Acquire

The Basics
Description: This Sid Sackson classic has taken many different forms over the years depending on the publisher. Each player strategically invests in businesses, trying to retain a majority of stock. As the businesses grow with tile placements, they also start merging, giving the majority stockholders of the acquired business sizable bonuses, which can then be used to reinvest into other chains. All of the investors in the acquired company can then cash in their stocks for current value or trade them 2-for-1 for shares of the newer, larger business. The game is a race to acquire the greatest wealth.

How to Play

• You Tube (Video)
• Wizards (Official Online Instructions)
  
• Wizards (Official Rulebook)
• Wizards (Official Demo)
  

Where to Play Online (I play it on Gleemax)

• Gleemax (Free - Registration Required)
• Palm Version (Free Download)
• Netquire (Free Online)
• dos game (Free Download)
• Shareware (Free Download)
• PC version (Free Download)
  
• Old pc game (Free Download)
  
• Games by Email (Free - Registration Required)
  

Cheat Sheets (from the Geek)

• Player Aid (Downloads a Word doc)
• How To (Downloads a Word doc)
  
• Teaching Aid (Downloads a Pdf)
  

Game Hints

• Basic Strategy: Thread on the Geek Coming Soon (a link to the Geek)
• Strategy: Thread on the Geek
• Strategy: Thread on the Geek
• My Tips: Read this blog overview at Jon Aquino.

Views

• Opinion: I really enjoy this game.
• Online: Works fine online
  
• Work: Could be to long for lunch time play.
  
• Home: Great game for the home.
  

Other Info

• Plays best with: Works fine with 2-6 players, best with 4.
  
• Gateway Suitability: Very easy to learn.
  
• Spouse Suitability: Chrissy hasn't played it.
• Re-playability: Very High.
  
• Real Life Setup: A few minutes of sorting.
  
• Real Life Time/Length: 60-90 minutes (more if everyone is new).
  
• Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/5

Vegas Showdown

The Basics
Description: Build your own hotel/casino by bidding against the other players to acquire tiles that represent slot machines, lounges, restaurants, and other casino-related places. Put those tiles on your player board, which represents your own customized casino. The tiles will allow you to increase your revenue, services, and fame.

The player who builds the most famous hotel/casino wins the game.

How to Play

• Wizards (Official Demo)
• Board Games with Scott (Video)
• Wizards (Rulebook)
  

Where to Play Online

• Gleemax (Free - Registration Required)
  

Cheat Sheets (from the Geek)

• Player Aid (Downloads a Pdf)

Game Hints

• Strategy: Thread on the Geek
  
• Strategy: Thread on the Geek
  
• My Tips: Coming Soon

Views

• Opinion: So far I like this game.
• Online: Works fine online
• Work: Could be to long the first time, but should be fine after that for lunch time play.
• Home: Great game, but better options available.

Other Info

• Plays best with: Works fine with 3-5 players, best with 5.
• Gateway Suitability: Not sure yet.
• Spouse Suitability: Chrissy hasn't played it yet.
• Re-playability: Not sure yet.
• Real Life Setup: A few minutes.
• Real Life Time/Length: 60-75 minutes.
• Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/15364

Axis & Allies

The Basics
Description: Axis & Allies (2004) aka Axis & Allies Revised Edition is the fourth edition of the classic light weight war game Axis and Allies. The game simulates the entire scope of World War II.

The game is nominally designed for five players, representing the Allies: United States of America, United Kingdom and Russia vs. the Axis: Germany and Japan. However, it is most often played as a two-player game.

Axis & Allies features a simple dice-based combat system; a small number of types of naval, air and land units; territory control; and technology research to improve unit capabilities.

Major new features of Axis & Allies (2004) include new units (e.g. destroyers, artillery), revised unit capabilities (e.g. armor defend at 3, fighters cost 10 IPCs), directed technology research, and totally new victory conditions (key territories must be controlled to win the game).

How to Play

• Wizards (Official Demo) (Web Guide) (Power Point)
• Wizards (Official Rulebook)

Where to Play Online

• Gleemax (Free - Registration Required)

Cheat Sheets (from the Geek)

• Player Aid (Downloads a RTF doc)
• Teaching Aid (Downloads a Pdf)
• Battle Calculator - (Website)
  

Game Hints

• Basic Strategy: Thread on the Geek (Part 1)
• Basic Strategy: Thread on the Geek (Part 2)
• My Tips: Coming Soon

Views

• Opinion: Oldie and a good, long but fun.
• Online: Works fine online, maybe even better online.
  
• Work: Online only.
• Home: Great game for teenagers and above.

Other Info

• Plays best with: Works fine with 2-5 players, best with 2.
• Gateway Suitability: For war games ok, otherwise it might be to long.
• Spouse Suitability: Chrissy wont play.
• Re-playability: Very high when I was a teen. Now it takes to long in person.
• Real Life Setup: It takes a while.
• Real Life Time/Length: Two to Four Hours.
• Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/10093
  

Robo Rally

The Basics
Description: Imagine that you're a supercomputer. Now imagine that you're bored. So you dream up a little contest for you and a couple of your supercomputing buddies. Your task is to move one of the stupid little robots out on the factory floor through a series of checkpoints scattered throughout the factory. The wrinkle, however, is that the factory floor is filled with all kinds of inconvenient (if not down-right deadly) obstacles located in various locations: conveyor belts, crushers, flame-throwers, pushers, teleporters, oil slicks, pits, et cetera. But the real fun comes when the robots cross each other's path, and suddenly your perfect route is something less than that...

How to Play

• Wizards Demo (Official Demo) (Web Guide) (Power Point)
• Wizards (Official Rulebook)
• Geek (Copy of Official Rulebook)
  

Where to Play Online (I like Gleemax, but Eye Play and Palm version are fine)

• Gleemax (Free - Registration Required)
• Eye Play Games (Free - Registration Required)
  
• Source Forge (Free - Registration Required)
• Lurk Lurk (Free for Palm OS - No Registration Required)
  

Cheat Sheets (from the Geek)

• Great Website on Robo Rally (Not the Geek)
  
• Teaching Aid (Downloads a Pdf)

Game Hints

• Basic Strategy: Thread on the Geek
  
• My Tips: None from me, but a good thread on the Geek

Views

• Opinion: I really enjoy this game. I enjoy Hunters more, but this is an easy game to learn. I can teach it and go over it at lunch time, at the house or online.
• Online: Works fine online
• Work: Could be to long on the table, might work better online.
• Home: Great game for families after they get the rules down.

Other Info

• Plays best with: Works fine with 2-8 players, best with 5 or 6.
• Gateway Suitability: Easy to learn, a little hard to master. So it might take a few games, then you are hooked.
• Spouse Suitability: Chrissy loved the pieces and the game.
• Re-playability: Once you get into it, replay is high.
• Real Life Setup: A few minutes, sorting pieces and cards.
• Real Life Time/Length: Without the expansions over an hour, the more players could take 2 hours in person.
• Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/18

Guillotine

The Basics
Description: The French Revolution is famous in part for the use of the guillotine to put nobles to death, and this is the macabre subject of this light card game.

As executioners pandering to the masses, the players are trying to behead the least popular nobles. Each day the nobles are lined up and players take turns killing the ones at the front of the line until all the nobles are gone.

However, players are given cards which will manipulate the line order right before 'harvesting,' which is what makes the game interesting. After three days worth of chopping, the highest total carries the day.

How to Play

• You Tube (Video)
• Official (Online Rules)

Where to Play Online

• Gleemax (Free - Registration Required)

Cheat Sheets (from the Geek)

• One Pager (Downloads a Word doc)
• Rulebook Scan (Downloads a Pdf)

Game Hints

• Basic Strategy: None that I can find
  
• My Tips: There isn't much strategy in Guillotine. Maybe in terms of using your action cards to maximize your own score while screwing your opponents is about it.

Views

• Opinion: I fun light game. Good to use at the beginning or at the end of a game session.
• Online: Works fine online once your in Gleemax.
• Work: Could easily play a game during lunch.
  
• Home: Fun and light, the beheading and gloomy aspect might not be good for kids.
  

Other Info

• Plays best with: Works fine with 2-5 players, best with 4.
• Gateway Suitability: Very easy to learn, might take two games to grasp it.
• Spouse Suitability: Chrissy liked it.
• Re-playability: This has ok replay value if you view it as a light game. Otherwise mid to low replay value.
• Real Life Setup: A few minutes, shuffle and deal.
• Real Life Time/Length: Takes around 30 minutes.
• Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/116