Plays best with: Works fine with 3-8 players, best with 4 or 5 (IMHO).
• Gateway Suitability: Easy to learn, might take a round or two to grasp.
• Spouse Suitability: Chrissy hasn't played this yet.
• Re-playability: If your into short Co-op games, this would fit the bill.
• Real Life Setup: A few minutes, of sorting cards and tiles. Putting it back in the box is the real issue.
  
• Real Life Time/Length: 50-60 minutes.
• Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/36946

Pass the Pigs

The Basics
This very portable beer & pretzels game comes as a pocket travel case containing 2 pig dice, two pencils and a scoring booklet that also includes the scoring table. The pigs are actual pig miniatures, with a dot on their right flanks.

The object is to be the first to score 100 points using "pigs" as dice. On your turn, you throw the pigs and hope they end up in a scoring position such as a "snouter", "trotter" or "leaning jowler" (ranging in value from 1 to 60 points); if they do, you decide whether to "cash" the points (pass the pigs to the next player) or to roll again. If you roll a non-scorer ("pig out" --one pig on the right flank, the other on the left flank; a fairly frequent result), you lose any as-yet-uncashed points. If you throw an "oinker" (both pigs touch each other), you lose your entire accumulated score. If you throw a "piggyback" (one pig on top of the other), you're altogether eliminated!

The variant Hog Call rules allow the other players to risk predicting the outcome of the throw; if predicted successfully, the hog caller earns twice the value of the position *and* deducts that same amount from the roller's score!

How to Play

• Font Face (Rules)
• Hasbro (Official Rulebook)
• THQ Wireless (Online Rules/Demo)

Where to Play

• Font Face: http://www.fontface.com/games/pigs/ (Java) Free
• THQ Wireless (also on IPhone) http://us.thqwireless.com/content.html?id=4272 (DEMO)

Cheat Sheets (from the Geek)

• Player Aid Not Needed

Game Hints

• My Tip: Roll 3 or try to get 20 points before stopping for the round (aka play it safe at first).
  

Views

• Opinion: I enjoyed this game alot. Very simple dice rolling game.
  
• Online: Works fine online, or on a phone. Great way to spend some time when your travelling and don't feel like reading.
  
• Work: Short. quick and fun!
• Home: Very good game, just watch the small pieces. Every home should have this.
  

Other Info

• Plays best with: Works fine with 2-10 players, best with any, but I like 2 - 4.
• Gateway Suitability: Very easy to learn.
• Spouse Suitability: Chrissy loves it
• Re-playability: It does see table, online and IPhone action.
• Real Life Setup: Seconds, just take the piece out of the case, make sure to have a pencil.
• Real Life Time: Depends on how many are playing. Usually less than 20 minutes.
• Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/2593

Metro

The Basics: Similar to Streetcar, Tsuro and Spaghetti Junction, this game has players putting square tiles onto the board to form rail lines. The major difference in this game, however, is that players are not striving to make short, direct routes like those sought in Streetcar. Instead, the object of the game is to make the rail lines as long as possible. Players start with a number of trains ringing the board. Whenever a tile placement connects a train to a station (either on the edge or the center of the board), that train is removed and the player scores one point for each tile that the route crosses, which can cause one tile to score multiple times if the track loops around. However, players score double for city connections, which are the stations in the center of the board.

How to Play

* Blue Ring: http://www.bluering.nl/sieuwert/games/metro/index.html (Rules)
* Queen Games: Rulebook (Official Rulebook)

Where to Play Online

BlueRing.NL : http://www.bluering.nl/sieuwert/games/metro/index.html (Free)
BlueRing.NL : http://www.bluering.nl/sieuwert/games/metro/metro.zip (Download)

Cheat Sheets (from the Geek)

* None, its very simple. Just read and play the online game. It is just a tile placement game, where you want to reach the center of the board and screw your buddies if possible.

Game Hints

* Good Review on the Geek: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/191357
* My Tips: Just play solo until you get it.

Views

* Opinion: I enjoyed this game, I just dont play it enough.
* Online: Works fine online.
* Work: Could be to long the first time, but should be fine after that for lunch time play.
* Home: Should be a good family game.

Other Info

* Plays best with: Works fine with 2-6 players, best with 3 (imho, but 2-6 is fine).
* Gateway Suitability: Very easy to learn.
* Spouse Suitability: Chrissy hasn't played this yet, but she has played Tsuro which is similar and she liked that one (after her first game).
* Re-playability: It doesn't see table action, but Tsuro does.
* Real Life Setup: A minute, just pull out the board place tiles (place in bag).
* Real Life Time: 45 minutes.
* Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/559

Fluxx

The Basics
Description: A card game where the cards themselves determine the current rules of the game. By playing cards, you change numerous aspects of the game: how to draw cards, how to play cards, and even how to win.

I recommend using the YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcR0nSmoUsw and the Wunderland site http://www.wunderland.com/LooneyLabs/Fluxx/HowToPlay.html to understand the game (outside of asking me).

How to Play Wunderland

• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcR0nSmoUsw (Video)
  
• Wunderland: http://www.wunderland.com/LooneyLabs/Fluxx/HowToPlay.html (Online Rulebook)

Where to Play Online

• Volity.Net: http://volity.net/index.html

Cheat Sheets

• 1 Page how to on the Geek: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/filepage/1916
• Wunderland: http://www.wunderland.com/LooneyLabs/Fluxx/HowToPlay.html

Game Hints

• Basic Strategy: http://www.wunderland.com/LooneyLabs/Fluxx/HowToPlay.html
• My Tips: Just play, I don't feel there is much strategy here, the game constantly changes.
  

Views

• Opinion: I enjoy this game only face to face. It is an easy game to learn. I can teach it and go over it at lunch time, at the house.
• Online: Works fine online, but you don't get the same feel as face to face.
• Work: Would easily fit after lunch.
• Home: Easy and fun game for a family and friends.

Other Info

• Plays best with: Works with 2-6 players, best with 4-5.
• Gateway Suitability: Very easy to learn, at the most just watch the YouTube video.
• Spouse Suitability: Chrissy hasn't played this yet.
• Re-playability: Very infrequent it does not see table or online action.
• Real Life Setup: Seconds, just shuffle the cards.
• Real Life Time/Length: 15-20 minutes.
• Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/258
• Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/36345