Andrea “Liga” Ligabue: from ModCon to Essen, a mediterranean view on the European Autumn Cons

Hi gamers,

here I’m with my personal report of the two biggest European events in the season of the falling leaves. To be exact, this trip will have to end in Lucca Comics & Games Festival (next week end) but since I’ll not be able to attend I decided to report now.
Why mix all together ? Because ModCon was for me the occasion to see and play most of the Italian’s news and so my Essen report will necessary has been Italian-less ... and that is not fair for one who profess to be the Italian’s games prophet in the world!

Just a short paragraph to say what ModCon and Essen are been to me before jumping in a game by game report. ModCon is the greatest Italian games con and in the last five years boardgame is quickly expanding to be the largest area in Modena event. Tournaments but also a really big and cowled area for free boardgaming. As our international special guests (Andreas and Karen Seyfarth in the past years, Christophe Boelinger from 2006 and this years also William Attia) could confirm, the boardgames area is really active, rich of games opportunity, big and small publishers, designers and play testers, self publishers, family and everything you need to satisfy your boardgame voracity! 3 days full of gaming and playing. Sadly I was also deep involved on the organizational side of the event, so boring practical task often keep me away from the tables. I was anyway able to cut time for playing, interviewing, testing and chatting and finally my balance was more than positive! On the other side Essen was for me in the last five years the real opportunity to have a full immersion in gaming, This year my official role as Boardgamenews press man and my role in the International Gamers Awards committee has stolen some time from pure gaming but was nice to have possibility to meet and talk with designers, gamers and publishers I was used just to email during the rest of the year. I was just sorry to not be able to have a brainstorming session with Eric, my editor here at BGN ... but we was both so busy that we are been able only to say hallo each other a couple of time running in opposite directions ... perhaps next year! Anyway also Essen was for me a really thumb up!

Before talk about game I have to mention that The Intentional Gamers Awards Ceremony and the Greg Schloesser talk were really great. I think was nice to award small company (CBG and Hurricane Games) and also almost new designers and I hope in the next year Essen organizers could give us a better space and visibility because I really think it is a nice and productive event for the fair to have a so International award that could gratifies also the contribution from minor companies and not only the Germans ones.

Most of the games I have actually played just once so my comments are more first impressions and so it could happen that in the next days I’ll change my mind, in one direction or in the opposite one. It is sad but the vast amount of games available in these days imply that the first impression determinate the future presence on the tables of several titles. Real an hard staff for game designers: make a good game that could resist several play sessions but impressive and fun since the first one ... sometimes we are too much critic and we have to give some games another opportunities but the time is not endless and new titles are just knocking on the gamers door!

Now I start with a quick report of game played during the two cons ... I hope you would enjoy it ...

Argentum Verlag

1001 Karawane was an intriguing game with rules awarding memory. You move across the desert looking for three magical artifacts. The desert tiles you cross are not revealed to the other player unless you want to fix the position of same place. Special places could give you bonuses. Your caravan start with a limited cargo and you have to choose how much of every goods you want to take: soldiers, water or good for trade. The game is quite nice and less random as it could seems, since the designer beat us really quickly showing how much one could guess from opponents movement. Not the kind of game I like but a good design and quite good materials.

Lookout Games

I have read the rules before Essen but I was not able to get a place for playing Agricola and so I’ll have to wait a (hope) English version to try one of the g hit of Essen 2007. That’s bad ... but since they told me that an Essen 2007 report without mentioning Agricola was not fancy here I’m!

Ystari

I played Amytis and it looks really nice. You are competing in building up the Hanging Gardens: in doing that you need the help of farmers, merchants, engineers and priests. You also have to wisely guide the caravan across the land acquiring plants for the gardens, money, richness or improving your caravan skill. You need to irrigate the fields before building up the gardens. More complex than last Ystari tittles but not too much as long as you have passed the set up test! It seems there is really a lot of things to do and to care ... one game is not enough to understand if that is too much to manage or just the right amount to give you a thrilling play.

I have also got the Mykerinos expansion but without playing it.

Fragor Games

This year I was able to get a copy of the Lamonts game: Antler Island look really nice. The game is more a family game than a gamers game but it plays well and it is fun. Every turn you have to plan your move: 3 actions have to be planned in the right order and a fourth one could be resolved anytime during your turn. You can move, eat food, get deers and grow your horns. You have to be the best male in the hill to win, fight against other Antlers. To be the best you need big horns and a lot of food. The game is easy but not trivial. Good title.

Warfrog

Martin Wallace Brass seems to be another great hit. I was an Age of Steam addicted and I think finally Brass could got a place next to it. Of course a game of higher level than last years releases. Seems to be enough in the game to keep you tied at the table for several sessions. You play across the canal and the railroad ages trying to build up mines (coal and iron) in the right positions and industry. Ship your good across the sea. Your harbors and industry must be connected to your canal/railroad net. Every turn you play a card that indicate where and what you can build. The right management of the cards and the timing are essential to win, but there are enough way to play around a bad deal. Really a thumb up!

TenkiGames

I can’t say more about Chang Cheng. My preview and my review are here under your eyes here on BGN. I really like this light majority game.

Valley Games

I was also able to play Container ... luckily it arrived in Essen in time. I got a session with other expert Italian gamers and I really enjoyed the game. A solid economic system, a nice game with a real good final scoring rule. A good game. I don0t loose time reviewing the other big hit of this Essen 2007 from Valley Game because many others have spent their time doing that!

Eggert Spiele

Cuba was a real nice surprise. I was worried about getting a Puerto Rico or Caylus clone and it wasn’t. It is not particularly innovative and it is of course a mix of things already seen but it is a good mix. The game plays well and easy, with a lot of important decisions every round (actually I think that for the first 2-3 games there are too much important decisions and it will not be easy for a player to find the right way). I really like the game.

Hamburgun was the 3rd game in the roundels series and I find it great. A lot of things to do and consider but you can really set up a strategy and try to gain results. I enjoyed a lot and missing a real fight phase you could anyway interfere with your opponents.

MdMV Games

I played Dea several time before Essen and I wasn’t able to find the light in this game. It seems to me too much easy and predicted what you have to do every round and finally it is only a matter of luck in the dice rolling that could determinate the final score between to equal players. I have also got some emails with the designer trying to find where I was not getting the game but without success. The game is not for me and I don’t like it.

RedGlove

Easy School was a light card game from a close friend so It is not easy to have and objective judgment about it. I enjoy the game and it is well designed (Michele is a real hardcore gamer and knows a lot of games) but is too much on the light side of the scale for me; in my gaming experience I defenitly look for something heavier.

CBE

I was a real fan of Through the Ages and so I was approaching Galaxy Trucker, the new Vlaad Chvatil game, with a mix of fear and hope ... and I was delighted in finding a totally different design but also of great level. The game of course is much more lighter than TtA. The building phase is really funny and well done and also I really like how the travel phase is resolved, letting the main focus of the game in the building phase. You really have to play it in the advanced version, using all the starships and with the possibility to know ¾ of the perils your are going to meet. One of my best Essen titles.

Also from CBE was League of Six, another game I was lucky to play with Alan How and Derek Carver (actually at our table there was also James but since he beats me I don’t want to talk about him!). The game plays nice and it is really well designed. Everything is under the player eyes and everything is changing from turn to turn. My only complain is about the absence of a real theme and also the equalness of the sixth round, without a real growth in tension.

What’s Your Game ?

I was quite disappointed by Ghosts for Sale, the new Acchittocca game published by WyG. I was really pleased by Leonardo da Vinci design but I don’t enjoyed the game finding it is too much “I think that you think that I think ...”. It is the kind of game in the end you plays equally well if you think a lot or if you think nothing and that is not really good. Anyway the setting is fine and the graphics also good.

CBG

Jantaris was a nice surprise for me. This really well designed game shows how Czech is a good place for new designers.  It is about getting majority in different area in a town to score point or to have at the right moment (when the big fair will happens) citizens in the center of the town and goods to spend. There is a lot more (like magic objects, guild merchants) but not really thematic. The game is a bit too much on the abstract side for me, but was really good and funny.

R&D Games

I have played Key Harvest last year in his developing stage and I was quite good impressed ... I still have to play the new version but I’m almost sure I’ll be happy about it.

Stratelibri

Kingsburg was one of the best games in ModCon 2007 for me, Actually I have played it a lot in the play-testing phase and in ModCon so in Essen I have skipped it. But it has the right mix of randomness and strategy, a nice theme and really good materials. Great.

Giochix.it

I was able to get the two Giochix.it titles before Essen. I found Bulp! an insipid game, nothing new, nothing particular ... just good graphics. Medievalia is, on the other side, a nice game. It is deeply inspired by magic with the usual mechanism: play resources, use resources to play better cards but it works. With 2 players is nothing particular but with 3 and 4 you got a new dimension and the game plays well. I think the price is really low for a nice design and a good graphic.

Portal

I was a fan of Neuroshima Hex and so I decided to buy also the 2nd edition and it was a good deal because the graphic is really improved. Also the new army was nice with a lot of new ideas. I’m waiting the expansions Portal told us to have!

Rio Grande Games

Race for the Galaxy was another of my Essen hits! It is a great game, well designed, with a great theme and good graphics. It plays well in 2 players as in multi player ... I have already played it more than 7 times! The game is about building and expanding a galactic empire: you play cards as technological improvement or as new planets. The game is a good and solid card game with a system close to San Juan
but better. No blasting, no combats but a race in the developing. One of the best Essen title.

Ghenos Games

Race of the Wind sailing cups was for me the best Ghenos release. It is a great sailing game with simple rules but really a lot of strategy inside. It is the evolution of Velagiochiamo but all the new things Ghenos put in this old design are in the right way. If you like sailing games you have to play it.

Rugby World was another good title in the simulation style Ghenos has adopted. The vector movement of Bolide fits well with the rugby settings. My only concern is about the time you need to play it ... but if you like Rugby and simulation you have to give it a chance.

Scribabs

Star System was a really nice two player deduction games. A little jewel. Nice graphics, smart design and funny to play. for me a real improvement over all the past years Scribabs production I was not happy about.
Every player start with 5 actors from a total of 20. You have to guess the actors in opponents hands. Every turn you can choose one of 4 special action cards that can help you in the guess. The 4 actions cards are different and the 2 cards not chosen activate other action. The 10 actors not in the hands of the player are covered on the table. Some of the actions let you know some of this cards. Good light deduction game.

Matagot

I played Utopia and I found it an average game. Everything is designed well but there is nothing in the game really hits my heart. Nothing really bad but nothing really new. Materials and graphics are good but not enough for me to have a second play.

Emma Games

I played Wadi 4 times during the fair, with 2,2,3 and 4 players. Since I’m not used to like abstract game I think it means that Wad was a good game. Easy rules, good ideas, nice design, But, actually, it is an abstract game and that keeps it away from my shelves.

Raven

Spirits was another of Knizia titles I was wondering why he decided to design. I found it nothing more than a kids game with nice phantom ... far away from what Dr. Knizia is able to design.

Blast City Games

San Quentin Kings was actually an abstract game, The theme was about riot in prison but actually it is an abstract game. It has something nice but nothing really impressive for me.

Creative Cell

I was good impressed by The Circle. We played just a quick Essen version (a good idea to have special quick rules usable for demo games) but it seems to have enough good ideas in it to have a second play in the full version. Materials and arts are nice and also the setting. The game is about spy in the Victorian age. On your turn you have to gain influence on the 4 different spy department and acquire new spies. Than you have to use your spy to infiltrate The Circle organization or just to slow and harm your opponents. Some actions also increase The Circle influence. You have to win without letting The Circle become too much strong ... otherwise The Circle and the player with less point will win.

MAG

I have also played Caveman, a simple game with dinosaurs. the game is nothing more than a roll and move (actually flip a card and move) but the setting is nice and also the materials are quite good.

This is a real quick report. Too many games and a lot still to play. Anyway I hope this Mediterranean view of Autumn cons could be nice for you!

Good play
Liga

© 2007 Andrea Liga Ligabue

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Comments:

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Great report, Liga!  Our gaming tastes are pretty close.  I’m particularly happy to see you praise Brass, as that’s one of the new games I’m most looking forward to trying out.  Hopefully, it will hit the table soon (we couldn’t do it last weekend, as we had five players). Posted by Larry Levy on Oct 29, 2007 at 11:45 AM | #

One little thing: CBE is actually CGE - it means Czech Games Edition. Posted by Petr Murmak on Oct 29, 2007 at 11:45 AM | #

I know that Larry! I always read with attention your comments/posts because I’m almost sure to find right hints for my gaming sessions! Petr, I’ll fix the error tomorrow. Thank you very much! good play Liga Posted by Andrea Liga Ligabue on Oct 30, 2007 at 04:53 AM | #

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