Kostas Game Blog: Amigo

Friday, July 25, 2008

No Thanks

The Basics
Description: No Thanks! is a card game designed to be as simple as it is engaging.

The rules are simple. Each turn, players have two options: Play one of their chips to avoid picking up the current face-up card pick up the face-up card (along with any chips that have already been played on that card) and turn over the next card.

However, the choices aren't so easy as players compete to have the lowest score at the end of the game. The deck of cards is numbered from 3 to 35, with each card counting for a number of points equal to its face value. Runs of two or more cards only count as the lowest value in the run - but nine cards are removed from the deck before starting, so be careful looking for connectors. Each chip is worth -1 point, but they can be even more valuable by allowing you to avoid drawing that unwanted card.

How to Play

Game Pixies (Web Guide)
Amigo (Official Rulebook)

Where to Play Online

Game Pixies (Free - Registration Required)

Cheat Sheets (Not really needed for this game)

Game Hints

Basic Strategy: Not really needed for this game
My Tips: Coming Soon

Views

Opinion: Quick game to learn and play.
Online: Works fine online, but very, very hard to every find anyone to play.
Work: We could play this 2-3 times at lunch time.
Home: An ok game to play.

Other Info

Plays best with: Works fine with 3-5 players, best with 4.
Gateway Suitability: Very easy to learn, maybe to easy.
Spouse Suitability: Chrissy has not played the game yet.
Re-playability: High replay as a end of night game.
Real Life Setup: A few minutes of shuffling cards and given out pieces.
Real Life Time/Length: 20 minutes.
Geek Link: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/12942

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Santiago

The Basics
Description: This game is about cultivating and watering fields. To accomplish this, a number of tiles denoting various plantation types come into the game each round. The tiles are auctioned off such that each player gets one, and the tiles are then placed onto the game board along with an ownership marker that also indicates how plentiful the tile’s yield will be. Whoever bid the lowest in each round gets to be the canal overseer and decides where a canal will be built that round. The other players may make suggestions to help the canal overseer decide, and back up their suggestions with money. The final decision is always wholly up to the overseer, though.

At the end of each round, players determine what the water supply situation looks like. Should a plantation not be sufficiently watered, its production drops dramatically; should it happen more than once, then that plantation may revert to fallow ground. At game’s end, naturally only the cultivated land counts. Each plantation is counted according to type – the bigger the better. But since the ownership markers play a role as well, the same plantation can give drastically different points for different players.
Goal

How to Play

Board Games with Scott (Video)
Spiel by Web (Online Rules)
Amigo (Official Rulebook in pdf)
Z-Man Games (Official Rulebook in pdf)

Where to Play Online

Spiel by Web (Free - Registration Required)

Cheat Sheets (from the Geek)

Player Aid (Downloads a pdf)
Teaching Aid (Downloads a pdf)