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Greg J. Schloesser: Memorial Day and Quick Overviews
Over the Memorial Day weekend, we had the great pleasure of visiting our good friends in the Cincinnati area in what became known as the first Queens City Confluence. We had a great time visiting, socializing and gaming with Dale & Tracy Yu, Scott & Cheryl Tullis, John Palagyi, Valerie & Tyler Putman, Craig & Kim Berg, Warren & Sharon Madden and a gathering of some of the local Cincinnatti gaming clan. We had a super time with some super folks.
The festivities began early as Warren & Sharon Madden drove-up on Thursday from Atlanta, meeting us at Kevin & Rhonda Bender’s home for our East Tennessee Gamers session on Thursday evening. They spent the night at our home, and we drove together to Dale’s palatial mansion in Cincinnati. Dale & Tracy recently moved into the home, which is in the lovely old community of Glendale. Turns out the home was built by the first draftee of the Cincinnati Bengals, who owned the home until he sold it to the Yus. The home and community are amazing, and we really enjoyed spending time in the wooded backyard on Friday evening.
When we arrived, the BBQ grill was in full swing, and folks were enjoying several outdoor games and activities. The highlight was Dale’s “cornhole” set, which is basically lawn darts using corn-filled bags and wooden targets. It is so much fun that I just placed an order for a set. The low-light was when one of my frisbee tosses went astray and struck Dale’s little boy right on the face. Fortunately, I was able to bribe my way back into his good graces with some chocolate bars!
Saturday morning Dale insisted on taking us to Jungle Jim’s, an area grocery store. I was quite dubious, as going to a grocery store isn’t exactly my idea of an exciting excursion. But Dale kept insisting that we had never seen anything like Jungle Jim’s ... and he was right. This isn’t a grocery store; it is a six-acre emporium of food and delicacies from around the world. The place is simply amazing, and is filled with food and items that I had no idea existed. One gets an inkling of what’s in store from the Disney-esque entrance, complete with waterfalls and a monorail car! I am still enjoying some of the food and goodies we purchased. Later that evening, more food was on the agenda, and we enjoyed a terrific meal at “Uncle Yips”.
Sunday we enjoyed a relaxing cruise and meal aboard a river boat on the Ohio River. The heat was oppressive, so we spent most of our time inside, enjoying the views and playing a few lighter games. More gaming and food was in store at Scott & Cheryl Tullis’ beautiful home, where we occupied the remainder of the day playing and eating.
In addition to these excursions, we did play quite a few games. Dale kept detailed notes, and has posted his report on various internet forums, so I’ll just comment upon some of the newer games I played.
MYKERINOS: I thoroughly enjoyed my two playings of this new Ystari release. I find it to be filled with tough decisions, and it contains numerous strategic paths to pursue. It is a rich game, all packed in a 1-hour time frame. This is one of the best new releases of the year.
COMBO KING: I’m not a big fan of GameWright games, but then again, I’m really not their target market. Most of their games are aimed at families with younger children, and I really dont’ fit into that category. Still, this new dice-rolling game seemed like fun, and it was! Players must fulfill the Yahtzee-like requirements listed on their cards by rolling dice, earning chips for doing so. These chips can be used to help complete future card requirements, and the first player to fulfill all of his card is victorious. The game is fun, although it might actually be a bit too quick.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING: This theme of this recent UberPlay & Reiner Knizia release didn’t appeal to me, so I didn’t seek out a copy. Since it was available at Scott Tullis’ beautiful home, however, I wanted to try it. My initial expectations were confirmed: there really isn’t much here. It is a push-your-luck type game with a betting theme. I’m happy if I never play this one again.
FUDDY DUDDY: While I didn’t play this during the Queen City Confluence, I did play it that week with the East Tennessee Gamers. Players try to form a “straight”, earning points for doing so. Sadly, the game has a significant flaw that really prevents any form of strategy or tactic. Hope you get lucky and draw that needed “4” is about all you can do. Sadly, no one enjoyed the experience. I’d much rather play UNO or even Skip-Bo.
Again, I want to extend a GREAT BIG ”THANK YOU” to Dale, Scott and John—and their families—for a wonderful weekend. They were most gracious hosts, and made us all feel like kings. I can’t wait for Queens City Confluence 2!
© 2006 Greg Schloesser
Posted by Greg Schloesser on Jun 9, 2006 at 10:50 AM in Columnists, Greg Schloesser / 1146
